An Unknown Enemy - Chapter 2: On the Road
Kia sat aboard an open-top transport truck as it rolled through a country road winding through the forest. With one hand on a bag of medical supplies beside her and the other holding her M16A4, Kia's brown hair fluttered in the wind as the truck rumbled its way towards the village. Kia looked at Howl, who was leaning out to the side, idly looking at the muddy road ahead while listening to music through her earbuds. Closer to the front sat a small contingent of mass-produced fodder and several crates full of demining equipment. Sitting near the rear of the truck beside Howl was Magic, who was trying to fix the visor on her bulky EOD helmet.
"God dammit," Magic cursed under her breath as she fiddled with a hinge on the side of her helmet. She was dressed in full explosive ordinance disposal gear, with heavy blast-resistant plating covering her abdomen, thighs, and arms. Beside her, Howl wore a lighter flak jacket with a ballistic skirt, while Kia had just her usual attire on.
"Gimme the helmet," Howl told Magic after a minute or so. Taking the helmet in one hand, Howl slammed it against the bench, somehow managing to fix it.
"What…" Magic muttered as she experimentally moved the heavy plastic visor up and down.
"Easy," Howl smirked as she returned to watching the road ahead.
"So, uh," Kia began, catching the attention of the other two. "Let's just go over the situation one more time..."
"Defuse the shit that didn't blow up, blow up the shit that won't defuse," Howl sardonically joked, turning her head towards Kia. "Don't blow up the humans, of course."
"Uh huh," Kia replied, unamused. "Look, I just wanna stress the point that we're gonna be operating in the presence of humans this time. No waving your guns around, no crude jokes, none of that stuff, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, hearts and minds," Howl dismissed, "We won't do anything too stupid while we're there, okay?"
Kia sighed. She knew that deep down Howl was a good person, albeit one known for her… uninhibited personality. Kia looked into the distance, still slightly in disbelief about what was actually happening. Less than an hour ago, a SFMTF base received an urgent transmission from a village near the border with Griffin territory. Apparently, somebody accidentally triggered some sort of landmine, and now the whole village was terrified that there were more hidden explosives. Kia wondered why they didn't just contact Griffin instead, perhaps it was because the village was too far from Griffin-held territory? In any case, this would be the first time a human settlement contacted Sangvis Ferri for humanitarian aid, but with Archangel's personal blessing, a Mobile Detachment was quickly formed to help them out.
"Don't worry, Kia," Magic reassured, "I'll keep her in check."
"Thanks," Kia smiled, "I dunno, I'm probably just being too, well… I guess I'm just being too uptight about all this."
"That's reasonable," replied Magic, "You are a medic after all. Better safe than sorry, right?"
"Yeah… It's just… Sangvis Ferri has a bad enough reputation already," Kia sighed before lowering her voice, "And perhaps rightfully so, too. I'm just happy we can do something good for a change."
"You still think we can peacefully resolve all this shit?" Magic asked, slightly raising one of her eyebrows. "The whole war and stuff?"
"I sure hope so," Kia brooded, "I mean, what other future is there for us? It's us against the whole world here."
"Eh, I don't bother thinking that far into the future, haha," Magic admitted, "Why not just take things one day at a time?"
"Sometimes I want to, but I just can't," Kia frowned, "This whole war just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't like fighting; I'll do it as a job… But to what ends?"
A silence swept over the two before Magic tried to change the subject. "Anyway… Kia, do you have any specifics on what we're dealing with here?" Magic inquired, leaning back on the bench. "Like, is it landmines? Unexploded ordinance?"
"Nothing that Scalpel 3-Alpha hasn't already told you," Kia replied, "Does Griffin even use cluster bombs?"
"Any explosive can become UXO, not just cluster munitions," stated Magic, "Besides, Griffin has been documented to use cluster munitions before, and if they haven't, the military certainly has."
"But in an inhabited area?" Kia asks.
"There are ways, unfortunately," Magic frowned, "Ever heard of the Chemnitz disaster during the World War? Some missile with a bunch of submunitions got intercepted in the air, half the city got hit by the falling shit."
"Or what about the flood in this region last year due to the mountain runoff?" Magic recounted, "Wouldn't be the first time a flood displaced mines and UXO and stuff."
"Jesus Christ," Kia sighed, rubbing her forehead. "You're telling me the whole valley could be scattered with danger?"
"That's the remnants of war for you," Magic shrugged, "Besides, it's not like Sangvis Ferri is free of guilt. I'm pretty sure even the Task Force keeps cluster shells for Hammer's Sochor, though I haven't seen them drive that thing around for quite some time."
"I see," Kia muttered, her hand on her chin. "In any case, hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this once we arrive."
"Scalpel 3-Alpha, this is Chalice 2-Alpha," the truck driver announced over the radio, "We are approaching Point Topaz, how copy?"
"Chalice 2-Alpha, Scalpel 3-Alpha, I hear you," Sharps' voice replied, "Proceed with Operation Saving Grace, good luck."
Kia looked ahead as the truck neared the village. It was a small place, home to maybe a hundred or so people, two hundred at max. Scattered bullet holes and bomb damage were visible throughout the village, serving as visual reminders of past battles. Chalice 2-Alpha slowed the truck down as they drove through the main street. Kia could see the wary faces of the locals as they watched the lumbering vehicle slowly pass by. Under the dreary overcast sky, young children, able-bodied men and women, and the elderly alike stared at the newcomers as they wondered if they brought salvation or death.
"Alright, stop the truck in that gas station there," Howl told the driver as they made their way into the heart of the village.
"Howl, Magic, go do your EOD stuff. I'll deal with the villagers here," Kia said as she looked around; a small crowd of curious villagers had already gathered around them. "If you run into any trouble, just give me a call."
"Got it," Magic acknowledged as she picked up a box of equipment, "Howl, get the drones set up, I don't want to miss anything here. These people put their faith in us, let's try not to disappoint them."