Chapter 238
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Stay of Execution (10)
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“Do you have a daughter?”
The Ranger’s polite question. The Green Beret replied with his angular face.
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“I think of her as my daughter, but she doesn’t.”
“That’s a shame.”
“No helping it. Even I think I’m not cut out to be a father. Are you married?”
“There’s someone I have in mind.”
“Don’t.”
It was somewhat rude, but the Ranger didn’t seem particularly offended.
Hmph. Captain Long snorted and swirled the little liquor left in his glass.
“It’s a bad idea. To be a husband or father, you’ve got to quit being a shitty soldier. Maybe if you were some soft-ass Air Force or Navy desk jockey. But you’re a Ranger, right? Won’t work out. You’re a far cry from us Green Berets, but in the end, you’re shitty bastards too. Even if your wife clings to your pant leg, you’ll end up back on some shitty battlefield with your shitty brothers-in-arms and shitty enemies.”
“When the Quarantine War ends, I’m planning to discharge and run a farm with her.”
“Bullshit. You’ll divorce in no time, or at best become a slave sending her living expenses. Hell, even if this war ends at all is questionable.”
Winter listened while maintaining his rifle. No matter how good the tech, neglecting weapon care comes at a price. A misfire in a critical moment could mean life or death. Scritch scritch. A sound like brushing teeth. He rubbed the brush over the disassembled bolt carrier. A bit of carbon dissolved in the gun oil. Simple maintenance, so he didn’t pull the extractor pin.
His eyes turned to the captain. The stubborn face resembled a scab covered in scars. Thick. He asked him.
“So, do you regret getting married, Captain?”
“......I shouldn’t have.”
“Do you hate your daughter?”
“......”
“If you could go back in time and decide whether to have her or not, what would you do?”
“......”
Winter smiled faintly.
“I wish my dad had been like you.”
Hah. The captain looked dumbfounded, but for the boy, it was an honest sentiment. No matter how clumsy, as long as there was love, it was fine. Even if they ended up resenting each other, it was better than never having it at all.
“Let’s end the mood-killing talk here.”
Glancing irritably at his young superior, the Green Beret brought up a new topic.
“So, how were the mutant bastards you’ve killed so far?”
“How what? What do you mean?”
“You know, if there’s anything special, let’s share. Seems like the top brass isn’t telling us a lot. Field guys like us should share info. Knowledge is power—to survive somehow and fuck up those zombies.”
Then he bellowed at his men.
“You maggots! Anyone who can’t get up tomorrow gets left behind! Guard your asses! If you stumble during alert, I’ll shove a bullet up your shithole!”
The Alpha team members replied with dark chuckles. Quite a few empty spots visible.
Suddenly, dog barks mixed in. From the Rangers’ side. Wait, they’ve got a dog? Funny sight—one guy with foul mouth sneaks up quietly. Hands in pockets, pulls out a chocolate bar. Another points it out. You crazy fuck. Dogs die from chocolate.
“Something special, huh.”
Lieutenant Palmer fell into reminiscence.
“Come to think of it, we ran into failure works unusually often. Kids too. Especially the kids—all naked. Probably not just us.”
The term “failure works” already showed he shared Winter’s “Insight.” Even as a Ranger lieutenant, access to info was limited by rank, but field commanders who could think would inevitably reach similar conclusions.
“Probably because the normals headed east.”
The Green Beret thought the same. He turned to Winter.
“Those dumb desk-jockeys and shit-stars don’t trust us, hiding all sorts of shit. Pisses me off. We’re dodging death daily... Major, you’ve got rank, so you know more, right? Even without rank, your record means you’ve got experiences to match.”
Just like what Winter had hoped from Dr. Campbell of the Health Service Unit. Commanders always craved intel. Plus, a hint of rivalry toward Winter personally. What makes this guy so special with such a flashy record. More than me, ruining my life playing soldier.
“Well, I don’t have free access to secrets either, and your question’s too broad. Most of what I know, you can probably guess. Tell me something you need confirmation on, or something you have no clue about.”
At Winter’s words, the lieutenant and captain exchanged glances. Naturally, the captain first.
“That humpback you mentioned earlier. What the fuck is it?”
“......”
“Always the same. Unknown enemies bug me more than ones shooting at me right now. We know what the other special mutants are, but humpback’s all classified. Annoys the shit out of me. I can guess from what I’ve seen, but it’s just guesses.”
“Encountered one?”
“One team member spotted it from afar, but couldn’t maintain contact. Traces were loud. Forest, but no intact trees around. Even dug up the ground.”
“Shall we start with your guesses?”
“Feeder. One that grows feed bastards real fast. Otherwise, can’t explain what we’ve seen. Right?”
Conviction under thick brows. Winter nodded.
“Personally, I agree. Makes sense why it’s classified. Most soldiers, citizens—they believe if we keep killing, it’ll end someday. Even breeders take twenty years to mature. But a special mutant maturing hosts in under a year? Morale would tank. Civilians too.”
The “personally” disappointed the Green Beret.
But the Ranger officer agreed.
“Yeah. For a special mutant, it doesn’t front-line because it lacks combat function, not just numbers. Keeping reserves protected in the rear is common sense.”
“Hey, the problem is these monster fucks acting with common sense.”
“Not chewing trees for nothing—probably digesting. Wheels show up often too. Makes me suspect a diversified supply system.”
“They’re raising bugs to eat?”
“Isn’t it? If humpback’s as guessed, feeding it to regular mutants is trouble. Morgellons-infected pouring out in masses. Could eat them to manage, but bad for increasing numbers.”
“......Those bug fucks not fearing humans is weird.”
Normal roaches should flee humans. Winter recalled the bakery at Point Reyes Station. Roaches everywhere, smeared tracks. High chance of another undiscovered special mutant.
“No need to be too pessimistic. You two seem to have fought immature groups on the way here too, right?”
They nodded at Winter’s question.
“A bit more time, and it’d have been risky. Mutants have metabolic suppression. If endless maturing adults suppress and surge out at once... Current blockade couldn’t hold that scale.”
Captain Long rubbed his dry face. Suppressed ones survive years without food or water, so even Air Force blocking South American routes, eventually uncountable hordes would appear.
Other interesting tales too.
“I saw something unusual once.”
As Lieutenant Palmer prefaced, Winter finished maintenance and asked back.
“Unusual?”
“Mutant bit mutant.”
“Not eating cull ones?”
“Just bit. Didn’t look like fighting. Pondered if single anomaly or meaning, but no answer. You two seen it?”
Nah. Green Beret said, Winter pondered.
“Maybe infecting.”
Sudden remark drew captain’s reaction.
“Biting less-infected ones again?”
“Not that. Could be propagating traits?”
“Traits?”
“Something odd before. First Trickster fight—at Atascadero State Hospital. It only directly affected fetal mutants.”
“Saw that battle record.”
“Adult mutants common in urban areas didn’t show—Trickster couldn’t call them. Propagation detection... Likely only in new generations. But now? Organized over wide areas.”
“Hmm... So, not full special mutant, but improved traits spread via reinfection?”
“Just hit me from Palmer’s words. Never seen it myself. Maybe another humpback ability. Nothing certain.”
“These monsters get shittier the more you know.”
“We can just shoot ‘em all dead.”
Hah. Captain gawked at Winter again. Still swirling the same glass. Green Beret through and through. Even post-op, not fully relaxed. Liquor smell, but not drunk behavior.
Finally, pours remaining booze on the ground.
“Yeah. Shoot ‘em all dead. Only thing I can do as a father.”
“......”
“Kill and kill so my girl’s safe. Wife? Whatever. Heh, good they’re not human—less guilt killing.”
Lieutenant Palmer chose words carefully.
“Really? Still creeps me out sometimes. Victims of the plague.”
“Cracked open their skulls?”
“......Not on purpose.”
“I’ve cracked plenty... Ah, don’t look like that. Wasn’t sane. Went mad. Bomb-vested fanatics, civilian-slaughterers, insane bitches giving kids anti-tank rockets—what’s in their heads? Curious. Didn’t learn much.”
Green Beret snorted habitually.
“But mutants different. Very. Compared to normal ones we knew. Get it? Not human. Humanity’s in this skull.”
Captain pokes his head.
“Right here, in the brain.”
“......”
“Lieutenant acting naive. You’ll die. If only you, lucky.”
Talk—half discussion, half gripe—continued late. Finally, Ranger said.
“Wish we’d retake the mainland soon.”
Optimistic hope.
“We nabbed high-value targets after busting ass. Soon shift offense. Mood’s good.”
“If so.”
“We’re not landlocked Russia. Hold to Panama Isthmus, naval blockade easier, ground defense denser... Long leave then, I’ll marry her.”
“Hah, told you don’t.”
“Seeing you makes me wanna more.”
“Crazy.”
Winter smiled faintly.
============================ Author's Note ============================
#Q&A
Q. UnlimitedOne: @Ranger regiment traits shining through in that anecdote(...) A lull. Showed Russia too... Depending on Morgellons expulsion from US mainland, might head to cold lands :3 How much innocence has our control AI recovered... Curious. Or maybe created some?
A. Hard to answer future plot points. ;_;
Q. Majikal: @Reading on commute, smiling. Thanks. Always grateful for good writing.
A. Thanks for reading kindly.
Q. FlyingDory: @Whoa, deep Catholic knowledge. Where from? Words like from priests deep in monastic theology... Impressive. As always, enjoyed.
A. Quoting would be plagiarism. Hymn to the Sun interpretation no reference; rest from Pope on why evil exists, theologians’ views. Bible verses too. Recomposed to fit novel theme.
But “stripped Job of all” straight from Pope.
Q. Gardheim: @Unrelated, but Jozankei Onsen near Sapporo’s fine. Fukuoka to Sapporo farther than Fukuoka to Seoul?
A. Fukushima farm/seafood circulation worries more. Jozankei... Note if I go someday. Doubt it. Never been abroad. Haha.
Q. PleasePickUpMySoap: @Heard you’re active on anti-air tanks lately. Serial delay from that busyness?
A. Hmm. Said 3-5 weekly from start; post-Chuseok, never below 3...
Tough. Not just writing, other circumstances.