(Hey guys this a continuation from my one shot, Old World Relics. So here's the first chapter ladies and gents and hope you all enjoy :))
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Zao remembered the last time he was in Shanghai, before the war and before the American occupation all those years ago. The city had been a very vibrant and busy place, packed with millions of people going about their daily lives in a city second only to Beijing as a show of advancement and achievements Chairman Cheng stated was proof Communism was out performing the Capitalist West. But Zao was like many others in the military who knew this to be a lie but said nothing in fear of finding himself facing a firing squad for treason against the state.
Shanghai was one of the first of his country's cities that begun to overcome the fuel, energy and food shortages that had plagued the whole of China, leading his country to conquer and annex it's neighbours and begin the long drawn out and resource wasting war with the United States. He and his crew had been patrolling the Pacific Ocean when the communique reached the Yangtze thatthe Capitalists powerhouse had invaded China after the dismal attempt at conquering Alaska by the fool, General Jingwei. By the time he returned back to port after completing their mission three weeks later they had been informed by waiting dock workers, ready to check over his submarine from the patrol, how Shanghai was the first major city to have fallen to the American invaders.
The city had become battle scarred from the intense and bloody fighting from American and PLA forces. Soldiers and citizens still loyal to the Communist Party had lead a insurgency against the foreign occupiers but all that was all history to these people. The only thing Zao saw all around him now was Shanghai in wide spread collapsed ruins, lacking the former inhabitants that once boast 20 million people. There were people, most likely descendants of those that once lived in the metropolis he had passed by alongside his escort from this 'Hong Empire' heading to their main headquarters at the old airport. Many of them cast a stare his way with a mix of curiosity, fear and wonder.
They all wore shoddy or worn clothing ans most had their skin covered in some form of dirt or mess going about their business in ramshackled shops or poorly constructed kiosks and stands. There were some he spotted that shared the same results of being exposed to the radiation, their poisoned skin peeling or peeled showing the muscles and veins beneath and also like him many no longer possessed a nose. Hong soldiers within and about the place, some standing on guard duty at various locations including on the top of several buildings while others lingered with the locals and checked out their merchandise.
The closer Mei and the Lieutenant escorted him to the airport the fewer he saw of the civilians and came across more military personnel. Once the airport came into a more clearer view Zao found it to be no different shape to the other buildings of the city, crumbling and run down but with more recently constructed parts added to it. Zao felt many of the soldiers eyes trained on his person with momentary interest or disgust, though whether from his physical appearance or his uniform, or perhaps it was a combination of both seen as a horrid remainder of China's past still walking about.
Lieutenant Han nodded up to a wooden and metal constructed guard post inhabited by a soldier who in turn saluted to the officer, raising the bar allowing to them entry onto the premises. The sun's descent began to change the sickly blue sky of Shanghai and illuminate the airport with the last remnants of evening sunshine. The Shandian monorail that once had thousands of passengers riding its bullet trains into the airport was a broken wreck, missing sections now nothing more than piles of twisted steel and blocks of smashed concrete.
The first thing Zao took note of the once very active airport was the variants of aircraft still there. Parts were missing and a fair few were crumbled into heaps on the ground but left in the same spaces they had been occupied for 200 years. There were makes of both American military and Chinese commercial airline planes, including a row of four Xian-85 multi-role fighter jets which, to his own personal disgust, had the insignia of the USAF painted on their wings. Despite the war they once served in now just a distant memory with a huge fallout bringing human civilisation to a cataclysmic halt, the impudence use of his people's hardware festered the old grudges Zao loosely kept.
Military green tents of different sizes were erected everywhere covering the cracked runways containing many Hong troops. Zao still thought it odd they were dressed in military fatigues and armour that resembled the warriors of the ancient Imperial dynasties. Many carried weapons built before the nuclear holocaust consumed the world, ranging from the Type 93 assault rifles to Type 56 carbines which even by the standards before the nukes fell was an old relic used for ceremonial roles. To his curiosity there were a few soldiers equipped with American built small arms.
It further showed Zao the state of this new China, the people in the sector of the city he travelled through lived next to squalor and this army of the Hong Empire were using tools and hardware of a military power that dwarfed all but a couple countries before the nuclear launch. He wondered if this what Boston, America, the rest of China or the whole world was like now, scraping by with the leftovers of their ancestors.
"This way Captain." Mei's voice brought him away from his gazing of the repurposed Pudong International Airport being used as a military base.
The two guards standing in front of the long stretch of barely attached and worn doors nodded at the young representative and Lieutenant, freely letting them by. Zao however, caught the wary stares directed his way. Inside the main centre the interior had clearly seen better day. The curved fences that once kept people in orderly queues for boarding their chosen airline were mostly missing except for a scattered few, leaving a more spacious area for people to walk around in. The security scanners had too been ripped out from their spots only leaving behind the holes in the ground where they once been, to be used for what new role the Captain didn't know.
If it hadn't been for the luggage belts, the names of the former terminals names on flickering on and off and the planes outside, Zao doubted anybody other than himself would've guessed this placed was used by people to travel all around the globe. The only other difference was it was likely used by the invading Capitalists as an airbase for their Air Force fleets. The registry counters had been converted into a machine gun nest guarding the doors behind the troops stationed inside, which happened to be where Mei and Lieutenant Han was taking him.
"Sir!" The soldiers saluted the Imperial Hong officer.
Zao was met again with cautious stares over his presence in their base. He heard one of them whisper the name 'zombie devil' at his passing, a name he quickly realised to be an insult toward his physical state. Ignoring their petty name calling he looked at the posters on the cracked and faded coloured walls, or rather the odd mix match of propaganda material.
The more dominant posters were that of the Hong. The paper used was newer and more cleaner than the other two sets, missing the grotty and blanching coloured screen from time or general wear and tear. The first of theirs was one with a yellow rising sun in the background of a Hong soldier standing on the crumpled up red, white and blue Stars and Stripes flag of America and the Five Star red and yellow flag of China, with dark green writing reading 'They Brought Ruin. We Bring Order and Peace'. The other was of another soldier holding a yellow flag with a two headed blue dragon, flanked by a woman dressed in the sterile white lab attire of a scientist to his left and a man holding a farming tool with the inscription at the bottom 'Unity in Glory and Prosperity'.
Less common were Capitalist America and the People's Republic posters, torn and faded just like the nations that produced them in a now bygone era. The familiar 'Long Live the People's Liberation Army!' images of PLA soldiers wielding weapons in a snow touched land with bombers flying over their heads and the other of a single soldier staring eagle eyed holding a rifle. Attached beside his country's glorification of the People's Liberation Army was those of the United States covering over a number of Chinese posters. There was one with a sky blue background and power armour wearing American soldier holding his homeland's flag, standing on top of a pile of dead Chinese troops with the caption of 'Courage Today, Victory Tomorrow!" and another with Uncle Sam pointing with the impression he was picking out anyone who was reading this garbage.
There were more but Zao soon lost interest in the pieces of paper that held no relevance to the world today, a world he'd soon be finding out more about. Crossing into the cafeteria area there was large presence of these Hong soldiers, the atmosphere falling slightly from all the eyes switching from their conversations to his entry into a section of the base doubling as a mess hall and living quarters. Their faces turned from that of interest to loathing once they recognised his uniform.
"You'll have to excuse our troops. We've had bad experiences with those who wear the uniform of Communism." Han explained next to him.
Zao said nothing as they continued on. He contemplated what the Lieutenant said thinking what he meant by his statement. The little information he knew had him believe his nation's ideology was no longer an idea these people held or had driven into them like he when he was a child, in the belief Communist China was the right and only way. Of course as a youngster he took all this in and believed it however, growing up and seeing the world as it was it began to shake his own beliefs.
It wasn't long that his tour of the ruined airport taken over by the Hong Empire was coming to end to see those Mei claimed may have an interest in his person. Climbing up a wide flight of stairs he was lead to a room at the end of a corridor with another pair of guards taking up position by the blackened glassed double doors. Upon seeing the young woman they both saluted her and the Lieutenant, paying him no mind as one of the guards opened one of the doors for them to enter.
Stepping into the room Zao immediately was met with a flurry of activity. Everyone at first didn't pay any heed to their presence, going about their various duties around several tables and other equipment he was certain hadn't originally been in this room. The room was predominantly full of uniformed and lightly armoured men and women, except for one man standing directly opposite to him on the the other side of the war room. There were people at radio sets communicating with whoever was on the other end of the line talking into a microphones, relaying information or writing notes down from the communiques.
Others were leaning on tables looking over maps of Shanghai and one was even speaking with a Zhuli servant bot. The floating machine was considered from what he read to be a supposed cheap knock off of the General Atomics Mr Handy models. It possessed the same appendages and programming, only it had a more oval shaped design and four eyes compared its ball shaped counterparts in the former United States.
"Ambassador Zhu." Mei called out to the only smartly dressed man in the room standing beside another armoured soldier, checking over a large holographic map of the city "I have here someone who could be of great interest to us."
Turning to greet her, both the 'Ambassador' and the soldier whose uniform was more decorated and had six yellow stars on his shoulders meant his escort had brought him to this army's commander. The Ambassador was the shorter of the two, wearing a smart and oddly clean grey suit considering the conditions elsewhere around the city and airport. His face was cleanly shaved and eyes stunned at his standing right before him. Zao guessed the man to be in his mid thirties and had the right appearance of a politician.
The officer standing next to him was the opposite in more ways than one. The armour he had was heavier and more reinforced looking than the standard ones he seen worn by the lower ranked soldiers. His eyes had a hard glare to them and the left one had nasty scar running down vertically to his nose. On his hip Zao noticed a Shanxi Type 17 pistol and sword with a golden dragon head crest on the hilt resting in a sheath.
Stunned silence engulfed the room as all eyes scrutinised Zao. He needn't of turned to see everyone had stopped what they were doing and now awaiting the reason for his being here. The Ambassador was the first to recover but wasn't the first to speak.
"Lieutenant, why is there a communist dog standing in my war room?." The Army leader said with icy contempt, glaring intently at him.
"General, this i-"
"I care not who this zombie devil is. Remove him, or I'll have him shot!" The General barked at the junior officer. Zao raised a brow at the threat, unsure for the strong hostility of this General.
"General Hanwen there is no need for such behaviour. If it makes you feel better I shall speak with this gentleman in my office." The Ambassador told the irked General, more coolly and respectable compared to his military counterpart.
"Do what you wish. I have enough problems without Communist loyalists sniffing around my base."
"Very well. Mei may you bring our guest down to our offices."
"Of course." The representative gave a small bow then indicated for him to leave with her.
Giving one last backward glance at the angered General he followed the woman out the war room, this time without the Lieutenant who he'd imagine would receive a dressing down for reasons the Naval Captain was oblivious to. Letting Mei take point for their new destination he was still feeling a bit taken aback by this Hanwen's outburst.
"I'm sorry you had to face the temperament of General Hanwen. I can assure you we are not all like that." She apologised for the man's behaviour.
"It appears my old allegiances are not the only reason for the General apparent disdain for myself. He mentioned Communist loyalists?" Zao quired her.
"Long story and no before you ask, these aren't the same people of Old China." Mei said then continued "General Cheng is a veteran of the Fujian campaign. The Provence is now territory of the Hong Empire and our first invasion of the mainland where we met with survivors who believe they follow the ideology of Chairmen Cheng. It was a tough and bloody campaign. A war that has embedded hatred into our people of the Communist cause."
"So that is what the Lieutenant was talking about before?"
"Yes. The war was twenty years ago and in some still bares, in Hanwen's case literally, scars."
"Hmm." He said no more on the matter for now. Lucky the trip wasn't long and Mei stopped outside a wooden doored room, opening it up and ushering him in.
"Remain here. I need to smooth things over with the Ambassador before he can meet with you."
"Very well." Zao gave her an understanding nod.
With the door closed behind him, it was the first time Zao was alone since stepping on the Motherland's soil. There was so much to take in and more to come he was glad for this small moment of peace. The hatred he saw and heard these people spout about the China he grew up and served would've had each and every one of them arrested and charged with treason, then have their fate sealed in front of a firing squad. Sure he had grievance with how the party was running the country and the policies of the PLA like many but to openly air such things ended with you 'disappearing' or arrested. Yet it was strange for him to hear and see that hatred being openly said out loud without the fear of repercussions.
He saw the aftermath of what he helped bring to the world in Boston and now he saw the same effect it did to Shanghai. It broke his heart to see China in this sorry and dead setting.
"Captain Zao, am I right?" A masculine voice shook him out of his quiet musing.
"Yes." He answered turning back to the door to see the Ambassador and Mei walk in with the latter closing it behind them.
"I am Ambassador Yang Zhu. I'm the head of the diplomatic mission here in The Shang. Representative Mei here is my assistant who has been instrumental in helping our cause to free the people of The Shang from the Warlords control. Please sit." The man introduced himself, stretching out a hand indicating over to the chair seated opposite to his own.
Taking him up on his offer Zao sat on the ripped cushioned plastic chair, hearing it make a small creak from his weight pressing down on it's long weakened legs. Zhu walked round the the desk and pulled out his own less weathered chair sitting down as Mei stood behind him, picking up clipboard and pen awaiting for the friendly interrogation to begin.
"So, Mei had informed me you were an officer of the People's Liberation Army Navy and the vessel you command is in fact docked in Fangwei's Harbour."
"That is correct." Zao nodded in confirmation.
"An extraordinary tale you told my representative. Trapped in American waters for two centuries in a ship-"
"Submarine"
"My apologies, Submarine." The Hong politician corrected himself "That is still operational after all this time and all by yourself is nothing short of incredible. How did you manage to survive out there, besides your unfortunate exposure?"
"Determination. To come home to the Motherland and do everything I can to rebuild China." He told him truthfully.
"Only the China you knew no longer exists now, Captain." Mei entered into the discussion.
Giving her a glance up he tried figuring out whether her tone was that of mockery, sympathy or just blankly stating fact "Yes. I have seen the Capitalist city of Boston for the past two hundred years turn from a stable place to barbarism. I knew we'd face retaliation but...you can't really prepare to see the home you fought for is nothing more than a dead land with people struggling to survive."
"I can't say I know how you feel. We're used to seeing the horrors and after effects Old China left us with. However, regardless of our distrust for the beliefs and way of life of the mainlanders of the past, I do feel sorry for a long lost son to find his home destroyed." Zhu said with a look of sympathy that Zao could tell was genuine.
"Thank you." He replied feeling a little appreciative.
"Now, I must move onto other matters."
"I do have questions myself." The Captain added.
"Of course I'd be willing to answer them. Perhaps we can do a exchange of sorts. I ask you one than answer one of your own." Zhu offered to which he nodded, already knowing the line of questioning he was about to get "What was your mission before the bombs fell?"
Zao was reluctant to answer at first. It was universally the job of a person belonging to the Armed Forces of any nation to keep tight lipped about mission objectives and intelligence. Had this been a Capitalist interrogation team he would've said nothing or cursed their ancestors, choosing death over dishonour of betraying his people. Difference now was his people weren't here anymore, the party, the PLA too, leaving him with no command to answer to.
He remembered the American who had boarded the Yangtze weeks ago, helping him repair his submarine's damaged reactor. If he could tell a former enemy of his role in the most disastrous war humanity brought on itself then maybe telling these people, successors in way to the People's Republic wasn't such a bad thing.
"Me and my crew were in the Atlantic. Our orders came in to fire our nuclear arsenal at the New England Commonwealth."
"Then Old China were responsible for the Nuclear War?!" Mei's accusing voice interrupted. Staring up at the young woman again he saw the anger in her light brown orbs.
"Mei, calm yourself." The Ambassador told her coolly without looking back his protege "Is this true?"
"I don't know. I followed my orders without question. Me and my second typed in our codes and launched our salvos" Zao continued detailing the last orders to reach the Yangtze.
"I see. So what is it you ask?" Zhu asked him.
"Who are you people?" Zao questioned bluntly.
"We are of the Hong Empire. Our origins begin on the island of Taiwan which your ancestors brutally annexed all those years ago" The man stated, appearing to wait for a reaction to his description of events he, Mei nor anyone in this base other than the Captain himself were alive to remember the events "Taiwan didn't escape the nuclear armageddon but we fared better than the mainland, so much of the infrastructure and population hadn't been effected until after the nuclear effects of bombs exploded. Chaos soon took over the island with disorder rampant. Months later a man by the name of Gao Hong who later became our first Emperor came out rallied the people, speaking out the need to rebuild our civilisation and start anew. It wasn't long unity drove the people on Taiwan, even the PLA administration that ran the occupation saw the futility of keeping Old China's harsh rule over our ancestors and surrendered."
Zao eyes flickered wide for a second at the thought of a PLA branch giving up without a fight.
"It took years, painstaking years to accomplish the rebuilding of Taiwan, now blessed with the name of Chongsheng. Gao Hong became the people's choice of leader, seeing as alot of the credit for our unity was thanks to his hard work and lack of care for getting his hands dirty with normal people. The title Emperor was bestowed upon him and our nation was born"
"Interesting. You dislike the old ways but use ancient titles for your leaders." The Naval officer commented.
"We pick the good parts and mold it together. The years were hard with radiation polluting our water and food source. However, we got there with the same determination you had for returning," Zhu argued back "Now how did you get stuck in American waters for all this time?"
"The Yangtze hit a mine and became stranded off the coast of Boston. When we entered the harbour the city was like Diyu itself."
"Of your making." Mei blurted out again.
"And you are right." Zao agreed with her before Zhu could chastise her again "What I saw that day will forever haunt me to my last breath."
"As much as it is still up for debate back in the Empire on who launched first, it is not the purpose of this meeting."
"Sorry Ambassador." She apologised then went back to writing notes.
"Why are you in Shanghai?" Zao quizzed before they could get another word in.
"To achieve the goal set out by Emperor Gao Hong, to unite all of China once again" The Hong diplomat said with a confident smile.
"Many in the past have done this. What makes your empire any different?" He pointed out, seeing as he knew unlike these people his country had been broken up and brought together again more than once before.
"We do not inflict oppression on our people. They're free to pursue their own choice of career and we vote for our regional governors. It is to my knowledge China has never experienced democracy, only authoritarian regimes." For moment Zao didn't know what to say at the claim.
The Ambassador's words rang a level of truth of his people's style of governance, to do as you were ordered without question. Perhaps it was the long stretch of generations between himself and these people but democracy was seen as a capitalist ideal in his time and that meant it was affront to the great Communist cause. He still had memories of being in school as a child and a young officer graduate in the PLA National Defence University of the being taught the evils of democracy and its threat to the People's Republic.
"Then you are a capitalist empire?" He said with confusion over the Hong's style of governing, a term that had been used to describe the United States.
"Not entirely. Unlike you mainlanders, our ancestors had no quarrel with the Americans."
"I see." Zao said remaining unsure of his hosts.
"This submarine of yours. Does it possess nuclear weapons?" The next question came to which Zao saw a change of expression in the man's face. A look that he could tell was a hope of the devilish missiles were not.
"No. I fired what was left of Yangtze payload before departing Boston."
"Why?" The Representative asked behind the Ambassador.
"An exchange of service for the help of a Capitalist who repaired my submarine's reactor. I was pleased to do so too, I did not want to bring those things back to China."
"A wise choice, Captain. We disarm any nuclear bomb we crossin the hope such weapons will never be used again." Zhu seemed to relax a little at his explanation. Anymore questioning from both sides was stopped by a knock on the door "Come."
Zao looked at the opening door and in walked Lieutenant Han with two soldiers standing guard outside.
"Ambassador, General Hanwen wishes to speak with you."
"Wonder what he wants now." The Ambassador sighed then turned back to the Captain "It was a pleasure speaking with you Captain. Perhaps later we can discuss this further."
"The General has ordered for the Captain to be placed in a holding cell." The Imperial officer informed them.
"For what purpose?" Zhu questioned, clearly not happy with the command.
"He wishes to personally interrogate Captain Zao."
"I will see the General now." The diplomat replied sounding irked by Hanwen's orders.
Standing up from his desk Zao watched Zhu storm out the office, leaving him alone with the Lieutenant and Representative Mei.
"Come Captain, I must escort you to your cell." Han told him with what Zao could detect was reluctance.
"I shall be coming along too." Mei said to his and the Lieutenant surprise.
"There is no need Miss Ling."
"No Lieutenant, I'm want to be sure the Captain here doesn't experience any accidents on the way to his holding cell." She sternly said to the curiosity of Zao.
"No harm will come to the Captain, I assure you." Han tried convincing her of his well being.
"Sorry Lieutenant Han, but I don't not feel assured. I know of the hatred you army people have for the Communists, so I wouldn't put it passed me there's a group waiting to ambush him." Zao spectated the standoff, seeing whether the Lieutenant would give in to the fiery woman's demand.
"Fine. This way Captain." Han capitulated to Mei, walking out the office first to take point for his new destination.
With Mei following in tow Zao left the Hong diplomat's office hearing the soldiers footsteps stamping on the floor behind his back. He stayed quiet on the journey and kept his eyes out for trouble seeing as the young woman strolling beside him was concerned for his safety. Down the long overdue refurbished needed corridors he caught glimpse of Hong troops glaring his way again, whispering insults or disgust at his existence on their base.
They entered into secluded area of the airport with three guards and a man typing down at a desk situated outside a small room with a row of barred cells, likely used by airport security before the war.
"Lieutenant, how can I help you today." The man asked looking up from his terminal.
"I have a guest here who the General wants no one but authorised personnel have visitation rights to meeting." Han explained their being here.
"Yes, I have received the orders not too long ago." The soldier nodded then glanced over at Zao "Take him to Cell B"
"This way." The Lieutenant stretched an arm out in the direction of the cells.
Having no choice but to comply for now he entered into the small prison enclosure. In total he found there to be four cells containing only a single bed each, hearing the snores of one other prisoner down the end one.
"I have your personal assurance only authorised personnel are permitted to see Captain Zao."
"Yes Representative. No one will enter the cells unless it is the General or the Ambassador." He heard the conversation between Mei and the desk soldier.
A sound of an electrical alarm buzzed and the barred doors of his new 'accommodation opening grabbed his attention back to his current situation. Passing Han he stepped into the simplistic holding cell, hearing the rusting teel barred door electronically clunk close.
"If you need anything Captain just ask the Sergeant." Han pointed to the doorway.
"Thank you Lieutenant." Zao said turning to the younger man who had a expression of uncertainty. He blinked in slight amazement when Han gave him a respectful salute before departing from his company.
The chatter and other noises that filled the air he ignored, no longer interested in the goings on of the Hong. He knew stepping onto Chinese soil again was a great pleasure that came with an unknown entity attached to it. Learning about the history of one region of territory overcoming the devastation left over from the war was both captivating and concerning for what they planned next. He yet to be informed of the true state of Shanghai and of the regions now under Hong Imperial rule.
All that would have to wait until his upcoming 'meeting' with the communist hating and bad tempered General Hanwen.
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