Unknown time and day, in 2034, Location unknown

Cpl. William

I opened my eyes after what seems like an eternity of sleep.

"Where am I?" I asked weakly.

"Morning, Corporal William," said a man with fair skin and black hair and wearing hospital gear. "To answer your question, you're in the 33rd Mobile Combat Hospital in Maja, Banten."

After slumping a bit, I ask the man again. "By the way, what's your name?"

The man smiled. "My name is Captain Eko Surya Irawan, your surgeon." I begin to re-orient myself toward the surrounding environment, which consists of 10 beds lined up the wall and doors for the exit. Later I asked Eko again after my vision was fully cleared.

"Doc, what is today?"

"Today is 25 June,"

Oh man, I was asleep for almost a week since the battle in the water treatment plant and surrounding settlements, when we were attacked by NII infiltrators.

The only thing I remember was that a rebel managed to shot me in the stomach during the battle.

"How about my combat gear?" I asked again. "As far as I know the technicians still repaired it especially the cablings. But some of the sensors were ruined by the bullet. Don't worry about those gadgets, the most important things here is you're still alive and can still fighting" Eko assured me.

Later on, "Captain Eko, you might need to see this," said a female nurse who was attending me. He later left the room with the nurse to check another patient's condition. On the left side, I can see Handy sleeping with his bandaged left foot, reading something which I think is an economic journal.

"Hey!" he waved at me.

"Hey too, Handy" I glad to see one of my close friends alive.

On the right side, I see two more people in bed; one has his head bandaged and sleeping and further right, a woman with a bandaged hand. Hours later, after we have lunch brought in by the nurses, a soldier, a bit older (possibly in the mid or late twenties) than me or Handy, entered the room with crutches as we're enjoying the lunch.

"Corporal William and PFC Handy from the 2nd squad, 1st Platoon, A Company, Pelangi Nusantara battalion?" he asked us.

"Who are you?" Handy asked. The soldier came closer and introduced himself. "I'm Pvt. Mulyadi, Same platoon and company, but in the 3rd squad."

"Nice to meet you, I'm William Christopher, a student, Management, Pelita Harapan University," said William. "Handy Jayakusuma, same major and uni as William" Handy introduced himself too.

"Oh yes, I also a student, but a postgraduate (S-2), in Trisakti University, Architecture. Nice to meet you too."

Then a familiar visitor came in the form of our squad commander.

"Sir!" We greeted him with our entire energy we have. Mulyadi also saluted him even he isn't his squad leader.

"Feel better?" the Australian asked us.

"Certainly. Hope we can go back sooner".

"Excellent, that's my trooper. However, we got bad news. Minutes after you were shot," Stephen pointed at William. "The Lieutenant was severely injured by an RPG. He's alive, but he isn't here because he had been airlifted to RSPAD (1), The rocket blow off his right limb, being now an amputee, he was no longer fit for active combat duty even with the latest prosthetics. Which means, our platoon CO will be replaced soon."

"Son of a bitch" Mulyadi cursed.

"Me too" Handy replied. "Damn" I said, still feeling the after-effect of the anesthetics. I decided to listen to the news via radio near my bed to kill my boredom.

"...A Jakarta provincial member of parliament (DPRD), Ahmad Syarif, was found murdered today in his house in Menteng, along with his entire family, including his 1-month-old baby. The police spokesman had told the press today had said after the initial crime scene inspection, there was a possibility that he was linked to Islamic fundamentalist groups and the killing could be revenge-motivated due to his political views..."

"Let me be honest, and I am willing to put my career on the line for this..." said Sergeant Stephen. "How long until all these killings and punishments will stop? This country has better leadership now, with the country where I was born and served once for example heaped nothing but praise thanks to its own interest; a stable Indonesia, but now with us at war, I wonder if the way we reach this better state of affairs can be more humane, even towards those who are disgraced, even if it might mean longer and more laborious process?"

"...Twenty NII fighters that have been sentenced to death in Yogyakarta yesterday has been hanged in the Kraton's square in full public view, together with four suspected sympathizers of it caught by National Guard 10 days ago..."

"...Up to 10.000 protesters from various elements under the flag of "Front Untuk Perdamaian Berkeadilan" (Front for Just Peace) today had marched in protest against the war in Pahlawan Monument, Surabaya, mainly demanding the withdrawal of military personnel from Aceh and Papua and rejection of foreign interference in the Indonesian government. Police and East Java Army National Guard detachment in the city had prepared for a worst scenario..."

"Must be paid protesters by commie front orgs" Handy snickered.

"Our President did not tell us that the 'therapy' won't be painful, you know that, Sergeant." added Rudi.

"...The Ministry of Justice had released names that are eligible for amnesty, as well as those who are eligible for rehabilitation..."

"Wait, I think they are the same?" asked our new friend Mulyadi.

"Well, it's well known that those who received amnesty only got less rights than being rehabilitated. Honestly it still reeks like the old Soviet Union or the old China." stated Agnes, our future lawyer. "With amnesty only, you still cannot vote or to be voted, and also a five year overseas travel ban - the good thing is, most of the proven-corrupt bad elite folks and their closest associates only received it, as "rehabilitation" is reserved for their own family as well as those who're wrongly punished over the last couple of years, especially crimes related to corruption as well as other high profile cases, including cybercrimes and it's subsets, such as cyber-negligence (3). And they are still need to live with the other consequences, the one of being castrated for example."

Stephen responded, in between the news narratives. "At least, those people in Nusantara are correcting their mistakes, especially to those innocent families, repeat after me. Unlike what happen in what now "used to be" Iraq since 2003 - remember, I was once there during the time of ISIS being all in the headlines."

"We remember, sir, you told us many times - the vicious cycle of bloodshed." Agnes said.

Stephen continued. "Also, the scheme was not a new development - Europeans also had the same tier system for dealing with collaborators of the Five Pillar and it's Islamic State of Europe as well as various hard-left groups."

"...We are now in the international segment, the cruise ship MS Oasis of the Seas had been a victim of an attempted hijacking by a group of Trinidadian pirates suspected of link to the Five Pillar's Islamic State of Europe Confederation (2)... TTDF (Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force) Special Forces supported by US Navy and Coast Guard vessels, managed to prevent the hijackers to board the ship after distress calls were sent by the ship..."

"...Pope Luke exhorts Catholic flocks to participate in war against Jihad and support any effort of combating it's influence, with due respect of human rights and international law and an open heart to forgive later... He openly stated his gratitude to NATO forces which are currently fighting terrorist gangs who occupied several part of the continent...

Later at 1500 hours, the rest of our "little group", consisting of Janice, Agnes, and Putu together with Rudi, Abe, Ramlan, and Widya had also come for a visit. "William!" said Agnes suddenly lunged at me. "You're acting not like yours, Nes." I replied.

Soon Handy whistled, caused me to blush before hugging her.

He has one thing right; When Agnes and me were beginning our Army duty and get closer, things went down from here but for sake of our duty, we must kept it under wraps, otherwise we might got booted out faster than we could say "Indonesian Army".

But, I cannot hold mine much longer and I later whispered in her ear. "When we have an alone moment, I will confess to you". She blushed more after this. Yes. It's time to began a serious new part of my life, finding my mate for my new life after the war together with a completed study and also, working for my father.

"Glad to see you two were alive," Janice said. "I miss watching some of your anime collections together, Handy," said Rudi to Handy.

With a bit more serious expression, Abe asked me. "Have you heard that the Lieutenant has been replaced due to injury?"

I replied to Abe's question. "Yes, Sgt. Stephen had told us about Lt. Rokhim. He's a good man. But his life will never be the same."

Widya proclaimed. "That's the cost of war, there will be casualties, but his sacrifice will not be in vain. The rebels will soon know why attacking their own countrymen is a mistake."

Later they went back to Merdeka FOB. During our lonely time without our friends, we began to know two other patients in our ward; the woman was a Brimob police officer, Sub-Inspector First Class Diana Gozali, and the man with bandaged head beside her was with the civilian self-defense force which I learned was named Surip Kencana. He lived in Rangkasbitung and also a casualty of the attempted NII sabotage attack that left me and Handy injured.

He told us his story "I was tending my shop which had just re-opened after the Occupation, thanks for the Government and some private donors when I heard there was another attack by the NII. I told my eldest son, 16 years old to take over the shop temporarily and gives him a shotgun which he had trained with during the Occupation, in the refugee camp near Tangerang. While for me, I was using my SS1 supplied by the military when I joined HANRA. My shop is near the city's mini solar-powered plant near Latansa Mashiro University."

"Other people also grab their weapons. Two army trucks also arrived near the installation disembarking its soldiers followed by two Brimob SUVs and I think this woman", he point Diana which looked at us, "also fighting beside locals during the attack. At approximately 0900 the attack began. Rockets were flying; I can see two or three of us fell by the rockets. The enemy number was up to 50 fighters. We're outnumbered."

"I managed to kill possibly five fighters and 4 minutes later, three more before an explosion knocked me out. And after a long time, I awaken here, in the Army hospital. Thankfully in what I have heard, the plant was minimally damaged, but we lost five good men."

"Once again, their sacrifices will not be in vain," I said.

"I agree"

......

27 June 2034, 1300 hour, 3rd Mobile Combat Hospital, Maja, Lebak Regency, Banten.

PFC. Handy Jayakesuma

After rehabilitation in the separate rooms, we went back to our ward and there, our squad was once again there to visit us.

Stephen briefed us about the progress of the war. "First thing, more attacks, including three with drones, reported in four villages in Pandeglang and Lebak. Two of them were quite damaging, Thirteen police and guardsmen were killed or wounded, plus twelve civilians. Expect more helicopter flight here to the hospital carrying the wounded. But overall progress was generally good, which enabled several Army and Marine units including the Jayakarta Division, to be redeployed elsewhere or withdrawn for refitting. Besides we are accelerating the replacement of local police."

"On the other hand, SOF folks are still hunting their last known leader for this province. His name is Ali Imron, a defected Marine Corps major general. He is currently hiding in the vicinity of Halimun-Gunung Salak National Park, near the border with West Java."

"What about the communists, sir?"

"There are still attacks especially in rural areas, and attempts in bigger cities as well as in our rear line. Including here in this very hospital. You didn't know this, but last night MPs and a volunteer company of ex-Gorkhas eliminated an entire squad of their so-called commandos and shot down their drone swarm. Out of around 20 FDNI attackers, only four were taken alive, one seriously wounded. They confessed to be just another those who got totally dispossessed that subsequently turned to the Reds for recourse. One MP told me that one such fighter was a son of a disgraced army general, kicked out of the Military Academy due to his father's greed despite being the best performer back in the day... what a waste of potential...

Everyone exhaled, then the Australian continued.

"So when you're fit again, and the replacements were coming, Greater Jakarta Guard planned to deploy us to somewhere in West Java together with a reinforced battalion from their organic forces. NII still largely occupied Kadipaten (a district in Majalengka Regency), Babakan, Ciamis, and Cirebon, now being liberated by the combined land and sea assault led by Siliwangi Division and the Marines; and Tasikmalaya. Majalengka were still repeatedly encountered rebel incursions, but as usual, the sky is ours and so managed to hold them and the Reds at bay. Bandung also suffered several attacks by NII sympathizers inside plus nighttime clashes with commie cells so be always on your guard..."

We need to get ourselves fit as fast as we can...

......

A/N:

(1) Rumah Sakit Pusat Angkatan Darat Gatot Subroto, abbreviated RSPAD. It's name in English is Gatot Subroto Central Army Hospital.

The RSPAD is the main hospital owned and operated by the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) primarily to cater to its personnel but also civilians. It also served as one out of three Presidential hospitals in the capital city of Jakarta.

(2) In the European Civil War, the main enemy is the Islamic State of Europe, a confederation consists of smaller "caliphates" occupied or claimed over (not controlling territory) several European states.

(3) Cyber-negligence storywise referred to Article 650 of the revised Indonesian Criminal Code (fictional!) that charged IT practitioners up to government level who negligently caused a failure in an IT system, especially cyberattacks and data breaches, punishable up to 10 years in prison or 5 years community service, while during war-time or other time of distress, the maximum punishment prescribed was death, added with further property confiscations as compensation.