Dimensional War

The year was 1943. Two soldiers made their way through a densely vegetated jungle, machine guns strapped to their shoulders. The hill they were approaching had been heavily contested for days and it gave them chills as they came upon the sight of it. They climbed a small mound just beside it, making sure to stay under the cover of the foliage. It was guarded by dozens of soldiers. Fortifications and other defensive structures had been placed all around the top of the hill.

Their mission here was simple. All they had to do was report how well the Japs had barricaded themselves on this side of the island. If they didn’t, American troops would have no idea what to expect when they got there.

“Simple,” said Sergeant Abraham Brooks with a scoff as he cocked his weapon and surveyed the summit. “That’s what Major Kelsey said.”

“Simple, my ass,” muttered Lieutenant John Dodson, adjusting his binoculars for a closer look. “No way we’re sending men to take that hill in a frontal assault.”

Brooks glanced at his wristwatch, his brow furrowed. “Fifteen minutes, sir. That’s all we’ve got. What’s the call?”

Dodson exhaled heavily and let the binoculars dangle from their strap. He retrieved a small radio box, its wires leading to a headset. Crawling to the base of a large rock for cover, he began scanning the scene again. Mines, trenches, and fortified bunkers littered the area, each one a deathtrap for advancing troops. Brooks followed him silently, his primary weapon ready in his grip. The air hung heavy with humidity and tension, their sweat pooling beneath their helmets. Neither was fazed. These two had faced death so often that they were spoken of in whispers among their battalion. But even legends had their limits.

Dodson raised the headset to his mouth, his voice barely above a whisper. “This is Lieutenant Dodson. We’re in position.”

The radio crackled, and a gruff voice with a Southern drawl responded. “What’ve you got?”

“Ten bunkers, fortified with wood. Trenches. Mines scattered across the approach…” Dodson’s voice trailed off, his eyes locking on something at the summit. His grip on the radio loosened.

Brooks frowned and nudged his shoulder. “Sir? What is it?”

Dodson didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the top of the hill. Brooks followed his line of sight, squinting at a strange glow forming at the summit. Slowly, the glow intensified, revealing a sphere of light. It radiated a golden hue, sending arcs of orange and red sparks dancing around its surface like electrons in orbit. The light was blinding, searing the eyes if stared at for more than a few seconds.

“What in God’s name…” Brooks muttered, shielding his eyes. “Lieutenant! Snap out of it!”

The ground began to tremble, a sound reverberating through the jungle like a distant trumpet. Brooks acted on instinct, grabbing Dodson by the arm and pulling him toward the jungle’s cover. “We’re leaving! Move!”

Dodson staggered as Brooks dragged him through the tangled vines and underbrush. The shaking grew stronger, and the strange glow on the hill intensified. Finally, they emerged near the shoreline, where American forces had established a base of operations. Brooks stumbled down the sandy incline, breathless. Soldiers on guard raised their rifles at his sudden appearance, but lowered them when they recognized him.

“I just saw… something,” Brooks panted, his voice trembling. “I need to speak to—”

A rumble interrupted him. This time, it wasn’t the hill—it was the shoreline. The water rippled unnaturally, pulling back as though a massive force were displacing it. Above the waves, arcs of electricity crackled in the air, forming a glowing nexus. Brooks shouted to the soldiers, “Grab your weapons! Sound the alarm!”

Before they could act, the nexus erupted in light, coalescing into a metallic sphere that hovered over the water. Its surface spun rapidly, emitting a high-pitched hum. Then, with a deafening blast, the sphere flared like a miniature sun, its rays piercing the sky. Brooks shielded his eyes as the shockwave sent sand and water flying.

A figure descended from the hill behind them. It was Lieutenant Dodson. He was firing at the sphere with his gun, his rifle blazing. The bullets appeared to melt before reaching it, but Dodson didn’t seem to notice. As he began to run out of ammo, Dodson threw the grenades he had hooked to his belt towards the object, but they exploded in mid air before impact. The soldiers on the shore began to join in on the attack and soon the entire base was firing their weapons at the object. The sphere, though, seemed unaffected and silently hovered over the water.

Brooks didn’t notice it until the firing ceased, but the sphere was actually becoming thinner. It looked more like a disc now than a sphere. Its density had somehow diminished. And still, as the Americans resumed their bombardment, it seemed undamaged, proceeding with its transformation without hindrance. This gave Brooks goosebumps. Could the Japs have this level of technology? Or the Germans?

The disc had become no more than a thin yellow circle in the air by the time other troops came to check out what was happening near the shore. The yellow outline of it looked as though it was a portal made of fire to some other dimension. Its borders continued to glow intensely bright as if they were burning through the air, through reality, like a flame tearing through a photograph.

In only a matter of minutes, this circle had become a window into another location. Through the center, Dodson, Brooks, and the soldiers of the military base could see terrain of some sort. It was like seeing a reflection of the island, except it had minor distinctions. Figures emerged on the other side of the portal—thin, humanoid creatures with pale, scaly skin and spindly limbs. They carried needle-like weapons and moved with an eerie, deliberate grace. One by one, they stepped through the portal onto the beach. Their gaze wandered, taking in the sky, the jungle, and the humans before them. They were observing their surroundings like children discovering the world for the first time.

“We can’t stay here”, said Dodson who was already on his way to one of the naval ships. Sergeant Brooks and the soldiers nearby did not argue. Even the highest ranking officer in the base began to head toward the ships. The humanoids were now entirely through the circle.

As the wind blew, the strange figures looked up and stared at the sky, as if admiring the blueness of it. Then, as the last soldiers abandoned the island, arcs of electricity began to form in other parts of the shore. To the north, past the jungle, several specks of light hinted at new portals being formed on Japanese territory. This was an invasion.

“What do we do now?” said Brooks, staring at Dodson. The sailors aboard the ship were asking a thousand questions, but no one seemed to give them any answers. Not like they could, as the soldiers from the base had no idea what was actually happening. Dodson stared at the island as the ship began to sail away. Then he turned toward Brooks and shook his head.

“We contact whoever the hell we need to contact and warn them. World war two is over. Earth is being invaded by a new kind enemy and we need to prepare and join forces.”

“You think they’ll believe you?”

“They have to. Or we’re all dead.”