User blog:Feudy McPlagueface/The Sins of our Fathers

An abandoned city, a population of nearly 24 million forced to move. A dam, an earthquake, a civil war. It was the worst catastrophe of the modern world, created by the arrogance and perceived power of a nation. The City of Shanghai lay in ruins, with its surrounding lands and towns completely wiped out. Huge swaths of territory, once the most populated city in the world now lay completely empty.

"This is Hammer 1 to Overlord requisition additional orders" Said the Marine Sergeant James Dunn

"Overlord to Hammer 1, were leaving Shanghai, word is that the PRC is moving into the area en masse to counteract Republican elements working to establish an invasion beachhead across the Yangtze and into Central and Northern China." Replied the comms officer

"Werent we asked to help maintain a buffer between the PRC and Republican Rebels while negotiations are concluded?" Asked Dunn hoping to prevent any further loss of life.

"Negotiations fell through, some idiot Republican, and PRC officer came to blows at the conference and the PRC officer, an Admiral by the name of Cheng was killed. Washington has officially withdrawn our force from peacekeeping regardless of what the UN says"

"Overlord your seriously saying that were going to allow a civil war to happen?"

"Yes not to mention with China out of the picture the new South Korean president is about 3 days from taking out North Korea"

Dunn didnt know how to answer, and his eyes got wide. Looking at some of his squadmates who were listening to the conversation, Dunn made the call and gave his men the signal.

"Overlord to Hammer 1, we have word that the USS Gerald R Ford will be evacuating you from the former Shanghai area. Make your way 3 clicks east to the coast and meet up with a chopper from the Ford. You will then be transported to South Korea. That seems to be commands prime concern currently.." The comms officer said very sternly.

"Roger that Overlord. Hammer 1 out" Dunn said sighing as he finished.

Looking out over the city Dunn began to move shouldering his M-4 Carbine and scanning through the apartment hallways before waving his men forward. Opting not to speak to the rest of his squad he limited himself to hand signals and just scanned the once thriving city. With abandoned and destroyed buildings as well as flooding from the Yangtze Dunn was extremely careful where he stepped when he went outside. With various criss crossing makeshift bridges going between buildings, Dunn picked his way carefully through the ruins of the city making his way east only being corrected by the Squads navigator every so often.

The City of Shanghai however looked as eerie as a ghost city should. With crumbled buildings and battle scars from the outbreak of the Chinese Civil war nearly 3 months earlier the city looked like a more modern bombed out version of a World War Two city. With water having flooded various blocks of the city cars, Tanks, IFV's, and thousands of other vehicles were submerged under the water. Dunn closed his eyes taking a breath thinking of the thousands of people that must still be lost down there in the flooded streets of Shanghai.

Dunn and Hammer squad continued without speaking to the rendezvous point on the Chinese coast. Making his way through he started to pick up some crackling on his radio.

"Sir, is your radio acting up?" Asked Private Jameson, looking at Dunn from underneath his helmet his tanned face dripping with sweat.

"Yeah Jameson, its acting up it might be some sort of interference." He replied starting to cycle through the channels.

The other men of the squad as well as Dunn all winced at the same time as a large shrieking and high pitched sound came on the Radio making Dunn even switch his off. Taking his flak helmet off, and running his hands through his crew cut blonde hair, he decided to turn his earpiece back on and was visibly shocked with what he heard.

"Everyone radios off, were going silent until we get there, this is no longer a purely American AO!" Yelled Dunn trying to get a handle on the situation before it got out of hand.

"Sir did i just hear Russian or am i imagining it" Private Jameson said back as his radio was turned off.

"Thats exactly what it was, the only person with a radio on should be Private Berne" Dunn said putting his helmet back on. "Berne run through more channels is this really Russian?"

"This isnt just Russian" Berne Replied his dark face showing off his African decent quite obviously. "Theres some Chinese on some channels, and i even heard some Hindi and Indian Accented English"

"Wait so your telling me the Indians are involved now too?" Dunn said turning to hide his shock as he scanned the various buildings and routes to reach the coast.

"Well last i heard was that the Republicans were willing to give up quite a few claims to disputed territory" Said Corporal Bishop. His skinny face and build definitively showing his athleticism and why he was a Marine.

"Well shit, we need to get the hell out of here then" Dunn said waving his hand and kicking in the door to another apartment building.

Hammer 1 continued on as well as they could through the sunken city. making their way to the coast. With the progress slow and monotonous through Shanghai, the sounds of distant gunfire and artillery started up with it crisscrossing North and South. Dunn could not in any way think of why Russians were in the Area and could not think about it right now. His only goal was to get out of Shanghai and couldn't figure out how now.

"Everyone Radios on Channel 11" Yelled Berne.

"I Repeat, This is Echo 1-1 from the Gerald. R. Ford, were here along with 5 other V-22 helicopters in the attempt to evacuate the remaining Marines from the City. If you are over 6 Clicks from the coast move to the UN Assembly zones and you will be given orders from there, any soldiers within 6 clicks of the Coast should make their way as close to the Baoshan coast as possible for evacuation." Said the Helicopter pilot.

"Everyone you heard them lets move it, double speed" Yelled Dunn.

With the Squad nearing their objective the American Channel for the radio which was only locally upheld by a garrison force began to flood with battle traffic as soldiers were beginning to be engaged by various elements. By this point they began to see various assembly areas with definitely more than 5 aircraft evacuating soldiers. With the Squad finally breaking through to a large assembly area on the roof of a building Dunn managed to get to a position in which the squad could finally be evacuated. Turning around he saw the Scale of the conflict unfolding around Sunken Shanghai, with the thunder of aircraft making its first sounds, and helicopters dropping troops off, he finally noticed the true scope of what had just happened. The True Chinese Civil war had just started, and had just expanded into something much more substantial than he first realized. He turned back to the helicopter that was now here picking up his squad he gave the city one last look before he felt the Aircraft lift off and make its way out to sea.