When That Day Came

The vast universe, an unknown star system, a blue planet.

The earth-shaking boom of exploding shells came without pause, while layer after layer of dust was shaken loose from the ceiling.

Elena stood by the window, seemingly unafraid of the explosions visible everywhere or the stray bullets that might come crashing through the glass.

"Are you insane?! Get back here!"

A middle-aged woman hurried over, grabbed Elena, and dragged her stubborn, headstrong daughter back into the basement.

A crude, worn-out radio sat on the small wooden table in the basement. Elena's father sat beside it, listening to the broadcast with a deeply troubled expression.

It was "The Defenders of Moscow," a Soviet military song.

Germany should not have been receiving the signals of those Soviets. Berlin especially should not have received anything from the Red Soviet!

Germany was collapsing.

They had lost the skies. The eagles of the Iron Cross had all had their wings broken.

They had lost the land. The invincible steel warhorses of Germany had all fallen silent.

And now, they had even lost the radio.

Berlin was about to be surrounded.

"I'm going to fight."

"No! You'll die under those Soviets' guns. It's meaningless!"

Her father glared at Elena. She calmly met his gaze, then pulled out a Luger pistol and, with astonishing skill and speed, dismantled it into a pile of parts before reassembling it.

"I can do it. I want to fight for my country."

"Our country has already lost. There is no country anymore. There's no need for meaningless fighting." Her father looked pained. "Once the war is over, we'll find a way to go to Bavaria. There's no war there, no Soviets there, there..."

Boom!

Another violent explosion rang out, and the entire basement shook fiercely.

Elena paid no attention to the