Escape (1)
“The Observer has opened its eyes.”
It was an incredibly awkward announcement. For Lee Hana, who had just escaped the stuffy isolation room and entered the lab, it was enough to make her head throb.
“Haa... Is that for real?”
“Sadly, yes.”
It was always like this. Just when she thought the disgusting anomalies might give her a break, they stirred up trouble.
Hana dragged her heavy feet to her seat. The blue glow from the monitor poured over her bloodshot eyes, exhausted from fatigue.
Tap. Tap.
“How many times is this now...?”
“Probably the seventh since I started. When was the last one...”
Seongcheol rummaged through the calendar on the edge of his desk.
“Ah, here it is. Sixty-nine days ago. Right on the day [XX-02] was disposed of, I think.”
That sounded right. Hana subtly recalled the memory as she began updating the data.
Tap.
▶ Management Number:[X-08], ‘Observer’
▶ Containment Grade:C (Static)
▶ Danger Marker:[C] - Extremely high risk of mental collapse upon contact.
▶ Management Rules: The underground lowest level (██ Sector) where the entity is located must maintain ‘absolute darkness’ by blocking all light sources within a 100m radius. Under no circumstances is the entity to be ‘observed’ with the naked eye or through camera lenses. If signs of the entity opening its eyes are detected, all personnel in the sector are advised to immediately damage their own vision or commit suicide.
▶ Special Notes:
1. The entity normally keeps all visual organs firmly closed in a state of extreme dormancy.
2. At extremely rare intervals (no periodicity), when the entity opens its eyes, it is estimated to gain an omniscient view that ignores physical barriers and spatial constraints, overlooking ‘everything’ simultaneously.
3. All intelligent beings whose ‘gaze meets’ the entity’s or who ‘realize they’ve been observed’ in this process suffer immediate mental collapse without exception.
“What about the guards? There should’ve been three there.”
“Two gouged out their own eyes... and the third showed abnormal reactions, so they shot him.”
“What kind of abnormal reactions?”
“Tried to bite the necks of the other two. Like some zombie or something.”
“Shot him... Such a waste. Could’ve used him for [XX-04]’s tests anyway.”
“Ugh. That would’ve caused real trouble. The troops are already grumbling a lot about it.”
Hana had heard the stories too. Something about respecting the dignity of the dead. That’s why the manual publicly stated to cremate all soldier corpses.
“Honestly, it’s a shame. Imagine if [B-077] had two bodies.”
“Can’t argue with that. Wonder why it doesn’t regenerate like a planarian.”
The data updated quickly amid their pointless chatter.
Tap.
Before hitting save, Hana paused to think.
No regular cycle had been identified for when [X-08] opened its eyes, but it was clear the intervals were gradually lengthening.
The first two were just days apart, but now it was months.
Gauging an anomaly’s inner workings was dangerously speculative, but she’d bet it was because there was nothing left it wanted to see.
So why this time...? Was there something that caught its interest?
“...Wait a second.”
“What’s up?”
A peculiar scene replayed in her mind.
The moment [XX-04] and [B-077] connected.
The very scene that justified the Foundation creating [XX-04].
No way... [XX-04]?
Just as an uneasy thought crept in and she dismissed it with a mental nah, probably not to hit enter—
Boom———!
The ground shook. A powerful vibration erupted from far deeper below, rattling the entire facility.
“W-what is that?”
Click!
At the same time, all the lights in the lab went out.
**
It looked like tree roots.
That was my impression upon seeing the facility sprawling deep underground.
No, not roots. More like a termite mound. That fit those repulsive bastards perfectly.
“......”
The drying, sticky fluid made it hard to open my eyes properly.
My eyes were actually damaged, so the world wasn’t clear anymore.
But this was a price I could bear.
If I hadn’t borrowed its gaze to see everything, escaping would’ve taken much longer.
This was practically a bargain.
“......”
I rubbed my eyes hard for no reason. A stinging pain stabbed my brain, but it felt like my vision cleared a bit.
My physical strength was that of a girl’s, but my regeneration was still better than hers. The two red eyes were steadily recovering.
Swish.
I slowly crawled toward the iron door. Pressing my ear against it, I held my breath. Beyond my pounding heartbeat, other sounds filtered in.
Thud. Thud.
“Sir! Shift change!”
“Oh... good work. What’s with the dark circles?”
“Just finished guard duty at the non-standard isolation room...”
Days of observation had revealed they patrolled in pairs.
As long as they were there, escaping wouldn’t be easy. One shot from their guns, and I’d drop.
Even if not those two, opening this door would bring reinforcements.
I need to draw their attention.
I had a way.
I closed my eyes again and focused my mind. Slowly recreating the scene I’d seen before in the darkness.
Following that path to the facility’s second-deepest point.
I’d already seen where the massive power for this giant facility came from.
Knowing its existence made reaching it easy.
「Wake up......」
I called to it. I worried the distance might be too far, but maybe the expanded vision from earlier had boosted my range.
Whether it obeyed was uncertain. But I didn’t need that much.
Just waking up would do, so I strained my throat internally to call louder.
「Wake up...!」
It twitched. I felt a faint stir.
I couldn’t see it in real-time, but space had opened in its mind.
Not long now.
Just wake up, and it’s done.
Thud. Thud.
I held my breath again at the patrol sounds outside, fearing they’d notice my antics.
The dim corridor light flickered in time with my heartbeat, stirring needless anxiety.
That’s why I needed to kill those lights—and the facility’s power, even briefly.
「Wake up...!」
Most of the Foundation’s electricity came from it. Waking it might cut power temporarily.
If it failed, I’d need another plan.
I didn’t want to wait. Desperate to escape this hellhole now, I called out throatily.
「Wake up...! Hurry!」
Then.
Boom———!
A massive vibration traveled through the floor.
It had finally stirred. At the same moment, the faint corridor light seeping through the door snuffed out.
The facility’s power died as intended.
“What’s going on...? Radio the duty officer now!”
“Yes, sir. Uh, roger.”
“What’s the word?”
“Main power’s out. Orders to assemble all non-guard troops for restoration.”
From their conversation, the initial plan had succeeded.
“This... isn’t this bad...?”
“Nah, it’s nothing major. Don’t worry. Happens sometimes. Should be back in about an hour, no big deal.”
Like the soldier said, this alone wouldn’t get me out.
“......!”
I strained with all my might, but the thick iron door stood like a wall. Probably ran on independent or backup power.
Couldn’t have all isolation doors flying open at a blackout—that’d be chaos.
So I exhaled smoke into the pitch-black air.
I’d already summoned one today, so I was drained. No big ones possible.
Shhh......
Instead, I made it as thin and long as possible, tailored exactly to my needs.
The billowing smoke coalesced into a new anomaly. A tentacle-like thing, several meters long, wriggled to life.
“Infrared on?”
“Yes, sir. But... lots of noise.”
“Keep it on anyway. We’ll request new ones later.”
No reaction yet meant the surveillance cameras were likely dead too.
So I pulled out my hidden keycard and handed it to the tentacle.
Shhh......
The tentacle slithered up the door. It slipped carefully through the narrow upper slot, out of the isolation room.
Timing it when out of the soldiers’ sight, it crawled along the ceiling.
No need to open my door first—that’d be suicide.
Slowly, slowly, it moved to the next isolation room.
And finally.
Ding-ding!
An absurdly cheerful chime echoed through the silent corridor.
“Wha...? What the—!”
The guarding soldier’s reaction was lightning-fast—worthy of applause—but not perfect.
-Kiyaaaaaaaagh!
Unidentified anomalies screeched and burst from their rooms like they’d been waiting.
“W-what do we do...!”
“Fuck...! Call for backup—no signal! Aim for the heads!”
Bang! Bang! Gunfire rang out. And on that signal.
Ding-ding!
Ding-ding!
Ding-ding! The cheerful rhythm continued.
Bang!
Ding-ding!
Ding-ding!
“Fuck! Fuck, what the hell... Aaaagh!”
A few shots, screeches, then silence returned.
Ding-ding!
With the final chime, my isolation room door finally opened.
“Hoo......”
Standing on the threshold, I breathed the outside air. Still musty and sticky, clogging my lungs, but somehow refreshing.
Thud.
I took a step forward. The pooled liquid on the floor felt warmish.
Drip.
I yanked off the ID tag hard. It scratched my hand and tore the rag they called clothes, but fine.
Clink.
I tossed the ID tag that could no longer bind me to the floor.
I approached the fallen soldier slowly and crouched.
“......Got one.”
I picked up his spare pistol. Grabbed an extra keycard just in case.
The fishy stench filled the corridor’s end. Toward the only gate out of this isolation sector, I slowly advanced my steps.
Escape begins.