Timeline: Short Stories from the Apocalypse - A Through Rough Times Spinoff

[ukron]

We Slavs - Former Yugoslavia during the Killer Pandemic: Neretva Safe Zone

By CentralEuropeDD

December 5, 2018 (Z-Day + 50)
Blagaj fortress, in Mostar safe zone. Bosnia and Herzegovina

After the creation of the safe zone on Mostar, this castle was near the M6.1 road (between Mostar and Nevesinje), and was blocked near the old town of Blagaj, as it was the border of the defensive perimeter between Mostar and the other towns that joined against the huge ammount of undead corpses.

"Miladin, are you sure that the walls will endure?" asked Mustafa Polutak, a former soldier of Bosnian Army who helped to save Mostar from the hordes
"Of course...We had created a new perimetrer using debris and military remnants!" said Miladin.
The soldier was sit on the parking of the old fortress, where a checkpoint had been created. Being barricated using a wall of cars and wood, and from the room of the van, they were able to see the quarantine zone set near for the hundreds of survivors that came from Sprska. A bosnian flag was blowing over the fortress, while the military engineers were creating a safe outpost in the old building.
Smoke and fire came from Nevesinje, a nearby town that was burnt from some days as a fire started in the local gas station.
The M-84 tank near the two soldiers saved them from infected refugees, but only some were able to enter as they were unaffected by the Chinese flu. As the road where the fortess was accesible was narrow and near a mountain, few refugees and civilians appeared on those days. Those refugees were sent to Stolac (Thanks that it was sealed by some walls and a monastery, a quarantine zone was created), and Čeljevo, near the military base on Čapljina (home of the 4th Infantry Brigade remnants and a training zone). Some survivors established on Hutovo Blato nature reserve to avoid the undead, while Sarajevo, Zagreb, and other places were chaotic infected zones
After knowing that few refugees were near, , Mustafa gave his companion a bit of his ćevapi, to celebrate that the Neretva safe zone was expanding slowly... Meanwhile the radio they got in the table, began to spread a military SOS from Neum harbour

Neum harbour, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Some kilometers far-away, the defensive perimeter against the undead was small, but some soldiers from the 4th Infantry Brigade, based in Čapljina , and armed with M16 rifles created a outpost in Zenička beach. Thanks to the help of the Croatian Navy missile boat Kralj Petar Krešimir IV, which was sent to Neum to search survivors, they were saved as undeads almost ate them. Bosnian soldiers were taken to the Korčula Island safe zone, near Dubrovnik.
They weren´t safe from the infected... Until reach the croatian safe zones

Author's Notes:
Ćevapi is a bosnian dish that consists of meat and flatbread similar to kebab

[ukron]

Aspiring Actress - Part 1: City of Smiles

October 8, 2018 (Z-Day - 9)
Bacolod City
Negros Occidental, Philippines

The MassKara Festival is an icon for the City of Smiles. Comparable to the Sinulog festival in Cebu and the Kadawayan Festival in Davao, MassKara attracts thousands of visitors, both domestic and international. With colorful festive masks worn on the streets as flags and lights all around the city, one would expect to have his or her time of her life in this place. Everything looked so happy as if nothing would ruin it.

That was the thought of 21 year old Thea Rose Rizaldo on her first solo trip here. She had a lot of online friends to meet during Bacolod City's most significant event. The 21 year old Accounting Technology graduate had recently resigned from her work as banker to pursue acting. Even before college, she was known in her local town of Tubigon to have joined several acting and pageant gigs, hence the nickname the Daring Dalaga of Bohol. She was currently aiming to be part of Pinoy Big Brother Otso as a housemate. Thea wanted that since she was still in high school.

"If the Lord wills it." Thea said to herself. "Today, I shall have a good time exploring this wonderful city."

Thea explored Bacolod, meeting her online friends and watching her favorite bands perform. It was an unforgettable trip for she made unforgettable memories. Her trip turned out to be the best. This is one of the things Thea would want to re-experience again one day in another place. She hoped to be able to see those online friends she met some time in the future and create more moments.

"If only this moment could last forever." Thea pondered.

She returned to Bohol a few days later, just as the pandemic became known.

Author's Notes:
This is basically a fanfiction of Thea Rizaldo, a Pinoy Big Brother Otso housemate and a celebrity here in the Philippines. We unknowingly went to the same school from 2013-2017 but we never met. The Killer Pandemic would butterfly that away for sure. I do not watch Big Brother reality show for it is not my cup of tea. Nonetheless, I would love to explore how her acting career would be affected and how she would survive.

Spoiler: Her blog uploaded in OTL November 2018
This is butterflied away in this timeline.

[gillan1220]

Sept 28, 2022 14:55:53 GMT ukron said:

Aspiring Actress - Part 1: City of Smiles

October 8, 2018 (Z-Day - 9)
Bacolod City
Negros Occidental, Philippines

The MassKara Festival is an icon for the City of Smiles. Comparable to the Sinulog festival in Cebu and the Kadawayan Festival in Davao, MassKara attracts thousands of visitors, both domestic and international. With colorful festive masks worn on the streets as flags and lights all around the city, one would expect to have his or her time of her life in this place. Everything looked so happy as if nothing would ruin it.

That was the thought of 21 year old Thea Rose Rizaldo on her first solo trip here. She had a lot of online friends to meet during Bacolod City's most significant event. The 21 year old Accounting Technology graduate had recently resigned from her work as banker to pursue acting. Even before college, she was known in her local town of Tubigon to have joined several acting and pageant gigs, hence the nickname the Daring Dalaga of Bohol. She was currently aiming to be part of Pinoy Big Brother Otso as a housemate. Thea wanted that since she was still in high school.

"If the Lord wills it." Thea said to herself. "Today, I shall have a good time exploring this wonderful city."

Thea explored Bacolod, meeting her online friends and watching her favorite bands perform. It was an unforgettable trip for she made unforgettable memories. Her trip turned out to be the best. This is one of the things Thea would want to re-experience again one day in another place. She hoped to be able to see those online friends she met some time in the future and create more moments.

"If only this moment could last forever." Thea pondered.

She returned to Bohol a few days later, just as the pandemic became known.

Author's Notes:
This is basically a fanfiction of Thea Rizaldo, a Pinoy Big Brother Otso housemate and a celebrity here in the Philippines. We unknowingly went to the same school from 2013-2017 but we never met. The Killer Pandemic would butterfly that away for sure. I do not watch Big Brother reality show for it is not my cup of tea. Nonetheless, I would love to explore how her acting career would be affected and how she would survive.

Spoiler: Her blog uploaded in OTL November 2018
This is butterflied away in this timeline.

Ah yes, the first time I wrote a fanfic wherein the character is a celebrity. I got inspired from Protect & Survive and World War Z (the celebrity mansion chapter).

[ukron]

Aspiring Actress - Part 2: Me Time

October 12, 2018 (Z-Day - 5)
Tubigon
Bohol, Philippines

It had been two days since Thea returned to her hometown in Bohol. The small town of Tubigon could be described as an Arcadia. It was a small peaceful town by any means. Fishing, farming, and shipborne trade was the driving economy of the town. Its port was strategically located just across Cebu City, it being a 2 hour boat-ride. When one would squint or even use binoculars, one could make out the Cebu City skyline which looks like small blocks. A market is what would greet visitors disembarking from the port. The fresh smell of fresh meat and fish would fill in the air. It had a town square with a park facing a church. The damages brought on by the 2013 Bohol Earthquake to the church has since been repaired. It would effectively serve as a marker of this town's resilence.

Back in her room, Thea began transferring images and footage from her Bacolod trip. She would make a vlog about it. Connecting her camera via wire to her computer, the screen showed several squares of what she took from her trip.

"That's a lot. Time to edit this." Thea said.

Over the past few days, she had received lots of fan mail and complementary comments from her fans across the Philippines. Her fans could not wait for her newest content available on her YouTube channel. Thea had a hard time responding to them all. That is if she could. After all, the life of a celebrity is not as easy as it seemed. She was one of them who had to constantly upload content in both her channel and her Instagram account.

She spent majority of the day editing the footage, but laziness would come. Often times, she would just rest in her bed and scroll on social media. Her closest friends in college would leave messages on her posts.

"Thea, let's catch up soon once you come back to Cebu." One of her closest friends commented.

"Puhon (soon)! I'll inform you when I return." She replied.

"Hi, I just want to say you're really pretty and all." Commented another fan.

"Awww thank you! :happyblush" Thea replied.

Continuing to scroll down on her phone, Thea saw the news both in the Philippines and abroad. Thea was not the person into politics, though she was critical of the current Duterte administration over human rights abuses. Using her platform, Thea would express her disdain for unfortunate events as a result of Duterte's drug war that began two years ago. Majority of her fans would support her, though the older ones and the DDS[1] would vehemently disgree. Some would go out of their way to call her insulting names such as an idiot or a thot, but she would shrug this aside. Thea did not have time to address her haters; the more if they were brainless people that refused to see the facts.

One of the news on Facebook that she stumbled upon was about some sporadic cases of rioting and civil unrest reported in Turkey and India. She shrugged these aside. What caught her attention though was about all these random acts of violence in the United States, particularly in the West Coast. Reading it, she was surprised how some of the suspects were violent and unresponsive. All of it were reported to have ended up with the police shooting the suspect. Strangely, some of these suspects took several bullets before going down.

"America having their own drug war? It's not so different then." Thea thought. She was disgusted about why these always ended up fatally. Drug users need help, not a bullet to the head as the reports stated. Just as Thea was critical of Duterte, she was also critical of America's 45th President even though she's not an American. She could still remember that fateful Wednesday afternoon[2] when it was announced that the New York businessman would become the next President of the United States.

"I hope my friends in the States or those visiting stay safe." Thea once more thought. She had a schoolmate who was currently in California at the same time. California was one of the six states reporting random cases of violence that the media has been blaming on PCP.

She then sat back up and continued editing her upcoming vlog.
Author's Notes:
[1] Diehard Duterte Supporters
[2] Donald Trump was declared the winner on November 9, 2016 around 1:37 PM here in the Philippines due to the 12 hour time difference. It was just passed midnight in the East Coast of the United States.

[ukron]

Aspiring Actress - Part 3: Shattered

October 14, 2018 (Z-Day - 3)
Tubigon
Bohol, Philippines

Thea had wished her friend a Happy Birthday while also telling her to remain safe out there from across the globe. It had been two days since the reports of random acts of violence occurred. It has been spreading now. What made it odd was that it was not directed to any certain race or political creed. Social media was already abuzz calling for all these "hate" attacks to stop but little netizens known that it definitely was not caused by hatred or bigotry.

Going back to her computer, Thea turned on the webcam and began her podcast. She hoped she could use this on her audition for Pinoy Big Brother Otso. It would be a long shot but she believed that with hard work, dedication, positive attitude, and God's hand would land her in that reality show she always wanted to be part of since she was a teen.
Four days later
October 18, 2018 (Z-Day + 1; October 17 in the U.S. due to time difference)

Thea could not believe her eyes as she watched the ABS-CBN news report. The screen showed a very concerned news reporter with a map of the world showing countries with red spots all over it. This was accompanied by footage of riots, chaos, and looting in several countries as well as live footage of those who were Infected. Some were even blurred as policemen and soldiers shot these Infected point blank in the head.

This thing, bug, or flu, or whatever, was causing the people to attack each other and turn them into one of them. The media was calling them the "Afflicted" or the "Infected" but Thea and her family knew better. They have known too much of The Walking Dead to know what happens to these people that contact this pathogen.

"So those things? Zombies are real?" Thea's younger sister asked. A tone fear was in her voice.

"That's absurd. There's so such thing." Thea refuted, though she herself was terrified.

The next footage showed President Rodrigo Duterte holding a press conference with Department of Health officials. The DOH stated that no cases have been detected in the Philippines as of the moment. The President on screen ordered a nationwide curfew along with the deployment of military and police personnel to secure the streets. No one was allowed to go out between 8 pm to 7 am. When asked by a reporter if the country would be closing flights from Infected countries, Duterte said it has been made into effect. The problem now was how many flights reached the country in between October 12 and today. Who knew if some foreign national had the bug?

"How long until the President fucks this up while his demented supporters cheer him on?" Thea thought. She tried to brush it aside, knowing that overpopulated country such as the Philippines would be doomed once those walking corpses started showing up. There was one thing though: she and her family was in Bohol. Her worry was slight as she was not in urbanized metropolitan area. The problem was however was lies north. Cebu City, the second largest city of the Philippines, was a mere two-hour boatride away.

"Tomorrow, we go to the market. Get some supplies, barricade our home, and prepare the car incase we need to escape." Thea's father said.

"Dad, are you saying this would get bad?" Thea asked.

"Just look at what's happening in America, Europe, and China right now." Thea's father replied. He skimmed the channels to CNN, BBC, France 24, Al-Jazeera, and Fox News, all showing similar broadcasts of cities on fire and hordes of Infected being mowed down by automatic gunfire.

"Where do we escape if ever?" Thea asked once more.

Her father was speechless and tried to come up with a plan.

"It's either we head inland to the hills or hold up to east of the island, preferably in Carlos P. Garcia island."

"What if everyone has the same idea?"

"We have to take our chances."

Outside, a police station wagon drove by. It's neon red and blue lights and the loudspeaker on the roof was on. On its side were PNP Regional Pubic Safety Battion, all armed with M16 rifles.

"Pahibalo lng na ma sugod na ang curfew karong alas otso sa gabie. Walay pwede maka gawas hantod ika-pito sa butag. Pasensya lng kay para ni inyong safety. (We are here to inform that the curfew will start at 8:00 PM this evening. No one is allowed outside until 7 AM in the morning. We apologize for this inconvenience for this is for your personal safety)."

She eyed as the vehicle passed, the neon glaring her eyes in the darkness. Her younger sister was scared just as she was. She did not want to see one of these things in the flesh especially when it would start clawing on the barricades.

Thea went back to her room and broke down in tears. She was just preparing to audition for that reality show and it looks like it won't happen. Last thing she knew she was partying in Bacolod City and had the time of her life.

She still could not believe how in just 24 hours, the world became a different place.

Thea had to be strong. For her herself and her older sister.
AYAW DUOL SA MGA TAO NA TAKDAN (AVOID CONTACT INDIVIDUALS)
Unsaon paghibalo (How to spot)
- Lain ug linakwan (Unusual walking patterns and gain)
- Ma daghan samad (Multiple untreated wounds)
- Grey ug skin (Greyish skin)
- Lain ug tingong (Unsual moans and wailing)

Unsay sunod buhaton (What to do next)
- I-report sa nearest pulisan or sundalo (Report to the police or the military)
- Ayaw ug awaya ang takdan unless kilangan (Do not fight the unless one needs to do)
- Pangita ug armas (Find a weapon)
- I-target ang ulo (Aim for the head)
- Hugasa ang mga armas pag-human ug gamit (Wash weapons after use)

AYAW PAPAAK KAY ANG MA PAAKAN MA TAKDAN! WALANG CURE SA ITONG SAKIT! (DO NOT GET BITTEN OR ELSE WILL GET INFECTED. THERE IS NO CURE FOR THIS VIRUS!)
- Tubigon Police Station Announcement, October 17, 2018

[gillan1220]

Considering OTL Thea is a celebrity in Bohol and has gone some basic military training, it would be nice if someone could make a short film of this in real-life.

[ukron]

Aspiring Actress - Part 4: Definitely Not A Vacation

October 21, 2018 (Z-Day + 4)
Tubigon
Bohol, Philippines

The Rizaldo family were packing their stuff in their vehicle. Thea and her younger sister moved their bags in the trunk. It was deemed unsafe to remain in the small port town as the major city an island north of them already reported cases of infection.

"Why are we going elsewhere? The monsters aren't here yet." Thea's younger sister asked rather innocently.

"It's just a matter of time dear until the sickness arrives in our peaceful town." Her father said.

Hopping on the vehicle, the family drove the circumferential road headed to the municipality of President Carlos P. Garcia on the northeastern side of the island. It would be a two-hour drive to get there.


Along the road, Thea watched as several Boholanos headed for the hills. Cars, V-hires, buses, and jeepneys were racing everywhere. Some of the buses and public vehicles were cramped with panicked passengers and luggages just as what people would see on packed train cars in India. Police vehicles and military trucks ran past back and forth. Whatever tiny garrison of soldiers and police personnel the island had, it seemed that they would be stretched beyond their limit. Thea knew that it would just be a matter of time until infected refugees from Cebu would start making their way.

The two hour drive to P. Carlos P. Garcia was rather eventful with all the transport and security personnel working back-and-forth. Fortunately for Thea, she had not seen any of the Infected. During the whole trip, she did not witness the Infected in the flesh. She did however document her trip on her camera. The blogger within Thea never died even with her dreams of entering Pinoy Big Brother being temporarily(?) put on hold until this pandemic blows over.

"Good." Thea thought. "I don't want to see them anyways. I want to keep them 10 m away."

Ubay
Bohol, Philippines


The family disembarked at Tapal Wharf where they rode a motorized boat to cross Basiao Channel into the island of Lapinig, which the Municipality of P. Carlos P. Garcia is located. It was one of the places the Governor of Bohol designated as a temporary housing site in an event of an emergency such as this one.

There were a handful of evacuees here. Thea and her family were screened by what little police and health personnel using what available protocols to detect the virus. Since the Bohol had yet to receive some test kits from Manila (which was under siege by the Infected), only K-9 units were used. In other instances, a strip search had to be performed to check for bites or similar wounds.

Over a few minutes later, Thea and her family settled down on the island. In what would have been seen as a vacation, Thea remarked how underrated this place was. They were relatively safe but the challenge came towards the northwest since Lapinig faced the island of Leyte. The possibility of seaborne infected washing ashore was never discounted.


They were then processed and placed into a refugee camp near some mangrove forest. Volunteers were soon needed to help the undermanned police, military, and coast guard personnel. Thea shrugged the thought aside of fighting the infected yet deep down she knew that one day she will have to do it. She turned on her camera and began describing her current situation.

"Hi guys, Thea here. I just arrived at Lapinig. I just want to let you guys know that my family and I are safe. Thank you for your prayers and well-wishes. I'll be back soon, hopefully, until this pandemic ends. Please stay safe out there and avoid the infected at all costs."

She uploaded this snippet in her Instagram story as the signal wasn't down...for now. Thea knew things were gonna change real fast in the next coming days, if not in a few hours.

"Welcome to the new normal." Thea sighed as she watched the outline of the island of Leyte across the horizon.

[ukron]

The Marksman (Chronicle of the Apocalypse) Part 1.
Z-Day +19
Aleppo, Syria.



The smoke coming out of the wreckage of the tank disturbed the view a little ... here it was more than annoying, especially with the insistence of thirst and the cramps ... he was there ... Mustafa the butcher..mustafa the sniper,. Aleppo gray wolf, hidden somewhere in the city, maybe even concealed among the hordes of infected, he bided his time to strike any Syrian, Russian, rebel or refugee soldier who dared to come out of his lair… why?

AzhaIbrahim didn't know, maybe this bloody war had already driven him mad, unless he saw his comrades turn into pathetic creatures.
It was difficult to know which camp Mustafa belonged to, maybe the Turkmen militiamen from the north, maybe the Al Nosra front ... who knew? who would want to know anyway ... infected or not, rebels or loyalists, how important, man was fighting man, it was the last thing that made sense, and since 2011.
Syria had hardly profited from its civil war situation, so when the infected arrived devouring everything from Basra to Damascus, no one could do anything. maybe ISIS had managed to keep a few strongholds, the Russians still held chunks of the coast where they were evacuating their troops (at least good news, Ibrahim thought), the Syrian Army had lost control of Damascus and no one did not know what had become of Bashar Al Assad unless he died with his country, he must have been safe aboard a Russian ship.

Ibrahim had tried to concentrate on what he saw through his glasses, his thoughts wandered and his thirst was burning his gashes ... it was at this price that we entered the legend, that of killing Mustafa , the king of Aleppo and genius of the snipers.

Ibrahim uncomfortably squeezed the grip of his old (but still effective) Dragunov, maybe one of his days he might try to get hold of one of his American or European weapons, sold by this disbelieving Georgian, what was his name already?
T ... Tamaz? , this son of a bitch must have looted a Western armory! which made him one of the most important characters of the ruined city (post-pandemic, of course), everyone even these bastards of Russian mercenaries supplied themselves with Tamaz, to believe that the Apocalypse succeeded anyway to a handful of ambitious!.

After all, apart from a few morons of ISIS fanatics, who in the early days of the chaos tried to set up suicide squads to pulverize the "demons of unbelievers", no one (including Ibrahim) had believed that the virus was a fatality, just a deterioration of an already chaotic situation. After all, it was even more of a chance to start from scratch, no more Syrian state, army or ethnic borders, just a struggle for survival, a brutal, almost ideal struggle ... Ibrahim liked it after 7 years of fighting, murder, fear and terror, it was surely not good Muslim behavior, but who would judge it now? the Iranian mullahs hiding in their half-destroyed mosques, the Saudi preachers still mourning the bombing of Mecca, the theologians of the Al Azhar mosque, probably the last survivors of the Egyptian capital? Unless it is the rabbis of the Hebrew state, probably also bemoaning their god's punishment ... (what a good joke, Ibrahim thought wryly) The 7.62x54mm bullet went through Ibrahim's face, left eye and brain without stopping, instantly robbing him of all life, his last thought was surely a last comfort, before he went meet Allah.

[gillan1220]

Sept 30, 2022 7:49:49 GMT ukron said:

The Marksman (Chronicle of the Apocalypse) Part 1.
Z-Day +19
Aleppo, Syria.



The smoke coming out of the wreckage of the tank disturbed the view a little ... here it was more than annoying, especially with the insistence of thirst and the cramps ... he was there ... Mustafa the butcher..mustafa the sniper,. Aleppo gray wolf, hidden somewhere in the city, maybe even concealed among the hordes of infected, he bided his time to strike any Syrian, Russian, rebel or refugee soldier who dared to come out of his lair… why?

AzhaIbrahim didn't know, maybe this bloody war had already driven him mad, unless he saw his comrades turn into pathetic creatures.
It was difficult to know which camp Mustafa belonged to, maybe the Turkmen militiamen from the north, maybe the Al Nosra front ... who knew? who would want to know anyway ... infected or not, rebels or loyalists, how important, man was fighting man, it was the last thing that made sense, and since 2011.
Syria had hardly profited from its civil war situation, so when the infected arrived devouring everything from Basra to Damascus, no one could do anything. maybe ISIS had managed to keep a few strongholds, the Russians still held chunks of the coast where they were evacuating their troops (at least good news, Ibrahim thought), the Syrian Army had lost control of Damascus and no one did not know what had become of Bashar Al Assad unless he died with his country, he must have been safe aboard a Russian ship.

Ibrahim had tried to concentrate on what he saw through his glasses, his thoughts wandered and his thirst was burning his gashes ... it was at this price that we entered the legend, that of killing Mustafa , the king of Aleppo and genius of the snipers.

Ibrahim uncomfortably squeezed the grip of his old (but still effective) Dragunov, maybe one of his days he might try to get hold of one of his American or European weapons, sold by this disbelieving Georgian, what was his name already?
T ... Tamaz? , this son of a bitch must have looted a Western armory! which made him one of the most important characters of the ruined city (post-pandemic, of course), everyone even these bastards of Russian mercenaries supplied themselves with Tamaz, to believe that the Apocalypse succeeded anyway to a handful of ambitious!.

After all, apart from a few morons of ISIS fanatics, who in the early days of the chaos tried to set up suicide squads to pulverize the "demons of unbelievers", no one (including Ibrahim) had believed that the virus was a fatality, just a deterioration of an already chaotic situation. After all, it was even more of a chance to start from scratch, no more Syrian state, army or ethnic borders, just a struggle for survival, a brutal, almost ideal struggle ... Ibrahim liked it after 7 years of fighting, murder, fear and terror, it was surely not good Muslim behavior, but who would judge it now? the Iranian mullahs hiding in their half-destroyed mosques, the Saudi preachers still mourning the bombing of Mecca, the theologians of the Al Azhar mosque, probably the last survivors of the Egyptian capital? Unless it is the rabbis of the Hebrew state, probably also bemoaning their god's punishment ... (what a good joke, Ibrahim thought wryly) The 7.62x54mm bullet went through Ibrahim's face, left eye and brain without stopping, instantly robbing him of all life, his last thought was surely a last comfort, before he went meet Allah.

ISIS and zombies in the mix! The Middle East would be a living Hell. I'd imagine some zombiefied ISIS members to still have their AKs slung to their chests just like this scene in Osombie.

Is Assad still alive at this point? Did he hide in a bunker away from Damascus? Or did he get torn apart by the zombies?

[ukron]

That's funny, yesterday I was thinking about Assad's fate in TRT and how it should be great if i write something about him and his family.

[gillan1220]

Sept 30, 2022 13:20:42 GMT ukron said:

That's funny, yesterday I was thinking about Assad's fate in TRT and how it should be great if i write something about him and his family.

In one of kspence92's older Crossed timelines, Assad was removed in a coup and imprisoned by Maher right before the Crossed breached the bunker. Assad was forgotten and he died alone in the cell, starved and dehydrated.

[ukron]

Aspiring Actress - Part 5: Quarantine Birthday
November 16, 2018 (Z-Day + 30)
Municipality of President Carlos P. Garcia
Lapinig Island, Bohol, Philippines

In the month that Thea and her family lived in the safe-zone, they have became accustomed to what it felt like to be living as refugees. Thea continued to vlog her experience while the connection was up. She tried to provide information to her followers or those still alive out there. It was depressing to see that her view count and reactions plummetted in the days after Z-day began. Thea knew that majority of them were either in a place with no internet, dead, or even worse. One day, a patrol of AFP personnel came and began asking for people who were willing to be volunteers to defend the safezone. They only needed basic training such as to follow orders and aim for the head. Thinking about it, Thea volunteered willingly. Her parents on the other hand were reluctant but they let her go. After all, she was too old to be dictated.

During the training, Thea managed to become a reservist for the Philippine Army. She was proficient in leadership and a trained marksman. Though she never held a gun in her life, Thea managed to score clean headshots as the training progressed. Her first time shooting chained Infected fir training, she felt sick that she actually threw up.

"This isn't fun. This is scary. You'll go through it. Just hope it isn't your family you have to put down." One of the drill instructors said. "You better be thankful that they are slow and not like those runners from Dawn of the Dead remake or Train to Busan."

During this time, Thea practiced using the M1911, the Beretta M9, the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M14 rifle, the M16 rifle, and Remington R4A3. Thea was preferred the M16 and R4 for it was lighter and easier to aim. During the weapons familiarization phase, Thea was quick to disassemble and reassemble both rifles. She was now effectively taking part of the defense of Carlos P. Garcia.

The local AFP garrison in Bohol had a ton of surplus weapons from World War II and the Cold War small arms so Thea was issued the Elisco M16. Eyeing it, she could feel the age of the rifle complete with the markings that said:

MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES
UNDER LICENSE FROM
COLT'S, HARTFORD, C.T.
U.S.A.​
Thea wished she was issued with the newer R4s but those were for the primary defenders. It was lighter, modern, and not prone to jamming. She already had several jams with her M16 but she knew how to clear it.

"Just don't complain." Thea said to herself. She then thought of the other reservists and defenders who were given the older Garands and M1 Carbines. She heard stories of people getting their thumb stuck in that old but capable rifle.

In a span of a month, Thea killed 20 Infected (counting the ones she killed during training). She was already numb to seeing blood, gore, brain matter, and what not. Today, she was with a group of police officers and other reservist patroling the beaches for wayward Infected. She stood at the back of a Multicab where they could shoot the Infected with relative safety.

"Three tangos. 2 o'clock. Around 5 meters." Said Roberto, a fellow reservist.

"Eyes peeled. There could be more of them." Replied Joemel, another reservist.

With that, five more infected emerged from the water. They looked horribly rotten and had pressence of bites marks from sharks. Some of them even had crabs feasting on their flesh."

"I'll take the one on the left." Thea said. She aimed and pulled the trigger of her A1. Two gunshots popped out and with that, two Infected dropped dead on the shoreline. Roberto and Joemel dispatched the Infected. A nearby scout scanned the area with a pair of binoculars.

"All clear." The scout replied.

Locals came in with fishing nets and hauled the body of the Infected. A garbage truck came by to collect the bodies.

"We'll burn them once we get a good pile. Off to the pits." One of the SWAT personnel said.

Thea looked as the men dragged the bodies of the dead Infected into the garbage truck.

"Well then, that's two kills on my birthday. Make that 22. 22 on my 22nd." Thea said.

"Happy Birthday Thea." Roberto patted her on the back.
When Thea returned from her shift, she was greeted by her family. They gave her a crudely-made birthday cake with a candle that spelled out 22.

"We're proud of you, Thea." Her father said.

"Now it's time for you to enjoy and be thankful for surviving into 22. I'm sure many of your followers the same age as you wished they made it to their respective birthdays." Her mother added.

Thea blew the candles and made a wish.

Her wish was simple: Let this pandemic end once and for all.
Author's Notes:
I based this story on OTL's stint where the PBB 8 housemates underwent military-style survival training in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I've seen the episode where Thea manages to outcompete her opponent in disassembling and reassembling an M16 rifle.




Thea in OTL wearing the military uniform

[ukron]

Aspiring Actress - Part 6: Christmas Eve
December 24, 2018 (Z-Day + 60)
Municipality of President Carlos P. Garcia
Lapinig Island, Bohol, Philippines

The truck full of soldiers, reservists, and volunteers drove around the roads of Lapinig Island followed by jeeps and civilian multicabs. Their headlights and flood light illuminated the dark roads and bush undergrowths. It was nothing new for Thea and her fellow reservists. The past two months were the same: report for duty, patrol, kill the Infected, burn the bodies, call it a day, and repeat.

At the back of the truck, Thea sat with her M16 at her lap. Over the radio, she could hear Jose Mari Chan's Christmas songs being played.

Whenever I see girls and boys
Selling lanterns on the streets
I remember the child
In the manger as he sleeps

Her mind drifted away to happy memories when she was a kid hearing those songs. She remembered the excitement as a kid of opening gifts under the tree. Once she grew up to be a young adult, the excitement of Christmas never ended. She could also remember those times as a college student when she and her classmates as Accountancy would explore Cebu's Christmas bazaars to get a haggle as well as the seaside fairgrounds where one could enjoy. With these memories in hand, Thea wished it was 2013 to 2016 all over again. Christmas would never be the same.

Wherever there are people
Giving gifts, exchanging cards
I believe that Christmas
Is truly in their hearts

"Five hostiles spotted." The CO at the passenger seat announced.

The reservists sprung to action aiming their carbines and rifles from the safety a shock. Five shots rang out on the dark Christmas night followed by five bodies slumping to the ground.

Let's light our Christmas trees
For a bright tomorrow
Where nations are at peace
And all are one in God

"Shit, these fuckers literally made it all the way to Christmas. What are they cancel next?" Said Peter Paul, one of the reservists in the truck.

"Well, I guess Sinulog is next." Thea replied. "Back then when I was a college student, Sinulog has been designated as the mother of festivals in the entire country as well as the best. I remember the wild parties in the streets. People's spraying alcohol and painting everyone's faces. Was a fun thing but the mayor of Cebu banned street parties a year ago because it got too wild. Like old Christmas, I would definitely miss it."

"Sigh, I should have went to Cebu when I had the chance." replied Peter Paul.

"Maybe we have a chance in 2021 since I read from Facebook that the planning committee plans to make it the grandest festival of a lifetime to coincide with the 500 years of Christianity[1]. Although even if the pandemic ends long by then, I have feeling it will still get cancelled because the funds for it would be better used to repair Cebu and compensate the survivors."

Let's sing Merry Christmas
And a happy holiday
This season may we never forget
The love we have for Jesus
Let him be the one to guide us
As another new year starts
And may the spirit of Christmas
Be always in our hearts

Their conversation was then cut short when a a horde of 50-60 Infected was spotted in front of them.

"Positions everyone!" The CO barked. "Remember, slow and steady. Aim for the head. Do not panic."

Thea joined in, aiming her M16 at the horde. Instead of going full automatic in a futile attempt to mow down the horde, the reservists already knew what to do. It had became a routine for them in the past two months. Using the iron sights, Thea aimed to the forehead and squeezed the trigger. The Infected in front fell. She then quickly moved to the next infected of which it fell. She repeated this for the next 28 pulls, making all rounds count.

"Changing mag!" Thea shouted as she pressed the magazine release button. The 30-rounder STAGNAG fell on the floor of the bed of the truck alongside the spent bullet casings, making a clank on the metallic floor. She reached out from her vest a fresh magazine, slapped it in the mag well, then pulled the charging handle.

While she was reloading, there were a flurry of shots coming from other M16s, R4A3s, M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, and M14s. She then went back to shooting the Infected until they horde was decimated. In the dark, the lights from the vehicles illuminated the amount of dead bodies that lie on the road.

"Hurry up folks. We better pile them up. Can't be caught in the dark." The CO shouted.

The body collectors came and dumped them all a dump truck. From there, the convoy moved to a pit where other dead bodies were placed. There was a huge pile. The council decided to burn them to prevent diseases coming from the rotten bodies. A big funeral pyre was created. However, unlike the militias in the southern United States and Texas that celebrate their kills, there was no celebrating for the people of this tiny island northeast of Bohol. It was just solemn and silent.

After this was done, Thea and her reservists were dismissed. They then returned to their familiar to celebrate Christmas Eve. Entering her tent, Thea was embraced by her mother, father, and her younger sister.

"Eat, my dear. For you had a long day." Her mother said. The meals prepared was nowhere near the same as the previous Christmas Eve dinners but for now it had to do. Thea would not complain.

The only thing in her mind was that she was happy to have made it all the way to Christmas.
Author's Notes:
[1] This was an allusion to OTL since the Sinulog 2021 - supposedly marked as the grandest celebration of a lifetime due to 500 years of Christianity - was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[gillan1220]

Oct 11, 2022 15:01:07 GMT ukron said:

Aspiring Actress - Part 5: Quarantine Birthday
November 16, 2018 (Z-Day + 30)
Municipality of President Carlos P. Garcia
Lapinig Island, Bohol, Philippines

In the month that Thea and her family lived in the safe-zone, they have became accustomed to what it felt like to be living as refugees. Thea continued to vlog her experience while the connection was up. She tried to provide information to her followers or those still alive out there. It was depressing to see that her view count and reactions plummetted in the days after Z-day began. Thea knew that majority of them were either in a place with no internet, dead, or even worse. One day, a patrol of AFP personnel came and began asking for people who were willing to be volunteers to defend the safezone. They only needed basic training such as to follow orders and aim for the head. Thinking about it, Thea volunteered willingly. Her parents on the other hand were reluctant but they let her go. After all, she was too old to be dictated.

During the training, Thea managed to become a reservist for the Philippine Army. She was proficient in leadership and a trained marksman. Though she never held a gun in her life, Thea managed to score clean headshots as the training progressed. Her first time shooting chained Infected fir training, she felt sick that she actually threw up.

"This isn't fun. This is scary. You'll go through it. Just hope it isn't your family you have to put down." One of the drill instructors said. "You better be thankful that they are slow and not like those runners from Dawn of the Dead remake or Train to Busan."

During this time, Thea practiced using the M1911, the Beretta M9, the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M14 rifle, the M16 rifle, and Remington R4A3. Thea was preferred the M16 and R4 for it was lighter and easier to aim. During the weapons familiarization phase, Thea was quick to disassemble and reassemble both rifles. She was now effectively taking part of the defense of Carlos P. Garcia.

The local AFP garrison in Bohol had a ton of surplus weapons from World War II and the Cold War small arms so Thea was issued the Elisco M16. Eyeing it, she could feel the age of the rifle complete with the markings that said:

MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES
UNDER LICENSE FROM
COLT'S, HARTFORD, C.T.
U.S.A.​
Thea wished she was issued with the newer R4s but those were for the primary defenders. It was lighter, modern, and not prone to jamming. She already had several jams with her M16 but she knew how to clear it.

"Just don't complain." Thea said to herself. She then thought of the other reservists and defenders who were given the older Garands and M1 Carbines. She heard stories of people getting their thumb stuck in that old but capable rifle.

In a span of a month, Thea killed 20 Infected (counting the ones she killed during training). She was already numb to seeing blood, gore, brain matter, and what not. Today, she was with a group of police officers and other reservist patroling the beaches for wayward Infected. She stood at the back of a Multicab where they could shoot the Infected with relative safety.

"Three tangos. 2 o'clock. Around 5 meters." Said Roberto, a fellow reservist.

"Eyes peeled. There could be more of them." Replied Joemel, another reservist.

With that, five more infected emerged from the water. They looked horribly rotten and had pressence of bites marks from sharks. Some of them even had crabs feasting on their flesh."

"I'll take the one on the left." Thea said. She aimed and pulled the trigger of her A1. Two gunshots popped out and with that, two Infected dropped dead on the shoreline. Roberto and Joemel dispatched the Infected. A nearby scout scanned the area with a pair of binoculars.

"All clear." The scout replied.

Locals came in with fishing nets and hauled the body of the Infected. A garbage truck came by to collect the bodies.

"We'll burn them once we get a good pile. Off to the pits." One of the SWAT personnel said.

Thea looked as the men dragged the bodies of the dead Infected into the garbage truck.

"Well then, that's two kills on my birthday. Make that 22. 22 on my 22nd." Thea said.

"Happy Birthday Thea." Roberto patted her on the back.
When Thea returned from her shift, she was greeted by her family. They gave her a crudely-made birthday cake with a candle that spelled out 22.

"We're proud of you, Thea." Her father said.

"Now it's time for you to enjoy and be thankful for surviving into 22. I'm sure many of your followers the same age as you wished they made it to their respective birthdays." Her mother added.

Thea blew the candles and made a wish.

Her wish was simple: Let this pandemic end once and for all.
Author's Notes:
I based this story on OTL's stint where the PBB 8 housemates underwent military-style survival training in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I've seen the episode where Thea manages to outcompete her opponent in disassembling and reassembling an M16 rifle.




Thea in OTL wearing the military uniform

Thea is definitely a fighter. 

[ukron]

Aspiring Actress Part 7: Retaking Lost Ground

January 1, 2019 (Z-Day + 69)
Lapinig Island
Bohol, Philippines

Thea turned on the camera and spoke.

It's officially January 1, 2019. The New Year has arrived yet the virus is still out there. There are talks that the military would start retaking territory lost the infected. Heard over the radio that the United States and Russia came with an agreement to use some form of flesh-eating bacteria that would eat rotten flash. Ick. Never thought of that. Using something to eat something that only eats. I prefer shooting them in the heat followed by mass cremation. I guess it's quicker way since it would save ammo since those are hard to come by. We should use more of our melee weapons since blades do not need reloading.

The question next is if this bioweapon would be deployed on Philippine soil. It may have a potential side-effect of collateral damages especially if this bacteria affects living, uninfected humans. We were told that an American bomber plane may fly over the Philippines to deliver the said weapon. The targets are major cities: Manila, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, and so on. What I heard though is that the bomber may also fly low over Bohol. We are then told to wear PPEs and take antibiotics as a precaution.

Regardless of the method of dealing with these Infected, it appears that 2019 will finally bring hope.

Time to turn this war around.

I'm glad to be part of it.

She then placed the camera on the sand with the angle aiming up to show the small fireworks display the people of Lapinig Island used to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

After this day, it would be back to work. What really pumped Thea and her fellow reservists was the upcoming Liberation of Bohol!