Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 247



Only Krnovel

Episode 247 – Boarding the aircraft carrier.

The Far Eastern Security Treaty (FESA) concluded between the Far Eastern Republic and the OSS meant that the OSS would actively intervene in the security of the Far Eastern Republic.

* FESA (Far East Security Agreement)

It was like the last remaining peak of OSS military power. Strictly speaking, a private military company came into possession of a national-level nuclear force.

Although there was some interference from the United States, they had no proper means of sanctioning it.

Since it is not a country, it cannot decide on economic sanctions, and sanctioning OSS affiliates that manage a significant amount of assets in dollars would only give another shock to Wall Street.

Moreover, since the OSS was filling in for the United States’ absence in the world security order, no physical force could be mobilized.

When we had nuclear powers that could wipe out a country, the US did nothing. It was only when we saw that that we could truly appreciate the power of the OSS.

After finishing my schedule in the Far Eastern Republic, I took a flight back to Kiribati.

The sky seen from OSSAC Unit 1 felt unusually blue.

“What do you think, sir?”

It was Director Kim Jun-myeong.

“Oh, just. The sky is blue today. Haha.”

“I think you’re feeling a little more relaxed.”

“I think it’s because I’ve solved something that’s always been on my mind.”

“Ah, this treaty?”

“Yes. Even when we brought in aircraft carriers and increased our military, there was always a thought in our mind that ‘what’s the point of doing this? One nuclear missile and it’ll all be over.’”

“That’s right. We all think the same thing, but we just can’t say it out loud.”

“Yes, that’s what everyone was most afraid of.”

“But, sir, didn’t you plan in advance to acquire a nuclear submarine from the Far Eastern Republic?”

“It wasn’t my plan. Admiral Son suggested it, and Vice Minister Lee made it happen.”

“But why do I feel like you planned all of this?”

“Do I look like such an evil person?”

“That’s not what I meant… It just seems to me that everything is going according to the CEO’s wishes.”

“I pray inwardly. Hahaha.”

“So, from the beginning, you thought, ‘I wish we had that.’”

“Oh, well. I guess so.”

“Hey~ So that means the people did whatever the representative wanted?”

“Um… Should I show off a little?”

“Yes. Haha. Of course.”

“You know my favorite saying?”

“Oh, that… is that the tattoo on your back in the movie?”

“Yes. It’s also the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in Hawaii. It means ‘fortis fortuna adiuvat,’ ‘fortune favors the brave.’”

“…”

“A bold choice to achieve something is not courage. It is just an excited state toward desire. I think a calm attitude toward misfortune and misfortune is courage.”

“Does waiting also mean courage?”

“If you feel that you are waiting, you are also deceiving yourself.”

“I don’t quite understand.”

“In other words, when you realize that ‘no matter how hard you try, you won’t get what you can’t get,’ you gain the courage not to be swayed by desire. Then, you will eventually get what you thought you couldn’t get… That’s what it’s like.”

“It seems like you don’t know what you don’t know. Haha. But where did you get such insight, sir?”

“While trading stocks and coins.”

“yes?”

“Think about it carefully. If you want to make money through investments like stocks or coins, don’t you have to make choices that are contrary to the public’s, or general, desires?”

“Ah~ If you want to sell when others say it’s going up and buy when others say it’s going down, that kind of mindset is necessary?”

“Haha. Well, that’s kind of it.”

While I was chatting with Director Kim Jun-myeong, the plane was heading towards Kiribati.

Outside the window, I could clearly see the OP, consisting of five islands surrounding OSS-LAND, and the magnificent Bastion.

The appearance of the islands and various facilities arranged in large concentric circles reminded me of the legendary Atlantis.

* Atlantis: An ancient civilization consisting of several islands mentioned by Plato in Critias and Timaeus. It is described as having conquered most of the world except Athens based on its powerful naval force.

…

Upon arriving at OSS-LAND, they were busy preparing for the party on board the Bastion.

Our people, including Secretary General Jin Min-gyu, were arriving one after another, and among them was Commander Kim Woong of the OSS Air Force. I couldn’t stand being curious, so I looked for him.

“Your Majesty. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

“Yes, that’s right. How is the introduction of Bastion’s carrier-based aircraft progressing? The KF-21N has been completed in production and is only undergoing final inspection. The problem is electronic warfare…”

“Didn’t you decide to go with the KF-21EG?”

“It seems like it’s still a bit under-developed. It hasn’t been tested in real combat. I think it might be a good idea to use it in conjunction with the EA-18G Growler for the time being.”

“I see. Please discuss it with Admiral Son Il and then decide.”

“all right.”

“And I have a question. The Bastion’s flight deck is 679 meters long. Wouldn’t that be enough for a C-130 transport plane to take off and land?”

“It is possible.”

“Why does what you say sound a bit negative?”

“There was a successful landing of this kind in 1963 with a KC-130F on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal. At that time, the landing distance was 81m and the takeoff distance was less than 300m.”

“Wow~”

“However, this was possible because the weight was limited to 85,000 pounds.”

“Then, since Bastion has a 600m runway, isn’t it operational?”

“That’s true, but it’s quite inefficient. If you need to make special modifications to operate an aircraft carrier, you’ll have to carry a transport plane.”

“…”

“But the C-130’s overall width is 40.4 meters. The operability of the aircraft carrier’s flight deck drops sharply.”

“Well, it would be nice to fit at least one more fighter plane on the deck···.”

“And if it were a regular C-130, the payload would have to be limited, which would mean there would be no reason to use a large transport aircraft.”

“Ah, I see. Then what is the takeoff distance with maximum load?”

“It’s about 1,090m.”

“Ah···. I should have made it bigger···.”

“yes?”

“Oh, no. Okay. By the way, have you seen the FA-50UC unmanned fighter jet? What do you think?”

“It’s a truly remarkable achievement. There are more than one or two tactical advantages to making a manned aircraft unmanned.”

“…”

“It is an advanced technology that will change the aspect of future air combat. That is why we requested additional technology and autonomy related to the KF-21EG electronic warfare.”

“oh!”

“We are developing a tactical doctrine in which the FA-50UC will be controlled from the ground and the carrier, but the on-site operational command will be done by electronic warfare.”

“Haha. Yes. Good.”

…

We were informed that the party aboard the Bastion was ready. Since it was launched and floating on the sea, everyone had to be transported by vertical takeoff and landing craft and helicopters.

I boarded the MV-280 with my party and headed to the aircraft carrier Bastion.

Looking down from the sky, I saw that thousands of people were already gathered on the deck, with numerous tables, barbecue grills, and a large screen on one side.

As the MV-280 landed on the flight deck, everyone stood up and waited for me at the signal from the on-site announcer.

– Our representative, Marshal Lee Si-eon of OSS, who is also the chairman of ESSO and BBSA, has arrived.

Everyone on the Bastion flight deck was standing and clapping, one by one. It was embarrassing and awkward, but I didn’t want to ruin the fun for everyone.

I raised my hand and responded to the people’s applause, and the applause grew louder.

As I walked to the VIP seats in the middle of the deck, I made eye contact with many people and was able to see familiar faces one after another.

“Oh! Agent Kim Seong-hyeon.”

“Yes, sir. Now you are the manager.”

He was an employee who had been in charge of practical work since the time when Tawi Tawi Island was purchased to create a new camp.

“Haha. I see. Since I saw you on Tawi Tawi Island…”

“Three years have passed.”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s so nice to meet you.”

On the way to the VIP seats, I was able to meet many happy faces.

We greeted the navigator Ahn Min-ki, who drove the Sognattore together, the girlfriend of chef Hyun Jeong-min and a doctor, Ms. Lee Hyeon-ah, the pilot Bae Heung-deok, who was in charge of docking the ship at the Shinhung Camp dock, and Data Bricks CEO Lee Gyeong-ho, who created RiskScope and made a fortune.

The deck of the Bastion was filled with such happy and grateful people that it was hard to take even a single step.

Another person caught my eye.

“Oh~ Sergeant Jang Min-seong! Nice to meet you.”

“I am so happy to see you again, Your Majesty.”

He was a sergeant in the OSS Task Force during Operation Fury, and was a key member of the Task Force who recovered from serious injuries during the operation.

We greeted Colonel Park Seo-joon, who was the vice-captain of the Lee Hoe-young and is now the captain, and Sergeant Amihan, who is from the Philippine Special Forces and has taken root in our special forces.

And then another welcome person approached me with a warm smile.

“Your Majesty!”

“Hey, who is this?”

He was Chief Park Tae-joo, a former special agent who had been transferred to the Intelligence Service. He took something out of his arms.

“Ah, this is.”

“Yes. It’s the gold bar that my enemy gave me as a gift and saved my life.”

He once carried the gold bar I gave him in his arms, and it saved his life when it stopped a shrapnel bullet.

“Wow~ This brings back memories. Hahaha.”

And then, I exchanged glances and saluted with the operatives I had worked with, including Sergeant Benoit, a Frenchman from Gigennes who had fought against Somali pirates with me in Sonatore.

Among them was Alexei Petrovich Sokolov, a former agent of the Ukrainian SBU, who became our reactor engineer and settled in Kiribati.

As Director Kim Jun-myeong made his way down the path and Hye-in sat down with difficulty in the VIP seats, everyone gathered around him.

Secretary General Jin Min-gyu, Commander Choi Eun-seok, Director Kim Wan-jun, President Han Gyu-dong, Director Jeong Si-un, Director Yoo Jae-seong, Director Hyeon Min-seong, Admiral Son Il, Commander Kim Woong, Brigadier General Bae Heung-shin, Brigadier General Kang In-su…

When the seats were cleared, President Jin stood up and gave a toast.

“Well, well. First of all, thank you to our friend, brother, neighbor, mentor, eternal representative, our military commander, chairman, and …”

“Mr. President, your toast is too long.”

– Hahahahahahahaha

The audience erupted in laughter at Director Lee Shin-young’s bold remarks.

“Hahahaha. I’m so touched that I’m speechless. Cheers to the health of our eternal representative and his wife!”

– Cheers!

Everyone was smiling, drinking, and enjoying the clear sky, warm sea breeze, and good people.

As I looked at their faces one by one, I realized that the time I had spent had not been in vain. And I could feel a certain sense of stability.

I was always lonely, but I wasn’t alone.

It was in my belief that I would write the rest of my story with these people.

end.