WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 150: Peep Show Grey (7)

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Paradoxically, disobeying orders was one of the marks of a good soldier.

This did not refer only to the right to resist inhumane orders. The better the army, the more it respected flexibility in the field. During the Korean War, when MacArthur made a fatal misjudgment, one division commander’s defiance saved countless lives. Afterward, through Vietnam, the United States adapted to the uncertainty of the battlefield.

Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard in the Iraq War was the opposite case. Some units stayed silent even as U.S. forces passed right in front of them. They had no authorization to engage. Orders always came too late.

The U.S. military was a flexible organization. How should a mission be accomplished? That judgment was usually made in the field.

‘At first, it was a lot of pressure.’

The memory of having to take responsibility for every decision.

Though he was only a Lieutenant now, across the many accumulated turns of the apocalypse, Gyeoul’s highest rank had been Lieutenant Colonel. It had been a rushed field promotion. That was how precarious that world setting had been. But those who carried out their duty until the final moment had been the real thing. The essence of the U.S. military. Gyeoul had stood among them several times. He had learned a great deal. It was different from systemized knowledge. Tacit knowledge. Experience passed only from person to person.

Would he be able to meet the Ranger Company again?

Gyeoul considered it. Pinnacles National Park lay eighty kilometers south of their current location. Under ordinary marching conditions, that was a distance that would vanish in two days. Even allowing for the terrain’s folds and rises, it was not very far.

But the odds were low. This was a tracking mission through a contaminated zone with a small unit. The area near the San Francisco metropolitan region was dangerous too. Captain Emmert would not drive the prey north.

Meanwhile, Agent Kowalski dug through the pile of documents. From among the scattered sheets, she pulled out a laptop. It was already powered on. Tap, taptaptap. Light, brisk keystrokes. A moment later, she turned it so Gyeoul could see the screen. Captain Emmert was on it, prone among the shrubs. The video was paused. Click. A finger holding a cigarette pressed the enter key. Time began moving on the screen.

The Captain was speaking with a superior.

“Retreat? Sir, send us supplies. Didn’t you emphasize the importance of this mission yourself? You said it might be the clue that decides the course of the quarantine war.”

“It was only ever a possibility. The people upstairs grow more skeptical by the day. Some believe it may be nothing more than a food truck. At the very least, the prevailing guess is that it is not a biochemical weapon carrier. Quite some time has passed since its first appearance, hasn’t it? In all that time, the Humpback has not appeared on any battlefield.”

“It is still an unknown enemy. Are you planning to leave a risk factor unresolved with Manifest Liberation right ahead of us?”

“Satellite surveillance and aerial reconnaissance are enough. Satellites, especially, are overflowing right now. We can track its location almost in real time. Even if we do not know what it is, we can prepare for contingencies.”

“That only works until the prey runs into forests and mountains. We have to pursue it on the ground too. Damn it, are we just going back after coming this far? It is not as though there is another mission that needs us immediately. Those half-dead things have no supply hubs, no command centers, and no presidential palace.”

“But they do have the runways and ammunition depots we abandoned.”

“Sir, I am sorry, but I think we need to save time. Please make this clear. If you truly believe this mission is unnecessary, we will withdraw from here. But if that is not the case, you do not need to consider the risks we have to bear.”

“Are you really all right with that? Hasn’t your unit been cut in half?”

“I will take that to mean you are sending ammunition. Please notify us of the coordinates and time. As you know, you will need to repeat the message for a long time. Jamming goes off nearby all the time. We will move now. We need to avoid being tracked. I will contact you again when things are quiet. Emmert out.”

The recording ended there. Thup. Agent Kowalski closed the laptop.

If the unit had already been reduced by half ten days ago, there might be no survivors left now. Even if there were, they would not be in good shape. It was hard to last ten days on a single supply drop. Gyeoul put himself in that situation. It was not impossible, if they avoided engagements and somehow secured food.

There was also a chance they had deliberately avoided supplies to minimize exposure.

Crackle. The cigarette burned down quickly. Kowalski gave a dry cough.

“You didn’t need to rush.”

At Gyeoul’s words, the agent wiped around her eyes and answered.

“When you say it like that, it actually makes me more nervous. Anyway, thank you. For giving me room.”

That had not exactly been his intention. Still, it was a misunderstanding he did not need to clear up.

Kowalski fiddled with her hair. Her hands moved slowly. She seemed troubled.

“I’ll apologize first. But it was necessary.”

“Specifically?”

“Let’s call it a kind of adjustment process.”

Adjustment process? When Gyeoul tilted his head, the agent wet her lips with her tongue. Her mouth seemed dry.

“When we make contact with former Chinese military officers, we often have to drink with them. Usually, sexual entertainment is included. I don’t know. Maybe they were filthy even before the disaster. Well, they probably were, right? Anyway, their intention now is obvious. They want to absorb Orca Black. Starting at the individual level. Women are the means.”

“Wouldn’t they be uneasy about drawing in outsiders?”

“Not at all. Factional infighting is incredibly intense. They smile during the day and kill each other at night. They cannot even trust their close aides, so they look outside. More precisely, they have been bewitched by the illusion of Orca Black. All this time, at least on the surface, we have stayed faithful to mercenary work. Once we accepted payment, we never betrayed the client until the request was complete. One strike team was even wiped out to the last member in a factional struggle.”

Kowalski muttered that it had been a truly awful incident.

The records of their activities so far had also been given to Gyeoul as material he needed to know. The eight who had shared their client’s fate had come from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, a unit on the same level as DEVGRU.

Orca Black’s current status rivaled that of Swiss mercenaries in the Middle Ages. Outstanding combat ability and high reliability.

“Once we make a contract, we do not waver even if the enemy promises a higher price. That is not something that draws suspicion. In the end, it is a way to raise our value.”

The activity records had said the same thing. The Chinese general who had forced those operators to their deaths had made contact the very next day. He wanted to hire far more of them. Gyeoul recalled what he had read.

‘At least it’s good that they rarely have to fight to the death against people on the same side.’

Rarely did not mean never.

It was an unavoidable process if they wanted to build trust. Thanks to that, infiltration into various forces had become easier.

The agent continued her explanation.

“Anyway, that is how it is. Recently, it has been happening more often. Calling people out, making them drink, and giving them women. The operators say it is hard to refuse when they pressure them into having relations. If you do not accept a gift, the person giving it loses face, or so they say.”

“I understand what you meant by adjustment process.”

“I do not know what you will think when I say this, but some men become fools easily when women are involved. Sometimes they are very simple too. Apparently, just mixing bodies is enough for them to feel love.”

In other words, she had been worried Gyeoul might waver. Even if he did not fall for it, he might let one wrong word slip, for example. Or he might get swept up in pity and try to protect someone.

“Lieutenant, you are already young... hm, very young. You probably have no immunity. You might be lonely inside too. If you had at least gone out and played around in the downtown area like the other operators, I would have felt safer.”

Judging from her expression, that was not all. Naturally, there must have been analysis of Gyeoul’s movements. How would the formation of the Gyeoul Alliance appear in an objective report? Looking back over the traces he had left in this world setting, Gyeoul asked.

“Leaving me aside, what about you, Agent Kowalski?”

“Yes?”

“Were you all right with it for a reason like that?”

“Ah.”

The agent answered as if it were no big deal.

“I believe I told you. Half of it was sincere. Seize the day. In a world where everything could collapse at any time, isn’t it a loss not to enjoy the present? Besides, Lieutenant, you are currently the sexiest man in all of America. I had no reason to decline.”

“No way.”

“Oh, you don’t believe me.”

“There is height, build, and a lot of other things.”

Kowalski burst into laughter. For a moment, it was a clear laugh that let the tension drop completely.

“My god. Lieutenant, you are an idol. One who relieves primal fear. In this era, there is probably no man who can make a partner feel more at ease than you can. Probably.”

The agent added one more thing. Though your face is a mess right now, she said. Gyeoul touched the special makeup. From experience, it did not fade noticeably even after about a week. It was being maintained regularly, but even if he could not get it touched up, it seemed it would last up to a month.

“Shall I hear the other reason now?”

At Gyeoul’s words, the Intelligence Agency agent let out a deep sigh.

“I do not know what you are guessing, but I cannot say any more.”

She did not say there was nothing. This much honesty was already more than he had expected.

“Take this.”

Kowalski held out a box smaller than her palm. Gyeoul took it with a tilt of his head. When he opened it, there was a ring inside. Not a cheap half-measure, but a high-grade piece in both craftsmanship and gem.

“What is this?”

“A wedding ring.”

“Mm. A cover, then.”

“Your judgment has been very sharp for a while now. Yes, that is correct. Wear it at all times. Spread a few rumors in everyday life too. What can they do when you cannot forget your deceased wife? Even the person being rejected will not feel that their face has been damaged. It will also be easier to gain trust on a human level.”

“Has my wife’s name been decided?”

“No, not yet. I did not think I would actually end up giving this to you. Wait just one day. I will prepare the basics like name, age, origin, and family relations, plus your wedding anniversary and even memories of marital fights.”

Since his cover identity was in his early twenties, a marriage history would not look suspicious.

Gyeoul tried the ring on. It fit the ring finger of his left hand exactly. Should he call it the power of the Intelligence Agency?

“What is inside the ring?”

“Nothing.”

“May I step on it?”

“Go ahead. After what I did, I cannot ask you to trust me.”

It would be troublesome if the ring broke, but what could she do? The agent nodded obediently. Gyeoul did not take off the ring. He simply held it up to the light. Under the indoor light, it shone platinum. Kowalski watched it quietly, then said in a low voice.

“That is unexpected.”

“What is?”

“You are very calm, Lieutenant. So calm it feels abnormal. It feels like watching a part in a horror movie where everything is strangely quiet...”

For an Intelligence Agency agent, it was an unusually honest expression. It might have been an attempt to win Gyeoul’s favor.

‘There is no better preparation for lies than truth.’

It would be hard to find pampas grass in a reed field.

“If I got angry, where should I stop placing blame?”

Gyeoul asked the question. He was not expecting an answer. Tap, tap, tap. Kowalski tapped the table with her fingertips and silently waited for what came next. What he said here would affect how he was treated later. That did not mean he needed to lie. It would be enough to bring out what was there, just as it was. Gyeoul continued.

“If I only got angry at Agent Kowalski, that would look ridiculous. Then should I confront Team Leader Chadwick? Team Leader Chadwick must have planned it, or at least approved it.”

“That feels more normal to me.”

“I do not know. I think that is a compromise with reality. Deciding that this is the proper line and stopping there. I am not sure. Let us say this incident was Team Leader Chadwick’s idea. Is this unusual inside the CIA?”

“No. I cannot say it is, even as empty words.”

Gyeoul knew how the Intelligence Agency trained its agents. Stories he had heard in a past world.

Special agents underwent experiences during training that were hard for a person to endure. Sometimes the trainee did not even know it was a training scenario. They were kidnapped and tortured, forced to spit out internal information. If they disclosed it, they were expelled. If they stayed silent, they passed.

It was not a process every agent went through. What mattered was that it was permitted.

“I thought so. I expected that.”

Someone’s wrongdoing was rarely that person’s responsibility alone.

Gyeoul’s attitude toward hatred had stayed the same from long ago until now.

“Team Leader Chadwick merely acted as a CIA agent. Then I should resent the Intelligence Agency. But the Intelligence Agency is not doing it without reason either. Where should I draw the line?”

“I understand what you mean. Mm, you are very unusual. It is hard for me to empathize.”

The agent sounded doubtful. Gyeoul did not consider himself normal either. So he said this.

“It is a person’s limit. I do not want to become someone who can do nothing but get angry.”

Anger that could not change anything only destroyed oneself.

The stone had always been in the same place.

When this unwanted existence after death came to an end, he hoped at least his heart would remain. It was a difficult thing. As he had confessed to the masked counselor.

Kowalski relaxed as she spoke.

“I do not really understand. But it does make me feel relieved. Whether what you said is true or not.”

At the very least, he did not seem likely to ruin the job by being swayed by emotion. That was what she meant.

She spoke again.

“It may sound like a shabby excuse, but I want to say this. Intelligence officers have lived with glimpses of the end since before the Great Plague. People whose tomorrow is in danger turn strange. Like the way this world is going mad now.”

She took a breath, then continued.

“When I first entered the Intelligence Agency, a senior told me this. If not for one brave Soviet officer, this world would have ended on September 26, 1983. That the world is far more fragile and precarious than we imagine, and sometimes one person can stop the end. That I too had to become someone who protected tomorrow. But to do that, I would have to give up many things...”

“That resolve sounds impressive. Were they a good person?”

“Not at all. In the Central Intelligence Agency, the only good agent is a dead agent, Lieutenant.”

It was a joke with both self-mockery and pride in it.

The conversation came to a close. Gyeoul wrote the model answer on a blank sheet of paper. He also recorded it in the voice that had returned. Sending it did not take long. After everything was done, as Gyeoul was about to leave the communications room, Kowalski’s voice rang out behind him.

“Just in case.”

When he turned around, the agent smiled playfully.

“If you ever change your mind, tell me anytime.”

Saying that it would never happen would hurt her. Gyeoul answered with a suitable smile instead.

============================ Author’s Note ============================

#Chat

The chat is next chapter. If you were looking forward to it, I apologize. Haha.

#Q&A

Q. Nayutain-nim: @Can a user’s trauma be treated by an AI created through TOM?

A. Depending on the case.

Q. Tarnis-nim: @Even if Chadwick made that judgment in that situation, I do not understand how this can just be brushed off... Looking at the situation, is this not a clear disregard for human rights and sexual harassment? Even if it was done naturally, if the person felt uncomfortable and there was evidence, it would be grounds for a lawsuit, and if they tried to use drugs, there is no escaping it. No matter how many things are ignored in an operation, surely it would not go that far. This is not an enemy but an ally. Of course, Lieutenant Han Gyeoul would not do that, but...

A. In covert operations, many things are ignored, and yes, it goes that far and beyond. Of course, if Agent Gibson, the supervisor, found out, Agent Gibson would protest strongly. Even then, the people above would smooth it over.

Q. SunshinePiece-nim: Reading Tarnis-nim’s comment... thinking about it again, is this not attempted rape? I passed over it because Gyeoul is male, the other person is female, and Gyeoul’s narration was so calm? But they were planning to drug him and force the situation, right? And Gyeoul has trauma from forced relations, so how can he be so calm? It should be more than just making him a little angry... I wondered if it was because it was all inside a game, but I thought Gyeoul treated the other person as human too... What is this?

A. Yes. It is attempted rape. If it had gone as far as the actual act, even Gyeoul would not have been able to hold back and would have exploded. Because he is a child dreaming of going beyond his limits, he does not become so angry that he cannot bear it over something he prevented in advance.

Footnotes:

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