The Little Prince in the Ossuary

#Public-interest s, the second half of 2042.

It was a shining world, a landscape of four seasons. Just like those young and beautiful days, a retired old woman walked down a path in the forest. Flowers bloomed over the spring haze to mark summer, and autumn leaves floated down the flowing stream. The cherry tree branches in full bloom were covered with the fluffy first snow. It was a paradise created by the illusion of electronic signals.

The 69-year-old Kim Sang-soon reached out and picked a nameless fruit. She took a bite and relished in its sweetness as it melted on her tongue. A cool breeze passes by her white dress. Her long, black straight hair fluttered fragrantly. Despite the seemingly perfect situation, the old woman looked at the sky with a worried expression.

“I’m so happy, but is Seok-hoon okay? I heard that the economy is in recession these days…if there was anything, I could do to help…”

She approached the tree. Sprouts came up from a low place near the trunk and quickly grew thick as she neared it. The old woman sighed for a long time, sitting somewhat on the newly grown branch. The voice of a female narrator who sympathized with the elderly cut in.

“Even now, two years after entering post-insurance, Kim Sang-soon is worried about her grandson, who she left behind in reality. After her son and his wife had a car accident, it was Kim Sang-soon who raised her grandson, Joo Seok-hoon. She has no one else to take care of her grandson, so she’s very worried. When will he get married? Is his company doing well? Is he sick? Seeing that he can’t come here often, things seem to be very bad… how noble is the love of the family that goes on after the death.”

The screen then changed. The focus was on a man with a gloomy look. The caption pops up—the butcher’s shop. The store was quiet. He can’t see any customers. There were many red letters in his book. The narrator explained his situation.

“Recently, Mr. Seok-hoon’s butcher shop hasn’t been making a decent profit. This is because citizens’ eating habits are changing as they enter the virtual reality era. Eating meat in real life has become a luxury now. In reality, it’s much more economical to take only essential nutrients and taste the delicacies in virtual reality.”

The following data then appeared on the screen. Statistics show that energy packs accounted for 86% of the food market. An energy pack, a gel-type food containing the recommended daily nutrients, made to be ready to eat without any additional cooking. It was followed by consumer testimonials.

“Jo In-Kyung (23, college student): Am I satisfied with this? Honestly, it’s not tasty. Strawberry, apple, grape, and so on; I don’t like artificial scents because they’re too strong. Well, it’s good for your health because it has a perfect nutritional balance, right? Most delicious foods are bad for your health, so you should eat them in virtual reality without side effects. The price is unnecessarily high.」

Park Chan-soo (35, office worker): To be honest, I’m too lazy to take care of my real life. The food in virtual reality is so delicious that it’s even more difficult to eat in real life. It’s crazy. I can’t wait to retire and get my insurance coverage.」

Reakkana Sotarat (29, foreign worker, Cambodia): Ah, Korea, a meal at the virtual reality show, good. Cambodian in Korea, don’t go restaurant. Meats, I don’t want to eat. Virtual meal, keep eating. I keep eating after eating. Insurance. I got it with my friends. I’m going to get it for my family, too. Korea, so cool.」

Jang Yoo-sun (40 years old, housewife): Well, until about ten years ago, I made stew and boiled fish. I forgot about how to cook them now, hoho. I heard that the rich people still eat out and cook. Doesn’t it honestly sound like a waste of money? It is more inconvenient in many ways to make and eat in reality than in virtual reality. If you eat a lot, you have to go to the bathroom often. They’re just trying to show off that they’re different. It’s ugly. Don’t you think so?”

The translucent background was the butcher’s book that had been shown earlier. The focus again catches the lonely owner of a deserted store. The butcher, Joo Seok-hoon, is complaining.

“I couldn’t even go to college because of my family’s situation. This is all I’ve learned, so I’ll have to go to the factory when I close my business. Working with foreign workers…there’s no hope. Unless I could move into a neighborhood where people can somehow afford real food…I can open a store in Gangnam or Seongbuk, but I don’t have enough money. I just need 10 million won more. Sigh.”

The screen suddenly grew brighter here. The scenery turned out to be the same flower path that Kim Sang-soon walked.

“Don’t worry.”

The narrator then explained in a gentle voice. “For those like Kim Sang-soon and Joo Seok-hoon, the post-insurance loan policy will be expanded. Previously, it was only available before registering. It’s different now. Those who are already covered by post-insurance, like Kim Sang-soon, can get a loan with the guarantee period as collateral.”

There was hopeful music. A picture of the grandmother and grandchild who had undergone warm-feeling filtering was located in the center of the screen.

“I’m sure all the elderly people who are covered by post-insurance will sympathize with the disappointment of families who don’t come after getting insurance. But have you thought about the financial difficulties your family will face? Terms and conditions loans are not just about helping your family. When money goes around, the economy comes alive, and when the economy comes back, the country comes alive. If the country comes alive, all the people will be happy. Show your family love and patriotism. Korea Post Insurance will help you.”

Like all other public service s, at the end of the , the flying Korean flag filled the screen.

“This campaign is joined by the Public Interest Advertising Council, the National Pension Service, and the Post-Insurance Corporation.”

From then onwards, the narrator read the essential guidelines for the loan at an incredibly fast pace, outperforming most rappers. Even young people couldn’t understand what she was saying. In the meantime, this text appeared.

“…If the debtor delays the repayment of the loan more than three times, the post-insurance service of the subscriber may be suspended, and the incidental part of the subscriber will be converted to a preservation standby state. If you are overdue more than five times, the subscriber’s personal preservation will be suspended…”

#Journal, page 71, Camp Roberts.

Refugees from all over the world flocked to the United States. It was the same situation yesterday, but today, it was worse. The media expressed that the sea was invisible. Refugees from all over the world filled the coasts. According to reports, there were more than 10,000 medium-sized passenger ships. The number of small boats and fishing boats couldn’t even be counted. It was amazing how they crossed the ocean with such a small boat.

On the west coast of the United States, the main evacuation sites for maritime refugees were the Gulf of San Francisco and Georgia’s Strait near the U.S.-Canada border. San Diego Port wasn’t open; it was a shelter for American citizens. Allowing refugees, there may also interfere with the operation of military bases and fleets. Among them, San Francisco Port was the most popular. It was for the winter. Although San Francisco was the origin of pollution in western North America, people would be safe there as long as they didn’t go on land. Mutants couldn’t swim.

The refugees on the sea were surprisingly not hungry, thanks to food from fishing boats. The United States provided them with fuel, food, and supplies. The United States was at the forefront of saving isolated citizens in polluted areas. Still, the tension was unavoidable. Among the thousands of ships at the coast were warships, and territorial wars seemed to manifest even at this state.

An example came from just this morning. A broadcasting team flying with a helicopter caught the battle between warships. Chinese and Japanese warships fired cannons and missiles at each other, as the reporter explained in a gloomy tone. The military of each government argued about having more space for their refugees, and eventually, it ended up in bloodshed.

Trouble also broke out near the Mexican border. There were no stopping smugglers from crossing the vast border. Hundreds of infections occurred simultaneously in the border cities of El Paso and Laredo. It was useless to build barriers on the border and strengthen aerial reconnaissance. The underground tunnels used to smuggle drugs were now used as escape routes for Mexican citizens.

The White House threatened the Mexican government. It warned that it would bomb Mexico’s cities if it didn’t stop illegal smuggling. However, the Mexican government, which lost control of most of its territory, didn’t have that capability. Maybe the White House just needed something to end the news positively?

#Journal, page 72, Camp Roberts.

Yura’s training for the reserve team has been completed. They also conducted tactical training with the help of U.S. military officers. After three weeks of intense training, more than half of the team have been eliminated, but it was considered a good result. All the remaining people deserved compensation. Although there were more people than capacity, they decided to accept all of them as official members.

There was someone who was expected to fail but endured the hardships and made it through. Her name is Jang Han-byul. She revealed surprisingly good qualities at the shooting range. After Han-byul’s shooting session, she looked at the target and let out a deep sigh.

“Phew…I didn’t get a single shot.”

I asked to see her results. She held out the paper in shame. I couldn’t help but admire the results. I told her as much.

“You did a great job. You fired five shots and in a left-leaning position, but all the holes are a single finger apart. You’ve got a natural talent.”

Even the U.S. soldiers whistled at her performance in the target range.

“You did a great job,” I praised her honestly. However, she didn’t seem to trust me.

“You don’t have to comfort me.”

I explained to her why we think she was great. Each person had a different refractive index of the retina. Even if they aim the same, they fit in different places. It didn’t matter if the distance is close, but the farther it gets, the more problematic it is. So, you needed to adjust the gauge so that you can aim it right.

Han-byul, who realized her skills only then, smiled brightly. I taught everyone how to turn the gunsight and to remember how many laps they have to spin at the same time. That way, even if they get a new gun later, they won’t have to zero fire again. There was nothing we could do if the type of gun changed, though. In the next round of shooting, Han-byul made a thick hole in the center of the target site.

“I don’t have to pick a designated shooter,” Sergeant Pierce remarked.

People cared a lot about the new equipment they received. It wasn’t just because it was qualitatively better than what was used before, but they got the means to protect themselves. The crew was treated as a US Private (PV2). It was a much better treatment than a volunteer status, guaranteeing them a salary. It was when the position of the “Winter Alliance” was higher than any other organization.

A certificate of citizenship was awarded to everyone. Many people, regardless of gender, cried with relief and a sense of accomplishment. At the same time, they were filled with anxiety and sorrow. Some cried because they were sad to give up their Korean citizenship. Captain Capston conducted the citizenship oath ceremony on behalf of the judge. He read the pledge with everyone raising their right hand.

“I swear here that I will give up all my loyalty and faith perfectly and with certainty to any other foreign monarch, ruler, state, or other ruling power that I have ever been ruled or a citizen of.”

“I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies at home and abroad.”

“I am….”

The captain asked me for an oath, too. I felt that getting my citizenship was too fast, but I calmed my mind and focused on the process.