Dawn and Dusk

Field Report #27

SRGT. Arthur McMannen

January 27, 1979
Another crushing defeat of Eastasia! We fought long and hard with those blokes on the beaches of Bombay, but this morning was silent. We crawled out from our positions only to see those Chinese [retracted from file] turned tail and retreated in the dead of the night! It feels like nothing is out of Oceania’s reach! They tell us after this decisive blow the war is coming to a close. I can’t help but think that they are right. Hail Big Brother! http://ended

Field Report #31

February 6, 1979
Another victory for Oceania! We pushed those Eastasians right back to Beijing with another crippling blow to their forces. Though in many ways… I feel unsatisfied. We’ve always been at war with these Chiniese [retracted from file] for as long as I can remember. Why not take the battle right to Eastasia’s doorstep and end this war once and for all?!Why not expand Big Brother’s watchful eye over all of Eastasia, and maybe even eventually Eurasia? I’m perplexed… http://ended

Field Report #38

February 28, 1979
We were told to retreat out of Bombay today, despite there not being a single Eastasian in sight. We lost so much taking this position… I lost so m-… and now we’re packing up for NOTHING! We were right on Eastasia’s doorstep, and yet now we pull back right as we were about to bring the fight to them and make these deaths mean something. It’s almost like Big Brother doesn’t want victory. He just wants us to fight. Over and over. For nothing but glory. I don’t understand. http://ended

Field Report #57

August 2, 1979 
We have always been at war with Eurasia. That’s what they tell us now. Eurasia… ha! And they tell us we have always been allied with Eastasia. Those pigs…? Our allies?! All my conscripts bought it as soon as the Minister of Truth radioed in this morning. Something is terribly wrong… it’s like no one can believe anything themselves. It’s like they woke up mindless this morning. I remember fighting Nazis all those years ago. Hell, I remember hating Soviets not too long ago. And I can’t help but recall that we were fighting Eastasians just yesterday…. But no one else seems to remember. http://ended

Field Report #58

August 20, 1979
They found it. They found my old field reports. They know I know. They know I remember. They know I’m a threat. And I know I’m about to die. I’d give myself about 90 seconds before they bash down that door and vaporize me. That’s what they call it right? Vaporizing? Fate worse than death… Not only am I dead, but I never existed. I was never born. I never lived. I never died. I never learned that these wars are never meant to end. I never learned that Big Brother makes us fight over nothing. I never realized millions died in battles as a political game. I never figured out that victory was never a goal. Man… how blind can we make ourselves? [sounds of knocking]. Yes? Report! [knocking intensifies] Screw it. What do I have to loose?

FREEDOM IS FREEDOM! WAR IS WAR! TO HELL WITH BIG BROTHER! TO HELL W-[door crashes down] http://ended