Chapter 100: Make America Beautiful
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 100: Make America Beautiful
“It’s the most powerful fighter jet in the world. Its name is Cold.”
The moment Yu-jin let out a small chuckle, Daniel Choe read the subtle flicker of emotion in Pipe’s eyes.
In the sky, the fighter jet of Self’s father and ace pilot—callsign Hellfire—performed a series of brilliant maneuvers, as if beckoning her to join him.
In an instant, Self’s aircraft soared, its nose pulling up sharply as it ascended vertically like a cobra.
As Pipe watched the display in a daze, an Air Force mechanic tapped him on the shoulder as if he understood exactly how he felt.
“That kid right there is the future ace of our Air Force.”
*
Two Cold fighters were flying side-by-side high in the sky.
—Sir, are you sure Cale hid something important in the Cold?
—Cale simply judged that we weren’t ready yet.
—We endured high-maneuverability turns at 9.8G. I don’t know what else we’re supposed to do.
Cale, the head of the Cold program.
The death of the genius engineer’s family, whom both pilots missed dearly, was briefly hinted at for the audience.
—Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is the Queen Lebris, a US merchant vessel! We are being pursued by pirates with man-portable missiles! Please, help us!
An urgent SOS radio transmission instantly ratcheted up the tension.
Sensing his daughter’s hesitation, Hellfire issued a cold warning.
—Don’t forget. We are currently on a mission.
—But our mission is just a performance test for the aircraft!
—Concealing our presence here is also part of the mission.
Unable to turn a blind eye, Self finally banked her nose downward.
—Self! Return to the flight path! That’s an order!
A rapid descent, followed by the refreshing spray of water as the autocannons tore into the sea.
Startled by the warning shots, the pirates abandoned their boat and dove into the water. Self’s aircraft returned with a spectacular, near-right-angle turn, completely sinking the empty vessel before leisurely returning to the sky.
The emotional voice of the merchant ship’s captain, whose stern was already tattered after two missile strikes, spoke for the audience.
—Thank you for your service…
*
Upon her return, Self was severely reprimanded and stripped of her qualification as a Cold pilot.
She would never be able to fly the world’s greatest fighter jet again.
In some ways, it was a light disciplinary action, but for Self, it was the heaviest punishment in the world.
—I’m resigning my commission.
—Self! Do you have any idea how hard Command worked to protect you?
—Father, to me, this is no different from being told to take off my flight suit forever.
A quarrel between the pilot father and daughter broke out in a peaceful seaside restaurant specializing in boiled pork with fresh kimchi.
The young female owner watched them with a giggle before subtly taking Self’s side.
—Hellfire, you should have been the one to step up and charge in first. Then you could have protected Self.
—How do you know what this girl did? Don’t tell me…
—It’s obvious, isn’t it? She couldn’t help but step in to protect something more precious than the mission.
—…
Hellfire ultimately failed to persuade his daughter.
Giving up, he ended the day by trying to soothe her feelings.
—I’m heading back first. I have a flight tomorrow.
—…Go ahead.
The audience’s hearts fluttered once more at the sight of the drunken Self’s hazy eyes.
‘Is she really a minor? How can she act drunk so well?’
‘Even her drunk expressions are so pretty.’
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound of heavy combat boots echoed, and Self looked up with blurry eyes.
A Navy Colonel, callsign Pipe, stood before her.
Self raised her glass and giggled.
—I guess you found your mother. But she seems to have a bit too much facial hair, don’t you think?
—Self, I heard you submitted your resignation to the Air Force. Have you found a new job yet?
—I was thinking of boiling pork at this restaurant.
Yoon Se-rang’s frantic mouthing of “No!” while waving her arms and silently pleading for someone to take the girl away provided a moment of comic relief for the audience.
—Our Navy wants talent exactly like you. Saving the lives of citizens! That spirit, which values life above any mission, is the very essence of the Navy! How would you like to fly a Hornet?
The look in Self’s eyes, filling the screen, instantly conveyed her wavering heart to the audience.
—I happened to be missing a mother. I suppose living with a stepmother wouldn’t be so bad.
—Welcome to the Navy, Self.
—Is that guy over there my wingman?
—Oh, shh, Self. You’re my wingman.
The Navy officer laughed heartily and ordered a drink.
—You two can settle that with a dogfight later. For today, let’s just drink.
*
Thump!
Self’s Super Hornet made a rough but precise landing on the aircraft carrier.
—Takeoffs and landings are the best part. This is a thrill you can never experience in the Air Force.
—The Navy’s great, isn’t it?
—That’s basically saying everything else about it sucks, Pipe.
Having become a perfect Navy pilot, Self had regained her peace.
She never forgot to visit the boiled pork restaurant every weekend.
—Self, Hellfire hasn’t been coming by lately. Is something wrong?
—He must be on a secret mission. I haven’t been able to reach him for a while either.
*
The Navy launched a major assault operation.
—This is the enemy’s secret nuclear facility that must be destroyed.
Dozens of fighter jets took off from the deck and moved into attack formation when an enemy air unit appeared.
Self’s performance was particularly outstanding in the spectacular aerial combat that dazzled the audience.
Self and Pipe’s flight element moved separately for an additional bombing mission.
—We’re supposed to destroy that? That’s just an ordinary runway and hangar.
—It must be a disguised nuclear facility. Aaaagh! Missile! Missile!
Anti-air missiles flew in like mad, and the flight element performed brilliant maneuvers while pumping out flares.
—Pipe! Eject! Eject!
Pipe hit the ejection button.
The moment the cockpit launched, a missile destroyed the fighter jet.
—Dammit!
Seeing a missile heading toward the parachute, Self steered her jet into its path and ejected.
The fighter jet took the hit instead, saving Pipe, and the two pilots landed safely in the forest via parachute.
—Self, what do we do now?
—Let’s head to the hangar. There should be weapons. We need to secure them and escape by land.
—There will be tons of enemies. How are we supposed to—?
—Don’t be a wimp. Just trust me.
—Oh, shit! Holy shit!
Pipe scratched his head but had no choice but to follow Self, only to witness an incredible sight.
She took down every sentry they encountered with sleek martial arts and seized control of the hangar.
—Self, why do you even bother flying fighter jets?
—I just learned this in case of situations like this. It’s my father’s teaching.
Having taken the hangar, the two were met with an unexpected encounter.
—Cold? Father, what on earth are you doing here?
Inside the hangar were the Cold fighter jet and a bound Hellfire.
*
Through the perspective of the US President, the audience learned the truth behind this military operation.
There was no nuclear facility from the start.
The fleet’s true objective was to destroy the Cold, which had made an emergency landing in enemy territory due to a mechanical failure during a dangerous mission and had fallen into their hands.
—Mr. President, the true value of the Cold lies in its ability to infinitely learn the piloting skills of an ace.
—If that data is transferred, they could mass-produce high-performance drones.
—The number of human pilots would become irrelevant. It’s a severe national security threat.
If it fell into enemy hands, it would be more dangerous than a nuclear weapon. That was why the massive destruction operation had begun.
Upon learning the truth, Self untied Hellfire and urged him to flee, but he refused.
—I cannot let the Cold fall to the enemy. Kid, you leave on your own.
—Father! Cale is dead! This isn't Cale! Don't throw your life away for a mere fighter jet!
The distorted eyes of Tommy Cross showed a burning desperation for his child that pierced the audience’s hearts.
Even in a two-shot with Lee Yu-jin, his emotional depth was so profound it threatened to steal the scene.
—Daughter… this isn't just a fighter jet. It’s my son. No father leaves his son behind.
—Forgive me, Father.
Self tried to knock Hellfire out to drag him away, but Hellfire was the one who had taught her how to fight.
In the end, it was Self who was subdued.
—Hey, Navy friend. Take care of my daughter.
—Father!
—Don’t get the wrong idea; I’m not entrusting her future to you. Just get her out of here, quickly.
At that moment.
The door burst open, and a burly US soldier holding a minigun, his combat uniform stained with blood, appeared.
—Glad I’m not too late.
—Are you… Army?
—Yeah. Since this is a comms-jammed zone, I had to deliver the White House’s new orders in person. The order is to bring the Cold back alive at all costs.
Through a brief shift in perspective, the audience learned that the President had changed his mind.
—Come on, let’s move! I’ve cleared everything outside, so don’t worry.
—But the Cold only seats two.
—One pilot, follow me! I’ve found another bird!
The father and daughter locked eyes and nodded, and Hellfire moved with the soldier.
The fighter jet in the other hangar was none other than…
“Holy crap! Why is an F-14 Tomcat coming out of there?!”
The audience members screamed and jumped to their feet instinctively. No one cared about theater etiquette at that moment.
Everyone wailed as if clutching their heads.
“It doesn’t matter why the Tomcat is there! What matters is that the Tomcat is there!”
Yu-jin and Pipe boarded the Cold.
With Tommy Cross and the Army soldier in the Tomcat, the flight element roared down the runway and took to the skies.
—Hellfire! We have bogeys on our tail!
—I’ve got your back!
For the first time, the father became his daughter’s wingman.
Self performed impossibly brilliant and difficult aerial maneuvers with the Cold.
Her father’s faithful support was decisive in shooting down all the pursuing enemy planes.
The 10G maneuvers, exceeding human limits, knocked Pipe out in the back seat of the Cold.
Just as Self’s consciousness began to fade.
Cale’s voice, which she could never forget, flowed from the cockpit.
[Congratulations! Congratulations! You have surpassed the limit! You are the only pilot! You’re much better than my father, who does nothing but complain about the jet’s performance every day! Hahaha! Hahahaha!]
Coming to her senses, Self let out a small laugh.
—Father, were you really going to throw your life away just to hear this?
Hellfire didn’t answer; he simply showed his heart to the audience by pulling back on the control stick with a faint smile.
The aircraft carrier appeared in the distance.
The Tomcat landed first with ease. For an Air Force pilot, his carrier landing skills were suspiciously expert.
Pipe, in the back seat, started making a fuss.
—Self! Self! This is an Air Force jet! A barricade landing! That’s insane!
—When did I say I was doing a barricade landing?
The Cold fighter, having gradually slowed down, pulled its nose up into a completely vertical position and hovered in mid-air.
The deck crew watched the scene in shock.
—Crazy! It can VTOL like that?
—Those Air Force guys, what the hell did they build?!
Slowly approaching the deck, the Cold fighter gradually lowered its nose gear to a horizontal position and touched down perfectly.
—Kid, you’re better than me now.
—You did alright too, Dad, for your first time as a wingman in a while.
The emotional embrace and reunion of the father and daughter, the resolution of all their pent-up emotions, and the cheers of the crew followed.
And then, the father immediately left the carrier in the Cold.
—I’m sick of aircraft carriers. I don’t want to stay here for even a second.
—Father… could it be?
—If it weren’t for your mother, I would never have applied for the Navy in the first place.
With that, the father departed.
Pipe approached from behind and rested a hand on her shoulder.
—Hey, Self. You’re not going back to being a weak Air Force pilot who whines for the Navy to save them, are you?
—Shut up.
Self’s inner thoughts were quietly conveyed only to the audience.
「The Navy is the mother who took me in… but the Air Force is the father who raised me.」
—Self, but I’m still the better wingman, right? What do you think?
—Get lost. My wingman is right over there.
The Tomcat stopped on the deck, with Yu-jin and Bediruche.
As if showing off to them, the F-22 Cold fighter made a close, roaring pass around the carrier’s island, sending out shockwaves before soaring powerfully into the distance.
Click. The screen went black, and the ending credits began to roll accompanied by a soft humming.
*
The Choe brothers sat there with expressions as if they had just woken up from a dream.
“That was a hell of an aviation blockbuster. How many fighter jets were even in that?”
“The US military really went all out.”
The audience members began to stand up and head for the exit one by one, but the two brothers remained seated.
The low humming, where the lyrics were barely audible, had an addictive quality that tickled the heart.
The moment the first person in line reached the exit, the screen suddenly brightened, revealing a blue sea.
Lee Yu-jin, her long blonde hair fluttering in the sea breeze, closed her eyes and began to sing.
“O dic, videsne adhuc, sub prima aurorae luce,”
(Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,)
The feet of the audience members who were about to leave the theater stopped in unison.
*
A large multiplex theater in New York.
The people waiting in line to see Ace Down to Sea could see those who had just finished the movie running out and shouting like mad.
“Make America Beautiful! Make America Beautiful!”
“Make America Beautiful!”
Macho men holding American flags burst out of the theater and began marching down the street.