WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 249: Farewell (5)

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The playback ended, and Major General Rogers continued.

“Of course, heat this extreme will be deadly for us as well. To minimize non-combat losses, every vehicle at every echelon will be modified for desert operations. Shelter carriers equipped with additional cooling equipment will also be provided. Dismounted combat is to be conducted only on a limited basis, at the commander’s discretion.”

The screen changed back to a map. Unlike before, it was not showing temperatures by region.

“Before we begin the operation in earnest, we must seize Sonoma Dam and the geothermal power complex in the mountains south of Clear Lake. The objective is to restart the power plants and secure the power needed for wide-area radio jamming and strongpoint defense. The strongpoints established in this area will draw the enemy’s attention while the division main force conducts offensive operations.”

And this was the mission Gyeoul would be given. Among the units listed for deployment was a direct independent company: David Task Force. Its assigned position was Aidlin Geothermal Plant. Of all the complex’s defensive strongpoints, it was the most isolated to the west, which would make support from other units difficult.

“The new radio jamming equipment differs from existing ECM in that it imitates enemy signals. That is because we have managed to isolate signals with specific meanings from the enemy communications collected so far. In other words, it goes beyond disrupting communications through radio interference. It sends false orders.”

Major General Rogers paused for emphasis.

“The problem is that the only order we have managed to isolate is the assembly signal.”

Some officers stirred. Most of them were probably commanders who had received the same mission as Gyeoul.

“Sir. The radio jamming range is extremely wide. Will it interfere with friendly communications? Even if we establish wired networks between strongpoints, we will need some way to contact division headquarters or Marigold in an emergency.”

Just as Gyeoul had been wondering the same thing, another officer asked the question.

“You do not need to worry about communications. Now that the signal has been clearly identified, the channels used for jamming are limited. It can be overcome with frequency hopping configured according to regulations. Satellite communications will function normally, of course, and ordinary radios should also work properly even near the jamming equipment. However.”

The division commander’s declaration was cold.

“Under no circumstances will there be support from the division main force.”

This time, even more officers murmured.

“That is because the division’s mission is a mobile strike into the enemy’s depth. I do not know whether the mutant horde can be said to have any depth, but... to be more precise, the objective is to separate the mutant horde from every water source within the operational area. Even with support from the Air Force and naval aviation, this will not be an easy mission. Returning to provide support will be close to impossible.”

“...”

“The National Weather Service predicts an extreme drought in inland California. Mutants are living things in the end. If they want to keep moving, they need water. That means they will be desperate. It will not be an easy fight. But if this operation succeeds, we can spend Thanksgiving with our families.”

Most dams in the contaminated zone had their floodgates wide open to prevent collapse. Salinas Dam at Santa Margarita Lake, where Gyeoul had been dispatched, was the same. So no matter how much rain had fallen early in the year, the amount of water stored in each region could never be high.

California’s droughts were infamous. Rivers and streams often dried up. With waterworks and irrigation facilities no longer functioning, it would be even worse now. It would not be strange for the Central Valley to become a desert.

“I will say it again. There will be no troop reinforcements for strongpoint defense. That remains true even if a new division is formed here. But this is by no means an impossible mission.”

The division commander gestured for the screen to move on. The officer handling the laptop fumbled through several pages this time. At last, Major General Rogers nodded at a page introducing the resources that would be used for fortification.

“The list you see now shows additional equipment to be deployed against the enemy forces that will keep swarming in. You all know about the unmanned turrets. In addition, there will be laser firing systems and area denial systems.”

The area denial systems were the radar-like vehicles Gyeoul had seen on his way to division headquarters.

“The laser firing system has an output of one megawatt. Since the power plants are the strongpoints, effectively unlimited fire support should be possible. I am told even Grumble would not last five full seconds. There are cooling issues, but it will allow us to wipe out groups of ordinary size without expending ammunition.”

Gyeoul examined the terrain. It was high ground, favorable for defense. For mutants forced to sprint up at least several hundred meters in extreme heat, the conditions would be brutally unfavorable.

The area denial system, or ADS, also known as the Heat-ray, looked useful as well. It was a type of non-lethal weapon that inflicted intense pain on living creatures within its range. According to the briefing document, it had originally been developed for military use, but failed to produce results and had instead been used for riot control. Now it had been improved, its output increased, and it would be deployed.

‘Even if it has no killing power, it’s enough as long as it buys time...’

Various ways to use it flashed through Gyeoul’s mind. It was less powerful than a Trickster’s microwave emission, but its range was wider. It could delay mutant charges, of course, and it would also be useful for restricting approach routes so firepower could be concentrated. Or it could forcibly separate Grumble from ordinary mutants.

“There are also plans to draw up hot groundwater to raise the temperature and humidity. It could be sprayed directly at high pressure as well. Taking Air Force and artillery support into account, we judge that defending fortified high ground will not be unreasonable. Any objections?”

Major General Rogers asked the now-silent officers.

Gyeoul remembered the vertical drilling rigs. So that was why the heavy equipment had been needed.

“None, then.”

The major general continued the briefing without any particular emotion.

After everything ended, a maintenance team followed them back to the company station with a truck. It carried various types of air conditioners, armor plates to attach to Humvee turrets, bulletproof glass, and more.

As they watched the maintenance team work, Captain Singh said, “This summer will be horribly hot in more ways than one.”

Gyeoul agreed.

“I think non-combat losses may be higher than losses from the enemy.”

“Once it goes over 100 degrees, even the asphalt will soften. People are another matter. It is obvious, but we will have to pay close attention to personnel management.”

Operations Officer Foster sighed.

“It is a shame. If we had known this would happen, delaying Operation Manifest Liberation might have been the right choice.”

“There was no helping it. At the time, it was a reasonable decision. They said losing the West Coast cost us a lot of weather observation capabilities too... If not for the Navy, even this much would have been impossible, right?”

“...How do you view this operation, Company Commander?”

“Wouldn’t you say it has a decent chance of success? The mutants have to run on foot in that weather. They will suppress their metabolism, so they will be slower... And as the streams dry up one by one, their range of movement will shrink too... If they gather near water, the Air Force will have an easier time hitting them. Survivor rescue is over now, after all.”

Captain Singh nodded.

“The operational area does feel excessively large, but with its overwhelming mobility, the division main force should not be in danger. Even if the enemy’s numbers are large, they can keep their distance and attack one-sidedly. Smaller groups only need to be defeated in detail.”

With air support and satellite reconnaissance, the chance of being surrounded was low too.

“Contaminating water sources with chemical rounds... would be difficult, considering their adaptability. But instead, we could lure them to a specific water source and make fire flow instead of water. Unless it is a toxic substance, napalm is not something they can adapt to.”

A faint hint of anticipation showed on the captain’s stern face.

But the operations officer’s concern lay elsewhere.

“Are neither of you worried about our company’s mission?”

“...”

“An assembly signal? That means every mutant within radio range will swarm in. Possibly even more than that. If intelligent special mutants bring in groups from outside that range as well, every unit assigned to strongpoint defense, including our company, will be in danger.”

At that, Intelligence Officer Murray frowned.

“No way. If they have any sense, they will avoid it instead.”

“Why are you so optimistic?”

“The cunning ones were reduced heavily in the last hunt, and the ones that survived should be in a position where they need to look out for themselves, right? So they will want to get out of the jamming range. What remains will be attacks from uncontrolled ones, and once we get past the critical point, we should only have to deal with the dregs newly crossing the perimeter, no? The ones the Tricksters failed to pull in. Well...”

Murray paused, then gave the conclusion.

“I do not think it will be an easy fight, but I think it is far from a suicide mission.”

Gyeoul did not agree.

“I’m not so sure...”

When he began speaking, their eyes turned back to him.

“If they leave the radio jamming alone, from the mutants’ perspective, it creates too large a blank zone. An area where proper activity is impossible. Wouldn’t they want to resolve that somehow...?”

A Trickster would understand what that area meant.

One person nodded, one person looked uneasy, and one person stayed expressionless. Gyeoul finished briefly.

“I’m saying we shouldn’t let our guard down too much.”

Anyway, he would have to tell the company members too.

The off-duty company members watched the maintenance team’s work with open curiosity. The air conditioning setup, fitted with a pair of fans, was substantial enough that the Humvee’s rear cover had to be removed entirely. Without something on that level, operating in heat approaching 50 degrees would be unthinkable.

“Ah, Gyeoul. You’re back.”

At the voice calling him, he turned around and saw the FBI observer. She was in tactical clothing with the sleeves rolled up and carried weapons. Perhaps because of the already harsh direct sunlight, she wore pitch-black protective glasses.

“Anne? What brings you here?”

“...”

After a moment of silence, she smiled faintly.

“Could I see you for a moment after the workday ends? There is something I need to settle before I return.”

“I do not mind... Has your return schedule been decided?”

“Yes. As early as tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow at the latest. I hear things in Washington have been sorted out quite a bit as well. It would also be difficult for me to stay here too long. A new operation is about to begin soon, is it not?”

“Yes. I am just coming back from the briefing. Do you know the details?”

The observer smiled again.

“No. I am an outsider now.”

“...”

Hiding her sadness, she asked a new question.

“Is it a dangerous operation?”

“I do not know yet.”

“It probably will not be easy. Among the arrangements the people above want, there must also be the sacrifice of soldiers from refugee backgrounds. No...”

Joanna, who had said it herself, seemed startled by her own sharpness. Covering her mouth with one hand, she apologized to Gyeoul and the other officers watching her.

“I am sorry. I said something unnecessary. It was rude as well.”

“It is all right. Anyway, after work... what time would be good for you?”

“Any time is fine. It is not as if I have anything to do. It is not important business either, so simply making time for me will be enough.”

“In that case... I will come find you depending on the situation.”

“I will wait.”

If it was not important business, was it a personal matter? Gyeoul watched the observer’s back for a moment as she walked away. In the direction she was heading, CIA agents were strolling under the sunlight as if they were out for a walk.

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

#KakaoTalk - Tornado

Comic artist friend: Wow. I’m watching a tornado video, and trailers are just flying around.

Programmer friend: That place has so much open land that prevention must be impossible.

Tunguska: Is there any way to prevent that?

Comic artist friend: The scale is so huge that I can’t really picture it.

Tunguska: Nuclear attack on the tornado.

Comic artist friend: I’ll just run away from the tornado...

#Question

Uh... I have said this several times, but I cannot answer questions about whether a specific subject will be used, what developments will happen, whether characters live or die, and so on, even if you ask with @Question. I ask for your understanding.

#Q&A

Q. Sasasid: @Age of Fire sounds tempting. A nice big serving of steampunk nomad hype.

A. That is exactly what I want. Of course, childlike innocence is essential too.

Q. Guaaaaak: @I keep seeing the word Skarlochen. What does that word mean? It doesn’t show up even when I google it... Somehow it feels like it is being used to pressure the author.

A. It is a demand that I pair up a character named Scarlet and a character named Crochen from Halkeginia Seal Breaker. I would rather write a romance between Kim Jong-un and Trump.

Q. Holsol: @Will flamethrowers not show up?

A. Not yet.

Q. OneChance: @I know it is rude to discuss your next work when there is still so much of Little Prince left, but I cannot help being that excited. The settings for your next works are interesting, and I thought once again that you are good at making titles too. It would become a small happiness in my life if you could make a living from writing for a long, long time and complete them one by one. Stay strong. I’m cheering for you! All hail Skarlochen!!

A. Thank you, except for the Skarlochen. I spent a long time as an unknown, so I have a lot of things planned out, but I wonder whether I will be able to write them all during my career as an author.

Q. CurryRice: @I have a question. When is the position-based promotion lifted?? Since Operation Preventive Scalping ended and he was appointed company commander, shouldn’t he return to his original rank of Captain?? Or is a Major in Korea around the level of a commander of a division-level direct unit, while in America it is an ordinary company commander rank or something like that?

A. In the U.S. military, position-based promotions may be recognized as permanent without being lifted, depending on the situation or performance evaluation. In such cases, pay is also raised according to that rank. You can find many examples from World War II, because there was always a shortage of NCOs and commanders alike. There were even cases where senior NCOs were converted into senior officers without separate education.

As mentioned in the story, the current United States is suffering from an officer shortage worse than during World War II as it expands the size of its Army by more than ten times. It is also considering the creation of battalion-level units composed only of soldiers from refugee backgrounds. Gyeoul’s guess that they seemed to be considering the composition of a battalion command was correct. Not only are Gyeoul’s achievements overflowing, but because of the policy that adds decoration history to length of service, even the issue of formal service period has now disappeared.

In fact, this policy itself is intended to ease promotion restrictions.

The decorations and added years of service are as follows.

Medal for Valor (no addition) / Bronze Star (6 months) / Silver Star (1 year) / Distinguished Service Medal (2 years) / Medal of Honor (5 years) / Distinguished Service Cross (3 years), Silver Star + bronze oak leaf cluster (1 year) / Medal of Honor + bronze oak leaf cluster (5 years), Intelligence Cross (3 years) (decoration confirmed)

Writing it out like this makes him look like a monster. As a real person, he still does not reach the case of the legendary Audie Murphy, who received 33 decorations in two and a half years, but even that man received only one Medal of Honor... Then again, he was also a movie actor and composer, so he was a monster in a different sense.

The medal to be awarded for Operation Preventive Scalping is still undecided, so it is not included.

Footnotes:

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