Chapter 237 Island in the North Part 1
October 26th, 2023. Nine o'clock in the morning. Location, somewhere along the northern part of Luzon. Richard and Graves jumped off the C-17 Globemaster from thirty thousand feet and landed at one of the islands in the Babuyan islands, Fuga Island.
They landed smoothly on the ground, removing their parachutes and then stowing them in their bags. Once cleared, Richard and Graves shared fistbumps together as they explored the island.
Today's plan was to test the capabilities of the Titan's Guard Mark II. They needed somewhere isolated to conduct the test and an island from the north of Luzon is the perfect fit in the criteria. However, the island was not all uninhabited. According to the data they pulled up prior to their departure from New Clark City, the island of Fuga Island is inhabited by over two thousand people.
As they were walking, a gunshot rang from a far distance, and the Titan's Guard Mark II reacted swiftly. Nanobots spread and coiled around Richard and Graves, causing the bullet that struck them to shatter upon impact.
Richard, his senses heightened, quickly accessed the suit's advanced AI-integrated system. "Identify the shooter's location," he commanded.
The suit's AI, with its advanced computational capabilities, swiftly scanned the surrounding area. The Quantum Imaging HUD flickered to life, displaying a thermal outline of the surrounding terrain. In moments, it pinpointed the source of the gunshot - a concealed position approximately 500 meters northwest of their location.
"Got it," Richard relayed to Graves. "500 meters northwest, someone's hiding there."
Graves, already on high alert, nodded in acknowledgment. "Let's approach with caution. Could be a misunderstanding."
The two men activated the suits' stealth mode, the adaptive camouflage rendering them nearly invisible as they moved swiftly and silently toward the location. As they approached, Richard's HUD provided real-time updates, displaying the shooter's heat signature and movements.
They reached the vicinity of the shooter's location, moving tactically through the dense foliage. The suits' enhanced vision modes allowed them to see through obstacles, giving them a clear advantage.
Crouching behind a large rock, Richard and Graves spotted the shooter - a lone islander, seemingly startled and confused, clutching an old rifle.
"Looks like a local," Graves whispered. "Doesn't seem like he was expecting us. And the rifle he was holding, isn't that an Arisaka Type 99, a World War II relic?"
"Yeah," Richard murmured, observing the man. "And he is an old man at that. The fact that he can accurately hit us from 500 meters is a feat. Well just like you said, he is a local who probably is anxious about what's happening in the world. Let's make an appearance."
They stepped out from their cover by deactivating their stealth mode. They raised their hands in a visible and non-threatening way.
"We're not here to cause trouble," Richard called out in a calm tone.
The islander, seeing them appearing out in thin air, jolted in surprise, his eyes widening at the sight of Richard and Graves emerging from their stealth mode. For a brief moment, fear flashed across the islander's face. In a reflexive move, he raised his rifle and fired another round directly at Richard.
The bullet, however, was effortlessly repelled by the advanced nanocomposite armor of the Titan's Guard Mark II. The suit absorbed the impact without any visible damage, showcasing its remarkable defensive capabilities.
"It's okay, we're not a threat!" Richard reassured, lowering his arms and stepping forward to show he meant no harm. "Look, you can…"
"Hah? Ania ti kunaen? Sinno kayo? Ania ti kayo? (What? What are you saying? Who are you? What are you?)" the islander exclaimed in Ilocano, clearly bewildered by the situation.
"Shit…yeah…they speak Ilokano here," Richard just realized. And he spoke in English to them. Since the Blackwatch's inception, Richard has been speaking English to communicate with his troops. Filipino was rarely used, but he knew that the islander could understand the Filipino language.
So he stepped forward slowly, with hands in the air to show he posed no threat. "Kumalma ka, hindi kami kalaban (Calm down, we are not enemies)," he said in Filipino, hoping the islander would understand.
The islander hesitated for a moment, his grip on the rifle loosening slightly. "Taga saan kayo? Bakit kayo nandito? (Where are you from? Why are you here?)" he asked cautiously, his voice betraying a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
"Luzon," Richard answered, maintaining a non-threatening posture. "Nandito kami para iligtas kayo…(We are here to rescue all of you)"
The islander scrutinized them for a long moment before finally lowering his rifle. "A, naiintindihan ko. Ngayon lang kami nakakita ng tao galing sa kalakhang lupain. (Ah, I see. It's the only time I saw people from the mainland)"
Richard nodded in understanding. "Ganun ba? Sige, nasan pala mga tao dito? Maari mo ba kaming dalin sa kanila? (Is that so? Where are the other people here? Can you lead us to them?)"
The islander nodded slowly, still eyeing the advanced suits with a mix of awe and suspicion.
While walking to the main city, the islander asked. "Ano pala nangyari sa Luzon? Okay na ba? (What happened in Luzon, is it okay now?)"
Richard shook his head. "Malala parin, pero may kampo kami sa New Clark City na ligtas. Pinipilit naming gawing maayos ang kalagayan doon. (It's still bad, but we have a camp in New Clark City that's safe. We're trying to make things better there.)"
The islander nodded, "Marami sa amin dito ang nawalan ng kontak sa mga kamag-anak sa ibang lugar. Mahirap makuha ang balita. (Many of us here have lost contact with relatives in other places. It's hard to get news.)"
As they walked, Richard observed the island. It was a place seemingly untouched by the chaos that plagued the rest of the world. The natural beauty of the island was striking, yet the sense of isolation was palpable.
After a short trek, they arrived at a small village where curious faces greeted them. The villagers seemed wary but not hostile. A few children peeked from behind their parents, eyes wide at the sight of the advanced suits.
Richard and Graves removed their helmets, revealing their faces to show they were human.
"Anyone here who can speak English?" Richard called out, scanning the crowd. There was a moment of hesitation, then a boy, probably in his early teens, stepped forward tentatively.
"Yes, I can speak English," the boy said, his voice wavering slightly. "My name is Paolo. I learned it at school."
"Hi Paolo, I'm Richard, and this is Graves. We're here to check on everyone and offer help. We are from the mainland. How many are you here?"
Of course, before the test is to be conducted, one must clear out the island.
"Uhm…we are 2,234 exactly."
"How are you holding out?" Graves asked the question this time.
"Food is almost out. We have some fishers, but it's not enough for everyone. We also lack medicine," Paolo replied.
Richard exchanged a glance with Graves. "We can help with that. We'll arrange for supplies to be sent here. Food, medicine, whatever you need before our naval vessel comes here."
When Richard said that, Graves placed a hand on Richard's shoulder.
"Sir…what do you mean naval vessel? We don't have one as far as I know," Graves said.
Richard smirked. "If we don't have one, we can simply acquire one. But to do so…I'll have to summon them in the Aparri Port. For now, contact Globemaster Charlie-Three-Niner, tell them to drop the supplies here stat."
"Understood."
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