Even If You Hate the Military, the Military Loves You: Stop Loss (Part 2)
'I failed as human, passed as beast!' That's the worry of far-future Japan screaming that anyway.
No matter what, the important thing right now was survival, the joy of being the sole survivor in this hellish roulette.
"You little shit... yeah, you're barely more human than those failed human rejects next to you."
"You're all inferior too, but since there are guys about a hundred times more inferior than you around, you suddenly look like a fairy!"
In the midst of this, mocking the ones who'd hit the self-destruct button and blown up was essential—venting frustration at their own country. East Asia's two nations, having added a successful human-monster encounter case for humanity, slapped a basketball manga-style high-five.
With both countries gathered, it was their annual ritual: shouting "You're better than that retard next door" while dissing the neighboring nation leaking coolies.
Rarely, a warm and fuzzy atmosphere was bubbling up between the two nations.
"...Where's next?"
"Damn, please let it be our continent..."
Where would the next one be? Everyone's attention started focusing. After all, the luck those two countries had scored wasn't ordinary—they had no choice but to be urgent.
"Mm, so basically, give us materials engineering stuff or related goods, and we'll give food... Wait, food?! Food?!"
"King!"
The world economy had essentially collapsed, and trade wasn't holding up like before. For Japan, constantly hammered by massive earthquakes and even losing its trade hub position,
one of the most desperately needed items deep down had its main food trade route flung wide open.
"...No, it's rough-milled, but... single variety? Rice, it's rice!! My god, Japan is saved now!"
"Shit, just polish this and price stability is done!!"
And matching their appearance, the rice-loving rabbit-folk had unpolished rice as staple food. Even if they'd offered wheat or flour, they could've mentally won with "We can eat udon and soba," but
with this jackpot laid out, missing it would be political suicide for the current regime. No matter how advanced the neighboring country's memes about electronic rice sales online.
The origin of "Uuuu, rice rice rice" represented by rice riots was, after all, Japan. The rice merchants who'd been active even during the Meiji Restoration were still going strong in modern society.
"Argh, damn it, so you're not gonna eat rice?! We put up with the price quadrupling, so behave yourself."
'...Fucking hoarding expert Japanese farm co-op bastards...'
In a future before this dimensional gate crisis exploded, even ministerial-level intervention quickly normalized the madhouse. Thanks to those damn bastards profiting from hoarding rice even in national crises, public sentiment had been foul.
But now, unlike other countries where words didn't work, just gestures and they'd pour out rice—a trade route had opened.
Not a neighbor that could shake them by grabbing food dependency if regimes changed. For the first time in history, 'not piracy, but official trade' with the neighbor inside the dimensional gate!
"With this much steel, how much can we send...? Huh? Same weight in rice¹?! For real?!"
No matter how much iron ore prices had risen, buying rice at this rate was pure profit. The prime minister of the minority coalition, who'd been bowing their head begging "Please release the stock...," didn't miss the chance.
"Ahh, it was a long time of humiliation. Now taste the dumped rice from dimensional gates?"
"Uh, uhh?! W-wait! Give us one chance! Didn't I hand over the premiership after the coalition?!"
"You hoarded a ton, must suck! Your stockpiled rice is surplus as of today! Scram!"
The former ruling party, already ousted for failing on livelihoods and security,
had their "You're no different" frame bomb—meant to reclaim power—explode spectacularly in the owner's hands before even planting it, thanks to the flashy arrival of gate rice.
Butterfly effects leading to bankruptcies of merchants and connected politicians were a bonus!
"Even with those rice tariffs, it didn't work...!! Argh, even the slim chance of coalition extension—!!"
"Vanish, along with those ugly memories!"
Soon after, the prime minister who normalized "Japan's top luxury and staple food" earned:
Through a proud early election, legally pruning the obstacles that'd been playing games all along.
The slogan "A government that doesn't mess with food" of the beheading operation that didn't even give room to laugh was powerful! Successfully crossing the solo constitutional amendment line, no need for other parties' help.
Too big a butterfly effect for just one food item. Far in the future, dubbed the "White Rice Revolution"—the storm inside those wings revealed itself.
Meanwhile, Korea didn't get anything that spectacular in actual food. At best, a few items they'd been blatantly screwing with via distribution and climate issues got cheaper.
"...So, to sum up briefly... you're offering resource development opportunities?"
"That's right. We weren't using them anyway... In return, we'll import convenient civilization stuff from your side."
But conversely, they grabbed chances to gorge on industrial "food" until their bellies burst. Having grown by smashing enemies with self-energy enhancement over civilization perks,
it was trade terms laced with consideration from the long-eared intellectuals who didn't need to burn tons of natural resources to protect themselves.
"Well... we allow it under the premise of minimizing environmental pollution to some extent."
"Aigoo, even with abatement tech attached, instant resource delivery through the gate right in front is plenty profitable!"
Dig it up on-site, pay a certain ratio, and the rest ships straight to Korean factories. The export economy, hit hard by the shrunken raw materials market, started reviving bit by bit.
And what Korea got wasn't just their usual materials.
"Oil we use in our neighborhood, but... you could use it for that car thing or whatever, right?"
"...Perfect combustion... burns clean with no residue?! Oh, damn ancestors my god!"
Items from other dimensions occasionally, but not rarely, provided new power sources for existing industries.
"Do you really need to burn stuff for energy? Just link to the planetary energy network and draw it..."
The intellectuals, almost all naming and using the energy forming Earth's "abilities" basis,
generously provided opportunities to redesign processes more efficiently from scratch or tech to buy time developing Earth-friendly ones.
One country getting eating perks, the other using perks like this,
"Damn, jealous, so jealous...!!"
"Japan's half-abandoning Hokkaido, but how lucky are those Korean bastards."
Naturally, drawing all the envy. Their gates spew trash, while treasures pour from theirs.
"If we could scratch lottery tickets or something, but can't even block monster floods..."
"Already on the edge... damn, Australia's lucky. At least close to China."
Few people per population, couldn't even clear gates outside core development zones, let alone elsewhere!
Well, Korea and Japan weren't secure on defense yet either.
"Once you hit jackpot, next one's not easy... I know, I get it."
Far north in Gyeonggi, while companies learned new tech and mined resources building the future,
'This is safe zone, hand to companies! You guys move.'
Just as the unit flipped over this absurd eviction,
as end-of-service truly loomed for Kim Chomo, sad news arrived right in front.
"...Prepare, Chomo. Be ready to head down anytime."
No matter how densely populated Korea was relative to land,
that was big cities or satellites; not everywhere lacked population drops.
And in those areas, local divisions barely held monsters at the door.
Occasional border failures or mid-battle escapes overwhelmed quality and quantity.
"...Grandfather."
For an elderly man in a rural small-to-medium city under 200,000,
change was terrifying. Kim Chomo had called post-gate, persuading to come to safe city,
but 'Chomo, this is where Dad... where you grew up, our precious home and land. How can I abandon it?'
The bastard who'd gutted Dad and left, the house raising the sole remaining treasure was your Treasure No. 1.
Whatever happened unknown, after final faint-memoried meeting flashed by,
"...Tried to protect the house. Nothing left now."
Only sorrow remained at the monster-ravaged home site in memories. Grandfather's prepared coffin lay beside Dad's grave.
"...Returned. Unit salute."
All left was the 22-year-old youth returning, unable to erase gloom.
"...He went to a good place."
Trying to smile at the unit's sole friend's shoulder pat and "Hang in there,"
but only crushing emptiness during loss period.
"...Yeah, go on end-of-service, plan my life ahead."
Finally planned to use all piled vacation at once.
Well, first to see some action.
"Can't you just discharge me early for that vacation? Just being here's depressing and sad."
Proposal to escape this hellhole doubling gloom just by existing ASAP,
but "Understand grandparent bereavement... but once active duty, even solo household discharge ain't easy..."
Cold reply: clause only for when self or family can't sustain livelihood didn't apply.
--Petition leave got warmer response; something off in nuance.
Kim Chomo switched stance on spot.
"...Then I'll use remaining vacation, discharge right after return. Unit salute."
Already served diligently, can't snatch existing; leaving tomorrow, no stalling.
No more words, turning ace's ear heard:
"Hey, that guy's dreaming impossible? Thinks it's possible?"
Company commander's pitying-yet-hollow words stabbed deep.
--Already hating every minute here, what'd this bastard say.
Like he couldn't shed this damn uniform by choice.
Heading out on leave, revisit college room indebted to.
"Man, post-discharge, maybe live like a vegetable no thoughts no movement for months?"
Even enjoying long-absent worry-free quiet comfort,
"Damn, blatantly knowing 14-night 15-day double-check, calling daily?!"
Annoying flies buzzing ears nonstop.
"...Communications security, 1st Company Sergeant Kim Chomo."
"...Yes, understood. Unit salute."
Officers calling constantly like they must know location.
"...Same bastards as before. Think their faces look normal?"
Flinch! Obvious half-civilian military spies straddling worlds.
By now, treating him like "bomb set to blow."
"Ah, pisses me off. Maybe cause real trouble."
Of course, end-of-service sergeant strives for docile vegetable life.
"Yeah, big civilian fuss means how much heat? Think of as pre-discharge check."
Irritated, but later just middle fingers and spits, right? Endure with intent to bomb complaints post-civilian.
Thus, two days pre-discharge, sweet end-of-service done, back to unit,
"...What did you just say?"
"Jeez, was gonna discharge you... but timely order from above."
--In national crisis, right to release such precious talent to society... they said.
High-rank stars' whisper struck eardrums like lightning.
Sparing no means to retain ability unit members?
"Haha, hahaha..."
"Think about it. In this youth unemployment era, steady job's huge merit?"
Company commander's kid-logic persuasion turned white noise to enraged civilian(soon)'s tinnitus.
Two years army experience let him guess what superiors smoked for this.
End of conscription, elite survivors vanish from special ops.
Seize chance, set precedent binding abilities as career soldiers.
First hard, succeed once: 'Your seniors did too! No patriotism, punk?!' frame.
Low pay mistreatment state-run possible. All merits divvied by bigwigs bonus.
Thus, soldier's set reply in this spot.
"So, our Sergeant Kim Chomo. Ready for corporal? Don't worry, promotion fast..."
"Haha, even if cut hand for medical discharge, no."
"...What?"
These damn bastards see him as free fish.
"I absolutely won't stay in army no matter what. That's common sense."
Such dumb genes to offspring? Huge humanity nuisance.
Company commander's crumpling face irrelevant.
"Then return to barracks. Unit salute."
Kim Chomo's eyes, battle-hardened, gleamed dangerously.
'Remaining two days, no clue what they'll pull...'
Any force, something hilariously fun happens.
"No family, no debt, gave nation all? But no freedom?"
Free trial period over, no more free lunch.
To predators eyeing tasty fish in final time,
pufferfish full of tetrodotoxin⁴ grinned.
Best not eaten, but if so, won't die alone—self-mocking smile.