1.
Chapter One
The Bridge
"When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished."
"What he does after that is all in the line of duty."
Chief of Department Edward Croker, FDNY 1899-1911
Date: Spring 2013
Time: 0430 - 90 minutes to change of shift
Geographic Location: Tokonosu City, Japan
Actual Location: Bridge Checkpoint, "Whiskey Outpost #31."
Currently stationed by mix of surviving members of the 37th Regiment Third Infantry Division, 1st Tank Battalion, and 1st Logistical Division, JGSDF
Current Assignment: Guard duty of Bridge Checkpoint "Whiskey Outpost #31" – Supported by two .50 cal. machine gun emplacements and supported by two Type 10 JGSDF Main Battle Tanks.
"Whiskey Outpost #31- formerly known as Midori-Bashi, one of eight remaining bridges separating Tokonosu Commercial Shipyards currently classified as "SAFE AREA" from former Metropolitan City of Tokonosu currently classified as "QUARANTINE ZONE."
Construction-Steel Truss Construction supported by Concrete Columns over Canal.
Capacity-Four vehicle lanes with two pedestrian walkways.
Constructed – 1995
Dimensions: 489 Meters in length, 13 Meters in Height from Bottom of Bridge to River Level during calm season.
Current Status: CLOSED
For perhaps the one hundredth time since he and his platoon had begun their watch after relieving the previous off-going shift, Sergeant Major Seitaroh Sakaki stared at the luminous hands of his military issue wristwatch and rubbed his tired eyes.
The long hours on watch were beginning to take their toll on everyone including the veteran career soldier, and the Sergeant Major was extremely glad that this particular watch was now almost over as he took another sip of tea from the steaming cup in his hand.
While every soldier in "Echo" Platoon were always more than happy for guard duty on this particular bridge to be over, the reason for Sakaki's eager anticipation was due to the fact that at the end of this particular shift he and the rest of "Echo" Platoon were due to be rotated out of their current assignment and transported to the newly "liberated" Tokonosu International Airport for some badly needed R&R.
Once a busy commercial airport that had been constructed on anearby island just off the coast of Japan, the so-called "Floating Airport" had been hastily converted into one of the two new JSDF Military Bases now in service, with the airport now also currently serving as the JSDF Command Center for this region of Japan.
As soon as their shift was over and the platoon relieving them came in, the men and women of "Echo" Platoon were to grab their gear and hop a "deuce-and-a-half", transporting them to the former shipyards which were now being hastily converted from a once successful commercial shipping yard into a heavily fortified Naval Base.
And then after being flown by one of the Chinook helos from the helicopter squadron based near the shipyards to the "Floating Airport", the soldiers of "Echo" Platoon, also joined by a few other platoons in desperate need of a break, would then be taken by shuttle bus to a remote section of the island that had been reserved as a sort of retreat for all JSDF personnel, for a sorely needed break from their nightmarish assignment.
While 48 hours would seem to be a laughable amount of time to anyone who had been forced to endure the horrors of the past three weeks since the Outbreak began, because of the severe shortage of personnel, 48 hours of leave was all that could be spared for the combat weary men and women of the JSDF.
But for all of the world's combat-stressed Military men and women, including the battle-weary JSDF, a break from the past three weeks of being at constant combat readiness was welcome, no matter how brief the length of time.
And for every one of the men and women of the JSDF who had been in constant combat with the Infected since the first day of the Outbreak like the survivors of "Echo Platoon" had, any chance to get away from guard duty on this seemingly accursed bridge and escape the haunting screams in the middle of the night coming from the innermost parts of the now dead city, and the thick fog that hung over it like an aura of death even for a brief time, would do much to settle everyone's jangled nerves and refresh their souls.
And it couldn't come soon enough, in Sakaki's opinion.
In all the years the once retired Sergeant Major had served in the JSDF, he could not remember a time when he and the men and women in his platoon had ever been in such strung-out shape.
Then again, the enemy they had clashed with time and time again over the past three weeks had not been an enemy that any of them, including the old battle-hardened veteran had ever encountered before.
An enemy that was hard to avoid, even harder to kill, and no matter how many fell before their guns, the rest that followed seemed to never, ever stop coming.
It had been more than three weeks of seemingly constant combat, sometimes even hand-to-hand, and the endless days and nights of the stress of combat had taken such a heavy toll on the men and women of the JSDF that Command was forced to make some sort of provision for leave for its troops, who were literally collapsing from exhaustion from fighting a tireless enemy.
As Sakaki took another sip of his tea and then turned his attention back to the men and women in his charge, he allowed himself to relax a little, knowing that their relief was not long in coming.
The relief shift of the soldiers of "Foxtrot" Platoon led by Lt. Takeo Kumagami would be arriving within the next hour and a half, and soon after that, they would have 48 hours free from this wretched duty and this wretched place.
"Forty-eight hours free of the stench of Death." Sakaki thought with a tired grunt remembering how in his youth, 48 hours of leave usually meant 48 hours of getting shit-faced drunk and countless liaisons with the local women.
Now however, after three weeks of fighting the Infected and their own fear and exhaustion, "booze and broads" had taken a back seat to something far more desirable at this point.
Sakaki, like the rest of the men and women of the surviving members of Echo Platoon, were now more eagerly looking forward to a hot bath, hot food, clean BDU's, and,… dare he hope, some kind of decent sleep that had eluded each and every one of the men and women of "Echo" Platoon ever since this whole nightmare began.
"Sleep.'' Sakaki thought dryly as he gulped the last of his tea and then tossed the last few drops from the cup onto the ground.
"I wonder if any of us will ever be able to sleep again." Sakaki thought to himself as he took out a cigarette from the pack he pulled out of a pouch on his tactical vest and lit up, inhaling the strong tobacco and then chuckling to himself as he exhaled.
Previously, it had always been forbidden in any of the World's Military Organizations for anyone to light up a cigarette or even smoke at all in the field while in combat or on guard duty.
The sudden flash of light coming from a match being struck or the flame from a cigarette lighter being flicked on or even the small glow of a cigarette could be seen over long distances, and could be easily spotted by an enemy combatant or sniper.
However, the need for anyone to exercise any "blackout" protocols had been done away with by Command nearly two weeks prior in an effort to allow its badly depleted forces a chance to relieve their stress in any way they could.
"Thank goodness Command made a good tactical decision for once." Sakaki thought as he spat on the ground.
On this particular field of battle Command realized, anyone trying to conceal themselves through the use of "blackout" tactics to avoid enemy detection was a moot point, anyway.
After all, this new enemy didn't need to see you to kill you.
But it wasn't just the stress and fatigue of combat against an unspeakable horror that the Sgt. Major and his people had just barely survived over the past three weeks that had Sakaki and everyone else on edge lately.
What was killing them all little-by-little every day now for the past week was the uphill battle of trying to remain on constant alert against the crushing boredom of their current assignment, that was sapping what remaining reserves of strength they had.
Throughout Military history, guard duty has always been amongst one of the least desirable assignments in military service.
It is a boring, tedious duty, and the human mind and body can only maintain a level of alertness for so long before the individual succumbs to fatigue and eventually settles into a state of complacency, especially after lengthy time periods of inactivity.
And complacency in combat is a common weakness that had been repeatedly exploited many times throughout history by enemy forces, which often resulted in many strongholds and battle camps being infiltrated and often decimated because some bored soldier on guard duty was not being vigilant at his post while an unseen enemy slipped past.
In order to avoid the disasters written in history that resulted from a guard not being vigilant at his post, many tactics were often been employed by Military officers to encourage their men to ward off fatigue from long hours of guard duty.
Some of the traditional procedures implemented to encourage a guard to stay awake where,... being tied to a stake and lashed with a whip or even execution if a guard was found asleep at his post in the early centuries of warfare, which proved quite successful albeit cruel.
However, as Military forces around the world evolved as they entered the Modern Ages, and fortunately for the foot soldier, "cooler heads" prevailed and more "humane" methods of staying awake were then implemented.
Things such as consuming buckets of strong coffee, frequent patrols around the perimeter, and shorter shifts often proved more useful than flogging or execution, but often times were still just not enough for a soldier on guard duty to maintain a focused level of alertness for an extended length of time when the assignment eventually became routine, unproductive,dull.
Boring.
Unfortunately, with the desperate shortage of manpower brought about from the huge losses of personnel, food, and equipment during the beginning days of the Outbreak, shorter shifts, and relief rotations were becoming harder and harder to come by with each passing day.
And so as a result, Sakaki and all of the other platoons assigned to stand watch on the bridges leading over to the shipyards had been forced to endure grueling, twelve hour shifts at a stretch, an agonizing assignment forced upon them out of necessity that was unfortunately, pushing Sakaki and his people to their absolute limits as their inability to stand their watches without nodding off could attest to.
Already, Sakaki had been forced to smack, ….*ahem*, make that TAP, the back of a few of the Kevlar helmets of most of the people in his platoon in an effort to keep everyone alert and focused on the mind numbing task at hand.
And although a soldier falling asleep at his post was normally a cardinal sin that brought hell to pay on any soldier caught doing so, in truth, Sakaki really didn't blame the young people in his platoon at all though for nodding off, even though he did not hold back from chewing their ass out royally and then force them to perform calisthenics till they dropped for being derelict in their duty.
Still, the long hours of guard duty, not to mention the combat fatigue from a conflict that none of the young people in the JSDF would have ever imagined they'd be fighting in, had pushed everyone's nerves to their almost absolute limit.
Especially "Echo" Platoon, who had been in the thick of the heaviest fighting since the very beginning of the Outbreak and had nearly been wiped out on the third day before miraculously being saved from the jaws of Death.
The exhausted condition of the members of Echo Platoon and how badly it was affecting their ability to function as a combat unit was a fact Sakaki was desperately hoping that his young lieutenant would be able to somehow convey to their superiors at the new Command Center at the airport who were at this moment, all safe and secure on their new Command Center on the island-based Tokonosu International Airport, and who also seemed to be completely oblivious of the exhausted state of their remaining forces on the Mainland.
"Fat chance they'll listen to him though." The old soldier spat as he snuffed out his cigarette and flicked it away. "Especially considering who's in charge of all JSDF Forces up there."
Time: 0445
Still forty-five minutes before Lt. Kumagami and her people would arrive to relieve them and still a full hour and fifteen minutes before they would actually board the transport that would take them away from this f_cking bridge, Sakaki sighed to himself as he glanced at his watch, cursing at how time seemed to always move slower during the last part of their shift.
It was standard procedure that all platoons were to arrive a little early in order to be briefed by the outgoing OIC (Officer in Charge) before the oncoming shift would formally assume their watch, allowing the outgoing platoon to debrief, clean up, grab a meal, and hopefully grab some sleep in the nearby buildings set up as a forward barracks, fitful as that sleep would often times turn out to be.
0600 was traditionally the usual morning change of the guard in the JSDF, which usually was first light in most time zones, and had been the standard time assumed by all Platoon Leaders assigned to guard all of the bridges near the shipyards.
The main reasoning for the early hour shift change before the Outbreak was to take advantage of the morning lull before the peak hours of activity in most Military Bases.
And for those in combat in the field, it served as an excellent time to relieve the on-duty sentries who would doubtlessly be exhausted after a long night of staring out into the darkness and would thus serve in getting a fresh set of eyes on guard duty before daybreak.
Historically, dawn was always the preferred time of attack that most enemy forces used traditionally throughout centuries of warfare, all of them hoping to catch an opposing camp's sentries off guard during the peak point of fatigue after enduring a long, boring, and often uneventful night of guard duty.
The infamous command "We attack at dawn," had been uttered by many military commanders the world over with much success by employing this simple, yet effective tactic of attacking when the sentries were almost completely exhausted, their senses dulled by fatigue, with many never knowing that they would never wake up again,…..ever.
However, here on this particular battleground, and now within the past week and a half, the enemy the men and women of the JSDF faced didn't rely on surprise or military tactics of any kind.
The problem with this particular foe was that he just wouldn't stop coming.
Sakaki once again made his rounds amongst the members of his platoon, making sure they were awake and alert, and offering them the encouraging thought that their relief was coming soon, of which every single one of them was extremely grateful for.
And after he was done with his rounds, Sakaki then walked up to where "Echo" Platoon's officer, Lt. Asuma Shinohara stood, leaning against one of the two Type 10 battle tanks that were stationed behind the two .50 cal. machine gun nests that guarded the bridge, his head propped up by one hand with his elbow on the tank.
And as he walked towards him Sakaki could plainly see, much to his dismay, that like so many of the other members of his platoon, the young officer had nodded off to sleep.
"They sure don't make them like they used to." Sakaki grumbled wondering if there was a way he could smack the young officer awake and get away with it without being court-martialed as he intentionally clicked the heels of his boots on the pavement as he walked in an effort to arouse the sleeping officer.
The loud footsteps of someone approaching nearby jarred the young officer from his stupor, as he stood up and then straightened himself as he finally noticed Sergeant Major Sakaki walking up, and from the look on Sakaki's face, Asuma knew that the veteran soldier had noticed that he had been caught sleeping on duty.
Twenty-four year old Lt. Asuma Shinohara mentally cursed himself for falling asleep in the presence of his men on his watch, although in truth, out of all the people in his platoon since the Outbreak began, Shinohara had received the least amount of sleep compared to everyone else.
Still, Shinohara pushed himself hard to set a good example in front of everyone, even though his strength was fading faster than everyone else's.
Fresh out of the Academy barely six months prior to the Outbreak, his military career, indeed, his entire life, had been turned upside down as his own country, not to mention the entire world had been plunged into a nightmare no one could ever have possibly imagined.
The normal, transitional training period that routinely went with a new officer and his new command was abruptly ended by the Outbreak, which thrust the new Lt. and "Echo" Platoon, most of them fresh out of boot, from routine training duties to frontline combat duty at a time when they were not even close to being combat effective.
The Outbreak however, had changed all that, and by the time anyone had the faintest idea of how grave the situation really was, the wave of death and destruction was already well on its way, and worse, there seemed to be no way of stopping it.
Most of Shinohara's fellow Academy grads as well as many seasoned, higher ranking officers, were killed along with their men in the first few days of the Outbreak, due to some idiot in Central Command ordering them to "assist" local authorities in what was thought to be a "routine crowd control" situation.
And what made things worse, at least as far as Asuma was concerned, was that the idiot in question who had given the order was none other than General Hikaru Shinohara, Asuma's father, a man he despised.
The folly of that decision was reversed too late however, and as a result, when the higher ups finally realized how bad the situation really was, the situation had gone from "Situation Hostile" to as is commonly referred to among the "grunts" in the field, as *TARFU.
*(Things Are Really F_ckedUp").
And then as the situation continued to decay, the situation degraded into full blown, unadulterated *FUBAR, when the supposed "Crowd Control" assignment quickly dissolved into fierce open combat, even hand-to-hand in some cases, against fleeing , panicked civilians whipped into a state of frenzy trying to escape the Infected.
*(F_cked Up Beyond All Recognition)
And then right behind them, the waves upon waves of the Infected, relentlessly attacking anyone in their path.
Battle line after battle line, roadblock after roadblock, man after man, all of them fell before what seemed to be an unending swarm of Infected.
There was simply no way to contain the Contagion, which would suddenly spring up even from heavily secured locations thought to be "safe".
Most of the time the spread of the Contagion in such highly secured places was usually the result of someone having been bitten by an Infected person, and then in order to avoid being shot by the JSDF Troopers on sight, the bitten victim would attempt to hide their wounds from discovery until finally, to the horror and surprise of everyone who thought they were finally safe, the bitten victim would finally succumb to the infection and began attacking and killing anyone within reach.
And as the Contagion continued to wreak havoc and the situation spiraled out of control, the eventual breakdowns in communication and equipment, as well as the Command structure, eventually led up to the total collapse of any form of control of the situation and ultimately, lapsed into complete and utter chaos.
Still, the JSDF proved themselves resilient despite the heavy casulties, and through the strength, courage and stubborn resolve of the surviving JSDF's Military Commanders, some were finally able to rally their men together and at last, make an effective stop of the slaughter, although they were nowhere near being close to being able to turn the tide.
But for now, the danger was being held at bay long enough for the the exhausted troopers of the JSDF to rest and regroup.
Still, the cost had been high.
Much too high.
When the dust had finally settled somewhat on the third day of the Outbreak, the huge number of losses was staggering.
The First Responders of Japan's Emergency Services,…. Police, Fire, and EMS had suffered the heaviest losses.
Arriving first at the front lines of the disaster in all the cities that they served, most died right at the scene, completely unaware of the danger they had fearlessly raced towards.
The EMS crews and the Firefighters stood no chance upon their arrival.
Unarmed save for their fire axes and other Rescue tools, the rescuers were unable to defend themselves against the wave of Infected that quickly overwhelmed them.
And armed only with their five-shot police issue revolvers and ASP batons, the Police fared little better, as many of them died heroically trying to save their friends and colleagues.
Of Japan's Ground Self Defense Forces that arrived afterwards in what had still been considered a "riot control" scenario, roughly only 46% of the JSDF Ground Forces were all that remained when the final tally was taken.
And of those JSDF troopers that were still alive after the third day of the Outbreak, most were not even front line troops, but, as most fighting men had named them in Military Organizations around the world, *REMF's.
And the only reason these men and women normally assigned to Administrative Duty had survived was because their assignment had been in a rear control area, away from the actual fighting.
* (Rear Echelon Mother F_ckers )
The situation for the country of Japan, not to mention the whole world, was desperate in the worst possible sense of the word.
And as a result, people who had never expected to be in combat found themselves on the very front lines of battle.
Fortunately, it had long been taught that a soldier in the Military was a combat infantryman first, and whatever official job classification he was designated later was second.
The Outbreak proved that to be true, as everyone, from Administrative Assistant to the lowly potato peeler, was now assigned Priority One, as a combat soldier, ready to fight at any given notice.
And unlike in the past where the old practice of keeping weapons locked away from view was exercised, all weapons were now ordered to be worn at all times, and be ready for action,….. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Forward Operating Bases and the people that operated in them were now a confusing mix of personnel from all Ranks and Services which only added to the confusion as few were able to work in an environment that was not only hostile, but also in complete disarray.
Everyone was also now desperately trying to keep up with the now mandatory training in combat weapons systems, battle tactics, and deployments, as well as the seemingly endless evacuation of scores of survivors trying to escape what had once been their home.
No one was left unaffected by the haphazard mix of Rear Echelon Personnel being forced to serve in combat with regular front line combat soldiers. But under the current conditions, there was no room for complaints or changes in personnel.
Everyone had to make do with what they had and that included the people each person had to fight alongside with, whether they liked it or not.
Shinohara's group was not immune from the personnel fiasco either, and when Shinohara lost two of his men in one particularly fierce battle, the replacements that were sent down from Command consisted of two women, one of them a former combat medic student halfway through her course who was now assigned as "Echo" Platoon's Senior medic, and the other a former Logistics Clerk now serving, remarkably, as one of the Platoon's machine gunners.
While the two women had proven themselves to be more than capable of performing their duties under fire and quickly earned the respect of the rest of the platoon, replacements for the rest of the combat weary soldiers of the JSDF, as could be expected, where often slow in coming and often, just as unevenly matched.
There were plenty of volunteers eager to sign up and began fighting back the deadly horde that had driven them and their families from their homes and thus be able to make it possible to make their homeland safe again.
However, very few areas in Japan were unaffected by the Outbreak and any so-called "safe" areas available that could even be considered as training grounds adequate enough to train the new recruits that were not heavily infested by hordes of Infected in the first place, still were left with another problem.
There were even fewer experienced instructors left still alive to train the new recruits, and new instructors capable enough to train the raw recruits was even slower in coming.
By the 10th day of fighting however, enough areas of Japan had been secured well enough to finally be considered safe from the Infected to allow some sort of normal operations to resume and a hasty form of basic training could then commence to replenish the almost depleted ranks of the JSDF.
One such strategic location safe from the plague of the Contagion was the coastal section of Tokonosu City.
The city itself had been before the Outbreak, a very prosperous one, both in the Commercial and Tourism industry.
Nestled between the beautiful green mountains surrounding it and the beautiful, sparkling Pacific Ocean it seemed to be almost perfect in every way.
And from a Military standpoint, it most certainly was.
Because since the city had been built on the shores of the Sea of Japan, Tokonosu City had also boasted one of the largest Commercial shipyards in the nation, with many large roadways running in and out of the harbor to many of the major highways leading off to many of the other major cities of Mainland Japan.
Such a strategically sound location was too good to be passed up since many of Japan's Military Bases were now lost due to being overrun by the Infected as well as being heavily damaged during the fighting.
As a result, the Wharf Area of Tokonosu City had been the most logical place to set up a new Naval Base complete with dry-docks once the JSDF was able to secure a strong foothold in the harbor area and quickly "sanitize" all of the remaining Infected and then heavily fortify the entire area.
And as luck would have it, Tokonosu was also a stone's throw away from Tokonosu International Airport, providing another strategic advantage for the JSDF.
Nick-named "The Floating Airport" by those who had been employed there long before the Outbreak began due to its having been built on a nearby island, what had once been a busy International Airport was now the Main JSDF Air Base for Air Operations in this region of Japan as well as a perfect place to set up the new Command Center, once it had finally been "sanitized" of all the Infected still left roaming around on the small island.
And then after all Infected had been "sanitized" and both new Bases were made secure and operational, one of the main concerns immediately afterwards besides resuming normal operations was the logistics of supporting the two newly operational JSDF bases as well as maintaining the security of both.
As a result, in order to maintain an open supply line in and out of the Wharf Area as well as to ensure that the Infected would be unable to accidentally breach the area, many of the bridges that crisscrossed the many canals of Tokonosu City had then been strongly barricaded on one end.
And after the entrance leading into the city had been sealed, then the bridges themselves had been cleared of all bodies and vehicles that led into the area and secured with checkpoints armed with soldiers manning machine gun nests and further supported by armored vehicles, including tanks.
Tokonosu City itself unfortunately, was officially declared lost, and the priority now was defending the Naval Base and the precious supply line going in and out of it that was helping to feed and supply a horribly battered military force and a thoroughly devastated nation.
And as one of the many JSDF platoons charged with protecting one of the new bridges connecting downtown Tokonosu City to the newly converted Naval Base, Lt. Shinohara and his people had been on station for only a week before the stress of their assignment had all of them practically collapsing at their posts.
And Asuma Shinohara cursed himself for his weakness in falling asleep in front of his men, especially in front of the Sergeant Major, a man he greatly respected, and always tried hard to prove himself to.
And as the Sergeant Major approached and his frustration with himself grew, Shinohara then took his frustration out on those who really were to blame as he mentally cursed his superiors, his luck, and the whole world in general for the situation that he and his men were in.
Midori Bashi (Green Bridge), was an almost 500 meter long, four vehicle lane, concrete and steel truss construction bridge that had once been a bustling gateway to the Wharf area, and before the Outbreak, was normally jam-packed with heavy traffic crossing in and out of the bustling shipyards.
Its concrete surface was trod upon daily by scores of shipyard workers and office employees driving to and from work through the four lane bridge or by walking along the walkways on either side of it, as large semi-trucks hauling heavy equipment or refrigerated trucks carrying the daily loads of fresh fish off to market from the off-loading fishing fleet.
Now it lay silent, empty of all life or movement whatsoever.
And as if to add even more to the eeriness of the bridge, the constant humidity changes in the weather out to sea and the cool air flowing over the mountains inland had lately caused a surprisingly heavy mist to continually form that would completely cover the bridge and surrounding area with a thick fog that decreased visibility so badly that it almost felt to the men on watch over the bridge, as if something were hiding in the cover of the fog just waiting to snatch them away screaming into the darkness.
Even the light shining from the powerful lights mounted on the framework of the entrance of the bridge and stretching out towards the length of it for thirty meters did little to improve visibility or morale, as the glare of the lights only seemed to add to the spookiness of the mist-covered bridge, giving everyone that was stationed there the impression that Midori-Bashi was actually some ghostly gateway into hell.
And ironically, in this particular case, it was true.
All vehicles that had been abandoned on the bridge in the ensuing panic had been bulldozed off to the opposing side as a barrier to prevent the Infected from breaching the now locked and welded gates that closed off the bridge on the opposite entrance into the city.
And placed in front of the spot where Shinohara and his men now stood vigilant watch along with their machine guns and battle tanks, a barrier of three rows of concrete street dividers was set up in an uneven pattern, intentionally set to serve as a barrier to slow down the approach of the Infected in the unlikely event of a breach just long enough for the gunners to pick off without the danger of being overrun.
And then along what had once been the public walkways on the sides of the bridge, coils upon coils of razor wire were strewn to prevent anyone, or anything from approaching from anywhere else but directly in front of the machine gunners.
It was a near perfect Kill Zone.
Unfortunately, for any survivors still inside the Quarantine Zone, that is, anyone still trapped within the city itself, were doomed.
Because while the barriers were successful in keeping the Wharf area secure, the barriers on the other side of the bridge also prevented anyone else from climbing over the barricade on the city side in a desperate flight to safety.
This the JSDF troopers were often sadly witness to, as some survivors could still be heard on the opposite side of the bridge pitifully begging for help that would not come.
It was heartbreaking to listen to, and many of the battle-weary JSDF troopers had to be physically restrained from wanting to run to the other side and save the person calling for help.
It was enough to drive a man insane.
Recently, what had really put their nerves to the test, was that oftentimes in the middle of the night, a sudden scream would ring out from some unfortunate victim who had strayed too out long or too far out into the city and had been unable to escape the clutches of the Infected who tirelessly roamed the abandoned city looking for fresh victims, their hunger insatiable.
In the past five days however, there had been no activity whatsoever, with only the howling of the wind through the dark, silent buildings of the now dead city and the sound of the river splashing against the concrete supports below to fill the ears of the small band of soldiers stationed on the bridge.
And like the rest of his men whose nerves were just as shot if not more, Lt. Asuma Shinohara had allowed himself to close his tired eyes for just a moment, not realizing that he had somehow managed to actually fall asleep while standing up until he heard the Sergeant Major approaching.
"Sakaki-san, Osu." Shinohara said in greeting, using the slang version of "Good Morning" to address the Sergeant Major, which annoyed Sakaki to no end.
In Sakaki's opinion, Shinohara was a good man and probably one of the better ones he had ever served with, and personally Sakaki was also glad that the young officer was nothing like his father.
"But still, he tends to be a little too laid back sometimes." Sakaki would often grumble to himself.
Sergeant Major Seitaroh Sakaki himself was "old-school" third generation Military, his father a Sergeant having served in the JSDF during, but not directly involved in, the war the Americans fought in Vietnam, as well as his grandfather, also a Sergeant, who had served in the Imperial Army during the Pacific War.
Tough as nails, extremely courageous under fire, but always fair with those in his charge, Sergeant Major Sakaki was a living legend in the JSDF and was highly respected by his superiors as well as those in his charge.
That didn't mean that he didn't scare the hell out of them though.
"Lieutenant Shinohara, Ohayo gozaimasu." Sakaki replied in his usual gruff tone.
"How is everything, Sergeant Major"? Shinohara asked with a yawn.
"As well as can be expected, sir. No visible activity on the bridge, and of course, everyone is more than ready for our relief to come in." Sakaki replied, looking out towards the city.
"Great." Shinohara said looking back towards the sea at the twinkling lights of the offshore airport.
Shinohara was usually more conversational with everyone even as exhausted as he had been lately.
Today however, like everyone else, his thoughts were strictly focused on the upcoming leave and he truly was in no mood for small talk.
Still, Shinohara didn't believe in allowing his mood to sour his relationship with his men, so he tried his best to be cordial with the Sergeant Major, knowing that in less than two hours, he and the rest of his platoon be able to stand down and prepare for a well-deserved rest on that so-called "Floating Island".
Getting some down time would do so much for his body as well as his mood right now Asuma thought as he then shook his head at the irony of the sudden thought that came to his mind.
"Who would have ever thought that an airport would be considered a vacation spot?" Asuma thought with a smirk.
The sudden sound of approaching vehicles disrupted his thoughts as he straightened up and then glanced over at Sakaki, who merely shrugged his shoulders.
With the unexpected presence of the approaching vehicles piquing his curiosity, Shinohara and Sakaki then walked past the two silent tanks to greet the occupants of the two JGSDF Humvees that had pulled up and were both surprised to see Colonel Kiichi Goto and his entourage exiting the Humvees and wondering why they were arriving at their checkpoint so early.
Normally, Colonel Goto and his staff would always routinely check on the outposts to debrief the officers in charge on the latest developments and offer words of encouragement to the troops the first thing after daybreak.
But the Colonel's arrival at this early hour was very unusual.
"Atten-hut!" Sakaki barked as the Colonel stepped out of his vehicle, as all personnel, including Shinohara and Sakaki snapped to attention, their hands raised in a sharp salute.
"As you were." Colonel Goto said returning their salute as everyone turned back to their duties
"Neh, Shinohara-kun, Sakaki-san. The Colonel continued.
"How are you and your people faring"? Goto asked both men in his usual laid back, almost lethargic fashion, offering a handshake to each of them in greeting, first to Shinohara and then to Sakaki.
"Military discipline, sure isn't what it used to be. The way these two act so casually all the time." Sakaki grumbled to himself as he returned the Colonel's handshake and smiled politely.
Kiichi "Razor" Goto, like Sakaki, was a career military man.
But there the comparison ended.
Because unlike most men placed in charge of military personnel, Goto had an annoying habit that irked the hell out of the officer elite of the JGSDF, of whose opinions Goto seemed completely unconcerned and even seemed to enjoy "ruffling their feathers" as well.
Like Shinohara, Goto had a tendency to be way too informal in the way he spoke to his junior officers, as well as also giving off the impression that he was completely unconcerned with any type of military formality or protocol.
To many, it seemed as if the man were just completely bored with military life and was merely content to watch things run themselves.
His lethargic persona was just a ruse however, that Goto used to his advantage, and to the befuddlement of his colleagues and superiors.
Those fooled by his seemingly unconcerned, almost comatose personality would later quickly discover to their dismay, just exactly how manipulative and rock solid a tactician Goto really was, when during any given situation, Goto always seemed to be on top of things long before most of his fellow commanders even had an inkling as to what was happening.
The Outbreak had been one of those occasions, and when the JSDF High Commanders were still reeling from the unforeseen catastrophe that had laid waste to their best laid plans to deal with the situation, it had been Goto who had been one of the ground commanders who had helped turn the tide and managed to save thousands of soldiers in the process by rushing out into the field and countermanding the orders being given from Command who had really no idea what to do anymore as entire battalions became overrun and "everything went to hell afterwards" as many of the fighting men and women had put it afterwards.
And later when the dust had finally settled, as much as his fellow colleagues wished for some disciplinary action to be taken against Goto, no one could offer a solid enough case against him or deny his achievements at the height of the Outbreak.
Kiichi "Razor" Goto, was just too sharp.
Shinohara hesitated slightly before answering Goto in order to allow Col. Goto's second-in-command to join them, and after saluting Lt. Col. Nagumo once she joined them, he finally gave them his usual report on the night's activities, or in this case, the lack thereof, as Goto nodded his head as Shinohara spoke, listening intently to him and taking in every detail of the junior officer's report despite the lack of anything the young man had to report about.
Lt. Col. Shinobu Nagumo also listened intently to Shinohara's report, yet her eyes also were busy scanning over the entire checkpoint, her sharp eyes not missing a thing as she took in every detail.
And then satisfied that nothing was out of order, Nagumo quickly glanced over at the city beyond, unable to see anything because of the heavy mist as she shuddered slightly.
Nagumo was the exact opposite of Goto in every way.
Where his style of leadership seemed almost lethargic in nature, Nagumo was a purely professional, highly competent, by-the-book officer.
And to every one of her colleagues, it seemed almost an insult to have had her assigned under Goto's command, whose style of leadership was questionable at best.
Once highly respected by JSDF High Command as well as her peers, Nagumo was all but completely shunned by her colleagues now, however.
Her fall from grace beginning with an almost inconceivable act that Nagumo and Goto fatefully made two years after having been assigned together.
Barely two weeks before the Outbreak, in a private ceremony attended only by family and their closest of friends, Lt. Col. Shinobu Nagumo and Col. Kiichi Goto had become husband and wife.
The joining of the two Senior officers in marriage was of the utmost scandal in the eyes of the rest of the JSDF officer elite, partially due to the fact that such a highly capable officer such as Nagumo would even think about pairing herself with a man like Goto whose career was basically in permanent limbo.
What was taboo however, was the fact that both of them were also still serving in the same Brigade.
While marriage to equally ranking officers was not frowned upon in the JSDF, serving together as Commander and Deputy Commander in the same Brigade was, however.
Fortunately for the newlyweds, the Outbreak made the separation of the two high-ranking officers impossible and now with the depleted forces and shortage of manpower, restructuring of the military was paramount.
That, along with the undeniable success of their dual leadership during the Outbreak convinced JSDF Command that there were other, far more important things to focus on, than the controversy surrounding the couple.
As the usual pleasantries and casual conversation continued between the three officers and himself, Sakaki had to admit that despite his distaste in the extremely laid-back way Goto and Shinohara conversed with each other and everyone in general, the Sergeant Major was genuinely glad that he was under the command of these three particular officers no matter the controversy surrounding them.
While unconventional in their methods of command, no one could deny the leadership abilities of the trio when called to action, and Sakaki could not remember ever having served under the command of anyone that he ever trusted more.
Sakaki was also glad for another reason however. The pressure of being the son of the Commander of all Forces in this area had hung like a dark cloud over the young lieutenant even before the Outbreak began.
And after the huge blunder that occurred during the Outbreak when Shinohara's father had ordered the JSDF troopers forward even after being warned by his junior officers that the situation was worse than previously thought, what happened afterwards only drove the wedge between father and son even deeper.
Seeing that what they were fighting against was not a "civil riot" after all, General Hikaru Shinohara's orders had been countermanded by Goto, thus saving the lives of thousands of JSDF troopers who otherwise would have been killed.
But the embarrassment of the blunder resulted in the tension between father and son only intensifying even more after the young lieutenant had spoken out against his own father's orders and had been one of many officers who had backed up Goto's decision in the field.
The end result being that now that the wedge that had been formed between father and son, seemed unlikely to ever recover.
The two senior officer's frequent trips to visit "Echo" Platoons young officer after the fiasco seemed to be of great comfort to the young lieutenant however, and personally, Sakaki was always grateful for their visits seeing as how it always seemed to brighten the young man's mood.
And while many believed that the reason for the visits was as an act of penance for helping to ruin the young officer's career by his openly supporting Goto in defiance of his father.
The truth was however, that the two senior officers were actually quite fond of the young officer, and despite everyone's suspicions regarding their interest in the young man, the two Senior officers had taken Shinohara under their wing for purely personal reasons.
And as Sakaki watched the three officers interacting with one another, his hunch as to why the two senior officers had arrived so early and why they took such a keen interest in "Echo" Platoon's young lieutenant became obviously apparent.
"I guess they just wanted to see him off before we go on leave, and make sure he's okay." Sakaki thought to himself as he watched the trio chatting as Nagumo absent-mindedly reached up and straightened Shinohara's collar scolding him mildly for being sloppy.
"He is like a son to them, after all." Sakaki chuckled inwardly as he watched Shinohara blush out of embarrassment.
The sound of someone running towards them suddenly interrupted Sakaki's thoughts as well as the conversation going on between the three officers, as everyone's attention was then drawn towards the running figure of Corporal Shigeo Shiba running up towards them from between the tanks.
And by the glow of the lights mounted on the bridge clearly illuminating his face, it was plain to see that the young man was visibly alarmed.
"Oh crap, what did Izumi do now?" Sakaki groaned as the young man ran up.
Corporal Shiba halted in front of the party and quickly snapped to attention, raising his hand in a crisp salute looking at the group of officers and Sergeant Major Sakaki as if he wanted to wet himself.
"What is it Shige-san?" Shinohara asked worriedly, suddenly afraid of what news the corporal might be bringing them.
And unfortunately, this time it wasn't because of something Private Noa Izumi had done.
And Shinohara's worst fears were confirmed by the corporal's next words.
That the nightmare that all of them knew could happen, finally had happened.
Right at their front door.
"Lt. Shinohara!" The young man said nearly shouting, the fear unmistakable in his voice as everyone's eyes widened in shock at what he said next.
"Private Izumi on the secondary machine gun reports possible enemy contact on the bridge approaching our position, sir!"
Author's Notes:
Updated: 12-17-2013
For those of you just reading "Last Alarm" for the first time, I first posted this story on February of 2013. This is my first fanfic, and my first attempt at writing since I was in high school.
And when I first started this story, what was posted here was in actuality a "rough draft".
Even though I had a story to tell, I had no clue on exactly how to use a computer to do it, plus, there were many other mistakes such as capitalization and other errors that I made.
And when I looked back at my old chapters, especially this one, I realized that I've come a long way in my writing, and that my early chapters were extremely crude by comparison.
As a result, in between writing new chapters, I decided to go back and fix the mistakes I made in the early chapters I first posted, as well as add to the story to make it more enjoyable to read.
Please bear with me as I update the next 20 chapters or so.
I will announce when a chapter is updated in the Author's Notes so that you will be able to keep up with the changes.
Thank you for your patience, and for all of you that have been so encouraging and supportive, I sincerely thank you for your support. Jim
Author's Notes: February 2013
Whew, that was a handful.
I apologize for the wait and the long back story.
When I came up with the idea for this fanfic, I wanted to make it at least halfway decent, in the hopes everyone could enjoy it and not be bored to death.
Truth is, I kinda rushed through writing the story a bit because I wanted to post this story finally because I had been promising a few people for a couple weeks now that I would. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
I re-wrote this first chapter twice before I finally typed it out and it was after page six that I decided to delete about one third of story, so there is less dialogue in this chapter than originally.
Still, this is only the back story, about almost two weeks after the events in episode one of the series. I've got about ten chapters outlined for now, but there is easily over FORTY chapters to my fanfic, so bear with me, it gets better.
For those of you who recognized the names of the Japanese SDF soldiers, you'll recognize the character of one of my favorite animes was incorporated into the story. For those of you who don't recognize the names, I highly suggest checking out the anime PATLABOR.
It's an awesome piece of "old school" anime. I also tried to do some research into the normal military protocols, equipment and procedures, but, unless you've actually served in the military, it's hard to get it right, and it's really tough since I'm trying to describe the protocols and procedures of a foreign nation.
For instance, the call sign of the checkpoint Shinohara's group are on was a bit of a puzzle for me to name. In military operations, a call sign would be given to any location based on map grids and other information.
But in this case, instead of accuracy, I'm decided to listen to my inner nerd, and so the call sign for Midori-bashi bridge became "Whiskey Outpost 31", which is a nod to a couple of my favorite sci-fi movies, the fictional U.S. Science Station, "Outpost 31" from John Carpenters movie "THE THING" as well as "Whiskey Outpost" from the sci-fi flick "Starship Troopers".
Both of those fictional locations were sites of battles were the heroes of the films were isolated, alone, and outnumbered against overwhelming odds.
Pretty much describing Shinohara's current situation.
Well anyway, I hope the story came out good enough to enjoy at least little bit.
The following chapters really start to pick up the pace compared to this one, and yes, our teenage friends from the HOTD series will be in the next chapter.
But for now, I thought I'd leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger.
Thanks for reading this first chapter, I hope you enjoy it, and hopefully I'll have chapter three up in another week or so.
Thanks again! Firemanjim
