Chapter 233
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: Suspended Execution (5)
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After subduing the prisoners and securing the rest of the facility's buildings, dusk had already fallen. They blocked off the sections of the wall that had collapsed using barbed wire found in the warehouse, and then the two who had stayed behind to secure the retreat route joined them.
"Major. As you instructed, I made contact with Marigold, but they said civilian evacuation won't be possible until dawn. Their flight plans are fully booked with emergency transport missions. The scheduled time is 0900 tomorrow, so we're to stay put until then. But there's one problem."
Harper's report as he set up the satellite communication terminal on the grassy area in front of the church. Winter felt puzzled.
"A problem? What kind?"
"Regulations prohibit transporting prisoners. We're to drag them to FOB Olema and report to superiors, or if that's not feasible, uh, execute them on the judgment of the on-site commander."
"......"
"Just in case, I gave them the prisoner numbers, and they were all death row inmates. They'd already been sentenced, and there's a special law regarding executions, so no worries. They offered to connect me to a military JAG officer if I wanted, but I said I'd relay it to you first and ended the call."
"It's a bit disconcerting."
It didn't align with the current administration's character. Was it an unavoidable compromise with reality? Harper looked equally displeased as Winter pondered. Killing enemies was one thing; carrying out executions was quite another.
"What should we do? Want to talk to Marigold directly?"
"No. I don't think stepping in myself will change anything. Let's think on it a bit more. Anything else in the orders?"
"Two task units from adjacent sectors and one temporary company have this place designated as their rally point. They're due to arrive by noon tomorrow, so we're to take command and withdraw together. And, uh, what else was it...? Oh, they'll update the tactical information system with detailed personnel composition soon, so check it promptly. That's all."
Got it. Good work. As Winter spoke, Harper set down the receiver.
The civilians, finally getting some fresh air after so long, mostly looked relieved. More than a few burst into sudden tears. The children were still subdued. Bloodstains remained on the grass where the bodies had been cleared. They stole glances at Winter. The faint breeze still carried a rotten stench.
Only Daxhund was ecstatic, bounding around like a maniac to vent his pent-up energy.
"If I'd known it'd be like this, I would've worn something thicker......"
Morales grumbled as he pulled out his ballistic plate to inspect it. The 5mm-thick ceramic plate was clearly dented in several places. It hadn't been penetrated, but it must have hurt like a punch to the gut.
Such low-protection gear wasn't standard issue. Usually, they used 15mm or thicker. Anything less couldn't stop rifle rounds or large shrapnel. Winter pointed it out.
"It's too thin. Way too thin. You never know when you'll be exposed to danger close fire."
"Well...... Against those mutant bastards, feeling heavy made me want to piss myself. We didn't have any artillery support here anyway, and air support was as good as none...... The uncertainty of shrapnel scared me less than those yellow teeth chattering right in front of me."
"You should've at least told your superior—me—first. Who takes responsibility if you get taken out?"
"Sorry, sir."
Not quite a Broken Arrow—the merciless friendly fire Osborne had experienced—but Danger Close situations, where friendlies risked getting caught in the blast, were quite common on the quarantine frontlines. Fights against aggressively charging mutant hordes made it inevitable. Winter rarely faced such risks himself. That was one reason body armor remained crucial.
The reprimand ended lightly. Morales wasn't the only one worried about slow movement in a pinch. Plus, Winter could have noticed earlier if he'd been paying attention. As commander, that responsibility fell on him.
"What about the prisoners?"
"Hmm. Whether to kill or spare them is up to me, apparently. Guess I'll have to talk to them first."
Morales, who had asked, looked incredulous.
"What the....... The world's gone mad. First time hearing that in all my service."
But it was likely already commonplace in the east.
The interrogation target was decided: the one who had protected the children, guaranteeing at least minimal humanity.
When Winter visited the room serving as a makeshift cell, the guarding deputy tipped his hat to him.
"Thanks to you, I survived earlier. You looked busy, so I'm just now getting to greet you. Marin County Deputy Sheriff, Randy Knight. Not the dark night—Night—but a knight on horseback with a sword. An honor to meet you."
"Ah, yeah. As you know, Han Gyeowol. But Marin County? Not Sonoma?"
Marin County was where FOB Olema was located. West of San Francisco Bay, encompassing a vast area from the Tamalpais Mountains to the western coast and northern highlands. This place, the heart of Sonoma County above it, was quite a distance away. A bit more than half the distance traveled during this operation.
"Somehow ended up here. It's a long story, but probably not entertaining for you, Major. Anyway, glad to be alive. What brings you here?"
"Need to ask a prisoner some questions. Mind if I take him?"
"Of course. You're the boss."
The deputy stepped aside readily. But the prisoners' conditions were poor. Caleb Hunt, the bald one with the spider tattoo, glared at Winter with a face smeared in blood from his nose. The junkie was barely conscious. With a short sigh, Winter lifted the prisoner he wanted. He was the only one still intact.
"Deputy."
"If it's just you, call me Randy."
"Then, Randy."
Winter shook his head.
"By headquarters order, the prisoners are under my authority now. Appreciate the cooperation despite your fatigue, but I'd prefer no unnecessary violence."
"Oh......"
The deputy fell silent at the unexpected request. He soon accepted it with a slightly stiffened expression.
"Sorry if that displeased you. But it wasn't unnecessary. Just preventive measures. You never know when they'll try something. I only roughed them up enough to make it hard to use strength."
"Preventive? What if they die?"
"Then nothing to be done. They committed crimes worthy of death."
The deputy chuckled, twirling his mustache.
"Not sure how you'll take this, but when it comes to beasts worse than animals, I'm more of an expert than you, Major. Words don't stick, so you have to etch it into their bodies."
"Fuck you!" One prisoner spat on the floor. Randy Knight's eyes narrowed viciously, but his twitching boot didn't move further. His hand still rested on his pistol grip, though. Lips curling, he side-eyed the prisoner Winter meant to take.
"Major. Don't trust that one either. Grateful he protected the kids, but he's no human to begin with. Just a lunatic doing a good deed on impulse. Could've been him rationalizing his filthy lust. Tons of criminals delude themselves into thinking they're good people."
A somewhat defensive tone. Wary of offending Winter over prisoner treatment.
"I know that much. Seen plenty."
At Winter's reply, the deputy shut his mouth. He seemed to have more to say, judging by his glances.
Lights came on in the once-dark facility. Curtains were open on windows facing inside the walls, spilling light all at once. The subdued outdoor lighting was enough to illuminate paths. Darkness favored mutants anyway. For the civilians, it was the best they could do.
A radio message came in.
[Power's back on. Mutant was jammed in the transformer. No idea what it was thinking.]
Report from Schultz, moving with civilian technicians. Followed by another relay.
[This is Morales. Cops and civilians want to help with security. What do we do?]
"How's their level?"
[Gear's solid. Plenty of radios and NVGs in the main building's armory. Even some firearms they couldn't grab during the church evac. This should be fine, right? We'd have to pull all-nighters covering this place alone. I'd rather skip the stims now.]
"Alright, let them. Just make sure they know reinforcements are coming. Don't want any friendly fire incidents. Coordinate rotations and assignments with the cops, and tell the rest of the civilians not to stray far from the church."
[Roger.]
Winter looked around. This facility would make a good intermediate outpost for reinforcements from Olema. Signs of heavy investment everywhere.
"Want to sit somewhere, or walk a bit?"
The questioned prisoner hunched over with a dark expression.
"I'd like to walk, but...... What do you want to ask?"
We'll talk while walking. Winter gripped the rope and led the way. He considered loosening it briefly since escape was impossible, but civilians' anxiety was the issue. The deputy's attitude showed how touchy they were.
As a religious retreat, the walkways were beautifully paved. Under a starry sky, summer-awaiting foliage rustled crisply.
In the distance, flames like a campfire burned—fueled by corpses. Leaving them could spread other diseases or feed incoming mutants after people left.
"Tell me what you know about death row forced labor."
"......"
The response came after a pause.
"Not confident in explaining properly......"
"Just say it as it comes to mind."
That might yield a less fabricated truth.
"......It probably started with that. Guys like us are too valuable to just lock up. Why should criminals be safer than citizens? Prisons, I mean. Hard to get out, so hard to get in too. Heard protesters outside the walls all the time."
"So, they turned prisons into shelters?"
"Yeah, well...... Forced labor's just an excuse. Fuck. Nowhere to hold them, so they're looking for any reason to kill. The pigs and those high-and-mighty fucks......"
Places hard to escape from are hard to enter. Plausible idea. Common in zombie flicks too, so easy public buy-in. Hard to fault politicians for pandering. Budgets and resources were always limited.
Refusing such sentiment could end a political career—then you're screwed. The president had phrased it as disarming the opponent. Winter pressed on.
"So, what actual work did you do?"
"At first, it was manageable. Mostly reinforcing blockades, sometimes farming."
"Farming?"
"Plenty of abandoned farms near blockades...... Worked at ammo factories or wind farms over there too. Uh, city and village repairs. Had to keep them intact for residents' return. But lighter offenders got those jobs more as time went......"
Meaning even facilities for petty criminals ran short. The U.S. already had the world's highest prison population and facilities, so forced labor death row numbers must be massive.
"After nukes fell, damn, they had us clearing mines in the mountains. Poke vast land with a single rod. That was an excuse too. Bastards beat us to near-death daily, stripped us uselessly, used us as stepping stones, then dumped us like trash when we died...... But they'd pull a few out now and then, and none ever came back. Everyone said they were guinea pigs for experiments."
Could be true. Probably getting purged now, but for "true patriots," death row inmates were the easiest test subjects to extract.
Or field commanders culled excess manpower.
Stressed soldiers might vent on them. No guilt against those who deserved death.
Precedents abounded pre-apocalypse. Infamous Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib where prisoner abuse was routine. Lynndie England, Walmart model employee turned devil in half a year of service. Hometown folk couldn't believe her change. She was so diligent and kind.
Yet to those close, England remained kind.
'Humans are like actors on a stage.'
Winter recalled a disliked person's words.
Psychologists posed this when prepping on leaders, good or evil:
Is evil disposition or circumstance?
============================ Author's Note ============================
#Q&A
Q. KTH: @I believe highly advanced AI is no different from humans. So if a control AI trained on Winter replaces him, that could be seen as Winter too... To elaborate, if someone in a vegetative state had an artificial brain trained on their own implanted, would they think they're no longer human or not themselves?
A. There's a continuity of existence issue. Not a happy ending by my standards. Haha.
Q. chashercat: @If this world successfully survives and rebuilds our society, Han Gyeowol's saga would come out as an in-game game. Like how we play WW2 or WW1 games.
A. There's a comic, so a game exists too. Won't appear in-story, though. :)
Q. PleasePickUpMySoap: @A happy ending would surely be full of innocence?? And regarding criminal treatment, please watch with a veil of ignorance ㅜㅜ
A. I think the future foreshadowed by the ending will be fuller of innocence than the ending itself.
Q. Kuropai: @Like Nier? Happy doesn't mean everyone survives. Enlightenment thanks to someone.
A. If you mean Nier Replicant... Haven't played it, but read strategy guides in army mags back then—super fun limited to that. Still not my happy ending. Really...
Q. Lifesaver: @Long time no see, author. Nobled after 4 months, finally here. Used 27 expired coupons all-in, so buy some Together even in the heat.
A. Thanks. But frugal mode, so probably won't buy Together.
Q. [反]Kid: @Ugh, damn Joara, Nobles time running out—premium after completion? Gotta buy Columbarium as a book...
A. Plan to switch to premium after announced post-completion, but until then, please use Naver for per-episode purchases.
Welp, already uploaded to Naver. Need to shorten the gap, so answers end here today.