Synopsis: Lieutenant Hansen's Platoon is ordered to quarantine Racoon City, their area of responsibility being the main highway out, and there's a sense of conspiracy unfolding among the more scrupulous soldiers. The abnormalities are crystallized clearly to one Officer by a CIA Operative's unsettling words, Division Command's bizarre decisions, and inconsistent events reported against their reason for deployment.
Chapter 1 - Orders
Lieutenant Hansen stood before the highway, ten men of Alpha Squad beside him, and signaled over radio for squads covering the surrounding forestation to be very aware as the threat was beyond bullets: it was minuscule. It was the main exit of Racoon City, quarantined to prevent an outbreak of a classified case of Ebola. The cover story was 'radioactive waste exposure', with any civilians as highly contaminated, but he know better from a long-time friend, Captain Raymond, who managed his Company.
The Company itself was tasked with protecting North-Eastern exits, principally State Highway 113 for his Platoon, and a whole Division - 12,000 strong infantrymen - was deployed for encircling the whole zone, Racoon City, to obstruct any breaks to containment. Nothing has the acumen and precision of infantry, who are able to operate with much autonomy. We were the eagle to our flag, scanning directly to protect the borders we regard as home, Racoon City now being deemed 'outside'.
It was once thought military indoctrination prepared us for an instance of civil war - bonding us as units to be above shooting 'civilians' at home who are separate to our brotherhood - yet I understood they could never exist alien as gooks when I'd socialized extensively with such people: they were real, they were friends, they were family; we shared much and I couldn't dehumanize them or or think of them as variables to a mission.
Suddenly, as I was lost in pensive contemplation - terrible as I'd ordered vigilant situational awareness - a man was spotted approaching us on foot, following the highway in a languid stumble at approximately 900 meters.
Chapter 2 - Hypocrite
I looked up at the marksman, Corporal Hammond, situated on the opposite lane, over a Jersey barrier, as he was sprawled across the roof of a humvee, aiming with an M24, and instructed him to not open fire, contradicting an order to, 'engage any persons who'd disembodied instructions to remain inside Racoon City'. "Don't fuckin' fire! HOLD YOU FIRE!", I yelled, and immediately relayed 'contact, hold fire' over radio to all squads in my sector, almost screeching as I'd realized it was a betrayal to the military. Nevertheless, as they would not betray the military, they'd follow my order or perhaps they shared a similar disdain for the order?
"Fire-Team 1 of Alpha, follow me. We have blue suits - no contaminants will harm us. Sergeant Picard, have the rest of Alpha provide fire support in case he's unruly". Sergeant Picard looked worried, instinctively nodding, before the Platoon Sergeant, Reece, spoke words to his subordinate's expression, assertively so: "Sir, with all due respect, we're here to stop any outbreak outside and this just makes that much more so possible, helping the other way to our order if anything. What is to gain?" In anger of his contradiction before my men, I retorted harshly in simple words, "The gain is following MY order", satisfactory to only a mindless obedience which was contrary to the route I'd adopted in my personal order.
Unclicking the safety of my M16, I proceeded down the road, with 4 men behind me in a column, and my nerves were intense as the scenario itself was beyond suspicious, it was terrifying. As the situation was closer, much to be revealed, he was anxious: "Why the need to have a cover story", "Why were we ordered to kill American citizens on sight?", "Why is this being treated like a civil war and civilians as enemies?", "Wasn't it clear this was biological when we were not issued radiation protection?"
Chapter 3 - Conspiracy
The man was dressed in a black suit, patches stained darker with blood, and his hand trembled as it held a butcher knife wrapped in a coagulated mucus. My fire-team halted a meters ahead of him, instinctively forming a line, and screamed "HALT!" as they raised their weapons in perfect synchronization.
The man complied.
Passing two of my soldiers, I inched closer, firmly speaking: "I am Lieutenant Hansen, I'm to detain you. Who are you?" The man looked up, almost like he was shocked alive, and his voice faintly spoke: "Umbrella...They...The d-dead are animate...they eat the alive." The soldier next to me was evidently unnerved, his weapon wavering to the wind instead of discipline. I repeated myself: "I am Lieutenant Hansen - WHO ARE YOU?", with the man finally attentive, looking at me through a vague eye contact. "I am... CIA...", his voice gathering momentum, "My rendezvous was intercepted by you...and radio transmissions blocked... The military is infil--"
Tush.
The man's head disintegrated into a red hue of sand-like particles and his body was knocked back to the floor, barely thumping over the echo of a marskman's shot.
Chapter 4 - Superior
"This is Platoon Sergeant Reece of Alpha Platoon, Bravo Company of the 4th Battalion Infantry 22nd. I need to speak with the Colonel commanding our Battalion."
"I read you, forwarding now."
Reece sighed, he'd never liked his chief: Haughty, too individualistic for an army which needs order to function. He doesn't make the orders as he arrogantly believes, he finds a way to shape them.
"This is Colonel Richard speaking, talk."
"Sir, this is Platoon Sergeant Reece here. Our Lieutenant is standing over his orders and making half a squad head over to a man who is escaping."
"I see, I see. Hold on, I need to check this out with Major General Mayfair whose made this a day to micromanage."
Silence... Here was me thinking there'd be anger over my disobedience on principle of obedience to local command, but I knew I wasn't in the wrong, my commander was in his irresponsibility to disrespect military tradition - betraying the foundation of his authority. Who does the man think he is? He's one of these West Point graduates lacking any understanding of the literal imperative to educated theories, thinking there are alternatives as with academic scrutinities on paper.
"Alright, its's been decisively said by Division: You are to assume command. The civilian is to be eliminated and this is in no way to be sidetracked, whatever the circumstances. Over."
Corporal Hammond looked over, awaiting a change eagerly for action, and to his pleasure I issued the directive as it should have been: "Corporal, shoot the hazardous threat". Hammond smirked, hugging the butt of his weapon to steady his aim, and he calculated the bullet drop before releasing his finger to fire the sniper rifle.
Hammond controlled the recoil with his weight to see the impact, admiring the beauty of his ballistics.
Chapter 5 - Authority
Sat Apr 22, 2023 9:34 pm by 
