Chapitre 8: From University
A few hours earlier, at the Technological Engineering Institute University, about fifteen kilometers away from Richard's base of operations.
Beside the window, a tall girl stood. She had long, slender arms and legs, and her platinum silver hair was styled in a half updo, framing her chiseled features and gentle face. Her attire was a white blouse with a ribbon tie, a fitting checkered skirt that highlighted her figure, and black tights, giving off a mesmerizing beauty that etched an unforgettable impression on anyone who laid eyes on her.
She held a phone and engaged in conversation with someone she held close to her heart.
"Okay brother…be careful," she spoke in a soft tone before ending the call.
Lowering the phone, she turned to her classmates and met their expectant gazes.
"My brother said he's coming with others...they're on their way to rescue us. We need to ration the food we have left for a day…"
"Lisa, is that true?" a pink-haired girl, whose appearance rivaled hers, inquired, hope shining in her eyes.
"Yes, Angela."
"Who are the others?" Another woman with purple hair, dressed in a blouse, chimed in.
"I don't know Denise, I was surprised too when my brother said he is going to come and save us with others' help. I can't think of someone who would join him. Anyways, we just have to follow his words."
"Follow his words my ass," one of the cool-looking men spat. "Your brother won't be able to save us in this mess. He'll only get himself killed."
"Niel is right. It's not like your brother has something that can help us," one of his friends added. "The only people that can only save us from this mess are either the military or the police. But both of them are nowhere to be seen."
"Probably, the military has fallen," another one of his friends muttered.
"Richard was it?" Niel said. "I have met him before, and I don't have a good impression of him. Given he is good at his studies, that's only it. I am not going to put my life in the hands of some guy who thinks he's a hero."
Lisa lowered her head, Niel did have some points. Even she told her brother not to come here due to it being dangerous. But her brother insisted, and there was no way she can talk him out of something he already decided.
"Even so…I'm still going to hope," Lisa said, her voice determined.
Niel rolled his eyes and scoffed, clearly unconvinced.
Silence settled upon the classroom as Lisa's declaration hung in the air, creating an awkward pause amidst the tension.
Angela broke the silence. "Look, whether we believe in Lisa's brother or not, we can't deny that we're in a tough spot. Waiting for the military or police doesn't seem like an option right now. We have to do something."
"Do exactly what Angela?" Niel cut her off. "There are zombies in the hallway. The only safe place here is this classroom."
"So we are just going to stay here…and starve to death?"
"Do you have a better idea, Denise? Hmm?" Niel countered and Denise was silent. "I don't think so."
The classroom went silent again as the weight of their situation settled in. The group exchanged glances that revealed their shared anxiety.
Lisa's determined voice broke the silence. "We can't afford to give up. If my brother and his group are really on their way, we have to hold out until they arrive. He said he is going to arrive tomorrow."
"And when exactly is that tomorrow? Did you ask him?" Niel asked, his skepticism still evident.
Lisa hesitated for a moment, recalling her conversation with her brother. "He didn't give an exact time, but he sounded urgent. I'll call him."
Lisa opened her phone to call her brother but when saw that there was no signal available, frustration knotted her brows. She tried moving closer to the window, hoping for a better signal, but it was no use.
Niel sighed. "I can't believe we are all going to die here."
"Don't say that Niel," Angela rebuked.
"Just accept the situation, everyone. Lisa's brother will not be able to save us. I mean what do you expect from a college student? It's not like he is a fighter or something. Oh my god…I can't believe I will die a virgin."
"What a disgusting creep, saying that kind of thing at a time like this," Angela snapped at the inappropriate comment.
Denise shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously? You're worried about that right now?"
Niel's gaze lingered on Angela, Denise, and Lisa, planning something malicious—then was interrupted when one of his friends gathered the attention of everyone.
"Everyone… listen to this. The President is making a speech."
The group immediately huddled around him. Niel and Lisa were next to each other. He can smell her good perfume and the softness of her body when her shoulder pressed against his. He gulped and could feel himself heating up as he imagined her in his head doing erotic things.
He had a secret admiration for Lisa, and he couldn't bear to say it to her in person. But this apocalypse, bringing him and her this close, is like fate.
But his thoughts were interrupted when the President started speaking.
[Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Filipinos,
Today, we find ourselves facing a crisis unlike any we have ever seen before. A challenge that transcends borders, politics, and ideologies. Our beloved nation is under threat, not from the usual adversaries, but from an unexpected and unimaginable foe—the rise of the undead.
Yes, my dear countrymen, the world as we know it has been turned upside down by a zombie apocalypse. A plague that defies reason and comprehension has swept across our land.
But let me assure you, even in the face of this dire situation, the spirit of the Filipino remains unbreakable. We have faced storms, earthquakes, and countless trials before, and emerged stronger every time. Today is no different. We shall stand together, hand in hand, to confront this menace head-on.
Our armed forces, our police, and every brave citizen who still possesses the will to fight to know that we are committed to eradicating this threat. We will protect our families, our communities, and our way of life from this unnatural scourge—]
The speech was interrupted by the sound of the people screaming, monstrous creatures, that are different from the zombies the students witnessed outside, had attacked the area where the President was speaking. They watched in horror as the President was being escorted by his security detail—only to get caught by the nightmarish creatures that had invaded the scene.
Gasps and expletives filled the air as the students saw the President and his security detail cut in half. The camera that was recording the whole scene, tipped over, and the transmission suddenly ended.
"No way—" one of the girls muttered.
"The president is dead…" another one of the girls added.
"This situation has gotten worse," the man holding the phone said. "Within a day, the Philippine government collapsed."
"I don't think the military is going to save us now," Niel said, his tone calm despite the situation. And then he smirked—society will undergo massive changes. Just like in everyone zombie apocalypse novel, anime, series, and movie, there'd be a state of anarchy.
Everyone went back to their spots. Niel tapped his friends on their shoulders. "Bert, John, I have something to talk to you guys about."
Bert and John leaned in, their curiosity piqued by Niel's sudden seriousness.
"You guys, I'm sure you have something you want to experience before dying right? Well, you have an opportunity right here," Niel said as he lifted his gaze towards the seven girls in the classroom.
Chapitre 9: A Brief Respite Before Action
Nine o'clock in the evening, July 20th, 2023.
Richard was unboxing the MREs that he bought from the system. Since this was his first time seeing an MRE, he didn't have the slightest clue about how it worked.
"Mark," Richard called, and Mark approached him promptly.
"Is there something that I can do for you, sir?" Mark politely asked.
"Yeah, do you know how to eat this?" Richard showed the MRE in his hand.
"Ah, of course, sir. Do you want me to show you?" Mark responded.
Richard nodded eagerly. "Absolutely. I'm clueless about these things."
Mark took the MRE packet from Richard's hand and began explaining. "MRE stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat. It's a self-contained meal that's commonly used by the military and emergency services. They're designed to be easy to carry and require minimal preparation."
Richard listened intently as Mark continued, "Alright, first, you'll need to find the main pouch inside. It usually contains the main course. Tear it open carefully."
Mark demonstrated, showing Richard how to neatly open the pouch without spilling anything.
"Inside, you'll find the main dish," Mark said, revealing a sealed plastic pouch containing what looked like a beef stew. "There's also a flameless heater included."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "Flameless heater? How does that work?"
Mark smiled. "It's pretty ingenious. You just need a small amount of water. There's usually a line marked on the heater pouch. You pour water up to that line, insert the sealed pouch of food, and then fold the heater pouch over. It contains a chemical reaction that generates heat when it comes into contact with water. It'll warm up your meal in about 10 to 15 minutes."
Richard was impressed. "That's pretty handy. Thank you, Mark."
Mark pulled out a small package containing cracker-like bread and a spread. "These are usually a part of every MRE. They provide some carbs and a bit of variety. Perhaps you can eat this while you wait for the main course to heat up."
Richard nodded, taking the cracker-like bread and the spread. He tore the package open and began spreading the provided cheese spread onto the crackers. Despite the dire circumstances, he couldn't help but appreciate the simple luxury of having something to eat.
He took a bite and savored the test.
"Hmm…it tastes like bread and cheese," Richard commented.
"Sir, what are we going to do with the survivors that we rescued from three buildings?" Mark asked. "They think that we are the real military and are expecting to be evacuated from a safer place."
"Safer place?" Richard's gaze shifted to the wall-to-ceiling window. From his point, it seemed like there was nothing ordinary, a beautiful city skyline with indoor lighting glowing inside the building, giving it a surreal and almost tranquil appearance. But Richard knew that beneath that deceptively calm exterior lay the chaos and horror of the apocalypse.
He sighed, his thoughts returning to the present. "Well, there's no safer place than this place, Mark…" he chuckled and then trailed off as he remembered something.
His sister, Richard reached out to his cellphone and decided to call Lisa. But the signal bars on his phone were frustratingly absent. He sighed in frustration.
"Sir, you must worry a lot about your sister," Mark said gently.
"I do, very much. I don't even know what her situation is. Is she still staying in that classroom? What if I arrive there tomorrow and she's not there? I don't think I can handle losing her," Richard said somberly, his hands trembling with fear at the thought.
"In that case, sir, why don't you conduct a rescue operation at, let's say, 0000 hours or 0100 hrs? There's a high chance she'd still be there, assuming that they won't go out since the hallways are probably filled with zombies. May I ask how old is your sister, sir?"
"She's eighteen," Richard answered. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing, sir. I was just considering factors for the future rescue operation. If she were 12 or 15 years old, we might have to conduct the operation immediately. But since she's of legal age, and her classmates must be too, they'll likely lock themselves in the classroom they are staying in."
"Yeah…" Richard uttered, his mind still focused on the welfare of his little sister. Even though Lisa told him that they barricaded their classroom, there is still no guarantee of her safety. In an apocalyptic world, humans are scarier than zombies as humans can do horrible things when there is no law or order to restrain them.
He doesn't know Lisa's classmates, only her best friends, Denise and Angela, whom he often meets whenever they visit Lisa. But the others? Especially the men, yeah he won't even imagine what they'll do if they lose their rationality and sense.
"Mark, we are not going to wait tomorrow, we are going to rescue my little sister at twelve o'clock midnight."
"You mean 0000 hours sir?" Mark said. "Very well. If you want to do that sir, you might want to summon Special Forces troops, they are the ones best suited for the role of search and rescue. In the meantime, why don't you tell me the location of the school and some other useful information so we can plan it now with the team here?"
"Okay. My little sister is a senior high school student, studying at the Technological Engineering Institute in Cubao City. Her classroom is in Building Nine, fourth floor, room eighteen.
"Thank you, sir…and I think your MRE is ready now," Mark said, checking the heater pouch. The beef stew inside was steaming, its aroma filling the room.
Richard looked at the warm MRE pouch and realized he had been so absorbed in the conversation that he hadn't noticed the heater working its magic.
"Great, thanks, Mark."
Mark handed him the pouch, along with a plastic spork. "Enjoy your meal, sir."
Richard took a bite of the beef stew and savored it. The taste was bland but comforting. As he ate, he could feel a bit of energy returning to his body,
After taking five bites, he set the pouch aside and opened his system, and checked the Special Forces Tab. There, he was given a list.
Army Special Forces (Green Berets) - 2,000 gold per unit.
Navy SEALs - 2,500 gold per unit
Delta Force - 5,000 gold per unit
British SAS - 2,200 gold per unit
Russian Spetsnaz - 3,000 gold per unit
German KSK - 2,800 gold per unit.
…
Based on the categories, it seems like it'll be a matter of preference as those forces are capable of conducting search and rescue. Since he had a lot of gold coins in his pocket, he didn't hesitate to purchase ten units of Delta Force. Their reputation for being the most highly trained elite forces in the US military is enough for Richard to choose them.
A magic circle appeared on the floor and ten Caucasian men emerged from it. They were dressed in the standard US Army Combat Uniform, their bodies were of athletic build and tough looking, and they appeared to be in their early thirties.
One of them stepped forward, as if representing a team, and then saluted. The Delta Forces behind followed a salute.
"Delta Force, ready for tasking."
Richard rose to his feet and scanned the appearance. He had to crane his neck slightly up as the man before him was tall, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity. He looked like a character from Call of Duty. His face, his voice, everything. Who was it? Ahh..it was Graves.
Richard cleared his throat. "Sir! One of my men said you'll be best suited for a rescue operation."
"Well not technically focused on that job but we can do that," he replied.
"Can I call you Graves? Because you resemble someone I know."
"If you say so, sir. I will accept the name you have given me," Graves said.
"Okay, so the thing is, my little sister and her classmates needed saving. And you and your men will join me to rescue them."S
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
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