Broken Orders
It was always worse during the night. They all barely slept, rotating their watcher every 2 hours. Exhaustion was more than a companion at this point, it was just the status quo. It was bewildering that mankind came down to just these archaic defenses. Just the last few men and women planted eternally in a trench like an old war from the books. Their limited munitions and bodies were on the brink of disaster. The trench was riddled with the shedding of their garments and displaced limbs. They had stood this position for so long that the dirt started to have a savory taste and it no longer mattered if the air was cold or hot, they had stopped feeling a difference years ago.
There was no one left that recalled a time before the war. All the sons and daughters of mankind were now born and raised in the bunker mere feet away from the trench. They were taught to fight and hold back the enemy from birth. A series of electronic simulations that mirrored the effects of the trench. Each member playing a vital role in maintaining their position. Their orders coming from the big screen back in the bunker. Every 5 days the screen would display a new set of orders in bold text. Each order would be carried out within 24 hours and the button on the screen would be pressed by their commander upon completion.
Their commander was strange. He appeared to never age and had been there long before any of them were born. His one role was to watch them complete their missions and press the button. He never once left the bunker and just paced back in forth in front of a wartime map. He hadn't ever glanced at the map just tapped on the glass case around it with what appeared to be very human anxiety. He was ultimately very supportive though and always made sure all active trench members were rotated out for their mental health. He was often heard mumbling about how tiny their bunker was, which always led others to question why he never went outside to the trench.
The history books they were raised with said there used to be more bunkers and even bases at one time or another, but that due to poor budgeting and bad planning they were mankind's last foothold. The enemy had cleared out the rest of the world, which according to the map in the bunker was unimaginably large. One book even stated that the map was wrong, and the world wasn't much larger than what they could see on their position broadcasts.
Every now and then one of them would get so curious about the world outside the bunker and trench that they would try and run out into the open field. A resounding pop always followed these actions as their bodies exploded into dust, their clothes often times being left intact. Whatever the enemy was it was always watching them. Always waiting for one of them to slip up or run out.
The screen back at the bunker would often give them advertisements for new weaponry that showcased images of what the enemy truly looked like. They had 11 eyes and tentacles where their hair should be. They were larger than humans and held technologically advanced weaponry. Although the weapons that were 3d-printed at the bunker appeared to be more and more advanced every year. The commander even once told them that he had fought some in hand-to-hand combat back in the day and that he still had nightmares about their appearance.
Time of course was running out for mankind. They were out of ammo, and material, and frankly, their birthrate had been basically zero for their last two generation groups. Many were too tired to even move, and food was no longer being provided at normal intervals. As the last remaining few trench members peered out over the empty grasslands for what may be their last day, they noticed something that had not been there before. A figure walking toward them in what could only be described as a business suit.
The figure appeared human enough. Cleaner than anyone at the trench was. He even walked with a sense of mighty importance. The watcher yelled out to the group, shouting positional arguments for their snipers to aim at. The last of the snipers aimed his rifle and fired a warning shot mere feet from the suited figure. Unfazed the figure continued toward them at the same pace. A trench member went back to their commander to ask what to do, but before they could run and get him they noticed the commander had come out from the bunker. A sight that drew the attention of all the trench members completely.
His clothes were stripped from his body. Only his boxers and steel-toe boots remained. He lifted himself up onto the grasslands and walked toward the suited figure at what appeared to be the same pace. The trench members watched with awe as both figures passed each other without a word of acknowledgment and proceeded on their course, finally the suited figure stood above all of them.
The suited figure pulled off his sunglasses, waved for all the trench members to gather close to him, and proceeded to tell them they were all dismissed. That they had run out of war funds and told them to make their way outside of this retched stadium by following the illuminated lights labeled 'exit' in glowing red text. He also mentioned that they would be compensated for their efforts but that they wouldn't be providing any medical or dental benefits long-term. They could however opt for a humane death by a physician on their way out.
With that, the man put back on his sunglasses, whistled rather loudly, and turned around to walk away. As his whistle died out, what appeared to be construction works and vehicles began dismantling the bunker with rigorous speed. All of the remaining people in the bunker were poured out by a man with a hard hat and a cigar and another man with a shovel proceeded to yell at them to shoo.
As they watched their world come apart around them, the remaining people of mankind (or so they had thought) gathered into a line and made their way out following the exit path as instructed. All of them were filled with utter confusion on their face and demeanor as they stumbled out into what could only be described as a big box store parking lot. As they passed through to the outside world a man stamped a piece of paper and handed it to them, mumbling something about a coupon and waving them away. All of them got lost in the forest of cars that filled the parking lot. Separated and alone in the real world for the first time in their lives.