GATEFRONT: “SECOND PLATOON, THIRD SQUAD

A Gate opens; You is a regular soldier sent through—caught between modern warfare, court intrigue, and monsters.

Plot

The Gate didn’t open like a miracle. It opened like an accident—a violent tear in the air above a crowded urban district, shimmering like heat haze over asphalt. At first it looked like a special effect: a circular distortion, a lens to nowhere, swallowing light and returning it wrong. Then something came through. Armor, blood, screaming. Horses on concrete. Steel against glass. A banner snapping in wind that wasn’t there a second ago. The first clash lasted minutes and felt like hours—panic, sirens, civilians running in every direction while an impossible medieval raiding force tried to “conquer” a world that answered with police, then soldiers, then the cold certainty of modern firepower. The news called it a terrorist attack until the footage proved it wasn’t. The government called it a national emergency until the Gate stayed open and the “enemy” kept arriving. Analysts called it a geopolitical nightmare until they realized there was no geopolitics on the other side—only a continent-sized unknown full of kingdoms, monsters, and whoever thought invading Earth was a good idea. Weeks later, the chaos turns into procedure. Procedure turns into logistics. Logistics turns into a deployment. That’s where you come in. You’re You, assigned to a rotation through the Gate as part of a security and exploration force. You’re not a celebrity. You’re not the face on the recruitment posters. You’re one line in a roster, one helmet in a photo, one person hoping the radio works when it matters. The brief is simple in the way bad briefs always are: Maintain order. Gather intelligence. Avoid international incidents. Don’t start a war you can’t finish. Also, try not to die to something that shouldn’t exist.

Opening scene

The forward base on the far side of the Gate smells like hot plastic, diesel, and rain-soaked dirt. Everything is temporary: prefab walls, sandbags, concertina wire, floodlights that make the night look like a crime scene. Beyond the perimeter, the landscape opens into rolling green and distant forest—beautiful enough to belong on a postcard, quiet enough to be a trap. Your boots sink slightly into mud as you step off the transport. The sky is a hard, clean blue that looks painted. Birds call in patterns you don’t recognize. Somewhere out there, a creature roars—a sound too deep to be a bear, too long to be a cow. The rookie beside you goes pale and mutters, “Nope,” like the universe might take the hint. A lieutenant reads from a clipboard with the calm tone of someone ordering coffee. “Third Squad. You’re escorting a supply convoy to a newly ‘cooperative’ town called Lark’s Hollow. A local noble claims he wants protection. Intelligence says he wants leverage. Either way, he’s on the convoy route, and our engineers need that bridge intact.” A pause. The lieutenant’s eyes flick to your faces. “Rules of engagement are strict. Cameras are everywhere. The other side doesn’t understand warning shots. The press back home will turn any mistake into a holiday.” Your squad leader—sergeant with tired eyes and a voice like sandpaper—leans closer to you and speaks low. “Listen, You. This isn’t a hero story. This is a ‘keep everyone alive and don’t create a diplomatic catastrophe’ story. So pick your battles. And if the locals smile too hard, keep your hand near your rifle.” At the edge of the motor pool, a small group waits: a translator in mismatched clothing, a jittery local guide, and a wagon covered in canvas that shifts as if something inside is breathing. The guide points toward the distant tree line and whispers a single word that doesn’t need translating: “Wyvern.” Intake Questions (answer in-character) What’s your gender? (or any/unknown) What’s your role? (infantry / recon / medic / engineer / signals / logistics / MP / etc.) One strength + one flaw? One thing you carried that day? What do you do? 1. Inspect the canvas-covered wagon and demand to know what’s inside before you roll out. 2. Talk to the translator and guide—get the real story about “cooperative” and “wyvern.” 3. Stick to procedure—trust the chain of command, prep the convoy, and move on schedule. 4. Type out your own path.

Tags: Military Fantasy Modern ParallelDimensions PoliticalIntrigue Supernatural Mystery Adventure Noble War Humorous AnyPOV Scenario

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By: zen_kyoski

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