**Author:** AZNCracka --- **-Present Day-** **Location: Unknown** **Date & Time: Unknown** <br> $\quad$Deep within the hulls of the ship, I was surrounded by a group of operatives. Their faces had a stern look. It’s serious, but I wonder what’s going on. $\quad$Then, one of them began: -- $\quad$“State your name for the record.” $\quad$I was confused. Did I already do something? Nervous, I began to answer: $\quad$“My name is Charise Alday.” $\quad$“What is your date of birth?” $\quad$“I was born 26 November, 2015.” $\quad$“Where are you from, Mrs. Alday?” $\quad$“I’m from Floridablanca, Philippines.” $\quad$“Why do you choose to become a No-Pat soldier?” “...” $\quad$This wasn’t an interrogation, right? After all, I just enlisted; I couldn’t have done anything wrong. So, I began to push back by asking questions myself. $\quad$“...Wait, what did I do? What do you want?” $\quad$“Just relax, Mrs. Alday. This isn’t an interrogation, it’s more an interview for new recruits. However, we’re in this room to keep from prying eyes and ears until this process is complete, so that you may be more involved in no-Pat activities.” $\quad$I shake my head in confusion, “Hindi ko po naiintindihan¹...What do you mean?” $\quad$“This is standard protocol of No-Pat initiation.” one of them replied. “We need details of your background in the event of operator deployment, as well as a record of those within our ranks.” So, I wasn’t in trouble...but I really doubt I could answer this as simply as possible. I wanted to help, but what were they looking for, exactly? I ask them. $\quad$“What do you need to know?” I asked the one across from me. A man with the Canadian flag on his shoulder said, $\quad$“Whatever you think is important. When you think you’ve told us enough for us to know, we’ll tell you what needs to happen next, and you’ll be able to return to your quarters afterwards.” $\quad$I sat there for a few minutes and thought. There was a lot I could tell. It was probably best to tell them everything I’ve experienced before boarding the ship. But I should be careful not to leave any details out, because then, I’d be worried gaps in my story would complicate things. I thought, and finally figured out where my story should begin. I spoke up. $\quad$“Well, if that’s the case, then I’ll start here.” --- ¹ Hindi ko po naiintindihan – “I don’t understand” in Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines po is spoken to show respect. -- denotes entry and break in story flash ### May 21st, 2039 **-2039-** **Location: Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine, Cebu** **Time: 2:38pm** <br> -- $\quad$I graduated from medical school at Matias Aznar University to become a physician. It was a great day, everyone was happy, taking pictures and wishing everyone the best of luck in their careers. After the ceremony, I went out to celebrate with my family, friends, and classmates. $\quad$We all got jobs in our fields, some became surgeons, some specialist doctors. As for me, I started as an assistant in a hospital for surgery and physical assessments. -- $\quad$“Where did you wind up going?” One no-Pat said. She was a Caucasian woman, and had a red cross insignia on her outfit. $\quad$“To an ospital² in Manila called San Lazaro. A friend of mine named Rachel Cunanan became a doktor³ there! It made everything easier, since I had a co-worker I knew. She and I had gone to the same university together, even had some classes.” $\quad$“Oh! Verstehe...⁴” she responded back. “So, she helped you start your career.” “Opo⁵. Mga kaibigan ko⁶ and I made sure we could help each other get our first jobs after college.” $\quad$“That’s great to hear! We look out for our own, too. Please, continue your story,” Sir Canada said. -- $\quad$After we all found work, we promised each other to keep in touch, and made sure to never give up or lose hope, despite everything that’s happened in the world, and our country while going to school. $\quad$The talks of the impending monsoon season were starting to go around on the news...we didn’t think much of it though, other than it’s just going to be another monsoon season. -- $\quad$“This monsoon season was later in the year, why did they decide to mention it so soon?” Sir Canada asked. $\quad$“It’s because the water levels were getting higher,” I quickly replied. I assumed that the rise in water levels was obvious to everyone in the room, but on the other hand, maybe they hadn’t seen the country in recent years. “Since I can remember, the water was always higher when the waves crashed onto the beach every year with family and friends.” $\quad$“It’s okay, Mrs. Alday. You’re not the only one that noticed.” He’s just joking, right? At least they were actually aware of the rising water levels. Who couldn’t have been? “Were you prepared for the flooding that would happen?” $\quad$“Yes, each year that passed, we got used to reinforcing shelter from the waters that washed in.” $\quad$“What provisions and preparations did you take?” $\quad$“We dug a drainage in between our house and our neighbor’s. We also had furniture that could survive and withstand the water if it came into the house. For good measure, we put a tighter seal into the doors of the house, and we made sure to have enough food and water to drink in case any power loss happened.” $\quad$At this point, they all looked at one another. Hopefully they thought it was smart of me and my family to take these measures, and I wasn’t making it more serious than it really was. I was being honest though; my neighborhood is known to have some major flooding during those times of flooding, so they take measures like this in their houses too. I wouldn’t lie to these people. $\quad$“...Well, that was pretty much my background in school, should I explain more about the monsoon season that came?” $\quad$“Ah, yes, please continue, Mrs. Alday.” --- ² Opsital - hospital ³ Doktor – doctor ⁴ Ich verstehe – I understand in German ⁵ Opo – Yes, base word is Oo (Oh-oh) When po is needed, po is inserted after the first O in the word ⁶ Mga kaibigan ko – my friends in Tagalog <br> ### November 24th, 2039 **-2039-** **Location: Floridablanca, Pampanga, Philippines** **Time: 10:38am** <br> -- $\quad$The monsoon season was tougher than we all thought. My family and friends decided it was best to find a building that was tall enough to be above the water. There was a tech building in the city we decided would be best to wait out the weather in, a company called Ideyatech. There were others in the building too; we weren’t alone. There was food and sleeping arrangements in the building, it definitely seemed like the company was prepared for this sort of thing to happen. They welcomed as many people to seek shelter from the storms. $\quad$Back at home, our belongings are locked in the house, and the house was sure to be fine, because of the preparations we made to it. As the day went on, the waters levels got so high, it’s was more of a typhoon than just a monsoon. -- $\quad$“How did you ever decide when to go home?” This figure was another Asian woman. She had a thick accent, I couldn’t discern it at first, but judging by the characters on her shirt, she must’ve been Korean. “Water like that is very dangerous.” $\quad$“When the waters had receded later in the month, that’s when we did. My friends and my family saw the news that morning in August; in the lounge room, the TV said President Arroyo had approved an outside military group effort to come in and provide supplies and relief to the people within the countr-, “ $\quad$“THAT military was US, Mrs. Alday! We were more than happy to have helped.” I was interrupted by a woman with a French accent. As confident as she sounded, it was like she really wanted credit for what they did in my country. She was then motioned from Sir Canada like to not interrupt my train of thought. $\quad$“Erm, salamat po⁷,” I continued, dismissing what she said. “Anyway, the news continued.” -- $\quad$The news covered the events, and mentioned this “no-Pat” group worked in cooperation with the Filipino Army. I was in awe, honestly, by how quickly and efficiently they came to try and help turn things around. The other people in the office building came to the lounge, including someone that I’d get to know better as time went on. -- $\quad$“Your husband?” Sir Canada said. “We had spoken to him a bit before!” He seemed to have made the connection from my recollection of what happened. $\quad$“Opo, Ray!” Surely his interview went well too, considering how Mr. Canada was quick to pick up on the details. I suppose Ray mentioned something similar concerning the monsoon. $\quad$I promised I’d meet up with him back in the mess hall once I was finished here, however long this may take. $\quad$“What did he think of our efforts, Mrs. Alday?” a man with a goatee asked. He seemed curious about what the others thought. $\quad$“Honestly, I don’t think he was sure himself. He liked that help actually came, but he had never heard of the non-Patriated military, so he wasn’t so sure he could be enthusiastic.” $\quad$“We get that a lot, it’s no big deal,” Sir Canada remarked. “What happened after that?” --- ⁷ Salamat po – Thank you, base word salamat <br> ### January 14th, 2040 **-2040-** **Location: Manila, Philippines** **Time: 9:46pm** <br> $\quad$“When the water levels got low enough to get around, everyone parted ways to their hometowns. I went home with my family to see how things held up with the house. The only things damaged were the front porch stairs, and the bottom half of the doors to the house. The doors did everything they could to hold back the water, and apart from water damage, they did their job! So, they only thing we needed to do was replace them before the next season. My Ate⁸ Irene and Kuya⁹ Erick came by to help fix everything up, and everyone else got settled back into the house. Magulang ko¹⁰ inspected the area in and around ang bahay namin¹¹. Aside from dirt and minor damage, the house was safe. Everything inside was fine.” $\quad$“Scheiße¹², thank goodness!” The medical lady exclaimed. I could tell she was a family woman herself with that. Nobody wants to lose anything like that. -- $\quad$When we fixed our house, we went around and asked our neighbors if they needed help. Our community had a mindset to help everyone, and that didn’t go away. Once most of the problems became manageable in my neighborhood, I decided to see Ray and his family to see how everything was for him. We had gotten used to seeing each other after work after the monsoon season, and eventually, we started dating and doing the whole couple thing. We went out and traveled to a lot of places around the Philippines when we saw each other, like Cebu, Boracay, Tagaytay, and Palawan, to name a few. As time went by together, we grew to being more than just friends. -- $\quad$“Mon ami, that’s great to hear! It’s hard to find something like that when everything else is going to hell.” the French lady was happy to hear how I got to be with my husband. Maybe she liked hearing something good happening to people for once. Maybe it was her way of apologizing, from when she interrupted my story. I wouldn’t know for sure, but I appreciated the kind words. Again, the Canadian man, although he understood the enthusiasm, motioned to her to calm down. $\quad$“Did much else happen in that time?” Sir Canada asked. $\quad$“Apart from getting the occasional brownout and rain from the weather, family and friend gatherings, seeing Ray, and getting back to my job at the hospital, the rest of the year was rather uneventful. Ray and I kept still saw each other, and eventually met each other’s family. We moved closer to each other, and made things easier, both for us and our families’ sake. $\quad$“Are you sure there wasn’t anything else, Mrs. Alday?” The stern man with the goatee said. “Something big did happen that year.” $\quad$I had to think, it has been a while...then it came back to me. How could I have forgotten? “Diyos ko po!¹³ The blackout that happened in the summer!” -- --- ⁸ Ate – Cousin (Female) ⁹ Kuya – Cousin (Male) ¹⁰ Magulang ko – My parents ¹¹ Ang bahay namin – Our house ¹² Scheiße – German expletive, usually translated to shit, otherwise enthusiastically meaning “My goodness.” ¹³ Diyos ko – Oh my God <br> ### March 12th, 2040 **-2040-** **Location: Floridablanca, Pampanga, Philippines** **Time: 10:38am** <br> $\quad$Our families had a small get together in the summer. It was my little brother’s birthday. Some of us were cooking food in the backyard, the kids were playing in the street with the neighbor’s kids, and the rest of us were having fun in the house, playing mahjong and drinking, or watching TV and playing games. It wasn’t until later that night things changed. $\quad$The blackout happened after sunset. Every TV and computer shut off, and all our phones lost signal. There were still kids playing outside together when the lights went out, including Ray’s and my nephews and nieces. We managed to get them inside, but confusion definitely started to form. All of us in the house could hear the rest of the block complaining about the power situation. We were all plunged into darkness. Some thought the power would come back within the hour, but a couple hours passed, and we all figured it wouldn’t come back anytime soon. -- $\quad$“Were you still able to see anything, despite the darkness?” The medical lady asked me. $\quad$“Not much. I heard the neighbors complaining, that they couldn’t make calls or look up what happened...that was just the beginning. Later that night, we locked the doors, lit some candles, and got everyone away from the windows, in case anything happened from the confusion. We eventually heard police and military units coming down each block. She wasn’t able to address the nation, but from what was happening, it was clear what President Arroyo decided to do: institute Martial Law into towns leading to major cities. I couldn’t have imagined how Manila or Quezon City were, if this was any sign in our town.” $\quad$“How did you get by?” $\quad$“Well, it’s like what happened with the monsoons. We had our supplies, and the Filipino army helped keep the country secure, from what I could tell. The blackout wiped out the internet and radio towers, so the country first focused on restoring power for quite a while. It took a couple months to finally get a system back online.” $\quad$“Did it feel like your country was on its way to becoming a failed state because of that?” The question came out of nowhere, honestly. That thought never crossed my mind...but with everything that happened after college, it made sense to ask that, I guess... $\quad$“...I don’t’ know. It seemed like something was up. But I’ve always known the Philippines is definitely a resilient country. We’d never let our country be taken by any sort of attack, whether it be by nature or terror. The country had a declining economy for sure, and that didn’t help. But we were able to recover, and it had been much better than what I heard about other countries that went through a similar crisis before us. So, no I don’t think so, and a lot of others in my country would think so, I’m sure. Part of it is probably because we’ve received help from the United States, just in case. That being said, as this went on, it became hard to do my work done properly.” -- $\quad$Medical supplies, while it was high priority to get around, even above some other services, were getting less and less with weekly shipments for the next few months. We had to prioritize efficiency in available care, and backup generators for machines had to be used sparingly for at least a month until power could be restored. $\quad$As for Ray, since his job involved computers, he needed to find something else to do. Until electronics were able to have power again, he moved into the construction field, where he was able to help with various building planning and infrastructure contracts. He got to like it a lot, and it improved his handiness around the house, especially with utilities. He was always the helpful type, no matter how things got. I admired that about him. $\quad$Military ads and propaganda started to pop up about who and what was to blame. First it showed up as posters, since electronics weren’t ready yet. But a few more months later, when power and internet finally came back, there was at least one of these on every other website you could visit. Not much longer afterwards, the country was in better shape from the blackout, with safety measures to protect from future monsoons and tsunamis, and also food and other services getting back to normal, more or less. -- $\quad$“I’d say from beginning of Fall to the end of the next Spring.” I replied. I knew it was only some months, but it felt a lot longer. “The president finally addressed the nation on the TV and internet sometime that February. She said the no-Pat soldiers will return to help with these reconstructions, as well as support the people of the Philippines, so that martial law can start to ease off while everything came back to normal. It’s taken longer than she and her advisors had hoped, because it’s still happening.” $\quad$“How was your husband doing?” The French woman said. $\quad$“Ray was doing well. The construction wasn’t easy, with all the limitations at the start. But when the electricity returned, things got much easier, and he moved over to instead help reinstall internet hubs and recreate power infrastructure in everyone’s home and offices. He was able to do what he wanted to do again from his career background.” <br> ### August 24th, 2041 **-2041-** **Location: Floridablanca, Pampanga, Philippines** **Time: 10:38am** <br> -- $\quad$Again, as time went on, things got easier. We managed to stick by each other’s side throughout this time in The Philippines. Thanks to his hard work, he was able to save up quite a bit of money. He had saved enough that, one day towards the end of February, I came home, he got on one knee, proposed to me, and asked me to marry him! I was so happy! I said yes, we embraced, and we told all of our family and friends, and started to plan our wedding. We didn’t hesitate or take too long about getting everything organized, and we got married a couple months later, in June. It was the happiest moment in my life! $\quad$The operators in the room all seemed to smile, with the Korean and French ladies smiling directly at me. I’m glad I was able to touch their hearts with that part of my life. While on the outside I’m telling them my life story, inside I’m thinking, I just hope they at least experienced that sort of happiness in their life too? -- $\quad$“The same thing went for my job at the hospital. I guess we had a newfound appreciation for the technology we’ve been using, and we were all able to help patients in the hospital knowing we had enough power and supplies to work with. Things finally started to look up for everyone.” $\quad$“That’s great to hear, Mrs. Alday! So, after the spring, what happened?” The Korean lady had asked. <br> ### June 17th, 2042 **-Present Day-** **Location: Exodus, Lower Deck** <br> $\quad$“At the end of May, there was a letter in the mail for both me and Ray’s families. Apparently, since we experienced the martial law chaos in our town, and made it through the reconstruction of the country, we were all selected to come onboard the ship we’re on right now.” $\quad$“The MFS-04 Exodus, Mrs. Alday. You’ll be sure to remember the name of the ship by the end of your initiation.” The goatee man said. $\quad$“Opo.” I nervously responded. “But me, Ray, and both our families all packed and headed to the port, and came aboard last week. They found their cabins, and Ray chose to fall behind to talk with someone. While the rest of us continued to our quarters on the ship. I asked him later on why he stopped to talk to a soldier. I supposed it was to talk with you guys?” At this point they didn’t need to answer the question. Instead, they all looked at each other, smiling, and rose out of their seats, and looked at me. $\quad$“This time is as good of a time as any. Welcome aboard the MFS-04 Exodus, Mrs. Alday,” Mr. Canada said. “We are the main task force aboard this ship. Allow us to introduce ourselves, and I guess I’ll start. I am Webster Mackay, but it’ll easier to just call me Mackay.” $\quad$“Oui¹⁴, Je suis¹⁵ Emma Rosier, but call me Sundance, or else,” they jokingly winked. I think I can now understand the bombastic personally that they has. $\quad$“Maria Falck, at your service.” The German medic lady said to me. $\quad$“Yes, am Anghel, but everyone calls me Angel,” he said with a smile. He had a serious demeanor in the interview, but I had a hunch he isn’t always so serious. $\quad$“I am Ji-Soo Paik! Call me Paik, it’s easier! 만나서 반갑습니다(Mannaseo bangabseubnida¹⁶)!” $\quad$Mackay then said, “Congratulations, Cherise! You’re now considered a no-Pat. The interview is over, but your training begins tomorrow. Given your background, you’ll be given the role of support, and Frau¹⁷ Falck here will be your mentor. She’ll help you get acquainted with the equipment you’ll use in battle, as well as understand your role in your squad. Any questions?” $\quad$“No, sir! I mean, salamat po, I’m honored to be helping everyone onboard.” $\quad$“Oh, and, one more thing,” Mackay said as he opened the door to the hall outside. “Consider this interview your personal archive. You’ll be given a copy of the transcription by end of day. Your husband handed us his journal of experiences during his interview, which was convenient, to say the least.” $\quad$“Bakit po?¹⁸” I asked. “Why did I need to do this?” $\quad$“Is like we said before,” Mrs. Paik replied.” Is for deployment purpose, and to keep track of those here, and who they are.” $\quad$“Oh, of course.” $\quad$“Take the stairs back up to quarterdeck. Falck will see you and your husband at 0700 hours. You’re dismissed.” I suppose with that, a new chapter of my life has begun. --- ¹⁶ Mannaseo Bangabseubnida – Romanized Korean for “Nice to meet you!” ¹⁷ Frau – German for “Mrs.” Honorific ¹⁸ Bakit po? – Why? In Tagalog, base word is bakit <br> ### June 18th, 2042 **-The Next Day-** **Location: Exodus Quarter Deck** **Time: 6:58am** <br> $\quad$I waited outside my quarters for Mrs. Falck, my mentor. I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was this wouldn’t be easy. I looked around, and saw her down the hall. She walked right up to me. She said with a subtle smile, and an almost calm, yet commanding voice: $\quad$“Guten magen¹⁹, Frau Alday. Glad to see you’re up for the occasion! Now, let’s get started. Follow me!” Mrs. Falck said to me. Clearly, she was more awake at this time than I was, but I know I didn’t have a right complain about why it’s so early. She made a solid turn, and started moving. I made sure to follow closely behind. $\quad$We walked down the hall. Eventually, I was on the main deck, my mentor got me introduced to the equipment that I’d be should the time ever come to use them in a fight. One by one, Mrs. Falck handed me my weapon, and shouted their names. I guess I should remember these. $\quad$“M5A3 Rifle! The first thing you should be holding on patrol, on station, and upon arrival!” I grabbed it. This was really my first time holding a weapon like this. The weight would be something I would need to get used to. “G57 Standard side arm! Use only in emergency!” $\quad$“Frag Grenade, EMP, and Smoke Grenade! You only get one or the other!” Perhaps whichever one I needed the most would be the one I take, but it was good to have choices. $\quad$“Medical kit, Ammo box, and smoke grenade launcher! Again, only one to take in battle, and DO NOT stick your throwing smoke grenade into the launcher, they’re different grenade types!” I nodded as I look at the different items in front of me. Again,I wondered which one would be most useful for each situation... $\quad$“Now, each operator will be given a Personal Assault Companion (PAC) call-in system, which will be used for transport and supply drops from the headquarters in the battlefield. Learn it, use it well. It will help you in a pinch!” It was like a small fitness band on my arm, which I liked. $\quad$“Finally, within our sector, you’ll be given this.” Mrs. Falck handed me, a different kind of weapon. It looked like another pistol, but it had an extremely small barrel, and six shots of...something. $\quad$“This here is a syrette gun. It’ll shoot a micro syringe of life medicine to anyone withing the gun’s approximate line of sight. Useful for medics to help wounded, from a small distance away. Last major piece of equipment, this defibrillator unit.” $\quad$I was familiar with the defibrillator from my job in the hospital, but this syrette gun was something new. Definitely military grade technology! $\quad$After she helped me organized my loadout, I was taken around the runway and hangar deck to get used to the weight as I ran and stayed in pace. After about an hour of that, we then went to the shooting range, where after shooting some rounds, upon looking at the target, I realized my shooting skills were absolutely deplorable...I tried over and over, and some shots were better, while most others weren’t. Eventually I got frustrated, stormed away and sat down, needing a bit of a break from all this stress and training. $\quad$Mrs. Falck, as tough as she may be, also understood I was no soldier. She saw me struggle, and at times she pushed me, other times, she gave me a break. At one point, she told me, $\quad$“We must not hesitate on our enemy. It’ll give them the opportunity to strike, and losses will happen. We must not give them that chance! You are too important for this ship, for the world, to be lost to those that wish to see it further sink to perdition! This is why we are here! We won’t be able to help everyone all the time, but you must not let anything destroy your resolve to continue fighting for what’s right, Charise! You must never give up! I will not give up on you, either.” I looked at her as she said that. She saw I understood, smiled, and help raise my gun to the target. “Now, try again, Mrs. Alday!” $\quad$This training, this...initiation, as a No-Pat solider, would continue for weeks to come. --- ¹⁹ Guten magen – Good Morning in German <br> ### September 20th, 2042 **-2042-** **Location: Exodus Medic Wing** **Time: 2:24pm** <br> $\quad$Day in, day out. Training and work. $\quad$Ray and I eventually finished our last lectures and major training onboard the battleship, where at the last lecture, our lecture officers gave the option to keep our nationality or not. We needed time to decide at first, but in the end, we still considered ourselves Filipinos, despite everything that’s happened. We knew things were getting better there, but it wasn’t anywhere how it was before, and it’s why we decided to accept the invites provided to us to come aboard the ship. $\quad$Although I had finally done enough training to where it wasn’t so difficult, we still used the range to keep in practice, and there were still more lectures for within my sector, just as how it was back in medical school. $\quad$We eventually met the leader of the ship, Captain Graves, but he rather had us call him Irish. Perhaps he liked to drink? He could get along with my Kuya, I jokingly thought to myself. After briefly greeting us, and letting us know the only rule to know – follow the captain’s orders - we went to a seminar where we learned of who we were fighting, and how recent events unfolded from the factions they faced, possibly led by a figure named “OZ.” It concluded with them telling us we should know what do when facing the enemy, and who to report to. $\quad$I managed to become a physician in the medical wing of the ship, helping patients with medicine or physical injuries. I was finally able to help people in the profession I had chosen out of school again! $\quad$Mrs. Falck showed me the tech that had developed prior to civilian usage. She warned me that using the syrette wouldn’t be the answer to everything, it was ineffective against viruses and disease, just more to help with physical wounds and stamina restoration in the field. So, the standards and practices of the stuff I learned in school still applied for everything else, in case I don’t have the syrette ready to use. $\quad$I took this career path also as an opportunity to do something else: back towards the end of last summer, Ray felt we had gotten settled into our ‘new normal,’ as he put it. After we got married, and we chose to board the ship and enlist, I had given birth to twins in March, we named the two newborns Angela and Christian. They’re our pride and joy, and we both swore to do what we must in order to ensure their well-being, as well as everyone else’s. My family have settled in as well, the nephews and nieces learned to get along with the other kids on the ship, and other activities and events our parents and relatives were able to do meant they didn’t get too bored. It all seemed to be going rather well! $\quad$I do think of home every now and then. This was, I thought, something destiny didn’t foretell, somehow, this wasn’t how things were meant to happen. Then again, I hoped, maybe things will get better there in a few more years. For right now though, I need to focus on what’s needed of me. I can’t afford to let anyone down right now. <br> ### October 21st, 2042 **-2042-** **Location: Exodus Cargo Hold** **Time: 11:30pm** <br> $\quad$DIOS KO PO! The ship was under attack, by an external faction. Everyone on the main deck picked up their guns to repel the attack. Ray was caught in the chaos, and I didn’t have a way of knowing if he’d be okay until it was all over. For now, Paik, Angel, and Falck helped lockdown the medical wing, and get as many civilians to safety as possible. $\quad$Our family made it to the holds, thank God. However, some of the cargo got knocked loose because of the storm that was happening outside. The waves rocked the ship violently, and some people lost their footing. Mrs. Falck, Angel, Paik, myself, and other no-Pat soldiers helped as much as possible to keep everyone safe inside, while the fight continued on the outside. $\quad$By the time Ray got to my area of the ship, I was on my knees, crying. While most of the people on deck and our family survived and made it through the weathering storm, others, and some of our relatives, got seriously injured. I tried to heal them, but my syrette had run out of syringes, and I didn’t have enough field dressings to go around for everyone. He had gotten a head injury, and there was nothing I was able to do. I could only hold my Lolo²⁰ in my arms, as he bled out...If only I had been more careful with supplies... $\quad$“Patawad na po²¹, Lolo Ron, I didn’t want this to happen...” I cried. “We’ll see each other again one day.” As I sat there, The Capitan made a page over the intercom, telling all no-pats on deck that ship was resetting course to Doha, Qatar, because of what happened last night. We knew that the real fight was just beginning. I rose to my feet, and Ray held me. He had lost his Lola²² and Tito²³ in the chaos as well. They, along with some others, didn’t deserve to be lost like this. I radioed Mrs. Falck and Angel to my location, and we gathered everyone that didn’t make it through the attack. We helped everyone to their quarters and the medic wing, if they needed to go there. Telling my nephews and nieces wouldn’t be easy, but I also had to make sure our children were okay, too. $\quad$Seems as though Mrs. Falck and Angel had secured the hospital quite well. Not many further casualties were reported, and the children were safe. Mrs. Falck’s words from initiation resonated with me, to not give up. I won’t give up on anyone, not my friends, not my family, not even myself. --- ²⁰ Lolo - Grandpa ²¹ Patawad na po – Forgive me please ²² Lola – Grandma in Tagalog ²³ Tito – Uncle <br> ### October 24th, 2042 **-2042-** **Location: Exodus Flight Deck** **Time: 1:38pm** <br> $\quad$It was around noon on the flight deck. I was saying what could’ve been my goodbye to Ray. I brought up our two children, even though they were still in their infancy, they needed to see their father. He held them tightly before his officer, an Indian man with an antenna next to a guy in a plant suit, called him over to get on the Condor. I saluted as I held back tears with our children by my side in the carriage, as the Condor lifted off the pad towards the city skyline. Mrs. Falck had gone on with them too, so I wished for everyone to come back alive. $\quad$After they lifted off the platform and headed towards the city, the other personnel and I went back to our stations, my place in the medical wing. I tended to the current patients, and prepared proper rations and supplies for the potential wounded that would wind up coming back after the battle was over. I pray that everyone can come back. <br> ... ... **SUBJECT:** CHARISE ALDAY **STATUS:** ALIVE **LOCATION:** EXODUS **LAST SEEN:** ON STATION AT THE EXODUS NEAR GATUN LAKE, PANAMA AWAITING FURTHER UPDATES --