Chapter 100: |
00100 <-- #Embers -->
-
#Embers, Port Roberts (3)
"Anyway, I'll pass."
Gyeoul cleanly rejected both options. However, the brigade commander strangely couldn't let go of his lingering regrets. He sighed after stroking his chin for a moment.
"In my early days as a lieutenant, I wanted to be like you. When I served as a company commander and battalion commander, I hoped to have subordinates like you. In fact, until I came here, I had the same thoughts. But now that I see you, my perspective has changed."
"What do you mean?"
"Well... Since it's you who chooses the challenging path instead of the comfortable one, I'll be honest. A subordinate like you is a burden even to a... commander, but that doesn't mean I don't like you. Don't get me wrong."
The brigade commander elaborated.
"I'm not sure. I don't know well."
"The commander-in-chief returned yesterday afternoon. Because the Ministry of National Defense Public Affairs Office is keenly interested in your situation, they provided a copy of the combat records before officially reporting to headquarters. Then, this morning, a direct call came from the President's office. It was a call asking about your condition. They said you need to report after confirming."
"..."
"I understand. That place is indeed the command center for public opinion management, and I know it's important to keep the people calm. I know it's important to stabilize the people so that we can fight with confidence at the front, but consider my position. You may be a war hero, but you're still my man, and the White House is concerned about your safety. It's an awkward position for a commander to be in."
Gyeoul nodded.
"I understand why you find it burdensome. Thank you for being honest."
"You're welcome. In fact, it's not right to have this kind of conversation with the commander. Soldiers just need to do their best on the battlefield. There's no reason to be concerned about other matters. That's why people like me exist to handle those things. However, there's a reason I chose to talk about this."
The colonel pointed at himself.
"It's because I'm afraid I might treat you unfairly. How should I put it... you know, there's unconscious discrimination. Whether it's in a positive or negative way."
"Just saying that makes me feel like I don't need to worry."
"No, look at me."
In the dim room, the brigade commander's dark skin was hard to distinguish from the surrounding shadows. Only the whites of his eyes stood out.
"I'm black. There are only two black colonels serving in combat units in the army, including me. What I mean is that I've experienced unfair treatment to some extent. Of course, there was no blatant discrimination. There were reasonable reasons for all the discrimination."
The responsibility for the command that led to the death of a war hero could be another reasonable reason. After a moment's consideration, Gyeoul [Reads] the other man's attitude, considers it and speaks directly.
"In fact, you seem worried that you might be treated unfairly, Commander."
"You're hitting the nail on the head too directly."
The black-skinned colonel expressed his dissatisfaction. It was a light, sociable complaint that could easily be blown away.
"I'm still an idealist who wants to reach for the stars in this world. But I don't like stories where the victim becomes the perpetrator. If it were a serious concern, I wouldn't have expressed it like this. This is kind of like a resolution... Do you understand?"
"Yes."
The gaze of another helps you restrain yourself. That was the meaning.
"Good. So you're still my man. I'll report you as such above."
"Although it may sound repetitive, I appreciate it."
Gyeoul lightly bowed. The colonel leaned over the table, lightly tapped the shoulder of the young officer, and stepped back. He sat down leaning against the backrest, looking less tense than before.
"Tell me if you ever change your mind. I'll send you off coolly. I'll be waiting above."
"I'm sorry. I don't think that will happen for a while."
The colonel smiled.
"Just one more thing before you go back to work. Be a little more cautious. People live with hope; you're already the lives of many people."
Gyeoul listened to the concluding words poetically.
The brigade commander pulled out a new document from the desk. It was an operational report written in Gyeoul's name. Gyeoul quietly read it as it was handed to him and quickly understood.
"Do I just need to make corrections?"
Colonel Rafflin looked satisfied.
"You catch on quickly."
"It's not a good incident. You mentioned that the regime might change. Considering the possibility of being attacked by the next regime, shouldn't we carefully document everything?"
"Hmm."
After a moment of mild admiration, the colonel asked.
"Do you see anything that needs correction?"
Gyeoul recalled the dark Black Mountain that they had crossed. On the left side of the road, the pale body was stuck in a puddle. The intentionally dormant variant woke up with the boy's touch and quacked before dying.
"I'd like to suggest one thing to the higher-ups."
"What? Let me hear it."
"The infected mutants cannot cross water, but they can delay drowning by suppressing metabolism. As you may have seen in my records, I'm concerned that other variants might exploit metabolic suppression as a means to cross water. In that case, first, the maritime refugees would be at risk, and secondly, places like San Diego North Island, where water is used as a barrier against variants, would become dangerous."
"That makes sense. But there's nothing to add separately."
"Why is that?"
"The Ministry of National Defense is not idling either. There were staff officers who raised opinions like yours earlier. Haven't you heard? There's a separate department that examines all possibilities. It would have spread to maritime refugees as well. It was also something we were planning to announce through regular briefings soon."
"Well, that's good to hear. I was worried for nothing."
"No, there's no such thing as unnecessary worry in this day and age. Always say your opinion."
"Yes, sir."
The rest of the report was moderate. They filtered out inflammatory language on a word-by-word basis, but it didn't contradict the facts. It seemed to have been considered, including verification. After reading it once and quickly skimming through it again, Gyeoul placed the report on the table.
"I've thoroughly familiarized myself with the content I've written."
"...Seriously, aren't you a little overly mature for your age?"
The colonel folded the report and placed it in an envelope.
Gyeoul decided to ask one more thing.
"Colonel, I have one question."
"Go ahead."
"The special variant that Hernandez's squad and I last eliminated, what happened to it?"
"Oh, that. I was planning to share that information in the regular briefing, too, but since you were the one who personally hunted it down, it's understandable that you're curious."
The colonel continued with a calm demeanor.
"The variant code assigned by the Ministry of National Defense is 'Humpback.' Unfortunately, you weren't the first to discover it. There were a few sightings before your report. It always seemed to accompany large variant groups, so it wasn't clear. Still, this is the first record of its elimination."
"It's not certain, then."
"It can't be helped. Due to recent consecutive typhoons, some of our forward bases are hard to reach. Some rangers were deployed for infected area reconnaissance to chase Humpbacks, but there was no contact. These guys have muscles for their brains, they're too fearless. One squad even cut off communication, claiming they didn't hear orders to withdraw. I doubt if they really didn't hear."
Gyeoul thought of the Ranger squad in Santa Maria. Upon discovering civilians, they immediately went in without waiting for permission. Could it be that same squad again? Gyeoul chose words that played it safe.
"It must be due to their pride as Rangers, combined with a sense of duty."
"It is important to collect information on the new variant. However..."
From the perspective of the brigade commander, it would be challenging to view it favorably.
Still, the U.S. military tended to respect the judgment of field commanders. Disobeying orders to advance was better than disobeying orders to retreat.
'Above all, well-educated officers know when to disobey orders and when not to.'
This was possible when the objectives of the operation were understood down to the individual soldier, as exemplified by the Marines who, when forced to retreat by the enemy, shouted "No retreat!" and charged. They assessed the situation in their own way and chose to attack.
"The composition of the yellow fluid has been identified, hasn't it? Soldiers were concerned about a biochemical attack."
"Hahaha, impatient, aren't you? It's only been a day since the Medical Service Unit retrieved the bodies. It's unlikely the investigation results would be out so soon."
"It's possible that rumors might spread from witnesses."
"I've already cautioned against that. It won't be perfect, but I've told them that if the story gets out, I'll bring down the entire operation."
Would such measures be enough? Gyeoul was confident that the substance in question wasn't toxic. However, soldiers might still be uneasy, especially considering that the Salinas River was the water source for Fort Roberts. The dirty liquid flowing down the slope was enough to raise uncomfortable hypotheses.
Of course, the location in question wasn't a likely point for the substance to infiltrate the river. However, assuming it is a means of attack, people would find it challenging to drink water for a while.
"Come to think of it, I heard a somewhat peculiar story."
The brigade commander stroked his chin.
"The liquid you saw, they say there was very little of it left, compared to the huge amounts captured on your helmet camera. The recovery team asked me to reconfirm the GPS coordinates."
"It died on a slope. Could it have flowed somewhere?"
"Well, considering the viscosity of that liquid from what I saw in the footage, even if it did flow, there should be plenty of traces. Did it evaporate? It's truly unknown."
Gyeoul had no clue either.
Time had passed quite a bit.
"It's almost dinner time. Let's quickly wrap up the remaining matters."
Remaining matters? Were there still more? Puzzled, Gyeoul received an envelope from the brigade commander.
"This is the recommended letter from the Civilian Affairs Committee of the Military Government, as I mentioned earlier. Originally, it's something that comes from the base commander, but I think you'll do a better job than me in choosing people from the refugees."
Upon immediate assessment, Gyeoul concluded that this opportunity wasn't out of pure goodwill. Gyeoul would have to bear both the benefits and losses obtained by using this. While empowering Gyeoul, he was also...
'I'll likely receive resentment from those who think it's unfair.'
Is it not difficult to keep the process of selecting the committee members secret until the end? Even by just looking at the chosen faces, it would be easy to perceive something. Nevertheless, Gyeoul accepted the envelope without any complaints. The benefits outweighed the demerits. The brigade commander says, "You don't seem pleased."
"With rights come responsibilities."
"So it is. Everyone has been saying you are mature, and I've seen that assessment borne out several times today. I'm glad to have gotten to know you better."
"By any chance, was this your decision, brigade commander?"
Is it the brigade commander or higher-up instructions? The brigade commander easily responded, "Of course not. U.S. foreign policy has always been like this: back a leader you can trust. In Afghanistan, we shed a lot of blood because we chose the wrong person. But since you're already a U.S. citizen, there wasn't much pressure from the higher-ups."
Gyeoul remembered coming across something related. It must have been in an early journal.
Colonel Rafflin added, "If you accepted the position earlier, you wouldn't have received a recommendation letter. Staying on the battlefield is itself proof of the purity of an officer, according to the superiors' guidelines."
Telling all this might be an expression of trust from the colonel. Gyeoul chose a ceremonial, unremarkable response.
"I'll strive not to disappoint your expectations."
"I'm surprised. Was there more to strive for?"
The brigade commander faintly smiled, adjusted his posture, and said, "Now, for the final piece of information. This is also an order from above."
Gyeoul tilts his head slightly.
"Is it a combat order?"
"I thought I said it wasn't when I called you."
After quickly denying it, the colonel continued, "Among the soldiers sacrificed in this operation, one has a surviving family staying in the civilian area of this base. I'd like you to attend the service and fold the flag."
Here, the flag referred to what covered the deceased soldier's coffin. In U.S. military funerals, there was a tradition of folding this and presenting it to the family. Gyeoul asked, "Isn't that the role of a military chaplain?"
"There are cases where the commanding officer handles it."
The brigade commander's response was insufficient. Gyeoul raised an objection again.
"I heard there's a religious significance to that procedure. I don't believe in any gods. So, it's not a proper tribute to the deceased, and it might hurt the surviving family."
"Don't worry. The military chaplain will be there on the other side. The family has agreed, and I don't think Private Page, who sacrificed himself, will dislike you."
Gyeoul seemed to understand.
"I see this is going to be televised, too."
"Don't you want the general public to see a commander and the flag on the same screen? Some fools claim you're a fake American because of your efforts for the refugees. Understand. On bad days, you need to keep the fire burning."
Since it was an order, there was no room for refusal. However, Gyeoul asked.
"I need to practice this beforehand. Who can teach me?"
"The military chaplain will get in touch."
The colonel cleared his desk.
"Now, that's the end of the business. Thanks for listening to the long story. Get up now. If you have no prior appointments, how about having a meal together?"
"Alright."
Gyeoul gathered the documents and left the command post with the brigade commander.
On the way, although it didn't rain, the sky was damp and ashen.
The wind was picking up again.
---------------------------= Afterword =-------------------------—
#Tongguska
There have been various speculations about the author for a while. As a celebration of the 100th episode, I will answer each one as true or false.
- The author is likely a Katuksa or a U.S. military veteran.
False. I am a talkative and rebellious veteran from the 22nd Division. The comments suggesting that this is the novel of a Katuksa graduate indicate that the research has been well done, and I am pleased with that.
- The author will reside in the United States.
False. The farthest place the author has traveled by plane is Jeju Island... It's sad.
- The protagonist will be popular among women.
False. Do I look like someone who has a love life?
- The author belongs to the 486th generation. (...)
False... Do I look like I'm in my 50s? I'm only 30 now...
- The author will participate in Ilbe. (...)
False. I dislike controversies, so I don't engage in SNS and community activities.
#Q&A
Q. Wendell: When the protagonist introduced his age to Principal Hamil in the Korean age, was that a mistake? And what are other special forces units doing now besides the Rangers?
A. I just said he's 17 years old, and there wasn't a clue about Korean age, was there?
As for other special forces units... Well...
Q. rumen: It is said that if human economic and social activities stop, hazardous substances and toxins will spread uncontrollably worldwide, from factories, power plants, and other sources. How is this issue addressed?
A. Some areas have been properly managed during the withdrawal, while others have turned into contaminated zones.