Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 135



Only Krnovel

Episode 135 – Marshall Camp

He continued his congratulatory speech amid the serious eyes of the soldiers on the podium.

“I hope you treat your comrades, the postwar period, and the people the way you treat me. The OSS Free Division is not an army for me, nor an army for the OSS.”

“…”

“The Free Division is an army for your brothers, sisters, and families from the frozen lands here. I hope you will do your best for your families and comrades. That is all.”

As they were coming down from the podium, one of the soldiers stood up and began to sing.

– Long live the enemy!

– Long live the enemy!

– hurray!

The cheers were awkward, but there was no way to stop them. I thought they were the sounds of relief and joy.

So, we finished the event safely and toured other islands in the Marshall Islands with Division Commander Jeong I-seong.

Looking around, the natural environment and scenery were very nice. It seemed like a better place to live than Kiribati.

Kiribati was a safe haven in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and the Marshall Islands was becoming a paradise, or rather a small paradise.

After touring the OSS Marshall Camp and other islands, we held a meeting with officers from the Free Division.

Most of them were people who had served in the North Korean military and were sent to concentration camps or reeducation camps for various reasons.

They still seemed to be suffering from confusion over their values. Although it seemed that Division Commander Jeong I-seong was doing a good job of guiding them, the sense of betrayal from the past years seemed greater than the sense of relief from escaping the crisis.

– Lord! When will we fight?

– Thinking about all the times I’ve been deceived! I feel like I want to run over there and destroy everything.

– I learned that from Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-un, they were all liars.

– If the enemy gives the order, we will fight fiercely anytime, anywhere.

I listened to them quietly and thought about it for a moment.

Because I knew all too well how dangerous blind hatred and hostility could be, but I could not blame them because I also understood the betrayal and hostility they felt.

“everyone!”

– Quiet, quiet, as the Marshal said.

– Yes, sir.

“Everyone, please listen to what I have to say calmly.”

I continued speaking in a deliberately low voice. The officers, including Major General Jeong I-seong, listened carefully enough to hear the sound of saliva being swallowed.

“I understand the many emotions you are feeling, but you need to be calm when faced with such a big change.”

– …

“I fully understand that you and the immigrants feel betrayed and resentful towards Chairman Kim Jong-un. But!”

He raised his voice slightly in the last sentence and made eye contact with each person in the audience.

“No matter what happened in the past, I respect Chairman Kim Jong-un as the head of state and negotiated with him, so you can be here today.”

– ah ···.

“And if you add all of you and the immigrants together, it’s 100,000 people. There are still 25 million of our compatriots in the North who are enduring the harsh winter and war.”

The atmosphere quickly became gloomy.

“If I had decided to fight and wage war solely out of anger and hostility, I would not be here. I would not have been able to bring you back from the frozen land.”

– You are my enemy~

– So please bear with it…

“If we go to war with the North, only good compatriots will die. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing will be achieved.”

– …

“You are officers and commanders who lead regiments, battalions, companies, and platoons. You must be cool-headed and have a big heart. You must control your heart.”

I looked around the room. There was a certain spirit, a certain sadness, and a small hope in their eyes.

“I hope you enjoy the present peace, grow stronger, and take care of those around you. For now, the existence of the OSS Free Division is enough.”

– Thank you, my lord.

“Oh, the atmosphere here is so subdued. Haha.”

I lightened the mood by giving them each a gift I had prepared in advance.

It was an M1911 pistol with OSS and my name engraved on it. And they gave us each a smartphone with added secret communication capabilities.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying it like little children.

…

After completing its schedule in the Marshall Islands, the submarine group consisting of the ARK and two SSNs headed to OSS-LAND in Kiribati.

It was a distance of 2,500 km. Even if you went slowly, you could get there in three days.

When we arrived at the main island of OSS-LAND, we immediately noticed that it was noticeably different from when we had previously visited.

Looking at the large, cleanly organized port and docking facilities, I felt that the effort had been worth it.

As we docked the ARK and exited the main gate, Director Kim Wan-jun was there to greet us. His face was a bit sallow, but as always, he had a bright expression.

“Director, you must be having a hard time.”

“No, sir. I’m having fun working. Haha.”

“You can see at a glance that the director has put a lot of effort into it.”

“I worked as if I was playing SimCity. The shipyard and dock facilities were completed, and the airport was equipped with all the facilities appropriate for an air force base, not just a makeshift facility.”

“Oh my, you really worked hard.”

“Now we just need people to come in. The OSSel munitions factory will have Korean technicians come in and go back. The bulletproof vest factory is particularly short of manpower.”

“Yes. We plan to relocate about 50,000 northern migrants from the new camps and the Marshall Islands here.”

“That’s great. I’ll prepare.”

“Oh, while we’re on the subject, I’d also like to tour the bulletproof vest factory.”

“Haha. Yes. Dr. Kim Beom-jun is waiting.”

We headed to the bulletproof vest factory with our group. Director Kim Jun-myeong, who was very interested in the new plate, looked quite excited.

Upon arriving at the factory, Dr. Kim Beom-jun greeted me warmly. In his hands was a helmet that looked like a new model.

“Doctor! Nice to meet you.”

“Sir, I’ve been waiting for you. This has finally been completed.”

Director Kim Wan-jun’s voice grew louder.

– Is that a new bulletproof helmet?

“Yes, that’s right. It’s made of barite, so it’s half the weight but three times stronger than the original.”

-Wow~

– But the shape is a bit unusual, Doctor!

“It was inconvenient to make the helmet like a plate to absorb the impact when the bullet is embedded, so we made it so that it bounces the bullet.”

“Ah, so like the front armor of a tank?”

“Yes, that’s right. It also has the effect of thickening the armor on the contact surface when hit, and we designed the shape so that the bullet bounces upwards to prevent damage to friendly forces when it bounces.”

– What is this?

“It is a bulletproof guard that can be mounted on the opposite side of the rifle mount as an additional option to the helmet. And other equipment such as a radio receiver can be mounted.”

– Wow! Doctor. How can you even know such tactical aspects when you’re not even an active-duty soldier? You’re amazing.

“Haha. I’m a fanboy too, but I followed the opinions of the special agent who was dispatched a lot.”

“Doctor! How much do you think the production volume will be when the factory is fully operational?”

“We are currently short of manpower. If we could deploy and train more than 5,000 workers…”

“Yes. We will be adding more personnel soon.”

“If that’s the case, if we make helmets, bulletproof plates, and plate carriers, I think we could make up to 1,500 sets a day.”

“Okay, Doctor. Keep up the good work.”

After receiving a report from Dr. Kim Beom-jun about the ongoing project, I toured the main island of OSS-LAND and the OP 1-5 islands surrounding the main island.

Shipyards and aircraft carrier construction docks, the OSSel munitions plant, wind, tidal and solar farms, and an additional nuclear power plant under construction were all progressing smoothly.

So, after finishing my schedule in Kiribati, I headed to Vladivostok in the Far Eastern Republic.

It was to comfort the ESSO defense forces of each country who were suffering in the winter, and especially to inspect the ESSO Northern Army, which was organized by being dispatched from North Korea.

The submarine squadron, consisting of the ARK and two SSNs, sailed across the Pacific Ocean to Hakodate, Hokkaido, where the OSS had a military base.

From Kiribati to Hakodate, it was a distance of 7,000 km, a distance that took a week to cover by submarine.

We received reports that 30,000 North Korean migrants who completed social adaptation training at the Shinheung Camp and Marshall Camp during their journey departed for Kiribati.

They were divided into seven cruise ships and headed to OSS-LAND in search of new lands and new jobs.

Before we knew it, the ARK had reached the sea off Hokkaido, Japan, after a long dive.

It stopped at Hakodate Port for the crew to rest.

Although I felt the extreme cold in the middle of winter, the beautiful scenery of Hokkaido, a land originally known for winter, was enough to wash away my fatigue.

After a two-day rest, we set off again for Vladivostok.

After arriving at the port of Vladivostok, the ARK was transferred to the 3rd amphibious assault ship assigned to the 3rd OSS assault group.

And together with Director Kim Jun-myeong and his entourage, we boarded the new vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the MV-280.

Although the aircraft was smaller than the MV-22, it was an upgraded aircraft that solved problems that had been problematic until then.

It was an aircraft that had all the advantages of a helicopter, along with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.

And five MV-280As, which were converted from V-280s into attack aircraft, escorted us.

The MV-280A had all the advantages of the Apache attack helicopter, but was faster, had more flexible operational adaptability, and had a longer combat range. It could perform the roles of both the Apache helicopter and the A10 attack aircraft.

On board the MV-280, we toured the ESSO defense forces of each country, starting with the ESSO Korean forces, and then the Far East Forces and the Far East Forces directly under the OSS.

The commanders of each army had greeted each other at the founding ceremony, so there was no awkwardness, and the army was well prepared. Everyone was enduring the second winter well.

And then headed to Pogranichny, where the OSS Northern Army, consisting of 40,000 North Korean soldiers, was stationed.

It was quite a sight to see nine vertical takeoff and landing aircraft land on the parade ground of the OSS Northern Army Garrison.

As I disembarked from the MV-280, the OSS Northern Force commander and his officers were lined up waiting for me.

– Salute to the Commander-in-Chief.

They saluted with a military-like ceremonial manner, a salute unique to North Korean soldiers, where the fingertips are placed on the temples. (South Korean soldiers place them on their eyebrows.)

– It’s an honor to meet you, Commander.

I received their salute and gave them my greetings.

“Nice to meet you. I hope you all are having a great time.”

“No. The entire army is moved by the Marshal’s full consideration and support.”

He was Lieutenant General Cha Min-soo, the commander of the OSS Northern Forces. While shaking hands and chatting with him, Director Kim Jun-myeong approached and whispered to him.

“Sir, this is an emergency. Could you give me a moment?”

I asked for understanding from Chairman Cha Min-soo and stepped aside for a moment to listen to Director Kim Jun-myeong’s remarks.

“Sir! An OSL grain carrier departing from Ukraine has been seized.”

‘What a crazy ···.’

…