UNTOUCHABLE - FREENBECKY

INTERVIEW

A camera was turned on.

It was initially pointing at the red brick wall until it angled to the right, revealing a reporter who's holding a mic towards her mouth.

"Good evening, everyone! This is Amy reporting for duty! I am pleased to announce that another town has been successfully Migrated by the Anti-Even Forces – better known as AEF."

The footage from the said operation was shown as the reporter continues to speak. People are seen walking and being guided by the AEF military unit.

"The Migration started around 04:00 PM in Yongee. AEF helped in transferring about five hundred families to the base camp for the Cleansing that will take place tomorrow. Evens were spotted lurking in the area around 06:00 PM. This resulted in panic as they started attacking people. Luckily, the Special Annihilation Unit (SAU) was able to control the situation. Aside from an old woman who was rescued from being captured, there were no casualties. They will perform the Cleansing at 02:00 AM tomorrow."

The camera went back to the reporter. She's now seen standing beside a black-haired woman sporting a messy bun hairstyle.

"And now, I'm with Captain Freen Sarocha Chankimha of SAU Squad C." Amy gestured to the taller woman beside her. "Captain, thank you for giving us this opportunity for a quick interview."

"Pleasure's always mine, Amy." Freen smiled at the camera. "If doing interviews like this would give people a sense of security, then we're willing to do it over and over."

"That's nice to know, Captain. So, everyone's aware an attack occurred today during the Migration. Could you tell us more about what happened?"

Freen nodded. "We're about ninety percent done with the operation when one of our lieutenants spotted Evens trying to break the barriers down. Two of them died trying to destroy it. However, that was enough to give way for the other Evens to get into the perimeter."

"Do you think it has something to do with the storm hitting us tomorrow? Because, they behave like ants, right?"

"In the food aspect, yes, they act like ants. These creatures stock food for rainy days, Amy. The other angle we're looking at is starvation. It's very unusual for Evens to try tobreak into the barriers unless they've been starving for weeks."

"I see. So, how did you handle the situati on, Captain?"

"We took action, but it came to a chaotic point. It was difficult because we (SAU) are dealing with the Evens, at the same time trying to make sure all people are being protected."

"And how many pairs appeared?"

"Four pairs, a total of eight Evens," answered Freen. "But that detail didn't register to us right away. After we killed the Evens around, everything settled down for a bit. We looked at each other, trying to see if everyone in the troop is still alive while we're catching our breaths. We waited for a few seconds to see if any of the Evens will still move. And then we started counting: one, two, three, four, fi ve, six, seven; we found out that one was missing."

Amy kept on nodding while listening to Freen; her mic pointed towards the captain's mouth.

"Evens won't leave a site unless they were able to capture a food successfully," explained Freen. "There were seven bodies in front of us, which means one of them succeeded in capturing a victim. Good thing we found trails and caught up with them."

"For the sake of viewers who still don't know, Evens web their victims; is that correct, Captain?"

"Yes. That's how Evens carry their victims back to their colony. And when someone's webbed, they'll only have around ten to fifteen minutes before they suffocate due to lackof oxygen."

Amy cringed at the thought. "But I heard that you dived into it again to save the granny who was captured."

"It was not just me. I have a backup." Freen rubbed the back of her neck. "But yes, I jumped into it first since time is of the essence. I quickly approached the Even to stop it. My goal is to free the person inside the web, for them to catch some air. I'm just glad that my backup came in a few seconds. We killed the Even and saved the old woman."

"That's really brave of you. I believe this is the third time you've done that, jumping in right away to save someone."

Freen pressed her lips together and nodded.

"How are you doing that? Aren't you scared, Captain?"

"I am. I always am scared," admitted Freen. "But once you're in that situation, and you know you're the only one who can help in changing the course of that person's life, you'll forget about being scared for a while. I can't just stand there, wasting every second, knowing if I don't make a move, someone in the Base Camp will grieve for a loss of a family member."

"I totally understand that part, Captain. But what about your family? Jumping right in there without backup could mean... you know..."

Freen smiled. "I know. Luckily I don't have a family waiting for me."

Amy's jaw dropped. She was too shocked to react to what Freen said.

"Yes. They're all gone," Freen confirmed.

Amy looked at the camera; her mouth still ajar. "I... I'm sorry to hear that, Captain..."

"No worries. That was a long time ago. That's the reason I joined SAU because I want to help in making this world a better place for everyone."

"W-what about a lover? A boyfriend or a girlfriend waiting for you?"

Freen chuckled and shook her head no. "I had one before, but we're no longer together."

Sensing that the mood has lightened up a bit, Amy turned back to the camera. "Peeps! Did you hear that? The famous Captain Freen is single and ready to mingle!"

Freen scratched her head shyly. "Thanks for announcing my singlehood nationwide, Amy. However, I'm not looking for a relationship now."

"Why?" Amy looked disappointed. "I'm sure a lot will be willing to take care of you."

"Well, let's admit it; it's hard to maintain a relationship with the type of work I have. I am always away because of my duties."

"But I'm sure someone out there somewhere will be willing to wait for you, right?""At first, maybe. But I'm sure it won't last long." Freen shrugged. "I've tried it before, Amy. It didn't work."