Artificial Horizon - A César Fernando Basa x Reader story

XXVI: Threshold

The beginning of the part of the runway usable for landing. The threshold is marked with a single white line on visual runways or by eight parallel white lines arranged longitudinally in two groups of four each side of the runway centerline for runways with instrument approach/landing facilities.

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Even by the time that we all return back to camp, and even if it is not expected of us, I, Clara and the other medics of the Sixth Pursuit Squadron still report on duty at the medical bay. However, with how the weather is going on, there is nothing for the entire PAAC's medical team to do or expect. Aside from being of respect to the funeral of Lt. Luzon that the air corps is grounded for the day, the rain also didn't allow such flights to be approved. Yet, again, mechanics continue to work with whatever maintenance that they need to do; hence, there will be an occasional visit to the medical bay about common illnesses that will not cause all of us to be in such a chaos.

For today, I, Clara and many of our colleagues volunteer to keep ourselves busy than just to dwindle with the somber mood. Perhaps because of the funeral or the rain. We head to the medical record center to not just only collect that of Lt. Luzon's out of the bunch for storage, but to also remove records more than three months old from each of the other pilots actively present. As if some memorandum had been recently posted that records of more than one year must be placed at the archives, more than six months to safe-keeping for any worst scenarios in need of overlooking, and more than three months for close-calls of incidents.

There are about a hundred and fifty active pilots, a hundred more of mechanics, and thousands of enlisted men. Hence, there are too much work to be done to accomplish all of it. Accompanying us all except for the sound of the dropping rain are the shuffle of papers after papers to at least thin down manila folders of each member's records.

As members of the Sixth Pursuit Squadron's medical team, we're dealing then with the paperwork concerning them. And even if removing them from such list, it is still too many.

"Napaisip tuloy ako ngayon kung anong airfield ang ipapangalan nila ngayon kay Tenyente Luzon," one of our colleagues finally break the uneasy and heavy silence.

Hoy. Bakit ang foul o ang rude naman niyan? I am about to say such a statement, but even those words didn't left my own mouth. In the end, as I wait for someone else to speak about it, no one seems to voice such concern at all.

I mean, it is definitely wrong to think of it that way. Why will everyone consider that an airfield will be named after him, in his memory, because he died in quite a cruel way? Is that another way to be remembered for doing something? When that something turns out dying?

And yet, isn't that how the Philippines, and everyone else in the world do? Naming a place after someone who've died to be remembered? Is that the case for everyone? But isn't it also right to say that if you aren't that all known, even if a place is named after you, no one will even remember what you actually lived for?

I suddenly remember when Capt. Zablan mentioned that of Lahug Airfield. He said, at that time, "Everything will sooner or later be gone; all we can hope is someone remembers that we once exist."

Is naming a place possible? Yes. But to what extent will that remembrance ever reach? After all, Filipinos are quite sentimental that they think that the dead shall be revered, and the ones behind such movement are those so-called patriots, who are actually serving money than those who are actually serving the country.

"I mean, hindi niyo rin ba naisip iyon?" she adds.

The others also nod in understanding, even Clara does so, as another colleague of ours says, "Well, naisip ko rin ang tungkol doon. Especially 'yong naging involvement din ni Tenyente Luzon sa PAAC."