WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 288: Sacramento (3)

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The assembly was completed three minutes behind schedule. There were a lot of attendees, so the people who arrived later found themselves short on seats. Some of them outranked Gyeoul.

“Oh, please don’t mind me.”

When Gyeoul tried to offer his seat, the lieutenant colonel he had just met waved a hand and declined, looking uncomfortable.

“Listen up.”

Major General Rogers brought silence down over the room.

“We’ll begin the briefing.”

There had to be many commanders here whom Gyeoul had not seen in a long time, but Rogers started without so much as a word of greeting. The room darkened, and an aerial photograph of an abandoned city appeared on the screen at the front.

“The operational zone assigned to our joint task force is central Sacramento, from Route 99, which runs through the city, north to the banks of the American River. Once we secure the thirteen bridges and the state university campus east of downtown, our role can be considered complete.”

The red dot of a laser pointer circled one point several times.

“At present, the 75th Regiment, inserted by heliborne transport, has established fortified strongpoints inside the city. Therefore, the first phase of the operation will be for each task force to cross the river along its assigned route, secure the roads to those strongpoints, and take them over from the 75th Regiment. The Kaiper Task Force, the 240th Division’s organic tank battalion, and the special heavy equipment battalion are scheduled to handle route security.”

Gyeoul quickly skimmed the printed materials that had been handed out. According to the documents, the tanks from the division’s organic tank battalion had received acid-resistant coating. In other words, they were completely immune to acid baby explosions. Even Gyeoul’s command armored vehicle did not have that capability yet. His task force had recently undergone unit maintenance, but the front as a whole still lacked supplies of acid-resistant paint.

The special heavy equipment the general mentioned was the sort of machinery that ordinarily belonged on construction sites.

As Gyeoul looked over the list of heavy equipment modified to quarantine war specifications, he remembered what the Department of Defense spokesperson had said while introducing the blockade line.

「If something is fucking huge and fucking tough, what the fuck are they going to do about it?」

The heavily modified construction equipment looked exactly like that.

As the supreme commander of the joint task force, Major General Rogers assigned routes to each subordinate task force. In Gyeoul’s case, he was ordered to occupy the California State Capitol with reinforced troops.

The major general looked to Gyeoul, whose hand was raised.

“Question?”

“Yes. You said reinforced troops. How many, specifically?”

It was not in the materials. The Capitol stood right in the middle of downtown. On top of that, there were still many unsecured high-rise buildings nearby. It was enough to make him wonder why they had chosen it as a strongpoint. With David Task Force’s existing strength alone, they would have to focus on defense.

“Hmm.”

After a moment of thought, the major general answered.

“First, one tank platoon. Two Company-level task forces will also be attached.”

“Two additional Companies?”

It was far more than expected, so Gyeoul let an appropriate degree of surprise show. Just as Rogers was both the 240th Division commander and the joint commander of several task forces, Gyeoul would be both an independent Company commander and the joint commander of several small task forces. Even if it was only temporary command authority, the number of troops under him would nearly triple at once.

The major general confirmed it dryly.

“Depending on the situation, that may increase further.”

“...”

“It is a temporary organization for now, but there is a strong chance it will effectively become permanent. You can’t have been unaware that you were being considered for a battalion-level command.”

Of course he had guessed. It had been obvious from the staff structure alone, which was excessive for a Company-level unit.

“In the past, it would have been a role assigned only after your abilities had been verified a little further.”

Then Rogers asked in a businesslike tone.

“Will you formally object?”

Answering immediately would have felt strange, so Gyeoul let a brief pause pass.

“...I’ll do my best.”

I see. The major general nodded slowly.

“We have many troops and too few officers. I expect you to shoulder the responsibility.”

He probably had not seriously meant to accept an objection in the first place. The briefing continued without a pause.

“The battle in this city will be unlike any city we have retaken so far.”

The photograph changed. Now it was a complex diagram of the city’s underground.

“They are using sewers and utility tunnels as routes of movement while maintaining organization. Buildings directly connected to utility tunnels serve as entrances protected from airstrikes and gunfire, and as surface nests. Unlike before, this proves that the enemy has sufficient control.”

Utility tunnels were underground facility tunnels that gathered buried communication, power, gas, water, and other systems in one place. The surface nests the major general mentioned were highlighted with large and small red dots. Their size indicated the estimated scale of the mutant horde likely lurking inside.

For mutants to move in an organized way underground, where radio transmission and reception were limited, there had to be that many cunning ones and enhanced mutants. That was what the general meant by enemy control.

“Another problem created by that control is civilians.”

Several more photographs appeared on the screen.

“Immediately before the city recapture operation began, one civilian stronghold fell to a mutant attack. According to the testimony of a survivor who had been hiding there, the attacking mutant horde included a Trickster, and they dragged people away alive. Seventeen people. We estimate that they are still alive.”

A brief groan passed through the room.

“That’s right. They have hostages. Given the characteristics of mutants, the civilians are highly likely to be either near special mutants or isolated somewhere safe from ordinary mutants. Therefore, aggressive entry into underground routes and nests will be restricted until all civilians are either dead or rescued.”

Low-intelligence ordinary mutants could not keep hostages alive in the first place. So, as the general said, the civilians would either be near special mutants or locked somewhere that did not require an individual capable of exerting control. That made weapons like thermobaric munitions, which swept enclosed spaces clear with shock waves, difficult to use. They could not simply blow up any random place and storm in, either.

One independent Company commander raised a hand.

“Then for now, are we simply being forced into a war of attrition on the surface?”

“It won’t last long anyway. Even if they can manage water somehow, they’ll be short on food.”

“...”

Major General Rogers frowned, which was rare for him.

“Their goal is to buy time. I don’t like it, but we’ll play along for a few days. During that time, we’ll devise various means of monitoring the underground routes and the interiors of the nests. Once we have enough intelligence, and their density has fallen below an acceptable line, Special Operations Command will carry out a rescue operation.”

In Gyeoul’s view, even if there was a Humpback, the mutants’ food situation could not be good. The giant hunchbacked monster did not create something from nothing. Thinking back to the many rotten trees at the site of their first encounter, it had probably been using vegetation as nutrients then.

‘There may still be an undiscovered special mutant...’

The strange cockroaches that did not avoid people appeared just when he was starting to forget about them. There had also been the traces he had seen in the bakery storeroom at Point Reyes Station, when he had barely escaped San Francisco. A dirty mark, flattened wide. If that really had been a sign related to mutants, perhaps the cockroaches were a specially raised food source.

Even so, cockroaches still had to eat something to multiply.

As the rest of the briefing proceeded, Gyeoul used every spare moment to examine the site where his unit would be deployed: the State Capitol. The many nearby high-rise buildings that had not yet been occupied meant they would be exposed to gliding acid babies. It was also an ideal place for a Hunter, a special mutant that fired infection wedges, to lie in ambush. Even if they were outside its range because of the projectile’s weight, it was still dangerous.

Major General Rogers was competent. Why had he chosen this place specifically? It could not be only for the symbolism of retaking the State Capitol.

‘Is it bait?’

If he intended to wear down the mutants, he needed to draw them out from a somewhat unfavorable position. 「Insight」, at the limit of human ability, affirmed Gyeoul’s judgment.

From the major general’s perspective, he might also have assigned the unit he trusted most. As if to say, they can handle this much, obviously.

The documents also mentioned a large number of anti-aircraft guns to be deployed at the Capitol. They were the same weapons that had served them well at the geothermal plant. Ordinary numbers of acid babies would not be able to break through that barrage.

After the briefing ended.

“Sir.”

Gyeoul stood at attention in front of Major General Rogers.

“What is it?”

“Excuse me, but what were you about to say earlier?”

“...”

The major general looked quietly at Gyeoul, then sent his staff out first.

“Wait outside.”

“Yes, sir.” The staff, who outranked Gyeoul, could not hide their curiosity even as they left.

After waiting for the door to close, Rogers spoke calmly.

“If you didn’t ask about the garrison site, then you must have already guessed.”

It meant, You have at least that much judgment. Gyeoul nodded.

“I would like to apologize for causing you concern through my improper conduct.”

Silence passed between them. Major General Rogers walked steadily to the window, pushed the blinds aside, and let the harsh sunlight fall over him. In the darkened room, the sunlight was a waterfall of rays where dust sparkled. With a flick of his hand, the general gestured for Gyeoul to come over as well.

“Look.”

Gyeoul looked out the window at the camp packed with tents. It was a crowded military encampment. The major general asked,

“Major. Among all those soldiers, is there anyone it would be acceptable to let die?”

“No, sir.”

“Right. But sacrifice is unavoidable in war. When you fight, someone has to die. A commander is the person who judges and decides who that will be, who must die to minimize the damage. That is why I don’t give my heart to my subordinates. I do it to avoid letting an obsession with keeping my own subordinates alive cause more casualties across the military as a whole. I believe that resolve is what qualifies a general to be a commander of commanders.”

“...”

“You don’t know why I’m bringing this up, do you?”

“No, sir.”

“Then let’s return to the main point. The matter of Major Ju Wei, a collaborator from the former Chinese military. As you said yourself, your conduct was inappropriate. If things had gone wrong, it could have been interpreted as an attempt to disregard the military chain of command. But you knew that when you made the decision.”

“Yes. I expected it.”

“After I received the report on that incident, Major General Strickland contacted me. Now I know it was an unfortunate coincidence, but at the time, I was suspicious. I wondered whether someone was hinting that you had another backer, as a precaution against controversy over involving the Intelligence Agency.”

That felt a little excessive. Major General Strickland belonged to the Air Force, so Strickland was not in a position to pressure Major General Rogers of the Army. But first the Intelligence Agency, then an Air Force general. For an ordinary commander, that alone would be enough to weigh on them.

“Do you understand? It was nothing more than a greeting to ask after you, and yet it drew that kind of suspicion. Because you are none other than Major Han Gyeoul.”

“...”

“Putting stars on your shoulders depends on political power even more than qualifications and ability. In that context, there will be any number of people who covet your influence. There will also be any number who guard against it.”

So before the briefing, when Rogers had said Gyeoul must have a hard time too, he had been predicting that suspicions like this would continue without end. Gyeoul accepted it.

“You’re right, sir.”

“I thought you understood your own position well. That is why I was surprised.”

The major general turned toward Gyeoul. Then he asked slowly,

“Was that woman worth that much?”

“I would have helped the same way no matter who it had been.”

“That is exactly the problem.”

“...”

“You cannot save everyone. Until now, you may have been able to try somehow. That is why you are a hero. But people have limits. As your rank rises, as your responsibilities grow, and as the number of people you must bear increases, it will only become harder.”

“I understand.”

“If you give your heart to each person one by one, one day you will be buried in the few and fail to see the whole. A commander must not do that. It would be a grave dereliction of duty.”

From Major General Rogers, who remained calm, Gyeoul sensed a faint weariness. It looked like the remains of an old emotion.

========== Author’s Note ==========

#Today’s recommended song - I Believe (Melissa Hollick)

#Q&A

Q. Bug: @Gyeoul’s pheromones work instantly on women! Very good. The Control AI will probably become female too! But if he dates there, then he’d be dating the Control AI!!

A. You’re lacking childlike innocence. Why does everyone try to tie a female character to romance the moment one appears?

Q. asd;lkjz;xc: @Author, you often appear in Han Gyeoul’s broadcast chat room. Do you only watch Han Gyeoul’s broadcast? If you watch other broadcasts too, please recommend them.

A. I watch a broadcast called The Wind and Star Cluster, and it’s very fun. But if I say that, I feel like I’ll get scolded for always recommending the same thing. T_T

Q. KTH: @For civilian aircraft, bird strikes seem possible... And since the individual bodies are small, they might not show up on radar, and at night they could cross the blockade line and hunt civilians without a problem.

Also, honestly, I was making an homage to Mutalisks and Scourges. xD Star Child sees every human as a villain and starts erasing humanity... Terminator???

A. Crossing the blockade line does sound plausible. Still, they’d show up on radar. Anti-aircraft guns intercepting Deadlers track them by radar too. :)

It’s hard to answer about Star Child’s future actions, because anything I say would become a major spoiler.

Q. UnlimitedOne: @Mutants carrying out gliding assaults or leaping assaults are worth worrying about, but personally I’m a little negative on it. For bird strikes, it’s not as if the U.S. Air Force and the aviation authorities wouldn’t be controlling the airspace, and they’d lack the muscle strength to leap alone. If they’re above a certain size, they’d be nothing more or less than targets, and for now, America would catch and crush any new species before it could do anything, forcing natural selection... In that sense, our acid babies also feel strongly like Grumble’s ammunition. If they were just HE at first, the ones being fired now feel like RAP rounds...

A. The comparison to HE and RAP is very fitting. (...) I also think bird strikes would be difficult. The chance of them being weeded out before acquiring effective flight ability would probably be close to 100%...

Q. qgegegqe: @Subtly, the main characters in the story suffer from women troubles, and I can feel the author’s deep experience.

A. When I wrote this case, I wasn’t thinking in that direction at all, so I was a little flustered while reading the comments. And I don’t have any experience points like that, okay? T_T

Q. WolhauiImyeon: @Great Old One... I offer the grimoire The Golden Bough, so please answer and bestow consecutive chapters..!!

A. I don’t accept any grimoire as a sacrifice except a new work by Author Lee Yeongdo.

Q. GreenTurtle: @Would it be impossible to spray the Morgellons complex in aerosol form? It wouldn’t have to cover the battlefield for days, so I think it could become quite a serious threat.

A. Looking closely, my readers have something of the evil scientist about them, studying how to drive humanity extinct. I sincerely pay my respects.

I’ve never thought about aerosols... If that were possible, infection would happen through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, so it would definitely be deadly.

Q. LewdDemonF: @Seeing old stories subtly connect little by little like this, your writing depth is quite impressive. By the way, the weather has gotten suddenly cold lately. Are you healthy?

A. Yes. I tend to suffer from minor illnesses often, but maybe because I’ve been trying to live as regularly as possible, I’m still fine so far. Thank you for worrying about me.

Footnotes:

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