“You know, I was damn sure you’d been killed. Haven’t had that much time to think about you in the last few hours, of course. What with everyone dying and all.”

“I’m glad you’re alive,” Manny said. And he was; Major Clark had always been good to him. “Do you know what happened to Hamid? And Colonel Milgram?” Manny asked before the thought had fully crystallized in his mind.

Major Clark tried to lift his head and almost cried out from the sheer agony of the movement. He didn’t speak for a few seconds, he just took deep, slow breaths. But then he started to whisper.

“The last sunbeam lightly falls from the finish’d Sabbath, on the pavement here, and there beyond it is looking, down a new-made double grave.”

“What?” Manny asked, confused.

“Walt, actually.” Major Clark laughed, winced, and then explained. “Walt Whitman, that is. Sorry, imminent death makes me go for the deep cuts.”

“So they’re dead, then?” Manny asked.

Major Clark coughed and, again, his lips curled up in an agonized cringe. “…I think so,” he managed to say. “I think everyone from the command post is dead. I was out grabbing a smoke when they hit us. Came out of nowhere. Drone artillery. Heavy stuff. The whole place lit up like Christmas.”

Two loud booms sounded in the distance. Major Clark tensed up. Reggie cringed. To Manny, the whole situation seemed almost too unreal to justify a reaction.

“Like that,” Major Clark said. “After, I grabbed who I could and tried to save as many men as possible. Fighting retreat, you know? We linked up with as many fighters as we could but every time we’d set a line they’d break through. They had so many damn drones. I’ve never seen Martyrs use drones like that.”

“What do you mean?” Reggie asked.

“Well they’ve always had drones. But usually just as defensive aids, for when we’d make a push. We’ve got enough jammers that their hardware was no use in our territory, since none of their shit goes autonomous.”

“So what,” the journalist asked as he drew in a bit closer, “do you think they’ve changed their minds on autonomous drones? Or is this something else?”

Major Clark rolled his head, just a little. It seemed to be the only gesture he could make without hurting himself.

“I don’t know, kid,” he said. “Whatever’s happening, it’s totally new. And it’s totally fucked us.”

Major Clark was taken by another coughing fit. This one lasted a long time. Blood bubbled up and out from the corners of his mouth. Manny wanted to call for a medic, but he couldn’t see any of them who weren’t dealing with patients who were even worse off. Eventually the coughing subsided, and Major Clark drifted off into unconsciousness.