Chapter 99: |
00099 <-- #Embers -->
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#Embers, Fort Roberts (2)
The brigade commander spoke.
"It might sound a bit belated to say this now... but during the last operation, you did well fighting against those crazy guys."
"It was a regrettable situation, sir."
Colonel Rafflin, the brigade commander, flashed a faint smile upon hearing the young officer's reply.
"An exemplary answer. Yes, your words are correct. However, it could have been even more regrettable. Babies not seeing the light of the world, patriots being murdered by thugs, and this country losing you... Who could have imagined such events happening?"
The brigade commander, sighing, gestured for Gyeoul to take a seat.
"Okay."
As Gyeoul took the empty seat, the window flickered. A few seconds later, the glass trembled slightly. Although the typhoon was entering its weakened phase, occasional thunderstorms still occurred in the distance. The sky outside the window was still thick with clouds, and it was impossible to see the sky's true face. It seemed that rain would fall again soon.
The brigade commander struck up a conversation.
"I'll ask you straightforwardly. Are you not scared?"
"..."
Coincidentally, it was the same question he had heard once on the way here. The girl's voice overlapped with the commander's, causing Gyeoul to pause for a moment. It was enough to lead the brigade commander to misunderstand. The dark-skinned colonel nodded.
"Of course. I reviewed the combat records of this mission. It seems like you almost died."
"It was an accident, sir."
"On the battlefield, luck counts as skill, and acceptance of bad luck is part of being a good soldier. Especially for someone like you, who has been followed by good luck. Acknowledge it. You could die at any moment."
It didn't seem like a casual remark. Gyeoul was curious if this has any relation to the matter he was called for today.
"Speaking of which.."
It was relevant.
"Lieutenant. Do you happen to have any thoughts about stepping back from the front lines?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Simply put, if you wish, you don't have to endure any more unnecessary risks."
The colonel took out two documents and placed them side by side on the table.
"You have the right to choose. Even though you're young, you've already shown courage and dedication that others may lack even if they devote their entire lives. The medal of honor is proof of that. Of course, I'm not saying you should leave the military. It means there are ways to help people without directly fighting."
"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not ready to put down my gun yet."
"Look at these first before saying that. They're worth considering."
While guessing the content, Gyeoul complies with the brigade commander's suggestion. One was a letter of appointment, and the other was an application form for a transfer to a different unit. The name of the latter unit was impressive.
'Tactical Support Group for Epidemic Warfare?'
Unit transfers usually follow personnel orders within the military. However, a few special units recruited members through applicant evaluations. Gyeoul was familiar with units falling into the latter category, but the name of the unit on the documents was unfamiliar to him. It seemed to be a unique random situation calculation by the AI in this particular iteration of the world.
'He said I have the right to choose, so does it mean I have to choose one of the two?'
In fact, the title of the position on the letter of appointment was also unfamiliar. Either way, information was lacking.
When Gyeoul looked away from the documents, the brigade commander's words flowed out.
"Let me explain one by one. First, this one. It's an appointment as an auditor for the soon-to-be-established Military Government Office."
"A Military Government Office?"
"Well, to be precise, it should be called the Central California Refugee Military Government Office. We're planning to formalize military-led refugee management in the future. Honestly, administrative support so far has been lacking in various ways."
After hesitating a bit, the brigade commander elaborated on the situation a bit more.
"Actually, it's not just because of that... Apparently, the higher-ups are concerned about public opinion."
"If you could elaborate more, sir, I would appreciate it."
"Simply put, the presidential election is approaching. Political fights even occur in situations like this. It's quite annoying... The problem is that there is one faction that is sympathetic to refugees. They strongly criticize the government policy of using refugees as military resources. They claim it exploits the inevitable plight of refugees."
"Are they trying to say that the American citizens should make the necessary sacrifices?"
"Exactly. It's morally questionable. I think it's based on a belief in the superiority of this country, but it's my perspective, so take it with a grain of salt."
Although the brigade commander mentioned it from his point of view, Gyeoul found it to be a reasonable insight. These people came seeking help, so they were protected. America is a great country, and while not everyone was of this mindset, it was likely that many were.
Gyeoul commented, "While partly true, I believe it's a time when everyone should do their best to survive. There's no need to differentiate between refugees and U.S. citizens."
"I think the same way. Eventually, we'll all have to fight together. Isn't it a war for the survival of humanity? What does the order matter? Those below and those above don't really understand the situation on the ground. In fact, it might apply to me a little as well. Hmmm, a little bit? It might be more than a little. Or not?"
Colonel Rafflin questioned himself uncertainly. The humor was genuine, not an act.
Gyeoul asked, "But, Colonel, I have one question. I don't quite understand... Even now, with the country in a state of emergency, is the presidential election proceeding as usual?"
"This country held elections even during the Civil War. Although the current crisis is much larger, the opposition's position is that postponing the election is not justifiable. Citizens' opinions are the same. Since the situation is challenging, there seems to be a lot of dissatisfaction. To alleviate that, they say elections are necessary. Well, I wonder if the President is having a hard time and wants to beat them up. Ah, the last part is a joke."
While saying this, the colonel looked somewhat awkward.
"Soldiers aren't supposed to be concerned with politics. Anyway, you don't have much of a stake in the public opinion we're talking about. It seems people are dissatisfied with how refugees are being treated, wondering whether someone your age should be carrying a weapon."
"That doesn't sound very nice."
"That's right. There are various people in the world... Another concerning public opinion is probably less comforting. Some lunatics are suggesting we should just expel refugees. People swept away by baseless rumors."
"Is it just a baseless rumor, sir?"
"Yeah, just a baseless rumor. There are many rumors, but the most malicious one is about refugees spreading disease. The number of those that believed this has increased rapidly since the ambiguous announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
"Do they happen to have a strong dislike for Chinese people?"
"Well, yeah. Looks like you've heard something. Or is it just a guess?"
"Both."
Gyeoul thought of Ailing. When they captured the small village north of the base, she expressed her fear that Chinese people might become sacrificial lambs for suppressing discontent.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hinted at the possibility of a pandemic. A bioweapon created by China—a failure in China's management. This would likely be the narrative that blindly believing people were holding onto. Disregarding the possibility that China could be the first victim.
Colonel Rafflin finished his sentence.
"Even if they're not Chinese, there's a growing fear of refugees. They disliked the people trying to cross the border from Mexico, and those illegally landing on the East Coast were also disliked. With small-scale infection incidents increasing in the East, extremists advocating to shoot and kill all refugees are gaining support. Mostly in the South. It's still a minority, but I don't like the fact that their numbers are increasing. And from the perspective of politicians, it's a concern."
"It's negative either way for establishing a military government. So that's what I'm needed for."
"Can't help it. There are people everywhere who like you. With the Harris incident, there might be even more of them. Well, will there be more? Those stubborn rednecks probably won't say they dislike you, though."
"That case, did they decide to let it go public after all, sir?"
"I'd say it's almost certain. The higher-ups have probably weighed the pros and cons. After reviewing the combat records, it seemed better for the country for it to go public. The incident itself is highly sensitive and negative, but depending on the interpretation, it's not that dramatic."
It took the colonel some time to choose his next words. It seemed like he had a lot to say and was struggling.
"I'm impressed. Starting with your warning to Captain Harris, and the way you went on the offensive despite being outnumbered were admirable. It was a great decision to take the initiative if you were confident you could pull it off. And it turned out to be the right decision. I heard that the one who trained you was Lieutenant Colonel Capstone, the commander of the 3rd Battalion. Did you learn from him?"
For Gyeoul, it was a brief passage through the journal. After seeing the augmented reality emerging through cognitive correction, Gyeoul calmly responded.
"Yes, sir. I also heard there were officers and NCOs in Iraq who behaved like me."
"The Lieutenant Colonel taught you well. Yeah, there were brave people like that. But they were never on your level, for better or worse. The boundary between confidence and recklessness is quite ambiguous...."
"I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. Anyway, it seemed like watching a movie in many ways. The part where you catch a Trickster with a trap, the scene where you are buried alive in the mountains, and the mutants running on water are all like that. Above all, the moment when the baby was finally born after that long night was touching. The Ministry of National Defense Public Affairs Office went crazy. But."
He paused for emphasis.
"Even if everything seems like a movie, your life is not. You can't reshoot it, and you can't rewind it. There seems to be a lot of talk from above about you almost dying this time. They want me to check your condition."
The brigade commander recommended again.
"Think seriously. Even if it seems like a heroic tale that ends in death, it's a tragedy for people."
Gyeoul made a smile.
"If the higher-ups respect my wishes, it's because there's something to be gained either way, isn't it, sir?"
"Indeed."
"Then my answer is the same. I still want to fight, sir."
The colonel shrugged his shoulders.
"You have made up your mind... I had a feeling it would be like this from the beginning, and I don't see the point in advising you. Still, it's an order from the headquarters, so take a look."
He flicked the remaining form on the table.
Gyeoul asked, "What does the Tactical Support Group for Epidemic Warfare do? I've never heard of it."
"It was newly established, so it's understandable you don't know anything about it. It's under the Special Warfare Command, and to the outside world, it's supposed to be seen as handling only the most dangerous missions. In reality, it's probably the opposite."
"It's for publicity."
"I'm not saying they won't engage in combat. Just think of it as carrying out missions in a secure environment with reliable backup. Of course, you'll be followed around the clock by a film crew from the Office of Public Affairs. You'll probably meet civilian psychological warfare officers and politicians more often than your comrades."
"I don't like it, sir."
"Not a moment of hesitation, huh? Sergeant O'Connell is going in."
"Who's that?"
"You don't know him? He's the guy who defeated three Grumbles and earned the Silver Star Medal twice. He even appeared in the recruitment ads, though he's got a strange way with words."
"Ah."
More ammo and more weird bastards. Gyeoul had a pretty good idea of who it was.
In this world, Gyeoul might be unique, but there were other war heroes besides him. They were the ones people hear about on TV.
---------------------------= Afterword =-------------------------—
#Income
I calculated Gyeoul's income at the current point in the story, and with the addition of the pension for the recipient of the Medal of Honour, it exceeds $60,000 annually.
Shivering. The author envies his novel character...
#Q&A
Q. Mr. Kong: As someone who knows theology, when a novel includes a church, I either avoid it or skip it if it lacks expertise. Most don't have expertise and want to pretend to know...
A. The Assembly of the Holy Gospel is not a normal religious organization. It is explicitly described in the novel as a cult, and if you equate it with real churches, the author is in a difficult position...
Q. Chic Cat: @Great Ancient One... I seem to have caught a severe flu... Blessings to me...
A. My blessings are only related to innocence... um... should I call Yog-Sothoth from next door?
Q. Dohwawon: @Great Ancient One, seeing that it's coming down on a meteor, it seems it's not a high-level being!
A. That meteor was my booger...
Q. Azure Sky: @Author, here's a 1-coupon for your innocence
A. Received one coupon... the author's determination increased by 1 point.
Q. Omitted: @Secret Files Tunguska Do you happen to know this game?
A. Well... it's the first time I've heard of this game. Is it a horror genre?