The West Sea

Chapter 4: Metro Prime

The Mulawin was a technological wonder created to combat the ever-growing threat breeding at the outskirts of the West Sea Economic Zone. The said warship, a monstrous vessel housing hundreds of underwater submersibles and weaponized water crafts, guarded the territory with absolute dominance against foreign invaders determined in acquiring precious Amanium Cores hidden beneath the depths of West Sea. About a dozen Amanium-fueled engines powered the colossal dreadnought, which was no easy feat considering the immense populace needed to keep the battleship in peak condition. Its smooth alabaster body was made from fabricated steel and its interior was uniformly divided into fourteen sectors, one of which was the Command Sector.

Within the said sector, at the very heart of the Mulawin, was the Admiral's deck. A dome-like command hub with a mechanical conveyor that raised or lowered the deck to reach other sectors like a sphere inside a tube. The Admiral's deck had access to each part, making it easier to command and manage the two thousand foot high ship. Though its internal enhancements was outlined and planned for efficiency, the exterior character, however, was straight forward yet effective. From afar it vaguely resembled a sword piercing through jagged waters, which would have been quite an intimidating sight to behold for whoever crossed paths with it.

Indeed, the Mulawin was the pride of the New Republic along with the person at its helm: Fleet Admiral Isagani Amihan, the Hero of the West Sea. The Admiral held the highest position within the West Sea Division. His authority even outranked most government bureaucrats nestled safely with the Metro walls. During his prime, Amihan had fought in countless undersea battles against numerous hostile countries, some of which have descended into extinction.

Nonetheless, the Admiral had made sure that the West Sea was protected and that the New Republic was ultimately victorious in all those who attempted to disrupt the peace within the region. Though the Mulawin had kept up with the times, upgraded to its maximum potential, its mortal counterpart, the Fleet Admiral Amihan, had waned in spirit and purpose.

He was proud that he had brought the once lawless and chaotic West Sea into stability, yet. for whatever reason, his heart was yet to be fulfilled.

Isagani Amihan had seen the atrocities of war, the plague of outsiders with their self proclaimed authorities growing rampant with each passing day. He vowed that no harm would ever fall upon the West Sea and the New Republic. But he was only one man. A man with no heir to his legacy.

Amihan had hoped to retire one day and bask in the peace he had so desperately fought. But he has grown old, wiser with each day yet soon to be forgotten. Such was life on the West Sea where no memory of the wave lasts like the one before. Gone are the days of old, Amihan said to himself as he walked the guard rail path by the side of the warship. He took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet and ancient scent of the old sea.

It was exhilarating and calming at the same time, like remembering a lost love, a bittersweet aftertaste lingered the veteran's mind. The amber-hued sun was about to set as the Admiral headed back to his deck and into his living quarters for a well deserved rest.

Inside the Admiral's command hub, one of the officers on deck designated in the sonar modules had heard strange beeping noises coming from outside the territory and towards their direction. Random beeping, sometimes fast, then slow, stopping, then fast again.

He could not understand the strange noise so he immediately handed the earpiece to his commanding officer who in turn was also dumbfounded by the strange sound. At that moment, the Admiral walked in on the command desk, shifting his feet slowly towards the end of the dome where his room was, when he heard the annoying beeping everyone was confused about.

"Admiral Amihan, sir. We're receiving an unusual sound coming from the north, should we inform Central Command back in the Buhawi?"asked on of the officers as he was looking for instructions.

"No need," the Fleet Admiral replied.

"It sound like nonsense. Must be our enemies communicating with one another. Morse Code maybe? I don't know, it's a dead language anyway, nobody uses that anymore. Don't bother Central, they won't know what to do with it anyway. Keep all channels clear and proceed on schedule," answered Admiral Amihan as he continued his pace towards his personal room.

"Sir, yes, sir!" answered the officers as they went back to work manning the warship's path trajectory.

Deep within the metallic bowels of the Mulawin, the same beeping sound from the command hub resonated softly within a dimly-lit hidden room. Within its shadows was a man sitting behind a wooden desk with a small lamp on top . He had been translating the ominous sound with pen and paper on hand which read as follows:

"Mulawin Destroy. Legion Fortified. Buhawi Down. Metro Prime. La Guardia. Crimson Sea. Message End."

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