The heavy diesel engine of the massive HEMTT A4 cargo transport truck roared with a deafening and rhythmic mechanical cadence as it rolled down the ruined avenue. Riccardo sat in the armored passenger seat and watched the desolate landscape of Metro Manila slide past the thick reinforced windshield. The massive tires of the heavy military vehicle crushed abandoned debris and shattered window glass into fine powder with every single revolution.The sheer emptiness of the wide city streets struck the young commander with a profound and surreal sense of displacement. Just a few days prior to the outbreak, these specific thoroughfares were notorious for hosting the most grueling rush hour traffic on the planet. Now the expansive roads stretched forward in a barren line of rusted sedans and creeping tropical weeds.It served as a haunting reminder of how rapidly the fragile pillars of human civilization had crumbled under the pressure of the viral pathogen. A modern society built over cent