WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

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◈ The Little Prince in the Ossuary

00034 <-- The Little Prince of the Ossuary -->

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#Journal, Page 55, Camp Roberts

「We have the situation under control.」

Today's broadcast began with an optimistic tone.

「After the "Grumble Shock" breached the defensive lines of Los Angeles and San Diego, we thought we would have to abandon the last major cities west of the containment line. However, that was premature despair. Brave American citizens armed themselves and fortified the streets and buildings. Surviving police and military forces joined them. As a result, 170,000 citizens who couldn't escape in time have secured safe havens.」

One of the advantages of the officer quarters was having a TV in every room. Although it only showed news and disaster broadcasts, it was great for keeping up with the outside world in real-time.

An early morning felt leisurely. This was because I belonged to the Federal Army. Regulations on how to handle dispatched officers who were originally refugees had not been established yet. My position remained unclear until the volunteer platoon was fully formed.

「That's not all. Signals from survivors have been found in San Francisco, San Jose, and even Sacramento, which was hit by a nuclear attack. How could this be possible?」

Aerial footage of Sacramento was shown. Experts explained that it was possible because a low-yield tactical nuke was used.

The nuclear explosion occurred in the eastern part of the city, at the exit routes toward the containment line. The survivors' stronghold was over 15 kilometers west of the blast center. Numerous buildings in the city center likely shielded them from radiation. Though fallout would still have reached them.

A delayed death.

「Look. The Stars and Stripes are hanging all over the city. Do you see the people waving? They haven't given up hope yet. We mustn't abandon them because we live in America!」

Promoting patriotism during a crisis was common in every country. The anchor's exalted voice continued.

「In thousands of contaminated areas west of the containment line, which were thought to be dead lands, an estimated 800,000 citizens are waiting for rescue. The government is concentrating aerial capabilities to deliver supplies, and has begun converting passenger planes into cargo planes. The Department of Defense spokesman announced they aim to achieve a daily transport volume of 5,000 tons before the Christmas holidays, enough to support over 2 million citizens.」

The screen showed supply drops attached to parachutes.

「Even in this perilous moment, the United States remains a strong nation.」

A shot of the sky filled the screen. The world on TV was always bright.

#The Clown (1), Camp Roberts

The journal ended, but the broadcast could also be seen in the dining hall. Since I started using the mess hall, I had never seen the TV turned off during Gyeoul.

Breakfast. Lieutenant Robert Capston and the leaders of Charlie Company sat at the same table. They always looked out for Gyeoul during meals. They were worried Gyeoul might feel isolated. Even though Gyeoul was close to the soldiers, it was better for an officer's dignity to be with the leaders. They could also shield Gyeoul from the disdain of other leaders. Their consideration was deep.

Gyeoul recalled the things seen on the journal and asked what everyone thought about it.

"We have to take the broadcast with a grain of salt. Because of that damned patriotic reporting practice…."

Lieutenant Capston was cautious. He believed that not even official government statements and reputable media could be trusted at face value. In times of national crisis, American media tended to avoid reporting anything unfavorable to the nation. Sergeant Pierce shrugged.

"It's a tradition since World War II. Back then, the enemies were truly bad guys, so it made sense."

One of the platoon leaders, Lieutenant McCoy, chimed in.

"Helicopter transport would be more reliable. They can also perform rescues. But they probably don't have enough of them. Maintenance, transport capacity, noise attracting creatures to the landing zones, and the fuel they guzzle are all problems. It's a whole mess."

Jeffrey agreed.

"Yeah. But we can't just rely on air transport. Survivors are scattered throughout the cities, and how effective will parachute drops be? If supplies fall into dangerous areas, they might have to be abandoned. That's probably why they're aiming for 5,000 tons a day. Wasting money has always been this country's specialty."

Indeed. Jeffrey grumbled.

"Supply shortages are a constant problem because of that. PX is only open two days a week. It used to be the other way around, right? And the lack of alcohol is a killer. It's sold out as soon as it arrives."

Lieutenant Capston frowned.

"Be grateful it’s not closed entirely. Allocating sorties for non-essential goods shows how desperate the higher-ups are to maintain morale. Don't complain in front of the soldiers."

"Sigh. Understood."

The young-looking platoon leader grumbled as he stifled his complaints. Lieutenant Capston thought for a moment after hearing about the PX and then asked Gyeoul a question.

"You're a commissioned officer... how do you receive your pay?"

Since commissioning, he had been addressing Gyeoul casually, calling him "you" or "Lieutenant."

Among the things Gyeoul received upon becoming a lieutenant were a green active-duty ID, a salary account, and a card. Gyeoul replied that he received a salary card.

"Is it based on the O-1 pay grade?"

"I'm not sure. My commissioning was a special case, and everything happened so suddenly. I only heard that I'd receive a little under $3,000 a month."

The lieutenant shook his head.

"That's just the base pay. You should also be getting hazard pay, clothing allowance, and special duty pay. I guess they didn't explain it due to the current situation. I'll look into it."

"Thank you for always looking out for me."

"There's no need to thank me. The debt I owe you is far greater than this."

Such a straightforward man.

"If you need cash, use the ATM in the quarters, Lieutenant. There isn’t one at the PX."

Sergeant Pierce advised.

"Will I need cash?"

Gyeoul asked, and the sergeant had a contemplative look.

"You might not know, but some soldiers are trading with the refugees. They buy stuff at the PX and sell it at high prices. They say refugees surprisingly have a lot of money. Damn soldiers lacking basic morals, thinking about hoarding money in this situation…"

He clicked his tongue and asked the lieutenant.

"Don't you think the higher-ups are aware and using this?"

"It's not certain... but it seems so. They plan to set transaction limits and apply special discounts for decorated officers among the refugee officers."

Gyeoul understood.

"They're trying to empower refugee officers like me, motivating us."

"Exactly."

The lieutenant didn't seem pleased. However, Gyeoul was. It was useful information. Whoever came up with this idea had a good head on their shoulders.

[Bang! Ratatatat!]

Explosions and gunfire blared from the TV. While they were lost in conversation, the screen had changed. A subtitle scrolled across the bottom.

"Is it San Diego?"

Jeffrey muttered. The scene was a fierce battle. A white sandy beach with a distant resort in view. Only one road led there. A narrow path. The Marines were blocking the thin spit of land. Along the road and the crashing waves, a terrifying number of mutant Grumbles were swarming. Many Grumbles were among them.

However, they couldn't break through the narrow path fortified with immense firepower.

The background shifted to the anchor's voice as the battle raged on.

「What you're seeing now is the defense of North Island by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force yesterday afternoon. By successfully ending this two-hour battle, they managed to protect the Navy Supply Depot and Halsey Field Airport in San Diego.」

"How long can they hold out?"

McCoy's question. The lieutenant was optimistic.

"For a long time. There's only one road in and one bridge, making it easy to defend. The higher-ups will desperately support it. If that place falls, there's no other place to receive forces coming from the Pacific. A base is also needed to rescue San Diego citizens. Refugees who escape by sea can get supplies there."

Sergeant Pierce sighed.

"Still, the number of undead is astounding. It seems endless."

"They say the mutated population is enormous. If we keep killing, we'll eventually see the end."

Despite McCoy's answer, the sergeant still looked uneasy.

"Hey, Lieutenant. What I mean is, even the mutants need to eat to stay strong. It's strange that so many are still running around so vigorously."

Then McCoy laughed.

"Haven't you seen horror movies? Zombies don't starve to death."

As they finished their meal with trivial conversations, the internal broadcast called for Gyeoul.

「Second Lieutenant Han Gyeoul, report to the operations department by 0900. Repeat, Second Lieutenant Han Gyeoul….」

"It's my name, but it sounds strange."

The people around him chuckled. It wasn't unusual for the battalion commander to call for Gyeoul. The command of a dispatched officer belonged to the battalion commander.

Gyeoul stood up with his tray.

"I'll head off first."

"Hope it's nothing serious."

Lieutenant Capston was worried to the end.

Three officers awaited Gyeoul in the operations department. A gaunt-faced battalion commander, the battalion operations officer, and an unfamiliar captain. The captain looked displeased. Gyeoul saluted the battalion commander. The half-bald battalion commander looked at Gyeoul with bleary eyes.

"You're here."

The smell of alcohol. On the table was a half-empty bottle of strong liquor. He had drunk a lot since the morning. He seemed unfocused, shaking his head and furrowing his brows. The unfamiliar captain's expression worsened. Seeing this, the battalion commander chuckled. As if to say, "What are you going to do about it?"

The world was falling apart. A battalion commander doubling as a refugee camp commander must be under a lot of stress. Though it didn't justify his actions.

"At ease, Lieutenant."

Gyeoul shifted his stance. The battalion commander introduced the unfamiliar captain.

"First, introductions. This is Captain Nils McGuire from the public affairs office. Captain, this is the Lieutenant you’ve been waiting for, Han… Han something."

The boy and the captain exchanged nods.

"Good. Now, let me explain why I called you, Lieutenant."

He explained the special mission assigned to Gyeoul.

"The Department of Defense needs promotional and educational videos. It's nothing big. Just go to Santa Maria and kill a few monsters there. As long as you don't mess up, it’ll be over quickly."

Santa Maria was about 100 kilometers south of Camp Roberts. Considering that Paso Robles, which was much closer, was barely within the operational range, the mode of transportation would not be a vehicle.

Indeed, helicopter support was provided. Instead of the troublesome battalion commander, the operations officer unfolded a map.

"The operation begins at 0600 hours tomorrow. Be at the central parade ground with light equipment ten minutes prior. Since we can't fly noisy helicopters into the city, we'll land here, in the farmland northeast of Santa Maria. The scheduled landing time is 0630 hours. It's an area secured by a Ranger company, so there shouldn't be any danger up to this point. You'll join the support force here and move 7 kilometers on foot to the operation area. Wait here. The scouting team will lure the target, and you'll hunt it. That concludes the operation. Any questions?"

Up to this point, it had been a one-sided briefing.

That's how the military worked. Gyeoul nodded.

"You mentioned luring the target. How do you plan to do that? It's too dangerous for a person to do it."

"We'll use noise-making drones."

"Is that feasible?"

"It has been tested multiple times. The intelligence of the infected mutants isn't very high."

Their intelligence was increasing.

But not yet. After some time, "Morgellons" would start using hosts in more diverse ways.

The public affairs officer, who had been observing the boy, casually remarked.

"I heard from the soldiers who worked with you, but you really don't seem afraid."

"Because I can do it."

"Hmm."

He fell silent with an unreadable expression.

"Can I bring someone with me?"

When Gyeoul asked, the operations officer firmly refused.

"That's not possible."

They only wanted Gyeoul.

Gyeoul thought it was a pity. If the environment was relatively safe, it would have been a good opportunity for the reserve members of the Gyeoul Alliance to gain experience.

The rest of the briefing covered minor details.

---------------------------= Author's Note ---------------------------=

Q. Ihuz: Is it true that if I click 'recommend,' 40,000 years will skip?

A. It's true. Time flies so fast. It's already been 40,000 years...

Footnotes:

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