The Gimmick (2)
“There, that's enough. Mind putting that gun away? It's poking me and it's annoying.”
Click.
The barrel of the gun pointed toward the floor at [XX-02]'s words, laced with just a hint of irritation.
We'd rounded the corner once, so there was no way they could see this spot from the isolation room anymore. And with [XX-04]'s size, aligning the peephole with her eye level would have been impossible from the start. No point dragging out this ridiculous charade.
“Thanks for your service.”
The soldier gave a perfunctory nod and turned to leave. The woman strolled down the hall toward the long corridor ahead.
She stopped at a gate-like structure at the end of the long corridor that appeared after passing the humanoid isolation wing.
> Disinfection commencing.
Chemicals sprayed from all sides, washing over every inch of her body.
They called it disinfection, but the stench was foul beyond belief. It would have been better if it at least smelled like alcohol. Some people even gagged every time they went through it.
“……Maybe I should just quit.”
She wasn't much different. Of course, having been here for quite a while, she'd built up some tolerance.
> Disinfection complete.
With external decontamination done, it was time to thoroughly clean the inside.
The woman entered a peculiar room and grabbed a handful of ampoules from the chemical refrigerator.
She filled a thick syringe barrel with them all.
“Let's see……”
She rolled up her sleeve and pondered for a moment.
Right arm this time. It had fewer scars than the left. She injected the chemicals into it.
“Kuh……!”
It hurt. She'd deliberately injected it to leave scars, so the sharp pain slamming into her brain was to be expected.
The needle pierced her arm three times in total.
Only after finishing the nauseating disinfection process could she retrieve her original clothes from a nearby cabinet and change.
A lab coat that was frayed in places but still pristinely white. 1st-grade researcher Lee Hana headed to the observation room where her assistant awaited.
Screeech! “Ah, you're here.”
As soon as she opened the door, a voice drawled toward her. 2nd-grade researcher Kim Seongcheol greeted her, leaning back in his chair with the backrest fully reclined.
“Any anomalies?”
“Nope. Nothing special…… Hold on.”
Suddenly serious, Seongcheol sniffed the air like a drug-sniffing dog.
“Smells like a monster in here somewhere?”
His face was full of playful mischief. Hana, whose head was already hot from the ordeal, clenched her molars and flicked her finger at him.
Snap!
The crisp sound belied the harsh words that burst from her mouth.
“If you're gonna say disgusting shit like that, get out.”
“No, no…… I was just kidding. But good thing. Guess [XX-04] doesn't have any mental contamination abilities. I was honestly worried you'd get mind-controlled by it, Senior.”
“Won't happen, so don't worry. I even did the mental test on the way back.”
“Damn, so you're gonna do that every time you go in and out of isolation? That's gotta be a pain. Anyway, no danger markers on [XX-04] for now. I'll log it that way. Wanna see?”
Hana meticulously read through the file he casually handed her.
Management Number: [XX-04]
Containment Grade: B (Dynamic)
Danger Markers: [Unclassified] - Awaiting additional data
Containment Protocols: Subject-[XX-04] is currently housed in a standard humanoid isolation cell at Research Facility. Physical restraints are sufficient for control at present, but 24-hour video surveillance is required due to the subject's demonstrated self-awareness. 'Direct contact' or 'communication' with other anomalous entities (hereinafter 'monsters') is strictly prohibited without Level 1 or higher authorization, as it may escalate into unforeseen threats.
Notes: Subject-[XX-04] possesses clear self-awareness and intelligence. Suspected of anomalous abilities linked to [A-031], though manifestation remains highly unstable.
Remarks: [XX-04]-1 (Observation excerpt): Notable side effects observed in subject. Believed to have lost 'emotions' and 'memories' due to aftermath of monsterization experiment. Close monitoring via researchers underway to determine if permanent or temporary, as it may lead to ego collapse.
“Hmm…… Shouldn't we bump the containment grade to A?”
“You think? The main body itself isn't dangerous, so B should be fine. Plus……”
Seongcheol tapped away at the keyboard, continuing. Data was being uploaded to the foundation's database at a rapid clip.
“If we do that, it counts as a failed experiment. Upper management will come down hard on us.”
Raising to A meant rational control was meaningfully impossible.
A clear deviation from the experiment's intent.
“Yeah…… You're right. Okay, table it for now.”
There was hope this experiment might yield something worthwhile, so conservative action was key.
Hana sat beside him and read through the logs of the just-completed experiment one by one.
She'd participated, but had returned to isolation without seeing the aftermath.
Flip.
“What about the equipment? All recovered?”
“Not a single piece. You saw it explode. The floor's even cratered.”
Disappointing all around. Equipment wasn't really their concern as researchers, but the missing corpses stung.
Both would have been useful for future experiments.
“It's peculiar. Keep getting that type of monster?”
“Nah. That's why they're doubling the dosage next time. Wanna test the limits.”
“……Dangerous. We know too little about [XX-04] still. Anyway, the three dead soldiers' identities—erased?”
“Not erased…… Was it from before? Or maintenance? Anyway, using them as-is. Short-staffed on admin.”
“What does that even mean.”
“Check this out.”
Tap tap. Seongcheol pulled up something on the monitor. An unusual document format. Hana quickly realized it was a new directive from above.
“What, is this real? So…… they're dropping a nuke on Busan?” Hana chewed over the unbelievable text, but it didn't change.
Strange.
Turn her head slightly to the wall, and there was the large ops map. The government's official roadmap to reclaim the east coast, Busan-Ulsan in sequence.
Announce reclamation, then nuke? Didn't add up.
More likely something happened at the Busan lab, and they were bombing to cover it.
“Told ya. Something went down. Shelling in about…… two weeks, so personnel from there splitting between here and Jeju. Makes admin a nightmare.”
“Tough times. Nothing goes smooth.”
Hana sighed heavily, removed the [XX-02] ID tag still pinned to her chest, and stood.
Thud!
“Hey…… Don't just toss it. Pain to make new ones.”
As Seongcheol picked up the discarded [XX-02] tag from the floor, Hana headed deep into the room without looking back.
Another door led to a small break room. She tossed out casually at the door.
“Wake me in three hours. Gotta go back in then.”
“That soon? You're pushing too hard.”
“Gotta sell it. Don't want a repeat of [XX-03]. Or you go instead.”
“Nah…… Just drop the close observation? Too risky, right?”
Not wrong. Rationally, Seongcheol was right a hundred times over.
Sharing space with a monster was suicide. No sane person would volunteer.
“No, especially since it seems to have no memories. That's why we have to.”
Of course, such rationality didn't apply to researchers here.
“Need to maximize the imprinting effect. That's why we put in the work during surgery.”
Their twisted dedication was what let them do research here.
“True…… I guess.”
“Anyway, wake me properly.”
Bang!
The door slammed with feeling, leaving Seongcheol to set a timer for exactly three hours…… no, two hours and fifty minutes.
……
……
The isolation room was empty now, just me. Lights in the hall went out with the woman's exit, plunging the cell into pitch darkness.
But my vision wasn't blocked.
My enhanced sight worked fine even in total dark.
Not perfectly clear, but enough to make out shapes.
Step.
I crawled awkwardly to the edge of the isolation room.
High chance of CCTV. Hadn't spotted it yet, but they'd watch 24/7.
No blind spots, unfortunately.
But I could make one.
I huddled tight against the edge, knees to chest, face buried between.
Camera lens would catch only my back and head now. The space in my lap? Perfect blind spot.
“Hic…… Hic……”
I faked sobs. Voice cracked from disuse—perfect.
Might be overkill, but I'd try everything.
Maybe those watching would think I craved human warmth, felt lonely.
Then huddling here made sense. People seek comfort in corners.
I wasn't human anymore, but they were.
“Hic……”
Maintaining soft whimpers, I recalled the lab events.
They called her [B-077]… She injected me, summoned a monster, took out three soldiers with it.
More drugs after.
And that helped immensely.
“……”
Anxiety flickered; I checked my achievement again, rummaging inside.
Worried I'd lost it.
Cautiously reached deep.
Cold, slick plastic touched my fingers. In the blind spot, I pulled it out just enough to wipe the bloodstains.
The card key, scarred here and there. Impressive [B-077] protected it in the explosion.
My heart had pounded when she pretended to inject, slipping it into my lap.
'How'd she even……'
Bold move, even now. Caught, I'd be dead.
She'd regenerated less around her abdomen, stuffing it in there.
Overflowing blood blocked their view, but soaked my clothes in her blood.
Fetid stench wafted sometimes, dizzying, but bearable. Blended with cell stink if ignored.
“……”
I tucked the card key deep again and vowed firmly.
I was getting out of here.