Japan Space-Time Strange Chronicles

Fluctuating Sparks

This month's post.

Finally... the situation has come where the Yetisk Empire is involved. Please read it with a sense of tension.

- Kazuhiro Kasami

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March 28, 1751

Eastern coast of the Yi Empire (northeast of the real-world Korean Peninsula)

On this day, there was a ship heading to Shanghai in the eastern part of the Yi Empire. The ship was a large cargo vessel under the Japanese registry called the Kyokutō Maru, loaded with a large number of containers. Its contents were not food... but materials for the reconstruction of the Ant Kingdom, including tractors, trucks, and other vehicles.

Given that the cities of the Yi Empire mostly existed underground, with the surface being predominantly granary zones, there was no issue with the quantity of food reserves alone. However, due to the destruction of the capital, Nanjing, in the war with Japan, and the loss of mechanical means for harvesting crops in the vicinity of the capital due to naval gunfire and aerial bombardment, Japan decided to provide vehicles and equipment for the reconstruction. As the port facilities in Shanghai were already equipped to accommodate large Japanese cargo ships, the route from this world's equivalent to the Sea of Japan to Shanghai had been established.

Technically, it was a direct route from the West Coast, and since Hawaii and some islands were still not under the influence or contact of Japan, they had to navigate directly based on satellite data, making it quite challenging. Unfortunately, the Kyokutō Maru was experiencing engine trouble, rendering its engines almost non-functional. Drifting northward with the ocean currents, the ship found itself in an unfortunate situation.

Captain Keigo Kinoshita was managing to communicate with the homeland through the barely operational communication system. However, dispatching a ship with enough power to tow the massive cargo ship exceeding 300.000 tons immediately was impossible. The colossal vessel could do nothing but drift with the waves.

"This is bad... really bad. Almost nothing except for some emergency power. At this rate... we'll end up in this world's Vladivostok."

"Does that mean... it's within the territory of the Yetisk Empire?"

"...Yes."

Kinoshita had a bad feeling about this. If they were to drift near Vladivostok and be discovered by the Yetiski ships, the ship would undoubtedly be confiscated, exposing a portion of Japan's technological capabilities. While many aspects had been disclosed to other countries, there were still many confidential matters. Among the vehicles being transported were those equipped with GPS for efficient operations, and revealing such technologies would be detrimental.

The crew faced a difficult decision.

"What should we do...? While the possibility of rescue is low, there's still a chance. For the sake of protecting our technology, there's resistance to sinking the ship."

"Indeed. Even though the probability is low, as long as there's a chance of rescue..."

The Japanese have still not gotten rid of their bad habit of making very poor decisions when there is a risk but also a possibility of avoiding it, and in view of what would happen later, they should have all escaped immediately and opened the ship's Kingston valve to scuttle it. However, the Japanese tendency to "cherish things" rendered them unable to do so. If they were Europeans, sinking the ship without hesitation would likely be the decision.

In fact, they had already contacted the Waspaniat Kingdom and the Waspaniat Branch of the Coast Guard, who assured them they were "hurrying to the rescue." They were also advised by the homeland not to rush things and to wait for rescue. The Maritime Self-Defense Force had already departed from the west coast, but due to the considerable distance, it would take almost a month to arrive. Since the Waspaniat Kingdom had numerous towing ships to handle large ships in distress, the Coast Guard would accompany them. This was the current situation.