The Other Side

Hellfire

Breaking news: As NOID officials go through parts of government searching for corruption the CEDA was found to have been deeply corrupt. All assets belong to the center will be routed over to the NORD and the Disaster Response Ministry. The DRM will be a joint ministry between the Rescue Division and the Army Division of the government. Any personnel will be screened for participation in the corruption before being transferred over.

4 weeks after previous report:

Location: Isla Numbar colony, Main island

Loudspeaker: All hands, 10-60, respond to explosion on the main island. Reports of fires spreading, multiple city blocks affected. Central and Quincy.

Firefighters put on their gear and climbed into the trucks. Police cars passed as the fire trucks pulled out of the station. The sound of sirens were heard as every fire truck and police car on the island chain responded.

The rescue crews arrived to see burning buildings and what looked to be lava pouring out of a hole in the ground. It shot 3 stories into the air before raining back down onto the city streets. The lava was filling the streets already and flowing into buildings.

Battalion chief: Car 1 to dispatch, requesting DOT down here with concrete barriers and bulldozers. We have what looks to be a volcanic eruption.

Radio: Say again car 1, did you say volcanic eruption?

Battalion chief: Affirmative, notify DRM as well.

Radio: 10-4.

Firefighters set up the tillers(a tractor trailer fire truck with the purpose of carrying a massive ladder) to use their water cannons. Lava continued to flow down the streets as concrete barriers were put in place to stop the flow. A team of firefighters from INCFD squad 1 were attempting to rescue people in a burning building as lava poured in. These firefighters included Richards. Richards had been working for the INCFD for years as a dual purpose firefighter paramedic, he was trained for every possible job as a member of the colonies only squad. Squad companies are a every job possible unit. Hazmat, rescue, engine, water rescue, and paramedicine all rolled into one, this was the one time they didn't train for something. 

Day 7 of eruption:

There have been even more eruptions on the big island. Some DRM units arrived to aid in rescue work and now evacuations but the eruption never ends and there isn't an airport so the only way out is by sea. The US navy and coast guard sent help but it will take some time to arrive.

Firefighter paramedic Richards and the rest of Squad 1 was sent to another eruption. Some INCPD cars had arrived and began evacuations. When the firefighters arrived the fires had spread and a truck had been flipped with it's driver still inside by the initial explosion. The firefighters turned their attention towards a building that had a basement door on the side. It looked like another company worked in the basement which was actively filling with lava.

Captain: Squad 1 to dispatch, we need additional companies to our location, multiple structure fires with people trapped.

Radio: 10-4 squad 1.

The captain and Richards ran towards the door to the basement and attempted to open it. It was locked so they grabbed a haligan tool. It was obvious that people were inside based on the calls for help. As they attempted to open the door the upper floors collapsed and buried the survivors in lava and concrete. The captain pulled Richards up the stairs and towards the fire truck.

Captain: Don't look back, you can't save them, we tried.

Richards nodded and went back to evacuating the nearby buildings. At this point the first USCG ship arrived and launched its helicopter to aid in evacuation.

Day 15 of eruption:

The eruption continued to intensify over the past two weeks. For the past 3 days aircraft were no longer an option as thick smoke clogged the engines and risked causing a crash. The INCPD and FD had ordered a full evacuation from the main island as the fires spread uncontrollably. At this point a small mountain had been formed by the volcano that buried multiple city blocks in lava. It was the main vent for the lava and ash.

Day 23 of eruption:

Squad 1 had been flipped by a fireball spit out of the volcano that exploded beside the truck. It was on its side and burning as the firefighters climbed out the windshield. The roads were covered in a foot of ash and everyone wore wet cloths or gas masks to keep it out of their lungs. They had covered their faces because the ash would cause cuts and if inhaled it would cause medical issues. The firefighters headed back towards INCFD station 3 before being split up among the other fire trucks. Richards was sent with ladder 3.

Day 31 of eruption:

Richards was carrying an injured police officer on his back. He had inhaled some of the ash after falling over from an earthquake and was now coughing constantly. He could feel blood in his mouth after what seemed like glass in the air cut into his mouth and throat. The officer was much worse because his arms were covered in cuts and burns. The officer also lacked something to cover his mouth and nose so he wasn't doing much worse than Richards. A glow lit up the sky and Richards turned to see the volcano had exploded. A fireball shot into the sky and a shockwave started coming toward him. He could see the ground on the main island lifting up as the blast came from under the island as well. Richards started running with the officer on his back as he passed a fire engine and SWAT truck. Houses burned around him but the shockwave hit before he could reach safety.

Day 32 of eruption:

Richards was pinned to the ground by a piece of rebar in his knee. His arm was burning after lava had hit it and he couldn't move more than a few inches. The rebar kept him stuck to the ground waiting for help. The INCPD officer was severely burnt and still partially on fire nearby and there was no chance of reaching him to check if he was alive still. Richards made a tourniquet  out of his undershirt and laid back onto the ash.

Day 35 after start of eruption: 

The sky had cleared yesterday and today the military had arrived by helicopter. Richards was still pinned to the ground barely alive when a group of NO soldiers reached him.

Combat medic: How the hell are you still alive?

The soldiers dug him out of the ash and cut the rebar out of the ground before airlifting him to the USS John F Kennedy. Navy corpsmen treated him while the sickbay filled with other survivors of the eruption. The volcano had buried the entire colony in ash and obliterated the main island. Evacuation off the island chain was slow and only 20% got off the island chain before it became impossible to navigate safely by sea or air and evacuation efforts halted. 

After the explosion the air started to clear and search and rescue efforts began.These efforts were slowed by another issue: the tsunami that was caused by the eruption. It had hit Hawaii, mainland New Orderia, specifically Frenna City which flooded entirely, other pacific islands and the west coast of the Americas. This caused DRM units to be spread out which pulled resources from the colony.

In total the death count from the eruption and tsunami was over 2.5 million.