Chapter 156: Revolution!
Beta One was powerful.
None of the weapons of human civilization could harm it, except for the hafnium-2 warheads.
A megaton-class nuclear weapon could have destroyed it for sure, but Beta One did not stay still.
It showed that it was not weak against air attacks by shooting down the US B-2 bomber.
Although it preferred close combat, it had solid defensive measures.
Was it because of its splendid achievements that it became complacent?
Beta One did not pay much attention to the disaster falling from the sky, as it chased after the big ones that ran away with their tails between their legs.
It thought that one or two lasers would erase it, as it had done so far.
But it was wrong.
The warhead that blocked the lasers exploded above Beta One’s head.
A total of 60 grams of particles and antiparticles annihilated each other, emitting pure light and heat in all directions.
The black metal outer shell collapsed miserably under the force of the warhead that easily exceeded one megaton.
Beta One tried to restore its body by constantly transforming, but the outer shell collapsed faster.
It had received a damage beyond its recovery limit.
「…….」
The transformation stopped, and Beta One lost its outer shell and exposed its core to the crater.
The core was swept away by the shockwave and flew far away as a huge explosion occurred.
Boom.
The power of the one-megaton reaction warhead was no joke.
The seawater around it was pushed away, and the seaside villages and facilities disappeared without a trace.
The concrete facilities were somewhat intact, but a few remaining vehicles rolled around like fallen leaves.
A giant ball of light like the sun appeared on the Normandy coast of the North Sea.
But the aftermath of the reaction warhead was not as severe as expected.
The blast wave was weak, and there was no radioactive fallout at all.
It just cleanly erased the plague and its surroundings and disappeared.
That’s why the United Human Federation used reaction warheads as their main weapon against the plague.
The destructive power was maximized by pure energy reaction, but the impact on the surroundings was lower than expected.
Of course, if it reached gigaton level, even the pilots who delivered it would have to worry about their lives, but the warhead detonated in France was only one megaton.
The power was significantly low, but for the humans of this era, it felt like the end of the world had come.
A brave announcer from a broadcasting station flew a helicopter and reported this scene from afar.
“The end of the world has come! Is it a nuclear weapon? I hope not. I hope I can survive after seeing that light!”
He had a chance to communicate with the Elysee Palace for a while on board the helicopter.
“It’s definitely not a nuclear weapon! Then is it a hafnium-2 warhead? We didn’t have such a weapon, I wonder where it came from. Could it be America?”
“Ah… I just got some news. It’s the United Human Federation! They say it’s the Earth Fleet of the United Human Federation that detonated the hafnium-2 warhead!”
Many French people who heard the broadcast raised their hands and cheered.
“The monster is dead!”
“Ohhh!”
As this news spread, a sigh of relief came from the Elysee Palace.
But the owner of the Elysee Palace was not there.
President Marie Le Pen was hospitalized for mental illness and did not respond to any interviews with the media.
It was probably because she was afraid that her faults would be revealed one by one as the analysis of this situation progressed.
Whether or not she felt that way, Beta One was dead and France was in a frenzy of joy.
The Parisians who were on the street waved their flags enthusiastically.
Sometimes there were people who shouted out the names of the United Human Federation and Yu Ji-ha.
Normally they would have been beaten up for following someone like Hitler, but today they were generously allowed.
Rather, someone clumsily shouted out Yu Ji-ha’s name and stretched out his arm, and others followed suit.
It was proof that not all French people hated Yu Ji-ha.
The Earth Fleet flew over their heads and gradually increased its altitude and disappeared into the clouds.
The situation was settled for now, but the real important thing was starting from now.
The French people who liked to debate exchanged opinions here and there.
—Why did they drag that monster all the way to Le Havre? Who decided that?
—It must have been Le Pen. She was cornered in many ways.
—If they brought the monster, they should have killed it cleanly. Why did they call the citizens? To die together?
—They didn’t know! Who would have known that our France was so weak?
—We are weak?
—Weak… At least weaker than America or the United Human Federation.
The French people realized that then.
It was the United Human Federation that solved this situation completely.
If they hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t have been strange if Paris had been destroyed.
The casualties would have increased by at least hundreds of thousands, and the property damage would have been no joke.
The French people were not stupid, so they realized that.
They heard through the broadcast that Prime Minister Morua and President Yu Ji-ha had a meeting.
—The actual conversation lasted only three minutes, and they helped without any conditions.
—He likes land, so who would have known that he would ask for overseas territories? I would have given him Guyana or something.
—No way… If he was that kind of person, he wouldn’t have raised the altitude of the Earth Fleet. He would have flown over Paris like a rebel army.
—The press conference is starting now. I guess they’re going to announce something.
The French people never missed Yu Ji-ha’s press conference.
Didn’t they need at least some knowledge to curse him?
They watched diligently to use their repertoire in the debate, and thanks to that, no one didn’t know his face.
His press conferences were so frequent that some people said he was more famous than their own president.
Russia and Japan were the same.
Anyway, although they hated him usually, they didn’t curse him because he helped them with the Earth Fleet.
They all listened with a mindset of giving him a chance.
“Beta One has been confirmed dead. I sincerely want to express my condolences to the French people who suffered a lot of damage from the monster’s rampage.”
“Now the Earth Fleet is leaving. I didn’t ask anything from France. I just hope that the French people will look at me with a more open mind. We are the same race, and we are one.”
“More space monsters will come to Earth in the future. We need to cooperate to prepare for that time. Finally, I wish France’s eternal development and prosperity. Thank you.”
The press conference was very short and impressive.
People gathered everywhere were shocked that he didn’t ask for anything.
“What, is that it? We don’t have to give anything?”
“My mouth is ashamed of cursing such a person…”
It was only a few days ago that they chewed him up like a baguette, calling him Hitler or the worst murderer.
But he ended the press conference without mentioning anything about him.
“Maybe he didn’t care about our curses.”
“He wouldn’t have missed it, but it must have meant nothing to him.”
“He helps those who curse him and doesn’t ask for anything, is he really the worst dictator? Didn’t Le Pen or the government make us see him like that?”
“The problem started from the beginning. It was natural to resist when they suddenly imposed sanctions.”
“They need to fix that damn antitrust law first.”
“No, the EU itself is the problem. They were no help at all. The only ones who tried to help us were the US and the United Human Federation.”
The French people began to seriously discuss the existence of the EU.
They wouldn’t leave the EU right away, but it was clear that there was such a sentiment.
And there was a favorable wind for staying.
The press conference that said they had no demands even though they mobilized Earth Fleet to help France captivated the hearts of the French people.
There were some sour looks at why they revealed that, but everyone agreed that it was better to make it clear to the outside world.
They had to nail it down so that no one else could interfere.
And everyone had the same perception of the French government.
—The Le Pen government must go. We have to replace it.
—The government bureaucrats not only watched the situation with no clue, but they were also the cause. What did they do instead of stopping Le Pen?
—Thousands of people died because of you! You should pay with your lives too!
As the relatives of the deceased cried out, the bureaucrats at the Elysee Palace returned to their departments or hid, claiming they had work to do.
Protests denouncing them began all over France.
The verse in La Marseillaise that criticized the tyrant disappeared in no time.
Instead, what people sang was a song that wanted a bloody revolution.
—Take up arms, citizens!
—Form your ranks and march on! March on!
—Drench the fields with their filthy blood!
The wind of revolution was blowing.
***
The Beta One incident left a big scar on France.
The material damage was great, and more importantly, thousands of people were killed.
Rouen turned into ruins, and the damage suffered by millions of people who fled was no joke.
The economic situation, which had been steadily declining, began to plummet.
Especially, the financial sector suffered a fatal blow.
People began to fear that this world we live in could collapse easily.
This was fundamentally different from natural disasters such as fires or typhoons.
—We can prepare for fires or typhoons, but monsters come out of nowhere and find us.
—We can’t avoid or stop them. We just have to bear the enormous damage.
—Stocks and virtual currencies were no help at all during this process. While I was running away to Germany, what I really cared about was a piece of bread and water I bought from a stall.
—According to Yu Ji-ha’s press conference, more monsters will come in the future. But we are not ready at all.
It was a serious problem not only for the state but also for individuals.
Everyone relied on the national logistics system and did not even have emergency food or medicine ready.
As hoarding occurred everywhere and fights broke out to secure food, a serious atmosphere of valuing survival began to form.
—The state does not protect us. The only thing that can protect us is ourselves.
—How do we deal with it if more than one space monster comes? Do we have to use nuclear weapons every time?
—I quit stock investing and built a shelter in my garden. I can survive without supplies for at least a month.
The reason why France’s stocks fell endlessly was because of this atmosphere.
Seeing their neighbors, family, and friends suffer, they realized that physical things were important.
This opinion was not only in France but also common in other countries.
—Gold, gold is important. Not some online data.
—It’s lucky that France took Beta One away. It would have been a disaster if it came to Britain.
—Cocoon is falling on Europe twice in a row and no country can rest assured. A fundamental measure is needed.
A fundamental measure meant a global warning system and response plan to stop space monsters, as well as shelters and supplies that could safely accommodate people.
Suddenly, the world became interested in the United Human Federation’s megacity.
That huge city had a population density that easily surpassed the capitals of each country known for their large population.
Some scholars presented research results that the population density of Megacity Pacific exceeded 50,000 per square kilometer.
This was more than twice as high as Macau, which was famous for its congestion.
People who actually went to Megacity recalled being hit by waves of people wherever they went.
—There were really a lot of people. It was fun to play, but honestly, I was a bit tired.
—The streets were very free but also orderly. I felt for the first time in Megacity that this was not a contradictory concept.
—There were some troublemakers, but they disappeared at some point. Maybe they were expelled.
Perhaps only the management bureau knew the exact population.
People focused on the functions of Megacity rather than the population itself.
—It’s an optimal place to manage people by cramming them into a narrow area.
—Food production is done by smart farms and energy supply is by nuclear fusion… Water is solved by operating desalination facilities with abundant electricity… Isn’t this a huge shelter?
—The most important waste water and garbage are thrown to the sun using mass drivers. Perfect.
—Above all, the surrounding defense facilities are no joke. Railgun batteries and iron beams are lined up. There are also many facilities whose identity is unknown.
In summary, Megacity was a kind of shelter prepared for such emergencies.
People realized that now, but they didn’t rush in right away.
It was risky to go and live in Megacity because they had achieved so far.
But it was a fact that the number of applicants who knocked on the door of Megacity increased.
Despite the global demand, the management bureau did not lower the admission criteria for Megacity.
The survivalist boom that swept the world shook the financial market.
Virtual currencies were treated as less than scraps of paper after being hit by a direct blow from the change in perception.
People realized that virtual currencies had no more value than a piece of bread in their pocket in a national crisis.
A large amount of money flowed out and was invested in the United Human Federation.
The government and Shinra Group of the United Human Federation did not issue bonds or accept investments, but the stocks of any company related to them soared to the sky.
Thanks to this, the United Human Federation enjoyed prosperity even in a situation where the world economy hit rock bottom due to this incident.
The US was grumbling enough.
—We tried to save France, but the United Human Federation took all the credit. This is unfair.
—President Yu Ji-ha must reveal what that weapon that killed the monster is. This is essential for the peace of humanity.
—Didn’t they tell each country how to make hafnium-2 explosives? We need that weapon too.
But there was no official response from Yu Ji-ha.
Instead, he came forward and argued for the importance of the United Human Federation as a systematic response organization against space monsters.
“What did the UN do in this situation? What about the EU? They did nothing. All they are doing is trying to get some scraps from the post-war recovery.”
“A loose alliance is not much help in a global crisis. What we need is bold decision and action. Only the United Human Federation has this power.”
“Please support the United Human Federation. We will protect you.”
This was a statement that directly challenged the US’s feelings.
But the US showed some discomfort at best and did not immediately refute it.
After all, it was the United Human Federation that solved the French situation.
However, it was clear that some in Congress and the political arena had created a current that Baldwin was not enough.
—He was weak and pro-Yu Ji-ha. He claimed to value America’s interests, but it turned out to be ineffective.
—What we need is a leader who will make America great again.
—Baldwin was just a substitute for Bryant in the first place. His role is over now.
As the pressure increased, President Baldwin seemed to sense his fate and held a press conference to announce his voluntary resignation.
This was the first time since Watergate.
He opened his mouth in a calm tone in front of shocked reporters.
“As of today, I am no longer the president of America. I had a lot of things and felt rewarded for two years, but I felt limited in my presidential duties and decided to step down.”
“From this afternoon, Vice President Richard Bernstein will take over. May God bless America.”
It was an absurdly short press conference and did not follow any formalities.
He may have wanted to resign from his presidency as soon as possible because he was criticized inside and outside the White House.
When President Baldwin resigned, both Democrats and Republicans expressed their welcome.
—He was too dragged by the United Human Federation. He is not fit for our reality.
—Bernstein will lead America to greatness again.
The reason for this expectation was that he was an ultra-hardliner.
Bernstein was a politician who advocated beast theory beyond dog theory, claiming that what the United Human Federation and Yu Ji-ha needed was not a muzzle but a zoo.
“Today we cannot see beasts in cities. All beasts must go to nature or zoos. This is a measure to protect all Americans…”
At that time, this claim was too hard for Americans to accept.
But as the United Human Federation pushed back China and Japan and expanded its influence to Russia, his influence within the party grew.
“We have to bring him back to UN. We have to lead the United Human Federation with America’s initiative. This is our homework.”
Everyone applauded Bernstein’s inauguration speech, but they had one question.
—How do you put a beast in a zoo?
Yu Ji-ha was not an ordinary beast, but a dictator with a huge power called the United Human Federation.
No country could stop him, and even if America stepped up seriously, there were not many cards to pressure him.
The only sure thing was war, but it became uncertain due to the French situation.
The whole US flipped over what they detonated on the North Sea coast.
The generals of the military sent a statement to the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff saying that no military action should be taken until they knew what it was.
They were worried that an accidental war would break out under Bernstein’s leadership.
Fortunately, this did not happen, but as Democrats who wished for Bernstein pressured the United Human Federation to reveal the identity of their new bomb, tensions rose.
“The United Human Federation tested weapons with 100 megatons on Mars as well as on France’s North Sea coast. This data is evidence.”
The data contained irrefutable evidence.
It was not a meteorite or a nuclear weapon.
Hafnium-2 explosives had a low possibility because the US had announced the decay phenomenon when they raised suspicions.
Bernstein, who took over the presidency, was as fiery as his personality and had a sharp tongue.
As soon as he took office, he made a near-threat statement to Yu Ji-ha through the hotline connected to the United Human Federation.
“If you don’t reveal this suspicion, we will take action immediately.”
“Do it. I won’t stop you.”
Tension rose between the US and the United Human Federation.
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