LessThanThree Legends

“Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy the rest of the show.” I said, and the crowd erupted.
As I rushed down the stairs, I flashed the Andrews Sisters a smile. Usually I’d have stopped for a chat, but I was overdue elsewhere. I had a real mission.
I was supposed to be in the air already, but I had told the brass that I wasn’t going to miss the USO show. We’d made a promise to those boys, and I wasn’t about to break it.
As I approached the runway, I was approached by one of General Blaine’s lackeys, I can’t remember his name, by this point they were all interchangeable. He directed me to my plane, which was easy, it was the only one with the engine running. I swear, these guys treat me like I’m an idiot, like they’re worried I’ll make a mistake, and suddenly they won’t have a Super Soldier anymore.
Intel discovered a secret Nazi base in the English Channel. Apparently one of their scientists had taken residence in an ancient castle. I think I’ve spent more time in castles these past few months than Merlin himself. We had no idea what was going on there, but we knew it couldn’t be good.
Rather than just bomb them, they decided it would be better if I took a look around, to see if they had anything that was truly dangerous. Something that they could steal, of course.
So instead, I was to parachute onto the island under cover of darkness, infiltrate the castle, see exactly what they were doing there, and assess the situation. Simple. Except the costume that the top brass insisted I wear wasn’t exactly made for a stealth operation.
Still orders were orders, and the costume had lived up to their claims of bullet-proofing. If worst came to worst, I’d be meeting my pick-up early. A few dozen Krauts were nothing I couldn’t hold off.
<><><>
Two hours later, I was plummeting through the air towards the island. I waited for the perfect moment and released my parachute, slowing my descent. I sailed downwards until I landed softly on the ground. I released my parachute and wrapped it up tightly. The last thing I needed was a guard finding it lying on the ground. I stashed it in some bushes, and started moving towards the castle.
The guards were laying low, this was a secret operation, they couldn’t allow themselves to be spotted from the air. I figured I had an easy run, so long as I kept low. The Nazis weren’t stupid, they’d have watchers in the castle.
Of course, I had to run into the same guards I was hiding the parachute from. It was a rookie mistake, and as soon as they saw me, they opened fire. I returned fire with my sidearm, and dispatched the four of them quickly, but it was too late. A siren went off in the castle, and I could see the light from dozens of lanterns moving around inside.
I sprinted for the castle, no use hiding now. Bullets whizzed by, but I just ducked my head down and kept running. The gateway opened, and I could see a crowd of soldiers. Idiots, they were just giving me a way in. Before that, I had every intention of scaling the walls, ignoring the shots, but they were making it easy.
From the middle, one of the soldiers lifted something over his shoulder. Too late I realised that it looked like an elongated mortar tube. Too late to dodge out of the way, as it fired a projectile at me. Luckily, it hit two feet to the side of me, exploding in the ground, sending me tumbling to the side, stunned and semi-conscious, instead of exploding inside me, sending me spraying across the landscape.
I could hardly move, as the Nazis lifted me from the ground. I couldn’t struggle, as they dragged me into the castle. They dragged me into the courtyard while I was seeing stars. They chained me to the ground, as the main doors opened. Through it stepped a pair of Nazi soldiers, followed by a small, thin man in a white coat. The man’s face was gleeful, but I could see evil behind his glasses, in those cold blue eyes.
“Ah, Onkel Sam. I was wondering when I would finally meet you.” He said, his thick German accent obvious. “I don’t think you understand just how much Mein Fuhrer wants to meet you.”
“Is that so?” I asked. “I hope he knows that the meeting would be painful. For him.”
“I do not think you are in any position to be making threats. I have captured you, and you will be put on the very next U-Boat to the Fatherland. I trust you liked my Feuerstock?” The man continued.
“It would be far more impressive if your men could aim it.” I taunted.
“You dare insult the great Doctor Von Faber!? I will show you why you should fear me.” He said. “Unchain him!”
The guards rushed forward and unchained me, instead binding me behind my back with rope.
“Bring him to the tower!” Dr Von Faber ordered, marching ahead of us, his personal guards forming a wall between us.
Two guards dragged me along, making sure I hit every bump on the ground, and every step on the way up. I was going to enjoy my escape, and these two would be the first I hit, followed closely by the good Doctor.
“You see, Onkel Sam, that fool Von Braun is tinkering with his A-series of rockets, but I am the true genius of the Third Reich. I will see England burn.” Dr Von Faber said.
“I’d like to see you try.” I said.
The Doctor stopped and turned. “And you will. I think it’s time we displayed the might of my Alpha-Class rocket. The Fuhrer will be pleased when London burns; and I hand him one of his most wanted prisoners.”
The door in front of him opened, and we went through. In the room was a giant… I don’t even know what to call it. It was at least twenty feet tall, and wider around than a man. It was pointed at one end, and had fins at the bottom.
“I see you are impressed.” Dr Von Faber said. “This is the prototype of my Alpha-One. It will cross the Channel with ease, and then those British dogs will not know what has hit them.”
Suddenly the roof opened, and the Alpha-One began to shudder, as smoke built at the base.
“Sorry Doctor, that’s not going to happen. And you’ll have to send your Fuhrer my regards. Tell him I’ll be in Berlin before the year is over.” I said, as I broke free of my bonds and punched the two guards, knocking them out.
The rocket began taking off, so I ran and leapt onto the side. Within moments, we were airborne, high above the castle.
It took all my strength to pry a panel off the side of the rocket, but it came loose. I began tearing out wires, as the sparks flew all around me.
I kicked out at the fin nearest to me, and the rocket spun around, pointing back at the island. I let go of the rocket, and dropped into the ocean like a pin.
I surfaced in time to see the entire island burst into flames, as the rocket exploded. I watched as those Krauts burned, but I took no joy in it. It was a horrible way to die, and no-one deserved it. Even the Doctor, who had every intention of doing the same thing to the entire city of London.
“Nice work there.”
I looked up and saw a man floating in the air above me. I froze, and almost drowned in the process.
As I resurfaced, coughing and spluttering, the man laughed. “I get that a lot. Captain Thomas Cutliff.” He extended a hand. “They call me The American Eagle.”
“That explains the wings.” I grinned, shaking his hand. “I’m Major Sam Carpenter. Uncle Sam, I guess.”
“Well, I’m your ride out of here.” The Eagle said, as he reached down and grabbed me by the armpits.
“You’re going to carry me to England like this?” I asked, as we took off.
“No, I wouldn’t wish that upon the Fuhrer himself.” The Eagle laughed again. “There’s a boat about a mile away, we didn’t want to get too close to the island.”
“So, are you from the new Project Spartan?” I asked.
“No. I’ve known I can fly since I was about fifteen. I was serving in Guadalcanal a few months ago, the Japs surprised us. My buddy got hit bad, so I flew him out of there. Word got up to the brass quickly, and suddenly, I was The American Eagle. They gave me this costume and everything. Don’t tell them, but I like the wings… Not sure I trust myself up high.” He chuckled. “They say it’s symbolic, I say it’s a parachute.”
“I know that feeling. I’m a beacon on the battlefield, but half this costume is armour. They don’t want to risk us.” I said.
“We’re both one of a kind. I hear there are more out there. A guy they call Sherman, he can turn his whole body into steel.” The Eagle said.
“Then what do they need us for? He should have torn a line straight through to Berlin by now.” I said.
“The Krauts have worse.” The Eagle said simply.
I thought back to my fight against the troll and knew that he was right.
It was going to be a long war.

“Captain Chambers, Team One is in place, over.”
“Team Two is in place, over.”
“Team Three is… I think we’re lost. Over.”
“Corporal Stein? Is this some kind of joke? Over.”
“No Captain Chambers, Clayman has no idea how to read a map, over.”
Chambers buried his face in his hand. “Carpenter?”
I laughed. “I’ll find them.” And with that, I disappeared into the woods.
<><><>
Ten minutes behind schedule, we were on our way. We’d received orders from Allied Command that morning. The Germans had captured a British officer, one Colonel Aurelia, and were holding him in an old castle in the Black Forest. Naturally, it was our job to rescue him.
The plan was simple. Team One was lead by Lieutenant Morris, the man with the most experience in the Company, besides Captain Chambers, of course. Half the company was under his command, they were going to attack the castle head-on, drawing attention towards the front side.
Team Two was lead by Sergeant Reynolds, and was the next biggest group. They were Team One’s rear guard, keeping an escape route open, whilst hitting the castle with mortars, and providing cover fire.
Team Three were holding my escape route, ready in case I needed to fight my way out of the castle.
Team Four consisted of myself, Captain Chambers, and Privates Johnson and Adams. We were going to be sneaking through a long-forgotten secret passageway, into the very heart of the castle. While Morris’ team distracted the Nazis, we were going to have free run of the castle, and were going to find Colonel Aurelia.
Captain Chambers waited until the first mortar hit before giving us the order to move, and we ran along the tunnel. I took point of course, I was the fastest, best trained and most resilient, so if something was ahead, I was the one who was most likely to beat it in a fight. Over the past six months, we had learned to read each other perfectly. Chambers’ 300 Spartans, as we called ourselves, were the most highly trained unit in the military, and I was their secret weapon.
The only successful product of Project Spartan. The only American Super Soldier. I had been altered by chemicals and radiation until I was the perfect human being. Unfortunately, a Nazi spy destroyed all the laboratories and murdered the scientists who had made me what I was, the secret was lost. There were rumours that the project had been restarted from scratch, but we had no solid facts. For now, I was the only one.
We met no resistance all the way through the tunnel, but we remained on our toes. We weren’t going to let the Krauts get the drop on us. We reached the end, where the only way out was a trapdoor in the roof. I signalled to Johnson to boost me up, and he complied holding me up as I struggled to open the trapdoor.
I heard the Germans before I saw them, they were waiting behind the trapdoor. They didn’t get time to do much besides shout, as I vaulted through the opening and spun to face them, a spray of bullets killing the two guards.
I waited a moment to make sure more Germans weren’t going to follow the sound of gunfire. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, and if there was, they must have assumed the gunfire was coming from the battle raging on their doorstep. I reached through the trapdoor and grabbed Johnson around the forearm, lifting him from the hole. Next came Captain Chambers, and finally Adams.
“British intelligence suggests they’ll be keeping him here, in the lower levels. There is a dungeon area to the west, which is our best bet. Let’s go.” Chambers said, pointing at the door.
Adams and Johnson took up position on either side of the door, as I kicked it open.
Another pair of Germans didn’t know what hit them, as Adams opened fire. “Damn Krauts.” Adams said. “Which way Captain?”
“West.” Chambers growled, as Adams looked at him blankly.
I laughed, before pointing to our right. “Even I have trouble keeping track of directions down here sir, give him a break.” I said.
“What did I tell you about calling me ‘sir’?” Chambers’ mood didn’t seem to be improving. Something wasn’t right.
“Captain, is there something about this mission we should know?” I asked.
“Carpenter, the sooner we get out of here, the better. Just trust me on that one.” Chambers replied.
I nodded, before running down the passageway, the rest of the squad close behind. Suddenly we heard shouts from the passageway behind us, as bullets began to fly past us.
“We’ve got company!” Adams shouted, as we took cover in the nearest doorway.
“No shit!” Johnson shouted, as he returned fire. There were dozens of Germans flooding the passageway.
“Carpenter, we’ll hold them off. You keep going. We need to get Aurelia out of here.” Chambers ordered.
I didn’t hesitate, as I charged out of cover and continued down the passageway at top speed, bullets whizzing past me, making sparks fly as they ricocheted off the stone floor and walls.
Within seconds, I had rounded the corner.
And come face to face with the ugliest thing I have ever seen.
It stood at around ten feet tall, its head almost scraped the ceiling. It was shaped like a man, but bigger, bulkier. And its face… Dripping jaw, a long, hooked nose… It was disgusting.
It roared and took one swipe at me. I barely had time to roll with the blow, as he drove me into the wall. I saw stars for a moment, and didn’t react to the next blow, as it hit me in the midsection, sending me stumbling back.
It roared and beat its hands on its chest. I guess it thought it had won. Well, I was about to show it a thing or two. In moments, I was on my feet, rifle in hand. I opened fire at the beast, but it ignored the bullets that ripped through its torso.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when the wounds began to seal themselves up. Just what the hell was I fighting?
The creature charged at me, but I managed to slide between its legs, causing it to stumble into the wall, breaking a large chunk out of the wooden supports. I held my breath, but the roof didn’t cave in. I guess those Germans really knew how to build to last.
As the beast turned itself around to face me again, I picked up the piece of wood it had broken free. It was thicker and heavier than the staves I was used to, but it would serve me nicely. I swung as hard as I could, and connected with its head. It took a step back. So the thing could feel pain. I caught him again with my backswing. I saw his eyes waver for a moment. That one had taken something out of him. I followed up with three strikes directly between the eyes. The behemoth toppled to the ground, its breathing slowed. It was unconscious.
I dropped my makeshift weapon and continued on to the doorway at the end of the passageway. I pushed it open slowly. In the room was a man, clad only in his briefs, manacled to the wall. He looked as though he was in his seventies, with a bushy white beard and matching hair.
“Who are you boy? What do you want?” He asked me, his thick British accent was obvious.
“Colonel Aurelia?” I asked.
The man chuckled. “Someone did their research. You could call me that boy, but that’s a name I haven’t used in centuries.”
“Centuries sir?” I asked.
“Don’t you be getting sceptical boy, you just fought a troll, and if I’m not mistaken, that means you’re the American champion I read in the stars.” He continued.
“What are you talking about?” I was still completely confused.
“Boy, I’m Merlin.”
I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know if he was mad, or if he was the genuine article.
“Yes boy, everyone has that reaction the first time. It took me weeks to convince the brass that I was really who I am, and that they needed me to win this damn war.” The prisoner continued.
“If you’re Merlin… Then why haven’t we won the war? Why are you chained to the wall of some German castle?” I asked.
“I’m not the only wizard in the world. I might just be the strongest, but Germany beats me for sheer numbers. That’s why we haven’t won the war yet. As for why I’m here? They caught me by surprise, that damned Black Forest Witch is sneaky when she wants to be. And these manacles are hexed. I can’t use any magic while I’m bound.” Merlin said. “Well boy, are you here to free me or what?”
I nodded and removed my bayonet from its pocket, before using it to pry Merlin’s restraints open.
“Thank you boy, those chafe terribly.” He said, rubbing his wrists. “Now, did you have any other men with you?”
“They’re around the corner, we ran into Germans just before I reached the… troll…” I explained.
“We’d best go save them then. I trust you set the troll on fire to counter its regenerative abilities?” Merlin asked.
I opened the door, and found the troll bellowing at me.
“Amateurs.” Merlin said, as he waved his hand at the troll. “Fire.”
The troll burst into flames, and ran screaming down the corridor.
“No magic words?” I asked.
“The words don’t matter, so long as the mind is focused towards a goal. I usually use Latin or Ancient Celtic or something to look impressive, but sometimes the simple things are the easiest.” Merlin explained, as we continued along the corridor. “Some magicians have a mental block that requires them to use words they don’t really understand, because they think the magic won’t work otherwise. I got over that a long, long time ago.”
We rounded the corner and found Johnson bandaging his own leg, as Chambers and Adams fired on the last three Krauts.
“Sam, you’ve got the prisoner?” Chambers asked, without even turning around. I swear, sometimes I forget just which one of us is the super soldier.
“You got it Captain Chambers. Let’s get the hell out of here.” I said.
“Merlin, can you teleport?” Chambers asked. It didn’t occur to me until much later that he already knew who our guest was.
“I’m freed of my magical restraints, so yes.” Merlin replied, as he began to wave his hands.
Moments later, we were at the other end of the tunnel, in the middle of the woods.
<><><>
I stood in front of the assembled Generals. “Sir?” I asked.
“You heard me, Major.” General Blaine said. “You’re being promoted, and you’re being taken away from the Spartans.”
“But why sir? Surely I can do more with a full company?”
“I assume you’ve heard by now what the English have done?” Blaine asked.
“Of course, the rumours say that Merlin has awakened the reincarnations of King Arthur and his Knights, and is in the process of making something even greater.”
“Those rumours are true. Germany isn’t without its own powerful individuals either. The thing that unites them all is that they are using theirs as symbols. Britain is protected by Merlin and King Arthur, it raises morale, which raises enlistment. Germany is doing the same with their Ubermensch. We need you to become our symbol. You have to be our recruitment tool, our protector, our leader.”
“I’m just a soldier sir.”
Blaine handed me a large package. “Open it.”
I complied, tearing through the brown paper that wrapped it. “Sir?”
“That’s what you’ll be wearing soldier. The red, white and blue.”
“Uh… It’s a little bright to be wearing in a war zone, isn’t it sir? I’ll be a target.”
“You won’t be a target, you’ll be a beacon. See the vest? It’s an experimental compound that can stop bullets. Even if they do shoot you, it won’t matter.” As the general spoke, I felt the blue vest. It certainly didn’t feel like much. “And you’ve got a helmet there.” I lifted the red helmet, it certainly didn’t feel like it would stop much, although it did cover half my face, which was more than most soldiers could say.
“Sir, are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure Carpenter. You’re going to be the man who wins us a war. You’re going to be the greatest hero of all time. So do us proud, because you’re all we’ve got. Can you be the man we need?”
“Yes sir!” I saluted.
“Good, now go suit up, you’ll be parachuting into France in a few hours.”
“Yes sir.” I moved to leave.
“One more thing, Major Carpenter.”
I stopped. “Sir?”
“While you’re wearing that uniform, you’re no longer Major Samuel Carpenter of the United States Army, do you understand?”
“Then who am I?” I asked, puzzled.
“You’re our symbol, boy. You’re Uncle Sam.”

On my eighteenth birthday, I marched down to the recruitment office in Pittsburgh. I had no doubt in my mind as to what I was going to do with my life. I signed my life away to the US Army, and I never looked back.

It was July 4^th, 1937. I had just graduated from high school. My parents had hoped for me to go to college, and make something of my life. My father had spent his life in the steel mills, he wanted more for me. When he found out I had enlisted, he was on the verge of disowning me. My mother talked him down, thankfully.

I had been a star football player in high school; college scholarships were available to me. I had the option to go learn to be an accountant or a lawyer. Instead, I chose to serve and defend my country, and the ideals it stood for.

All we ever heard about in those days was the mess that was being cooked up in Europe. The Nazis in Germany, the Fascists in Italy, not to mention the Russkies. It was like a boiler waiting to explode. Word on the street was, as soon as it exploded, we were in for another Great War. I wanted to do whatever I could to stop those bastards from winning. I had to stop the Germans, or the Italians, or the Soviets. Whatever it took.

They sent me to Fort Meade for basic training. It was, at that time, the most harrowing experience of my entire life. I had never worked so hard or been pushed so far. I thought I was physically fit when I went in there, but they ran me ragged. I thought it would never end, but I persevered. This was necessary. I had to be my best. Sergeant Chambers was my C.O. throughout basic. Any time I wavered, any time I faltered, he was right there behind me, barking orders, giving me more work. Failure was not an option.

My company completed basic training. Some of the others had given up, decided it wasn’t worth the trouble, but most of us made it through. They decided to station us at Fort Bragg in South Carolina, where we finished out our first year in the Army.

We had a lot of free time in those days, before the war. We spent a lot of time in Fayetteville, getting drunk and spending time with the ladies. When we were on base, we trained, and we worked out. We made everything into a competition. Who could lift the most, who was the best shot, who was the best in a foot race. I was the fastest man on base, probably the fastest man in North Carolina at the time. But I still wasn’t good enough. We all kept pushing ourselves. To be our best. Because our country deserved the best.

<><><>

I’ll never forget the day I saw Sergeant Chambers again. He showed up on base in the summer of 1938. He was rushed into the Colonel’s office before any of us could get a greeting in. Reynolds noticed that he’d been promoted. Reynolds always had the best eyes, probably why he became a sniper. “He’s got a gold bar. Second Lieutenant.” Reynolds said.

I whistled in appreciation. He’d been promoted to a commissioned officer. That was practically unheard of. “Wonder what he did to get that.” I said.

“Kissed someone’s ass.” Dawkins said, to a chuckle from those assembled.

We milled around, looking busy, for what must have been an hour, before Lieutenant Chambers came out of the Colonel’s office.

“What are you idiots doing?” He barked.

“Waiting to welcome you to Fort Bragg sir.” I said, snapping off a salute.

“And offering you congratulations on your promotion, sir.” Reynolds added.

“I don’t recall training any of you sissies to be kiss-asses.” Chambers barked.

“Sir, no sir!” We all saluted again.

“And stop it with that sir crap. I still work for a living.” Chambers added.

“Yes Serg- Lieutenant.” I said.

“I’ve looked over your records since coming to Fort Bragg, your appraisals, everything they’ve got on all of you.  The brass are looking for men for a special program. They’re sending me recruiting. They want the best and brightest. This is my first stop. Page, Carpenter, Reynolds, Johnson, Redmond, Stein, Clayman, Adams, Burgess and Deakes, pack your gear. I want you ready to leave by 0600 tomorrow. The rest of you, go about your regular duties.” Chambers said.

“Yes Lieutenant!” We all saluted again.

“Lieutenant, if I may ask, what is this special program?” Stein asked.

Chambers glared at Stein, who flinched. “What do you think?” Chambers demanded.

“Sorry Lieutenant.” Stein said.

Chambers dismissed us, and we began walking back to the barracks. “What the hell were you thinking?” Page slapped Stein on the head. “You questioned Chambers?”

“Hey, I didn’t want to get into anything weird. What the hell does ‘special project’ mean?” Stein asked.

“It’s probably just some special training.” I said.

“Yeah, they’ll want us to be special forces or something, like the British Commandos.” Reynolds agreed.

“So long as it helps me kill some Nazis, I’m up for it.” I said.

“Calm down my Aryan brother, there will be plenty of Nazis for everyone, just as soon as we get in this thing.” Stein joked, and the rest of us laughed with him.

<><><>

They never told us where they took us. It was a top secret facility somewhere in the middle of the country. All we knew was they loaded us onto a truck, and drove us for hours out into the middle of nowhere.

We arrived, wherever it was, and we were assigned our bunks. We were split up, they said something about having even numbers in each group or something, all I knew was I had been separated from my buddies, and I wasn’t happy.

As more and more soldiers moved in from all over the country, the groups filled up. None of us had any idea what we were doing. Rumours ranged from secret weapons, to special Air Corps training. Nobody had any idea what we were in store for.

One morning, we were told to skip morning exercises, and told to assemble on the field in front of the main building. Lieutenant Chambers was back on base.

“Gentlemen, you have been assembled here for one reason.” Chambers began.

I heard somebody behind me mutter “It’s about time he told us.” It sounded like Stein to me, and I fought not to smile.

“You are the best new recruits the Army has. The fittest, the strongest, the fastest. Each one of you is the best you can be.” Chambers smiled at us, and we couldn’t help but feel proud.

“But that’s not good enough.” The smile disappeared from Chambers’ face. “Your country needs you all to be better.” Chambers let out a short laugh. “But how can you be better than your best? Well that’s what we’re here to find out. Welcome to Project Spartan.”

<><><>

Over the weeks following that day, each group was summoned separately into the upper levels of the facility. Until then, the areas had been off limits to us, but apparently things had changed.

My group was pulled out of our specialised hand-to-hand combat training session to be taken up there. We climbed the stairs single file, and were ordered to step into a small waiting room, where we had to strip down to our underwear.

We were given a physical, the fifth since we had arrived, and sent into the next room. We weren’t given our clothes.

A half-dozen men in lab coats swarmed over us, instructing us to lay down on what looked like an examination table. They began poking us with needles, taking blood and injecting us with some concoctions of chemicals that I couldn’t even understand the names of.

We were left to lay there for half an hour, before we were taken into the next room. I was the second through the door, within the room stood the strangest device I had ever seen. It was a tangle of wires, pipes, glass tubes and machinery I didn’t even understand. In the centre was a platform, which the scientists directed me to. The scientists fled behind a concrete barrier, as the machine whirred into life. The glass tubes lit up and I could feel a warmth flow through me. The warmth turned to a burning, and I began to scream for mercy. After what seemed like hours of agony, the burning disappeared, and I collapsed.

<><><>

The next month was a blur. I was in bed with the worst fever I have ever experienced. I drifted from sleep to consciousness from minute to minute, unable to distinguish dream from reality. I ranted and raved for hours on end. The whole time, I was sweating like I have never sweated before or since. The pounds melted from me, any fat was first, then my muscle started to deteriorate, all my hard work was disappearing.

Then the fever broke, and I awoke in my group’s barracks alone. The beds didn’t look like they had been slept in in days. All of the footlockers sat empty. They were gone.

A doctor came in soon after, and told me that my entire group had come down with a severe fever, the same as I had. None of them had survived. He told me to get some rest, and that it was a miracle I was alive. It wasn’t much comfort.

<><><>

Within a week, I was back on my feet. Eating in the mess hall with the guys from Fort Bragg. I found out that over 50% of the guys in the program had died, as a result of their various treatments, or their side-effects. Some groups experienced total losses, some were unharmed. There was little middle ground, and I was the only sole survivor of any group.

A month passed, and I could keep up with the others in training and exercises. A month later, and I had surpassed them all. I was the fastest, the strongest and was learning twice as fast as anyone. So they started training me harder. I practiced hand-to-hand combat against two men at once. I started giving head-starts in foot races, or ran extra laps of the base.

The scientists took me in for studies. They wanted to know why I was better. They wanted to know what had changed in me. I spent hours at a time on those examination tables, being poked and prodded, but still had time for training.

<><><>

I remember the night of August 15^th 1939 quite vividly. I woke to a gunshot and shouts of confusion. I was out of bed in my skivvies and running before I knew it.

I ran across the drilling yard and into the main building, towards the source of the gunshot. I overtook the MPs on the stairs, they weren’t moving fast enough, and by now I could smell smoke.

I reached the top of the stairs, and found one of the lab assistants standing with his back to me, a pile of documents under his arm.

“What’s going on here?” I asked, and he spun to look at me.

“Don’t come any closer.” He waved the pistol in my face, careful not to get within striking distance. “I shot Doctor Kirby already. Don’t make me kill all of you American scum.”

“You shot one of your colleagues? Why?” I asked, trying to reason with the man.

“He tried to stop me. I was stealing your file. The Fuhrer must hear of this Ubermensch, we must duplicate your treatment.” The lunatic said. “If Simon hadn’t found me, he could have lived. But the fool called for help, I had to silence him.”

“You’re a Nazi.” I exclaimed.

“Yes, of course. And now I’m destroying the lab you were created in. The Americans will lose their Project Spartan, and the Fatherland will have an army of perfect Aryan soldiers!”

“You set the building on fire before you escaped? And now your only way out is blocked by me and at least a dozen MPs. Just come with us, and we’ll get you out of here safely.”

The traitor looked at me in fear. “I will never betray the Fatherland!” He shouted. “If we cannot have your secrets, then no-one will!”

Too late I realised what he was doing. He bounded out of my reach and leaped into the spreading flames. I tried to chase after him, but an MP tackled me down. Moments later, there was a deafening roar, as one of the laboratories exploded, feeding the raging inferno even more.

We escaped, but the rest of the occupants of the building weren’t so lucky. Dozens of geniuses died in that fire, all of them responsible for what I became. And with it, the hope that there would be more like me.

<><><>

I spent the next year or so all across the country. I was a quick learner, so I didn’t need to spend as much time in training as regular people. Lieutenant, now Captain, Chambers would check up on me periodically, he was training the survivors of Project Spartan. None of them were changed by their treatments, but that didn’t stop Chambers from turning them into the most highly-skilled unit in the entire Army, nicknamed “Chambers’ 300 Spartans”, even though there were actually 341 of them.

The Army kept trying to duplicate the results they got from Project Spartan. They wanted more like me. They wanted an army that would make the Germans and the Japs quake in fear. They never did quite get it right. They only had me.

That’s why I got promoted to Sergeant on December 7^th, 1941. That’s why I was the first man on the ship to England. That’s why I’m Uncle Sam. Because I’m the only one who can be.

“Uncle Sam is the greatest man I’ve ever met. It’s as simple as that.”
“It’s pretty common knowledge that we never really agreed on much. He was the seasoned veteran commander, I was the young rebel. So we clashed.”
“Our arguments are legendary. Heh. I think we might have even argued over the colour of the sky once or twice. I had a comeback to everything he said. Every order, I had a question. It never ended.”
“A lesser man would have fought me. God knows I gave him excuse after excuse. Especially after the fling I had with his daughter. But he never even raised a hand against me. He would shout until he was blue in the face, but he never stooped to that level. I know in his position, I probably would have taken that route. But that’s why I’m not Uncle Sam.”
“Honestly, I think Sam welcomed the argument. I had a different point of view, and he respected that. If I spotted a flaw in his plan, the rare detail that he missed, he didn’t ignore me, or order me to be silent, he took it into consideration. A commander listening to his troops is a rare thing. A commander who explains himself to his troops is even rarer. Any time I questioned his orders, questioned his authority, he answered. He explained every little detail until we all understood.”
“He was more than a leader though. To guys like me and the [Second American] Eagle, he was a father figure. I mean, I know Eagle’s dad was on the team too, and he was a real stand up guy, but we all looked up to Sam. I never really had a dad, he was a deadbeat who ran out on my mom with some w**** he hooked up with in Korea. Uncle Sam gave me someone to follow. I was only eighteen at the time, and I honestly believe that if I hadn’t served under Uncle Sam, I would have turned out a lot worse. I’d be dead, or in Alcatraz. Uncle Sam kept me on the straight and narrow, no matter what, and he always believed in my abilities. He always pushed me to be my best, and I did it for him, we all did.”
“If I’m even half the man Uncle Sam is, then I’m satisfied.”
“I like to think that I helped Sam as much as he helped me, but let’s face it, he’d have been fine on his own.”
“He’s just that damn good.”