CHAPTER 1

Date: November 27, 2070.

Time: 4:25 PM

Place: Somewhere in the Philippine Sea


Large waves splashed a large metal wall in the middle of the ocean. No not a wall. A hull. A carrier ship. The USS Melvin Springer, 430 m long is like a sword in a big ocean cruising at 35 knots. The Springer is one of the navy's biggest ships. With 2,100 officers and 60 fighter jets with maximum hypersonic speed of Mach 5, the Springer is a force to reckon with.

A serviceman is manning the radar, chewing gum as he plots each turn of the needle. Everything seems to be fine. Why shouldn't it be? He is sitting on the most advanced carrier ship of the U.S Navy. No foreign power would dare attack a warship as invincible as the Springer.

Past tense.

A blip appeared on the radar screen.

"Captain." the serviceman called. The captain, a bald headed man whose name is Steve Vorheus is seated at the center of the bridge and sifting through some reports. His head turned to the serviceman.

"I think something is out there." said the serviceman.

"I have no use for that 'something', give me details." the captain responded. The serviceman punched some buttons and the color of the screen changed. The captain smirked at his Exo. The Exo smiled and said to the captain, "You know he's only been with us for six months."

"He won't last a year if he don't keep up." the captain said then he looked at the serviceman again. The serviceman appeared to be having some difficulty with the controls. The captain sighed stood up and walked over to the serviceman. The serviceman glanced at the captain then to the screen.

"I... I can't figure out what it is." the serviceman said. The captain looked closer then punched a few buttons. The screen changed again but the computer did not provide any information except the words UNKNOWN.

"We got something ahead of us but the damn computer can't figure out what it is!" the captain said then he punched a button on his commwrist. "Flight Deck, I need visual of bogey at 12 o'clock."

On the flight deck visibility is hazy. A storm is passing by and the sea is a bit rough. Three serviceman on the tower glanced the area with binoculars. After some time the officer on the flight deck punched a button on his commwrist.

"Negative captain. No sign of bogey---"

"What the hell."

A large construct of steel and metal approached the Springer. It is a warship of a different design. It is more rounded than most carriers, but like the Springer, the warship appeared to have several fighter planes on its deck.

"Would you look at that?" the exo exclaimed.

The captain shook his head. "No wonder the computer listed it as unknown."

"Sir, a message is coming through." said a serviceman.

"Patch them through."

An audio message emanates from the speakers. "This is the PWS - Lapu Lapu. You are cruising within Philippine territorial waters. We demand that you turn back."

The captain laughed then looked at his Exo. "Did you hear that? The punk doesn't know what's coming at him." He clicked a button on the panel. "Lapu Lapu this is the USS Melvin Springer. Be advised that you are facing the world's most advanced carrier ship in history. I have weapons that can reduce your little ship to slag. So if I were you, I would turn back to whatever dock you came out to and stay there. Do you copy?"

A bit of silence emanates on the Springer's bridge as they wait for an answer. After a few seconds the speakers acted up.

"USS Springer. Be advised that we are prepared to use force when and if necessary. You have been warned. Turn back."

The captain looked insulted this time. "Lapu lapu, I am not used being ordered around. Especially when I am inside my ship. You dare give me a warning? I'll give you my warning. You go back to your shithole and let us do what we are sent here to do!"

The captain glanced at his Exo who is standing right beside him and whispered. "I want the AF-209 ready just in case."

"Sir do we really need to be this aggressive? After all, we are inside their territory." the Exo said.

"You know our mission as well as I do." the captain said. "I'm not letting these monkeys think we are weak."

"Okay, you're the captain." the Exo said then he punched a button on his commwrist. "Ready the pilots."


The flight deck filled with pilots dressed in their jumpsuits. Each one goes over his own jet with a quick lift from the jet's belly. One by one. The jet's engine fires a glowing yellow light.

"Woohoo!" a pilot shouts. "It's game time!" Five jets hovered on the platform. Then like a group of birds, the jets flew in a flyby to the Lapu Lapu.

"I don't want any weapons fired yet. Wait for my signal." the captain said.

"Understood." the jet's team leader said then they circled again for another flyby when something is picked by their radar. Before they could react, they were thrown aside. Something very fast just passed them and confused the aircraft's guiding mechanism. The lead pilot regains control of this jet.

"What the fuck is that?" said the team leader.

"I don't know but it's fucking fast!" said another. "But I'm betting that something came from that ship." Then he maneuvered his jet towards the Lapu-lapu.

"Steam man what are you doing?" said the team leader. Steam man does not answer but locked his sights to the ship's tower, gripped on the trigger then smiled. "Game over you son of a ---"

BADABADABADABADABOOOMM!

The Lapu-lapu's turrets ripped Steam man's jet to pieces, exploding in mid-air. The rest of the squadron saw what happened.

"Mayday! Mayday! Steam man's down! Steam man's down!"

"God damn it!" the captain banging his fist on the panel. "We're on red alert! All squadrons! I want that ship sunk to the bottom of the sea!"

The AF-209's started to rise from the platform. But before they can achieve the proper altitude, ten X24 fighter jets or Screamers as they were called from the Lapu-lapu appeared out of nowhere and fired multiple plasma bullets ripping the jet's bodies. One by one, the AF-209's fall and exploded on the flight deck.

"What the fuck is going on!" the captain screamed as he saw his priced jets exploding above. He turned to his Exo. "How did they do that?"

"The design of those jets. It's... different." said the exo.

The captain stared at him then punched a button on the panel. "They want to play rough eh. Well they pick the wrong ship to mess this time. Ready torpedoes!"

"Sir we got incoming!"

Above four X17 Bombers descends from the sky nose down. Its belly opened then fired multiple AS missiles towards the Springer.

"Fuck!" the captain exclaimed. "Shoot down those missiles!"

Laser beams fires like a web. Inside the missiles a circuit flared. The missiles as they fall was enveloped in a white semi-transparent shield. The beams hit the missiles but the shield deflected the beams away.

"They've got reflectors on those projectiles!"

The missiles broke through and exploded one by one on the deck and tower. Explosions rocked the Springer damaging it as the deck cracked and crumbled down beneath.

"Son of a bitch!" screamed the captain then he pointed to a serviceman. "Where are my goddamn torpedoes!"

"Sir we got reports of extensive damage in flight deck, tower, engineering and arsenal."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! An X31 Lawin fighter jet unloads its armaments damaging the Springer's port bow. A hissing missile destroys a part of the aft. Steel and metal fell down to the sea as the Springer struggles to stay afloat.

"We've lost control of weapons!" a serviceman shouts. "Turrets, rockets to air, lasers... They are all offline!"

"What else do we have left!" screamed the captain.

"Tactical nukes captain!" the man from the armory shouts back at him. "That's the only one under our control."

The captain's eyes glared at the red button on the center of the panel. He walked towards it, flicked the protective cover up and placed his thumb over the button.

BROOOMMM! Another explosion rocked the Springer. The visuals go down then goes up again. Above, emergency crews struggle to put out the fire while the X24 screamed above. Inside the bridge, an audio message from the Lapu-lapu is heard.

"Turn your ship back to international waters captain. This will be your last warning. If you still refuse to comply, we will unleash everything we have on your ship. You have 60 seconds."

The captain grits his teeth. His muscles tighten. His finger is almost on the button. One push and the Springer's five tactical nukes will launch towards the Lapu-lapu.


Inside the Lapu-lapu's bridge two people are looking at the monitor. From the side a serviceman reports. "Captain, the Springer is still powering up weapons."

The man sitting in the middle nods. The one sitting next to him, a woman speaks up. "Should we strike now?"

The man doesn't respond. He's in deep thought. He's calculating what to do. Finally he smiles as he looks at the monitor.

"No need." he says. On the monitor, the Springer is starting to turn around. Slowly, but at least it is turning around.


Inside the Springer. The captain's face is flushed with anger. As they complete the turn around, the captain flashed a finger on the monitor.

"Sir," his Exo gets his attention, "what do we tell high command?"

The captain's jaw shivers in anger.

The Springer cruised away. Three X24 Screamers escorts the warship as it heads to international waters. Inside the Lapu-lapu, the crew is ecstatic with joy.

"We beat them!" said the woman who is the Captain's executive officer. "I can't believe we beat them."

"That's not just a ship mind you." says an officer. "It's one of the world's deadliest warship. Read the words: Deadliest warship."

"We got lucky." said the captain.

"Don't be so modest captain." says his Exo. "Our jets performed exactly as they were designed. We didn't even have to fire a single missile."

"We got lucky." repeats the captain then he stood up and faced the two officers. "But luck's got to run out. So we have to be prepared. We risked showing ourselves to the americans. By now their own World Nations League cannot help but know about us."

The captain paused then he took a deep breath. "Communications. Patch me through to head command."

"Yes sir." the serviceman nodded.


Time: 8:44 pm. Same day.

Malacanan Palace. Or to be more specific. The new Malacanan Palace. The President is pacing back and forth inside his office. He just received the news and he just called his advisers to meet with him. The President is around fifty years old and was known more as a pilot than a politician.

A knock on the door gets his attention. Laura his secretary peered inside.

"Mr. President, they are here."

"Thank you Laura." said the President. "Send them in."

The President proceeds to his chair. Then the door on the left opened and three people came inside the room.

"Roberto, Nanding, Lirio." The president paused as they all shook hands with him. "Thank you for coming. Sit down sit down. We have a big problem in our hands right now."

"How did it happened?" asks Nanding who is the President's political adviser.

"An American warship sailed inside our waters." said the President. "They came close to one of our processing plants and the Lapu-lapu was dispatched to warn them away."

"However," the President continues, "the warship refused to go away. So things got ugly after that."

"The Lapu-lapu is forced to attack the American warship, um the USS Springer." said Roberto who is the Secretary of Defense. "The Lapu-lapu is successful in sending them away."

"But," the president lifts his finger, "our shroud of secrecy has fallen aside. They can't help but know that we have the technology that is equally advanced as what they have now."

"Better." said Lirio who is government's top R&D Head. "Based on the reports of Captain Sikara, the fighter planes did most of the job. The Lapu-lapu doesn't even have to use its own weapons. Well, they used the Plasma Repeaters to destroy an attacking aircraft but that's just it."

"This is not good news at all." said Nanding. "We've hurt one of them and they are sure to come back at us. The Americans did not anticipate we could come up with these kind of weapons. They'll use this knowledge against us."

"What are you saying?" asks Lirio.

"I'm saying they'll make us their next target." says Nanding. "Did you remember how our relations with them broke down fifty years ago?"

"Yeah. The Malacanan bombing." Lirio said. "But they never admitted fault on that and there is no concrete proof they were behind the bombing."

"The Americans are still paranoid that every terrorists in the world is out to bomb one of their cities." said Roberto. "Knowing we possess the weapon and the technology to destroy one of their warships, we've just become a threat to them."

"And it's just a matter of time before they announce to the world we are harboring terrorists and make plans to invade us." said the President then he stood up. "Well my friends. I think it's time we came out in the open."

"Expose ourselves to the world? Mr. President--"

"The world already knows Nanding." says the President. "For fifty years we are a closed country. We concentrated on internal affairs, feeding our people, upgrading our equipment and strengthening our armed forces. We managed to do it in secrecy. But we always knew, that eventually they'll find out our secret."

"The Americans have always interfered with the government ever since they granted us their so-called independence. I say our true independence day is the day we broke off with them." says Roberto.

"We are walking on murky waters." says Nanding. "The Americans are stronger in numbers."

"We are also stronger. A lot stronger than what they original perceived." says Roberto.

"They have no idea about our technology. They doesn't have a clue of what we are capable of." says Lirio.

"We can't fight the entire United States Armed Forces. You know they can always ask support from the WNL. The UCAT for example." says Nanding.

"The UCAT is no longer as strong as it was." says Roberto. "The Arab League have managed to soften them up for the past fifty years."

"We are just one country." says Nanding. "If they attack, and you know eventually they'll do, we'll be overwhelmed. We need help. We need allies."

"That's where you come in." says the President then pats Nanding on the back. "I'm sending you to Japan to reintroduce the Philippines to the asian world. You said we need allies right? Who better than our asian neighbors. I want you to be our new ambassador."

Nanding is wide-eyed and for a while he could not speak.

"Um Mr. President. I'm just a politician." says Nanding.

"You can talk to people," says the President. "and you are wiser than you think. Of all the people that could fill this job it is you I trust. I have faith in you my friend, that's why I'm sending you."

Nanding is speechless. But the President urged him on.

"Tell me you'll go to Japan my friend." says the President.

Nanding looked at him, then to Lirio, then to Roberto who smiled and gave him a nod. He took a deep breath then slowly nods.

"When is my flight?"


Date: November 30, 2070

Time: 9:30 pm.

Place: World Nations League Headquarters

UCAT Section seventh floor. Captain Vorheus is seated on a table waiting for Fleet Commander Trudd. He wipes the perspiration on his head although the room is very cold due to centralized airconditioning. Vorheus hated this place. Of all the places he needs to go, this place is definitely off his list.

"Captain? He will see you now."

The secretary lets Vorheus in Trudd's office. It's a big office with wall to wall carpeting and a number of stuffed animals hanging on display. A large head of a lion was hanging on the middle of the wall. Vorheus measured the length of the lion's jaw and the size of its teeth, then felt a tingle of fear in facing a large animal like this in wild.

He heard a THUD in the room. He looked back and saw Trudd holding a long elephant gun looking at him.

"You know, when I shot that animal. He didn't die quickly." says Trudd who walked closer and points his gun to the animal's head. "I have, to shoot it nine times before it finally dies."

Trudd moves closer, gazed at the animal's jaw and smiled. "You know he almost got me. That big jaw of his grabbed my leg and tried to rip it to pieces. He's got a strong bite. Very strong."

"What happened then?" asks Vorheus.

"What happened?" Trudd laughs then his face became serious. "I pointed this gun to his body, right next to his heart... Then I fired."

The barrel of the gun hits the jaw of the animal. Trudd's face looked menacing as he seems to relive that moment of his life.

"His heart was ripped to pieces. But his jaw held on to me. He didn't let me go even when he died." says Trudd.

"It's a magnificent animal." says Trudd then he looked at Vorheus. "A true predator."

Trudd walked away and goes to his seat placing the elephant gun besides him. "Now Captain. I want to know how a backward country with an airforce that doesn't fly and a navy that doesn't swim, was able to beat a technologically advanced and deadly warship under your command?"

"They were not as backward as we think they were. Not anymore sir. Their warship is designed differentenly. It is every bit as advanced as our own. Their fighter jets... damn they were fast. Faster than what we have. They were able to shoot down all my squadrons in 10 seconds flat."

"And you let them get away with it!" shouts Trudd his eyes have that menacing look again. "Do you know how this little incident cost the United States Navy? It showed that we are no longer invincible. Hell, by now every nation in this planet has that in mind captain. And it's all your fault."

"Sir, my mission is to observe the coast and retrieve whatever information is available." says Vorheus. "I was given orders to attack should anybody try to stop us."

Trudd leaned back on his chair and looked intently at Vorheus. Then he snatched a cigar, cut the tip and puts it in his mouth. "Captain." Trudd said as he is lighting his cigar. "You know our mandate as well as I do. The World Nations League is counting on my leadership to gain control through A574. Nothing matters else matters. I won't listen anymore to this crap. We are stronger, more advanced, and we stop at nothing captain. Do I make myself clear?"

"What are my orders sir?" Vorheus asked.

Trudd tossed a folder at Vorheus. Vorheus opened the folder, read the content then looked back at Trudd.

Trudd smiled. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Certainly sir." Vorheus replied.

Trudd points a finger at him. "Then do it."


November 30, 2070

Time: 11:18 AM Philippine Time

Location: Somewhere in the Philippines


It's a sunny day, not much cloud in the sky. Plantations blanket the whole area. Several people in white clothes are harvesting fruits and putting it in robotic boxes that wheeled on its own back to the processing plant when filled. Like the day before and the one before it, there weren't much to see here.

Was.

A deafening roar filled the skies. Two X24 Screamers on a routine scout passed over the plantation. From the ground, the jets looked marvelous. Able to swerve in any direction even at top speed make the Screamers a valuable asset in the Philippine Navy.

"Hey! Not so fast!" radioed Vergara to the lead pilot.

"Why? Afraid you'd be left behind?" replied Arrate the lead pilot. "Come on, it's a free flying zone. Let's kick in the hypersonic!" Arrate punched a button and his engines roared as it speed up beyond supersonic.

"Hey!" radioed Vergara but Arrate is pulling away. "Damn it, here we go again."

The two jets kicks in at Mach 2, then 3, 4, 4.3, 4.6, 4.9... The whole panel lights up as the computer takes over full monitoring of everything it can detect in the skies. All at once, the computer picks up other jets cruising a thousand miles from them, mountains in direct collisions and many others.

"Blast off!" shouts Arrate. His jet roared at Mach 5. Vergara's jet followed closely behind him. Arrate swerved 180 degress to his right without slowing down, creating sparks of friction in the air. Vergara's jet anticipated the move and swerved at just the right time.

"Holy shit." says Vergara. His stomach seems to have exchanged position with his heart with that turn. "Arrate! Are you going to get us both killed?"

"Wahooo!" Arrate screamed. He just passed Mach 7. The computer now has full control of the hydraulics in the cockpit to keep the pilot from passing out. Already hypersonic, the pilots feel as if they were only riding a bus.

"Come on Vergara, keep up! You were always a slow poke, man." Arrate radioed.

"Slow poke you say?" Vergara said clenching his teeth. His jet passed Mach 6.7, then 6.8... 7.0

Arrate noticed Vergara is catching up and floored the jet to maximum speed. But Vergara is still catching up. Mach 7.5, 7.6, 7.8, 7.9

WHOOOMMM!!! The jets looked as if it's on fire, passing Philippine waters and catching the attention of the coast guard who accidentally spilled coffee on himself. The jets roared as the engines fight for control while it swerved to one side to avoid going over international waters. Vergara's jet gets the upperhand as it overtakes Arrate's jet with the turn.

"Anak ng ---" Arrate exclaimed.

"Who's the slow poke now huh?" Vergara said as his jet pulls away. The scream of their engines and the resulting sonic booms echoed far and wide and catching the sensor of a UCAT warship in international waters. The captain watched the action, marveling at the incredible speeds attained by the jets.

"That's a fine piece of hardware." says the captain. "What a pity it will all be destroyed soon."

TO BE CONTINUED