Chapter 57
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: #Trap (2), Camp Roberts
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The atmosphere inside was heated up. Yeoncheol was properly hyping the mood. It was a flashy party, making the most of the given resources to cover any shortages.
They had opened up eight tents to create a wide space.
At the center, Song Yeokyung was singing right on cue. The woman whose husband had started a new life in the Damul Prosperity Society. Just as he had thought before, she sang incredibly well. Her tone was beautiful, her technique solid, and her volume outstanding. A sense of motherhood emanated from the way she sang while holding her child. Compared to her resentful past self, she had changed so much.
‘This is a bit inconvenient right now.’
Jang Yeoncheol was perfect for entrusting the stateless refugees to, but if he stepped away, the atmosphere would cool off quickly.
Winter himself felt the same. Yeoncheol, whom he had asked to stay together with, was mindful of Winter’s empty seat. Many others were too. They had visibly cheered at the return of their little leader, but now they looked a bit puzzled at the sight of the unfamiliar five.
Plenty of people were moving around to keep the event going. There were faces Winter didn’t recognize. They were surely the managers handled by the two department heads. What they had said about knowing less about the alliance than the two heads was partially true.
No need to feel intimidated. He beckoned to a nearby one. An unfamiliar face, but he immediately showed goodwill, respect, and a touch of caution.
“Please make some seats for these folks. Close to me.”
“Ah, yes!”
While the man arranged seats, Winter gave the five a kind smile.
“For now, just enjoy yourselves. As for lodging or other details, we’ll have to sort those out after the party ends.”
“That’s fine. Thank you for your consideration.”
Benjamin Mayer replied. The affable man was subtly taking on the role of spokesperson. The other four looked a little uneasy, but it was the natural tension of a new place.
Cheers rose higher as the seats were filled. It was hard to tell genuine enthusiasm from polite applause.
The singing contest continued. Enthusiastic performances poured out regardless of age or gender. The unexpected dark horse was a grandma belting out trot. People got swept up in the emotional melody and chorused the refrain together.
Still, the winner was Song Yeokyung.
‘Good to have someone who sings well. It’d be nice to have someone who plays an instrument too.’
Winter’s thoughts were practical. Survival meant protecting life. And life needed joy.
Music was the language of the heart, a lubricant that seeped into the spirit. It delayed invisible ruptures in the community. It was hard to find a community that stayed functional after ignoring that unseen durability. There was no human life in such places.
Could they satisfy cultural needs? Could they find comfort for the heart?
‘And could they find happiness?’
Winter recalled what he had pre-studied. In environments of extreme stress, even animals masturbated. It happened in nature too, of course. But in lab cages or zoos where everything was suppressed, the frequency increased abnormally.
To the boy, it seemed like an instinctive struggle to find pleasure. Because there were no other ways to relieve stress. And because a joyless life wasn’t a life at all.
Observing virtual personalities mimicking humans in a virtual reality mimicking reality, Winter figured humans weren’t all that different.
That was probably why. The people creating human zoos from their high and superior perch often extended deliberate tolerance to movies, sports, and sex.
It was why Winter didn’t hate those audiences from another world, even if they caused him suffering.
The boy understood them.
“Then let’s start the voting!”
Yeoncheol’s lively voice pulled Winter back to reality. The borrowed mic was proving useful. Otherwise, his face would be twice as red as it was now.
The winner was Song Yeokyung. In every round so far, she had consistently chosen upbeat songs. To Winter, it felt like a form of resolve.
She handled three encores, then bowed to the crowd with a sweat-drenched face and a bright smile. The baby in her arms reached out toward his mom. He smiled radiantly.
Holding the baby had to be harder than singing, right? She could have handed him off for a bit.
Jang Yeoncheol handed her the winner’s prize. Then he asked for her thoughts. At the end of her brief remarks, Yeokyung turned her gaze to Winter.
“Bearing this opportunity, I’d like to offer my deep thanks to our little leader. Without the leader, there’d be no us today. Right, everyone?”
She passed the cheers she had been receiving straight to him. Winter made a slightly troubled expression and responded to the cheers with a few throat clears.
“Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask of the leader.”
Winter tilted his head. Yeokyung lifted her baby a little higher.
“Do you remember? I told you I’d change the baby’s name.”
Yeoncheol hurried over and held out the mic to Winter.
“Yes. I remember. What did you change it to?”
“I’m changing it right now.”
“Oh dear.”
Winter put on an awkward expression.
The recent arrivals didn’t know the situation. And there were far more of them than the originals. For their puzzled faces, Yeokyung explained her story. She declared she would pass on her own surname to her son.
Now the crowd showered her with cheers and her husband with curses. The heightened emotions latched right on.
‘Was this planned from the start?’
Her fierceness hadn’t vanished. It was just hidden beneath her newfound leisure. Today might be her day of beginnings.
Winter waited until the mood settled, then calmly shook his head.
“It’s hard to decide right on the spot.”
A smooth deflection.
“It’s a name the child will carry for life. I won’t choose lightly. Department Head Jang, please gather opinions from as many people as possible. We’ll pick the good ones from there, and I’ll make the final choice. That satisfactory, Song Yeokyung?”
Since it had happened, he’d use it to strengthen community spirit. That was Winter’s judgment. Yeokyung smiled graciously and bowed deeply.
“Yes! Thank you, leader.”
Jang Yeoncheol drew out cheers once more.
Winter turned his attention to the stateless refugees.
“Must be frustrating not understanding the language, right?”
“Uh……a little, yeah.”
Benjamin was still the only one replying. The others just watched cautiously. Winter plopped down close to them and called for Yeoncheol. It was a break between acts, so he had some leisure.
“What’s up? And who are these folks?”
He’d clearly been curious for a while. The question came quick. Winter laid out the situation.
“They’re stateless.”
“No nationality?”
“First, let me introduce names. The one in the middle is Benjamin Mayer. To the left, August Koma. Then Clara Carter, Casey Blackwell, and finally Victor Cook. All adopted to the US as kids.”
The conversation between Yeoncheol and Winter was in Korean, but the sequential naming tipped them off that it was an introduction. The five gave Yeoncheol subdued gestures of greeting.
Yeoncheol, having received the awkward greetings, asked back.
“So, adopted folks……uh, but why here?”
“They got bad foster parents. Took the kids in for adoption subsidies but never filed for citizenship. Lived thinking they were US citizens all this time, but turns out they weren’t. They only found out yesterday.”
“My god…….”
The detailed explanation was to motivate Yeoncheol. With his kind and empathetic nature, the richer the language, the better. His eyes were already reddening.
“They have nowhere to go, so I decided to take them in. Sorry I couldn’t consult first, department head.”
The apology was a deliberate prod.
“No! Not at all! You did the right thing!”
As expected, Jang Yeoncheol waved his hands vigorously.
“Welcome! The Winter Alliance welcomes you all!”
His English welcome was awkward but earnest. Position makes the man, and he was diligent about self-improvement. English was one of those efforts.
‘Probably got some stimulation from Min department head too.’
That’s what made competition good.
Winter introduced Yeoncheol to his new family too.
“This is Jang Yeoncheol. Surname Jang, given name Yeoncheol. In Korean names, the family name comes first. Jang Yeoncheol is one of the two most important people helping me out. He’s the one who practically runs the organization while I’m away. You’ll be relying on him a lot from now on.”
The five looked at Yeoncheol with new eyes. He looked a bit shy. Winter made a request.
“After the event, make sure they get what they need.”
“No worries. Actually, no need to wait.”
He called over some people right away. Seeing how familiarly they came when summoned, Winter truly felt the systematized organization. Later, he’d discuss with the two heads and officialize positions for some. Of course, after vetting their character. Winter thought anew how well they had taken in the disabled community.
To the five following the mid-level cadre,
“Let’s get along well from here on. It’ll be tough for a while, but I’ll help as much as I can.”
Even if they pretended otherwise, they were exhausted. Finding a place to rest came before enjoying the party. How many of them would spend a tearless night?
Winter couldn’t stick it out to the end either. A wailing speaker sounded from outside. The buzzer wailed in short bursts three times, and the venue fell silent in an instant.
Fortunately, it wasn’t an emergency.
“Lieutenant Han Gyeowol of the base, Lieutenant Han Gyeowol, please come to the central parade ground immediately, alone, with full combat gear.”
A summons? At this hour? A glance at his watch showed the sun had long set.
“It’s nothing serious. I’ll be right back, so everyone keep enjoying.”
Winter soothed the crowd, exited slowly, then picked up the pace.
The parade ground, where he arrived geared up, had several Humvees and a platoon waiting.
“You again? Not sick of it yet?”
The one tossing the joke was Charlie Company 1st Platoon Leader, Lieutenant Jeffrey Brown. Other familiar faces were there too. Sergeant Marvin “Boer” Lieberman, Sergeant Darren Elliot, Private First Class Antonio Guilherme, and so on. They all wore annoyed or irritated expressions that brightened a bit upon seeing Winter.
He could guess why the guy led with a joke despite dragging them out at night. As platoon leader, he had to mind these things. Winter played along casually.
“Pretty sick of it. Kinda disappointing to see your face mid-party.”
“Hey, that a joke? At least mine was.”
“Sorry. Dead serious.”
“Hey!”
The soldiers chuckled. Jeffrey beckoned Winter over.
“Get in the vehicle first. I’ll explain what’s up on the way.”
The driver floored it the moment Winter hopped in. Jeffrey’s voice came over the radio.
“A, a. Comrades. Alright, starting the briefing now.”
The other soldiers in the vehicle perked up their ears. Looked like Jeffrey was the only one who’d received the mission details.
“Earlier, uh, earlier—so, like……exact time not needed, right? Not important, so let’s keep it rough.”
“…….”
“Anyway, seems like weird signals have been picked up near San Miguel. Intermittent, hopping positions. Can’t call in the Air Force without solid coords, yeah? Tracking missiles are useless if it’s not continuous. Probably Tricksters, don’t know how many. You get why we got called out by now, right?”
Yeah, he got it. In Camp Roberts, the only ones with Trickster combat experience were Winter and Charlie Company 1st Platoon. And compared to every other Trickster engagement, theirs was the best. A result impossible without Winter.
The convoy halted at the gate sentry. There were plenty of obstacles to clear.