122 Field Day of a Certain Squad Part 1
At the Western Front of the ckwatch Oriental Military Camp, a JLTV Oshkosh approached the security checkpoint. The soldier on duty outfitted in the standard ckwatch uniform, signaled for the vehicle to halt with a firm, raised hand.
The JLTV Oshkoshplied with themand, the engine''s idle thrum falling silent as the driver cut the ignition. The soldier stepped forward and peered briefly at the upants through the reinforced windows before gesturing them to lower their windows.
The upantsplied, revealing four young women in theirte teens. The soldier''s eyes widened as he recognized one of the upants who was in the driving seat.
"Oh! Ma''am Lisa! Good afternoon. I didn''t expect to see you here," he greeted, the surprise evident in his tone but quickly regaining his professional demeanor.
"Good afternoon," Lisa smiled warmly in response.
"So this would be your first field day, right?" the soldier inquired, making a note on his clipboard.
"That''s right, we''re out for a scavenging operation," Lisa confirmed.
"Oh really? Where are you headed?" the soldier''s curiosity piqued, his hand hovering over the weapon at his belt out of habit rather than necessity.
"We''re headed to Mandaluyong. We believe the convenience stores there may still have supplies," Lisa said, her eyes scanning the perimeter as she spoke, the soldier nodding in understanding.
"Alright, stay sharp and report in every hour. The infected are less active during the day, but you can''t be too careful," the soldier advised, stepping away from the vehicle to let them pass.
"Raise the gates!" The soldier shouted to his colleague in the control booth. The heavy metal barrier began to lift with a nk and whir of machinery, granting the JLTV Oshkosh passage.
"Will do, and thanks," Lisa replied, acknowledging the soldier''s advice with a nod. She rolled up the window as the vehicle started to move again, the engine growling back to life.
The Oshkosh trundled through the gate, its upants alert and visibly tensing as they left the rtive safety of the camp. The soldier watched them go, a hand raised in a final, casual salute. Once the vehicle was beyond the walls, he turned back to his post, his expression returning to one of vignce.
Behind him, the gate lowered back into ce with a heavy thud, sealing off the camp once more.
Outside the ckwatch Oriental Military Camp. Lisa sighed and spoke.
"Okay guys, this will be the first time in thest few months we get to see the outside world. I must say, I''m nervous and excited at the same time."
"Well, the ckwatch kept the Oriental camp clean and well-maintained. So it doesn''t look like something bad happened two months ago," Ang, who was sitting on the passenger side, looked out of the window and checked for the differences.
Ang noticed the subtle signs of abrupt abandonment. Unimed belongings were scattered on the sidewalks, a coffee cup left on a cafe table with its contents dried out, and flyers for events never to be held pping in the wind. A child''s abandoned toyy in the gutter, its colors faded by the relentless sun. Storefronts stood silent, their once enticing disys now gathering dust behind ss that reflected the empty streets. A street vendor''s cart was overturned, fruits and vegetables now just a rotting heap, attracting a swarm of flies.
Ang turned her gaze to a nearby park where benches were littered with personal effects. A lone shoe sat on the fountain''s edge, the water long since turned off. Newspapers, dated from the outbreak, were strewn about.
As the JLTV Oshkosh moved through the city, they passed a school with its gates slightly ajar; backpacks discarded by fleeing children were visible, spilling their contents onto the schoolyard. A basketbally deted on the court, and a once-busy yground stood silent, swings swaying gently in the breeze.
The further they went, the more signs they saw of life interrupted. A car door was left open as if someone had fled in haste. And then more cars were left abandoned with doors agape or windows shattered. The street signs, some bent or toppled over, were now just part of thendscape.
"This is just too much…." Angmented, horrified at the sight. "I can''t believe that we are really living in this world."
"I know right," Denise, who was sitting behind Ang, concurred. "I still can''t get off the idea that this kind of thing only exists in fiction."
"But it is not," E sharply interrupted. "This is our reality now."
The group fell silent, each lost in thought as they witnessed the remnants of a world they once knew. The JLTV Oshkosh continued on its path, its heavy-duty tires crunching over scattered debris.
Thirty minutes has passed and the GPS indicated they were approaching Mandaluyong, and Lisa slowed the vehicle down as they reached the outskirts of themercial district.
"Oh, there''s still gas," Lisa said.
16:35
Denise kept an eye on the store''s entrance while Ang scanned the road they hade from. Their "Look, a gas station!" Ang pointed to the uing intersection where the faded sign of a gas station hung, swinging slightly in the breeze. The price of fuel, unchanged since the outbreak.
Lisa pulled the JLTV Oshkosh into the station, the vehicle''s heavy frameing to a rest beside the pumps. She killed the engine, and the sudden silence was jarring. The group sat for a moment, taking in the scene—fuel hosesy on the ground where they had been dropped, the convenience store''s windows were dark, and the forecourt was empty except for a couple of abandoned cars.
"I''ll check if the pumps are working. The three of you cover me." Lisa said, her hand instinctively going to the sidearm holstered at her waist as she stepped out of the vehicle.
The three of them stepped out of the vehicle as well. Just like the ckwatch soldiers, they too wore the same uniform.
"How does this work…"
Lisa muttered under her breath as she scanned the pump interface, trying to remember how the attendants used to do it. Images shed through her mind of a jeepney pulling up, the driver handing over cash, and the attendant working the pump with an ease born from repetition. She mimicked the motions, pressing the buttons on the keypad which was the amount given by the driver.
She pressed 2,000 and then pulled a gas nozzle out.
"E, can you pass me one of the jerry cans?" Lisa said as she nced over his shoulder.
"Okay," E nodded, grabbing a can from the back of the JLTV and walking it over to Lisa. And then she noticed the numbers disyed on the disy. "Wait, it''s on premium. The JLTV Oshkosh is a diesel engine, right?" E asked, pausing before handing the can over.
"Yeah, switch it over to diesel," Lisa responded quickly, realizing the mistake. She pressed the appropriate button to toggle the fuel choice. The pump disy flickered and reset to the diesel option.
E handed the jerry can to Lisa, who ced it down and inserted the nozzle, holding it steady as she began to fill it. The pump made a mechanical noise as the diesel flowed into the can.
"Oh, there''s still gas," Lisa said.
Denise kept an eye on the store''s entrance while Ang scanned the road they hade from. Their hands were close to their weapons, which a suppressed M4 Carbine, ready to draw at the first sign of trouble. The world might be quiet now, but they knew that could change in an instant.
Lisa filled the can, carefully lifting the nozzle to avoid spilling any fuel. "That''s one," she said, sealing the can and moving on to the next. They worked efficiently, with E passing the cans and Lisa filling them.
Ten minutester.
"Wait—zombies at three o''clock!" Denise announced.
"Keep your voice down you idiot," E said as she raised her rifle, sighting down the scope at the approaching figures. With a steady hand, E squeezed the trigger, the suppressor muffling the sound to a quiet hush. The lead zombie fell, a clean shot to the head. She quickly shifted her aim and took down another.
"Is that all of them?" Lisa whispered after a moment of tense silence.
E kept her rifle trained on the downed zombies for a few seconds longer before nodding. "Looks like it. But let''s not take any chances. Move quickly."