For Blood, For Freedom (An Eighthy-Six 86 Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: The Unknown

"Ugh... My voice? It finally returned? What's happening? My eyes," said Adam as he recovered from the flash of light earlier. "Can anyone confirm what is happening?" he asked, turning to the people who were also experiencing the same.

"Is the retreat still ongoing?" he inquired, seeking information on the status of the withdrawal.

"Contacting each commander, sir," one of them replied, but then let out a sound of bewilderment. "Static?" he said, noticing the communication interference.

Others experienced the same issue. Before someone muttered, "Did the nuke explode nearby? The flash might be from a nuclear explosion," one of them concluded. "So, no signal at all."

"If it were a nuclear explosion, our comms would be fried up," he retorted. "Run diagnostics," he ordered, taking charge of overseeing the situation himself.

"What's going on? No comms from other military units either," the operator said, looking concerned. "We're cut off. Satcoms aren't working either."

Everyone attempted to establish contact, but to no avail. The retreat was still ongoing as the soldiers continued to withdraw after recovering from the flash of light.

"Change the frequency," the other one suggested, but as minutes passed, nothing changed. Only static noise could be heard. "My phone also has no signal."

"Same here," another chimed in.

"Same goes for everyone, no signal in or out. Satcoms are dead too," someone confirmed.

The eerie silence of the camp due to inactivity was soon replaced by bewilderment. "The forces in the 17th artillery company said there's something off with their withdrawal route, sir," said the comm officer, who was trying to establish contact with the ground forces in an attempt to coordinate the withdrawal. "It was all but plain grasslands, the Chinese mountainous regions appear to have disappeared or changed from what they were originally familiar with."

"Disappeared... Changed? Confirm what they're talking about," he asked urgently, his brows furrowing with curiosity.

The comm officer continued his attempts to establish contact with the 17th artillery company and relayed the message back to the general. "Sir, they are reporting that the landscape they were familiar with, the Chinese mountainous regions, as aforementioned, is now completely different. Instead of mountains, they are seeing vast grasslands," the officer reported.

Adam's confusion grew as he tried to comprehend the situation. "How is that possible? Are they disoriented or confused?" he questioned. "Keep trying to establish contact with them. Talk to others who already reaching the outskirts of the county. I need more information."

Soon, strange and unexplainable information began to flood the comms, confusion and unease grew among the troops. Reports of mismatched sights, unfamiliar landscapes, and inexplicable occurrences left everyone bewildered. Even the withdrawal orders were recalled, putting everyone on halt as they tried to make sense of the ongoing situation.

"What is going on?" Adam asked, his voice tinged with confusion and concern. "We need to figure this out. Get me a comprehensive report from all units. I want to know what they are experiencing and seeing."

The comm officer and the rest of the staff worked diligently to gather information from each unit. The reports were diverse and perplexing, describing completely different environments and even sightings of things that seemed impossible.

"Some units are reporting sightings of decaying structures that aren't in any tactical maps we've got," one officer said.

"Others are describing vast ocean views instead of grasslands," another chimed in.