WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 294: Sacramento (9)

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That evening, the mail that had piled up at the divisional post office was delivered. The soldiers who finally received their delayed letters grinned from ear to ear. They welcomed not only news from family and friends, but also bank account statements. The larger their balances grew, the roomier the future they could imagine became. A house with a garden. A peaceful everyday life. Hope was a necessity of life.

In that sense, the members of the independent company might have been better off than the Americans in the safe zones. At least compared to people who, while not in immediate danger of death, still had to scrape by day to day. Even before the plague, about half of Americans had not had even 1,000 dollars, roughly 1.1 million Korean won, to their name.

Of course, things were worse now than they had been then.

Over the course of several apocalypses, there had occasionally been people who said this to Gyeoul.

“Life feels fuller now than it did before.”

That was probably one of the reasons the viewers in the outside world envied Gyeoul.

Gyeoul’s account statement was extremely simple. There had been no spending at all for several months. As a result, his pay, with various allowances added in, and his Medal of Honor recipient’s pension had piled up untouched into a sum that could not be ignored. That was why pamphlets for various investment products had been enclosed.

Since Song Jeong-hun was not the only Ensign whose position-based promotion had been confirmed as an official promotion, Gyeoul’s pay was calculated at the highest pay step for the rank of Major. That was thanks to a policy that added commendation records to service time.

Gyeoul received no personal letters. As usual, there were too many to transport. The situation had been announced to civil society several times, but apparently without enough effect.

Besides that, several days’ worth of newspapers had been delivered. Several copies arrived for each day, so even after they were passed around to soldiers curious about news from the safe zones, one copy of each remained for leisurely reading.

The front page from two days ago was entirely a photograph.

「MAN OF HONOR」

What an embarrassing title.

The slightly low-resolution photo had probably been enlarged and enhanced from a staff officer’s helmet-camera footage on the day the cunning monster took hostages. It showed Gyeoul throwing a gas pressure cylinder with his hand on fire. It had captured him in a truly dynamic moment. To choose this exact instant, the public affairs office must have pulled the footage frame by frame and agonized over it.

That day, hostage rescues had also succeeded at two other engagement sites besides the David Task Force.

But the way they had been carried out did not receive praise. It had been too aggressive. One case in particular had gone very far.

‘Firing a tank’s main gun was a bit...’

They had aimed at the place where the hostage was being held and blasted it with an armor-piercing round. Of course, it had not been a direct hit, and the hostage was found badly wounded inside half-collapsed debris. At least the injuries were said not to be life-threatening. The hostage had apparently been evacuated to a field hospital and was receiving treatment now.

The commander in question insisted that this had been the best practical option.

「If safely rescuing the hostage was the best-case scenario, the worst-case scenario was the hostage dying, or the monster disappearing again with the hostage. I judged that there was a high probability the situation would move toward the worst case. The Trickster is an intelligent creature. The purpose of a sudden hostage situation could not possibly be the hostage situation itself, could it? On top of that, it showed itself in a place where its retreat route could easily be cut off. It was obviously a trap.」

As this showed, there was nothing to criticize about the commander’s grasp of the situation itself.

「So I made a decision. I would accept the possibility that the hostage might be injured or killed. If the mutant disappeared with the hostage, the hostage would ultimately be found as either a torn-up corpse or a mutant. One more thing. Tricksters are not especially numerous. In other words, there was a high probability that the main culprit behind the hostage situation was also the commander of the mutant horde in this area. So I concluded that if we suppressed that individual early, whatever trap it had prepared would lose all meaning. The safety of the entire unit, and beyond that, the safety of adjacent units, was at stake. And in the end, I was proven right.」

Just as the commander claimed, the mutants’ assault had not been properly carried out in the zone under that commander’s charge. There had been an attack, but it had not been properly controlled. The flaming gas cylinder that appeared there as well exploded in the rear of the mutant horde that had launched the raid. As for casualties, there were only a few people with ruptured eardrums and a few others who complained of tinnitus. They were treated as wounded in action and would receive Purple Hearts.

「Shelling with an armor-piercing round was a rational choice. I intended to half-demolish the building with a non-explosive round and force the creature to abandon the hostage. I will admit it. It was reckless. But if it failed, I was prepared to take responsibility as the commander.」

The commander also stated that they had asked for the opinion of an engineering officer present at the scene. Where and how should they shoot, and how much should they collapse the structure, to increase the survival rate of the hostage who would be buried under the debris?

「Of course, Lieutenant Cassius was reluctant. I will make this clear. The Lieutenant strongly opposed this plan. It was my decision as the commander, and mine alone.」

The reason the commander emphasized that it had been their own decision was easy to understand.

「In any case, the Lieutenant offered an opinion according to my order, and that was the role of a soldier. I ordered the shelling. As a result, we were able to catch the enemy off guard and secure the hostage at the same time.」

“...”

Gyeoul guessed that the public affairs office had been involved here too. They must have decided in advance what would be released to the press based on the commander’s own statement. The initial combat report probably had not been written by the commander either. Gyeoul had similar experience. The battle by the lakeside on a stormy night, when he fought against Captain Harris’s forces. Gyeoul had not personally written the report on that battle. Colonel Laughlin, the commander of Fort Roberts, had handed him an already completed report, and after reading it, Gyeoul had said this.

“I have fully familiarized myself with the contents I wrote.”

That was what he had said.

‘But this case is different...’

Unless it was a war crime, a field commander had no need to defend themself in the media.

In the end, it was a matter of politics. This would not have happened if the current administration’s position had been strong.

「Is General Yang alive? New footage of the worst terrorist discovered.」

Past the Sacramento special feature article, the sentence printed largest on the third page stood out. General Yang naturally meant Yang Yongbin, the Shangjiang.

Gyeoul was certain Yang was dead. There had truly been no way out. But the fact that the body had not been found was too significant. The Shangjiang’s malice was still creeping through America and eating away at it.

「The Department of Defense announced that this footage, newly obtained from prisoners who surrendered on the 9th, was recorded before the Chinese military remnants’ attack on Calpine 5. In other words, it is not evidence that General Yang is alive. However, experts raised doubts about the results of the video analysis. They argue that the file’s date data may have been manipulated. There is also the possibility that the prisoners are committing perjury after being coaxed by the Department of Defense...」

For some media outlets, attention mattered more than conscience.

Knock, knock.

Gyeoul raised his head at the sound.

“Come in.”

The people who entered were intelligence officer Murray and First Sergeant Merriweather. They approached Gyeoul, who received their salutes while seated, and each held out documents and tablets that required approval. Murray’s side included not only Murray’s own work, but also duties that originally belonged to the operations officer, while Merriweather’s side concerned vehicle movement approvals and supply provisions. Even now that most work had been computerized, the need to sign things had not disappeared.

As he quickly read and signed them, he checked the notices updated just now.

“Night combat is still restricted?”

Murray answered Gyeoul’s question.

“Yes. The hostages are difficult to identify, after all. There is also the risk of friendly fire. Most decisively, Command seems worried about what might happen if our night attacks cause confusion among the enemy. They might eat the hostages. No matter how unaffected the Tricksters’ radio vision is by night and day, and even if they use wired communication too, it would be hard for their control over ordinary mutants to be the same as during the day.”

How did Tricksters command so many mutants in underground environments where radio transmission and reception were restricted?

That question had been answered while investigating the engagement site from three days ago. A soldier had discovered a mutant dead with electrodes driven into its head. The stripped copper wire pierced straight into the very part that had mutated to react to radio waves. The other end stretched all the way into the building where the hostage situation had taken place.

As for wires to use as materials, there were plenty lying around in the underground utility tunnels. That was the kind of space they had been built for in the first place.

‘But the method was way too crude.’

It had probably been the Trickster’s idea, but mutants whose dexterity was worse than a human’s could not possibly perform delicate surgery. There were countless traces of failure nearby. Remains with holes bored into their skulls. Even without knowing for sure, there were probably plenty that had died not only from brain hemorrhages, but from having their brains cooked whole.

Judging by the circumstances, acidic and flammable babies had been used for the surgery. They seemed to have closed the wounds by searing on flesh torn from other body parts or from other mutants. Mutants were tough, and they probably also thought there was no need for them to live long from the start.

Gyeoul wondered how good the reception could have been on those brutally assembled living telephones.

“It is impressive, in a way.”

Sergeant Merriweather’s voice pulled Gyeoul out of his thoughts.

“What is impressive?”

“The idea of shoving wires into their heads.”

Lieutenant Murray frowned and agreed.

“It means the Trickster understands at least the basic principle. It also knows which part of the brain was transformed to receive radio waves. What kind of creatures are these?”

“We are fighting creatures like that and winning.”

With that answer, Gyeoul returned the documents he had finished signing. Instead of leaving right away, the intelligence officer showed interest in something else.

“Were you reading the newspaper?”

“Yes. I did not get very far, though.”

“You might be better off not reading the rest about the quarantine war. People with not even a speck of military knowledge are calling themselves experts and spouting strange nonsense.”

“Was there something in particular that bothered you?”

“How could there not be?”

The Lieutenant turned the page. After saying Gyeoul might be better off not reading the rest...

“This is it.”

At the special feature article the Lieutenant pointed out, Sergeant Merriweather cast a glance while pretending not to care. From Gyeoul’s perspective, the first thing that stood out was not the writing, but the person. A photograph of the Republican Party presidential candidate giving a speech. The candidate was pointing with a face twisted into a scowl. The caption said this.

「Edgar “Eddie” Kramer denounces the current administration’s early response to the quarantine war.」

「“Our military should have protected our citizens first and foremost.”」

By early response, it meant last year, when the plague landed on the coast.

The expert opinions below it contained arguments both for and against Kramer’s claim. The intelligence officer showed open disgust toward the side that agreed.

“If Canada had collapsed back then, the quarantine front would have stretched thousands of kilometers east and west. A blockade line would have been something out of a dream. Once it became impossible to prevent contamination of the three West Coast states, withdrawing available forces in the northwest toward Canada was strategically correct, and unavoidable.”

Unexpectedly, Sergeant Merriweather raised a serious objection.

“But it is hard to call it morally right. If those forces had been committed to disaster refugee relief, who knows how many more people they could have saved. Even if it was an inevitable choice to protect more land and more citizens in the long term, I doubt the people isolated on the beaches while waiting for rescue would understand.”

“...”

“Among the forces committed to Canada’s defense at the time, there was also an aircraft carrier. With bombing support from that air wing, would they not have saved far more citizens on land?”

“But then the blockade line...”

The intelligence officer’s fading objection was actually political. Merriweather answered calmly.

“I did not mean to say you were wrong, Lieutenant. But afterward, we increased our forces by more than ten million. Can we really say that defending the northern border would definitely have been impossible?”

“...”

“As long as there is even a little hope, the U.S. military must not abandon its citizens. Even if that leads to a more difficult fight, even if the nation becomes more endangered, even if the result is standing by and watching Canadian people die... That is what I believe.”

Ironically, the Sergeant’s position overlapped with Gyeoul’s own thoughts in some ways. Even if abandoning the few for the sake of the many was practically unavoidable, could it really be called right?

The Sergeant’s problem was that the discussion was limited to American citizens. But that was the professional ethics of a soldier, packed full of the contradictions of human society, so it was not Merriweather’s personal fault.

========== Author’s Note ==========

#DestructionOfChildlikeInnocence

I have been raising the goldfish my mother left behind at my house. I do not know the breed.

But two weeks ago, it had babies. Four of them.

Wow, they are so tiny... hahaha.

I was happy about it... but at some point, I could only see three, and today, while I was watching, the big one ate one of the babies.

My childlike innocence has been destroyed, so I will go on hiatus for 40,000 years.

#Q&A

Q. UnlimitedOne: @Ugh, Christian fanatics... I suppose it is fitting for a country of WASPs, if fitting is the word, but I still cannot help feeling bitter. Even if they are fake, believers are believers... / Tanks are sturdy weapon systems, but unexpectedly delicate too. Especially modern tanks. Let us take a brief, modest moment of silence for the maintenance depot personnel.

A. America is a country that has never had a pagan president. / That is right. A modern main battle tank is an armored computer.

Q. Kyogre: @Does this mean we just have to change Skarlochen’s spell to YuraJinseok? lol.

A. No. That is a misunderstanding. This novel has only one couple. :)

Q. wnsdlfh: @I flinched at “the body was honest,” and then again, “the body was honest”... So I flinched again... Bad thoughts! Begone!

A. I will recommend good songs for erasing bad thoughts. I’m Your Man, Ring Ding Dong, Kim Heung-guk’s designated driver song 1580 8282...

Q. StoneLumpFireLump: @Sith Lord? What is that? Is it edible?

A. Yes, it is edible. Try wrapping Darth Sidious in Force Grip and eating him.

Q. kimtw9742: @The body is honest... cough cough, there is a demon in my head.

A. If there is a Maguni in your head... cough. Who made that coughing sound?

Q. Bug: @There is so much malice... Being forced into the rear research job unless you whale... I hope Star Child goes berserk...

A. Star Child is kind, so it will not go berserk. It will stay calm to the end. Hehe.

Q. Harurururu: @If they had shouted, “The Lord protects us! Everyone, charge!” they would have been treated as excellent officers with devout faith... what a shame... I hate even going near fanatics. How about making Crochen, who is fighting on another front, appear as a cameo... maybe in a brief radio mention. ^^

A. Crochen cannot appear because the worldbuilding is too different. It may be worth considering for the chat window.

Q. Hyunhyangju: @I like this. I like this writing because it has plausibility. I like that every single character moves for reasons that make sense. Unlike works where every character unconsciously follows the same personality, ideology, and thoughts of one author, this work feels like it was written by several authors, with each character moving according to their own thoughts and beliefs.

A. I am glad you like it. I am still lacking, but I will keep working to improve.

Q. Seuseuheu: @What is Canada’s situation like right now? The border with America is ridiculously long too, so it must be hard to defend.

A. As appeared in the main text, the big factors are that Canada was not breached in the early stage, and that there was cooperation from the U.S. military afterward as well. The currents along Canada’s coast are also extremely rough. The climate is cold and the population density is low, so as long as large-scale refugee landings are prevented, the conditions are good for stopping the spread of infection.

Q. FallenPope: @The body is honest... stiffened Ensign Song... oh my....

A. You must not misunderstand. Haha.

Q. qgegegqe: @The day when Gyeoul doujinshi and fan novels are distributed is not far off now. / In America, can something be done in that case?

A. Well. I do not really know that much... If I have time, I will look into it.

Q. kj2060: @America has Han Gyeoul, and Russia has Crochen! Ah, the future of Earth is bright.

A. Crochen is in Halkeginia. More importantly, should Crochen not solve things on that side’s Earth before this one?...

Footnotes:

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