Chapter 2
Mass Casualty Incident
The green zone spoken of, was a set up of thronging multitudes, mobile command units and multiple medical tents. Among the waiting bystanders was Hiro's wife, Nana, who was eyeing the emergency vehicles pulling in and nervously awaiting her husband's unit. She, like everyone else, had witnessed the crash of the floating garden from afar and were in a sate of understandable panic.
"Mrs. Uwasaki?" said a strange voice behind her.
Turning to face him she answered, "Yes?"
Bowing at her the man informed, "I'm Hideo Nirasaki, one of the field supervisors who oversees your husband when he's on duty."
"Yes, have you heard from him?"
"I think it's best that you come with me." he replied with unsettling sternest that rattled her fibers. She was then promptly lead to the mobile command center where two other women were already seated.
Nana recognized one of them, "Kimiko. How are you?"
Nodding lightly she said, "I'm doing well, considering…"
The youngest of the three blurted out, "What's this all about!?"
"I'm sorry but who are you?" requested Nana.
Kimiko introduced her, "This is Ayane, she's engaged to the new hire Tensin and Hiro are training."
"Speaking of." interjected Nana.
Nirasaki composed himself in a way that denotes both professionalism and melancholy and informed, "As you know, there has been a city wide evacuation of Minato Murai just before this great tragedy has occurred."
"Do we know what's going on?" asked Kimiko.
"No that's for the military to sort out."
"I think it's terrorism! Maybe it's North Korea!" expressed Ayane, who was very much distraught.
"You really think the NKA or anyone has the ability to drop a city on a city?!" shot back Kimiko.
The two of them began to go at it while Nana rested her brow upon her hand. The medical director then called for their attention, "Ladies please!" They snapped back to attention as he went on, "As you know we were coordinating our ambulances to transport patients from the local hospitals to other facilities. There was one we dispatched to Minato regional but our dispatcher made an error and didn't cancel them in time and all we know is that the ambulance was in the city when the destruction happened. The reason I'm telling you this is because Hiro, Tensin and Sitoshi were the ones assigned to that unit."
A pang shot through Nana's heart that descended all the way down her core.
"Th-the city is burning!' protested Ayane in despair, 'and you left them there!"
"Please, we're doing everything we can to establish contact and bring them home safely."
"Do their radios not work?" asked Nana.
"We don't know. We haven't been able to make contact with them." returned the supervisor.
This remark did nothing for Ayane's nerves as she irately let out her anguish, "Sitoshi can't die, he's too good to die! Where's the dispatcher who put him there? Why haven't you sent anyone after him!?"
She nearly started throwing things when Kimiko got up, apologized for her actions and took her out. Nana arose as well when Nirasaki gave one last remark, "Mrs. Uwasaki again I want you to know we are doing everything in our power to make sure your husband comes back safely."
Nana, being more of the self contained type, bowed and exited. She found Kimiko supporting Ayane who was haunched over and sobbing uncontrollably in her hands.
"Hey." Nana called to get her attention.
Once their eyes met she said with profound reassuring confidence, "If those men somehow got stuck on the moon, my Hiro would find a way to get them back."
There was a sudden shriek among the spectators in which the ladies turned their attention to the source of the outcry. Among the dust and debris floating afar off, emerged something so grand and terrible they had all nearly fainted.
…
Meanwhile when the thicket of dust was still enveloping the air, 1076 sat idle within the parking center; impaled and shattered, but still standing.
Fortunately the crew within were moving about and waiting. Hiro called back in the box, "Sitoshi are you alright?"
"Not really, my head is bleeding, I think…"
"You know where the gauze is?"
"…Yeah…."
"Good, use it."
Tensin picked up the radio, "Seventy-six to Dispatch do you copy…? Dispatch?"
Hiro checked the dials on the module, shook his head then got out and wiped the dust away from the air. Assessing the whole unit he said, "Tensin you need to see this."
The driver got out and joined his partner. The unit was not only suffering from an impaled roof by the severed support beam but also the passenger side mirror was hanging by its cord, the bumper was drooping from the mainframe and the rear windows were spider webbed. Atop all this there were numerous upon numerous dents dotting the body.
Hiro opened the box and got in to check on Sitoshi while Tensin suddenly rushed to the module when hearing the dispatcher call in, "Ambulance 1076, come in….Ambulance 1076 do you copy?"
Snatching the microphone up he began talking into it, "This is seventy six, over."
"Ambulance 1076, please come in."
"Dispatch this is seventy six do you copy? Over."
Throwing the mic down he yelled back, "Shit! Hiro, we're receiving but not transmitting."
He joined them in the box which was in complete disarray. Supplies and equipment had been thrown from their designated areas and left strewn all over the floor. Hiro was wrapping Sitoshi's head wound and said when Tensin entered, "I checked the communications box, that re bar spit a few wires, which is probably why we're having issues with the radio."
"How's the new kid?"
"I'll live…" grumbled the rookie.
When finished dressing, Hiro instructed, "Ok let's get this thing cleaned up and see if we can find a way out."
Picking up some supplies from off the ground Tensin asked, "What the fuck happened out there?"
"I don't know, other than that was probably the reason why we evacuated Minato Murai."
Just then Hiro heard his phone vibrating in the cab, he dashed out and found it on the floor but to his dismay the screen was so cracked it could not display information nor respond to any input when his finger tapped it.
He went back to the box and asked, "Any of you guys got your phones? I think Nana is trying to get ahold of me. God she must be worried sick."
Sitoshi shoo, his head, "I left mine in my locker back at the station."
"Why the hell would you do that!" caromed Tensin.
"Well policy says that we're not supposed to have them on shift and I didn't want to get in trouble on my first day."
"Lot of good that's doing you now…"
"Forget it,' interjected Hiro, 'what about you?"
Tensin began checking his pockets but came up empty handed, "Oh goddammit! I think I left it in the break room of the hospital when we dropped off Kayda!"
"Alright, I guess will have to tell them we're alive and well in person." remarked Hiro while organizing the box.
As Tensin picked up the monitor he cursed, "If only they fucking cancelled the call sooner!" then slammed it down.
"Hey!" scolded Hiro with regard for the equipment.
"Oh what? This piece of shit is already beat to hell!"
Stretching forth his hand to calm him, he said, "Yes but if we loose our nerve now then we'll be back to square one."
"And what is that?!" irately ranted Tensin.
"Figuring out how to stay alive!" Hiro, though usually collected, had rarely descended to the tyrannical pits of rage and irrationality, however whenever he did get angry, it would put the room on pause.
Sitoshi then noticed a peculiar entity out the port hole, "What are those?" he asked while arising and making an exit. They followed him out and beheld against the pallor of the full moon, tiny orbs floating downward in animation.
"Are those….giant soap bubbles?" asked Tensin.
"Looks like people are inside of them too."
"Damn, this day just keeps getting weirder."
All of them in that instant felt a sudden tremor rumble beneath their feet.
"Earthquake?"
Hiro began backing up, "If it is then a parking complex is not the place to be."
"Guys look!" pointed Sitoshi in fear and awe.
Through the blanket of smoke and burning buildings, figures began emerging. Tendrils longer and larger than any cable upon a suspension bridge whipped forth, crushing and felling many buildings to the earth in the process. The force behind the destruction emerged and came forth. Among the fire and flames was an unspeakable monster whose tendrils were attached to its back.
"The fuck is that thing!?" wheezed a sanity questioning Tensin.
"I have no idea…monsters. aliens, demons?"
Tensin, suddenly stricken with the fear of the wrath of God, said, "This is it, this is the rapture or the apocalypse or something."
Hiro, pale but always observing and thinking, responded, "Whatever this is, the military had to have known it would be coming."
"What and they wouldn't tell us?" protested Sitoshi.
"That's government for you." sighed Tensin.
Hiro began backing up, "Boys whatever that thing is, it's walking this way…"
The monstrosity was set on a path straight towards the parking center they took refuge in, which would soon become their tombs in a matter of moments as Alucard pushed aside furthering structures along his way towards them.
They bolted to the unit and jumped in but as Tensin was turning the keys, the engine was not turning over. "C'mon, C'mon!" it kept cranking with no results.
"Tensin!" yelled Hiro when seeing the monster drawing nearer.
The engine continued to crank while he yelled, "If you don't turn over you fucking bitch you'll be put out of your misery!"
The engine suddenly flared on and he accelerated out with ungovernable haste.
"Try and get us somewhere safe!"
"Working on it!"
Once cleared of the exit, the parking structures burden resigned under the weight of Alucard's stride.
"It's coming down!"
Tensin accelerated and swerved past falling debris and got clear as the building made a partial collapse, with some of it's remaining weight being supported by its neighbor. Sitoshi, when watching through the back window, saw their near scrape with death, sat back and nearly let his bowels loose.
The engine began lugging again in which the driver informed, "Hang on, I'm going to pull over and take a look."
They were well enough hidden away for Tensin to pull off and cut the engine. He popped the hood and assessed the cause of it's inability to perform. Hiro quitted the box along with Sitoshi and watched the monster tear up the horizon. Observing Tensin tinkering with the engine components, the rookie could not help but ask, "Can he fix the rig?"
Hiro answered for him, "That's how he got hired on with Isha medical, we didn't need any techs at the moment but they were hiring for mechanics."
"Oh, I didn't know he was a mechanic."
Tensin, overhearing them, said, "Yep, I inherited my dad's pickup and I had to learn how to keep it running when growing up in a rural area. Spent most if not all my teenage years working as a grease monkey at a mom and pop garage at the end of town. "
"What made you go into the medical field?"
"Didn't feel like I was making much of a difference for people, so I learned how to work on a different type of machine, the human body."
"I see…"
"Speaking of seeing,' interjected Hiro, 'You need to see what's going on right now."
Sitoshi focused his vision upward towards the head of the monster and squinted, "Are those…men…floating by the monster?"
At this time the beast was stationary with two individuals floating near its head and apparently conversing.
"I can't tell, one of them looks like a white nun."
Tensin came around to have a look, "Well there's something you don't see every day."
Hiro noticed Tensin was holding something and inquired what it was.
Holding it up he replied, "The air filter, I'm going to shake it out and clean it up. I'm hoping it's just mucking up the intake manifold."
As he began beating the dust free from its fibers, their attention was called to a slight rumble heading down the road. Looking on, they beheld a legion of tanks traveling in a convoy towards the monstrosity. Sitoshi clapped and cheered as they rolled on by then became more ecstatic when a squadron of F-15J eagles soared overhead.
Tensin replaced the filter, turned the engine over which started right up but had a rough idle.
They got in and headed down the road navigating through the rubble and crumbled fortifications. Hiro and Sitoshi kept tabs on what was transpiring by watching the conflict between the gaps of passing buildings. That's when a large rumble and tangerine glimmer took to the air.
"Hey they got it!"
"What's going on?" inquired Tensin, peering forward and back.
"The jets and tanks are beating that thing back and it looks like it's fallen down!"
"Did they kill it?"
"Looks that way."
"Thank God."
Suddenly, within the curtails of the darkness, an obstruction dotted the middle of the road taking Tensin by alarm, who came to a complete stop.
"Why are we stopping?" asked Hiro.
"Someone is flagging us down."
"Wait, like a person?"
"Yeah."
The individual, a young girl, pitched with dirt and cuts all over, ran to the driver side window with tears running down her eyes while pleading, "Please, you have to help us!"
"What are you doing here, didn't you evacuate?" asked Tensin.
"It's my family, they're trapped!"
"But why are they still here?"
"My stupid dad didn't think the evacuation was real and it wasn't until all this started happening that he decided to take me and my big sister away, but our car got into an accident and I don't know what to do for them!"
Sitoshi leaned up and asked through the window, "How bad are they?"
Hiro pulled him back with a scolding look.
The girl went on, "My dad is groaning and bleeding really bad, and my sister is pregnant and she can't sit up…I don't know what to do!"
There was some brief debate of consideration until Hiro took this moment to call a quick meeting and requested Tensin to roll up his window for a moment.
"Ok,' started Hiro, 'I know we have some people who were left behind, but we need to consider our protocols right now."
"What do you mean?" trembled Sitoshi.
Tensin responded with that rationality that must prevail in situations such as this, "Scene safety. And right now, we need to consider our safety first over theirs. We're not even equipped for something like this."
The rookie protested, "Can't we just load them up and transport?"
"We don't even know where they are, or how close they are to the battle."
"But we can't just abandon people who need help, isn't that what we're here for?"
"Sithoshi,' remarked Hiro, 'But what good does it do anyone if we're killed in the process?"
"Besides,' said Tensin, 'the military is here, they have the resources and training for things like this. Let's take the girl with us, drop her off at a military checkpoint and she can send someone for her family that way."
The girl suddenly cupped her mouth and screamed in terror while pointing in the direction of the battle. They watched in silent dismay as Alucard recovered, whipped forth his tendrils and smote the warbirds from the sky then turned his fury upon the tanks in equal measure. Explosion by explosion their hearts sank at the sight of the caliber of their resistance crumble to dust in the updraft.
Tensin looked back upon the duo who were wrapped up in the mantles of ethics, protocol and melancholy.
"Looks like we're all that's left for them now." sighed Sitoshi.
There was nothing but silence coming from the end of their superior who closed his eyes and meditated. Breathing heavily he commanded both gently and forcefully, "Tensin, have her show us where her family is."
"You can't be serious!"
"Look we don't have to go, we shouldn't even be going; even though we can't make the difference all, right now we can make the difference for one."
"I'm in." declared Sitoshi.
Looking to the other, Hiro coaxed, "We can get them loaded up and rolling out in five minutes tops."
Tensin mumbled and fidgeted, pulled out a cigarette and began to light it, "Yeah I know we're not supposed to smoke in here, but fuck it!"
Taking a draw he rolled down his window and yelled to the girl, "Get in and show us where they are."
Fantasy Vs. Reality
-Dispatch errors do occur, but a blunder like that one is a bit of a stretch. It could happen but the worst dispatch info I've gotten was a call stating a patient was unconscious and choking on blood which sent us and state troopers screaming to the scene only to find it was a guy who passed out and his lip was bleeding. Other than that dispatch is normally pretty stellar depending on where you live.
-There was probably a lot more going on with that engine than the intake manifold.
-Sitoshi probably would have been a lot more hurt than that. Believe it or not, but the back of an ambulance is the most dangerous place for us because we're not buckled in save the patient and the things that can fly off the shelves could kill you with one hit.
-I know it sounds noble to save people trapped in a car with a monster roaming about but the answer is still NO! Scene safety and personal safety come before all. But if they adhered to policy there wouldn't have been much of a story.
-Normally we carry personal radios too but it'd be real hard to write that one off as well.