Chapter 171: It Has Come
Secretary Baek Sung-min sighed in relief as he saw President Yu Ji-ha walking down the hallway.
‘I avoided the worst situation…’
That was literally all he did.
If Yu Ji-ha had died or been dragged around by the US as they intended, the United Human Federation would have been over.
He didn’t know what plan the artificial intelligence Lucia had pursued, but judging from her abilities so far, it was unlikely that she had surpassed human cognition.
Rescuing the president meant difficulty, and that meant the end of the United Human Federation.
The current United Human Federation was overly dependent on Yu Ji-ha alone, due to its dictatorial nature.
If he was gone, the future of the United Human Federation would also disappear.
‘But that doesn’t mean the second worst is okay…’
Yu Ji-ha had returned.
He was kidnapped for only a day, but it was clear that the US had done something unforgivable.
Now the US had to pay the price, and at least war was inevitable.
The heavy reality of having to fight a superpower like the US weighed on Secretary Baek Sung-min’s chest.
He bowed his head in front of the office.
“Thank you for your hard work, Mr. President.”
“Did you have any trouble at the White House?”
“Yes, I was released after a brief interrogation. I guess it’s more accurate to say I was kicked out.”
They wouldn’t bother with a secretary who knew nothing, if they weren’t related to the president.
James’s goal was Yu Ji-ha from start to finish.
“Anyway, it’s over. I’ll take care of it now, so don’t worry.”
I’ll take care of it…
It was a reassuring and heart-pounding statement.
Was he going to declare war now?
Secretary Baek Sung-min followed the president into the office with a smile.
There was broadcasting equipment ready in this spacious room that was too large for one person to work in.
He had prepared it in his secretary’s office after receiving his contact.
He was curious about how he had escaped and returned, but that was not what mattered now.
Finally, it had come.
Yu Ji-ha stood in front of the podium, received the sign, and opened his mouth.
“I think those of you who are watching this broadcast know well why I am standing here and why I am angry.”
“I trusted the US and gladly accepted the summit. Just as I did no harm to the US president, I believed they would do the same. But they didn’t. They betrayed me.”
The word betrayal was especially emphasized, and it was not because Baek Sung-min heard it wrong.
The president was seriously angry right now.
This was different from when he was attacked by Iran and Pakistan.
Who would have imagined that the US would commit kidnapping?
Yu Ji-ha had even given the prophet’s artifact to Bernstein, the former president, when he met him.
‘Let’s forget about the possibility of a staged play.’
He had to deceive himself first to answer properly when someone asked.
Baek Sung-min was not an ordinary person, but a confidant of the president.
“I was imprisoned in a detention facility in Maryland. Of course, my wife was with me. The purpose of the US capturing me is clear. They want to steal technology from me and control the United Human Federation as they please.”
“Where are the human rights and freedom that the US claims? Where is the positive value of the US in the act of kidnapping me and my wife? I can’t forgive them.”
At this point, a quarter of the world’s population was watching Yu Ji-ha’s angry speech.
It was natural that war might break out because of his words.
The pressure of a possible third world war pressed down on everyone’s chest.
Yu Ji-ha’s heavy mouth opened.
“I don’t need forgiveness. Therefore, I don’t need to talk to the US either. We will fight them. Until they lay down everything and surrender.”
This was a declaration of war.
Although proper declarations of war had long disappeared in these days, Yu Ji-ha still followed the minimum etiquette.
He also clearly stated the conditions for negotiation.
But it would have been better not to state them.
Unconditional surrender was a condition that the US could never accept.
“The war has started right now. It won’t stop until one of the United Human Federation or the US falls.”
The leaders of each country were surprised that Yu Ji-ha did not leave any room for dialogue or compromise.
“I’m glad you’re safe. What can Russia do to help?”
“Just announce that you support the United Human Federation in any case.”
“That’s not hard.”
To be honest, it was hard for Russia to step up.
Russia was strong in Europe, but not in a position to project power abroad.
Especially if the opponent was the US.
They were equal to the US in nuclear power, but the problem was that it was neutralized by the ion beam.
Anyway, President Mikhailov was happy that Yu Ji-ha had returned.
The leaders of other countries also reacted positively to his return, but they did not want war.
They tried to persuade the US late at night.
They intended to prevent a war between the two superpowers at all costs.
But the situation did not go as they wished.
***
As soon as Yu Ji-ha’s face appeared on the screen, the White House officials realized that they could not avoid war.
His speech was the same.
He calmly expressed his betrayal and anger towards the US and declared war at the end.
It was a smart attitude compared to kidnapping.
Now the White House had to make a choice.
Would they accept the declaration of war and prepare for it, or would they send a special envoy to avoid it somehow?
Of course, the US did not always want war.
Even more so now, when they were not prepared at all.
The economic situation worsened and the size of the US military continued to shrink, and their influence was reduced because of the United Human Federation.
There was a serious talk within the US Navy about reducing the number of carrier strike groups to less than seven.
It was because it was proven to be useless in combat with Plague.
Not that other weapon systems were effective, and there was no shortage of opposing voices.
The 11 carrier strike groups were the symbol of the US military itself.
Anyway, as soon as his speech ended, a sigh flowed in the Oval Office.
“It’s finally here…”
“His escape has become a reality. We need to discuss how to deal with it from now on.”
But President James seemed to have other thoughts.
He shook his cheeks with bloodshot eyes and vented his passion.
“What the hell is going on? How can he be there when he should be in a detention facility?”
He escaped, that’s why.
He didn’t know how it was possible, but he immediately suspected the Pentagon.
“Did they help him escape? He couldn’t have escaped in a day without them! Right?”
“…”
In fact, half of the White House officials thought so too.
No matter how much Yu Ji-ha had an ace up his sleeve, it was almost impossible to escape without attracting attention from the White House.
It would be a realistic judgment that he had someone’s help.
They all thought of Conrad, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and so did President James.
“Conrad was the problem. I suspected him from when he suggested that I let him go. I have to fire him right away.”
The officials were half-giving up, but they were shocked by his statement.
“Mr. President, you can’t do that.”
“We don’t have a Secretary of Defense, who will lead the war if you fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?”
“Do soldiers fight wars or generals? We have to get rid of all those involved in this. They are enemies within!”
The aides sighed deeply and exchanged glances.
They thought it would be better to ignore the president and send a special envoy to the United Human Federation.
But they didn’t know if Yu Ji-ha would accept it.
“He demanded unconditional surrender, so he won’t accept it easily. Let’s contact the United Human Federation first.”
At this point, President James’s intentions were completely ignored.
They didn’t consider impeaching him either, because they needed someone to command and take responsibility.
He had practically become a vegetable president.
The generals and senators who hurriedly came to the White House didn’t even bother with James and only looked for other executive branch officials.
The Pentagon generals argued that they should send a special envoy.
“We can’t have a war. Before we talk about its horrors, we’re not ready.”
“It’s embarrassing to say this as someone who spends a huge amount of defense budget, but I’m not confident that we can win the war against the United Human Federation.”
“The United Human Federation clearly restrains the size of their military. They could have produced Earth Fleet several times and still have some left, but having only one fleet means they think that’s enough.”
“They will attack us from space. As a military expert, I can tell you that we can’t fully protect the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon.”
The White House was engulfed by a sense of defeat.
The ultra-hardliners of the Democratic Party complained about where they spent the $1 trillion defense budget, and the generals had to explain.
“A significant part of the defense budget is personnel costs. Our troops exceed 1.5 million, including the National Guard.”
“We have a lot of equipment, including aircraft carriers and surface ships, but unfortunately they won’t be much help in this war.”
That was because the United Human Federation had created a very efficient military.
They had a huge territory, but the land they actually had to defend was not very wide.
Most of the defense facilities were concentrated in a few megacities and the Korean Peninsula.
Especially, the defense facilities of the megacities were impregnable enough to shake the heads of any generals.
“Let’s take Pacific, the megacity of Terra Island, as an example. It doesn’t look very impressive in peacetime. But if we analyze the defense facilities based on how the megacity transformed during the Gamma Incident, this is what we get.”
The picture showed more than 100 railgun sites.
The caliber of the barrel was quite large for using nuclear fusion reactors, almost exceeding 150mm.
“This means that the range is easily over a thousand kilometers. It’s much faster and more accurate than our hypersonic anti-ship missiles. It’s virtually impossible to approach.”
“This anti-aircraft battery is not the same as the existing ether laser, according to our analysis. We have no choice but to face it directly and judge its identity. It’s probably not an ordinary thing.”
As the negative analysis continued, the ultra-hardline Democratic lawmakers asked if they could take over Terra Island.
That was the only possibility for the US to win.
The Pentagon generals shook their heads without thinking.
“It’s impossible. Not only the defense facilities, but Terra Island itself is optimized to block external entry.”
“This is how the megacity transformed during the Gamma Incident. It can perfectly block a tsunami that is tens of meters high.”
“In case of emergency, you can think of the entire megacity as one bunker. To break through it, you need to use megaton-class nuclear weapons.”
“Preemptive nuclear attack is the only way.”
The lawmakers’ faces turned pale at the mention of nuclear attack on the megacity.
If they did that, reaction bombs would fall all over the federation.
They didn’t know what would happen to the megacity, but the downfall of the US was certain.
One lawmaker received a report from Conrad, who attended Congress, and sneered.
“We can’t attack or defend. Is all we have left to surrender like a dog?”
“Or maybe buying time wouldn’t be so bad. The Unified Space Force is powerful, but not massive. The damage they can inflict on us is limited.”
“Hmm… don’t they have penetrator warheads?”
“They would have used them if they wanted to.”
Neither the US nor the United Human Federation had any intention of using strategic weapons at this point.
It meant they were not completely enraged, and it was also linked to the possibility of a staged drama.
But from Conrad’s point of view, he didn’t mention that possibility because he had attempted the rescue operation without the president’s consent.
There was no need to rub salt into the wound.
While the senators were in deep thought, Conrad received a call from the White House.
President James glared at him fiercely.
“I heard you tried a rescue operation.”
“It failed.”
“That’s not what we agreed on. You’re accused of letting the enemy go, chairman.”
“Then arrest me.”
“…Do you think I can’t?”
“I’d rather be arrested than fight a meaningless war with the United Human Federation. At least I won’t be responsible for the defeat.”
Seeing the top-ranking uniformed officer say that, one could say that there was no real chance of winning.
But President James was in an excited state due to the side effects of Typhon drugs, and he didn’t listen to his words.
“Prepare for war right now. I’ll hold you accountable after the war is over.”
“War means our downfall in this situation, Mr. President.”
“Damn it, you heard what he wants! How can we accept unconditional surrender?”
“Depending on the negotiation, we might end up with minimal damage.”
“That’s what you hope, general. Listen to me. America must be great again. To do that, we have to break the United Human Federation by any means.”
Conrad knew that too.
It was impossible, that was the problem.
If they wanted to break the United Human Federation, they should have done it a few years ago.
Now it was too late.
But President James was full of enthusiasm.
“We’ll mobilize all our forces and fight the United Human Federation. It’s a matter of determining the true ruler of the world. Of course, we’ll take some damage, but the United Human Federation won’t be safe either. Then the outcome of the war will depend on resilience. That’s what we do best.”
The US’s unique productivity was estimated to match half of the world.
But several intelligence agencies reported that the United Human Federation had equal or even superior productivity.
They didn’t expand their only fleet, the Earth Fleet, because they didn’t need to.
―The United Human Federation adjusts the size of their military organically according to their needs. It’s possible because they have no humans.
―It was enough to use Earth Fleet against weakened China or Japan, and that was ultimately correct. But they wouldn’t do that against us.
What would happen if they really mass-produced?
Conrad was afraid of that.
***
As soon as Yu Ji-ha declared war, the whole US became noisy and chaotic at the same time.
The United Human Federation was one of the few countries that could directly attack the US mainland, except for nuclear power.
The Pacific had been a solid shield for the US, but it was nothing but a sand wall in front of the United Human Federation’s technology.
Earth Fleet proved that they could break through the Pacific in an hour.
It meant that the US mainland was not absolutely safe either.
They didn’t attack right away, but everyone knew that action would start soon.
There was panic buying everywhere, and the roads were sick with cars trying to get out of big cities.
Some people even fled the US and sought refuge in Canada or Britain.
Some Americans who secretly wished for a war with the United Human Federation were also confused by this atmosphere.
The picture they had drawn was of the US Navy beating the enemy one-sidedly, not of the mainland being engulfed in war.
Puzzled voices flowed from everywhere.
―What’s with this mood? Weren’t we supposed to attack them unilaterally?
―We can’t use nukes? Then we should use hypersonic cruise missiles to strike their defense facilities. Iron beam has its limits, you know.
―Can’t we just take over Terra Island by having the carrier fleet escort the landing force? The United Human Federation would be busy defending.
These perceptions mostly came from underestimating the United Human Federation’s military power.
People with military knowledge kept their mouths shut, saying it wouldn’t be easy.
―The United Human Federation is completely different from the former Soviet Union or China. They can attack us directly from space.
―Do you know why we have almost no information on the megacity defense facilities? Because it’s hard to access. These bastards can find submarines in no time.
―Landing operation? Didn’t you see how the megacity outer wall was erected in an instant during the tsunami? How the hell are you going to land? Climb up tens of meters?
―Those who wanted war had closed their eyes and ears. Their brains stopped updating around 10 years ago.
There were even quite a few people who didn’t know what black metal was.
In sparsely populated suburbs, where they drove pickup trucks with large-displacement internal combustion engines and farmed, they had no trouble living without using Yu Ji-ha’s technology.
The problem was that the world had changed.
While they clung to their traditional lives and exerted influence on the government with votes, the megacity and the United Human Federation had developed dazzlingly enough to remind them of SF movies.
If they had ignored each other, it would have been fine, but they clashed and finally war broke out.
Now it was time to see whose way was right.
A few political scientists also thought of Spain’s American expedition.
―At that time, the conquistadors had powerful technology, firearms and steel swords, and ships. But the South American natives only had obsidian weapons and a large population.
―The United Human Federation had a powerful weapon called reaction bomb, a ship that could sail in space, and many other weapon systems that were unknown. The US only had nuclear power and size as advantages.
―Some argue that the US is not that weak. That would have been true if it had been another country. But when compared to the United Human Federation, the difference is more than that.
―Unconditional surrender would be difficult for the US’s position, so it would be right to use all means to stop the war.
But that seemed even harder.
The United Human Federation ignored the dialogue proposals from other countries, including the UN.
Instead, there were signs that they had started to mass-produce materials.
Dozens of smart factories located inside the megacity were operating at 100%, and unmanned combat ships began to be produced at underwater bases.
People realized that it was impossible to stop the war.
All that was left was for one side to be brutally smashed.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺