Project Outbreak

Chapter 1: Lt Francis O'Conner

As I lay in my cot, I reminisced about my childhood. My father had taken me fishing in Sweden, my mother's homeland. He often shared stories about how he used to fish with his father, expressing his joy in passing that experience on to me.

"Franky, could you please hand me that rod?"

I looked at my father as he baited the hook on my fishing rod and handed it to me.

"Here you go, Dad."

My father smiled at me. I have always admired him as a superhero. After all, he was considered a hero in Sweden and worldwide.

"Alright, kid, are you ready to start fishing?"

I remember responding with an enthusiastic smile, but then the sound of my alarm abruptly interrupted my sleep. I quickly got up, shaved, showered, dressed, and drank my morning coffee before leaving. As I stepped outside, the cold breeze of the Lithuanian winter hit my face on my way to the briefing room. Looking around, I admired the scenery. Being by the Baltic Sea, the air carried a hint of saltwater, and the sunrise reminded me of that day many years ago. Was I missing my family this much? I just needed to get through this briefing, regroup with my men, and go on patrol.

"You're right on time, Lt. O'Conner. Have a seat."

As I opened the door, my Commander began the daily briefing while I sat beside my buddy Hawkins.

"You didn't miss much, Franky, just the same old story. The Soviets are still taking food and supplies from local villages."

"Still? I thought they would have learned their lesson by now."

"Lieutenants, are you two done, or would you like to stay for an hour to hear the in-depth version of what I'm presenting?"

"No, sir."

"No, sir."

"Good. Now, where was I?"

The captain was gracious enough. He knew my father and understood how much I tried to live up to him, so he never pushed me too hard, knowing I was twice as hard on myself. Thankfully, the briefing was brief, and I got out of my desk and into the field with my platoon. Being in the field felt like home; my dad always took me and my two sisters outside to ensure we spent plenty of time outdoors. It was his way of making up for lost time. Since my dad was often away, I spent most of the time with my mom and sisters. I always wondered what went through my dad's mind when he left; now that I was in his shoes, I understood and respected him for what he did, especially after everything he had been through.

After the briefing, I dressed in battle gear and equipped myself at the armory. Today's patrol was routine; my platoon and the others in my unit were on rotation, and it was our turn to check the area. I had three vehicles and a GPS with marked locations that we needed to investigate. After checking on my men and ensuring they were adequately prepared, we loaded up and made our way down the main service road, passing checkpoints along the way until we were far from the safety of our base. Everything seemed normal, considering the circumstances. The most marked points of interest were Lithuanian villages eager to speak with us. Our interpreter told me that most villagers wanted to wish us well, and some asked for help. However, we weren't sent nor equipped for humanitarian aid, so we could only radio it back to base and move on. Then, we encountered something unusual.