Teduh is a city located in the highlands of West Sumatra, with an elevation of around 700 meters above sea level. Its highland location gives the city a cool climate, with an average temperature of around 20-25 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Kota Teduh is also known as a city of arts and culture in West Sumatra.
In the past, Teduh was only a small city known for its rich arts and culture. However, after the formation of EUN, the population of the city increased, forcing it to expand its territory to connect with another city about 50 km away, namely Teric.
Teric, as the capital of West Sumatra, plays an important role in the economy and government of the province. In addition, this city also serves as a connecting route to two other provinces nearby, namely Riau and Jambi. Due to its strategic location, Kota Teric has the Rain Bay Port, which is the main port in West Sumatra.
Rain Bay Port is one of the largest ports in Indonesia and is the economic center of West Sumatra. The port serves passenger and cargo ships heading to various regions in Indonesia, as well as ships sailing to several EUN member states such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Rain Bay Port is also equipped with various facilities such as docks, warehouses, cranes, and a spacious parking area.
Although Teric and Teduh differ in size and economic role, they are interrelated and contribute significantly to the development of West Sumatra province. Teduh, known for its arts and culture, can be a tourist attraction for visitors who want to learn about the diversity of West Sumatra's culture, while Teric with its Rain Bay Port can help accelerate economic growth in this region.
In addition, Teduh and Teric have the potential to support each other in various fields such as trade, tourism, and investment. In recent years, the local government has introduced various development programs to advance both cities and improve the welfare of the people.
So, the Rain Bay port is a crucial organ for both the cities of Teric and Teduh. However, the importance of the Rain Bay port is not limited to these cities alone but for the entire EUN. This port is one of the places that supply the necessities of Eshya I.
The location of Eshya I must be kept secret, and the EUN people in general are unaware that they have a giant sea fortress protecting them. Only a few individuals or specific families are aware of the existence of Eshya I.
Therefore, the Rain Bay port must be held by trustworthy individuals appointed by the central government of EUN. Since the construction of Eshya I, the Katze family has always held the Rain Bay port and continued to do so for generations.
On that night, cargo ships filled the Rain Bay port, and the darkness of the night was illuminated by the ship's lights. The workers' foreheads were covered in sweat, even though the night was chilly due to the rain in the evening.
The shouts of orders and commands could be heard, ensuring that every item in the containers was loaded onto waiting trucks or, conversely, that items from trucks were loaded onto ships to be shipped the next morning. The sounds of cranes, forklifts, and other machines also filled the noise of the Rain Bay port that night.
Every day, tons of goods passed through the Rain Bay port, so this activity should have been familiar. However, wrinkles still formed on Manager Chong's forehead.
It wasn't because the Rain Bay port was too busy that night, but because it wasn't as busy as he anticipated.
Today, the ships from Eshya I were supposed to come and collect their necessities from the Rain Bay port. However, after waiting for hours, and as sunrise approached, the ships from Eshya I had not yet arrived.
Manager Chong became the head of the Rain Bay port not only due to his loyalty but also because of his management skills. He always completed his tasks on time and never made significant mistakes that would cause losses for the Katze family.
But if the ships from Eshya I do not arrive until sunrise, Rain Bay port may suffer significant losses. Whether it's due to the containers they use to store the goods or something as small as the number of unemployed laborers.
Although this loss will not affect its position since the fault lies with the late arrival of Eshya I ships, it could still tarnish Manager Chong's otherwise perfect record. As time goes by, Manager Chong feels increasingly frustrated.
However, he cannot do anything about it. There should be no communication through any signals between Rain Bay port and Eshya I. Although the possibility of interception is minimal, EUN has yet to nullify it.
In the field of espionage and intelligence, EUN is still at the bottom position compared to the three superpowers that dominate the world. Therefore, they always use ancient communication methods to convey their important messages, such as using carrier pigeons or Morse code.
As a result, if there is a situation that requires quick communication like what Manager Chong is experiencing right now, the news will be very delayed. In the end, Manager Chong can only decide not to send a message to the Eshya I ships and patiently wait.
*knock! *knock! *knock!
"Manager Chong, this is Arif reporting,"
The sound of knocking and greeting from behind his office door disrupts Manager Chong's thoughts. Before answering, Manager Chong tries to compose himself and return his panic-stricken face to his usual calm demeanor.
Panic from a boss will only make his subordinates more anxious. Whatever happens, a boss must remain calm and able to think with a clear mind. This is one of the keys to Manager Chong's successful career.
"Come in," Manager Chong says with a tone that is not too high to be shrill, yet not too low to be inaudible.
A middle-aged man with a typical Malay face opened the door to Manager Chong's office and entered. He looked a bit awkward walking in front of Manager Chong, who was known for his iron-fisted leadership. He was afraid that his etiquette would not satisfy Manager Chong, leading to his dismissal. Moreover, the news he wanted to convey would not be pleasing to the ears of a money-grubber like Manager Chong.
"What is it?" Manager Chong sensed Arif's stiffness.
Swallowing hard, Arif answered in a stuttering voice, "Uh... Well... Manager Chong... Hmm... That... Um... The Eshya I ships that were supposed to arrive tonight seem to be delayed."
"Hmm? Delayed? What do you mean? Did you receive a message from Eshya I?"
"No, we didn't receive a message from Eshya I, but the radar data at our lighthouse showed that there is an obstruction on the Eshya I route to Rain Bay."
"Obstruction? What do you mean by obstruction? No ships are scheduled to pass through that route!" Manager Chong sensed something bad.
"It's not a ship, Manager Chong... Ah... Or maybe it is a ship... Ah... It's more appropriate to call it a former ship."
*BAM!
"SPEAK CLEARLY!!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Manager Chong lost his patience and slammed his desk, his bad feeling growing stronger.
"Hieee... The radar at the lighthouse shows that there's a burned-out ship on the Eshya I route to Rain Bay. We don't know exactly what happened or which ship or who was burned. You also know that the magnetic field in that area is slightly disturbed because Eshya I is trying to conceal it."
"WHAT??!!!" Manager Chong could no longer contain himself. He stood up and pushed Arif away from his path.
With hurried steps, Manager Chong stormed out of his office and headed towards the lighthouse report reception area. He forced the door open and saw several startled staff members standing there.
"What were you IDIOTS thinking!!! Why didn't you report to me immediately if there was a ship burning on the Eshya I route?" Manager Chong's voice mixed anger and panic.
"We... we... we..."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"
Before any of the staff members in the monitoring room could answer, Manager Chong's anger exploded. He roughly pushed one of the staff members from their chair and took their place in front of the lighthouse radar monitor.
On the monitor screen, he saw a signal indicating a ship that was not moving at all. The temperature marker showed that the ship had caught fire, possibly due to an explosion.
Manager Chong did not find any other ships nearby or any signs of a camouflaged submarine. With his experience during the Third World War, Manager Chong was confident that he could detect any anomalies if the burned ship was attacked.
However, it seemed that the ship had exploded on its own or maybe something had happened inside the ship. Manager Chong didn't understand what had really happened, but his intuition was getting worse.
"Ah... this point is moving," Arif pointed to the monitor.
Manager Chong saw the red dot on the monitor that Arif pointed to. But that was not the red dot that indicated a ship's movement.
"What is this red dot?" Manager Chong asked the still frightened monitoring room staff.
"Uh... that... um... that's the dot we put to see if any sea creatures are crossing the Eshya I route," one staff member replied.
"Sea creatures? You mean whales?"
"Yes."
Sometimes a group of whales crosses the Eshya I route. Although they do not pose a threat to passing ships, their presence can make the route known to other countries.
Therefore, ships from Eshya I usually avoid the sea lanes where whale groups are known to pass.
"This is not a group of whales, this dot indicates that this creature is alone, and strangely, it seems to be approaching this area quickly."
"If we look at its trajectory, this creature will arrive right at dock 3."
"Hurry up, all of you check dock 3... No! I will go with you!"
Manager Chong hoped that his decision would not lead to regret.