"Ugh… my... GOD!"
"Major, please. Do not overwork yourself."
"Why do not the trembling stop!?"
"But, I mean though. I am glad the only thing that needs to recover now is your left hand."
"No, not good enough for me."
"Sir, it has been almost three hours now, and it is past midnight. You really should go and take a rest."
"Not until I figure out how to get all these shots to the target."
"I do not mean any disrespect, but… you will not have that much of a difference with your current hand condition…"
"…"
"Sir?"
"I have not tried shooting using only my right hand yet, have I?"
"No, but…"
"Then let us try it out… Starting with this standard 9mm Browning Hi-Power."
.
"…yes… all your shots hit inside the target."
"Let us go to .45 caliber now, then 7.62 Tokarev, and .357 Magnum."
"Yes, sir…"
.
"Nice… full marks for all of them."
"Good grief. Now we can finally go back."
"Not yet. While we are on it, there is one more thing I want to find out."
"Sir, please no."
"Get me the Browning Automatic Rifle."
"Major, I have warned you…"
"Yes, you have. And I am also convinced that we will not know for sure unless we try it out."
"…here it is… I just hope the result is not disappointing…"
"Thank you."
.
"I cannot believe it. All shots hit the target…"
"As I have thought… I had my doubts too for a moment, though."
"But, I guess this means that you cannot move fast, if even a bit while aiming, sir…"
"And that, is a matter that we will have to solve for the next days."
"Yes, I agree."
"For now, let us go back. We have done enough for this whole day."
"Yes, Major…"
.
.
I do not know for how long we have been moving on already, but I bet that no less than three hours has passed. Now I am cramped with Yeon's selected men in the back of this truck, with only a tiny bit of space left between our legs that I believe if someone wants to mount the machine gun installed at the corner all of us with have to move our bodies.
"How long do you think we have been moving now?" Irving asked.
"Three hours, maybe a bit more than that." I answered plain.
He nods before he looks outside from the window again.
"I owe you an apology, Jon…" Yeon finally spoke up.
"For what?" I lifted my head a little.
"Making Flint enraged, I suppose…" he sighed.
I do not know what to say. On one hand it is true that he would not disobey my orders if Yeon decided that he would stick with assuming command of the communication post.
But, on the other hand, Flint himself already had a bitter past with North Koreans. He did show his dissatisfaction towards Dong during our internal briefing session.
Yeon must have noticed about it back in the headquarters, at least most likely. So why did he still insist on going with me instead of telling his vice commander to go in his stead?
Does he really intend to witness every single thing about the aliens' presence, if any, through his own eyes?
Or… does he have another motive?
At any rate, I have to respond to his words. I do not know why but I begin to have a feeling that I must not make him aware of my emerging doubts.
"I guess it is bound to happen, sooner or later, though." I shook my head lightly.
"Maybe the only way he would take commands without any objections in his mind is if he was in Bronze Falcon's unit."
Speaking of which, we have all turned on our radio communication installed inside our helmets. Yet there is still no radio signals whatsoever coming in.
It will be impossible if it was caused by an unfinished construction of the communication post, because I was there and even responded to the incoming message call the base.
There is only one possibility–that whatever it is causing the disturbance of the magnetic field also disrupts our communication. But since we could still get connected to the base when we were in the communication post, it has become clear now that we are indeed getting closer to the source of the problem.
Wait, aurora also has the potential to disrupt radio frequencies, right? Then, could it be that….
"What is the matter?" Derek seemed to be confused when I quickly stuck my neck outside.
"There is an aurora above us. Clear as day." I looked at the ever glowing northern lights, red as blood, shining brightly in the sky.
If that is the case, then the compass I brought must be spinning like hell right now. I immediately take it out, and my thoughts are proven on the spot.
"Whoa. The compass…" Derek, and practically everyone stood up once they saw it and turned speechless.
"Brace yourselves, gentlemen." I held my breath.
"We are definitely getting closer to the threat."
Everyone including Yeon then immediately tighten their grips on their rifles, showing their risen awareness. Since Alek and Takeshi who was sitting at the front might not hear what I said, I lean myself towards the cabin rear window and tell them the same.
"Hey, you two. Did you hear what I said?" I also showed them the malfunctioning compass.
"Da, Mayor. Loud and clear." Alek keeps on focusing on the ground in front of us.
"Yes, sir we did. We will knock this window if we find that something strange is in front of us." Takeshi nodded as he keeps on focusing on the map held by his hands while also looking in front once in a while.
Just to make sure, I did not close the rear window because I am also curious as how the ground in front of us looks like. Nevertheless, I managed to make everyone stay cautious and that is a good thing.
For some more time, there was nothing else that picked up our interest as we keep on going, until there is a sudden quake coming right from below us.
"Did you feel that just now?" Yeon turned to me.
"Yes, extremely…" I quickly leaned again to the window to look if it may be coming from in front of us, but to no avail.
Everyone has already worn their armors, including Alek and Takeshi so at least I have one less thing to concern about. Then, the second quake occurs again with the same intensity but in a longer duration.
"This is… different than the one caused by the narwhal…" Irving commented.
"Indeed. I do not know why but, I think this quake is not caused by a living creature, or anything of the same size." this time, I leaned towards the back of the truck and trying to find out if it was coming from behind us instead.
But no matter how hard I tried to look or find any unusual sightings, I get nothing. If there is anything that picks up my interest, it is the malfunctioning compass which definitely spins yet faster.
I have my mind jumped a little when I begin to hear what seems to be an ice cracking noise. No traces of cracking on the ground this truck was moving on when I looked to the front and the back of it, but the noise just will not stop.
Instead, it keeps on getting clearer.
"What now?" Derek seemed a little anxious.
I am totally at loss for words. By now, everyone knows full well that something is definitely approaching us fast.
But nothing has really surprised us until….
"Major! To our right!!" Takeshi suddenly yelled.
There is not enough space for me to look through the rear window, so I stick my head outside through the back of the truck to look at what has been going on.
"You have going to be kidding me!!" I was shocked upon realizing what he saw.
The frozen solid ground not too far away from the truck has been rapidly breaking away, exposing the ocean it covered directly below it AND fast approaching directly towards us!
"Wait, what the hell!? I thought we have already arrived on the first island and this truck has been going on an icy solid ground!" Derek could not believe his eyes the moment he looked it.
"No, not yet! But we are almost there, less than one kilometer left!" Takeshi quickly replied.
"Alek!" I was about to tell him to go at full speed.
"Already on it, Mayor! The truck is on maximum gear!" Alek was undoubtedly restless.
How could I miss it?! Why the hell did not I think about the possibility that the cracking was coming from one of the sides?!
But the speed of which the ice cracking approaching to our direction is extremely quick, too fast to be believed that it is caused by natural causes. Unless….
The ice cracking is caused by the aliens all along….
"Takeshi, get your rifle and aim at the approaching crack! Do NOT shoot until I give the order!" I aimed my Browning Automatic Rifle towards the fast approaching possible threat in a rush through the back of the truck.
"Yes, sir!" I can hear him readying his rifle as I have started to wait for the threat to show itself to the surface.
"Alek, I believe that this truck is just going up ahead, am I correct?! Do what you must to keep this truck moving straight without slowing down!" I told Alek to keep his hand on the steering wheel steady, and his feet on the gas pedal firm.
"Understood!!" Alek shouted.
At this moment, Yeon has just opened up the right side window covers and aims his rifle towards the crack as well. Apparently he has a couple of tactics up his sleeves too.
"Irving, you have steady hands! Aim your rifle at it and wait for my order before you shoot! Derek, you have faster hands than we do, so you make sure that we have the next magazines ready!" he ordered his men.
"Yes, sir!" the two of them complied.
The approaching cracks coming towards us without any signs of slowing down. At first, the distance between us feels like we are half a stadium away from it.
Then, as if within a blink of an eye, the distance becomes five school busses away….
and then three….
then one….
…?!
The cracking suddenly stops and the frozen icy ground also stops breaking just less than ten steps away from the side of the truck, and just as I was about to give the order to open fire too, no less….
Where did it go…?!
At the exact moment, the back of this truck shook a little, as if its front wheels have just climbed up a steep inclining ground. Both me and Yeon are not affected by it, but apparently Irving lost his balance and almost fell down from the bench, if not for Derek who was quick enough to catch him.
"We have arrived! We made it to the isla-"
Out of nowhere, something large suddenly emerged out from below the frozen layer of water and butted the back of the truck real hard that we rolled up!
"Hang on to something!!" I yelled as loud as my lungs could make me.
We landed hard with the left side of the truck on the bottom and the right side on the top. All supplies, tools, and equipment stacked between the bench on the back are all scattered like hell!
"Are you all okay?!" I struggled for a little before I managed to get myself standing up again.
"Just… barely…" Yeon is trying to stand his body up by pulling some part of the back truck cover.
Irving and Derek were helping each other to get up when I rushed towards the rear window to make sure if Alek and Takeshi are alright.
"You two okay?" I peeked through the rear window.
"We are fine!" Alek said as he is assisting Takeshi to stand properly.
I guess we have to thank the armor that we are all wearing for nearly no injuries due to the crash, although we have trouble standing up due to the weight. But just after everyone are on their feet again….
The very same thing begins to hit the truck, repeatedly, this time from the right side!
"Guns ready!" I shouted as I aim the same rifle to the direction right in front of me.
As if that thing understands what I am saying, it suddenly stops attacking again. On one hand I am rather relieved that no one decides to just rush outside and try to gun it down by himself.
On the other hand though, it means that we are stuck inside this overturned truck until we can confirm that it has either gone dead or just leave us….
"Remember… wait for my order…" Yeon, who was standing right on my left side whispered to his men.
…
"Major?" Takeshi seemed to be starting to doubt on what to do.
"Hold your position… both of you…" I tried to reply him with as low a voice as possible.
It is hard to imagine how restless and tense both my and Yeon's men must be right now. They never had any experience dealing with an extraterrestrial threat and when they do right now, the only ones they could look to are also backed into a corner like this…
Every moment feels like we are waiting for that thing to show up itself for forever. I am also not sure whether or not to stick my head out and look if it may still be around because it will be too much of a risk.
But…
The thing suddenly emerged within a blink of an eye and approached the back of the truck with such an extreme speed that I have not enough time to even aim properly at it!
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!!" I yelled my lungs out as I hold on to the right bench.
This time, the thing not only butted the truck hard. It also managed to literally throw the whole truck in the air!
Everyone inside truck was also brought flying, trying their hardest not to fall outside the truck!
But I was not so lucky…
"HAARGH!!! UGHH!!" I groaned hard as my body hit the ground, a solid, ice covered land.
I forced my mind to focus on getting my rifle that had also been tossed away when the truck was thrown up in the air. Not wanting to put down my guard, I quickly grab my handgun as I begin to first approach the truck, which is luckily not too far away from me.
"Jon!" called a familiar sound from my right direction.
"Yeon! Where are the others?!" I rushed to him.
"No serious injuries so far. Come here, I found your rifle on-"
His words were cut as his face suddenly shows signs of terrify and disbelief…
I turned to see at what he just saw, and…
"Huh… so THIS is the one causing our truck to get thrown away like that!" both me and Yeon aimed our handgun and rifle towards it.