Cavalcade of the Iniquitous

Investigation

Saturday, 0715 hours, 10th of July, 1915

Out of all the people he could have chosen, why had the general chosen me for this mission? The question played heavily on my mind. In the mornings, when we woke to the sound of the bugle; during the endless drills and training sessions; as I wandered around the camp during downtime, playing the role of the amnesiac, eavesdropping on the other soldiers; when I lay my head down at night. Why me?

I'd acted my part well—somehow managing to keep my true identity and intentions hidden from the others—but so far, that was all I had managed. My search for enemy intelligence, made all the more difficult by Yakov's self-avowed surveillance, had uncovered very little. No plans. No strategies. No secrets.

My unit was counting on me. Despite my insecurities, my self-doubt, I couldn't let them down. It was time to step up my investigations, start interrogating the soldiers in my squad, but I would have to do so carefully, discretely. Disguising my questions as natural curiosity and using my supposed amnesia as a cover.

Saturday morning was endurance training. Under Sergeant Lehmann's stern eye, we each took a heavy backpack and began running laps around the grounds. Some of the soldiers sped off immediately, distancing themselves from the rest of the group. I was glad to see Yakov amongst them. At least I wouldn't have to worry about him dogging my every step.

What had started as a tightly packed group quickly spread out, some pulling away, some falling behind. Up ahead I saw a familiar, lanky figure, struggling under the weight of his backpack.

"What do they fill these things with?" I groaned, falling into step with him. "Rocks?"

Hans gave a shaky grin. "Y-yes. Along with other things."

A couple of soldiers from another squad jogged past, their heads held high, arms pumping vigorously.

"Show offs," Hans grunted. "Don't t-tell Lehmann, but I need a break."

Veering off the path, he traipsed down into an overgrown ditch. Sensing an opportunity, I followed him, pushing through the thick scrub and ducking beneath low hanging branches until we came across a gnarled tree surrounded by a patch of dirt. A well-used hideaway for those who found Lehmann's training too gruelling. Hans dropped his backpack to the ground and sat down against the tree.

"Welcome to the b-breakroom!" he grinned, flinging his arms out as I removed my own backpack and sat down on the dirt.

We swapped a few cursory remarks about Sergeant Lehmann and her brutal training. I massaged the life back into my aching joints. Hans watched a couple of butterflies that had come to join us. Now was the perfect opportunity to start asking questions.

Taking a deep breath, I began my interrogation. "What are we doing here, Hans?"

He continued to watch the butterflies. "R-resting."

"I mean, at this camp," I tried again. "What are we training for?"

"The w-war."

"I know that," I persisted, resting an arm against my knee. "But what are we preparing for? What's the plan? What's our mission?"

He finally looked at me. "B-bored of the training already, huh?"

I eyed him warily. He wore a grin, but it seemed forced, and his eyes betrayed a sense of unease. What was he trying to hide?

"Please, Hans," I said, changing my approach. "The last thing I remember is enlisting for the army. Everything since then... nothing. The world is a completely different place from the one I remember. My mind is riddled with gaping holes. I know nothing about what's going on, where I am, the people around me. I have skills I don't remember acquiring." My speech was perhaps a little melodramatic, but I could tell it was working from the sympathetic look Hans was giving me. Perhaps it was for my acting skills the general had chosen me for this role. I lowered my voice, allowing it to tremble a little. "I'm scared, Hans. I'm scared of what I've forgotten, and I'm scared of what lies ahead. To my mind, I'm still a new recruit with very little training and no experience on the battlefield. Please, Hans, I don't want to be left in the dark anymore."