Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 68



Only Krnovel

Episode 68 – Belarus

Deputy Director Lee’s face looked deep in thought.

“I have been doing various things without the United States secretly…”

“…”

He shook his head and continued.

“I thought it would be possible this time as long as security was maintained. I’ve searched hard for it, but… there’s no way. “There is a way.”

“So the authorities have the will. Are you saying we can’t do it because there’s no way to avoid America’s eyes?”

“That’s right. I didn’t know this either. To produce HEU highly enriched uranium with a high concentration of U-235….”

– HEU (highly enriched uranium) –

“…”

“Even if you want to make just 1kg of highly enriched uranium, it takes more than 100,000 kWh of electricity alone.”

“ah …”

“The production process itself is complex, so it is impossible to avoid U.S. surveillance assets.”

Deputy Director Lee extended his index finger, pointed to the sky, and put his opposite hand to his ear. It was a hand signal indicating reconnaissance assets such as satellites and wiretapping.

“Anyway, the reality is that it is difficult to avoid U.S. surveillance due to various processes.”

“At least hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium would be needed…it would be difficult to keep it secret.”

“right. “The higher-ups only gave the impression that they should do it if they could, but were not proactive enough…”

“Why is that?”

“There seems to be doubts about whether it is possible to create a pressurized water reactor for ships using only technology imported from Russia.”

“Haha~ What do you know…”

“…”

“As an aside, in 1994, a 17-year-old American built a nuclear reactor using a small amount of radioactive materials that were easily available in everyday life. In 2011, a Swede even built a nuclear reactor in his kitchen.”

“Is that okay? And what happened to them?”

“For that reason, there was a law preventing individuals from owning a nuclear reactor, and the 17-year-old joined the Navy and worked on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.”

“That’s amazing!”

“What I wanted to say is that it is a matter of facilities and will, not that our country lacks technology.”

“yes”

“Security issues are also possible if the higher-ups have the will and mobilize resources…”

“okay?”

“I think it’s because it’s a situation where they say, ‘I’ll keep your mouth shut, so you can figure it out yourself.’ “Even in Japan, they only have it…”

“ah. “It was like that…”

“Anyway, the current situation is that the supply and demand of nuclear fuel is a problem, right?”

“that’s right. “When you think about it all, it’s difficult to avoid the eyes of the United States on our own.”

I winked at Deputy Director Lee and continued speaking.

“Well… I’ll smoke a cigarette first and then make a decision. “Conductor Lee, why don’t you smoke a cigarette?”

“Uh… that’s right.”

“Vice President Han, please wait for 15 minutes.”

“all right. “Please come back and get some fresh air.”

In fact, Deputy Director Lee did not smoke. It was a person who had quit a long time ago. He had called me outside because he had something to talk about separately.

I walked to a quiet place in the shipyard.

He smoked a cigarette and asked.

– Phew~

“Representative Lee, give me one too.”

“Oh, you hung up.”

“I quit once, so I can’t quit a second time. haha”

Deputy Director Lee took the cigarette, took a bite, and inhaled the smoke deeply.

– Cluck cack cack cack cack.

“Ha~ I guess I really hung up. I’m getting dizzy. “Hehehe”

“Oh my!”

“ruler! Now let’s talk. Representative Lee.”

This was Deputy Director Lee, who survived difficult times with just one quick glance.

“yes. Let me keep it simple. “You can get fuel through Papa Bear, right?”

“It’s possible, though. It’s going to be quite complicated, I don’t know what the higher-ups will think. Also, depending on the war situation…”

“All right. First of all, Deputy Director Lee, please do your best to make OSS an organization that does what the country wants to do but cannot do.”

“I know what you mean. “It’s already happened to some extent.”

“I will try to convince Papa Bear to find a way.”

“I don’t think it’s very likely…”

“Yes, I know. If that doesn’t work, try France or India. “If that doesn’t work, we have to try messing with America’s line of action.”

Deputy Director Lee leaned back and looked at me with wide, round eyes.

“Moving the execution line? Are you saying you’re going to do it through a duke?”

“I plan to give it a try even if it may be a bit difficult. “I will discuss it with the deputy director then.”

“I understand. But isn’t it possible to carry that, that is, the fuel, somewhere?”

“You can’t do that. “After building the boat, we have to go and put it in.”

“Oh~”

“Just like an ordinary merchant ship, we load up on supplies and unload them.”

Despite this, Deputy Director Lee’s anxiety did not seem to go away.

“For now, the best way is to go through Papa Bear. Ukraine also carries a lot of risk…”

“You have to pay a price commensurate with the risk. “With money.”

“Still, persuading the country with money…”

“… The money continues to increase compared to when the Deputy Director checked. “Right now, our country’s defense budget is equivalent to 20 years’ worth.”

“What~!?”

– Cough, cluck, cluck.

Deputy Director Lee coughed repeatedly as if he was shocked.

“That’s one year’s worth of U.S. defense spending.”

“This CEO was a scary friend… hehe.”

…

Once again, I returned to one of the offices at the shipyard and began a discussion with Vice President Han Gyu-dong.

“Vice President, is it possible to install a diesel engine and a pressurized water reactor at the same time on an ESB (Expedition Mobile Base Ship)?”

“yes. There’s nothing wrong with it. then?”

“When nuclear fuel is secured in the future. “We are thinking of removing the diesel engine and connecting the propulsion system to the reactor turbine.”

“It’s quite a hassle, but it’s possible.”

“Then is it possible to do that work abroad?”

“yes. “If you have the facilities and engineers, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

“Yes, then please build three ESBs and install both diesel and nuclear reactors on them.”

“Ah yes. All right.”

“Then please do me a favor.”

Vice President Han Gyu-dong was gesturing with his hands as if holding on. He seemed to have something left to say.

“Oh wait a minute. If nuclear reactors are going to be the main power source in the future, diesel will be installed as an auxiliary power source.”

“Please explain further.”

Vice President Han Gyu-dong placed the two fingers of his right hand on top of his left fist and continued talking while changing the angle of his fingers.

“Like changing gears with the clutch, so to speak.”

“…”

“So, it would be better to make it use two power sources at the same time like a hybrid car.”

“Oh ~ !”

“If that happens, there will be some loss in space. “In addition to having an emergency power source, we can operate the ESB even before nuclear fuel is secured.”

“oh! great.”

“And you don’t have to tear up the hull to remove the engine.”

“good idea. Vice President Han will follow your opinion. Please push forward like that.”

…

Thus ended the discussion on nuclear power of the ESB expeditionary mobile base ship.

I left Okpo Shipyard and headed to Sacheon Airport without even having a chance to talk to Vice President Han Gyu-dong.

Deputy Director Lee is finalizing the relationship between headquarters (National Intelligence Service) and OSS. I decided to remain in Korea to consult with the authorities.

When I arrived at Sacheon Airport, an OSS ER1 jet was waiting. He dropped off Jeong Si-woon, Kim Wan-jun, Lee Shin-young, and Hye-in at Gimpo Airport and returned.

They were given a vacation and at the same time instructed to finish any unfinished business in Korea.

My group and I boarded a jet and headed to Tawi-Tawi Bongao Airport.

In one day, we went from Nagasaki to Sacheon Airport and Okpo Shipyard, then returned to Shinheung Camp in the Philippines.

‘As expected, the plane…’

When the conditions were met, it was a moment to realize the efficiency of aviation capabilities.

It was the moment I leaned back on the soft seat of the G650 ER jet.

– Ugh! If this happens…

Sergeant Yoo Min of the OSS, who followed me to the security station, muttered to himself while looking at his laptop.

“What’s going on, Sergeant Yumin?”

“yes. there is.”

“…”

“They say Belarusian troops have crossed the Ukrainian border.”

“this!”

I took out my laptop again.

At the same time, Riskscope’s alarm was announcing a very urgent change in the situation.

This time, Risk Scope was a step late. I could only guess that it was probably because the amount of information crawled in Belarus was small.

[RiskScope Ver 1.2]

– ORI (Omni Risk Index) –

[Global Risk Index: 99]

[High-ranking information circulation: 102]

.

[Russia: 104 / Finance 99 / Society 101]

[Ukraine: 103 / Finance 97 / Society 99 ]

[Belarus: 103 / Finance 98 / Society 102]

[USA: 100 / Finance 98 / Society 96 ]

.

[Republic of Korea: 89 / Finance 94 / Society 88]

Information about Belarus appeared for the first time on Riskscope.

Another disaster struck Belarus, which suffered 80% of the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion.

The US ORI index exceeded 100. This was a sign that war was imminent.

It seemed that Russia had resorted to unreasonable measures to break the deadlocked situation.

Moreover, Belarus was a country adjacent to Kiev, Ukraine, and Poland.

The Belarusian military’s participation in the war had greater political significance. Now, it has become a multinational war rather than a war between Russia and the US.

Tensions in NATO, including Poland, were as obvious as fire. The situation has become one that could lead to the US entering the war if something goes wrong here.

Sure enough, public opinion in the United States, as seen in the news, was increasingly calling for an end to the war through the participation of U.S. troops.

While I was in trouble, OSS members came to talk to me. It was Sergeant Park Tae-ju, a former intelligence officer from UDU.

“CEO. Will the United States enter the war?”

“It’s a big deal if you do it.”

“yes?”

“When the sword is in its sheath! “It’s both majestic and threatening…”

“…”

“The moment you pull out that knife, it’s just a knife.”

“I understand what you mean, but does that make it such a big deal?”

“I mean ···.”

“?”

“It is a story that the forces waiting behind the back for the sword to be drawn may misjudge.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Our main enemy right now is North Korea, as well as Kashmir, the Balkan Peninsula, both sides of China, etc.”

“Didn’t Germany and Japan both win the war during World War II?”

“It’s different from back then.”

“…?”

“During World War II, Britain lost all of its colonies and went bankrupt, and the Soviet Union lost over 20 million people in the German-Soviet War. As a result, world hegemony has passed to the United States.”

Humanity has made progress through that failure. It was not mentioned that the progress was leading to a bigger failure.

“…”

“If something like that happens again, which country will make the sacrifice?”

“But if we drive out Russia at this point…”

…

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UMTAS