George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 188

< Episode 187 >

The new germs that originated in China quickly spread, initially impacting ‘Third World countries.’ The interconnectedness facilitated by advanced ships and airplanes had eliminated isolated civilizations; wood logged in the Amazon could be processed into furniture in France and end up in a home in Afghanistan.

The same held true for diseases. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a novel disease emerging from China, rapidly threatened humanity. The virus, initially expected to be eradicated within a couple of years, spread globally, evolving and mutating. Experts designated it with a technical term, but the media and the public simply called it:

“Super SARS.”

The Chief of Staff delivered the news calmly. However, his expression betrayed his composure, twisting into a grimace.

“Super SARS… that’s a frightening name.”

“Riga has been shut down due to this virus.”

“Riga?”

“It’s the capital and largest city of Latvia.”

Latvia borders the Baltic Sea to the north and Russia to the east. Riga, a port and trading city with a population of approximately 700,000 to 800,000, is the largest city in the Baltic States.

The closure of such a significant city indicated a dire situation in Latvia.

“Why couldn’t we determine how the disease was spreading?”

“It seems it was easily mistaken for existing SARS, and its long incubation period made detection difficult. Furthermore, a recent large-scale employment visa program may have exacerbated the problem.”

Riga’s population had been declining since the collapse of the Soviet Union. To combat this, the country issued large-scale employment visas, drawing cheap labor from specific Middle Eastern countries as that region became more integrated with Europe.

The issue stemmed from the Middle East. Some countries, like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan, had stabilized, leading to a rapid increase in local labor costs that some companies couldn’t afford.

These companies then imported labor from overseas, typically from China, Vietnam, or Africa, leading to cross-infection. The infection that began spreading in the Middle East then spread to other countries in the region, and Latvia re-imported the infection.

“Are the workers who came to our country okay?”

“Don’t worry. Entry screening has been strict from the start. However, we’re already investigating as a precaution. It will be costly, but we can avoid a shutdown like Riga.”

His expression briefly darkened at the mention of costs but quickly recovered. This reflected his belief that any problem could be solved with enough money.

“Usually in movies, they’re overly optimistic and then collapse suddenly. Shouldn’t we be fully prepared?”

“Mr. President?”

“I’m just kidding. A joke. But being fully prepared is serious.”

Bush scribbled on the paper, estimating quarantine costs, and then wiped his face.

“Oh, great. The budget won’t be enough.”

“Would it be possible to slightly reduce the defense budget?”

This was the most logical solution. The true collapse of defense occurs when the defense meant to protect people prioritizes itself over the people. This is essentially total war, or grinding down the populace.

However, Bush immediately rejected this.

“That’s ridiculous.”

The wind of disarmament, which should have been blowing, didn’t because of the Middle East. Instead, it was growing stronger. Disarmament in this situation was tantamount to suicide. Europe wouldn’t suddenly attack the United States, but the US would no longer be the world’s leading superpower.

“And we’re not so desperate that we have to disarm. Instead, I’ll use this opportunity to fix the unnecessary budget.”

Bush sighed, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders.

“What about the vaccine?”

“We’ve only just begun research.”

“What about the hostages?”

“One plane heading to Africa surrendered on the condition of leniency and landed at West Iraq Airport. One plane crashed in the waters near Sri Lanka.”

“Oh, I guess it worked.”

He meant the money spent on the bombing hadn’t been wasted.

“Let’s proceed as is.”

Every document placed before Bush received his signature.

Time passed, and Riga remained completely closed off. Estonia and Lithuania promised to cooperate, but their situations were also precarious. They had barely managed to prevent major outbreaks, but confirmed cases existed. While SARS had a relatively small number of confirmed cases, not even reaching 10,000, Super SARS was different. Already, 30,000 confirmed cases had appeared worldwide, and its infectivity was far greater.

In short, Estonia and Lithuania were in dire straits.

Riga was trapped behind a massive concrete wall, with soldiers and tanks stationed at every steel gate. Even though the tanks were just old T-55s from the Soviet era, they were a significant threat to unarmed civilians.

Patrol boats with mounted machine guns, either requisitioned ships or coast guard vessels, patrolled the Daugava River, which bisected Riga. All citizens trapped within suffered from chronic shortages. Black smoke billowed across the city as survivors starved.

Riga had descended into anarchy.

Clatter, clatter.

The stainless steel and tin pots hanging on the bag clanged together, echoing through the desolate streets. Though the streets appeared empty, people were hiding. Trust had eroded.

Perhaps the first week had been manageable. Residents of the same apartment building shared supplies and food. But that camaraderie soon dissolved.

All because of ‘pickles.’

Yes, pickles made from pickled cucumbers. If asked to recall the most striking memory, it would be the neighbor lady wielding a kitchen knife, demanding pickles. She brandished the knife wildly before giving up, dropping it, turning pale, and fleeing.

“Gordon, isn’t it really funny?”

Not cake, not cheese, not even bacon or sardine cans, but pickles. Pickles. People were ready to kill for a bottle of pickles.

“What? What are you talking about, Gordon! Listen carefully! I won’t abandon you for pickles! Besides, you can’t even eat!”

He shouted and squeezed the straw doll. Perhaps he used too much force, or perhaps its time had come, but the doll’s head snapped off.

“No, Gordon! Damn it! What have I done!”

He tried to reattach the head, but realizing his supply of synthetic resin was gone, he groaned and threw the doll into the river.

“Ah, it’s okay. The next Gordon will be better.”

He looked across the Lielupe River. The lights shone brightly there. Though he couldn’t cross the closed bridge, he could see the supermarket in the distance bustling with activity through his binoculars. The other side of the river was a different world.

Not everyone trapped in Riga was starving.

Strictly speaking, only those who were starving, starved.

People driven to extremes were capable of anything.

The groups that dominated Riga, where public authority had collapsed, were divided into five main factions. The first was the remnants of public authority.

Public authority had become meaningless, yet it still existed as a force. A contradiction? It was a group that nominally exercised public authority. The police still existed, but their numbers were too small to maintain control. Public authority existed, but it was truly ‘nominal.’

They were responsible for distributing supplies from outside the city and were the only people who could freely travel in and out of the closed city.

The next two factions were violent gangs. One called themselves the ‘Riga Militia,’ an existing local force that predated the crisis. They were the only group besides the police with firearms, which were surprisingly easy to obtain illegally in the port city. Their ranks included Latvians and a significant number of Russians.

The other was composed of foreigners, mostly from the Middle East. Believing they needed to unite to survive the crisis that had originated in Riga, they formed a nationalist organization. Initially structured as a labor union, they called themselves the ‘Middle East Union.’

The Militia and the Middle East Union primarily collected money and supplies as protection money. The Riga Militia controlled the west, while the Middle East Union controlled the east. Their territories didn’t overlap.

Another faction was a survivalist group. They had been interested in survivalism and stockpiling supplies long before the crisis. Armed with spears, knives, and hunting compound bows, they had hoarded goods from the beginning. Initially separate, they quickly unified when they realized they couldn’t protect themselves individually.

Finally, there were those who survived alone, like ‘Arturs Levits,’ who had been talking to the straw doll Gordon. They were called ‘survivors,’ ‘beggars,’ or ‘looters,’ but usually just survivors.

“I’m sick of sardines and beans. Humans are omnivores. I need meat.”

Bacon cans had disappeared a month after the incident, and the available supplies were mostly retort foods [pre-cooked meals in pouches]. Dogs and cats had long since been eaten, and it was fortunate that cannibalism hadn’t occurred. Half of the once-beautiful city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, had burned down, further reducing supplies.

Lining up for rations meant risking being shot by the militia or looted. Even if you received rations, they would be stolen unless you ate them on the spot. The weak couldn’t survive without joining a faction. Paradoxically, those who walked alone were also strong.

It was strange to talk about the strong and the weak in modern times, where money was power, but in Riga, where money no longer guaranteed safety, power reigned supreme.

‘I’m going to eat meat this Christmas, no matter what.’

Only three days until Christmas. Arturs Levits nocked an arrow.