PROLOGUE:
9th of January, 2009: 1700 hrs
193 hrs post Operation: TOS..."My name is En Aeon of the European Union Forces (EUFOR). I represent the United Kingdom in united Europe's largest joint-armed forces deployment. I am on sentry duty, guarding the only road that links Eichenzell to other nearby municipalities in Fulda" (a city in the German state of Hesse).
"My presence here is never opposed as Fulda has a long history of militarisation, espionage, armed struggle and divide since time immemorial. The people of Eichenzell have been accustomed to seeing foreign military forces in their land with most having established base here.""Fulda and most of its municipalities have the most strategic location in Deutschland. The town is currently off-limits to anyone and it is my mandate that I keep it that way.""On New Year's eve, Eichenzell suffered an outbreak of pandemic proportions. Being the only EUFOR soldier positively identified to be immune to the Krippen Virus (KV virus), the European Defense Agency (EDA) assigned me as sentinel to guard the gates of hell." "At 1830 hours, nearing sunset I will hide in the dense forest that sweeps through the Fuldanian landscape. Strange things are happening in this once lively town during the night... strange and horrible things."This is my story:
The Outbreak...Headlines around the world would be telling stories of the horrors that shook
Fulda, a beautiful German city now left in ruins.
Eichenzell, a municipality within the city was to be the hardest hit with most of its infrastructure and buildings reduced to rubble.
Eichenzell is
ground zero for Europe's deadly
KV virus outbreak. The virus is a genetically re-engineered measles virus proven to have
cured cancer. Previous reports claim that the
virus has mutated into a lethal strain.
KV-carriers would be manifesting
rabies-like symptoms a few days into the infection's metamorphoses. It is said though not proven as of this time, that the virus which was earlier thought to be transmitted via
body fluids is also suspected to spread the infection through
simple body contact. In the several days that had passed after its first recorded case, the
KV virus has
mutated further to become an airborne transmitted disease making it deadlier than the
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak in Asia in 2002-2003.
On the
1st of January 2009, more than
10,000 in Eichenzell would die from the
KV virus. Had it not been contained in the first twenty-four (24) hours upon the
(mutated) virus' first exposure, the death toll would have reached over
a million in just two weeks
(paving the way for the extinction of humankind). The virus is quickly spreading to neighbouring
Fuldanian towns and the exact number of casualties is yet unknown. Those that have survived devolved into a
primal and aggressive state. Reversing the effects nor finding an immediate remedy for the disease were futile as of this time.
The immediate evacuation of un-infected or immune civilians in towns neighbouring
Eichenzell is currently ongoing. Those that show symptoms or are suspected of carrying the virus would be prevented from leaving
their homes. Those proven to be infected but force their way out of the quarantine or attempt to escape through backdoor routes would be
shot and killed.
The horrific reality for mankind's survival. Headlines around the world reports the destruction of Eichenzell and the death of at least 90% of its population from the deadly KV virus.
The
German President has declared
Martial Law in the city of
Fulda. National troops as well as
EUFOR have set up
quarantine centres around the city's entry and exit points. The town of
Eichenzell has been
shut from the rest of the world as anyone was prevented from leaving or entering the town. At least 10,000 people have died from the
KV virus.
The
World Health Organisation (WHO) through the
United Nations (UN) had called for an emergency crisis meeting with three (3) major intercontinental organisations namely:
The G8 Nations, the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the
European Union (EU). Heated and emotional debates stemmed particularly between
Germany and the
United States, when the
Americans recommended to the
UN of a move that would later be dubbed
"The Only Solution" (TOS). It was reminiscent of Hitler's
"The Final Solution". A move that will
shock and frighten the rest of the civilised world.
"Dieses ist unverschämt! Ich weise unbedingt jede mögliche gegen zurück meine Leute genommen zu werden Tätigkeit!!" (This is outrageous! I unconditionally reject any action to be taken against my people!"), argued the German President who seemed to have lost her poise and temper.
"We have no choice but to chose between saving your 60,000 Fuldanians, or saving the other 83M Germans." The
U.N.'s Secretary General tries frantically to convince the German leader that the operation to sanitise Fulda is in her country's
(and eventually the rest of the world's) best interest, and continues:
"We are also talking about the survival of humankind my friend."Minutes later, supersonic booms from American jets soaring the German aerospace can be heard from a distance... followed by a succession of deafening and terrifying explosions.
Shock and awe. American F/A-18E Super Hornets fly in from the north Atlantic to bomb Eichenzell and Neuhoff as Operation: The Only Solution commences, part of sanitising Europe from the deadly KV virus which have already killed thousands of infected civilians.
NATO has decided to carry on with
"The Only Solution" as
Germany, the only member out of the 26 NATO countries objected to the action until the very last minute. The
NATO chair, with the endorsement from the
WHO and with consent from the
UN, directed the
United States to carry out the operation. The
United Kingdom which is covered by
EU policies and treaties it helped ratified, have abstained to take the lead role in conducting the
"sanitation" (out of respect for Germany being a fellow European state). All flights in and out of
Germany were canceled. The UK which earlier abstained in
Operation: The Only Solution had only agreed to enforce a
"no-fly zone" through its
British Royal Air Force (RAF) assisting the
Luftwaffe.
Four (4)
F/A-18E Super Hornets took off from the
USS George H.W. Bush just 50 nautical miles off the German coast. The Navy jets released a barrage of rockets and bombs as each one of them incinerated everything on its path. A scene that replicated the destruction cause by the
bombing of Dresden by the
British and
American air forces during
WWII. People from neighbouring towns claim of hearing haunting screams miles away and that the stench of burning flesh dissipate in the air.
This is the day the World mourned for Eichenzell.
STORY TWO: Romeo and JulietTroopers Before The Blitz (a side story leading to the events) 1st of January, 2009: 0630 hrs (TOS minus 11.30 hrs)Redeployment by Selection...The escape of En and Lizzy from Germany was cut short when they were spotted by
EUFOR troops on the lookout for
AWOLs. It was supposed to be their last day in the country when they were tracked down through signals transmitted from the
(hijacked) speedboat's
GPS system. Had they left German waters
(into the Atlantic) thirty minutes earlier, they would have been on their way to
Hartlepool.
A good morning to start for En and Lizzy as they gaze over the German sunrise with Sollie, a stray cat. Unaware of a series of unfortunate and tragic events that are about to change the whole world.
En and
Lizzy who both wanted so much to make pleasant their last day in German territory, thought of spending time fishing together. Hoping that unwinding would help them forget the awful memory of the chaos and strife that befalls
Fulda, a city they would have called home. Only to be pulled back into the madness and uncertainty they had wished to leave behind. A Luftwaffe's
RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopter spotted the couple as it hovers above
Bremerhaven, a coastal town overlooking the north Atlantic Sea. They were to be escorted back to
Heaney Air Force Base (HAFB), a military airfield just outside
Eichenzell.
En slips away from the speedboat as Lizzy hooks him by accident - distracted by the buzzing sound of a Eufor chopper hovering overhead. The sight of a fully loaded attack helicopter worries them both."We have a situation in Fulda, every EUFOR troop is ordered to report back to Base Command," quips the pilot through the chopper's boom speakers, and continues: "Best be ready for debriefing in about 0815 hrs."
No way out. En and Lizzy were escorted back to Heaney Air Force Base (HAFB) by two RAH-66 Comanche Attack Helicopters to comply with orders to recall all EUFOR troops in response to an Alert Level5 (AL5) incident in Eichenzell., the pilot reports to base command.
"Well done officer, return to base ASAP for debriefing and make sure the skippers get to rendezvous point safely," replies the
EUFOR commander.
"Roger that Bravo Charlie, Sierra-3 over and out."En and
Lizzy thinking that this was going to be another one of those battles with the
New Eastern Bloc (NEB) were clueless on the gravity of the actual situation. The choppers made certain that the two AWOLs wont get away as they were being closely escorted back to
HAFB amid the shortage of
EUFOR troops.
1st of January, 2009: 0830 hrs (TOS minus 09.30 hrs)Separation Anxiety...Fifteen minutes into debriefing, all
EUFOR troops gather at
Heaney Air Force Base (HAFB) in
Lummerland.
EUFOR Headquarters in
Neuhoff had been sealed off as they were told about the horrors that went on in the last 24 hours.
"Troops, Eichenzell is Europe's ground Zero," announced the new
EUFOR Commander,
Brig. Gen. Marc Harris in a briefing on the
KV virus outbreak that killed over
10,000 people overnight. Gen. Harris has
taken over command from his German counterpart on the grounds that the latter might develop a
conflict-of-interest. Some actions would have involved constraining German locals and any inaction by the former commander would greatly compromise the operations.
En would see his former mentor from his
RAF (The Royal Air Force) days as a greenhorn pilot, and both would acknowledge each other's presence.
However, a directive by the
European Defense Agency (EDA) to send all
non-European troops back to their home country
(a precautionary measure in case of a full scale outbreak - effectively preventing anyone from being a KV virus carrier) was being enforced.
Lizzy Mornington being
Australian was not exempted from this. It would see the couple part ways at a time when they would have wanted to be together the most. It seemed after all like it was the
end of the world and at times like this, who else would they rather want to be with but with each other? And En having known recently about the
death of his parents added much to the feeling of emptiness.
"I don't want to go hun, but they are going to drag my ass on that plane whether I like it or not." Liz tells
En,
which seemed to make him struggle to give her any reply.
Lizzy announces the bad news to En as she heads back home to Melbourne, Australia. All troops were ordered to help in the preparation and protection of their home country against the dreaded virus.Back in the
AFB's infirmary,
Lizzy says her final goodbye. It has always been difficult for the two to be apart, for even in combat they have vigilantly looked after each other in the whole time the
NEB and
Eufor were in conflict.
Liz finally tells En:
"Goodbye love, come home to Melbourne when this is all over." En stutters and was only able to say
"I love you babe" without a sound.
"Time to go Miss Mornington," a
Eufor MP reminds the two soldiers that its time for them to part. The sound of a departing
AWACS gets louder, signaling that it is now prepared to take off.
"The plane cannot wait for any of us much longer Ma'am, we have to hurry up." the impatient MP was close to telling her superior officer to dash towards the plane.
Lizzy snaps back:
"Alright already! I copy! Stand down soldier!" and all En could do was watch
Lizzy walk away as she gives him a couple of glances back.
Could this be the last time En and Lizzy would be seen together?
The bitterness of the word goodbye. Pre-departure drama as Lizzy Mornington prepare to board the AWACS destined for Australia. It was to be their longest goodbye.As the sound of the aircraft's thundering engines fades away, the
Secretary General of the
United Nations (UN) publicly acknowledges for the first time in a worldwide broadcast, the outbreak of the
KV virus. Outlined were the drastic actions to be taken in containing the epidemic and the reasons of
not having any other option but to ensure even through
very extreme means and measures, that the problem would not leave Fulda soil.
On the
1st of January, 2009 at
1800 hrs (Friday, 6:00 pm in standard time), the
United States Navy through the recommendation of the
World Health Organisation (WHO) and the
approval from the following organisations: the
Group of 8 Nations (G8); the
European Union (EU); and the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); in light of the imminent threat to the
survival of humankind in the event and/or the possibility of a
KV viral pandemic, the municipality of
Eichenzell in the city of
Fulda and of the state of
Hesse in the sovereign country of
Germany will be isolated, quarantined and "sanitised" through military means.
The ultimate sacrifice. Fulda burns in the horizon as Eichenzell pays the price for man's meddling with nature. American fighter jets launch from USS George H.W.Bush to commence Operation: The Only Solution on New Year's day.STORY THREE: Europe's Ground Zero
The Origin of the KV Virus Mutation
With the
Fuldanians having the highest rate of cancers in the country
(from having been in constant exposure to radioactive materials, as well as highly toxic chemicals used by the NEB in their war against EUFOR), the town's folk were given top priority
(since February 2008) for treatment using the genetically modified
KV virus. Initially, all recipients of this treatment responded positively and miraculously healing their cancer.
It was seen as the greatest medical breakthrough in modern times; the elixir of life capable of abolishing human suffering from this once thought-to-be-incurable disease. It wasn't until July of the same year, five (5) months into the treatment that
KV-recipients had started to show symptoms of abnormal behaviour.
31st December, 2008: 0155 hrsGrim's New Year's Eve...The
KV situation was to remain
top secret to the locals for fear that any knowledge of a deadly outbreak may result in
riots and anarchy, bringing to mind the
Panic of 1857 in New York City. A top brass supervising the procedure enforced an all-out ban on the media. Every individual
infected or even suspected of having the
abnormal symptoms were
forcibly taken to
Eichenzell's Psychiatric Hospital. It was
martial law in the making, unauthorised as it may have been.
"They were acting like rabid dogs," exclaimed a German nurse of the infected patients.
"We have to fully restrain them to keep us from getting bitten," added a domestic cleaner who seemingly got tired of having to sweep fallen human hair almost every minute.
"They act like a pack of hungry wolves, officer," says another as fear can be seen on the staff's face. Indeed it was something they have never encountered before.
In full force. Eufor and Partisan Special Forces guards the Eichenzell Psychiatric Hospital, which was later converted into a quarantine centre for KV virus infections. The facility is off-limits to civilians and most especially the Press as a citywide media-blackout is enforced in the town.
Correcting A Mistake By Making Another MistakeBrig. Gen. Marc Harris, a British
EUFOR commander has taken over the helm on operations in
Eichenzell. The move to transfer jurisdiction from a German counterpart was to avoid any
conflict of interests since directives from
Central Command would involve
constraining German locals.
Having thought that these symptoms were similar to
rabies, a desperate decision to administer
anti-rabies shots by the
newly appointed base commander only aggravated the situation. Most of the people who had taken these shots bled instantly from every possible opening on their body:
eyes, ears, nose, mouth and in some cases through the mamilla and the rectum. It was the most horrific sight as the repercussion of a misused drug shows its side-effects. It drove them to absolute madness as rage took over their psyche, an adverse reaction as if the victims were burning from the inside.
Their skin turned
pale white and had the strength to break-free from the harnesses
(perhaps with a sudden surge of adrenaline). Others who have gone completely mad mauled hospital staff,
feasting on chunks of their flesh. The wards which once were
rooms for remedy and healing were instantly transformed into
chambers of death. The
mutilated bodies of victims from the
cannibalistic frenzy (as a result of the KV mutation) scatter like meat from a
slaughterhouse.
Before the carnage. Administering an anti-rabies vaccine that led to the mutation of the KV virus which quickly turned the infected into feral savages.
Fall Back! Fall Back!"Shut the doors and lock them all in," shouts the commander who seemingly was still into shock. The soldiers who were fortunate enough to get out first, hesitated for a while as a few of their comrades were still inside. A few breaths behind them were the ghastly beasts that reduced these courageous men into a stunned and distressed squad.
"Well soldier, what the hell are you waiting for?" shouts a concerned officer as the door remained ajar.
"But sir, our men?" remarked a demoralised
Partisan muttering
"Englischer tyrann..."
"That is a direct order soldier! Shut the door and seal it now!" demanded the nervous commander.
Screams of help from the people that had unfortunately been locked inside
(both hospital staff and soldiers) were overshadowed by the loud
grunts... the
growls... the
snarls and the
howls of beings who no longer resemble anything that is human.
With so much adrenaline, they have managed to jolt the huge metal door that separates them from the troops outside. The troops quickly left the facility in a convoy of
Humvees as they head back towards
Heaney AFB.
31st December, 2008: 1350 hrs
Meat Is Murder...The convoy of retreating soldiers hastily left the facility for the airbase, as scores of
KV infected mutants breached the locked doors exposing themselves to the
afternoon sun. Those that have been out in the open for a little more than a minute died almost instantly. It would seem that their mutation which weakened the presence of
melanin in the skin also made them vulnerable to
ultra-violet (UV) light. The
KV mutants who were seemingly unstoppable had a
weakness afterall...
the sun.
The unfortunate ones. Doomed troops battle a legion of vicious savages as their comrades retreat to HAFB. None of the soldiers locked inside the quarantine centre would survive. updates
EUFOR Central Command (Echo Charlie) on the possibility that the radius of the
KV Virus outbreak may extend from
Eichenzell to
Fulda's other municipalities. A report on the tragic loss of its troops at the quarantine centre amid the carnage was relayed, and a request for a
"bio-clean-up" was paramount.
EUFOR's high-tech gadgetry connects all
European Union (EU) armed forces to one
Central Command. It is one of the most secured
ComLink to date, with multiple digital encryptions being transmitted at random intervals as well as an
IDT (Intelligent Digital Translator) that reads and translates multi-lingual verbal communications in real time.
Base Command prepares to brief Central Command as the troops await for a new directive.
"Bravo Charlie to Echo Delta, do you copy? /o~"
"This is Echo Delta, we read you loud and clear. Are we up close and personal Bravo Charlie? /o~"
"That's affirmative, we want to keep you up to speed as we have padlocked ground zero for Royal Mail to deliver the parcel. /o~"
"That's a negative, the Royal Mail refuses to be postmaster. FedEx is expected to ring the bell. /o~"
... referring to the US (FedEx) taking the lead from UK (Royal Mail) in Operation: The Only Solution when the Brits abstained for involvement in the action...
"Copy that, but we have a pucker factor off the scales sir. /o~"
"Say your state Bravo Charlie. /o~"
"We have an AL5 Code: Bio. Delta Sierras been going on around here. /o~"
"Have we any cool-aids? What is the body count? /o~"
"Only 18 see the light of day, civilian casualties are high. /o~"
"Copy that Bravo Charlie, ATT for AL5 Code: Bio requested? /o~"
... EUFOR Base Command recount the situation at the quarantine centre and notified superiors that the problem has elevated to a biological catastrophe...
"That's affirmative as we need to bring in the birds at the speed of heat and sanitise this place ASAP. /o~"
"We copy that, we'll send a buster over but ready all your uniform to be taken out of the laundry /o~"
"Roger that as we are all beaded up here. We'll make sure the eagles fly with us to Mother before the mailman rings /o~"
"That will surely make us warm and fuzzy here until we get the boys at Mother all spooled up for ACM. /o~"
... Base Command requests for the bombing of Eichenzell as Central Command advise the troops to prepare for an immediate evacuation prior to launching its military operation...
Heaney AFB, EUFOR's last frontier is heavily guarded by troops preparing for EVAC amid Operation: The Only Solution. RAH-66 Comanches take flight in search for MIA or AWOL EUFOR soldiers as AH-64 Apache Longbows secure the perimeter.
"We'll give you the coordinates as soon as we get Alert confirmation. /o~"
"Roger, send us a red light for the AOA to save us from a blue on blue, copy? /o~"
"Copy, that should keep the envelop firmly in place. /o~"
"We radio back in 1600 hrs, go check for light leaks or get us some go juice. /o~"
"Negative on the light leaks Echo Charlie, can't be as warm and fuzzy over here with all the spooks. /o~"
"Gaff off the last one then but keep your men sweet. /o~"
"Roger, warp one hop for us with FAGs packed up in Devil's Rain.o~"
"Copy that, Mother sends you their bill to look for any Echos gone AWOL /o~"
"Tell Mother the bill has been paid. We'll send one of the locals to boondoggle the area for a lookout. We probably have a double out there posing as a skipper. /o~"
... a directive to search and nab EUFOR troops who have gone AWOL or have been MIA. Lizzy and En would be taken into custody the following day as they attempt to cross the Atlantic for Hartlepool in England, UK...
"Bravo Zulu. God help us all... over and out..."
"Over and out..."1st January, 2009: 0600 hrsThe Search for Officers Lizzy and En...With the reality of
EUFOR having less than the adequate troops needed to keep the situation in
Eichenzell under control, a new directive from
EUFOR Central Command (ECC) to beef-up security
(ahead of NATO's Oplan: TOS) prompted
Base Command to recall all available troops back for duty. This would include troops who have gone
AWOL and also to press on searching for troops declared as
MIA (Missing-In-Action: troops possibly captured by enemy forces).
Base Command have sent two
RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopters to carry-on the mission, eventually catching up on two
EUFOR officers.
Spotted! EUFOR Officers En and Lizzy were nabbed moments before their daring escape to England. Both were immediately escorted back to base for debriefing.Having to face a much superior pursuer and with no easy way out, the two soldiers had to concede. They would be directed to meet other EUFOR troops waiting at the rendezvous point: an inlet under a bridge that links Neuhoff to Lummerland.
EUFOR troops back in Fulda. En spots something in the woods that vaguely resembles a human, as Lizzy loads-up her beloved sniper's rifle for some action. Recalled EUFOR troops gather at Rendezvous point waiting for others before proceeding to Heaney AFB.Lizzy Mornington proudly brandishes her
XM-109 as
En Aeon scans the area for
hostiles unaware of a
ceasefire that had recently been signed between
EUFOR and the
NEB. After being told about the horrors that went on in
Eichenzell, the couple would be forced to part ways.
Lizzy, an
Australian and other non-European troops would be sent back to their home country as drastic measures to control the outbreak nears its final stage.
En being is
English (obviously European) and was found out to be the only one to have immunity to the
Krippen Virus would be directed to stay.
"Echo Charlie to Bravo Charlie, you've got 60 minutes to get your ass over here and out of Fulda!" EUFOR Central Command (ECC) radios in a new directive to pull out all troops from Fulda as
Oplan: TOS commences in less than an hour.
"We copy that Echo Charlie, complete EVAC will be initiated." Base Command further instructs troops to ready all mobile and crucial military hardware as the entire
EUFOR contingent withdraws from
Fulda, the first time since their war against the
New Eastern Bloc (NEB).
Bowing out in despair. A base commander takes a last look at Fulda before evacuating his troops to a waiting NATO-U.S. Navy vessel, the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush.The deafening sounds of various choppers taking-off simultaneously thunders in the air. As troops pull-out from a town they helped secure against the
NEB. For the first time,
EUFOR felt the consequence of their failure to save the people of
Fulda.
The
EUFOR base commander feeling the brunt of defeat for having failed to put the situation under control, has been summoned by the
EUFOR Central Command (ECC). He was to face an
enquiry by the military tribunal about the
unauthorised administration of a vaccine. Knowing he would be held accountable for the outbreak, he would have preferred to stay behind with En and die a hero, than face a court martial.
A last salute to a mentor. En gives his respect to a former mentor and a friend Brig. Gen. Marc Harris, who was an RAF Wing Commander when En was still a trainee at the RAF Coningsby Air Force Base in Lincolnshire, UK. The base commander commends En before boarding the last
EUFOR chopper to leave Fulda. He continues:
"We have left some provisions for you at the bomb shelter where you will stay until you are certain that the bombings have stopped," referring to
NATO's
Operation: The Only Solution (TOS).
"Thank you sir, may God save us all!",
En salutes his superior officer as the commander boards a
Black Hawk helicopter.
"I will try not to fail you sir!", shouts En as his voice seemed to be overwhelmed by the chopper's rotor slicing through the air.
"Better not fail us for our sake. See you back in England son" the commander who knew
En as a young neophyte, salutes back at his compatriot before disappearing into the horizon.
En readies his gear as the last eagle leaves Fulda airspace, just minutes before Operation: The Only Solution takes place. En must quickly establish a strategic "designator" position to beacon laser-guided bombs to their specific targets.
EPILOGUE:
9th of January, 2009: 1800 hrs 194 hrs post Operation: TOS..."My name is En Aeon of the European Union Forces (EUFOR). It has been an hour since my last attempt to contact Central Command. It has also been eight days since NATO forces "sanitised" Eichenzell, having been taken over by a Krippen virus outbreak." "I haven't heard from EUFOR Central Command (ECC) nor from the European Defense Agency (EDA) since troops pulled-out from Fulda. I can't help but wonder if they have already taken me for dead."
A week ago prior to Oplan: TOS. EUFOR Troop En Aeon activates his Sig-599 "designator" to precisely guide the the F/A Superhornet's AGM-65 Maveric missiles to specific targets in Eichenzell."I've been having these morbid thoughts of just being a wandering soul. Nothing is clear to me anymore on what is real or not... not even sure if I am awake or if I am still living in this nightmare?",
"I patrol the only passable road that leads to Eichenzell, a German town in the city of Fulda that has fallen victim from the KV Virus. This is my post, it is my duty not to abandon it." "To my knowledge, at least 15,000 have already died from the virus since the outbreak, there could be more."It was an
assumption that this genetically manipulated virus would be the
cure for all cancers. Somehow it has taught humankind a very valuable lesson: Not to manipulate or interfere with the natural flow of nature.
Run like there is no more tomorrow! The terrifying scene from the NATO bombings as En narrowly escapes death as he runs for cover. He safely crosses the Lummerland-Neuhoff bridge after successfully designating targets for American jet fighters to unload their packages."It's been over 194 hours now since EUFOR had pulled out of Fulda, a lot has happened since then. Being the only one in EUFOR's Fulda deployment to be immune to the virus, I was given carte blanche to stay behind. I am to make sure that no one returns to Eichenzell without the all clear from the WHO. No one knows when that will happen nor how many of its citizens have survived NATO's Oplan: TOS."
"It's close to dusk and the sun is about to be taken over by the night sky. I've been hearing strange things in the dark, and more and more of these things come out night after night."
"I am N71 Aeon, I am EUFOR... and I am all alone."10th of January, 2009: 1900 hrs 219 hrs post Operation: TOS...A bored and lonely
En decides to patrol the perimeter at night, something he has never done before since
EUFOR's EVAC from
Fulda.
"I can't stand this bunker any longer!" En whispers to himself as he head out to watch over the only road that leads back to
Eichenzell.
Just shortly after arriving, he sees people coming towards his post.
"Stoppen Sie nach rechts dort, Sie gewährt nicht, hier zu sein! Von drehen Sie herum und gehen Sie zurück zu, wo Sie kamen! Kommen Sie irgendwie näher und ich schieße!" (Stop right there, you are not allowed to be here! Turn around and go back to where you came from! Come any closer and I'll shoot!), as he attempts to communicate with the wanderers in German.
"I said STOP or God forbid me, I will shoot! I will shoot!", a tense situation was building up as the late night travelers, who seemed to be joined by others more run towards him.
"This is my last warning!", ignoring En the people come dashing as it dawns upon the soldier that they are not ordinary people just wanting passage to
Eichenzell. They were the
"things" he and
Lizzy saw in the woods more than a week ago.
Without hessitation, the
EUFOR soldier fires his rifle as the sound of automatic gunshots reverberate the night sky. Rounds upon rounds were fired from his
SIG-556 assault rifle, but the growling and snarling just seems to get louder and nearer...
"
God damn it!", were
En Aeon's last words as
the sound of a loud scream echoes in the dark...
Halt who goes there! En gets visual of approaching individuals. But something tells him that things just aren't as they seem to be.
Braving the North Atlantic skies, EUFOR troops back on a special mission to Fulda.
An angel of the morning. Just in the nick of time, Lizzy saves En from untimely death who was severely suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and starvation.
Like a scene from the La Pieta, Lizzy cradles a semi-conscious En as troops drop down from a UH-60 Black Hawk chopper: part of a redeployment effort of EUFOR troops to Fulda.
A close call. En leaps off a bridge before an overwhelming crowd of mutants, bent on ravaging the lone EUFOR soldier.
Tired and exhausted, En could barely move or more so react at the curious nipping of marine life, least notice the presence of a prying wild fox.
