Rust - Chapter 970



Only Krnovel

Rust [RUST] – Episode 970

empire.

The beaches and harbors overlooking the maritime city were filled with red flames and black smoke.

“Den Brown, get out!”

“Restricting residency qualifications is anti-democratic.”

“The Den Brown regime, which ignores the freedom of residence, must step down!”

“What do you mean there is a qualification for residency above the Constitution!”

“LGBT! We must guarantee priority housing rights to the socially disadvantaged!”

“Women are the socially vulnerable! Women should go to safe maritime cities first!”

“Stop religious discrimination! The Church of Satan is a religion of peace! Freedom of religion is in the Constitution!”

“Even Satan preaches peace, so discriminating against Islam based on love is unconstitutional!”

Why did Dan Brown sign martial law? To prevent this mess from happening.

The fact that hundreds of thousands of protesters are occupying the beach and the port and protesting despite martial law being declared means that there are forces behind them.

‘Martial law troops did not properly stop the protesters from gathering first.’

There was talk that there was a level of confusion in the martial law unit’s orders. And with many reporters covering the scene, it would have been difficult to force a dispersal.

In addition, although it may be intentional, the unit on the side where the protesters are located has a high percentage of units of people of color.

‘Are you thinking of crossing the line?’

The military had been reshuffled once when the empire was founded. But the fact that something like this happened means that there are those who want to cross the line.

“How is the move-in situation?”

[Protesters and reporters follow the residents wherever they go, and progress is not being made.]

“Martial law troops?”

[There are many elderly people among the unarmed protesters, making it difficult to disperse.]

If they were to be forcibly dispersed by force, there was a high possibility that the protesters would be armed. Armed protesters demanding democracy and the constitution… would be effectively calling for war with the militia.

‘This is difficult.’

The sea city gardens had a maximum population of about 15 million. The population of the empire was over 50 million. If you include the refugees from Central and South America, as well as the survivors who gathered from all over as the weather got warmer, the number would actually be more than that.

Hureuk-

Den Brown found the lukewarm black tea bitter.

‘Is it dangerous to continue like this?’

Even if they went to the seaside city in a situation where there was no proper order, it was certain that the protesters would follow them by boat.

However, if people attack ships carrying people, the mainland and the sea city will be separated. That is why we have even prepared economic compensation measures for those who cannot move into the sea city.

‘It’s not about money and jobs, it’s about survival and safety.’

People were saying the same thing that a certain king always said.

‘There’s no way the Holy Kingdom could have intervened… so it must have been a rumor spread by someone.’

It was Den Brown, and somehow the taste of black tea felt even more bitter.

“Tell the residents to gather at the emergency meeting place. Leave all their belongings behind and pack only as much luggage as possible.”

There must have been some people among the applicants who leaked information, so we had to weed them out first.

“Let’s check if the information is leaking first.”

[all right.]

Everything in the United States of America was falling apart, and even if they tried to hold onto that shattered legacy, the apocalypse seemed to not allow that.

‘Are you not aware that the balance between rights and duties is being destroyed?’

The end of the world seemed to want the Empire to abandon democracy. The democratic legacy he had tried to protect was now choking him, and the power struggle he had tried to avoid was now catching up with him.

Although they have survived food shortages, climate disasters, and the spread of mutant monsters, they have not been able to cope with the power struggle that is burrowing deep inside using democracy and the constitution.

Dan Brown thought he would at least keep a minimum of good.

Do you want the end of democracy?

Do you want to see the democracy that was barely achieved in the Middle Ages and modern times disappear?

There were such people. They all went to the Confederacy, or they became cannibals, claiming to be nobles. We filtered them out, and yet again?

Do you think democracy will be possible after morality, conscience, and order collapse and public security collapses?

Do you really believe that democracy will work properly when people are fighting for power in the name of democracy?

The citizens of the empire did not know that it was a miracle that democracy had been maintained to this extent. Or they knew it but took it for granted.

Dan Brown had to decide.

‘We need to weed out all the problematic lawmakers.’

“I guess it won’t work. Let’s upload a list of the members’ movements and the members connected to the protesters.”

[···Are you thinking of purging them? Didn’t you say it was necessary for checks and balances?]

“It’s too much to control the protesters.”

[All right.]

The nine eastern states of the United States had come together to form the United States of America. The empire they had created was on the verge of collapse.

The best way would be to secure advanced industrial technology centered on maritime cities, and use that technology on land to procure resources and recover territory. It would be best to begin reconstruction. But even that was being denied by political logic and selfishness.

‘Should mainland and maritime cities be separated?’

Should we divide the empire into two?

Or would it be better to step down from our seats as they wish?

If not, then everyone on the list that comes up···.

An urgent report came in, awakening Den Brown from his deepening worries.

[Your Majesty, a colony of ants has been discovered outside New York.]

The ant extermination operation and the New York reconstruction project began for a short while. All extermination operations and reconstruction projects were halted due to the great earthquake and tsunami.

[This is a giant ant that has never been reported before.]

The ant in the blurry image was definitely big. An ant that is 50 to 60 cm long is incredibly large, but an ant that is even bigger than that?

The footage showed giant ants, which were at least 100cm (or at least 1m) tall, moving debris. The number captured on screen must have been in the hundreds.

It hasn’t even been two months since the last punitive operation. It’s only been a month and a half, but the numbers have already grown to the point where they’ve come up from underground to above ground?

‘No. They were increasing their numbers from deeper inside.’

how?

To increase their numbers, they need food.

In what way?

An ant that big would need more food.

An old memory came to Dan Brown’s mind. Cockroaches living in the New York underground, and reports that rats seemed to be farming them.

I also remembered the record of when the Holy Kingdom destroyed the nearby ant empire. It was information that the ants in the ant empire were engaged in some form of agriculture and livestock farming.

All the information was combined in Dan Brown’s head. The result was that the ants that had survived nerve gas, pesticides, and radiation had thrived during the earthquake and tsunami.

The story that such ants have come up to the ground means that their numbers have increased to the point where they have to find food above ground.

“oh my god.”

Dan Brown called an emergency meeting.

And the Imperial Diet was ahead of Den Brown.

[Before the meeting begins, there will be a vote on the impeachment of President Dan Brown.]

[President Den Brown implemented policies that ignored the Constitution and used the maritime city settlement rights for the purpose of maintaining personal power···.]

Fully armed soldiers were everywhere in the conference room.

[···Circumstances have been revealed in which a private organization centered around Homeland Security officials supported the power···.]

[The Empire’s real interests were undermined through policies and diplomacy that ignored the advice of parliament and experts…]

Several of his subordinates who had been with him for a long time were looking at Dan Brown with eyes filled with resentment.

So didn’t I advise you to take full authority and push through?

Is this the result of keeping such beliefs?

The subordinates who did not meet his gaze were looking ahead with expressionless faces, as if nothing would change anyway.

[Instead of putting all of their efforts into the Panama front, which was key to the empire’s trade, they converted elite soldiers into martial law troops in an attempt to maintain power…]

[Circumstances have been revealed in which there was an attempt to purge the Imperial House of Representatives in violation of democratic principles.]

Dan Brown ran his hand over the button on his belt. It was the button that would end the line for those who crossed it.

[Using the ants as an excuse, he called an emergency meeting to strengthen and maintain his power… and began the impeachment vote against President Dan Brown.]

Should I say that this is crossing the line? Or should I blame the limitations of my political power and leadership? I thought that opposing public opinion and checks and balances were naturally necessary.

[Voting is over.]

A button that could eliminate everyone here by pressing it. A button that would leave only him alive and kill everyone else.

[289 votes in favor of impeaching President Dan Brown. Against···.]

[···As the quorum required for impeachment has been exceeded, President Dan Brown is suspended from office for the time being···.]

Dan Brown saw lawmakers who were opposed to impeachment shouting their opposition.

[The executive branch directors and staff appointed by former President Dan Brown also collectively returned their positions]

Staff from the immediate secretariat and key administrative departments were seen leaving the conference room, escorted by armed soldiers.

Den Brown took his hands off his belt and stood up. The fact that things had turned out this way meant that the intelligence service had turned around.

The fact that the intelligence agency that followed him turned its back on him means that he either failed to give them confidence or failed to provide them with benefits.

‘Was it greed to try to be fair?’

It was always a crisis.

I thought I did my best to overcome that crisis.

Swish-

Dan Brown patted the seat of the Führer where he had been sitting.

If this is the will of the people and the will of God.

‧

‧

‧

The Imperial Diet, which had ousted Dan Brown, quickly prepared for a presidential election.

The media churned out news about presidential candidates and policies every day like a fish in water. Several weekly magazines reported on the tragedy unfolding at the Panama Canal.

There were a lot of sensational articles about the skyrocketing deaths and missing people in the penal corps, the inhumane operational attitude of the clone corps, and even how survivors in Central and South America became refugees.

None of those articles mentioned the giant ants that had begun to scurry around the ruins of New York City, nor did they mention the spider webs that had begun to cover Philadelphia and its environs with white.

Maru was dumbfounded when he heard about the impeachment that had occurred in the empire.

“This is a mess.”

[You can’t even call it a mess.]

Ki-soon said in a cold voice. It was a foregone conclusion that the Empire would take a big shit someday.

[If that’s what happened to Mr. Den, then that means some of the guys from the Department of Homeland Security have turned their backs. What can we do? Well, it’s obvious that Mr. Den is a guy who can’t turn things around, but he didn’t. Then we have to assume he came down on his own.]

If something seems a little off, he just says, ‘Human.’ He just endured it and came down, and the old man was making fun of him, saying that he was a bodhisattva.

“······.”

[I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true…. Ugh- That’s not the point. The Empire has been negotiating to increase trade with us and increase the amount of logistics transported to Korea and Southeast Asia. But who will be sent as a diplomat? It’s that old man.]

So, they appointed the old man they dragged down as a diplomat.

[What should I say about that? Anyway, they seem to be really great people. Or is it just a culture that allows it? Isn’t it strange that a former president has been a special envoy? But they were special envoys back in the day. Appointments to diplomats. I really can’t control my facial expressions.]

“so?”

[We said that we couldn’t help him even if he tried to regain the position of President with the power of the Holy Kingdom because of the principle of non-interference. Then, I said that there was no need to come all the way here to see him, but he didn’t say anything. To be honest, increasing trade and transport volumes is enough through video conferences.]

It was agreed to expand the supply of special ammunition and existing batteries and increase transport volumes.

The Empire officially proposed a joint campaign against the giant ants and spiders, but the story goes that it was rejected, again citing the principle of non-intervention.

[The Panama side seems to be barely maintaining balance.]

“You pushed in so many troops?”

[I guess ants are quicker to count than people. It seems that several colonies have joined forces, so it seems that army ants are not easy.]

“What about the election?”

[The presidential election seems to be getting more and more chaotic. It seems like it’s completely split in half. That’s a problem, but the issue of the sea city seems certain to drag on.]

We should have been moving in a long time ago and producing exosuits and weapons using new technologies, but everything was pushed back after the presidential election.

That’s why we hastily increased the import of weapons from the Holy Kingdom. And as if that wasn’t enough, we started to worry about the giant ants and spiders, so we did something about joint subjugation.

“Okay. They’ll take care of that. Good job. Let’s continue to maintain the principle of non-interference.”

[I get it.]

So August passed and before mid-September was over, the Imperial forces suffered a crushing defeat on the Panama front.

The number of people sent to the penal corps alone exceeded 300,000, and with the additional 150,000 elite Imperial soldiers dispatched and 50,000 clone troopers, a total of 500,000 people were swept away.