Chapter 74 Survivors?
The entire team of staffers fixated their attention on the monitor screen, tracking the unfamiliar vehicle approaching the Oriental. It marked a significant departure from the norm – a survivor seeking them out instead of the usual reverse scenario. This unprecedented turn of events piqued everyone's interest.
On the Northern Front of the Oriental perimeter, the stationed soldiers swiftly moved into action. They positioned themselves to block the road and signaled the blue sedan to come to a halt.
The blue sedan promptly obeyed the signal, slowing down and pulling over to a stop.
As the blue sedan came to a halt, the soldiers cautiously approached the vehicle. They were armed and ready for any unexpected developments. The atmosphere was tense, their eyes scanning the car's interior for any signs of threat.
The sedan's engine idled, and the driver's side window rolled down with a slow, creaking motion. A weary-looking man peered out, his eyes reflecting a mixture of apprehension and relief. His face was lined with fatigue, and the dust on his clothes spoke of a long and arduous journey.
"Who are you?" one of the soldiers asked, keeping a firm grip on his weapon.
The man swallowed hard, his voice quivering as he replied. "Please, my friends and I have been looking for a safe place to stay. We have been on the run since the outbreak began."
The soldiers exchanged glances but maintained their vigilance.
"Eagle Actual to all stations, ask them how they find us," Richard ordered.
"Copy that Actual, stand by," the soldier acknowledged the order before turning his attention once again to the driver. "How did you find us?"
"Uhm...I saw the lights of the skyscrapers, my friends and I believed that there was a safety camp and so here we are. Thank god that there is one."
The soldier continued his questioning, "How many of you are there?"
The driver answered, "There are four of us."
Knowing all that answer, the soldier who had been asking the question reached for his radio. "Eagle Actual, four survivors identified. Military-age, all male. Requesting directives over."
Back at the command center, Richard and Mark exchanged glances. Both of them are thinking about what to do next.
"Well, if they are survivors, we should let them in. It's easy five thousand gold coins for you sir right?" Mark said.
"Yeah you are right," Richard murmured and spoke to his radio. "Let them in."
"Copy that, Eagle Actual," the soldier acknowledged and began signaling his fellow soldier who was responsible at the gate. The heavy welded iron gates slowly rumbled open.
The sedan's engine roared to life once again, and the passengers followed the soldiers' hand signals.
The moment they were inside the Oriental, another soldier walked up to their car.
"Kill the engine," the soldier instructed, and the driver promptly turned off the sedan's engine. The passengers remained inside, anxiously waiting to see what would happen next.
"Okay, I want everyone to come out," the soldier instructed. The passengers exited the vehicle one by one, revealing their travel-worn appearances.
The soldier conducted a quick security check, making sure no one had any concealed weapons. After confirming their safety, he directed one of the survivors.
"Surviving out there without a weapon would be a tough challenge. Where are you hiding your weapons?" The soldier inquired, his brows narrowing in suspicion.
The driver, a man with a tired but honest look, hesitated for a moment before glancing back at the sedan.
"We have weapons, they're in the car. It's a machete and a pistol."
"Okay, I want you all to take a step away from the vehicle. We are going to conduct a thorough search inside your vehicle. Survivors aren't allowed to carry any sort of weapons inside the Oriental, it's a protocol that must be strictly adhered to for the safety and security of all residents here," the soldier explained.
The survivors reluctantly complied, stepping away from the vehicle as instructed. They watched as the soldier and his team carefully inspected the blue sedan.
After a thorough search, the soldier retrieved the machete and forty-five caliber pistol,? placing them in a secure container.
As the soldier secured the weapons in the container, he noticed another item tucked away in a corner of the vehicle's back seat. It was a two-way radio, slightly battered but still functional. He picked it up, his curiosity piqued and examined it closely.
Turning to the driver, he inquired, "What's this? A two-way radio? Is there any particular reason you're carrying this?"
The driver, his earlier apprehension still present, quickly responded, "It's for communication, you know, in case we get separated or need help. It's just for our safety out there."
The soldier contemplated the explanation for a moment, then spoke again. "Then where is the other one? Why is there only one radio inside?"
Beads of sweat trickled down the driver's forehead and the group of men started exchanging worried glances at one another as if hiding something.
"Uhm...we lost it when we were being chased by the zombies," the driver explained.
The soldier scrutinized the survivors as they stumbled over their words. He remained skeptical but decided not to press further at the moment.
"Fine," he said curtly, tucking the two-way radio into the container with the other confiscated items—
"Uhm, sir! Can we keep the radio?"
"Why?" The soldier regarded the driver with a raised eyebrow, skeptical of their sudden request to keep the radio.
The soldier's radio crackled to life as Richard's voice came through, "Anything amiss, soldier?"
The soldier quickly responded, "Everything seems fine Actual. Just conducting a thorough check. The survivors are in possession of a two-way radio, there's only one of it and I'm asking where the others are. They lost it. Now they are requesting that we hand it to them."
"Stand by soldier."
***
In the command center, as Richard was about to ask a communication specialist, a person entered.
"I'm sorry if I am a bit late."
All heads turned to that person. It was Sara, looking good as always in her uniform, her feminine charm blending seamlessly with her commanding presence.
Memories of hours ago flooded Richard's mind, and he suddenly felt his heart beating. Wait—he shouldn't be feeling this, he is the commanding officer, and he has something important to ask, and Sara's line of work fits perfectly with it.
Richard shook off the distraction and quickly brought Sara up to speed, explaining the situation with the survivors and the two-way radio. She listened attentively, nodding at the pertinent details.
She doesn't seem to be bothered by his presence alone, especially after their moments together in her unit.
"A two-way radio, you are asking me if it's a potential security risk to the Oriental?" Sara repeated the question, clarifying her understanding of the situation.
"I also want to ask if the radio can connect to other two-way radios...I'm sorry if I'm not formulating my question right. I simply don't understand the mechanism of two-way radios," Richard admitted, his tone reflecting a touch of frustration with the technical aspects.
Sara offered a reassuring smile. "No problem, Richard. I understand what you're getting at. Two-way radios can communicate with each other as long as they're set to the same frequency or channel. It's a straightforward technology used for voice communication. The concern would be if this radio was configured to link to other radios outside the Oriental."
"You mean to say that the radio can connect to another two-way radio even if the original one was destroyed or lost?"
"Yes, that's correct. If the two-way radio was designed to connect to other radios on the same frequency, it could potentially link up with another radio, even if the original one was destroyed or lost," Sara reiterated.
"Okay, thank you, Sara. That's all I need to know," Richard said, smiling warmly at her. nove/lb/1n
"No problem sir, I'm just doing my job," Sara said simply.
Truly, she wasn't even bothered by him at all.
"Soldier, as for the two-way radio, tell them that they can't have it. Explain that it is a protocol," Richard said.
"Roger that, Actual," the soldier responded and addressed the four survivors. "Our commanding officer said that you can't keep your radio."
"But it's not a weapon," the driver reasoned. "You said it yourself, only weapons aren't allowed inside the premises of your camp."
"Well consider yourself informed, communication devices aren't also allowed inside the Oriental Camp. Now, for the next step, we want you to fill out a form that would ask for your name, address, and occupation before the outbreak. You'll also have to pass a physical test from on-site doctors to examine if you and your friends here have been bitten."
"I can assure you that my friends aren't bitten by zombies," the driver said.
"Well, it's better safe than sorry. You comply with our protocols, if not you are more than welcome to leave," the soldier told the driver firmly.
The driver clicked his tongue inwardly. This is getting hard as moments pass by.
"This is going to be challenging," the driver said to himself.
