The Weight of Time

Sergeant Jack was riding on the military bus, thinking his battle strategies against Russia. He was considering the possibility of wanting recruits for his team (who guarded the front line). When he went to base camp, he noticed a large crowd in the strategy tent (which was the biggest tent). Closely after, he had learnt there was an unexpected visitor, and she was the Master Sergeant Macy. He new that this was not a good sign. Right at that moment he heard a command: “All sergeants to the strategy tent!” he was now praying that he would not have any quarrels. Five other sergeants entered the tent with him. The MSG called them and had a private conversation, only six people. The gist was, they needed to manage time effectively so that the Russians didn’t have the gap to terminate their plan. Said plan being learnt only three days ago already put them in a disadvantage. The fate of the battle would depend on this plan being started or not. Jack was secretly afraid when this was being addressed, because he knew how dangerous the Russians are only with their willpower! When you give them an advantage, they were nearly unbeatable at these conditions. The new strategy had been determined: Supress the Russians before 6th of March. Everyone knew that this was not an easy task because they were supposed to defeat a 100000 people Russian army in harsh winter, unknown land, having only 2000 people (only 1000 recruits would be separated to each line of attack and there were lines of offence) and just in fourteen days’ time! All this seemed impossible with the combined circumstances. But this was a clear order, so they HAD to try. Three days had passed with organisation and on the fourth day the attack started but there was a slight issue, Jacks’ team did not attack. They were determining their strategy slowly. At the ninth day they were ready to strike. But when they went to the front line no sign of life could be found. All of a sudden Jack heard a sound of thunder, the SPC near him was looking behind him and warned them that the Russians had ambushed them! Bleeding, he shot an enemy soldier but fell down to the ground. He saw the Russians, which were approximately 300m away and stood there like a deer in the headlights. At that moment three privates had fallen to the ground to never wake up. Jack’s muscle memory saved him form a bullet and made him realise he was in a state of shock. He took many lives after he came to his senses. Just when he had thought he eliminated each of them he heard footsteps silenced by snow. There was another wave! He fended of as much as he could but a man can only do so much. He felt a warm liquid in his chest, it gave him comfort as he fell down. He saw the last enemy losing the light in his eyes. A private rushed towards him “Commander! Commander! Are you alright?” he spoke slowly: “Time, just if I had more time, nothing would have been like this. Remember. He who cannot manage time will eventually be managed by time.” the private saw the sergeant’s eyes fade into darkness after he said goodbye to the sky.