WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 299: Continuity

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「Committee Member A: Before we begin the meeting in earnest, there is someone I’d like to introduce to you today. This is a junior I’ve been looking after for a long time. I’m sure you all already know this person, but it would still be proper to introduce them formally here. Junior, please say hello.」

「Committee Member G: Good day. I’m Bang H... of the Future Korea National Party...」

「Committee Member A: Ahem. I told you we don’t mention names here. The same goes for any information that could identify an individual. How can you make a mistake like that right from the start?」

「Committee Member G: Ah, I’m sorry. I think I was nervous, standing before people I’ve admired so much for so long.」

「Committee Member E: It’s fine, it’s fine. Even though this is an Afterlife Insurance secure line, keeping our identities secret is only insurance against the one-in-a-million chance. It’s an unwritten code we made in case the control personality ever gets hacked.」

「Committee Member F: For the same reason, it is inconvenient that we insist on communicating only through text or altered voices... but well, safety is better.」

「Committee Member D: It’s all for the country. If the meeting records were exposed, there would certainly be people who did nothing but criticize us without offering any real alternatives. Running a nation requires firm philosophy and conviction, and those are difficult to maintain in public. If you get frightened by public opinion and let yourself be swept along, your personal convictions disappear in the end, and you become a hypocrite.」

「Committee Member A: Yes. You could call that the very definition of dysfunctional national administration.」

「Committee Member C: Still, there are times when I wonder if we worry too much. Since Afterlife Insurance was created, it has never once allowed an external hack. Except for the cases staged artificially to emphasize security threats, that is.」

「Committee Member B: Even what you just said would be a major incident if it leaked outside. As they say, even the wisest can make a single mistake. Haha. I’m satisfied with things as they are. It has a classic feel to it, too. And there’s enough stability here that the occasional slip of the tongue can be allowed to pass.」

「Committee Member G: Thank you for your generosity. I’ll work hard from now on.」

「Committee Member E: I’ll be counting on you as well. If you run into any difficulties, please consult us. If you’re a junior Committee Member A cherishes, then you’re no stranger to us either.」

「Committee Member C: I don’t mean to scare you, but the hardships of actually running a country are not light. Supporting democracy from unseen places is very difficult. Sometimes we even have to deal with monsters of capitalism like Go Geon-cheol.」

「Committee Member G: Yes. I’m prepared. More importantly, please speak comfortably with me.」

「Committee Member D: We can’t do that. As long as you’re here, you’re a comrade standing with us on the front line of national administration. A minimum level of respect is necessary.」

「Committee Member G: Ah... I see. I’ll keep that in mind.」

「Committee Member A: That seems to be enough by way of introduction, so let us begin the meeting in earnest. Today is the day we review National Vision 2070. We’ll check whether the existing goals are still valid, how much progress has been made, and discuss new plans. Well, even if I put it that way, in practice this will probably be closer to an open discussion on the national vision.」

「Committee Member B: The existing plan has been progressing quite steadily, hasn’t it?」

「Committee Member C: First, I’d like to go over the research and development cooperation plan with the United States in the field of national defense. What was it again, functional enhancement of the human body?」

「Committee Member D: Yes, yes. You mean the joint development plan for enhanced combat soldiers. After having the control personality analyze its validity, we concluded there was nothing for us to lose, so we signed the contract. We also received a fair fee for our trouble while we were at it.」

「Committee Member C: I’ve been paying attention to other fields, so I don’t know the current status on that side. Were you in charge of it, Committee Member D?」

「Committee Member D: Yes, well. I handled it together with Committee Member F.」

「Committee Member C: How is it going?」

「Committee Member D: I’m not sure which angle I should begin from...」

「Committee Member E: Angle?」

「Committee Member D: If we’re speaking only about the project itself, then it would be proper to discuss its technical significance or compare the level of technology between the United States and us. If we’re speaking about the true intentions behind the project, then I should tell you how their interest in Afterlife Insurance is manifesting. There were also attempts to probe the bio-weaponization technology we possess.」

「Committee Member F: There’s no rush, so let’s take this slowly. We learned a lot while working on this matter.」

「Committee Member G: Is that so? Could you give an example?」

「Committee Member F: Huh, an example... Actually, this is about me. I suppose I had something of an illusion about America. I thought that even a rotten sea bream was still a sea bream, so their technical foundation wouldn’t be easy to dismiss. But in reality, that wasn’t the case. In the field of human enhancement, we are far better.」

「Committee Member D: Was it not long after we began the research cooperation? I met the American person in charge in reality, and they couldn’t keep their expression under control. My, even remembering it now makes me laugh.」

「Committee Member G: It was that bad?」

「Committee Member D: Of course. This human enhancement is ultimately biomechatronics, and their DARPA brought out fifth-generation implants as if they were the latest technology. It’s a method that requires sensors to be driven directly into the head to connect to the nerves.」

「Committee Member A: Isn’t the actual performance what matters?」

「Committee Member D: The performance is... decent. But the way they achieve that performance is very... crude, shall I say? It’s simply a matter of implanting an enhancement system into the human body. In our country, where we not only perform genetic shaping but also alter the structure and composition of the body, that is already an outdated paradigm.」

「Committee Member B: Regardless of the implementation method, wouldn’t it be fine as long as it achieves the Required Operational Capability demanded by the military? It would be another matter if productivity were low, maintenance were difficult, or there were other problems not visible in the paper specifications... but America can’t be that sloppy, can it?」

「Committee Member C: That’s right. As they say, a rich family lasts three generations even after ruin. America is still a technologically advanced nation.」

「Committee Member D: Hahaha. The problem isn’t performance.」

「Committee Member E: Then what is it?」

「Committee Member D: Harmony with the body receiving the implant. The human body has limits, doesn’t it? If you leave the base as it is and attach monstrous accessories to it, it’s only natural that it can’t handle them. Even if you implant equipment with a total value of 100, in reality it can only display 50 or less in performance. At the same time, a limit appears on the number of enhancement systems that can be implanted at once.」

「Committee Member E: Hmm.」

「Committee Member F: America is standing still in that field. They can’t ignore their outdated bioethics. At most, they only go as far as passive genetic manipulation... compared to us, who optimize the body itself as a weapon, they are inevitably...」

「Committee Member A: Yes. They’re at a disadvantage compared to us, who change the body’s basic design. Our method is easier to apply to other fields as well.」

「Committee Member D: Exactly. That is technology that can only accumulate through actual practice. Thanks to Afterlife Insurance, we have an overwhelming advantage in terms of our research foundation.」

「Committee Member A: Still, it’s hard to say that our technology is simply superior. When physical performance is enhanced, once it passes a certain limit, it often becomes visually distressing. It simply doesn’t look human. The rate of mental illness is also rather high.」

「Committee Member C: That’s how people are. Identity seems to be heavily affected by sensation and appearance.」

「Committee Member F: Well, if America’s anachronistic mindset is interpreted charitably, it is respect for humanity’s traditional identity. Even in my case, whole-body transplantation is fine, but completely rebuilding even the brain is... even under the condition that consciousness is maintained, I find it somewhat unpleasant. How should I put it? It feels as if I would no longer be myself. Compared to that, America’s detachable arms and legs feel less repulsive.」

「Committee Member E: Neural core nervous system optimization is a new technology where we have only just begun conceptual research, so that can’t be helped. I see it positively. Depending on the viewpoint, even the brain maintenance technology that has been common for a long time belongs to that category. While a person’s thoughts continue without interruption, parts of the brain are artificially regenerated or implanted with replacement tissue so they can maintain their original function even beyond their natural lifespan limit.」

「Committee Member F: So you believe that as long as continuity of thought is maintained, it doesn’t matter what happens to the hardware?」

「Committee Member E: (Laugh) I take a more progressive position. I believe that even if one side, between continuity of thought and continuity of the body, is severed, it’s fine as long as the other continues. The body and mind guarantee each other. A person can’t be explained by only one of the two. It’s body plus mind. Ah, of course, the core of the body I’m speaking of here is the brain. The brain. Thought takes place there.」

「Committee Member A: Somehow, a profound topic has come up. I feel as if I’m attending the Technical Ethics Committee. Though the members are the same in every committee anyway.」

「Committee Member E: There’s no need to think of it as difficult. In truth, we’re becoming slightly new every moment. Cells that have aged and died are continuously being replaced. The cells that make up my body, and yours as well, aren’t even ten years old at the oldest. The average is half a year. All the components from before that are gone. They were expelled as grime, dead skin, and feces.」

「Committee Member D: Hmm. Two-sided continuity. Interesting. In other words, a person is a single ongoing event and phenomenon?」

「Committee Member E: Yes, yes. I know there are scholars who suggest adding relationality to this.」

「Committee Member F: And what is relationality supposed to be?」

「Committee Member A: I can tell from the word alone. It must refer to a person’s social nature. Something like, that person’s identity is the relationships that person has formed with their surroundings. In other words, if the relationships continue, that is that person. Is that the logic?」

「Committee Member E: Exactly. That argument has its own point. We don’t consider someone who has suffered permanent brain damage to be a different person, do we?」

「Committee Member G: Ugh, I find it hard to agree with that view. In the end, that’s me from the perspective of other people, isn’t it? If I lose part of my brain, part of me disappears too. A person is not a promise.」

「Committee Member B: That has a good rhythm. Part of my brain, part of me. Hahaha.」

「Committee Member D: To put it in Committee Member E’s terms, isn’t the situation those scholars cite as an example one where the continuity of both body and mind has been severed at once?」

「Committee Member E: Hmm... that’s a little ambiguous.」

「Committee Member D: Ambiguous?」

「Committee Member E: Yes. The brain hasn’t been completely crushed, after all. I wonder if that part could be seen as physical identity continuing from before...」

「Committee Member C: Let’s just say only part of that person remains. Legally, they could still be recognized as the original person.」

「Committee Member A: Good grief, somehow the discussion seems to be drifting off course...」

「Committee Member B: Come now. We have plenty of time anyway, and national vision covers a broad range, so this kind of conversation is fine. Isn’t that right, Chair?」

「Committee Member A: Heh heh...」

「Committee Member G: I’m in awe of my seniors’ depth. This is intellectually delightful stimulus. As expected, you are the philosopher-kings who lead this country. You truly seem different in blood from commoners, who only know how to slander others whenever they gather.」

「Committee Member F: Thank you. Even if it’s empty praise, it feels good to be complimented by a young junior.」

「Committee Member G: I mean it sincerely.」

「Committee Member D: Huh. Junior is very good at getting along in society.」

「Committee Member B: In any case, then Committee Member E would partially recognize a fully computerized personality as well.」

「Committee Member E: I’d like to make it clear that my political stance is separate.」

「Committee Member B: Of course it would be.」

「Committee Member E: If so, then yes. If it’s a method where personality information is copied and the brain is discarded, then that is only a copy, with both body and mind severed, so I would not recognize it... But in a case where the brain is gradually replaced while thought is maintained, until it becomes completely mechanized... under the premise that the system is functionally not lacking compared to the original brain in even the slightest, the slightest way, I could recognize it as the original person. After all, the continuity of thought is certain.」

「Committee Member C: You certainly have reason to call yourself progressive.」

「Committee Member F: Hm, after hearing all this, I’m starting to think an artificial biological neural network implant would not be too bad. Though I still hesitate over completely replacing the intracerebral nervous system with it.」

「Committee Member E: Committee Member F. That is the only way for us to accept the future into ourselves.」

「Committee Member A: Let’s return to the main topic. In any case, the field you’re discussing has only just entered its basic stage.」

「Committee Member B: Complete replacement of the intracerebral nervous system, or mechanization... Will it be possible in a few decades? Or maybe in a hundred years?」

「Committee Member A: It’s a distant prospect. Even if the nation’s vision should be a hundred-year plan, for now it is premature.」

「Committee Member E: What does it matter? We’ll still exist even a hundred years from now.」

========== Author’s Note ==========

#Body Aches Season 2

Several days have passed, but I still feel chilly. Everything feels like a chore...

Readers who have the CSAT coming up, please take extra care of your health.

#Spoilers

I’ve said this several times before, but even if you ask questions about future developments, whether a certain character lives or dies, or whether a specific subject will be used, I can’t answer them.

Some readers say, “If you can’t answer, that means it’s going in that direction!” but that’s a misunderstanding. It means I will neither confirm nor deny.

#Q&A

Q. Calpis: @I can feel it... the energy of ingya-ingya... Yura Jin-seok?

A. Don’t worry. I’m Tunguska. As for what that means... I’ll leave it to the readers’ interpretation. :)

Q. AntiChrist: @Old One’s perfect CSAT score = Considering an earthquake happened right after you announced bonus chapters, we received intelligence that an Old One, fearing the greatness of readers, swung tentacles underground to avoid the bonus chapters. Please state your position.

A. There was an opinion in the comments on the previous chapter. Joking about earthquakes may be unpleasant to people who suffered real harm. I think it would be better to refrain.

Q. UnlimitedOne: @Yura and Jin-seok’s relationship is so full of childlike innocence!(...) / I went and looked up the meaning of intermission again. As time goes on, the computation segments are growing fewer, and is this a hint that one part of the personality that created the Star Child is growing from that into an independent personality? / It feels like a part with such warm meaning. :)

A. Now isn’t the time for me to say whether that’s right or wrong. If I comment, it will be after the ending... hehe...

Q. Ryujianne: @Yura and Jin-seok, those two have couple vibes...

A. Come to think of it, Christmas, which the readers love, happens to be coming up... hmm...

Q. Bug: @Since the CSAT got postponed, how about stockpiling some chapters? For your health, the heating will be blazing and meals will be canned fried dumplings / Long live Yura! When will Trigger Witch get to shine?

A. If it’s chapter stockpiling on the level of CSAT exam writers, it may be worth considering. / Well. That’s difficult to answer.

Q. NobleIsFun: @Can the Star Child... summon Gyeoul’s acquaintances into reality?? Overlaying their memories onto artificial bodies... Since you’ve said over and over that it will be a happy ending, maybe that kind of ending...?? might happen?

A. Again, that’s difficult to answer. I can neither confirm nor deny questions about future developments.

Q. qgegegqe: @It’s about time for the viewer message board to show up!

A. Too bad! It was competent politicians!

Q. Strawberry Munch Munch: @All Old Ones, please take care of your bodies. I had reserve forces training this week, and I had the mystical experience of suffering from body aches before and after going.

A. I agree. Everyone needs to stay healthy.

Q. Namu Sora Bread: @I’m a reader who stopped at Chapter 170. I wanted to read it as a physical book, so I’ve been waiting, but there’s been no news after Volume 2. Has publication of the physical books through the ending been stopped?

A. No. It was only delayed due to editing issues. It will come out soon... probably?...

Footnotes:

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