-Zero- A Short Story (SFW)

…Zero…
When in the world would one expect that war could engulf so many lives through violent conflict‭? ‬Men are never born to become warriors,‭ ‬society makes it that way.‭ ‬What happens,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬when you are‭ ‘‬built‭’ ‬to become a war machine‭? ‬An answer that the engineers gave by simply saying‭ “‬To not be conquered.‭”

‬Living Machines in this world have been around,‭ ‬they were created through knowledge of what some would call voodoo.‭ ‬Whatever happened,‭ ‬people are mixed about it as the machines live,‭ ‬eat,‭ ‬sleep among their human‭ ‘‬masters‭’‬.‭

‬Of course,‭ ‬not every machine can be living,‭ ‬only large machines with certain qualities.‭ ‬This mainly goes towards any vehicular machine,‭ ‬cars or planes are the most common to see.‭ ‬In particular Military Machines are always welcome to be alive since if the operator is knocked out,‭ ‬the machine can get him out to safety or continue the fight.‭

‬One such machine was a Mitsubishi‭ ‬A6M5‭ ‬Zero Rei-Sen named simply,‭ ‘‬Z‭’ ‬by her pilot.‭ ‬Machines never have a name unless given by their operators,‭ ‬otherwise they are called by their factory numbers.‭ ‬Z was lucky to have a Pilot that cared for her as much as she did,‭ ‬even if they rarely saw combat like the planes she was surrounded by on the Aircraft Carrier.‭

“‬Hey,‭ ‬Z‭” ‬Walked over an average build and height Japanese male.‭ ‬He had a well built face,‭ ‬even if it was like most flat faced Japanese,‭ ‬although his eyes were wider resembling more like a European’s eyes.‭ ‬He was clad in a leather jacket and combat pants.‭ ‬Thick boots that were held on by tight ties and very thick gloves to keep himself warm on the deck of a rather chilling day.‭

‬Z felt herself getting excited to see her Operator,‭ ‬even if she was able to fly without him,‭ ‬it was euphoria to have someone control her.‭ ‬The way he touched her controls,‭ ‬how gentle he was even in the most intense of situations made her eyes simply flutter as she remembered it all.‭ ‬Her engine slightly sputtered,‭ ‬the excitement almost turning her engine on.‭ ‬The hydraulics that her landing gears had allowed her to tilt left,‭ ‬right,‭ ‬and‭ ‬elevate‭ ‬up and down.‭

“‬Oh‭! ‬Hello Eiji‭!” ‬It was ironic that her operator’s name stood for peace,‭ ‬and he was in a violent and deadly conflict.‭ ‬She would tilt herself down a bit towards the right since that was where he was coming from.‭ ‬Her beautiful sky blue eyes gleaming from the high sun,‭ ‬almost like a gem in their own right.‭ ‬Her mouth located below the base of the engine.‭ ‬She had a huge smile,‭ ‬and one could see those razor sharp teeth that most aircraft seemed to posses.‭

“‬I see someone is excited for their mission‭?” ‬Today was a special mission,‭ ‬a few weeks ago Z was modified for such a mission,‭ ‬yet she was not told what she was modified with or what her mission was.‭ ‬Eiji however,‭ ‬was,‭ ‬but was also told not to tell her for fear of Z’s reaction.‭ ‬The Aircraft Carrier coasted in the water of Leyte Gulf,‭ ‬and today they had to push back the American Fleet at Leyte Island.‭

“‬Very excited,‭ ‬even if I don’t know what it is.‭” ‬You could just about hear a hint of frustration in that sentence,‭ ‬not knowing what your doing is quite a difficult thing to understand in a Wartime situation,‭ ‬but she probably wasn’t told in case she was captured.‭ ‬She always feared what would happen if those American’s captured her,‭ ‬all the experiments,‭ ‬torture,‭ ‬or worse…target practice.‭ ‬She shuddered at the thought,‭ ‬until she felt something warm hit her cold Fuselage.‭

“‬Hey,‭ ‬don’t worry,‭ ‬we will make sure those American’s wont be winning this war‭!” ‬He said with a large smile,‭ ‬those hazel eyes of his meeting her own in a friendly,‭ ‬almost loving gaze.‭ ‬She would relax,‭ ‬almost pushing herself against his palm.‭ ‬He would regularly take off his glove to feel her cold metal against his warm flesh.‭ ‬It was oddly soothing,‭ ‬how smooth her own metallic skin felt.‭ ‬He could also feel a soft throbbing,‭ ‬almost like a heart beat as that radial engine was slowly turning.‭

‬Hearing the confident voice of her operator was soothing,‭ ‬dashing any thoughts of negativity,‭ ‬easily stirring her up to take on whatever the Americans had in store.‭ “‬Yea‭! ‬Let us take our divine wind towards the Americans and blow them away from our homeland‭!” ‬She would cheer one,‭ ‬her fuselage raised high in pride.‭ ‬Eiji laughed softly,‭ ‬a sinking feeling suddenly hitting him,‭ ‬realizing the mission and what it would bring upon him and his long time companion.‭

‬Eiji and Z had been very close friends since the beginning,‭ ‬he chose her because she was very difficult to fly.‭ ‬This was due to how she would react to all the Pilots handling her controls,‭ ‬and it made her very uncomfortable.‭ ‬She would constantly rattle them about and do things that would knock them unconscious.‭ ‬Eiji,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬had the right touch and was gentle,‭ ‬even in the most intense of trials.‭ ‬Ever since then,‭ ‬through thick and thin,‭ ‬scouting missions,‭ ‬training,‭ ‬and close calls with the Americans,‭ ‬they always made it out alright.‭

‬There was a call over the intercom,‭ ‬the mission was about to begin and the Pilots were told to ready up.‭ ‬Eiji would hop into the awaiting Z,‭ ‬eagerly sitting there.‭ ‬As Eiji grasped upon the control stick and started everything up,‭ ‬she would murr deeply within her‭ ‘‬throat‭’ ‬as the gentle hand of her operator began their routine.‭ ‬Her Nakajima Sakae‭ ‬21,‭ ‬a‭ ‬14-cylinder air cooled radial engine started up with it’s proud roar,‭ ‬and the propellers spun making a blur of colors as she started to move forward.‭ ‬The launching area was open,‭ ‬and off she went with little difficulty as she was one of many flying up into the sky.‭

“‬Z…‭”

“Yes Eiji‭?”
“Do you remember what we are fighting for‭?”

“‬Of course‭! ‬For Japan‭!”

“‬Thats right.‭”

‬There was a hint of sadness coming from Eiji’s tone,‭ ‬but Z thought of it as homesickness.‭

“‬Don’t worry Eiji‭! ‬We will make it out of this like we do every time‭! ‬After we win this war,‭ ‬we can retire to one of those mountain houses you talk about living in so much‭!” ‬She giggled,‭ ‬their height reaching peak as they flew high above the water.‭

‬Hearing his partner talk all about this,‭ ‬it made his gut tighten,‭ ‬his throat would almost choke him as he tightened his grip against her stick for a moment,‭ ‬but then relaxed,‭ ‬knowing that his partner did not like that.‭

‬This time Z was worried,‭ ‬Eiji was never this tense,‭ ‬he was never nervous about anything before.‭ ‬She was about to ask,‭ ‬but suddenly spotted the American Fleet below them.‭ “‬Below us‭! ‬Eiji‭!” ‬She would shout,‭ ‬gathering his attention.‭ ‬He noticed,‭ ‬and then it was to begin.‭ ‬Worries,‭ ‬fear,‭ ‬doubt,‭ ‬it all faded as he would throttle his plane to dive.‭ ‬Z rolled half way,‭ ‬then began to dive downward and slightly towards the left,‭ ‬this way her engine didn’t stall as she began her decent.‭

‬It was to begin,‭ ‬their glorious battle,‭ ‬the smell of heated metal escaping those twin‭ ‬20mm and‭ ‬7.7mm guns firing directly at the enemy.‭ ‬Swooping in,‭ ‬viewing herself over the rippling waters as they dodged return fire.‭ ‬She went after an enemy Aircraft,‭ ‬a Hellcat that she managed to get behind.‭ ‬Her cannons and machine guns rang out,‭ ‬lead spewing out and hitting the enemy Hellcat,‭ ‬causing it to spiral out of control.‭ ‬She swore she heard the aircraft scream in pain.‭

‬A few minutes in,‭ ‬she was beginning to climb again,‭ ‬but when she turned to dive,‭ ‬it was directly at one of the American Ships.‭ “‬Eiji‭! ‬I don’t have any ammo left,‭ ‬I have to go back‭!” ‬She would tell him,‭ ‬but he wasn’t stopping.‭ “‬Im sorry…I am so sorry…I am so sorry.‭” ‬He kept repeating and repeating.‭ ‬She was scared,‭ ‬for the first time…she was scared.‭ ‬The Ship grew closer and closer,‭ ‬she swore she could see every detail of those sailors faces as she continued to dive directly towards the ship’s hull.‭

“EIJI‭!” ‬She screamed out in panic,‭ ‬attempting to gain her controls back.‭ ‬When she finally did,‭ ‬there was a loud explosion,‭ ‬then everything went silent.‭ ‬It was dark,‭ ‬wet,‭ ‬cold,‭ ‬yet oddly calm.‭ “‬Eiji‭?” ‬Was all that came out before everything went dark,‭ ‬then nothing…oblivion,‭ ‬it was all gone.‭
‬Years later,‭ ‬Eiji would be remembered for his heroic deeds…Z’s scraps remain under the ocean.‭

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