"What are you saying?" Adrian tilted his head to the side, surprised by the sudden request from Herrera.
"I am a soldier, and I swore an oath to protect this countryâforeign and domestic. I just canât be cooped up in this place while everything is happening out there," Herrera continued firmly.
Adrian looked at him for a moment.
Then back at the aircraft.
"Iâm not questioning your abilities," Adrian said. "Youâre a pilot. I know that."
Herrera didnât speak.
"You fly the FA-50," Adrian added, nodding slightly toward the line of aircraft behind them.
Herrera followed his gaze.
"Yeah."
Adrian looked back at the F-35.
"But this?" he said. "This is different."
Herrera stayed silent.
"This isnât just another jet," Adrian continued. "Itâs a completely different system. Avionics, flight control, sensor integrationâitâs not something you just hop into because you know how to fly."
Herrera let out a breath.
"I can learn."
"I know you can," Adrian replied. "But not like this. Not under pressure. Not without training. And not without risking the aircraft."
That part landed.
Herrera looked back at the F-35 again.
"...Then what do you want me to do?" he asked. "Just sit around?"
Adrian didnât answer right away.
He thought for a second.
Thenâ
"We have assets out there," he said.
Herrera looked at him.
"Scattered," Adrian continued. "Aircraft, vehicles... things we havenât recovered yet."
That wasnât entirely true.
But it was enough.
"If we secure something youâre qualified to operate," Adrian added, "then you fly."
Herreraâs eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Like another FA-50?"
"Or anything within your envelope," Adrian said.
Silence.
Herrera studied him for a second.
"...And if we donât find one?"
Adrian shrugged slightly.
"Then we keep looking."
It wasnât a promise.
But it wasnât a rejection either.
Herrera exhaled slowly.
"...I just want to be useful," he said.
Adrian nodded.
"I know."
He glanced at the aircraft one last time.
"If we recover something," Adrian added, "itâs yours to fly."
Herrera gave a small nod.
"...Understood."
But as Adrian turned slightly, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Because he already knew how this worked. If the system gave him an aircraft, It wouldnât come alone. It would come complete. Pilot and crew included.
Which meant this wasnât something he could guarantee.
Still, there were other ways. Abandoned bases. Grounded fleets.
Aircraft left behind when everything collapsed.
But without those first, Herrera is not flying.
However, thereâs still other ways he could serve.
"You have completed the basic military program of the Philippine Air Force," Adrian continued, turning back to him. "That means youâre still a soldier first before youâre a pilot."
Herrera looked at him.
Adrian held his gaze.
"Which means you donât have to stay grounded doing nothing," he said and added. "You can deploy as a ground troop."
Herrera blinked once.
"...Infantry?" he asked.
"Not just infantry," Adrian replied. "Field operations. Security teams. Recovery missions. You already have discipline, training, and situational awareness. You wonât start from zero."
Herrera let that sink in.
"I didnât train to be a grunt," he said.
"No one trains for this," Adrian answered calmly. "But this is where we are."
Silence stretched between them.
Outside, the distant sound of engines echoed across the base.
Herrera looked down for a second.
Then back up.
"...Youâre serious," he said.
Adrian nodded.
"You want to serve?" he asked. "Then serve where youâre needed."
Herrera exhaled slowly.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"...What kind of missions?" he asked.
"Scavenging," Adrian said. "Fuel runs. Urban sweeps. Retrieval operations. Our men are running around the clock, trying to sustain this base. We will need someone of your expertise to lead when things go wrong," Adrian finished. "Youâve flown missions. Youâve made decisions under pressure. That translates."
Herreraâs eyes stayed on him.
"You wonât just be another rifle," Adrian added. "Youâll be attached to a team as a second-in-command. You observe. You learn the ground flow. And when it mattersâyou take control if needed."
That shifted something.
"Youâre putting me in leadership?" Herrera asked.
"Iâm giving you responsibility," Adrian replied. "Earn the rest."
A pause.
Herrera let out a slow breath, then nodded once.
"Alright," he said. "If thatâs where Iâm needed."
Adrian gave a small nod.
"It is."
He stepped closer to the side of the hangar, glancing at a rack where rifles were lined up for issue.
"Your first deployment wonât be a deep run," Adrian continued. "Short-range. Controlled environment. Fuel recovery from nearby stations. You get used to movement, contact, and team coordination."
Herrera followed his gaze.
"And if things go south?" he asked.
Adrian didnât hesitate.
"Then you do what youâve always done," he said. "Assess. Decide. Act."
"You know, it feels like Iâm not talking to a man in his early twenties or barely in twenties. You sure do speak as if you have a lot of experience. Which makes me wonder how you were in command of this place."
"I never said I was the commander of this base."
"But one of your soldiers already slipped. I asked them, turns out you didnât give them a proper briefing. You donât want us learning that you actually own the base."
"No, some of the civilians already knew, and they were with me since the early days of the apocalypse. But yeah, since you learned the truth, there it is."
"I understand why you would do that. I wonât question it. It is just my curiosity. Very well, sir. I will make sure that I can contribute to your private military company and join you on a mission to retake our country from the infected."
"Amen to that brother," Adrian said as he extended his hands and made a fist, offering a fist bump.
Herrera bumped his fist onto Adrian.
Adrian held the fist bump for a brief second before pulling his hand back.
"Then itâs settled," he said.
Herrera nodded.
"Welcome to the company," Adrian said.
Herrera let out a short breath.
"...Feels strange hearing that," he admitted.
"Itâll feel normal soon," Adrian replied.