Connected World's
NATO Article V: Calm before the storm
United States Air and Space Defense Center/NORAD, Washington DC
A man in a black suit walked towards the meeting room where a Four-Star General from the United States air force and an Admiral from the 7th Fleet Navy were waiting for his presence.
'I hope the Admiral will rethink this posibility'
As he walked into the meeting room where several officers were seen sitting at a round table where they were waiting for a report from him.
"Are there any recent reports about space today, Lieutenant?"
The admiral then read the report handed to them, in a room filled with monitors of various sizes where each officer in this room looks very focused with a laptop on their respective desks.
"Has this report been verified by the Pentagon?"
"So far, the Pentagon has believed this, Admiral. Instead, the Pentagon confirmed the worst possible position that will occur in the Ukraine region in the near future"
"....." The general remained silent to read reports about the development of space in Ukraine which is still fairly passive.
"What is the situation around the Kremlin? What connections do we have to give you the latest news?"
"For the time being, General.The latest information is only about the possibility of an impromptu attack from Belarus to Poland"
"Then let it go. I'm not sure if they'd dare commit suicide like that anyway"
The general then put down the document and began staring at the monitor screen on the wall of the room where the position graph of the satellite seemed to be crossing the Russian territory in a few minutes.
'We nearly fell several times in the third world war, lucky it was just a false alarm'
The General thought while staring at the report from the CIA about the current situation in the Ukrainian battlefield.
From his laptop screen he saw developments in space around the west coast where five objects were seen on radar.
'Hm?'
He then picked up the phone on his desk and began calling the Air Defense center in Arizona.
"Did you see what I saw?"
["Affirm, we confirm on the radar of the object"]
"Confirm to the Pentagon your findings, keep an eye out and make those developments"
["Understand sir"]
As the phone line ended, the General once again watched the object, which was about 76 kilometers from the New York coast, at an altitude of about 3 thousand feet above sea level, move quite slowly.
'What is that thing?'
He thought while keeping an eye on the latest updates from the investigation team.
At the Pentagon, meanwhile,
The Marine General appears to have read reports of casualties from the Marines as well as questions from the media about why there were casualties on the marines.
'It's very troublesome'
He thought while reading the report where the reason he could think of was illness, considering the condition of the Marines who died in no way found any injuries making excuses to the media probably would be a little easier, or at least that's what he thinks.
'Partially, after the incident I wasn't sure letting Headquarters go without the support of sea assets was the right choice'
He began reading some of the assets on his desk report that some of the marine assets that the Marines could currently send without arousing any suspicion, were simply the American USS/LHA-6/Landing Amphibious Assault Ship/The Landing Helicopter Carrier Assault Ship.
Given that the USS America is currently in the Pacific region, perhaps sending one ship into the world without knowing about anti-ship missile technology is very reasonable.
'I hope I do the right thing'
He then made a submission for the delivery of USS American LHA-6 assets to the Pentagon for review and hoped they would give approval, if they gave approval then all the problems would be a little easier to overcome.
Elsewhere, the Kingdom of the Human City was a foreign world.
King Arthur and Queen Solia were preparing in the outer area of the kingdom along with thousands of soldiers combined from the two kingdoms seemed to be preparing.
"Are you sure about this, Solia?"
"Fufu.... Are you beginning to doubt what I'm asking you, Your Majesty Arthur?"
"No, it's just that I didn't think you'd go this far"
"Fufu..... They shouldn't be here, and it's our duty to protect the world"
Arthur silently looked at Solia who seemed to be laughing but her expression seemed very dark as if looking forward to what they were going to do.
'It is true that otherworldly humans have powers that exceed us mortal beings can match, but with the amount of military power exceeding that of the 200 thousand combined forces along with the three hero descendants by our side, I doubt they can even match us'
This alliance is the largest alliance ever formed by two kingdoms, and what Arthur fears a little will appear to be coming true in the near future when a portal appears to form in front of them.
...****************...
2nd Company, 5th Mechanized Infantry, 56 Kilometers from downtown Rosella de Voir Junois Administrative Region.
'Huh.......'
I sighed somehow to how many times when I looked at this very bright blue sky.
Our team sent by FOB Keating to an area I don't know where this makes me complain a bit about why I should be sent again with a team that looks ready to fight at any time.
'Partially why Headquarters thinks sending heavyweight land assets is a good thing?'
Well, sending LAV-25 alone is overkill in my opinion, supposedly again sending assets like the Abrams Tank.
("Stay alert, posibility of contact 2 kilometers ahead")
Remind the platoon leader as we cross this grassland area.
"Copral, take a look at your 12 o'clock"
Said a Lance Corporal sitting in the back seat while giving his binoculars to me.
As I began to look towards where he showed his finger, in the distance I saw at least five carts pulled by horses seem to stop at the edge of this road.
("All units, standby, we're already in the Bravo sector, all keep things in order, we'll deal with them")
Sergeant Oprah's first instruction to the unit, at that very moment the Humvee I was riding in at the very front began to lower the speed letting us have less time to observe them.
'Oh?'
Our car started to stop at a distance of about 100 meters from those who seemed to be starting to be wary of us.
'From their looks, I'm sure they are merchants'
Their carts that seemed to have a size large enough to make me immediately assume that they were traveling merchants.
When Sergeant Oprah came out of the second Humvee, she and two marines escorting her began to approach those who seemed increasingly alert to our presence.
'Who does not suspect seeing a military convoy with a Tank as the main weapon is here'
I thought while watching the situation.
First sergeant Oprah then appears to have them talking.
Me and the two Marines in the Humvee kept a quiet eye around us.
"It seems they're a little wary of us"
I said when I saw the reaction of the two humans, at first glance the carts they had were nothing but ordinary carts without the peculiar knick-knacks typical of the nobles of this world who were a little eccentric to see firsthand.
("Everyone, stay alert, they're reporting that there's a band of robbers on this street who could have attacked")
Reporting from Sergeant Oprah starting to get into the radio, I immediately watched around, three of the four Tanks also began to be seen standby one where they were watching through infrared detectors inside the turret, in this area.
When the Sergeant returned to the team, we began to continue the journey by keeping a constant speed at 15 miles/hour
"The other world is amazing, isn't it Corporal?"
Driver Humvee began to chatter about this world, it was only natural that he would comment so because I also commented the same thing when I was first assigned to the Alpha Company.
"so"
I answered while staring at the map in my hand, we moved for 30 minutes from the location we stopped.
("Something in sight, 1.7 Kilometers away, in the area of the trees, they were probably the armed contacts that were reported")
Tank Commander Abrams says codename 1-1 Tow Truck.
Sergeant Oprah in the second Humvee started instructing us to stop, with binoculars in the car, I started looking at the area to get a clearer visual.
The vehicle stopped shortly after the report arrived.
"Do you think they're doing something I hate, Corporal?"
Said Driver Humvee as we both stared at the human crowd armed with swords that seemed unaware of us here because they were "busy" with something else.
The reason I don't want to comment is because the two of us or at least we all know very well what they're doing to the three women they've surrounded, there I can at least confirm the presence of 6 bodies lying on the ground in terrible conditions and a cart that has been destroyed
("Here Lead, all of you stay alert, Tow Truck, lead the three Abrams to form a formation, don't let anyone surround us from behind")
Oprah's instructions to the Tank were directly answered with four Tanks forming a formation where two Abrams Tanks were at the forefront of us and two more remained behind guarding our squad.
("Units, perimeter shape, all ready to attack if I give the order")
We all went straight out of the Humvee and the IFV formed a formation ready to fire.
Sergeant Oprah kept a close eye from a distance where he made no comment other than keeping silent from behind his binoculars.
I myself am very ready to pull my M4 trigger towards those bastards who seem to really like their actions.
("Command, this is 2nd Company, please answer")
["This is Command, report"]
("We see a potential conflict in front of about 1.9 Kilometers, human groups seem to be doing something unexpected to civilians, asking for orders")
["Copy, were you attacked?"]
("No, not yet")
["2-1, copy, you're not allowed to get involved, keep an eye out and don't do anything, out"]
"Copy"
Seeing the expression of Sergeant Oprah, I immediately guessed what the response from the superior was regarding this situation.
"Everything, stay alert. Don't do anything"
"...."
We were silent about Oprah's response when she said that as if ignoring that right in front of us, it was obvious that civilians were being raped before our eyes.
"Sir, you can't possibly order us to keep quiet, can you?"
one of the Marines seemed to say what I was thinking at the moment.
"Stay watch your emotions Marines, we have orders to follow"
"...... Understood"
We kept silent watching those who committed the act to the three poor women.
I really wanted to pull the trigger right now but I knew which weapon I could possibly reach to that location.
...****************...
That night, the robbers seemed to feast among the campfires close to the cave, they seemed to enjoy the fruits of their hunting.
"heck...hick...."
One of the women appeared to be crying with bruises all over her body, the other two women appeared to be unconscious after being treated horribly by them.
'...why this would happen...'
He cried as he stared blankly at the ceiling of this dark cave.
'I thought I'd live differently in this world '
He sobbed as his entire body was tainted by dozens of humans.
In the midst of the silence of the cave, he slightly recalled his life before being here, a life where he thought was very boring would be much more pleasant if he lived in a world like this.
But reality is sometimes much more bitter than the stories he has heard.
"Geek!"
"Hehe"
The three humans seemed to enter the cave, he let out a terrified scream when he saw the sinister expression from them.
Needless to say what happened to her just after they approached the three women lying helpless here, it was just a cry of despair that was able to explain the situation.
...****************...
That morning, we were again ordered to continue our journey, after inspections of Tank, LAV-25 and Bradley, our team returned to action.
"Ugh"
Said Driver as we passed the marks of the looting by the robbers. The body of the victim with a terrible condition plus the condition of a woman lying lifeless on the ground that will soon rot managed to sting our noses.
"Stop the vehicle"
Sergeant Oprah's orders on the team, all vehicles immediately stopped and as per his instructions we looked around.
"Marine, immediately bury them, I know you will hate me so much for letting them, but remember, we have another duty"
Oprah's orders were on us that had complicated expressions on our faces.
The funeral procession was a little time-consuming, at least with Abrams protecting us, I was able to calm down a bit from the enemy's ambush.
"I'm sorry for us"
I said to the tomb, our team moved back shortly after the road cleaning process was completed and the combat medic on the team had also finished taking the documentation of the victims and the complete chronology that occurred.
"Copral, I think we should have done something to that bastard"
"And you want to deal in the military court about why you're defying orders?"
"....."
"Listen, I know what you're thinking, but what the sergeant said has a point, we can't do as we please"
I said to the Marines in the car, I knew very well that what we were doing was very wrong, but acting recklessly would also put the whole team in danger.
Our journey in search of traces of civilization in the region continues, just as our two hours were moving, we slightly lowered the speed when something in the distance seemed to catch our attention.
("Stay alert boy's")
Our Humvee is in the front row where we will be the first to face the crowd ahead.
'I don't think they intend to be good to us'
I thought as I looked at them with the wagon covered by the curtain seeming to move towards our position.
"Fighting formation"
Sarge Oprah said as we were 1 kilometer away from them and it seemed they wanted to do something.
The three Tanks instantly dispersed with cannons ready for their firing towards them.
Me and the Marines in Humvee also started to prepare our weapons when the humans seemed to start showing their true intentions.
...****************...
"....."
'I want to go home'
He kept repeating that sentence in his head.
He and three others were taken by the robbers to a slave market where their fate was not known.
After being toyed with for one night by those bastards, the three of them were completely humiliated without any clothes covering their bodies
'I want to die'
With tears running out of his face, he was tired of crying and screaming, his only hope was to pray for a miracle.
'?'
When he felt that this wagon had stopped, he could only think that whoever these robbers were targeting, may they be forgiven.
("We just want to find out about the road here, do you mind?")
A conversation? It is impossible for these robbers to speak
He thought while listening to their conversation.
("Please excuse us")
The conversation was over and he felt the wagon move again, but something inside him said that this was an opportunity for him to run.
The two women who seemed to know what he wanted to do, could only remain silent without daring to say anything.
'I have to run away!'
He braced his courage, with a shaky step, he jumped out of the wagon.
"Ha!? Someone's run away!"
Shouted the robber when he saw him coming out of the wagon.
"T.no"
With the rest of his strength he ran from those who started chasing him.
'Help me! I don't want to die'
She cried while running as fast as possible.
'Argh! The pain!'
He screamed in his head when a slash hit his leg, his leg was cut off immediately as the blade of the sword swung from the robber's hand.
"T.please"
He sighed in pain as blood started rushing out from the side of his cut leg.
"Ah, this is already a defective item"
Hina one of the robbers when she saw him sprawled on the ground with blood still pouring profusely from her feet. He was still screaming in pain but the robbers laughed and insulted him.
"Ah... Basic useless"
'T. no. Don't kill me'
He shuddered in horror as the blade of the sword began to appear to be cutting his neck.
"Please, j. don't. ak. I beg you"
"Huh? What are you saying, slave"
"Sir, please don't kill me"
He kept begging them with tears flooding his face.
"Goodbye to hell, lady ******"
"Yeah!"
He screamed as the sword was about to split him, but something like a thunderbolt echoed in the ears of all those who were here.
"......."
Silence began to surround.
"Huh?"
The robber who was about to kill him looked stupid, but the thing he did not expect was created in the robber's head.
A small hole was created in his head and he was lying stiff right in front of his eyes.
'Eh? ......'
He himself did not understand what was happening, nor did the robbers numbering in the tens who were here.
"Open Fire!"
A language that he knew began to be heard and before long a series of lightning sounds re-echoed.
One by one the robbers were killed in a very fast manner as if they were.....
'Could it!?'
He who was still turning his back in disbelief began to look back where the source of the voice came.
From what he saw, it was something he did not expect.
'm..they....'
He began to cry loudly when he saw the strange-clothed humans, they looked like ordinary humans but he knew very well who they were.
"Medic! Medic!"
...****************...
Five minutes earlier
("Team maintain standby status, let them pass")
Oprah orders over the radio that the 30 men appear to have no intention of attacking them.
Through the turret .50 on top of the Humvee, Jonathan kept an eye around where he was slightly suspicious of the contents of the wagon.
Until his guess was proved right.
"Everybody's on standby!"
A woman was seen coming out of the wagon naked, her body covered in bruises and marks of forced rape were seen all over her body.
Oprah immediately ordered all the units to alert the guns, Tank and LAV followed Bradley began aiming their cannons at the bandits.
"Aargha!!"
Before the eyes of the marines, the robbers cut off the woman's legs without mercy they looked like they were going to kill her.
Oprah's patience began to thin out seeing this, the Marines who thirsted for the desire to kill these bastards, ventured with a simple sentence from Oprah.
"You see them?"
"Yes sir"
Answer all marines simultaneously.
"Make them disappear"
"Affirms"
"OPEN FIRE!"
Everyone immediately opened fire on the robbers without caring about the possibility they could live or not.
All the Marines know, they're assholes who don't deserve to live.
"Medic! Medic!"
Oprah orders when the woman appears to cry as she looks towards them.
Jonathan who has opened fire through the Humvee turret is back watching the surroundings when all the threats have been wiped out.
The medical team quickly treated the wound from the scarring of the bastard's sword slash. Unfortunately, the woman's left leg could not be reconnected because it was completely cut off from her foot.
The medical team that treated the wound tried to stop the bleeding, while the marine team began to check every body that was here.
"Sergeant, you should see this"
One of the Marines who just came from inside the wagon began to take Oprah inside, in Oprah condemning the decision she made yesterday to let this bastard live.
There, two underage women appear to have the same condition as the girl outside.
No clothes, bruises, rape marks and many other things.
The team quickly evacuated them and provided first aid such as disinfectant to the area of the wound or bruise to the vital area between the legs where they believed that this girl must have contracted HIV as a result treat them.
Jonathan began to descend from the Humvee while walking to see the condition of the girl whose left leg was cut off.
The girl seemed conscious and still did not want to stop crying sobbing, trying to hug as tightly as possible to the marines who were treating her injuries.
"Man, this is so soul-wrenching"
Jonathan comments when he sees this, before long the marines begin to evacuate two girls from inside the wagon who have the same condition as this girl.
'It seems that the enslavement of this world is much worse than our world'
He thought when he saw how the medical team tried to clean and neutralize the remains in the womb of both.
'i could get PTSD if I keep going through this'
The Marines who were checking every body of these bandits seemed to start to set foot into that stiff body as if they were venting anger into that lifeless body.
"hick...hick..thank you!"
The girl whose left leg was cut off continued to cry in the arms of the marines who were still focused on taking care of her.
"Don't be afraid, we'll take care of you"
"Hick.hick... please"
"Don't worry, where's your house? What's in the kingdom near here?"
The sobbing girl tried to control her breath, but the crying one got more and more difficult to get the words out
He only shook his head at the marines he hugged quite tightly.
"T..no.. I. I'm going home...."
"Shu's...Shu. don't be afraid, calm yourself, where your house is, we'll take you to a safe place"
The girl was still unable to control her speech, the Marines desperately taking care of her trying to keep their cool keeping their explosive anger at the child's condition
"my house...my house is in Shinjuku"
"Shinjuku? Is that some kind of city name in a kingdom not far from here?"
("いいえ、私は日本から来ました！連れて帰ってください！お願いします、ミスター！")
No, I'm from Japan! Please take me home! Pleases
When Jonathan heard that slightly familiar language, his eyebrows slightly raised, as if he had misheard it.
'That language? Isn't that language..... The japs?
The marines, unaware of the language, thought that the girl was speaking another local language, but Jonathan, who caught the language, ran towards her in a slight shock.
"Wait, what are you doing Corporal!"
Sgt Oprah snapped at him, but Jonathan looked straight at the girl with a serious look.
"Do you understand me?"
Jonathan, who immediately uses English, begins to get astonished gazes from the whole team, including Oprah, but the answer from the girl managed to make the team jerk in shock.
"Y..Yes, I understand, Mister"
("The f(.)CK!?")
"What the hell!?"
Oprah immediately ran to the girl in the Marine's arms, and began to look at her with a look of disbelief and panic on her face.
'Please, let this be just a dream'
Oprah thought as she crouched down right next to Jonathan with a panicked face she stared at the girl who was still in tears.
"Let me ask you, are you from Earth? If so, tell me where do you live, what is your name, and your original place, describe it in detail"
The girl looked at Oprah with a hopeful gaze, she started speaking in half English and Japanese
("I am from Japan, my name is Himura Hanayama from Shinjuku city. I was born on March 27, 2003..").
He told a complete story about himself that made the whole team fall in silence
"........"
No one dared to speak, but their expression was very clear that this situation left the team speechless other than being confused by this situation.
"Business"
Medic, who was taking care of the girl who was still holding her, began to wait for answers from Oprah.
Oprah herself when she saw the whole team getting explosive in a rampage, began to understand one thing.
"Most likely there are more who fared like this girl, everyone, get ready. We're gonna go find these bastards"
"Yes sir!"
The girl named Himura Hanayama was quickly brought to Humvee along with two girls who appeared to be natives of this world.
What Himura Hanayama will explain will obviously be important information about what the team will do next.
...****************...
