Chapter 1: Consciousness

"Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death." – Uesugi Kenshin

I heard the heavy door shut behind me.

Just like that, I was isolated again from the outside world.

The cell was ugly, similar to all prison cells. The walls felt abandoned years ago. Scratches and marks covered the walls. It looks like someone carved into the wall to count the days of their incarceration.

A narrow, iron-framed bunk took up a corner. I traced my hands along the bunk's iron frame. It felt cold and unwelcoming. The top mattress was so thin that calling it a mattress was a stretch. 

The cloth showed obvious signs of wear. It would seem that many people had already slept on it.

Opposite the bunk was a small window covered with bars. It gave a limited view, just a glimpse of the sky and a reminder that freedom was still out there beyond my grasp. 

A stainless-steel sink and toilet sat in the opposite corner. They were both worn out, lacking shine, and exhausted from years of service. I turned the tap on once. A stream of lukewarm water dripped down.

'This is just great' I thought.

This is my third prison transfer.

Officially, the transfer was for my safety as a prisoner. Unofficially, it showed a loss of command.

They had spent too much time, too many resources, and probably too many lives to capture me. After investing that much, they would not risk losing me because of carelessness. My value alive outweighed my value dead, and they knew it.

They were not just afraid someone might find me.

They were afraid of what I could do if someone did.

The Iberian Federation was believed to have found traces of my location, so the people holding me did not want to take chances. They moved me once more, following their protocol of keeping me concealed.

Outside the cell, the guard stood with his back straight and his rifle close. His dark blue shirt sharply presses around his muscular frame. He looked like someone who had spent years following orders and had convinced himself that made him important.

He stared at me with open contempt. 

I had seen that look before.

Some guards hated prisoners because it made their job easier. Others hated them because they were told to. This one looked as if he enjoyed it.

"Well, well, well," he said, leaning slightly toward the bars. "Look what the cat brought in."

I sighed and glanced around the cell. "What's the occasion? Another surprise inspection?"

"Nah," he said. "Just thought I'd check in. See how you're enjoying your luxurious accommodations."

I gestured toward the bunk. "Five-star treatment. I especially like the concrete slab you call a bed."

He chuckled. "Better get comfortable. You're not leaving anytime soon.

After that, he started talking.

Not interrogating. Talking.

About his wife, who had apparently cheated on him while he was on duty. About the pizza he ate yesterday. About an argument he had with another guard. About things I could not care less about, even if I tried.

But I was locked in a cell, and he was standing outside it.

So I listened.

Not because I wanted to. Because there was nothing else to do.

Now, you might be wondering how I ended up here.

To explain this, we need to travel back in time to when I was a recent engineering graduate.

I was born in 2001 in St. Petersburg, Russia, to a Christian Orthodox family. My parents, like many Russian families, followed strict religious and traditional customs. They raised me with expectations, and the notion that a man's purpose was to create something valuable.

So I did.

I studied computer and communication engineering at St. Petersburg University for five years and graduated with high distinction. At the time, things looked good. I had job offers from private companies, most paying around 90,500 rubles a month, roughly a thousand dollars.

That would be enough for a decent apartment. Enough to get married, start a family, and lead the sort of peaceful, successful life that most people hope to achieve.

That's all I asked for.

At that point, the war between Russia and Ukraine was intensifying. The Ukrainian armed forces continued fighting, but the pressure on them had intensified. They stayed standing because of foreign support, yet the Russian military possessed more personnel, more gear, and more ability to withstand losses.

The army needed engineers. A lot of them.

The military salary was better than what most private companies offered me, and the position came with rank, benefits, and status. So I applied.

There were tests. Written exams, IQ assessments, fitness trials, leadership evaluations, interviews. A long chain of people deciding whether I was capable enough to wear a uniform.

Apparently, I was. Thus, I got accepted.

I was assigned to the 34th Regiment after a year of training in basic military instruction, engineering specialisation, leadership courses, and field exercises.

I mainly worked on building radar communication systems to stop UAVs.

Everyone found drones to be a nightmare. They were small, inexpensive, quick, and always in flux. The Ukrainians consistently adapted whenever we improved our detection systems.

Therefore, we adapted.

The upside was that my job meant I didn't have to go to the battlefield. My primary tasks involved the deployment and monitoring of radar systems. Whenever needed, I contributed to installing equipment in the field and then returned to a base near Donetsk Oblast.

For five years, the conflict dragged on.

The war, lasting from February 24, 2022, until March 3, 2027, consumed men, money, cities, and what little innocence people had left. Ultimately, Russia emerged victorious. Zelenskyy's administration resigned after the government capitulated under significant strain. What came after was a new government much more favourable to Russia, willing to align its policies with those of Moscow.

On paper, the war was over.

However, intelligence reports quickly started warning us about fighters that were regrouping, armed cells were coming back, and outside support was flowing in again from the US, UK, France, and other NATO countries. The goal was obvious.

It made me wonder if peace in Eastern Europe was ever a real thing.