B1-P.CH1: The bloody bonfire
It was already dark when Dan woke up.
Rising up, he found out that he is currently on South Ivy’s Sports field along with some of the people that were injured during the bombings.
The entire place were lighted by couple of bonfires, which lighted the field in red hue.
Trying to stand up a sharp pain ran through his head, making him stop and gasp hard for breath. While waiting for the pain to subside, a soft hand gently pushed him back to rest on cloth covered grass.
“Please rest for a bit granpa should finish his rounds by now...” Hearing her voice Dan obediently followed her plea.
Dan’s gazes fell on the girl wearing the SI’s uniform, Seeing how concerned she was Dan couldn’t help but smile lazily at her.
“Miyuki, how long was out? ”
“For about 6-7 hours or so...”
“Eh!? That long?”
“Hmm” Miyuki nodded: “After the explosions died down...” Miyuki then slowly recounted the events after the bombings.
The bombings lasted for about 10 minutes. Luckily, no bombs exploded on school grounds and the reasons why some of the building within SI crumbled was because their foundations were repeatedly disrupted by shock waves caused from the consecutive explosions.
Once it was confirmed that the bombings has stopped. Those that were able, started to search for survivors. Others tried to contact the police and fire marshall to call for aid but after the bombings most or rather all of the electronic equipments within the campus and even the MPC’s weren’t working properly. The search continued until half past 5. After that the principal called over some the abled staff and security personnel for meeting which lasted until now.
From time to time, Miyuki would pause, as she remembered the fate of those that she knew being crushed under the school’s rubbles and seeing their lifeless eyes made her shiver in fright, as she thought of: “what if she was the one under those”, which fueled her fear even more.
At those times Dan would gave her a pat in the head to ease her worries.
Feeling his hands softly moving around her head, her cheeks turned a shade redder. Swatting his hands away from her, she would cutely puff her cheeks up and softly declare: “I’m not a kid anymore!” and then she would continue talking.
“You know Dan, my offer on marrying Miyuki off to you is still available.” While Miyuki was still talking to Dan, an aged-worn voice interrupted her words. Hearing this made Miyuki choke on her own saliva.
Regaining her composure she glared at the old man that was wearing a doctor’s vest. Seeing this the old man couldn’t helplessly shrug his shoulders. Seeing his granddaughter being lively again he couldn’t feel more happier.
He crouched down on Dan’s right side and started to check his pulse and after a couple of more test he concluded that everything was fine except for the headache, which he gave an aspirin to help Dan deal with it.
Sitting crossed legged, the old doctor sighed and started: “ I thought you were a goner Dan”
It would seem that even these old man was worried sick about his condition. Seeing this couldn’t help lament in his heart.
Ethan House and Miyuki House are one of few people that are his closest acquaintance he has on SI. Knowing that he made them needlessly worry about his health weighed a lot on him and at same time selfishly glad that they were there for him.
After teasing Miyuki for fun. The old doctor resumed his rounds as there were still a lot patients that needed his attention. Following after Miyuki left as she was being called by her friends.
Dinner was delayed as the cooks were still waiting for the teachers and the principal to conclude their meeting.
Boredom got the better of Dan, taking out a slim rectangular object from his pockets, he prompted it to on, doing so made it project two more screen at side of the phone. Navigating through his phone Dan confirmed that both the school’s network and shadow network that he set up were down.
Dan tried to open his personal window but seeing as he was only able to access his mail box, Dan concluded that MPC’s must’ve been damage by either the bombings or from the fall he experienced. Since he can’t connect to the net to gather some info, he prompted his phone again and opened and old rts rpg game on it.
While in the middle of playing, the principal’s secretary came by to check on his conditions, confirming that Dan can move around freely he invited to join the that was currently in session.
Of course, since there wasn’t anything urgent that needed his attention he agreed and followed the stern-eyed woman to administration building.
If Dan was asked which among the buildings in SI is the safest to hide to during of an event that were the likes of today. Dan would readily answer the Administration building which is where the principal’s office was located.
After going through the blueprints the campus, Dan found that the Greed-reincarnate fatass syphoned around 30% of the schools income which he used around half of it to retrofit the entire administration building into a solid bunker slash panic room.
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Arriving at the said location. The meeting hall which should have been noisy was dead silent.
Noticing a gaudy looking teacher with forehead bleeding profusely, his ass on floor with a look of disbelief and noticing the ashtray that is on his side Dan didn’t need to ask what happened to him.
“It would seem that an argument just ended in a very civilised manner” Dan commented inside his head.
Seeing Dan enter the hall, a pot bellied man that is sitting on top a working table, quickly pointed his meaty fingers at him and started: “OI! You fix those generators now!”
Looking at this fatass of a principal sweating profusely with the top two buttons of his vest open. Dan couldn’t be discouraged about working.
“Unfortunately, I can’t fix them right now...”
The principals brows twitched strongly after hearing his answer, his free hand scoured over the top of his desk to in search of an object to throw: “Oh~ why can’t you fix them now can you tell me?” the principal asked with a smiling face.
“Do you know what kind of bombs those terrorist or rather the bomber used today?”
“...No” Seeing his question being answered with another questions the fatman’s smile twitched slightly: “and what does those explosion got to do with fixing the generators?”
A sigh escaped from Dan’s lips seeing the confused look the principal had on his face, helpless, Dan could only quickly explained his reasons…
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First that most likely the terrorist/bombers used a bomb containing a component known as uranium.
Hearing Dan utter the word “Uranium” majority of the audience had close to zero reaction to this word but those teachers that teach history and chemistry had a huge reaction and even some of the experienced security personnel frowned hearing this.
Continuing with his explanation didn’t bore much reaction, not until he explained the effects an initial explosion of a nuclear bomb did the audience react.
“Bullshit! Even if what you’re is saying true, don’t tell me that I’m just going to die just because I’m breathing the air that was exposed to the bombing”
“Do you even fucking know what you’re talking about boy!”
“Just honestly tell us that you can’t fix the generator there’s no need to make believe bomb”
The thought of death frightens every being and once this ordinary teachers found out that after surviving a terrifying ordeal just hours ago that they would have to face a more savage death made them chose to deny the facts and pin all of their pent up frustration on him.
The frenzied teachers stopped their hollering when a gunshot resounded in the room. Looking at the source of the sound was well-built man standing at the side, in has hands was a customized 9mm handgun.
Seeing as he has already gathered the attention of every person he cleared his throat and said: “It’s best if you listen to the man properly”
“Don’t tell me you believe this crap that he is spouting!?” Someone shouted within the crowd.
“As someone who has been in service with the military. I’ve seen and heard a lot more of atrocious things that neither among you could imagine. And among those list is the one that man is currently spouting...”
Hearing this the crowd went pale.
After that, Dan’s explanation went smoothly as he immediately arrived at the source of their problems. Aside from the hazardous poison which was released during a nuclear explosion there was another phenomena that which is said to be most lethal to electronic devices.
Which was named as nuclear EMP or just known as EMP.
A name that was not foreign to them, as such there was no need to elaborate the effects of it to electro machinery.
Knowing the effect of an EMP a teacher tried to argue about the equipments in SI have been installed countermeasure against such things.
Of course that would’ve been effective against a small scale EMP exposure but letting a electro machinery exposed to long terms of electromagnetic pulses would easily dispel such countermeasures.
With a valid reason the principal can’t punish him for being lazy, with a scoff the principal pushed the meeting through but hearing his stomach grumble, he immediately dismissed the meeting and was the first one to run out for food.
Like that the meeting ended in abrupt manner.
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After the teachers were dismissed from that arduous meeting. The cooks, which were waiting immediately started their work.
Since they weren’t able to procure any pots and pans from the collapsed cafeteria, the meat that they’ve salvaged were skewered and passed onto the survivors letting them grill it on the open fire. With this number of bonfires that were being lit up on the sports field increased.
The smell of grilled meat wafted throughout the place as those that survived relished the moment of being alive. While some of the teacher were still bugged out about the ARS poisoning all of them shoved the subject at the back of their as they decided that eating was more important than thinking of problem that hasn’t appeared yet. As they all plan to have fun throughout the night.
Sitting on top of rubble far away from the festive atmosphere, Dan was currently rereading the message that he received prior to the incident.
Frankly speaking… he was puzzled on why were the MPC’s were still working even with long exposure of EMP. Following the fact that all electromagnetic mechanism should been fried by the EM pulses, the Metabiometrics chip that was implanted on their head should’ve been affected but seeing his message window was up and functional made him completely lost.
Not only that within the message that he was reading there were some lines that greatly intrigued him the most.
Like last time Dan activated the program prompt to materialize the baked potato.
Seeing the steaming potato in his hands. Dan read the last part of the message intently.
After contemplating for a some time, Dan tried taking a bite out of it only to stop midway.
“What do you want Anika...” Dan scoffed as he felt her presence close by
Feeling a gun’s muzzle on top of his head, Dan didn’t move, silence crept up between the two people as they waited for the other to talk.
“For someone as great as you to be sneaked around by me aren’t you ashamed” After what seemed like eternity the one who broke the silence was her.
Feeling a hint of disappointment in her voice, Dan like always just smiled lazily and continued on.
“Are you really going to eat that, what if it’s poisoned?”
“Either way I’d either die of old age, die by your hands or die from some kind of freak accident. Isn’t better to chose your way of dying.”
After saying that he took a bite out of the potato.
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8…
9…
10…
10 seconds past Anika holstered her gun, walked in front of Dan.
Seeing as that he was blankly staring space, she raised her hand and gave him a strong slap.
Dan’s body collapsed in a pile of rubble, his eyes were focused, he stared at Anika.
“Wh-----”
“TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED NOW!?” before Dan could finish his words, Anika cut him off..
“It jus…...”
Half way from his words he was cut off again but this time it was because of the sounds consecutive gunshots coming from the sports field.
When the two heard those sounds they immediately sprinted to it's source.
*****
Authors Notes:
Hi jfg here posting a new chapter for DIGITIZED.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter.
Again thank you for reading my ON (Original Novel) and please don't hesitate in pointing out any of my errors in this chapter so I could immediately correct them.
See you in the next update Jfg.