Parahan, 2nd Edition Page 6

Hanmoo’s Capital Defense Unit had nothing to do with Yachan’s Special Operation Force since each addressed different contingencies. He and Hanmoo had never met or even talked over the bandan before even though they knew about each other, of course. It was obvious that Hanmoo was coming to visit for a specific purpose.

  If a person disagreeing with the leadership wants to visit me, it has to be to request something of me, the Commander of the Special Operation Force. That can mean he is planning something big; something so big the Capital Defense Unit cannot handle it alone. Insurrection? Possibly.

  Yachan sighed deeply at the thought.

  It will not be…

  Yachan tried to think differently, but a moment later found himself asking the same question.

  But what if it is?

  He decided to make suppositions. It would not hurt him to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.

  He could reject Hanmoo’s request. However, if he did, and the insurrection was successful, he would have to give up his current position.

  He could inform the leadership in advance.

  But being in command of the Capital Defense Unit meant Hanmoo had a strong militarized force that would be tough for the leadership to suppress. He might encounter serious risks if the situation went unfavorably and the opposition took over.

  However, this did not mean he should join Hanmoo and help the insurrection to succeed. Cooperation with them would pose a great danger and, even if the insurrection was successful, all he could expect from it might be a reward for the risk he took with them.

  If he had to take a risk, it would be better to lead it actively. Why should he beg for a reward while taking the same risk? Being a helper is not his cup of tea.

  But I might be forced to choose a side if the situation escalates, regardless of whether I want to or not.

  He would have to give up his position as Commander of the Special Operations Force if his decision turned out to be the wrong one – regardless of what choice was made.

  Being commander had a special meaning to Yachan. Both of his parents were ordinary people. They wanted Yachan to have an ordinary life – to have a family and live peacefully. They could not understand people who chose to be professionals. To put it more precisely, they thought that it would be hard to be happy having a professional life.

  His parents were convinced that it would be much better to have a leisurely life with less Tan (Hoon’s cyber currency) and benefits. Yachan had the same idea under their influence. His uncle who was the only professional among all his relatives, however, changed his values one day when he explained to Yachan why he had chosen to be a professional.

  He asserted that he did not choose to be a professional because of Tan or benefits. He explained about ‘Power,’ something Yachan was not familiar with. He explained power as the ability to make many people obey and follow. This meant people had to do what he decided. He emphasized that it was hard to explain it, but even harder to give it up after possessing it.

  At that time he was a deputy commander of the Special Operation Force. It was not a major power, but he was powerful enough. His ultimate goal was to be a supreme leader of the leadership. Unfortunately, he failed to achieve his dream. There was little chance for him in the future. either. He pulled strings to be the commander of the Planet Total Defense Force and he lost favor with supreme leaders of the leadership. He shouldn’t have moved that quickly and irrationally. He was relegated and lost his deputy commander position.

  Yachan chose his uncle as a role model. He joined the Special Operation Force as his uncle had. He poured everything of himself into it. He was not discouraged even though his uncle had lost favor and been and thrown out. Finally Yachan became commander of the Special Operation Force after much struggle and effort and hard work; a rank his uncle could not reach.

  He learned the meaning of ‘power,’ as his uncle had explained it to him. He realize the more power he had to wield, the harder it is to give up. Therefore, he planned to never stop growing his ability to acquire more power.

  Yachan looked out the window as he waited for Hanmoo, making one assumption after the other and calculating the gains and losses for each assumption. Soon, he saw an unfamiliar car approaching the side of the training field. It was Hanmoo. Yachan clenched his fists at his sides and made up his mind as he moved forward to welcome him.

  Out into the World 7

  Hanmoo stopped his car before a tall building, the headquarters of the Special Operations Force. Both the building and the wide semi-circular wall at the entrance of the center were intentionally plain to prevent undue attention to what went on behind closed its doors. He ran through the important task he’d been given as he walked into the headquarters. He knew very little about Yachan, the commander of the Special Operations Force. One of the few pieces of information he’d learned about him was that it was hard to read his true intentions. He rarely revealed his thoughts or feelings to others. He was also very ambitious. Hanmoo could have guessed that when he reviewed Yachan’s past.

  Hanmoo took a deep breath and calmed his mind before pressing the button on the front door. A round screen with a young man’s face appeared in the air in front of him.

  “I am the commander of the Capital Defense Unit,” he said to the face. “I informed your commander in advance that I would be arriving.”

  “Please give me a moment, sir. I will check.”

  The door opened a few minutes after the soldier’s face disappeared from the screen.

  Hanmoo followed the soldier who came out to meet him and was guided into the main building, which was not far away. The soldier opened a door which seemed to be drawn in the middle of the wall and entered first. Hanmoo followed him and stepped into the main building. The entrance hall was as white as snow. There was nothing inside, not even a painting. Bare trees here and there played the role of interior decoration. The air inside the building was cool enough that Hanmoo caught a chill.

  The soldier walked along the wide corridor to the other side of the entrance and opened a big door. The room, which was proportional to the size of the door, had an over-sized round table at the center surrounded by large chairs, as if they were meant to be a set. A small man around forty years old sat on one of the chairs and gazed at Hanmoo, seemingly waiting for his salute.

  Yachan’s official rank in this unit was higher than Hanmoo’s, and he was about ten years older, so Hanmoo saluted him as sincerely as possible. The young soldier who had escorted him to Yachan left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

  “I, well, I’ve been waiting for you since I got your call. Please, please have a seat,” Yachan said tonelessly. He wore an odd smile as he looked Hanmoo up and down, examining his appearance.

  Hanmoo cautiously sat down in a chair at the opposite end of the table, and watching Yachan’s face carefully, offered a formal greeting.

  “Thank you for your time. I am glad to finally meet you.”

  Yachan’s skin was too white for a soldier and his thin lips twitched, which belied the gentle smile on his round face. Hanmoo wasn’t sure the man could be trusted.

  It may be impossible to read the intentions behind his smile.

  Hanmoo knew better than anyone how dangerous his task was to perform and felt in his bones that it would be harder than expected. If he failed to persuade Yachan he could be arrested immediately. That was why he had stopped other members from coming with him. Besides, if the man could not be persuaded, the number who tried to do so would not change the result. No reason to sacrifice more than himself. Daekhan and Taehan had promised to take control of the Capital Defense Unit for him should he fail to achieve his goal today and something unfortunate befell him. Hanmoo decided to jump directly into the reason for his visit after they exchanged formal greetings.

  “It has been very quiet lately. I mean after Taebakun conquered Koman.”

  “We are soldiers; we should be ready all the time - no matter how quiet it is. Who knows what will unexpec
tedly happen when and where?”

  Yachan’s deceitful smile flashed.

  “Have you heard anything about Taebakun’s recent moves?” Hanmoo asked.

  “Moves?”

  Yachan’s eyes lost focus and looked blank for a moment. “No, not really. Nothing noteworthy…”

  “The Capital Defense Unit thinks differently. We believe they have an active commitment to further provocation. Their recent movements prove it. We also have evidence to support our beliefs.”

  Hanmoo finished speaking and looked into Yachan’s eyes. He had to know Taebakun had made suspicious movements lately. He did not know whether Yachan wanted him to believe that he did not know, or if he wanted him to accept that he pretended not to know.

  “Well, is that so? If so, Taebakun may choose us as its next target…” Yachan said.

  “It is not ‘may.’ It is highly likely,” Hanmoo said, angry at Yachan’s attitude. Quickly, he calmed himself and said, “We have to prepare for war. This is a critical time and we need to reinforce the armed forces and strengthen our troops as soon as possible. I am frustrated because the leadership does not make any decisions to do so.”

  Yachan did not answer. He seemed lost in thought. After a short silence his eyes hardened and his face grew stiff. He said, “By the way, I heard there is something… a meeting or a group….”

  “What did you say?” Hanmoo asked, shocked.

  “Well, I heard that you’ve been speaking badly about the leadership. But regardless… I was wondering if you have come here to ask a favor of me. Just wondering, you know….”

  Hanmoo could think of nothing to say. His heart was beating fast and furious; his thoughts were scattered, distracting, but a second later he looked directly into Yachan’s eyes.

  “Yes. I came here to ask for your help, commander,” Hanmoo said in a carefully measured tone.

  He needed to state his request directly or indirectly to get help anyway. Beating around the bush could make it worse, particularly if Yachan knew something. But Hanmoo knew he should not explain in detail, at least not yet.

  Hanmoo said, “Yes, there is a group who is concerned with the current situation of Hoon and they need help only Yachan can give.

  Yachan face grew serious and his eyes widened at Hanmoo’s request.

  “If…if I help you and fail - we will all become rebels. Yet, I may be disadvantaged if I don’t help you.”

  Hanmoo did not answer. Yachan understood the circumstances precisely.

  “What, what will I gain if I help you? We have not done anything together before. I…I need to know the rewards as well as the consequences!” Yachan said, asking for the conditions rather than what the task was.

  Hanmoo read what he had prepared and then said, “I want you to be one of the supreme leaders of the new leadership!”

  Hanmoo did not miss the glint of excitement in Yachan’s eyes. A supreme leader was ample bait to dangle in front of this ambitious man. After careful consideration, the organization had decided to give him the supreme leader position as an inevitable condition to ensure the success of the revolt.

  Hanmoo calmly waited for an answer. He knew Yachan needed time to make this important decision, for the outcome could mean either ruin, or the opportunity to step into even more power than he had now. Keeping his eyes fixed on Yachan who was staring into space, deep in thought, Hanmoo reached into his pocket for the brooch inscribed with a rhino, a symbol everyone knew stood for the Planet Total Defense Force. His hand closed around the object and very slowly, he withdrew it from his pocket, repositioning himself as if to become more comfortable. In that moment he dropped the brooch to the floor as Sochan had suggested.

  Suddenly, Yachan spoke. “Well, there is something bothering me.” Yachan pointed at Hanmoo’s chest. “Your badge is not straight.”

  Hanmoo looked down at the shield-shaped troop badge; the mark of the Capital Defense Unit.

  “Well, I came here in a hurry…” Hanmoo said and straightened the badge.

  “You over-corrected. Move it back slightly.…”

  Hanmoo straightened the badge again.

  “Considering you came here in a hurry, must you also hear my answer in a hurry?” Yachan asked. He did not seem that relaxed, even though Hanmoo noticed him smile.

  “I’m sorry, but we cannot afford to wait long.”

  Yachan’s eyes abruptly changed and glared fiercely. “Three days - I will give you an answer in three days. Do not push me more. I also need time to think about it.”

  “I hope to hear good news soon,” Hanmoo said. Then he left the room after saying goodbye, convinced the answer would be yes.

  Yachan letting him leave instead of arresting him was evidence of that. Hanmoo smiled as he thought of the brooch that he’d slid under the chair with his foot. It was a brooch Chanman, the commander of Planet Total Defense Force handed out from time-to-time to esteemed guests who visited his office. Yachan would imagine many things after he found it on the floor. Chanman would be a challenging opponent for him. Therefore, he would not act thoughtlessly if he believed that Chanman was on Hanmoo’s side. He doubted Yachan would contact Chanman because he did not know him well enough. It was a delicate matter.

  Hanmoo smiled again as he informed Daekhan and Taehan of what had happened in the headquarters of the Special Operations Force.

  Out into the World 8

  Taehan was greatly relieved when he heard Hanmoo’s news. They had jumped over the first obstacle safely, which everyone was worried about. Their plan would have been seriously troubled from the beginning if they failed to secure the cooperation of the Special Operations Force, and if Hanmoo, as commander of the Capital Defense Unit, was arrested.

  Taehan and Sochan were just arriving at the headquarters building of the Planet Total Defense Force when Hanmoo called. This was the strongest army on Planet Hoon. The headquarters was a massive building occupying a large site; the convex mirror covering the front of the building shrank surrounding objects which made the building seem even larger. Taehan quickly reduced the speed of the transport, lowered the altitude slowly and landed lightly near the headquarters. Then he contacted Chanman on the bandan.

  “Are you here?” Chanman said after his face appeared on the round screen. “I am training outside. Someone will guide you to me when you come through the main gate.”

  “Do you participate in the training yourself?” Taehan asked.

  Chanman smiled, softening his rugged face. “I feel more comfortable out here; doing things inside is boring and tiring.”

  “Sounds like you,” Taehan said. “Be there in a minute.”

  Taehan and Sochan walked toward the main gate which automatically opened as they drew near. “Over there,” a waiting soldier said pointing at an internal transport vehicle with both the top and sides open. “I will guide you.”

  They followed his instructions and climbed into the vehicle which immediately began moving toward the training ground where Chanman waited. They passed several small training locations and the vehicle finally stopped just beyond a group of barracks nearly completely surrounded by dense trees. A small hill covered with an old-growth forest came into view. Taehan could see a trail winding up the middle of the hill.

  “Follow me please,” the soldier said, getting off the car and walking toward the trail.

  Taehan and Sochan walked up after him. The trail was wider than it looked at first. They walked along the trail in the dense forest for a while and then arrived at an expanse of flat terrain. The training field was huge; much larger than all the smaller fields and the area around the barracks combined. Roads were cleared to each side which gave the impression of wings. Taehan thought they must be used for moving major forces in and out. Giant robots in various formations filled the area, each one devoted to a specific type of training.

  It was not difficult to guess that these giant robots were the parantans of which they had only heard. The core military strength of the Planet Total Def
ense Force, and their most representative weapon, was the parantan, a ride-in robot maneuvered by the person inside. Their existence was well-known, but this was the first time Taehan had seen them in person. He watched the training scene for a few minutes and was stunned. There was a big difference in the data he’d seen regarding the parantan’s abilities, and what he was actually witnessing before his very eyes. The speed of their bulky physique was astonishing, and he could tell Sochan felt the same. She could not take her eyes off them.

  “They are amazing!” Sochan cried out in admiration.

  “Considerably different from what we saw in the video,” Taehan said.

  Suddenly a parantan escaped from its formation and came toward them with big strides. In the blink of an eye it was only ten steps away. Taehan stepped back hesitantly, feeling instinctively threatened. The body of the parantan was even larger up close, at least three times bigger than an average man. The thick arms and legs and solid torso were frighteningly powerful. It’s head, however, seemed too small and somewhat ill-crafted. Even so, the parantan looked and felt invincible. How could an average weapon of war ever impose any damage upon it? The parantan stopped in front of them and when the body split vertically from the chest to the abdomen, Chanman appeared. As soon as he saw Taehan, he jumped to the ground with a welcoming expression.

  “Long time no see. How are you?” Chanman asked.

  “I am doing well, commander. I hope I am not disturbing your busy schedule.”

  “Don’t mention it. There is nothing in particular keeping me busy. I always live like this. What brings you here? Have you come to see me or my troops?”

  “Both,” Taehan laughed.

  “Sochan is with you.”

  “How are you?” she said.

  “Good, good. I can spend the rest of the day showing you my troops.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I hope you remember that only a few people outside our defense force have had the chance to visit this training ground and see the parantan at work.”