S3E1: Confinement / The Next Offensive
2027 Words
Season Three: The Tale of Sarbacutta / The Continent with Three Faces
The Sarbacuttan Truthbringer
The Truth Lies Beyond the Narrative
Volume 8, Issue 157
June 6, 2002 Anno Daig'digaiae
Mysterious Gunships Attack Cruise Ship
All passengers survive; cause of attack rumored to have links with The Movement
By Christine Switzchler
An unidentified fleet of gunships attacked the cruise ship S.S. Dress-Up Darling in the waters that lie between the continents of Shurilesia and Sarbacutta yesterday morning.
According to eyewitness accounts, the gunships suddenly emerged from the sea, catching the cruise ship unaware, and opened fire at it. Fortunately, the ship is heavily armored and is fitted with self-defense mechanisms, as it was repurposed from a decommissioned battleship. Five minutes later, the gunships decided to retreat; and there was minimal damage to the S.S. Dress-Up Darling itself.
All passengers and crew are confirmed to have survived the assault; and most of them, who only sustained non-severe injuries at worst, are receiving treatment in the three towns of Sarbacutta – Villa Villa, Pateropolis, and L'Remerville – as of this writing.
There are also unconfirmed reports that most of the passengers of the cruise ship are the youths who have recently defeated The Movement's representative of Shurilesia, Maryam Quintana; and liberated the continent from the terrorist organization's control. High-ranking officers of the paramilitary organization, the ishi-shiro, including their leader, Col. Edilbert Porcarelli; are also among the passengers. It is strongly rumored that the attack on the ship itself is an act of retaliation by The Movement for the sabotage of their plans. Corroborating those rumors is the fact that the entire cruise was provided for free by the leaders of Shurilesia's rainbow coalition led by Ferdinando Jose Shimokawa of the Rebirth Party and Corey Fiedel Glorio Mitsumaruyama of The Unity Power Coalition.
Other officers of the Ishi-shiro who are stationed in Sarbacutta are currently on high alert, as they are guarding their still-recuperating comrades.
***
Villa Villa. The town of the middle class, the people who don't want to be too rich or too poor.
It lies on the west end of Sarbacutta, and also acts as the western stop of Malandalay Connective Highway, an extensive highway stretching throughout the length of the continent and encompassing the continent's two other towns: Pateropolis and L'Remerville.
The highway itself is then split into two roads: Harbrecht Road, which lies on the northern end; and Bacoloor Road, which lies on the southern end.
The town's status as the residence of the people content with their riches makes it conducive to various kinds of economic activities that stimulate the continent's economy.
In fact, it is home to several commercial establishments.
There is Restaurant Beloved, which lies at the very end of Harbrecht Road.
There is The Yu-Ri Sisterhood, which is formerly a sorority that is then converted into a bar.
There is Jethro's Bank, which resides near Restaurant Beloved.
The northeastern end is home to Colony Drop Model Kit and Hobby Shop, Serenity Pot Real Estate Company, and Easy Hardware PC Shop.
On the southeastern end, there lie Steve's House of Retro Gaming and the main office of The Sarbacuttan Truthbringer.
And on the very west lies the premiere news outlet of the entire world, Daig'digaia News Network, or DNN for short.
On the spot near where Malandalay Connective Highway splits off lies an inn with a military air.
In the Four-Star General's Hotel, which also doubles as a clinic, the Supreme Leader of the Ishi-shiro, Col. Edilbert Porcarelli, is currently confined in a well-lit, well-ventilated, and well-secured room.
Out of all the victims in the assault on the S.S. Dress-Up Darling, he has sustained the worst injuries, though they are fortunately not fatal. But still, he is yet to recover from his unconsciousness.
Guarding the Supreme Leader are the other officers in the Ishi-shiro who are stationed in Sarbacutta.
The officers are known by the names of Cherami Maynard, Radolf Goldstein, Iain Oersted, Karenina Nashville, Vanna Mercado, Randall Bathwright, and Antoon Abadilla (who is also Darby's half-brother).
And they also belong to the retinue of Benoit's class.
And as for Robinson, he is also confined in the room next to Edilbert's, but he is in a much better condition.
***
L'Remerville. The home of the rich, the elite, the people who frequently enjoy the finest things in life.
It lies on the east end of Sarbacutta, and also acts as the eastern stop of Malandalay Connective Highway.
Like in the case of Villa Villa, the highway itself is then split into two roads: Palanca Road, which lies on the northern end; and Botavara Road, which lies on the southern end.
All the establishments here cater to the wealthiest who have lots of money to spare... and to the rest who prepare their piggy banks, savings accounts, and accumulated digital currencies.
The northern row of buildings is home to the following: Indeor Electronics Shop, Velvet Crest Bar, Summer Rose Apartments, and Merl Leisure House.
The southern row of buildings consists of Armées Millesimées Armor Shop and Allebagne THX Cinema, not to mention three residential houses.
A house belonging to a famous scientist lies at the end of Palanca Road, which is also headlined by statues of several legendary heroes who eventually established this town.
Albertine Auction House, meanwhile, lies at the end of Botavara Road.
On the eastern end of the town, which begins at the point where the highway splits, resides the following: the headquarters of the Sarbacuttan Police, Valet Compostelle Inn, an abandoned house, and Nightingale Memorial Hospital, which is headlined by its famous fountain.
***
Ugh...
Where am I?
Or more appropriately... where are we?
Oh. I'm lying on a white hospital bed inside a white room, where its windows can't be opened beyond 15 centimeters.
How long was I asleep, huh?
Last time I was awake, I was running for dear life when the gunships attacked the cruise ship we were all in.
Because my survival instincts prevailed first rather than coordinating with my pals, I had to abandon ship alone.
I sneaked in one of those gunships and adroitly avoided its gunfire, and then opened the hatch and knocked out its driver and gunner.
Yeah, I've had the time of my life using the gunships' firepower against them, while also saving some of my pals who are still stuck on the cruise ship.
Once the naval battle was over, I decided to dock at the shore of the new continent, Sarbacutta.
But... fatigue eventually caught up with me... and...
I need to confirm if my sixteen plus one other fellow adventurers are still alive and kicking.
On the bedside table, I can see a copy of today's newspaper.
It pretty much confirms that everyone survived the assault – but they are being confined not just here, but also in two other towns.
That's both good and bad news.
And about my current condition...
I walked away with just minor scrapes... but my legs are sore from all that action.
And thank goodness there's no IV needle piercing my hand or a machine hooked up to my body.
Slowly but surely, I rise up from the bed.
“Ow ow ow ow!”
Ugh. My legs are still sore, so I have to walk carefully.
Just then, a nurse carrying a tray of food checks up on me.
“Oh, Mr. Valmonte. You need to have your mandatory lunch.”
“But first, a question. Where are my friends confined in?”
“You don't need to worry. On this row on the third floor, its rooms are allocated for your friends. Alright, please go back to bed and eat your lunch.”
“OK.”
Following the nurse's instructions, I head back to the bed and eat my lunch, which consists of one piece of Salisbury steak, a bowl of creamy macaroni soup, a slice of peach mango pie, a bunch of air-fried french fries, two cups of rice, and a large glass of soft drink float.
I never expected hospital food to be like this... smorgasbord, but here it is.
I munch on the lunch as soon as possible; and fifteen minutes later, my plate and cup are all empty, with nary a trace of leftovers.
Alright, I need to rest for fifteen minutes more to let all that food into my stomach, and then check up on my friends.
I kinda overslept... more like over-napped; and thus I wake up roughly 45 minutes later.
With the door to my room still open, I check up on the rooms besides mine.
The sign on the door says... “Room 301: Benoit Valmonte”.
And as expected, the other room designations are as follows...
“Room 302: Gershwin Cannell”
“Room 303: Jurina Kawamura”
“Room 304: Nolan Iverson”
“Room 305: Juniper Clarence”
“Room 306: Bearwin Coulthard”
“Room 307: Christian Eamon Rhames”
“Room 308: Carmina Johnston”
Alright. I've conformed with my own two eyes that my friends are all safe and are being taken care of.
We'll all just have to wait until we are properly discharged, and we can go search for our other friends.
***
Night then falls.
Everyone in L'Remerville is fast asleep; and with advanced security measures in place, they can never worry about all kinds of intruders trying to disrupt the peace.
Well, except for one cunning member of The Movement, who knows how to circumvent those security measures.
The member attempts to bomb Nightingale Memorial Hospital, hopefully as a coup de grâce against the heroes who sabotaged his organization's plans.
But then, someone unexpected catches the wannabe bomber in the act.
He's just a guy who's had one too many and just walks groggily towards Summer Rose Apartments.
Once he's discovered, the bomber tries to run away from the drunkard, but inadvertently stumbles upon a roving policeman.
“Hey! What are you carrying?”
“C-Candies?”
“Candies? But I don't smell something sweet! I smell gunpowder! Hey you! You attempt to bomb that hospital, huh? Well then... you're under arrest!”
With the help of his fellow cops, the wannabe bomber is being arrested, and his old-fashioned bombs are being confiscated and later detonated safely outside the town.
“And as for that drunkard... thank you for maintaining this town safety. Here.”
The policeman who caught the bomber hands over a ready-made glass of sarsaparilla mixed with raw egg.
“Thanksh. Now I can shleep shoundly.”
At least the drunkard won't have to worry about hangovers the next morning.
***
Pateropolis. The home of society's lowest, where they live in squalor.
Poverty is said to be a result of many factors – and no matter what the cause, if one's poor and down on their luck, they have no place else to stay but here.
The town lies in the very middle of Malandalay Connective Highway, and it also lies in the center of the waterway that is called Esterus Pungentus – so named because of its stinky waters.
Ambelivez Bridge lies over the waterway and serves as the centerpoint of the overall highway.
The town is littered with slum houses that somehow follow local zoning regulations.
While those houses are occupied by families and individuals alike, a handful of them are either empty, destroyed, or burned beyond all recognition.
Other notable places in this town include an item shop obviously called the Shop of Not-so-useless Crap, a cheap apartment, a brothel named Varacus Tigasus, an inn named Dil's Sleepover, a bar named Kambingan ni Udoy, and two places belonging to rival gangs – the Black Stalkers Ghetto and the headquarters of Jaloux Liberators.
Lording over this place is a tall building belonging to Vixeray Corporation, which lies near the point where Esterus Pungentus splits into two channels leading out of the town northward separately.
Angelino, Wilbur, Rosalind, Jamieson, Priscilla, Kaylee, Aisha, and Darby are the first survivors to recover, only sustaining very minor injuries.
They are all hiding in an underground shelter in Pateropolis's northwestern end, planning their next offensive against The Movement.
- Writer
