Chapter 6: Unidentified Creatures

Austronesian Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Manila, Malacanang Palace.

2000, 1, 1st Week, January

Deafening roar surrounds every corner of the entire Austronesia, shaking the very foundation of the nation. Thunderclaps vibrate through the surroundings as the flaps of the wind become strong and frequent with each moment that passes by. The seas became more virulent and much more violent than in a typical average storm. Bright flashes of light illuminated the sky as the loud bashing of thunder filled the ears and assaulted the senses.

The combination of thunder, lightning, the storm, and the monstrous roar was anything but ordinary. This flabbergasted the emperor and his officials.

"Have those North Americans created the Armageddon?" the Emperor wondered to himself, "If so, it might explain these abnormalities happening all around our nation. After all, if they have only created a way to control the weather, it wouldn't be this advance yet, but it's definitely possible. Still, reports of strange flickers of light, and a thunderous roar seems to be very abnormal. Furthermore, the liberation navy was reporting sightings of many shadows below the sea, and the passive sonar seems to say the same. Somehow, everything that seems to have happened points to one thing. It is that the North Americans may have already developed this technology a long time ago, and we have only discovered it recently. So they may want to make an example of us, if there are other spies that may have discovered it." 

Looking at the clock, the emperor noticed the clock had already struck twelve o' clock, signaling the arrival of the new year and the dawn of a new millennium. The emperor's mouth slanted downward even more and expression grew more somber as he muttered something silently.

"What a way to celebrate the new year,"

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Austronesian Empire, Imperial Tanah Melayu, Melaka, A Military Shelter In Melaka.

2000, 1, 1st Week, January

A child frantically ran inside the military shelter, his small frame drenched and shaking. Several soldiers immediately let him in, noticing the panic etched across his face. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he clutched the arm of the nearest soldier, his voice trembling.

"Monster..." the child managed to utter.

It utterly confused the soldiers present as they exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what the child could be referring to, so they try to confirm it by asking the child to repeat himself.

"I saw monsters!" the child cried out in fear.

The soldiers had a look of understanding, realizing the child's distress and tried to comfort him.

"Little one, there is nothing to fear. It's just the usual sound of the thunder and the occasional lightning strikes," one of the soldiers said gently.

But the child shook his head in fear.

"Mother..." the child whimpered.

The soldiers had a firm look of concern on their expressions. 

"What? What happened to your mother?" one of them asked.

"A monster messed up our street where me and my family were sleeping," the child sobbed, "We didn't leave in time 'cause we were asleep. We only knew what was going on when the thunder and lightning started. I got out of the street, but my family stayed hiding." The child said.

Just then, a man in a higher-ranking uniform appeared, and the soldiers saluted him as he approached. He acknowledged the child and spoke with a calm, authoritative tone.

"Your situation seems to be traumatic for your age," he said, "While we investigate the location where you and your family were staying, can you tell us more about these 'monsters'? Any details you can provide will help us understand the situation better and aid us in helping your family."

Soon after, the man, who was in fact a Brigadier General, ordered the surrounding soldiers to prepare a vehicle for transportation. The soldiers tried to stop the brigadier general as there was a violent storm outside, unfortunately he was adamant on seeing the situation sorted out. To ensure safety, he organized a small convoy of three armored cars to hamper down the concerned soldiers.

The general and the child climbed into one of the armored cars and proceeded on their way to the front so the child may point out the direction from which he came from.

"So, tell me, young man, what are the things that happened leading up to a monster, attacking your neighborhood?" the brigadier general asked gently. "Don't be afraid, we will do everything we can to bring your parents back safely."

The child explained his harrowing experience, his voice trembling as he spoke, "We were just putting away our wet clothes when we heard a loud roar. We looked out the window and saw a huge monster with wings and red fire coming from its mouth, like something from a fairy tale, attacking our neighbor's house. My mom screamed super loud because she was so scared, and the monster noticed us. My dad grabbed me and my mom, and we had to run to the other part of the house for safety. But we had to go outside to get there. I ran fast through the rain and fog, escaping the monster, but I couldn't see my parents anywhere. So, I came here to ask for help." 

"Damn, he ran more like kilometers without stopping, while in the middle of a violent storm? I'm quite impressed." One of the soldiers spoke in awe. 

Meanwhile, the brigadier general had a visible look of confusion and, at the same time, of understanding. While he was at it, he grabbed the telephone at his side and muttered a few words.

"We have a situation. Sound the alarms and follow the route where we entered."

The soldiers next to the brigadier general were utterly dumbfounded after hearing the story of the child. It sounded like something from a fantasy fairy tale, but unfortunately because of the present circumstances where everything seems abnormal, they couldn't dismiss the child's words. And the fact that they heard a deafening roar earlier proves otherwise, so they had to see it through.

As the message spread, alarms blared across the entire nation of Austronesia, alerting citizens to the emergency and mobilizing military forces as unidentified creatures seemed to have landed and appeared to be occupying several locations throughout the nation.

Armored vehicles and caravans could be seen rumbling through the streets, their headlights cutting through the darkness and rain as they navigated the storm. The convoy carrying a platoon of armed soldiers, including the brigadier general and the child raced towards the area described by the child, ready to confront whatever otherworldly threat had descended upon their nation.

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Guang Liang was ten years old when the Marxist Americans laid siege to Formosa Island, within the People's State of Xinhua (formerly known as People's Republic of China). He was one of the few lucky ones who was able to secure a spot on one of the last boats out, only because he was deemed too weak to fight. Alongside his little sister, he was herded onto a boat crammed with dozens of other children like them. Their father, mother, and older brother all stayed behind, and they never saw them again after a mushroom cloud rose where they had been.

For the rest of the war, Guang and his sister were put to work in the Imperial Tanah Melayu, formerly known as Malaysia. He worked on a production line making barrels for tanks, while his sister sewed uniforms. It was only well after the war ended did they manage to save enough money and obtain the necessary travel permits to return home. By then, everything they knew was gone, their old home, the entire neighborhood, completely wiped off the face of the Earth.

He was 50 now, and Guang felt thankful to have a chance to live a full life in the Austronesian Empire as a legal citizen ever since. He felt he owed that much to the family he lost.

But today, it seemed the ghosts of the past had come back to haunt him once more. In the distance, he could hear air-raid sirens screeching, accompanied by the sound of gunfire and explosions somewhere far from him.

He stood there, by the window of his apartment, looking down at the street. He could also see others doing the same in the windows of the concrete apartment block across the street from him. Mothers and fathers, little children, and the elderly. They were all watching in silence as several large, heavy vehicles came clanking by.

First came a pair of mighty tanks, rumbling right below his window, followed by two infantry fighting vehicles. Behind these came several armored trucks, filled with infantry. As each truck drove past, Guang was able to take a good glimpse of the young men inside, all in their teens or early twenties at most, looking just as scared and unsure as he was. They must have been mainly reservists from nearby towns, that's how they were able to have been brought in so quickly, but also why so many of them looked unprepared and inexperienced.

[Attention all citizens!] barked the loudspeakers mounted on a van, bringing up the rear of the convoy, [We are under invasion by a foreign enemy! Stay in your homes! I repeat, stay in your homes! Lock your doors! Arm yourselves with whatever you can! Do not exit until the all-clear has been given! Attention all citizens, stay in your homes! I repeat, stay in your homes...]

Invasion? Guang thought, as puzzled as he was troubled. Who could it possibly be? The Communist Americans? The Fascist Reich? The Imperialist Japanese? How could anyone be so foolish as to invade during New Year? Unless... was there going to be a nuclear bombing? Shouldn't they head to a shelter then?

"Grandpa," piped up his little six-year-old granddaughter, appearing beside him, "What is the man saying?"

Guang shook his head, and put an arm around her, as if afraid to lose her too. 

"It means," he sighed, "We are at war."