Chen waited, holding his breath. Outside, he could hear the rough bark of old rifles contrasting with the high-pitched fizz of laser shot. His hands gripped his own laser weapon, the weight of it reassuring in his arms. Upstairs, his wife cradled a baby similar in size and weight.
Chen knew he could not cover every conceivable entrance point to the house, but he had done his best to dissuade entry by any means other than the front door, at which he was pointing his weapon. On top of this, he knew that the Americans favoured kicking down front doors above any other method of entry. Too many police training films and over the top movies, he supposed.

People had said that the war was inevitable, but then people were pessimistic by nature. As China and Japan patched up their previously insurmountable differences and ushered in an era of progress and co-operation, greedy and jealous eyes watched and waited for it all to fall apart. When this didn't happen they stopped watching and started interfering, trying to stamp American authority where it would never belong. Nuclear arms were threatened, but in the end it had come down to good old-fashioned warfare. To their surprise, America was not joined by any other nation. China and Japan asked for no assistance and received no offers as a result. "We shall not break before the wind of oppression" was the cry, and the bullies of the World suddenly found someone willing and able to stand up to them. From there on it got messy.

Twenty-year-old Chen had joined the army as a scientific technician and risen very quickly through the ranks. He was a naturally gifted tactician as well as an electronic genius. He was soon part of the inner circle, amongst the war chiefs and elders who made decisions that could affect the lives of thousands. Part of Chen enjoyed his role, whilst understandably another part was repulsed by what he had to do to protect his country. The last thing on his mind now was his job, as he sat and waited for the inevitable. He loved his wife and he loved his son, and like any father he would do anything to protect them. He had come to visit prior to them being moved to a secure, underground unit, but the arrival of the Americans had put a stop to their plans.

The attack had come out of nowhere. Chen was grateful that he was allowed to carry a state-of-the-art laser weapon, and felt for those he could hear being forced to defend themselves with projectile rifles. Against the laser shot and body armour of the Americans it was like catapults against cannons, but he knew that the men would rather die fighting than go meekly to their graves. He knew he should be out there with them, but could not leave his family.

With a crash, the door suddenly caved in. Without pausing, Chen cut the man who came through in half. Behind him was another who shared his fate. Chen licked dry lips and aimed at the third. He pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. Panic gripped him and he pulled and pulled again as the US Marine walked towards him, followed by two more, all grinning at the spectacle.

"Ain't your day, is it boy?" snarled the Marine, kicking the laser from Chen's hands. "That's for ma boys you cut up," he added, slamming his fist into Chen's face. As Chen fell, the other two Marines were climbing the stairs.
"No!" he cried, trying to get to his feet.
“What's up, fella?" said the Marine. "You got a little mamma san up there, huh? Well, don't you worry none, my boys'll take good care of her." He leered, just in case Chen didn't know exactly what he was talking about.
Chen struggled in his grip, managing to get a hand on the laser weapon. Laughing, the Marine stepped back, allowing Chen to futilely pull the trigger, knowing it would not work, and that he and his family were as good as dead.

Suddenly, the world froze. In front of Chen, a man appeared. He was dressed in smart clothes, and seemed to be an Asian European crossbreed. He smiled at Chen.
"You are going to die Chen," he said calmly. "The soldiers are going to kill you, then they will rape your wife. The largest one will smash your baby's head against a wall whilst the others laugh. Do you want this to happen?"
"Uh.. N-n-nno. Of course not!" stammered Chen, his mind reeling.
"Your weapon is useless," the man continued, "but I can make it work. With one click of my fingers I can allow you to kill these men, and save your family. Would you like that, Chen?"
"Yes!" shouted Chen. At that point he had never wanted anything more. "Do it! Please!"
"You have to do one tiny thing for me first," the man said, still in an even tone.
"What is it? What do I have to do?" said Chen in desperation.
The man leaned close to him, his eyes boring into Chen's. "Tell me where your secret command bunker is located."
Chen told him, and the whole world dissolved.

•

Chen's body slumped forwards in the chair; drool forming at the side of his mouth. Watching from an adjoining room through thick safety glass was the man who had appeared to him in his house. He looked pleased, mainly because he was pleased. Next to him was a man in the uniform of an American general. He, too, was pleased.
"Now that," he said to the smartly dressed man, "was impressive. Well done, Alex. We'll have the little bastards on their knees before you can say God Bless America." He grinned, as if he had made a momentously funny joke. Alex grinned with him, as it seemed the polite thing to do.
"I told you that this technology would revolutionise interrogation, General," he said. "We fill up the mind with stress and desperation, and then step in to rip the information we want from them."
"What about the guy in the chair?" asked the General, nodding towards Chen's slumped body.
"Oh, he's a total vegetable now," said Alex without remorse. "It can only be used once, anyway, so it doesn't really matter. If he came out with all his faculties intact we'd never get away with it twice. The brain would protect itself, you see."
"I leave all that thinking to you guys, Alex. Walk with me, will you."
Alex walked.

•

The MindSwoop was the pinnacle of all he had been working towards for the last five years. As one of two children of Asian American parents he had been forced to quickly pledge his allegiance one way or the other, and for him it wasn't really a choice. The rest of his immediate family had run back to what they called their 'Ancestral Home', but he chose to stay, alone. As far as he was concerned he was an American, and a proud one at that. Luckily for him he was also a very intelligent American and had put his brain to work on military applications, learning to delve deeper and deeper into the human mind and pluck out secrets that would normally have been irretrievable. Now the war was to be won and lost on intelligence, and the ability to quickly wrest information from their enemies was going to give them the edge.
"You've achieved the impossible here, Alex," the General was saying as they walked through the vast underground complex. Armed guards were ever present, the location a closely held secret.
"Nothing's impossible, general," Alex replied. "I hear that as soon as the Chinese got wind of what we were doing they started their own research. We may not be as far ahead as we think."
"As long as we're ahead, that's what counts." The General stopped and looked Alex in the eye. "Does it not bother you Alex? The fact that what we're doing breaks every convention there ever was?"
"No sir," said Alex confidently. "I think that the phrase 'All's fair in love and war' sums it up quite nicely. You've got to do it to them before they do it to you."
"I'm glad you're on our side, Alex. You are a true American." The General patted him on the shoulder in a fatherly way, and Alex's chest swelled with pride.
"Thank you, general. I do my best."
The General suggested they have lunch together in the cafeteria, and Alex agreed readily. As they made their way, exchanging small talk as people do, the alarm began to sound. The Complex had several different types of alarm for fires and the like, and Alex knew them, as did everyone. This was a bad one, he knew, because he didn't have a clue what it was about.
"What's going on?" he shouted over the noise.
The General looked panicked. "It's an attack," he said simply. "They've found us."
As he spoke, Alex was acutely aware of rumbling, booming sounds above them. He was in no doubt about what they were. The ceiling, carved from solid rock, started to crack, small pieces falling around them.
"What can we do?" he shouted, panic gripping him with an icy hand.
"Absolutely nothing," said the General, strangely calm. "I'd say that within, oh, the next sixty seconds we're gonna be nothing but a memory. It's been nice knowing you, Alex." He held out his hand, which Alex automatically took.
"Can't you save us?" he said in a small voice.
"Well, there is one way…" the General said with a conspiratorial glance sideways. "Are you sure you want to live, Alex?"
"Oh please, God, yes!" said Alex emphatically. "I'll do anything!"
"Then tell me the location of this base," asked the General levelly.
Alex told him, and the whole world dissolved.

•

Mao Bao-Gan looked at the slumped form of Alex Bagnall with pity. She hated the fact that the machine left it's subjects empty and dribbling, but war was war. This subject was well versed in the technique of MindSwoop, and she had had to be exceptionally complex in her illusions. Still, war was war, and if the Americans were to be stopped they had to show no pity.
"General," she said into her communicator. "We have the location, and also the details of their MindSwoop operations."
With that, she turned away from what was left of her brother and left the room.

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