UNCHANGEABLE - TIAOM

01

a camera was turned on, revealing a female reporter in a formal black dress who's holding a mic towards her mouth.

"good evening, everyone. this is amy reporting for duty! i am here in aef convention centre, standing by for the announcement about operation cleansing. they said we'll be hearing some delightful news from commander in herself. we will air her speech live shortly. stay tuned!"

the camera keep rolling, showing people gathering up inside the convention centre. aef and sau people are wearing type-a uniforms. in front of them is a big stage and a podium.

it didn't take long before commander in appeared from the side. people clap as she made her way to the podium. the commander stands proudly on the stage, a positive aura emitting from her. she looks around the room. flashes of cameras are blinking repeatedly at the maroon backdrop behind her.

"good evening, everyone," she started. there is a hint of happiness on her face. "i stand here in front of you now to deliver good news--a piece of news we all have been waiting for forty-one years."

the convention centre roared with everyone's claps and cheers. commander in waited for the noise to die before continuing.

"we all know the existence of evens brought nightmare into this world--our world. we've lost friends and loved ones because of them. we've fought them for years. it was difficult. people lived in fear. most of them lost hope. a lot of people sacrificed their lives. these monsters brought wounds that may never get cured again."

commander in paused for a moment to look around the entire convention.

"after doctor buranaphan's discovery of their weakness, authorities initially expect it will take about thirty years to eradicate evens from our planet. but over a year ago, which was twenty-three years after he died, doctor puey discovered a new formula for the retter bombs. as we all know, it was tested by captain kim buranaphan and her troop during the rescue operation in jeoswa village."

people on one side of the room cheered. commander in smiled. she knew those were members of troop c.

"after that breath-taking operation," commander in paused and people laughed. "we sent the bomb formula all over the globe. different nations worked together to improve it. after coming up with a solid formula, we launched a worldwide full-blast cleansing which lasted nine months. all operations involved the usage of the improved retter bombs. the cleansing process became easier and faster, and the number of casualties dropped drastically.

"tonight, we are all gathered here to put a mark in history," continued commander in, her voice firm. "we held the last cleansing operation three months ago. based on our stats, we have already covered all the land areas. even so, sau and aef didn't relax. we keep searching for areas we might have missed. we gave it more time to make sure nothing was overlooked. so far, there have been no signs of evens until now. there were also no recent reports about captured victims. as we all know, not a single even could last three months without food."

commander in takes a deep breath and exhales. people expectantly look at her, excited to hear her next words.

"after confirming it with the authorities all over the globe, we are pleased to announce that we are now living in an even-free world!"

the crowd cheered. aef and sau stood up and hugged each other.

the country, and the entire world, rejoiced at the wonderful news.

---

the camera shows amy again, now standing beside a taller woman.

"and now with me is captain kim buranaphan whom you are all very familiar with." she motioned her mic to kim. "captain, how are you feeling now?"

kim who's always seen as someone serious in front of the camera had a wide smile on her face.

"i'm just... i don't know... i guess i'm too much delighted by the news. we put a lot of hard work into this and... after so many years, it finally paid off."

"on behalf of the entire country and the world, i would like to thank you, captain kim, and all the member of sau and aef for risking your lives for humanity. we are all in debt of you."

kim quickly waves a hand. "hey. it's our duty as public servants. besides, nothing is more rewarding than seeing the smiles from people. all the pain, stress, and exhaustion from the past were all worth it if it means people will finally be able to live a normal life again."

"speaking of living a normal life, commander in mentioned the entire aef unit will be given an option to end their service early or to transfer to the country's military, naval, and aerial forces. but sau members will be dismissed from service. what are your thoughts on this?"

"well, that's a tough one," said kim, exhaling. "everyone in aef had done their best to carry on with operation cleansing. however, many people believe it is us, sau, who were always in action. because of the complication of our roles, and the very-limited number of volunteers, we rarely see our loved ones. some didn't even get the chance to build their own families. i think this forced early retirement is the government's way of making up with sau, with us, so we could still try to live a normal life after all we've been through. i was just lucky that i got this at a fairly younger age compared to some of my comrades."

"is this something you're excited about, captain?"

kim shrugs. "i really can't say. to be honest, if it's not a forced dismissal, i plan to continue with the military. i don't know what else i'll do outside of it."

"but this is your chance, captain, to start living a normal life. don't you like that idea?"

"i do. it's just everything will be new for me."

"any plans so far?"

"hmm. i haven't thought about it," says kim, her eyes far away. "since i was a kid, my ultimate dream is to be part of sau. and now that they have dissolved the unit, i haven't thought of what i want yet."

"maybe it's about time you find a lover, cap. the whole country is waiting."

kim covers her chuckle with a hand. "you still haven't forgotten about that, have you?"

"it's hard to forget about it, cap. after the interview we had a year and a half ago, i received tons of emails, people asking for your contact information. i have answered none of them," said amy.

kim scratched her head shyly. "i haven't thought of that yet. you know. there are other stuff i'd like to prioritise, like studying or doing something new. dating is the last one on my list. if someone will come, it'll come. i'll cross the bridge when i get there."

"oh, my gosh! captain kim's ready to mingle now!" amy squeals before composing herself again. "so, are you ready for this new chapter in your life?"

kim looks up as a memory plays on her mind. she smiles.

"yes, amy. after so many years, i am finally ready to live my life."