WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 248: Farewell (4)
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The rest Major General Rogers allowed merely meant he would not assign Gyeoul any combat missions during that time. Two days was a tight schedule for taking over a Company. On the first night after his return, if not for Captain Singh’s consideration, Gyeoul would not have had time to catch up with the Company members.
‘There will be plenty of chances later.’
Those who knew him found it strange to see Gyeoul reviewing documents and writing reports. In truth, Gyeoul himself could not say he was skilled at it. But there were things he had to learn, so this was not a stretch he could easily skip through with Time Acceleration. Sometimes the information he received through the correction fell short of what he remembered on his own.
Still, sitting in an office gave him a certain sense of stability. It made him feel that his place had finally been secured. It might be a temporary garrison, but all the proper forms were there.
Morning on the third day poured through the window. A square of sunlight fell in front of the small, old TV.
「The Federal Railroad Administration announced that, as of 8 a.m. today, the Guard-Liner project on the Northeast Corridor has been completed. Accordingly, from the Canadian border region to the outskirts of Washington D.C., every train running on the northeastern trunk railways has become an armored train. This project, carried out with personnel cooperation from the Office of Secure Transportation under the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration...」
The anchor’s voice caught his attention. Gyeoul set down the document and looked at the distant scenery on the screen. The train entering the platform was covered in steel plates studded with rows of rivets. The pair of remote weapon stations mounted on each passenger car stood out. There were even anti-tank missile launchers.
Very few of the people boarding the commuter train wore suits. Each carried a backpack, and their clothes prioritized practicality and mobility over formality. In rare cases, they prioritized protection. Bunker-like shelters could be seen here and there, and the platform sections were divided by iron bars.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. Gyeoul checked the time and tilted his head. Who was it? Wasn’t the division headquarters operations briefing still a while away?
“Come in.”
The door opened carefully. The First Sergeant entered first, followed by a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces. They were not Company members. Since there were so many of them, it was easy to guess why they were here.
The First Sergeant called the command. Attention. Salute. Gyeoul returned the salute.
“At ease. I’m guessing you’re replacement personnel?”
“That is correct, Company Commander.”
“That was fast. I only sent the request yesterday.”
“It means the time to land a blow on those rotten bastards is near.”
The Sergeant handed Gyeoul the file tucked under his arm. Gyeoul looked over the others standing at parade rest. Familiar faces like Morales and Schultz gave faint smiles when their eyes met his. They had also taken part in the last hunt, so they had every right to be called veteran soldiers. He had been told that everyone who participated in that operation would receive at least a Bronze Star.
Since Baker Company had not been an official formation, there was nothing strange about them coming here.
The unfamiliar faces looked like stone statues staring straight ahead.
“Welcome, everyone. Some of you may not know me, so I’ll introduce myself. I’m your Company Commander, Han Gyeoul.”
A few faces twitched at Gyeoul’s joke.
“I’d like to take my time talking with you, but that will be difficult right now. I’ll ask just one thing of you. You are all excellent personnel, of course, but given the nature of this unit, some of you may find it hard to adapt. If that happens, report it to the Sergeant or to me without delay. Understood?”
“Yes sir!”
“Good. Sergeant, I’m sorry, but I’ll leave the rest to you. I have to head to division headquarters soon.”
“Do not worry, sir.”
Gyeoul returned the signed file to the Sergeant. First Sergeant Marquis Meriwether was neither uncomfortable around Gyeoul nor dismissive of him. He was simply calm. Gyeoul could feel the weight of a man with twenty-two years of service behind him.
A short while later, another knock came. This time, it was the executive officer.
“Company Commander. It’s time for you to come out.”
“Understood, Captain. Could you wait just a moment?”
Gyeoul quickly organized his desk. Company members or reporters would not barge into a place like this, but there was always the possibility. He locked the drawer and stood.
Outside, two Humvees already had their engines running. Operations officer Foster, intelligence officer Murray, and the soldiers accompanying them saluted Gyeoul. Gyeoul sat in the front passenger seat of the first vehicle.
“We will depart.”
Gyeoul nodded at the Company Headquarters driver’s words. The guards at the main gate cleared away the obstacles and spike strip from the entrance. Jang Han-byul was directing them. She sent him off with a bright smile.
On the way to division headquarters, strange things stood out in the scenery. Gyeoul picked up the radio.
“Captain Singh, do you know what that is?”
After a short crackle, a reply came from the following vehicle.
[I’m not sure. From the shape, it looks like radar... but I’ve never seen this type before. And there would be no reason to need that many radars.]
As he said, there were more than ten small trailers carrying what looked like radar devices. The rotating structure on top was an irregular octagonal panel, with protrusions similar to antenna receivers. This time, Gyeoul asked the operations officer in the same vehicle.
“Foster, what do you think?”
“...It is not radar. Judging by the structure of the drive section, it should be able to angle downward into negative elevation. Unless the purpose is mine detection, why would it fire radio waves at the ground? It may be a new weapon system that uses electromagnetic waves. The sly ones have similar abilities as well.”
Foster was referring to the Trickster’s ability to emit microwaves.
Other new and unfamiliar vehicles and heavy equipment appeared one after another. Of course, not all of them were unfamiliar. A drilling rig was the clearest example. What were they planning to do by drilling into the ground?
Foster, who had been watching the scenery closely, pointed at a trailer that looked like Star Wars’ R2-D2 with a Vulcan cannon mounted underneath.
“I recognize that one. It was used in Iraq. They called it Centurion.”
“Centurion? Same name as the armored suit?”
“Yes. Normally, they avoid giving standard equipment the same name, but the higher-ups probably thought they would never use that again. There would be no chance of confusion either.”
“I think I saw one mounted on a cruiser.”
“That is also correct. It was originally a close-in weapon system, a CIWS, for intercepting missiles, but they brought it onto land to intercept things like mortar shells. It was originally built to stop supersonic projectiles, so subsonic mortar shells were easy enough for it to handle. It is fully automatic, so no one needs to pay attention to it.”
“Hmm...”
Could it be for defending against the acid babies Grumble threw? If a large monster hurled a small monster with force, the speed would be considerable. At the very least, it would be faster than a ball thrown by a Major League ace pitcher. But compared to a mortar shell, the difficulty of interception would be much lower. Gyeoul wondered if this was overkill.
‘Still, too much is better than too little...’
For a division-level unit, having weapon systems like that should be fine. If they had improved the program, it could probably sweep the ground in an emergency. Given its purpose, the caliber looked quite large. Considering the terrifying rate of fire its six rotating barrels would spit out, it should be able to stop even Grumble.
Since the distance was short, they reached division headquarters before long. Near headquarters, tanks from the division’s direct command units were lined up and waiting. They were upgraded models, so their shape was very different from before. Compared to the past, the turret had grown larger and taller. The sloped armor meant to defend against shells had been replaced by vertical armor. Gyeoul thought the frontal armor had probably become thinner too.
‘Protection equivalent to more than a meter of steel is excessive against mutants...’
Instead, the protection that had been concentrated toward the front had probably been spread in other directions. Even then, the total weight must have gone down.
Since the internal volume had increased, the shell capacity must have increased too.
When he got out of the vehicle and entered the division headquarters briefing room, the officers who had arrived a little earlier all fell silent at once. Several emotions focused on Gyeoul: curiosity, goodwill, awe, and doubt. Since he saw someone he knew, Gyeoul sat beside him.
“Captain Langford.”
The Captain was glad to see him, but also quite awkward. He laughed and said,
“Now I’m your subordinate. It reminds me of a movie I once saw.”
“A movie?”
“It was a science fiction movie about fighting alien bugs. In it, the drill instructor says to the protagonist, ‘Next time we meet, I’ll have to salute you.’”
“...”
“Everyone was very glad to hear that you returned safely. Although Baker Company no longer exists.”
“Are you sad about it?”
“...A little. But I don’t want to go back to that time.”
At the confession of the officer who had suffered under heavy responsibility and hair loss, Gyeoul made a faint smile.
Langford had now been assigned to a division-direct artillery battery. It was fair to say he had returned to his original duty.
Not long after, the division commander entered the room. The room went dark, and the projector turned on. The still-blunt Major General did not even offer a proper greeting. He checked attendance with a quick look around.
“Everyone is here. I will begin the briefing.”
The operation name projected in light was Burning Valley.
“As all of you know, the mutants’ offensive has reached its limit.”
At the Major General’s gesture, a map appeared.
“Because we established a bridgehead here, they have been forced to fight a two-front war. Their control has also weakened thanks to the results of Operation Preventive Scalping. This counteroffensive is an extension of Operation Manifest Liberation, and the goal is to complete the recapture of the mainland before autumn comes.”
A low murmur rose.
“The screen you are seeing now is data provided by the National Weather Service.”
The Major General looked at the officers while pointing at the red-stained map.
“At present, temperatures are already above the seasonal average. The National Weather Service expects record-breaking heat over a broad area spanning California’s Central Valley and its south, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Mexico. In California in particular, our operational area, they say some regions may soar as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit.”
120 degrees Fahrenheit? After roughly converting it, Gyeoul tilted his head slightly. It was murderous heat nearing 50 degrees Celsius. He understood the operation name, and he could guess the contents.
“This weather anomaly is expected to begin in early June and continue until August.”
As the Major General spoke, the map moved through each forecast period, and the blood-red area spread in a sickly fashion.
“The body temperature of mutants is higher than that of normal humans. Therefore, while the weather is this hot, they will be unable to display their normal abilities... What is it?”
An officer who had raised a hand asked a question.
“Does that mean their activity will stop?”
“No.”
The General denied it immediately.
“They have the ability to suppress their metabolism. They can lower their body temperature and remain active. But that makes them slower. The CDC confirmed it through experiments.”
“Wouldn’t it be different in combat?”
“It would be different.”
The General answered immediately again, as if he had fully expected the question.
“But they only appeared last year. They have never experienced heat like this. Therefore, they have no experience with how much distance they need at a given temperature before they should normalize their metabolism. Their charges will be too fast or too slow. If they are fast, they will collapse early. If they are slow, they will be unable to display maximum combat power. Either way, the situation is favorable for us. Is it not?”
“If it is as you say, yes.”
When the officer added that condition, the General gestured again. What was projected next was an experimental facility. It appeared to be one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s facilities. Several mutants were confined in a large white space. Each mutant had sensors embedded all over its body. They were there to monitor physical status.
Researchers stood behind reinforced glass that shifted between transparent and opaque. The indoor temperature and humidity, along with the mutants’ conditions, appeared on the monitors.
When the temperature reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, bait appeared to stimulate the plague’s aggression.
[Graaaaagh!]
The mutants began to go berserk as if they had never slowed down.
The violent attack did not last long. At the 3 minute and 30 second mark, they rapidly slowed.
============================ Author’s Note ============================
#Q&A
Q. Calpis: @This is a scene from ‘Captain America: Urban War.’ When the friend in the villain mask tried to escape by helicopter, he grabbed the helicopter’s landing skid while it was floating around head height, held onto a building railing, and stopped it from taking off. Could Gyeoul do that too?
A. I watched that movie, but I don’t remember it. Still, I don’t think it would work even if he held onto a railing.
Q. AntiChrist: @Author seems to be having a really hard time these days, so I’ll chant a spell to give you strength. Skarlochen Skarlochen Skarlochen!!!!!!
A. You’re using a spell that suits your nickname. I will now go be sick.
Q. Eunhyeongro: @I bought the ebook on Ridibooks, read the serialization on Joara, and bought the physical book at the bookstore. What someone like me wants is... What I want is all hail Skarlochen!
A. Hahaha, well now, hahaha.
Q. Eeiko: @I had a lot of fun reading today too! I hope the physical books catch up to the current progress soon. If it isn’t rude, may I ask what works Author reads on Joara?
A. Of course, The Wind and Star Cluster... but I’ve mentioned that too many times. Aside from that, nothing in particular... Hmm... The Labyrinth Is a Business?...
Q. LunarKarma: @Electric fan... number one... Sponge... T_T
A. I think I attempt suicide every night. Haha.
Q. fnlshsk: @What will your next work be! What do you think about having such a loyal reader base lol I paid too and offered up 27 manuscript fees
A. I’m considering several ideas for my next work. There is a small chance I may not write one at all.
The first, ‘The Road to Happiness,’ is a sequel and spin-off to Ossuary, dealing with a future after the ending that is full of childlike innocence.
The second, ‘Night Dreaming of Gaebyeok,’ has a setting inspired by Friedrich the Great’s predecessor and Prussia during the Great King’s era.
The third, ‘Like a Rhinoceros Horn,’ is an orthodox fantasy featuring a macho man, a princess, and a demon lord.
The fourth, ‘Age of Fire,’ is a steampunk fantasy set in a nomadic empire that triggered an industrial revolution.
Aside from those, I have various other ideas, such as the Christian-worldview cosmic horror ‘Wilderness of the Interstellar Quarantine Officer’ and the Buddhist-worldview sentient-being-salvation gag fantasy ‘Walking Nine Steps in Eight Directions,’ but for now, the four above are the final candidates. I have written the opening parts for all of them.
Q. Grayark: @Author, you said writing is your livelihood, so are you writing anything else separately? It sounds like it must be very hard
A. There’s no way such a thing exists. Ossuary alone leaves me with no childlike innocence.
Q. iio6: @Come to think of it, I was curious. Can Afterlife Insurance subscribers watch other Afterlife Insurance subscribers’ gameplay and synchronize or chat? And can they do things other than gameplay, like watching movies or dramas or reading novels?
A. The former is possible under certain conditions. It will come up later through the committee members’ conversation, so I’ll omit it here. The latter is, of course, possible.
Q. Ttaeguni™: @After the nuke went off, what happened to the survivors among the people who were there? Whether on the Chinese side or the U.S. military side
A. As I’ve said several times, I can’t answer questions like this. I ask for your understanding.
Footnotes:
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