Pathway to Japanese Literature

As for which nation the aforementioned "Spy Relay Station Z85" belongs to, that remains unclear at present.

However, it could be definitively stated that this spy relay station lay concealed within a region encompassing Washington—America’s political capital—and New York, its economic hub. Moreover, the station’s location remained in constant movement. One afternoon it might occupy a corner of a military supply warehouse, only to be found the next dawn in a room on the thirty-seventh floor of the Empire House—shifting ceaselessly in this manner.

To this station flowed intelligence from across America without respite. This intelligence ranged from major military incidents and critical meetings down to the murmurs of ordinary citizens.

At that time, beautiful and somewhat curious flower vases became popular in this region. The flower vases were ones that clung flatly to walls. They had two buttons: by pressing the flat side against a wall and clicking the top button with a *pon*, the vase adhered tightly to the surface. Once affixed, even if a grown man were to grab hold of it, sweat pouring down as he strained to peel it away, it would never come loose.

The only way to detach it was to press the lower button with a *pon*. Then the flower vase would drop downward like a stone.

This seemingly magical flower vase created a vacuum between itself and the wall through which it clung securely to the surface without falling.
There exists a renowned vacuum experiment called the “Magdeburg hemispheres.”
They joined two hemispheres together, evacuated the air within to form a vacuum, harnessed several horses to each hemisphere, and had them pull in opposite directions—yet ultimately failed to separate the two hemispheres.
Thus does this demonstrate the immense power of a vacuum—but our principal concern here lies not with these vacuum-applied wall-mounted flower vases themselves. Rather, I must draw your attention to how spies affiliated with Z85 have been actively utilizing these fashionable vases—vases concealing sophisticated miniature recording devices endowed with the fearsome capability to capture every word spoken in adjacent rooms through walls.

Indeed, the conversations compiled hereafter were results obtained through recording using such eavesdropping devices. However, as it was impossible to compile all of them here, only those matters pertaining to Japan have been presented. (The above was recorded by 85713, formerly attached to Z85 Station.)

1

November ○, 1944, 2 AM. In the President’s private quarters.
A meeting between the President and Zelkov, the "shadow president"—.

Zelkov: “What on earth do you plan to do about this mess…”

President: “There’s nothing to be done. I will simply proceed with my established policy—forcefully.”

Zelkov: “Wait a second. Your vigorous enforcement of your established policy is commendable—but what’s actually happening? Our fleet losses aren’t trivial! We’ve announced even the Daihon’ei reports with restraint. Yet the public’s already in an uproar. What do you think would happen if they learned the true damage?”

President: “So long as we avoid piecemeal or delayed disclosures, there’s no cause to needlessly disappoint them. This method was validated at Pearl Harbor. I’m applying it again now. It remains optimal.”

Zelkov: “I’m not questioning propaganda methods.”
“I’m urging you to reflect on how our fleet’s enfeeblement will affect us.”
“The effects haven’t visibly impacted war developments yet.”
“That’s only because we stockpiled vast matériel reserves for this full-scale Philippines offensive – we’re riding that inertia to push back the enemy now.”
“But once two weeks pass... three weeks... this will start crippling our combat capability in earnest.”
“You don’t plan to mass-produce our countrymen’s mummies across the Pacific, do you?”

President: “Our material might remains absolutely overwhelming compared to Japan’s production capacity.”
“Through material might alone, I steadfastly maintain my conviction that Japan can be fully subdued.”

Zelkov: “A deluded conviction.”
“Such delusions must be rectified at once in this current phase of our war against Japan.”
“Neither the Japanese military nor its people can be broken by matériel alone.”
“Answer plainly—do we still lack any reliable defense against their suicide charge tactics?”

President: “The precise method of defense lies in pressing forward with abundant material might.”
“Whether attacking or defending, one must press through resolutely with this.”
“Should one hesitate and waver, collapse will inevitably ensue.”
“I trust you will refrain from further inflicting such disadvantages upon the nation.”

Zelkov: “What the—”
“How dare you sit there content as President with such a dim-witted notion?”
“I’ll warn the committee about this, mark my words.”

President: “Do as you please.”
“As long as I remain President, steering matters toward what I deem my utmost duty is but natural.”

Zelkov: “Wait.”
“Do you even know who made you President?”
“It wasn’t the people.”
“It was our committee!”

President: “I am the President.”
“Regardless of who appointed me, I shall wield my presidential authority as I deem proper.”

Zelkov: “You’ve gone mad.”
“No sane man would speak such nonsense.”
“You know full well what provoking us gains you.”

Zelkov exited, and the door closed.
A buzzer sounded.
Secretary Ms. Kathlin entered.

“Your Excellency the President…”

President: “Ah, Miss Kathlin.
“Summon the doctor.”
“I want an injection administered immediately to relieve my fatigue.”
“I am completely exhausted today.”

Secretary: “Yes, right away.”

The secretary picked up the telephone and called the doctor.
There was a reply that he would come immediately.
She relayed this to the President.

“Will that be all…”

“No.
“Zelkov may come again.
“If he comes, tell him I’m ill and lying in bed.”

“Yes, understood, our Excellency.
“Um... Zelkov earlier returned storming off in a huff.”

“Hmph. Once one becomes President, all matters fall under one’s control.
“The people support me.
“The people wish for me to become the world’s emperor!”

Suddenly, Zelkov burst into this room.

Zelkov: “Hey, President.”
“I have something left to say.”
“You’ll take responsibility for your policy strategy, won’t you?”

President: “There is no need for your concern.”

Zelkov: “What will you do if it fails?”
“At that time, will you take responsibility and resign?”

President: “Yes, at that time I shall take responsibility.”
“I shall take responsibility magnificently… Please convey my regards to the committee’s gentlemen.”

Zelkov: “What the—”
(Narrator) That President fellow—had he begun to yield?
“No, no—what a troublesome fool you are.”

2

At the El-Pee News Agency’s editor-in-chief’s office.

Reporter Pike: “Editor-in-Chief—this is a major incident! A direct clash between the President and the ‘shadow’ President! This is truly unprecedented! I want to ask—where is our country headed?”

Editor-in-Chief: “No—the question is where the President is headed. Our country is essentially a ‘state where Jews are controlling us.’ That much is clear—it’s nothing but that. But in the President’s case, it’s not so fixed. He should now be seen as having set foot on the path to greatness.”

“But from the look of things, the President will be boycotted by the shadow committee, you know.”
“Even if the President’s term still had four years left, the shadow committee could replace him without any trouble.”

“From the President’s perspective, he thinks it’s fine even if he’s boycotted.”
“What he’s aiming for is to become the world’s emperor.”
“Our country’s President is but a trivial existence compared to that.”
“The ‘shadow’ committee had the power to control the President at least prior to 1944.”

“Is that so…?”
“But I don’t want to underestimate the Jewish union—the shadow committee’s actual power.”
“The President’s been acting a bit unhinged lately, hasn’t he?”

“Not at all. He remains thoroughly bold and thoroughly meticulous.”
“Right—the Einstein National Defense Science Research Conference will convene at Preston University starting tonight at eleven.”
“You—go there.”

“As usual, reporters will be shut out of that conference, I suppose.”

“Of course.”
“Since this comes right after our crushing defeat in the Western Pacific, security will likely be even stricter.”
“You should take Dr. Vinny—the eminent surgeon—with you.”

Reporter Pike: “Do you know what will be discussed at tonight’s conference?”

“I don’t know,” said the Editor-in-Chief.
“But I can imagine.”
“It’s safe to say they’re clearly researching countermeasures against the Japanese military’s suicide ramming tactics.”

“Ah, those suicide tactics,” replied Reporter Pike.
“They’re truly something else.”
“I can’t grasp the Japanese psyche.”
“Nimitz called their soldiers ‘monkeys,’ but monkeys couldn’t do that—and neither could any human.”

The Editor-in-Chief countered, “There’s no record of monkeys committing suicide.”
“That’s an exclusively human act.”
“Between us—the Japanese are the most sublime, incorruptible, and morally upright race on earth.”
“Give them industrial capacity, and they’d be invincible.”

Reporter Pike: “Editor-in-Chief, have you ever had a Jap as a friend?”

“Yes, I have.”
“I’m one who still believes in the Japanese people even now, you know.”
“However, our country’s government officials are pulling some awful stunts.”
“The other day, there was a report that Japanese warrior prisoners had been placed in cages at XX Zoo, with spectators swarming in commotion.”
“Since I had the opportunity, I quietly went to take a look.”
“They’d done something awful.”

“I’ve heard that story—but since Nimitz called the Japs monkeys, isn’t it only natural to cage them?”

Editor-in-Chief: “Hear me out first—they really were kept in cages! Made into some awful spectacle... Every tooth yanked out and nails ripped clean off! All under orders to stop ’em from killing themselves!”

“Pearl Harbor—no, the enemy from the waters off Taiwan and the Philippines!”

“But that so-called brave prisoner turned out to be a Japanese man I knew.”

“What? What did you say?”

“He’s a Japanese man named something like J.K.”
“He’s no brave warrior or anything.”
“Before the war, he had been an old man working as a laundryman at a California farm.”
“I know.”
“The old laundryman was supposed to be under protective custody in an enemy alien internment camp, but through some turn of events, he ended up posing as a Japanese prisoner at XX Zoo.”
“Dirty… the way our country’s officials do things…”

“Hmm, if that’s true, then those smart officials must’ve really hated it.”
“Once the war is over, I intend to have a few things to say about this matter.”

“Alright, I’ll be going now.”

“Ah, right.”
“Proceed with utmost caution.”
“Because filthy wretches are swarming about.”

3

At Preston University’s underground auditorium.

“We are midway through proceedings, but a special envoy has just arrived to see me. According to this report, His Excellency the President will be attending here incognito during this conference.”

Applause broke out.

Chairman Dr. Hal declared: “It is regrettable that Chairman Dr. Einstein remains absent despite this honor.”
“By general consensus, I propose we once again urge Dr. Einstein’s participation. Your opinions…?”

Applause erupted from the entire hall.

“Then I recognize unanimous approval,” declared Chairman Dr. Hal. “We shall immediately dispatch an envoy to Dr. Einstein.”

The entire hall buzzed with murmurs and noise.

The sound of the chairman’s gavel.

“Now, let us resume the interrupted conference.”
“Dr. Masney, please proceed.”

Dr. Masney: “Though unfortunately interrupted, I have little remaining to state.”
“...In conclusion, our nation’s greatest weakness lies in the depletion of human resources. As one effective method to compensate for this deficit, I must emphasize the urgent necessity to organize the Human Integration Surgery Corps as I have previously proposed.”

The sound of Dr. Masney drinking water from a glass.

Dr. Masney: “The Human Integration Surgery may safely be declared to have concluded its experimental phase.”
“I led my laboratory staff and spent three months on the French front, during which time ten human bodies were assembled through integration surgery.”
“Of those, seven ultimately failed to become viable organisms, but the remaining three began breathing, their hearts started beating, and indeed returned to life.”
“However, two perished again after seventeen minutes to one hour and ten minutes, while the remaining one still lives at a field hospital in France’s Ardennes.”
“As of today, it has survived thirty-seven days.”
“This telegram confirms its continued existence.”

Dr. Masney rustled the telegram paper.

Dr. Masney: “Therefore—I can assert that Human Integration Surgery has succeeded.”
“Soldier A sustained fatal head trauma.”
“Soldier B perished from thoracic penetration.”
“As for Soldier C—death resulted from hemorrhagic shock secondary to lower limb injury.”
“However—in Soldier A’s case—all systems excluding cranial integrity remained viable.”
“In Soldier B’s remains—no pathology existed beyond thoracic compromise.”
“Regarding Soldier C—only minor pedal laceration and hypovolemia were observed; other anatomical systems showed no abnormalities.”
“Previously—all three casualties underwent uniform cremation as standard protocol.”
“What intolerable profligacy!”
“At present—with national fatalities tallied by millions—this incineration of salvageable viscera musculature neural tissue cortical matter constitutes catastrophic resource depletion directly undermining strategic combat efficacy.”

Dr. Masney drank water again.
The glass struck the table with a violent sound.

Dr. Masney: “Therefore, by cutting out the healthy parts from the bodies of such fallen soldiers, processing them before decay, classifying them to endure long-term preservation, and then performing our Human Integration Surgery when the time comes—this is what must be done.”
“As a result, the head becomes Soldier C’s, from the shoulders to the lower abdomen becomes Soldier A’s, and the legs and blood become Soldier B’s composite body.”
“If there are ample Ringer’s solution, an electric scalpel, an electric incubator, an electric stimulator, and a constant-temperature chamber, this becomes possible.”
“I earnestly hope this method will be adopted immediately.”
“End.”

Applause broke out.

Next, the noise grew intense.

The sound of a gavel.
The Chairman called for order.

“Now, we will proceed to the vote. Those in favor of moving to implementation, please rise.”

The sound of a full audience rising could be heard.

“Yes. I recognize unanimous approval,” declared the Chairman. “We shall endeavor to promptly submit this matter and proceed with implementation. I hereby appoint Dr. Masney as committee chairman.”

Great applause erupted.

“So, Dr. Masney,” continued the Chairman, “will you be departing for Europe initially?”

“Yes. That would be most convenient,” replied Dr. Masney.

“However,” pressed the Chairman, “our actual human resource losses prove most severe on the Pacific front—might you not also extend your efforts there?”

Dr. Masney (in a slightly flustered voice): “Well, we have not yet been able to research the relationship between conditions such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity in the Pacific and the surgery… Moreover, numerous tests remain to be conducted in the European theater, so I must insist on specializing in Europe for the time being…”

4

At the same venue.

“Dr. Taylor.”
“Please proceed.”

“Though it is being vigorously touted that uranium bombs must be used,” said Dr. Taylor, “in my opinion, our nation has too little uranium in reserve—I believe it will be utterly impossible to meet the demands of this current war.”

“I concur!” a voice shouted.

Dr. Taylor: “As a resource zone for reliably obtaining uranium—or heavy substances with far more intense radioactivity than uranium—this Earth is woefully insufficient.”
“In conclusion, regardless of circumstances, it is imperative that we procure this from beyond Earth—for instance, methods must be investigated to acquire it from Mars, Venus, Saturn, and so forth—but this will not be attainable in time for the present war.”
“In other words, we must commence by designing a spacecraft.”

Sighs could be heard.

“Therefore, I have chosen not to use radioactive metals such as uranium and radium as raw materials, but instead to select other substances—moreover, I have considered using those abundant on our Earth, particularly within our nation. As a result, I have come to believe that boron is the most suitable.”

The audience’s sighs could once again be heard.

“Furthermore, another critical issue is the cyclotron, which is absolutely indispensable for extracting energy through such atomic decay.”
“It is precisely because there is a cyclotron that atomic decay can be achieved; however, this so-called cyclotron is an exceedingly massive apparatus that employs ultra-high voltage—it is utterly impossible to load onto an aircraft.”
“Therefore, the simplification and weight reduction of the cyclotron itself constitutes the critical issue in this matter.”

The audience groaned for the third time.

Dr. Taylor: “However, I have brilliantly solved this problem.”
“In my laboratory, we succeeded in creating a new cyclotron of an extremely compact size—comparable to a transmitting vacuum tube or oscillograph Braun tube—which we have named the Teichrotron.”
“Its power exceeds that of the largest models at the GE Research Institute by approximately seventy percent.”
“Such a mere Teichrotron as this…”

The audience’s groans grew louder, their voices rising in chants of “Teichrotron! Teichrotron!”

Dr. Taylor: “This Teichrotron device weighs merely fifteen pounds—light enough to carry under one’s arm and walk about.”
“Therefore, when replacing conventional engines and installing it on an aircraft, the aircraft’s weight becomes at least thirty percent lighter.”
“Moreover, by using the Teichrotron to moderately sustain boron’s atomic decay and propel the aircraft, its operational range becomes nearly infinite, making it possible to spend years aboard.”
“As for speed, it can be increased to over a hundred times that of current aircraft if desired; however, unless appropriate cooling of the airframe is maintained, there is a risk of burning up like a meteor midair.”

“Hmm.”
“An extraordinary achievement!”
“We must see the Teichrotron at once,” came voices from the crowd, along with other eager exclamations.

“My painstaking efforts have been focused on how to convert the energy generated during atomic decay into aircraft propulsion, and how to extract the minimal amount of energy.”
“Regarding the latter point in particular, you may wonder why we have labored to extract the minimal amount of energy. However, the energy generated by atomic decay is extraordinarily immense—the energy released from decaying something the size of a sugar cube could propel our nation’s entire fleet a mile into the sky.”
“Even if such energy were released now, there would be nothing capable of handling it.”
“Therefore, to cause the release of a minuscule amount of energy sufficient to power today’s airplanes, tanks, or warships, the quantity of boron must inevitably be reduced.”
“Measuring such a minute amount of boron and loading it into the Teichrotron—this measurement is exceedingly difficult.”

“I see.”
“That makes sense.”
“What an ironic phenomenon—struggling to measure minuscule boron quantities only to produce negligible energy,” remarked someone.

Dr. Taylor: “In truth, I had planned to bring a Teichrotron prototype here today for your esteemed inspection; however, it was not ready by my departure time.”

“That’s regrettable.”
“I want to see even just its shape!” a voice shouted.

Dr. Taylor: “However, by the time this report of mine concludes, my assistant was supposed to have brought it here—but for some reason, they have yet to appear.”

“Later would be fine,” a voice said.
“How much progress has been made so far?” a voice inquired.

Dr. Taylor: “In truth, the Teichrotron intended for presentation here today was scheduled to be brought only after thorough testing in atomic decay applications to confirm its proper functionality.”
“For I believe it would be an extreme discourtesy to present a defective product that does not function to esteemed authorities such as yourselves.”

“No—no need to worry about that.”
“I want to see that experiment.”
“What will you use the energy for in today’s experiment?” a voice shouted.
Dr. Taylor’s Teichrotron research report appeared to suddenly electrify the entire assembly.

Dr. Taylor: “In today’s experiment at our laboratory, we plan to use the output energy to fell the massive beech tree located in one corner of the premises.”

“Is that safe?”
“Will it actually fall?”
“Won’t the output be too powerful—sending the beech tree hurtling over to destroy university buildings?” came voices from the crowd.

Dr. Taylor: “Through rigorous calculations we’ve determined an appropriate boron quantity will be used. I believe there’s no danger.”

“However, I believe it’s extremely dangerous for the doctor not to attend that test himself.”
“Nah—it probably won’t be anything major.”
“At best, if the beech tree’s bark peels off, we’ll have to consider it a success,” came voices that split the audience into two factions—those overestimating and those underestimating the situation.

Chairman (striking the gavel): “Gentlemen, I must ask for silence.”
“I wish to hear Dr. Taylor’s conclusion on this matter.”
“Dr. Taylor.”

Dr. Taylor: “Yes, now then, my Teichrotron’s…”

Midway through his explanation, a tremendous vibration shook the room, followed by a sound like collapsing heavens and earth; screams that could only belong to the assembly members pierced the air. Then came the roar of water—a growing thunder that began drowning all other noise.

“It’s a flood!”
“The dam must’ve collapsed!”

“We need to get upstairs—we’ll drown down here!”

“You moron!”
“Go up and that blast wind’ll rip you apart!”
“I just tried climbing—the whole city’s pitch black. Saw skyscrapers crumbling like stale Christmas cakes.”
“This is hell incarnate!”

“No—the flood is worse! It’s Noah’s Flood! The Bible speaks the truth!”
“What caused this?”

“An earthquake? Or a volcanic eruption?”

“No—it’s neither.”
“It’s Dr. Taylor’s Teichrotron experiment that caused this.”

“How could that…”

“Atomic decay released an excessive amount of energy.”
“The assistant must have miscalculated the boron quantity.”

“Ah, I see.”
“And then… what happened?”

“Catastrophic destruction occurred.”
“The laboratory likely blew up instantly with everyone inside.”
“The energy delivered intense vibrations to Karubani Dam—one mile away—destroying it.”
“That’s why we’re flooded!”

“Oh no! This is bad!”
“The water level keeps rising!”
Ears rang shrilly.
The basement air was being strongly pressurized.
“We’ll get caisson disease at this rate!”

“Forget that—let’s stack desks to get higher ground!”
“I don’t want to drown here!”

“But Dr. Taylor’s research succeeded, didn’t it?”
“If we aim that Teichrotron energy at the Japanese military, wiping them out would be easy!”
“Exactly—no doubt about it!”
“We’ve finally grabbed Victory’s hand!”
“Long live Dr. Taylor!”

“Wait a minute.”
“But here’s the thing:”
“Dr. Taylor’s laboratory has been completely destroyed.”
“The research data and even the crucial Teichrotron blueprints have all been lost.”
“So despite having finally succeeded in his research, Dr. Taylor now had to start over from the beginning.”
“Isn’t that right?”

“I see.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s right.”
“What a waste.”

“Hello? Speaking of waste, Dr. Taylor has just passed away.”

“What?!”
“Dr. Taylor has passed away?”
“Wh-what happened?”

“He drowned.”
“He was swept away by that torrent and submerged underwater beside the toilet.”
“Poor Doctor…”

“What.”
“Then doesn’t that mean the Teichrotron research is completely ruined.”
“Our nation’s enormous loss!”

“Tch… After all this time, a new weapon capable of crushing the Japanese military has finally appeared, and now…”

From this point onward, there was no recording.
The water’s force grew violent, ultimately destroying the basement; as sewage water had drenched the flower vase recorder, it was presumed to have ceased functioning.

5

At a nightclub.

Sensual—excessively sensual—was the sound of jazz music. From within that jazz, a conversation could be heard.

“Yes, Your Excellency has been the very embodiment of good fortune since his youth, you know.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”
“Back at Preston University too—if that car had arrived in town thirty minutes earlier, he would’ve inevitably drowned in that flood.”

“No—for me, it is the greatest misfortune.”
“With this, I will likely have to resign as secretary soon.”

“What?! Why is that?”
“As a woman holding our nation’s most honorable position…”

“You are unaware.”
“It is precisely because I occupy that honored position that I am tormented day and night, from both front and behind.”
“The crowd that fawns over me and the crowd that vilifies me… I simply cannot endure it any longer.”

The lover: “I see.”
“That is truly beyond sympathy.”

“Moreover, Your Excellency has become exceedingly nervous lately and questions everything.”

“But if you could endure just a bit longer… His Excellency surely comprehends everything in that situation, does he not?”

“A dark shadow looms over me.”
“Regarding an incident I have absolutely no involvement in, I am likely to be placed in the most disgraceful position.”
“If such a thing were to happen, what should I do?”

“That is troublesome.”
“If we could clearly identify the mastermind plotting to frame you, I would make that bastard spew blood through a sewing machine.”

“That’s impossible,” Kathlin said. “The mastermind behind this is Your Excellency himself, you understand? But... but even so, not everyone within the White House is my sworn enemy. With help from such individuals, I might yet resign for some perfectly ordinary reason.”

“An ordinary reason?”

Kathlin: “That’s how it is, you know. For instance, under the pretext that I can no longer endure the strenuous duties of the President’s secretary due to tuberculosis and neurasthenia. My predecessor did so, you know. Even if that happens, will you still love me the way you have?”

The lover: “Yes, that may be true… But isn’t it precisely because you’re by His Excellency’s side that you’re so beautiful?”

“Ah, so it was true after all.”
“I know everything.”
“I am a woman who has served as Your Excellency’s secretary, you see.”
“I shall bid you farewell here and now.”
“I will go alone—by myself.”
“And I shall forever curse this dark empire of ours.”
“Ah, please stop this already.”
“Don’t touch me… Please, I beg you.”

6

In the back alleys of Richmond City.

“Well, well, everyone here.
Looks like the laundry’s been doin’ its job, eh?”

“Oh, Old Man Jim.”
“You’re in high spirits today.”
“Ah, I see.”
“You’re wearing such lovely shoes today…”
“Where did you get them?”

“Heh heh.”
“These?”
“Actually, I made these by hand over two weeks.”

“Can Old Man Jim really make shoes?”

“If it comes to this, I’ll do whatever I gotta.”
“The problem’s this leather, see.”
“Well, see, I peeled off the leather that was glued to an old chair, soaked it in grease for three days, then got down to sewin’—that’s how it went, see.”
“The sole leather here’s from an old trunk.”
“This is the second pair, but I just can’t get the shape right.”

“Now that you mention it, they are a bit awkward. But it’s fine—they still do their job.”

“But the shoes I made before got ruined in two days.”
“Why?”
“Well, you see, shoe leather and old chair and trunk leather are completely different in strength.”
“Might be better to make the soles outta wood.”

“Hmm.”
“Old man.”
“Make me a pair too, will ya?”
“I’ll repay you properly, really…”

“Huh.”
“What’ll ya give me in return?”

“It’s something wonderful.”
“Lend me your ear.”

(Pause.)

“Huh?!”
“Outrageous!”
“You mockin’ me?”

“I ain’t mockin’ you.”
“It’s the honest truth.”
“Unlike them substitutes—crisp clean through, no fillers.”

“Hmm...”

“We got a deal.”

“Hmm.”
“I’ll make ’em for ya anyway, but…”

“Quit stallin’, Old Man Jim.”
“I’ll front you some coffee as earnest money.”
“Get your bones over to my place.”

“You got real coffee?”

“My man left it when he came through from the warzone last time.”
“Pure-grade beans.”
“Army’s sittin’ on mountains of it, he says.”

“If only there were sugar...”

“I’ve got sugar set aside too.”
“Real Saipan Island sugar, Old Man Jim.”

“You’ve got everything at your place, don’tcha.”
“You ain’t mixed up with gangsters now, are ya? If you’re dealin’ with that lot, I’m gone.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Gangsters wouldn’t have Saipan sugar!”
“This was brought back by my husband same as before, I tell ya.”

“Huh, he brings back all sorts of things, does he?”

“There’s New Guinea pepper too.”
“And he says the next time he comes back, he’ll bring Manila cigars and cloth.”

“What?!”
“When’s your husband supposed to come back?”

“There’s no telling when that’ll be.”
“It’s a lottery—if your number comes up, you can come back,’ they say.”

“Hmm.”
“The ones who didn’t get picked in the lottery are pitiable, aren’t they?”
“The town’s swarming with soldiers on leave, but if you actually check around town, they’re all just folks who left and never made it back.”

“That’s right. There’s just no way those ones could’ve come back.”

“That may be so, but…”

“Old Man Jim.”
“The truth is, they’re dying in droves on the battlefield.”
“The Pacific losses are terrible.”
“Subtract those killed in action and those lost to sickness—there’s barely anyone left.”
“So really, this whole neighborhood’s filled with war widows and orphans too.”

“Hmm.”
“But he said letters do keep comin’ through proper-like, I tell ya.”

“They make ’em write a heap o’ undated letters before they die off, then ship ’em out one after another.”
“Check how worn-down the ink looks – you’ll see plain enough.”

“But you see, according to government announcements, such-and-such aircraft carriers sank in the Pacific.”
“But even if a ship sinks, they always spout stuff like ‘over a hundred officers including the captain and over a thousand sailors were rescued’—makes it sound like lives get saved every damn time.”

“My husband said so.”
“That’s all a fraud, he said.”
“They’ve all turned into sea foam, smoke, or rain ages ago, he said.”
“In other words, unless they keep saying folks are alive or rescued like that, soldiers would refuse to enlist afterward—‘no thanks to such a dangerous line of work.’”
“That’s why they keep spouting all that ‘rescued this’ and ‘saved that’ nonsense to cover things up, he said.”
“Because my husband’s actually seen the battlefield with his own eyes, there’s nothing more certain than this.”

“Hmm.”
“So that means our country’s got plenty of ghost armies, huh?”

“That’s right. A government that keeps people in the dark about that is as cruel as a bandit chief.”

“Your husband too—who knows what’ll happen to him from here on out, I tell ya.”

“My husband’s fine.
“He says he won’t make such a stupid mistake as dying.”

“As if that’s possible!”

“Well, he says it’s not impossible.”
“This is a secret, but my husband’s gotten himself attached to a Jewish front-line inspector, he says.”
“If you stick with the Jews, they absolutely guarantee your life’s safety, he says.”
“He told me, ‘I’m gonna keep clingin’ to the Jews’ coattails from now on.’”

“Tch, that’s nasty—tyin’ yourself to Jews like that.”
“When it comes to Jews, they’re downright unbearable.”
“They started the damn war, yet they won’t set foot where the bullets fly.”
“The ones dyin’ in battle are all non-Jewish American soldiers.”
“And those damn Jews are too busy obsessin’ over their money-makin’ schemes.”
“And on top of that, they’re rakin’ in huge damn profits, I tell ya.”

“The prices goin’ up and goods disappearin’—all thanks to the Jews and Japanese military.”
“Oh, that reminds me.”
“You’ll really make shoes for me, right?”

“I’m not Jewish.”
“I’m a purebred American.”
“I’ll make ’em for ya.”

“Really?”
“Then I’ll give you that thing I mentioned earlier.”
“Why don’t you stop by my house for a bit?”

7

Dictator King of the Production World, at the Production Minister’s Residence.

“There’s no rubber.”
“There’s no rubber.”
“There’s just no rubber.”
“There’s nothing to be done.”

“Barking won’t make it appear!”
“We’ve known since last year that all our rubber stock would run out by 1944.”
“Now you’re…”

“Hahaha.”
“A year ago, you lot were making a fuss about there being no rubber and demanding what I’d do about it—and I was the one who said ‘Barking won’t make it appear!’”
“Hahaha! Now it’s reversed!”

“This is no laughing matter.”
“What are you going to do about the airplane tires?”
“Three thousand super-heavy bombers monthly—combined with other aircraft, that’s seven thousand five hundred total.”
“The weight of the rubber tires required for those is conservatively estimated at 5,600 tons.”
“That’s 5,600 tons of rubber we can’t find anywhere.”

“The black market bosses might have some.”

“It’s too expensive—no good.”
“Even if we offer a hundred times the official price, they won’t budge.”

“But if it’s available, we’ve no choice but to buy.”
“We can’t exactly fly airplanes without tires.”

“What if we focus production on seaplanes and pilots?”
“Those wouldn’t need tires, but…”

“We’ve received direct orders to manufacture airplanes with rubber tires.”
“This is troublesome.”
“Even relying on the black market, there’s no telling how many months we can sustain this.”

Committee Member G: “Minister, I’ve got the most effective idea right here.”

“Oh? That’s most welcome indeed.”
“This idea being…?”

“We’ll storm headfirst into the Malay Peninsula.”
“And scrape together every last ounce of rubber.”

“That won’t work.”
“Malaya falls under Britain’s jurisdiction.”

“There’s no need to fuss over such things.”
“Our country has the right to take what we need whenever we want it.”

“Even so, a Malay landing operation requires significant preparation.”
“Lately, the enemy Japanese military’s attack squadrons—with their all-or-nothing precision strikes—have been terrifyingly effective.”
“If they spot us mid-route—whether it’s a battleship or transport ship—they’ll stop us cold.”
“To brave that and safely land sufficient forces in Malaya, we lack ships, we lack planes, and above all, we’re desperately short on troops!”

Committee Member G: “Japan has sustained massive losses too.”
“With their production capacity, they won’t recover those losses even in two or three months.”
“That’s why we must press forward aggressively now.”
“When enemy Japan realizes our country still possesses such material might, they’ll be stunned—every last one of them wearing gloomy faces.”
“Strike them in that weakened state, and the success of the Malay Landing Operation becomes certain.”
“Then we’ll steadily import all the rubber we need.”

Committee Member A: “I can’t agree… I just…”
“Minister—what’s your view on this?”

“As for my part, I lack confidence in the Malay Front Operation.”
“The reason being—as far as Saipan and Palau—we believed Japan’s production capacity posed no issue compared to ours, and therefore concluded that however valiant Japanese military officers and soldiers might be, with their meager production capacity, they could never match us.”
“In operations like the Philippines Recapture Operation, we prepared aircraft, ships, and shells in quantities fifty to two thousand times greater than those of the Japanese military.”
“I acted with absolute confidence that failure would be impossible under these conditions.”
“Yet look how it turned out…”

(Pause.)

“We must completely restructure our operations against Japan from the ground up.”
“Doesn’t our operations department have any countermeasures prepared against the Japanese military’s suicidal ramming tactics?”
“This response poses a monumental challenge.”
“Every Japanese plane carries bombs while crashing into our warships and positions.”
“They don’t expect to return alive.”
“They’ve resolved from the outset to attack through suicidal collisions.”
“We haven’t yet researched what means could defend against these reckless ramming squadrons.”
“In fact, even finding an appropriate method would demand massive counter-weapons and troops exposed to peril.”
“Does our nation truly possess combat strength sufficient to fully counter these collision tactics?”
“I cannot help but take a pessimistic stance.”

“This is utterly impossible,” “The Japanese soldiers are barbaric,” “They’re out of their minds,” clamored the committee members.

“We can’t endure having our carriers, battleships, and large transports sunk one by one by mere single-plane suicidal attacks from Japan! Especially when the damage to our human resources exceeds the enemy’s by hundreds or thousands of times—there’s no battle more economically disastrous than this. No matter how fiercely our production teams strive, we cannot manufacture one carrier per week. No—even producing carriers weekly at that rate, we still couldn’t compensate for these catastrophic losses under current conditions.”

“Minister, don’t you have any brilliant ideas?”

“What brilliant idea could there possibly be? Though it may be unremarkable, I have no choice but to build about 100,000 long-legged bombers—that is, B29s and 32s—and launch simultaneous attacks on the Japanese mainland.”

Committee Member A: “A hundred thousand units? That can’t be done in a year. It would take at least five years.”

The Minister: “We have no alternative. Even if it requires many years… Other than bombing the Japanese mainland, our country has no path to victory.”

Committee Member A: “But what happens when our long-range super-heavy bombers are intercepted by the Japanese military’s suicide ramming fighter groups before they even reach Japanese airspace—worn down one by one?”

The Minister: “We’ll fly at altitudes Japanese fighters cannot reach. We’ll enter from the stratosphere.”

“Japanese fighters will still intercept us even in the stratosphere.”
“What happens then?”

“Oh, enough already—it’s just suffocating.”

Committee Member N: “Minister, I must say—”
“This meeting is the Production Committee.”
“I must request that we cease wasting valuable time on discussions unrelated to production.”

“Ah, you’re absolutely right.”
“Then I hereby declare this session reopened…”

The Minister struck the gavel.

8

In a corner of a certain factory.

Chief Engineer Yarson: “No rubber, no tungsten.
“With this, we can’t make a damn thing.”

Foreman Weiss: “That true…?”

“There’s no point in lying to you.”
“If there’s no rubber, all vehicle production will halt.”
“If there’s no tungsten, all we can make are cannons that’ll bend the moment they’re fired.”
“Hey, Weiss.”
“From here on out, nothing good’s coming our way.”

“Why aren’t you collecting that stuff?”

“Collect? The stock’s depleted.”
“Moreover, imports from overseas are almost nonexistent.”
“You’ll be out of work by next month or so!”

“But they’ve increased our working hours to fifty-four.”
“We should be swamped with work, but…”

“If important resources disappear, we’ll have to compensate for shortages with makeshift work.”
“We’ll just get busy with trivial things.”
“Welders will end up doing things like taking hammers and striking them on the anvil.”

“This is so dull… Well, guess I’ll start something then.”

“What do you mean by ‘start something’?”
“Oh, right.”
“A strike?”

“You hit the nail on the head, but strikes aren’t as appealing as they used to be.”
“We’ll push up wages with today’s strike.”
“Then tomorrow, prices will just shoot up higher than the wage increases—it’s an endless game of cat and mouse.”

“You’re going to make it a bit bigger, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Planning Committee member Rawlinson said the same thing.”
“The preparations are ready—we’ll carry it out starting the day after tomorrow!”

“I’ll go fishing or something in the meantime.”

“Fishing, huh?”
“But you better watch out around those Victory Girls.”
“Even twelve-year-olds are apparently loaded with spirochetes and gonococci, you know.”

“Hmph.”
“Those flapper girls won’t give us the time of day.”
“It’s soldiers they’re after.”

“But that’s not how it is, I tell ya.”
“So the professional madam was furious, I tell ya.”

“You’re unusually well-informed about those matters, aren’t you?”
“There must be some good ones among the madams…”

“Let me show ya how fat my wallet’s gotten.”

“Fine for showboating—but don’t screw up the strike and get drafted.”
“Europe postings? Forget it—they’ll ship you straight to the Pacific.”
“That’s not a deployment—it’s a one-way ticket to diggin’ your grave.”

“I know, I tell ya.”
“C’mon—you think I’d screw up that bad? I tell ya.”

9

At the Victory Hall in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

“...The greatest flaw lies in our lack of a unified chain of command,” declared the Pacific Fleet Commander. “Unless we execute simultaneous operations against Japan’s formidable forces, there can be no path to victory. This is what I have repeatedly emphasized.”

“Halsey said the same thing,” remarked the Fifth Fleet Commander. “How utterly pitiable...”

Southwest Pacific Commander: “He who chases two hares catches neither.”
“If I had followed my own counsel and launched a direct assault on the Philippines, none of that would have occurred.”
“Because of petty ambitions—hoarding their strength or trying to claim glory by jumping ahead—they’re always riddled with failures.”
“I earnestly wish to warn you.”

“I think *you’re* the one forcing things through unreasonably here.”
“To redeem the disgrace of surrendering the Philippines to Japan while eyeing the next presidency—that’s your rumored agenda.”

Southwest Pacific Commander: “Preposterous gossip.”
“None but I truly comprehend the Philippines and the Orient.”
“Witness Stilwell’s shameful spectacle!”

“Then why don’t *you* charge into Chongqing yourself?”
“Then I too might break free from this icy stalemate.”

“Hey now, don’t go making such grand claims there. Your fleet’s just sitting there like a friend who’s cut ties—turning a blind eye to the sea and air battles in the Western Pacific, you know.”

“The defense of the northern regions is, to tell the truth, the most crucial.”
“That area is the closest point to our nation’s carotid artery.”
“I don’t need some defeated general spouting nonsense here.”

Pacific Fleet Commander: “Let us cease this squabbling.”
“And let us put it to a vote here.”
“In a simultaneous operation, there can only be one attack target.”
“Is it an invasion of Japan’s mainland or the recapture of the Philippines?”

No one answered.

Pacific Fleet Commander: “If there are no objections, I will—”

Southwest Pacific Commander: “That is unquestionably the sole course—the recapture of the Philippine Islands.”

“I oppose that.”

“So—the invasion of Japan’s mainland, then.”

“Well, that’s the one. However, proceeding immediately would be problematic. I demand that sufficient preparations be made for the invasion of Japan’s mainland. I refuse to be lumped in with the likes of the bandage brigade, the incompetents, the eccentrics, and the cleanup crew.”

Fifth Fleet Commander: “I’d like you to include the ‘cowardly group’ as well. Even though we were requesting rescue over here, there was someone who turned a blind eye and ran away.”

“Wait,” said the Pacific Fleet Commander. “His Excellency the President approaches this way. Mind yourselves. It seems he means to have two or three heads roll today. Let us not speak of past matters—focus only on future issues…”

The sound of chairs scraping echoed as everyone stood.

“To Your Excellency the President,” declared the Pacific Fleet Commander, “the united naval leadership offers its respects.”

“Ah, thank you,” replied the President. “Now then—be seated.”

“How fares Your Excellency’s health?” inquired the Southwest Pacific Commander. “Does the paralysis still trouble you?”

“My condition remains stable, but this lack of appetite troubles me.”
“Now then—this war against Japan dragging on interminably grows ever more problematic.”
“To speak plainly—both at home and abroad—matters stand one step from detonation.”
“Have you failed to perceive this?”

Pacific Fleet Commander: “Your Excellency speaks with profound insight.”

President: “We initiated propaganda framing Japan as a formidable adversary—yet the masses fail to internalize it.”
“That we’ve spent four years failing to subjugate such a paltry island nation—they now decry it as presidential weakness and folly!”
“Moreover, swelling discontent over livelihoods breeds ever more war opponents among the populace.”
“They begin discerning how kin were lost on battlefields.”
“War production dwindles monthly—resources scarce, labor wanting.”
“Where has our citizenry mislaid that pioneer spirit from our founding days?”
“Ah…”

“There is no path forward save through victory.”
“I maintain that concentrating our full might upon this singular course—the recapture of the Philippine Islands—constitutes the optimal strategic avenue.”

“Wait.”
“You haven’t forgotten our earlier agreement…have you?”

“What? What?” snapped the President. “Speak louder!”

“Yes, Your Excellency,” replied the Pacific Fleet Commander. “For both domestic and international audiences, there remains no viable path for effective pacification except through securing our victory.”

“Everyone seems to share that opinion.”
“That is most commendable.”
“But on what day will that actually be achieved?”
“I dare pose this counter-question to you all.”
“I have responded to your requests by sending you the world’s finest aircraft, the world’s finest vessels, and the world’s largest quantity of ammunition.”
“However, providing this massive production output has become quite burdensome even for our nation’s capabilities in the present circumstances.”
“And yet, I have consistently fulfilled every one of your requests up to this point.”
“However, I deeply regret that I have not been able to hear of the expected results from you all.”
“In this situation, even vast production amounts to nothing but production for the sake of waste.”
“Or perhaps you gentlemen have been holding back from saying this?”
“That in order to achieve total victory against the Japanese military, today’s production output remains insufficient.”
“No need for reserve.”
“I too have certain expectations—therefore, I want you to state your proposals clearly.”

“Your Excellency the President, I am humbled to be posed such a question by you.”
“To put it bluntly, the material quantity required for certain victory demands five hundred times the amount currently being supplied.”

Pacific Fleet Commander: “No—it’s not five hundred times.”
“A minimum of two thousand times is required.”
“What is especially and urgently needed is personnel.”
“We hope to have them immediately conscripted and put through three months of accelerated training.”

“That is impossible.”
“You speak of five hundredfold or two thousandfold increases—if we multiply our current fifteen million troops by five hundred, that becomes four and a half billion; by two thousand, eighteen billion. Yet it is common sense that our nation’s population stands at one hundred thirty million.”
“Do you gentlemen still retain even a shred of common sense?”

(A prolonged silence.)

“With all due respect, Your Excellency—while our nation’s population is indeed 130 million, the total population of the Anti-Axis nations…”

“Merely 3.5 billion people, isn’t it? Your demand for four and a half billion falls short by one billion; his demand for eighteen billion falls short by a staggering fourteen and a half billion—and this calculation assumes we mobilize even infants. Moreover, considering the quantity of weapons and ammunition required to supply this, I know no method to fulfill it.”

(Silence)

“In short—if I were to continue down the path of fulfilling your demands exactly as they stand—there can be nothing but collapse. Schemes prove ineffective; they do not fear death; subduing the enemy Japanese people who can endure minimal living standards remains exceedingly difficult.”

(Silence)

“No—as days pass and time flows onward, the difficulty becomes increasingly clear.”
“The burden upon my heart grows heavier.”
“Thus, the sole path of hope remaining to me lies in a surprise attack born of scientific invention.”
“Dr. Taylor’s death is a loss too profound to measure.”
“I too must bear a portion of the responsibility.”
“Dr. Taylor became so engrossed in his research that he neglected his own safety.”
“We must protect scientists and engineers who lose themselves in their work.”
“Yet Dr. Taylor cannot be restored to life.”
“Dr. Einstein.”
“If only this man would demonstrate greater capability—but this senile scholar has betrayed my expectations.”
“Was he a charlatan from the very start?”
“Or does something displease him…”

(Pause.)

President: “Exactly! That bastard is sabotaging us!” Very well—I’ve made my decision. I will militarize the scientific and technological community. I will militarize the production sector as well. Everything will be militarized. Work is orders. Those who oppose this and those who fail to work according to orders will be executed by firing squad. That’s perfect. What about democracy? Hah. What does democracy matter? I must win. Hmph, let anyone who wants to complain say whatever they like. I am the President. I have the right to move my country—lent to me—as I desire.

10

In the President’s bedroom at Hakuaku-kan.

“Even if you pour endless troops into the Pacific front, it’s just pouring water on a hot stone.”

“I beseech you—grant me time.”

“We didn’t make you President just to have you bankrupt and squander our national power, you bastard.”

“I beseech you—grant me time…”

“What the hell is this? The Japanese military’s kamikaze bombings of Washington and New York that began yesterday—what do you call that? Why can we not demonstrate our defensive capabilities? You’re lavishly supplying weapons and ammunition to countries around the world, yet you can’t even defend your own skies—what kind of absurdity is this? Hey—are you even listening?”

“I beseech you—grant me…”

Zelkov: “This is the promise.”
“You will take responsibility.”
“Take responsibility—now!”

President: “I beseech you—grant me time.”

“Absolutely impermissible.”
“Now, take responsibility—immediately!”
“Either sign this and resign…”

President: “I will not resign.”

“I won’t permit this refusal, you bastard.”
“Our committee is already armed and gathered at this Hakuaku-kan.”
“The committee demands you take responsibility and vacate your post.”

President: “Let us speak more frankly.”
“Grant me two more years.”

“Impermissible.”

President: “I have an idea to attack Japan with unmanned aircraft.
Grant me another year and a half…”

Shadow President: “Resolutely impermissible.
I want to terminate our deal this instant.”

President: “I refuse.”

Shadow President: “Not a chance.
Do you still not understand even after all this…?
Very well. Per the committee’s decision, there’s something I must take from you.
Steel yourself.”

“W-wait!”

A gunshot rang out.

“What an indecisive bastard.”
“Never figured he’d cling this stubbornly.”
“……Well… this’ll do.”
“Time to issue the proclamation.”

“Hey, Vice President.”
“Come here.”

“Yes. I have come.”

“This is the proclamation you will read aloud before the microphone.”
“Read it.”

“Ah… —‘Today at 10 PM, the President has passed away due to canned food poisoning.
“‘Until the next presidential election is held, I shall temporarily exercise presidential authority.’ End of statement.”

“Well? Any objections?”

Vice President: “Not at all—it’s perfectly splendid.”
“Most satisfactory indeed.”

“I see,” said the Shadow President.
“Then I’ll come right out with it—I have orders for you.”
“Make an official proposal to the Japanese government.”

“Huh? To the Japanese government… What are you…?”

“A ceasefire proposal. Propose a five-year truce agreement. This is our final reckoning. As our country stands now, to be honest, we no longer have the capacity to continue fighting.”