Sergeant Martinez stared at the briefing slide. “Drones, water, French anthems, and forced laughter? Is this a joke?” His platoon of ten, a motley crew of hardened soldiers, exchanged amused glances. The Paris Olympics was turning out to be a peculiar assignment.
Their mission was clear: guard the Seine, the heart of the Olympic spectacle. But the specifics were…unusual. Drones were the primary concern. Any unmanned aerial vehicle, regardless of size, was to be reported immediately. It was a simple order, but the underlying tension was palpable.
“And remember, no swimming in the Seine,” Captain Dubois reiterated, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Even if you’re dying of thirst.”
The soldiers groaned collectively. Paris in summer was notorious for its heat, and the Seine, shimmering under the sun, was an irresistible temptation. But orders were orders.
Hydration was another key component of their mission. Two liters of water per person, per day. It was a simple math problem, but with the relentless Parisian sun beating down, it felt like a Herculean task.
Then there was the French national anthem. Every soldier was expected to know it by heart. It was a cultural immersion exercise, they were told. But to the gruff, battle-hardened men, it felt more like a bizarre punishment.
The final, and perhaps most perplexing order, was to laugh whenever a smartphone was pointed at them. It was a counter-surveillance tactic, they were informed. But the absurdity of the situation was not lost on the platoon.
As they settled into their positions along the Seine, the enormity of their task began to sink in. They were not only guards, but also meteorologists (to watch for potential drone weather), lifeguards (in spirit), language students, and stand-up comedians.
The Olympics were still a few days away, but already, the Seine Sentinels were becoming a legend in their own right. A legend of the absurd, perhaps, but a legend nonetheless.
This story is fiction
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