by Kevin Brown
“Well, thank you for that!” Daekhan said with gratitude and affection in his voice even though his face still showed traces of confusion, which was only natural since he’d almost committed suicide a few minutes ago.
All around the room the faces of the resistance glowed with both relief and happiness, for they were assured of victory with the help of the Planet Total Defense Force Chanman had brought with him. All at once someone cheered and clapped Chanman on the back, and then the sound of raucous jubilation filled the room.
Even though the outcome of the revolution swayed back and forth like a pendulum for the next few days., one thing was true for every person who took part in overthrowing the leadership. They had escaped from the jaws of paralyzing fear of the consequences of their actions and could now enjoy a bit of peace and contentment, no matter what else happened.
Out into the World 14
The new leadership welcomed a new dawn with relief. Santan and Sochan arrived at the leadership building the next morning together. The majority of the ‘Silence in the Storm’ members were still sleeping in the situation room. Some members, including Daekhan, were having a heated discussion. Their tired faces were lined with fatigue, as if they hadn’t slept at all.
The news that a new leadership was in place spread by various means to major cities and continents during the course of the night. Daekhan dispatched members to some cities to clarify the cause and relevance of the new leadership as well as to implement the emergency stabilization measures they’d established in the planning stages of the revolt for the pockets of disruption that were bound to occur
Daekhan had called a meeting for this morning, so Taehan quickly finished breakfast and rushed back to the situation room where other members were hastily gathering. When the majority of members had arrived, Daekhan stood up and looked around at his colleagues with blood-shot eyes. Then he began to speak.
“We have successfully completed our mission. We owe its success to the united effort of the organization’s members as well as the military forces that helped us. We would not have succeeded without the help of Commander Chanman. But our mission does not end here. Rather, this is just the beginning. I believe you know there is much to do in the near future. One of the urgent tasks we face is to stabilize Hoon. For this reason, many were asked to be responsible for the emergency stabilization of several cities and they left before dawn.”
He looked at the vacant seats of those who had left.
“Emergency stabilization is definitely an important task, but at the same time, we must not forget the reason we are here. The information we’ve received indicates Hoon is in serious danger. I wouldn’t be surprised if Taebakun was attacking us right now. I want to reemphasize that their movements are very suspicious.”
The glow of victory was instantly replaced by worry for the future as the members listened intently to Daekhan.
“The members of this organization must put every effort into preparing for war against Taebakun, which is the main purpose of the organization. The basic plan was created last night.”
He turned his head to Chanman who sat next to him.
“While I am working on the overall tasks of military and planetary safety, commander Chanman will be in charge of actual war preparations and of commanding the war. The Capital Defense Unit led by Hanmoo will be incorporated into the Planet Total Defense Force. Commander Chanman will oversee these forces and will explain his own detailed plan.”
It seemed that the incorporation of the Capital Defense Unit had already been finalized. Hanmoo sniffled once and started scratching the table with his index finger. Chanman lifted his heavy body from the chair, cleared his throat once and wet his lips with his tongue before speaking.
“I feel a greater responsibility than ever to command the entire army in the midst of this unfortunate situation, which may determine the fate of Hoon. I will do my best, having the willingness to sacrifice myself for Hoon’s future and well-being.”
He went straight to the main issue without further delay.
“I want to explain the situation we are facing at the moment. Afterward, I will compare our power with the power of Taebakun, our enemy. It has been two years since Taebakun invaded Koman and conquered it. In the meantime, the possibility of further provocations and the need for preparing countermeasures has been debated dozens of times, but nothing has been done to actually prepare for it.
“We’ve recently found signs of provocation by Taebakun. The sizes and movements of their armed forces are very unusual. The intelligence agencies agree they are preparing for a war that will occur soon. Signs of provocation were found by Hanbau, as well. Unfortunately, they have not yet shown much response even though they have had multiple discussions on the subject. Taebakun will not invade or challenge Hanbau rashly because they well know that Hanbau is stronger than them.”
Chanman’s face suddenly hardened and his voice became thick and strong.
“It is obvious that their next target is Hoon!”
The atmosphere in the situation room froze.
“Since we know Hoon is Taebakun’s next target, we must put all our efforts into fighting off their invasion. We have to thoroughly analyze our power in order to win the war. Then, we must compare the strengths and weaknesses of our two planets in advance. The Planet Total Defense Force has been analyzing and comparing the military forces of Taebakun and Hoon for a long time. Please let me explain the results of the comparisons.”
Chanman, assured by the serious expressions of his colleagues, took off his coat and put it on a chair.
“Hoon is as good as or superior to Taebakun as far as military science goes. It will be much clearer if we put pure science and civilization into the equation. On the other hand, there are a lot of issues when it comes to military power, because Taebakun has many more troops than Hoon does. It is very hard to compare the parantan with their culcoon on a one-to-one basis. The combat capabilities of the two are considerably different, so it is almost impossible to compare the absolute strength of two parties. We cannot say whether one is stronger than the other.”
“Why are we afraid of them if we are not behind in military science or in military power?” Taehan asked with curiosity.
“There are other things to consider in war. There is battle experience and strategy that have been gained from abundant actual battles. In this regard, we are not a match for them. They have ceaselessly fought until recently, so they have extensive experience while we have never experienced large-scale battles. Moreover, the cunning strategies and tactics they used in the later part of the war with Koman were astonishingly good.”
Chanman looked at the others again.
“The main force of Taebakun is a small robot called the culcoon. It is about shoulder height to an average male, and it is as big as an average male. It is much smaller than the parantan, so comparing their power is useless. The combat capability test showed that one parantan could handle seven to ten culcoons at the same time.”
He looked at a parantan standing at the entrance.
“One of the major differences between the parantan and the culcoon is the presence of intelligence. The parantan is a type of ride-in robot; a person operates it from inside. The culcoon has intelligence and moves based on self-judgment. Therefore, the parantan needs an equivalent number of operators, but this is not the case with the culcoon. This characteristic is the most important advantage of the culcoon over the parantan. The parantan can make agile movements reflecting the movements of a human, which is its main strength. And it is much stronger than the culcoon. These two weapons are very different, so it is hard to compare them.”
Commander Chanman stared into space for a moment, rubbing his chin with one hand before resting both hands on the table. He leaned forward and continued.
“Another difference is the shield. The material used to make the body of a parantan contains Pan. It means that it has excellent defensive strength. On the other hand, a culcoon is on
ly lightly sprayed with Pan after the body is made. Therefore, its defensive strength is relatively poor. The parantan can effectively attack culcoons from a distance with the equipped gun in an actual battle. The culcoon cannot do the same; it has to be attached to the parantan to destroy it. It has to put a gun on the surface of a parantan and shoot repeatedly in the same spot to destroy that part of parantan. It will make a hole in the body, not destroy the function of it.”
“If so, are you suggesting that the culcoon cannot destroy the parantan at all?” Sochan asked, tilting her head to the side as she spoke.
“I am not saying that it is impossible. It means that we agree there is only one way the culcoon can attack the parantan. I was about to explain it.” Chanman continued, “During battle, many culcoons will come together and try to cling to a parantan. They will desperately shoot at the weakest part of the parantan to try and kill the operator inside of it. In their view, it is the same as destroying the parantan.
“Structurally, the weak part of the parantan is the chest since this is where the head is of the operator inside. Therefore, the key objective of the parantan will be to destroy culcoons before they get close. Of course, a parantan will not necessarily be destroyed just because it lets culcoons cling to it. They are much stronger than the culcoon. It will not be an easy task for the culcoon. Personally, I don’t believe they will be able to win with the power of their culcoons. Our parantans are stronger than their culcoons.”
His expression was full of confidence.
“The real important issue is having a strategy. As it was revealed in the small and big battles with Koman, they didn’t win because of the culcoon – even though it was their main weapon. They fought mainly using the culcoon, but they eventually won the battle by using other weapons.
“The best example is the last battle, which occurred in the capital of Koman. Koman put all their efforts into defending against the culcoon, but they lost the battle due to Taebakun’s air force. They attacked with numerous culcoons to confuse Koman. But in the end, they won by using fighters to execute air raids.”
“We will have to deal with the culcoon loosely, but concentrate on the Taebakun’s other weapons and the way they use them.”
A member outside of the situation room said in a loud voice, “We cannot ignore the culcoon. It is a strong weapon. We can lose the war if we look down on it.”
“How strong is the Taebakun fighter?” a member on the opposite side asked, and this time Hanmoo answered.
“Very strong. It is very agile, to be more precise.” He frowned. “We have no means of beating fighters if they are in the air. No matter how strong and powerful are weapons are, we cannot win against them because we are slower and less agile. Even Hanbau fighters cannot win against air combat with Taebakun.”
Chanman spoke after Hanmoo. “This does not mean their fighters are invincible. It is true they are invincible in the air. But their weapons cannot destroy the robust parantan at a distance. Rather, the opposite can happen. We do not use Pan for airplanes as some of you may know. If you use Pan to make an airplane or cover an airplane with Pan, the airplane will barely be able to fly because Pan is so heavy. Therefore, nobody is stupid enough to use Pan for airplanes. Taebakun’s airplanes will be destroyed without mercy at short distances. So, they will not fly close to our parantans.
“Their fighters will not fight against the parantan. Their air power will be only meaningful when Hoon uses its air force. Our fighters are not as agile as theirs. But they have strong weapons and can destroy weak culcoons. For us, destroying culcoons with fighters is a good plan for us. Their fighters will not sit and wait in this case. The predator and prey relationship here is very complex. Taebakun will have to use fighters if we use our fighters. If not, they have no reason to use them. We can decide if we want to engage in air combat.”
He looked at Daekhan as if he were seeking consent. “I believe it is better not to have air battles, not only because our pilots are not as experienced as their pilots, but also because we are as strong as they are when it comes to inland military power. So we should minimize the possible options and utilize the ones that will be beneficial to us.”
The discussion continued for half a day. The decisions made during the discussions quickly materialized on the spot. Tasks were assigned to the appropriate person and then implemented immediately. Taehan emphasized the defense of the capital above all since the main facilities and institutions were concentrated in the capital area. If they lost the capital, it would be tough to win the war. Daekhan and Chanman accepted his opinion and decided to increase the troops in the capital area. They decided to deploy the new electromagnetic railgun around the capital to reinforce its defense, replacing the existing long-range weapons.
Yachan was deprived of the commander position because he put their mission in great danger by not keeping his promise. The Special Operations Force now came under the orders of Chanman as a part of the Planet Total Defense Force, just like the Capital Defense Unit. No one in the room had any objections to either the instructions or the decisions made by Daekhan and Chanman, so there were rarely conflicts or differing points of view. Everyone had the same goal and worked with one accord, therefore, the planning progressed quickly.
Thanks to the planetary stabilization measures in place, the war preparations went far more smoothly than expected.
Out into the World 15
Thud!
Something massive slammed into Taehan’s side and suddenly his body was lifted off the ground and thrown into the road. His body rolled over and over and finally came to rest. He lifted his head, moaning at the intense pain shooting through his side. A man stood beside him looking confused. Taehan poured his will power into his neck and managed to barely turn his head. He saw chocolates scattered along the street in front of him. He felt his body growing weaker with each breath and then his mind seemed to dim. Taehan tried his damnedest to turn his head back again. He looked at the man he had seen a moment ago; the confused face wearing a smile now. As he came closer to finish the work he had started, Taehan saw him wielding a heavy sledgehammer.
“Oops!”
Taehan opened his eyes on the bed and screamed. He hastily looked around, frightened, but relieved he was not back in the camp. The last accident before leaving the camp continued to harass him; it constantly evolved into various forms.
How many days have passed?
He rewound his memory to the time of his discharge; then moved it forward. Various scenes passed through his brain including the composition of new leadership, preparing for the anticipated war with Taebakun and other related events. It had taken sixty days to prepare the framework of the war. He had gone home after finishing some of the tasks given to him and slept like a log for long hours.
In that instant music erupted from his bandan, jerking him abruptly back to reality. A circular screen appeared in the air as he pressed the bandan. Hanmoo.
“Are you still in bed?” Hanmoo said. “How long have you been sleeping?”
“It felt like a dead faint rather than simply sleeping.”
“We have a big issue. Come meet with the leadership right now!”
“What happened?”
“Hanbau experienced a surprise attack. It was a sitting duck, and now its capital is occupied.”
“What did you say?” Taehan asked, surprised.
“As you heard, Hanbau suffered a surprise attack and is occupied now.”
Taehan was at a loss for words at this absurd outrage. It was more shocking than if the news had been that Hoon was occupied.
“Get to the situation room immediately. I will brief you in detail when you arrive.”
Taehan pressed his bandan to close the screen. Some moments later he had recovered from the shock to some degree and rushed to get ready to meet Hanmoo and the others.
The oval-shaped table in the situation room was full when Taehan arrived. Everyone was there, including Daekhan, Chanman, Hanmoo, Santan,
and Sochan. Someone wearing the uniform of the Institute of Military Science sat next to Daekhan. The Institute of Military Science was a representative research institute. It was under the supervision of the leadership and in charge overall of Hoon’s military science. Moreover, the institute conducted a wide range of research to include general science.
“Welcome, Taehan,” Daekhan said as he turned from conversing with others around the table.
“Is it true that Hanbau was attacked by surprise?” Taehan asked as if he was questioning what he’d heard.
“It seems like they were hit with no warning,” Daekhan said and signed heavily, rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers. “I do not know what to do right now.”
“How they could be so easily…”
“I could not believe my ears when I first heard it. Hanbau cannot lose a war so quickly. You can understand better once you know what attacked them.”
Taehan waited for his next words, anxious to know what was going on.
“A researcher who fled from Hanbau is resting at the barracks. He is from, Hanbau Central Research Institute. We know him well because he has had a close interaction with our Institute of Military Science for a long time. He escaped, frantic and nearly out of his mind to inform us about what destroyed had them. We have to thank him.”
Daekhan pointed at a fist-sized silver-gray colored object on the table that looked as if it was made from metal, or perhaps mineral.
“This is what he brought with him.”
Taehan noticed its edge was rough and irregular, as if it had broken off from something else.
Daekhan pushed the object with his index and middle fingers. It disappeared from view and then materialized again when its forward momentum stopped.