Chapter 230 - Epilogue-4: A Civil War Story
For about an hour after the men in camouflage left, Aki was left alone in the room with both hands tied. She was thirsty because she had been moving the whole time, but it was not an atmosphere where she could say to give her water.
Why was the man called the Squad Leader trying to kill her? And why did he stop killing her just before? It might be related to the "order" the other man who entered the room was talking about, but what is an order that requires killing survivors?
The biggest concern was whether Aki's companions were safe. Although it was a situation where she didn't know what would be done to her if she told a lie, it might have been a mistake to easily tell the approximate location of the main body to people who easily try to kill people. She hoped they would have moved from the place they were originally because Aki hadn't returned, but while she was cooped up like this, she didn't know anything.
The door of the room opened abruptly, and Aki made her body tremble for an instant. Did he come back to kill her? She was about to make up her mind, but the Squad Leader who entered the room had a face that was somehow completely haggard. It was as if he had aged many years even though only an hour had passed.
In that hand, pliers were gripped instead of a handgun, and the Squad Leader went behind Aki and cut the plastic cuff that was tying her with her hands behind her. There was no sign of him reaching for his handgun.
"I'm sorry for the rough treatment. You can go now."
Aki involuntarily called out to the Squad Leader who said so and was about to leave the room with his back turned.
"You say I can go... you haven't explained who you guys are, what you were doing, and why you decided to release me even though you were trying to kill me just now!? Do you think I'll just say yes and go home as it is!? You asked me so many questions, so this time answer my questions!"
She had found herself raising her voice. Due to the terror that she was about to be killed just now, blood was rushing to her head.
Despite trying to kill her without letting her say anything, to try to settle it with the words "You can go." Now that it had come to this, she intended to have them tell her everything. Even if she bought the men's disfavor, she should have that right. Until she knew everything she wanted to know, she had no intention of forgiving the men or letting them go anywhere.
When Aki shouted, the Squad Leader turned around and looked up at the sky. He let out a large breath and then faced Aki again.
"I understand. I'll tell you as much as we know. Anyway, there's no more meaning in keeping it a secret anymore."
Saying so, the Squad Leader brought a pipe chair stacked in the corner of the room and sat in front of Aki. The positions were different from before, and this time it was as if Aki was interrogating him. The Squad Leader sitting in the chair with a somehow exhausted look also looked like a defendant receiving a trial.
"Then first, who are you guys? JSDF? US military? What was that order you were talking about earlier?"
"That's right, JGSDF. The mission is... to prevent the influx of infected and all humans to Aomori Prefecture and north, and to blockade Hokkaido."
"You mean you won't let anyone pass from Aomori to the north, whether they're human or infected?"
"To put it simply, that's what it is."
That means there is a safe zone north of the defense line they are holding. It meant the rumor she was suspicious of was true after all.
"Then that story was true. That in Tohoku, there are safe zones protected by the JSDF and police..."
"Yeah, though Aomori is already not a safe zone. Aomori City is long since a nest of infected, they're barely holding back the intrusion to the tip of the Shimokita Peninsula."
"Then what about Hokkaido?"
"Relatively, I have to put that word at the beginning, but for now, it's safe. Though Sapporo was destroyed on the first day of the pandemic because it's a big city and close to the airport. Now it's a burnt field and nothing remains."
The rumors the survivors who joined them were saying were half right and half wrong. Certainly, there are safe zones, but the majority of Honshu has already turned into a danger zone and the Tohoku region, which has a small population, is no exception. Only a small force of the JSDF and US military are carrying out missions in Honshu based on the Shimokita Peninsula in the northeastern part of Aomori Prefecture. Survivor communities of general citizens are close to non-existent.
And it was natural, but infected appeared in Hokkaido too. Sapporo City is a big city that ranks in the top five in Japan, and trains and buses run to New Chitose Airport, which boasts one of the top numbers of passengers in Japan, and Sapporo City. It would be strange if infected didn't appear.
The fortunate thing was that Hokkaido has a small population per area and many JSDF forces were still deployed thanks to the vast land. The JGSDF forces were being moved to the west such as Kyushu as a priority deployment destination, but many forces still remained in Hokkaido where vast exercise areas and garrisons could be secured. Because those units engaged in infected countermeasures in the early stages of the pandemic, the situation where infected were scattered all over Hokkaido was somehow avoided.
Still, infected appeared in the majority of major cities in Hokkaido and were annihilated by thorough shelling and bombing. Hakodate, which is connected to the mainland by Shinkansen, Tomakomai, which has a ferry terminal, Chitose, which has one of the country's leading airports, and Sapporo, which is Hokkaido's largest city. Those cities became burnt fields along with citizens and infected due to indiscriminate attacks by the JSDF. It was so-called collateral damage to prevent the spread of infection to all of Hokkaido, but even so, it is said that not a few non-infected residents were also caught up.
Thanks to paying many sacrifices, Hokkaido became a relatively safe land. They couldn't eliminate all the infected, but even so, Hokkaido is wide. By blocking major roads, gathering residents in one place, and establishing isolation districts surrounded by walls in various places to thoroughly restrict entry and exit with the outside, they are somehow able to prevent contact between survivors and infected and prevent further spread of infection.
"Then Hokkaido is safe, isn't it. Then why must no one head north? Besides, there are many people living all over Japan even now, and yet they don't even come to rescue..."
"Everything is insufficient."
In preparation for cases where oil supply becomes unstable due to sudden changes in the world situation, there are oil stockpile bases all over Japan, and there is a facility that is the largest in Japan in Hokkaido too. Since there are also nuclear power plants, even if all oil imports from overseas were cut off in this world situation, there should have been no worry about energy stockpiles for the time being.
"But some stupid people in some country fired missiles."
Similar to the various towns Aki and the others had seen until they came here, Hokkaido also received attacks in the middle of the confusion as the world order collapsed. The targets of the attacks were the oil stockpile bases in Hokkaido and energy infrastructure such as power plants existing in various places. Naturally, nuclear power plants were also attacked.
The JSDF at that time had its hands full with infected countermeasures, and even personnel who should have been in missile defense were being put into infected elimination with guns. The missiles launched from some country flew on their planned trajectories almost without being intercepted, and the majority landed on various important facilities in Hokkaido.
Oil bases burned, many power plants were also destroyed by flying missiles and power supply was cut off. Fuel that was barely safe was allocated with the highest priority to security forces such as the JSDF and police, and power outages became daily in isolation districts in various places.
Food supply is also becoming insufficient. Gasoline is necessary for large-scale agriculture, and fuel is needed to put out boats for fishing. But there is not enough fuel that can be used for those. In Hokkaido where the average winter temperature rarely stays above freezing, that could be said to be fatal.
"So the big shots thought. There's no leeway to accept any more evacuees."
Accepting people from the outside means the risk of inviting infected also increases by that much. In addition to that, in a situation where living necessities such as food, medicine, and fuel are all scarce, there is no guarantee that rations for everyone can be continued. In fact, this winter, despite the temperature falling significantly below average, fuel rations for heating were insufficient, and it is said that thousands of people froze to death in isolation districts in various places.
"In addition, on the Shimokita Peninsula, there is the only safe area left on the mainland side. We can't afford to invite infected there."
The Tsugaru Strait, which separates Hokkaido and Honshu, is not even 20 kilometers apart at its narrowest point. If the water temperature was not a problem, it's a distance where you could even swim across. If you are careful about the ocean currents, it wouldn't be difficult to cross even in a rowboat.
The undersea tunnel is blocked and ferries are long since not running, but there are small boats everywhere that escaped destruction. If you attach an outboard motor, you can easily cross from Aomori to Hokkaido.
To prevent that from happening, a cruel order was given to the remaining JSDF units. Deploy to the Tohoku region of Honshu, and carry out long-range reconnaissance in small units. Regardless of their intention, kill all those who try to go north toward Aomori, whether they are human or infected.
It was a decision as if to abandon the people who were surviving on the mainland side and save only Hokkaido, which barely maintains peace. Barricades were installed on all expressways and arterial roads leading to Aomori City to block them. Long-range reconnaissance teams were organized, and while conducting reconnaissance in various places in small units of several people, all survivors and infected encountered were killed.
Furthermore, to prevent reaching Hokkaido even if the blockade was broken, mines were laid in Mutsu Bay and the Tsugaru Strait, and in case a landing in Hokkaido was successful, landmines were also installed along the coast so they couldn't advance further. In any case, the vicinity of Hakodate City, which is close to Honshu, has already been destroyed and is almost an unpopulated zone, but for the current government which has no moves in case a new infection explosion occurs, even that seemed to be a lukewarm response.
"On top of that, it's a joke that they even borrowed US military electronic warfare equipment that happened to be in Japan to apply radio wave jamming to the whole of Hokkaido."
"Radio wave jamming... if you do that, won't you be troubled because you can't communicate!?"
"They're leaving only the frequencies used by the government and security forces and jamming so no one else can use them. Anyway, mobile phones are dead, and usual communication is by wired telephone, so there's not much trouble."
The reason why the radio became unusable as Aki and the others advanced north seemed to be the truth that the JSDF was conducting radio wave jamming. In the early days, because Hokkaido was safe, calls were being made to survivors on the mainland side via radio broadcasts or general citizens' amateur radio. However, because the Provisional Government that moved to Hokkaido decided to ban new humans from landing in Hokkaido, those calls for broadcasts were conversely viewed as dangerous.
No matter how much the government notified the ban on broadcasts to the mainland, the voices of opposition that they couldn't abandon people who were still alive were loud. On top of that, even if they suppressed TV and radio stations, they didn't have the leeway to go around and confiscate all amateur radios held by individuals. Besides, if it's a person with knowledge, they would even make broadcasting equipment if they have the necessary tools.
The survivors on the mainland side who heard those calls and knew there was a safe place would surely aim for the north. In fact, in the early days, there were people who crossed from Honshu to Hokkaido using boats that barely remained, but among them were those who turned into infected as soon as they landed after crossing the strait while infected. In such a situation, if more people flocked from Honshu———not to mention if many people came from other countries around Japan, it was clear what would happen.
So the government that evacuated to Hokkaido thoroughly cut off contact with the outside. Security forces suppressed all telephone base stations and facilities capable of long-distance broadcasting, and communication was permitted only to a very small number of organizations such as government agencies, security forces, and medical personnel. Furthermore, they fully utilized the electronic warfare equipment of the JSDF and the requisitioned US military to apply radio wave jamming to the whole of Hokkaido, and made it so that even with unmanaged radios, contact with the mainland could not be taken.
In this way, Hokkaido was made to look "dead," and only the rumor that "there are still safe zones left in the Tohoku region and Hokkaido" remained. There were not a few people who aimed for the north relying on that rumor, but those people were killed by the JSDF who were conducting reconnaissance activities in various places in the Tohoku region, and even if they could advance without being found by luck, they couldn't reach Hokkaido. Hokkaido was as good as blockaded.
"What a terrible thing..."
The words that first came out of Aki's mouth after hearing all the stories were everything. Despite the government and JSDF still remaining in Hokkaido, far from coming to rescue, they were going around killing people who tried to head north. This is like telling the people who are surviving outside of Hokkaido to continue to keep a low profile in the place they are now and wait to be found and killed by the infected.
"You should have known that there are still people living in various places in Japan..."
"That was known. They say several reconnaissance satellites still remain, and because they're conducting reconnaissance of the mainland with drones, government officials all know that there are still survivors in various places. The only ones who don't know are the general public who are being information-controlled. They think that outside of Hokkaido is already annihilated and there are no other survivors."
Hearing about drones, she remembered that several people said that objects other than birds were flying in the sky when they were in the Reclaimed Land. That boy was also included among them, but could it be that what they saw were drones flying from Hokkaido?
"According to observation results from drones and satellites, there are still millions of survivors in regions other than Hokkaido. But to be clear, it's difficult with the current situation to accept even ten percent of those people into Hokkaido. So kill all those who aim for the north. That's what we were told and we've been doing our job until today."
"Then, does that mean we can't advance any further either?"
If so, what was the journey so far that they had struggled to come this far? Fortunately, no deaths have occurred yet, but people have become ill or were injured by traps left in unpopulated towns. Everyone has come this far while fighting fear, and yet they can't go to a safe place even though they know it exists.
But the words that came out of the Squad Leader's mouth were unexpected.
"No———as I said earlier, the order was retracted. We've also received a withdrawal order."
"That means..."
"The situation changed. A rebellion, a coup d'état."
At the very time Aki was receiving interrogation from the Squad Leader and the others, the Provisional Government and command post in Hokkaido were suppressed by some JSDF units. The units that detained the head of the Provisional Government and suppressed the JSDF command post immediately ordered the units dispatched to the mainland to stop the operation.
"Originally, there were many people among the government who opposed this order regarding the blockade of Hokkaido. Many people moved to Hokkaido while leaving their families on the mainland. In a situation where their own families might be among the people trying to evacuate to Hokkaido, how many people could honestly execute the order to kill all humans aiming for the north?"
The people currently in Hokkaido are not just the people who originally lived there. They are general citizens who were lucky enough to evacuate in the early stages of the infection epidemic, or people from security agencies such as the police and JSDF who moved according to orders. Even the people in the Provisional Government who issued the orders are mostly politicians and bureaucrats who escaped from Tokyo.
Even for them, the situation of leaving their families on the mainland was no different from other people, but even so, they issued the order while knowing the possibility that their own families would be killed in order not to lose any more safe zones. It's just a story that there were many people who could understand the policy but couldn't be convinced by it.
"All orders regarding the blockade of Hokkaido have been canceled. The word is to let the people going north pass as they are."
"Won't you come to rescue from Hokkaido?"
"That's not possible. Fuel, aircraft parts, everything is insufficient. What's most insufficient is manpower. Despite it being over if you're bitten by an infected, large-scale rescue activities by dispatching precious personnel to various places are absolutely impossible."
There are supplies such as fuel on the mainland too, but to secure them, large-scale personnel would be absolutely necessary. Even if they could be secured by luck, a means of transport is necessary. If trucks and helicopters were making loud noises and gathering in numbers, the infected would come in an instant.
"We won't refuse those who come to Hokkaido, but we won't conduct rescue activities. That's the current policy. So we also can't take you and your companions to the north. I think it's regrettable, but it means you have to manage on your own."
Isn't that irresponsible? Aki was about to say so, but she swallowed those words. She should think she's lucky she wasn't killed.
Both the people who issued the order to blockade Hokkaido and the people who retracted that order by force must have had things they wanted to protect and things they held dear. And everyone must have been thinking of others.
Whether to abandon other people to protect the people currently in Hokkaido, or to accept people aiming for safe zones even at the risk of more infected coming to Hokkaido. Aki doesn't know which is right. As someone who has continued a dangerous long journey aiming for a safe place, she wants to think the latter is right, but whether this judgment was right will only be known later.
"We're leaving this place. If you want to cross to Hokkaido, aim for Cape Oma in the northwest of the Shimokita Peninsula."
"What's there?"
"The only boat connecting the mainland and Hokkaido is running. Though it's only about once a month, it's been decided to carry evacuees back to Hokkaido on the return trip after transporting supplies to the units stationed on the mainland."
Speaking of Cape Oma, it's a place famous for tuna, but there is a ferry terminal and there used to be a route with Hakodate. That place is now left as the only base connecting the mainland, which has turned into a danger zone, and Hokkaido, which is a safe land.
The Squad Leader returned the luggage confiscated from Aki, including weapons, to her. On the map Aki had, various information that the Squad Leader seemed to have added was noted.
"Don't go near urban areas because they're full of infected, always pass along the mountains. Since the regions along Mutsu Bay on the Shimokita Peninsula also have infected, always go north along the Pacific side. If Ominato Base was safe, the movement would have been easier..."
On the map, various information was written, such as roads that can be used and those that cannot, and regions with many infected to relatively safe regions. Urban areas with large populations were all crossed out with diagonal lines, which probably meant danger zones. Urban areas have that many more infected, and the units dispatched to the mainland are almost in a state of leaving such regions alone due to fuel and personnel shortages.
"I don't know if I should say this, and I'm really angry at you guys because I was in a situation where I was about to be killed just now, but I'll say it for now. Thank you."
"No... I did something really regrettable to you. If the contact about the operation cancellation had come even a few minutes later, I would have done something irreversible. I'm truly sorry."
Saying so, the Squad Leader bowed his head deeply. Seeing that, Aki felt a feeling of "this person is also pitiful" welling up instead of anger.
He didn't want to restrain and kill Aki because he wanted to. He just acted according to orders because he received them.
Despite being able to escape as much as they wanted if they tried, the Squad Leader and the other members of the reconnaissance team are facing a harsh and heartless mission with a heart of stone. It's an order that absolutely cannot be done with half-hearted resolve or spirit, to conduct reconnaissance in dangerous regions full of infected in a state of almost no help and kill all humans encountered. When she thought that they also had things they believed in and things they wanted to protect and were carrying out this mission, Aki thought it was something different to hurl abuse and criticize the Squad Leader who was bowing his head in front of her.
Anyway, her life was not taken. She knew what had been happening until now, knew that there was a safe place, and understood how she could go there. This alone was a more than sufficient result. All that's left is to return to her companions and aim for the northernmost tip of Japan.
The gun Aki had should have been almost out of bullets, but when it was returned from the Squad Leader, the magazine was full of bullets. She didn't know if it was a feeling of apology or a full-hearted help, but it seemed they shared the bullets the reconnaissance team had.
At the same time Aki left the supermarket building where the reconnaissance team was based, the Squad Leader and the other reconnaissance members also drove away to the north in an SUV. She wondered if there would be a chance to meet them again, but thinking that returning to her companions was priority now, Aki started walking.
After a while, she reached the main street where several infected corpses were fallen. It's the place where Aki was blindfolded and captured by the reconnaissance team. From there, Aki retraced her steps to the place where she encountered the infected by following the corpses fallen on the ground instead of breadcrumbs.
The bicycle she had abandoned with a flat tire fortunately remained as it was. The amateur radio attached to the luggage rack is also safe. She can manage the flat tire too because she has repair tools and knowledge.
Aki set the bicycle's kickstand, assembled the antenna, and turned on the radio's power. When she turned up the volume, the noise that was always noisy until before due to the jamming waves was not heard at all. As the Squad Leader said, it seemed certain that the radio wave jamming emitted from Hokkaido had stopped.
Aki gripped the radio's microphone and called the main body. She suddenly felt anxious whether they would be accepted by the people who were originally there if they reached Hokkaido.
From the perspective of the people living in Hokkaido while being imposed with strict restrictions, evacuees crossing from the mainland would be dangerous existences who might bring the virus into the safe land and would be nuisances who would further consume precious supplies. Would such people honestly accept them? Maybe they'll be turned away. Such a thought floated for an instant.
But right now, giving everyone hope was priority. If there is hope, the leeway to think about tomorrow is born. If you think about tomorrow, you can also think about the day after tomorrow, and you can even think about 1 year later or 10 years later. If you think about the future, the spirit to live wells up. What everyone, who is exhausted from the dangerous long journey, needs now is hope.
I look forward to your opinions and impressions.