WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Little Prince in the Ossuary
Chapter 79
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Hardening Ground (1)
A typhoon arrived at the very end of January. According to a warning bulletin issued across California by the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), Category 4 Hurricane Carissa was expected to pass offshore of San Diego and head toward Baja California, Mexico.
Carissa was the third typhoon to form this year in the eastern Pacific, and the first to force Fort Roberts to cancel all operations. The two earlier storms, Angelique and Beryl, had passed far from the coastline, so their impact on California was limited. Carissa was different: close enough, and strong enough, that even Fort Roberts, 460 kilometers northwest of San Diego, was battered by fierce winds and heavy rain.
The National Hurricane Center also warned that another storm might form before Carissa dissipated. Gyeoul recalled part of the bulletin.
「Formation chance through 48 hours...high...90 percent」
The expected formation point was 38 degrees north, 127 degrees west, about 500 kilometers west of San Francisco. If a storm formed there too, California would be hit with torrential rain and violent winds.
Because of that, flood and wind damage prevention became Fort Roberts's top priority. They reset hooks and ropes so tents would not be blown away, and drove in at least ten extra stakes per tent. They also stacked sandbags around the base perimeter and used heavy equipment to dig drainage channels leading toward low ground.
They had to carry out this work on both sides of the Salinas River at once. They needed to protect the makeshift airstrip and reserve vehicle depot east of the river.
They said the Salinas River last flooded in early 2006. Since then, California had remained in record drought, so flooding from a riverbed that had long been exposed was considered unlikely. Still, fortress commander Colonel Gerald M. Laughlin wanted to prepare for the worst.
“There is no such thing as overpreparing for disaster.”
Gyeoul agreed.
'And that works better for me too.'
Standing by the river in whipping wind and rain, the boy officer watched people fight against nature itself. Under a dim sky and a sun pale as the moon, countless laborers, mobilized regardless of nationality, worked with one mind. Gender did not matter. Age did not matter. It was a beautiful sight. Even if this reality was fabricated, beauty still had meaning of its own.
From now on, an accidental firefight might break out in the refugee zone. To avoid more pointless casualties, as many people as possible needed to be away from the scene. So a chance like today would not come again.
Gyeoul pressed the transmit button on the work radio.
“Vice-Captain Jang Yeon-cheol-nim. This is Han Gyeoul. Do you copy?”
[Yes, Captain-nim! I hear you clearly! Go ahead!]
The wind crackling through the signal was loud and relentless, but communication itself was not a problem.
“I think I need to step away for a while. Can you supervise the alliance members on your own?”
[Uh... yes. The other managers are here too, so it should not be difficult. I do not know what this is about, but please go without worry.]
Originally, two vice-captains were on site together. But Gyeoul had already sent Vice-Captain Min Wan-ki back early. Maybe because of age, the middle-aged scholar had weak stamina. Gyeoul could not leave him out in this weather when he was the kind of man who took a long time to shake off a cold even after getting medicine. He was a key executive.
More importantly, when something happened, someone had to control unrest in the residential district. While seeing Min Wan-ki off, Gyeoul had stressed exactly that point.
“No matter what happens, please keep people from panicking.”
The scholar gave a faint smile through rain-specked glasses.
“You are reminding me of what should be obvious.”
Gyeoul trusted him to handle it well. He was the kind of person who could easily infer why someone would go out of their way to ask for the obvious.
After hearing Jang Yeon-cheol's reply, Gyeoul headed for the police command post in the civilian zone. At the checkpoint guarding the civilian residential district under that moonlike sun, even the soldiers in rain capes looked soaked to the bone. They shifted uncomfortably, then noticed the boy officer and snapped into salute.
Once he passed the guard post, the police command building was right there.
The police force, gathered in a chaotic mix from many regions and cities, with Sacramento survivors at its core, had rebuilt its chain of command as best it could and was handling public order in Fort Roberts.
The large temporary building had rain leaking near the entrance, but the office and holding cells were mostly intact. Only a few officers stood inside, looking up uneasily at the humming roof. Much of the police manpower had also been mobilized for worksite supervision.
The officer on entrance duty stood at rigid attention.
“What brings you here, Lieutenant?”
“I came to see Commissioner O'Connor. Is he in?”
Commissioner Willis O'Connor was the top police authority at Fort Roberts. He was also one of the highest-ranking surviving California state police officers. State police headquarters had been in Sacramento, and both the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner had gone missing during the fall of Sacramento.
After hearing the purpose of the visit, the officer stiffened further.
“Yes, he is in his office. Did you make an appointment beforehand?”
“No. I had urgent business and came suddenly.”
“Understood. I will notify him, so please wait a moment.”
Permission came quickly. After exchanging a few words on the internal line, the officer nodded to Gyeoul.
“I will escort you.”
As he followed, officers they passed in the hall stood at attention and saluted. A few even smiled. Those were people who had built a fair amount of personal rapport with the boy officer. Gyeoul answered their goodwill with light nods.
The escort ended at the office door. Even so, the commissioner's office looked properly set up. As soon as the door opened, the commissioner greeted the boy officer with a hand salute.
“Come in, Lieutenant. A sudden visit from our hero.”
“I am sorry I could not contact you in advance.”
“No, for you, anytime and for any reason. Except when I am having a cozy meal with my daughter.”
“You care for your daughter very much.”
“She is a daughter I am proud of. It is not easy to become a Federal Marshal at twenty-five. She graduated top of her class at Glynco. She said she wanted to be like her father from childhood, and she stayed true to that even as she grew older.”
It was hard to call O'Connor just a doting father. At that level, she really was exceptional.
A large map of Fort Roberts hung in the commissioner's office. It marked future development plans, police patrol routes, assigned sectors, and more, alongside schedule charts. High-level information ordinary people would not know. Gyeoul was curious why a broad empty lot was planned right in the middle of Gyeoul Alliance territory.
Willis O'Connor adjusted his posture.
“So, what is this important business that made you seek out an old man like me on a day like this?”
“I want help with an illegal weapon sweep in the Chinese refugee district.”
Gyeoul did not mention drug trafficking. If they searched under the pretext of uncovering weapons, they could deal with drugs and other problems all at once.
“Illegal weapons? Refugees have firearms? How?”
A middle-aged commissioner sharpening his focus was only natural. The boy officer would not make a fuss over simple blades.
Refugees possessing weapons was a major issue tied directly to the fortress's survival. In many ways, the refugee zone was still far worse than the civilian zone, under strict control and discrimination. Plenty of refugees resented U.S. citizens living comfortably behind barbed wire. Conditions were improving now, but considering the harsh environment and lawless confusion refugees had endured, nobody could feel safe yet.
Gyeoul shook his head.
“No. Probably not guns. Even if there are some, not many. I estimate most are bows, crossbows, and sling bow types.”
“How many?”
“At least in the hundreds.”
It was not an exaggeration. The stockpiles held by the Chinese organizations Gyeoul had personally confirmed already ran well into three digits. If they expanded the sweep to refugees of other nationalities, the number would be even higher.
“Hmm. Even crude weapons are dangerous in large numbers. They could attack an armory... or take civilians hostage.”
In truth, the commissioner's concerns were unlikely. Rational actors would never attempt something that insane. But the commissioner also knew the current refugee organizations were already half criminal groups. Expecting rational behavior from them was dangerous.
“How did you learn this?”
“I had suspected it for a while. This time, I received an anonymous informant tip. I ask for your understanding that I cannot reveal the name. That was the informant's wish.”
Gyeoul fabricated the informant. He could not explain it as it really was, that he had read augmented reality alerts generated by correction protocols. The Control AI would classify it as a Situational Computation error and attempt rollback. Repeated rollbacks came with penalties.
“So what do you want? Police manpower support?”
“Yes. The more, the better.”
“Why not request military personnel from fortress command?”
“Because from now on, public order should be entirely police work. I would like you to report to command before the weapon sweep starts, but I do not want to use military personnel.”
The fact that there were interested parties inside the military was not why he avoided military manpower. Gyeoul already knew exactly who was completely favorable to him. Even so, he intended to mobilize only police forces to reset the mood in the refugee district.
Also, U.S. police did not lack combat strength. They had a broad range of firearms, from shotguns to automatic rifles.
“I see. I understand what you mean. You want to return daily life to the refugees, is that it?”
“Yes. It is not normal for the military to be involved in public order. That is martial law. I want people to feel they are returning to pre-disaster life, little by little, but for real. The problem is that police presence has been too weak so far, and violent people have grown too numerous.”
“So, show strength so they cannot look down on us anymore?”
“I think this is a good chance.”
The commissioner stroked his chin and spoke carefully.
“You said the destination is the Chinese residential district. I do not want to doubt you, but I still have to confirm this. Are you trying to use police hands to settle rivalries inside the refugee zone? There are rumors that you support some Chinese Faction groups.”
Not rumors, intelligence. Even if police had not been very active outside the civilian zone, this was information the commissioner could not fail to know. During the Bradley seizure operation, it was Gyeoul who proposed filling it only with Triad personnel.
From the police perspective, there was no way they would view people favorably who openly used Triad organization names. Until now, they had not cared much how the refugee districts ran. But now treatment reforms were becoming serious after the arrival of a hero who was not just young but still a child, so police had no reason to keep overlooking refugees who formed criminal groups while talking about Triads and Black Societies.
Gyeoul nodded readily.
“It is true. We promised to help each other. But in this matter, I have no intention of giving those people special treatment. That was one of the terms. They were in trouble from fighting among themselves, so I helped after getting their promise that they would not seek unfair gains from now on. Weapons made to target people, where do you think they were used? I have no reason to protect that too.”
“I see. I am sorry for the rude question. Thinking about it, that was not a doubt I should have held toward someone who risked his life for honorable causes.”
His expression showed regret for speaking out of turn. He meant it. That was the halo of a Medal of Honor recipient, and also the effect of the record Gyeoul had built so far. Rather than giving a formal answer, one smile seemed better, so the boy gave the one he knew well.
As always, a well-made smile worked.
Willis O'Connor gave final approval.
“Good. Go ahead. I will contact the colonel. Wait outside and personnel will come.”
“Thank you, Commissioner.”
Gyeoul saluted him and left the office.
============================ Author's Afterword ============================
1. The weather is hot. I keep the door shut so I can focus while writing, so the indoor temperature always goes above 36 degrees.
That is right. This author is writing in boiling hell.
When you write in hell, hellish writing comes out.
Hmm, perfect conditions for writing dystopia.
2.
Q. Amishu-nim: Huh? At this hour?
A. The author wants to sleep early too. TT
Q. Half-and-Half-Chicken-Is-Truth-nim: Since this got posted at this hour, did you watch the Olympics? lol I watched the whole thing and now I am finally going to sleep.
A. The author does not watch TV. The last drama I watched was Hur Jun. I am not interested in sports either. Even though I sit in front of a computer every day, my upload speed is still like this. I guess I am lacking eeeeeeffort.
Q. QingLiuLian-nim: @Please do not overwork yourself. . I hope this great work serializes for a very, very long time. How long? Like Bloodline or Empire of the Warm Sea, or even Barbyeol!
A. No! If I try to catch Barbyeol writing like this, I might literally work myself to death!
Q. Yoryong-nim: Dunkin Donuts did not have great public safety around stores, so they gave free coffee and donuts to police and that raised the security rate around branches, that is how the U.S. police-equals-donuts formula happened... bagels are not included in the service. Even some donut types are not included..
A. That is generally how people know it. But there is no source saying Dunkin Donuts was the first to provide free donuts to police. I looked it up before writing, and the origin traces back to the late 19th century.
Back then, it was free pastries...
In reality, not only Dunkin Donuts and other chains but many stores seem to offer free service to police, and depending on the region and branch there are also many places with no free service at all. Also, many officers seem to buy their own food on purpose, because using free service hurts their pride, encourages prejudice against police, or is simply unhealthy.
I mentioned bagels in the last chapter because that opinion appeared in a real survey of actual police officers.
To help understanding, I will show opinions from U.S. police that I looked up. The translation is a mess, but please bear with it. Haha.
----Translated Q&A below----
Q. Do police officers get free coffee and donuts? This might be a stupid question, but I happened to see officers around my neighborhood pass through Tim Hortons without paying anything. Or had they prepaid?
A. You need to understand how annoying that question is. Imagine you are in uniform, standing in line, paying for something, and the person behind you says, "Oh, did you pay for that? I thought you got everything for free." People think I get all three meals, snacks, and everything else for free... I wish that were true.
A. We prepay for our coffee.
A. I eat hot, well-buttered biscuits. (Not fattening stuff like dog-nuts, a donut variation.) (Oh, and yes, free of course!)
A. It is not typical. It depends on the store owner's discretion.
A. We pay for everything we get. The ones who get everything free are firefighters, not us! (Author: ...Sir, Officer? lol)
A. Preference for donuts or other snacks seems to vary by region. At the station where I worked, patrol cars parked outside donut shops, or cops eating donuts, were really rare. We took breaks at Denny's-type coffee shops. As snacks, we liked things like pie or ice cream more. Some guys I worked with went to Popeyes Fried Chicken every day, within two hours of starting shift. Police liking donuts is a kind of stereotype. (Of course, I did once attend a regular law enforcement conference where there was a donut-eating contest, and that was pretty fun.) But like most stereotypes, it is just a little truth and mostly fiction.
----End of translated Q&A---- :)
Q. HobakHobak-nim: @For stars, fan gifts are standard. For U.S. star Gyeoul, are there no gifts from citizens?
A. This is a light spoiler, but it is not important, so I will answer. Around Christmas, there was a time when tons of cakes came in. That was because it was Christmas, so they specially assigned cargo sorties. That is hard to do now.
Simply put, there are too many, so transport is difficult. They are stacked at the blockade command postal hub.
Q. Slade-nim: @Could you tell us the name of the song mentioned in the middle?
A. Kiapin-nim: Slade // Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful
Q. Oshin4-nim: Holy crap, if the author is lacking, what does that make other authors, comparing other authors to you is just sad, being too humble is not good either
A. Thank you for seeing it that way, but this is a place where you get buried if you cannot do daily serialization... honestly, even when I serialize like this, the view ratio keeps dropping. Haha.
Q. PAM-nim: @Gyaaak guaaak
A. Yes, yes. I will really rest today. For real.
Q. MasterKalsolum-nim: @I hope this work lasts as long as Bloodline or Barbyeol. (Come to think of it, even by current chapters, Barbyeol is already longer than five Bibles...)
A. If it gets that long, readers will turn away instead. I want to be a full-time writer. Please spare me...
Q. Lostel-nim: @Could there be something like a side story where Gyeoul tries another game today?
A. Gyeoul's content is a bit hard for that, and in the early plan I was going to write original old-streamer grandpa Park Woo-cheol's exciting gaem, but after thinking it over, I cut it.
Q. Aishcd-nim: @Since Bloodline came up below, I want to ask!! Author-nim, how far along do you think you are now?? In my heart I want this to run over 1000 chapters like Bloodline or close to 10 years lololol but that is probably too greedy of me..?? TTTT Either way I want to read this work for a long, long time haha and for that please take care of your health!!! I keep seeing afterwords saying you stay up all night, so I am worried TTTT Lastly, sorry for the very long question (+my personal greed), and please keep enjoying your days of childlike innocence in good health for a long time ♡⁺◟(●˙▾˙●)◞⁺♡
A. If I followed my own desire, I would want to finish around chapter 250, but I do not know how volume control will go. My other novel, Halkeginia Seal Breaker, started with me thinking it would end around 50 chapters, but now it is nearing 200...
Anyway, I will neither add more than planned nor cut less. I will write only what is necessary. :) Aishcd-nim, please stay healthy too. For my health, I will rest for one full day today!
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