Omega: War and the Supernatural Read Online Free PDF

pulling himself back to his feet. His wounds, and the blood on his mouth, remained. “There's not. There is no atonement. There is no absolution. There is no amnesty. There is no forgiveness. The only thing left is punishment-- justice.”
    “Justice?”
    “You ran and then shot your own man,” the soldier hammered his words. “This can't be simply forgiven and forgotten. Someone must pay. It must be you.”
    “No, I- this isn't real.”
    “Yes, it is,” Omega argued. “This is reality. Think, papa. Think.”
    “Think?”
    “What is real?”
    Memory of reality broke into his mind like a thief. He was in the jungle. Night had long fallen, but brightness abounded. Muzzle flares, explosions, and whizzing bullets illuminated the death-tainted scene. The brave fell, but the cowards remained. The true gave their lives, the false hid away. Tim cowered behind a great tree clutching his rifle. Next to him was Billy Conklin, one of his friends. An untold number of Vietcong rained hell from only a few dozen yards away. Conklin popped in and out of cover, taking shots at his enemies. Tim panicked. He tightly gripped his rifle with wide-shot eyes. He shook, mortified of the sudden death all around. He did not shoot or fight. He hid.
    “Hey, Tim! The hell are you doing?” Conklin asked. “You gotta shoot, man!”
    Tim froze.
    “Tim!” Conklin shook him. “Man! Man we could some supporting fire! We're in a war here! Help us out!”
    Tim gazed squarely into Conklin's eyes. He swallowed, perspired, and trembled. A blast shook the earth beneath him. That was enough. Tim pushed Billy Conklin away and bolted into the jungle. He ran. Where? Fuck where.
    Tim ran until he could take no more, until the horror was far away, until the flashing lights faded to the heart of darkness. He panted and struggled to keep his footing. When the fatigue subsided, Tim felt suddenly alone. But he was safe. He found a large rock and sat down on it. The blasts and death were far off, no more than a distant whisper. Tim did not yet feel remorse.
    The starry Vietnamese sky watched over him. When Tim looked up to the heavens, he saw the beauty of the infinite expanse. He could only wonder at the cosmos; only ponder its unending mystery. When Tim looked beyond the jungle, beyond the planet, and even beyond the galaxy up to the beauty of that untouched by war, he forgot why he fought. There is no beauty in war. Tim wanted to believe that he had left the war behind. He wanted to see beauty again. War, what war? Never mind the uniform, never mind the rifle. Damn the rifle lest it damn you!
    Billy Conklin limped out from the jungle. Tim stood. Conklin bled, two bullet holes in his fatigues. Tim dropped his rile and ran to his friend. “Oh, God, Billy, what happened?”
    “The hell do you mean, 'what happened?' You happened, you bastard! You bastard, you pushed me out of cover and right into the enemy! You bastard! You fucking bastard!”
    “I'm sorry! I don't- I don't know what I was think--”
    Conklin retrieved Tim's rifle and held it out. “Take your rifle and let's go support our platoon!”
    Tim laughed uneasily, “You- you think I'm going back there? Hell no.”
    “Tim, you can still atone. If you go back, I won't say nothin' to the sarge. Come on!”
    “Atone?”
    “You ran! You fuckin' shot me!”
    “I'm not going back there.” Tim took the rifle. “Stay here with me, man.”
    “No, Tim, I'm gonna do my duty! You should too.”
    “No way.”
    “If you don't come,” Conklin winced in pain, “I will report you.”
    Tim trained his rifle on his friend. “I can't let you do that! They'll kill me!”
    “Come with me.”
    “No!”
    “So, what, you're gonna shoot me? No, you won't,” Conklin shook his head. The sun slowly crept over the horizon. “You won't shoot me. I'm going. Come with me or don't. Make up your-”
    Tim opened fire. Conklin's gut burst in glorious gore. Without saying a word, Conklin dropped to his knees. Just as he