Chapter 17
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 17Safe Management Subject (2)
"Th-then we will begin."
The doctors wearing coats began their work with tense and pale white faces all alike. In the empty containment room excluding the sofa and television, the Object Head stood blankly in the center and quietly waited for the doctors moving around its surroundings.
"H-height. 2m 38cm." "H-hey. Up to where did you measure that? Is it the length up to the flame? That's exactly the same as when we measured for clothes sizes?" "Uh… Um, p-please wait a moment…."
Fearing that every single word might offend it, the doctors had to read its face even for simple answers. Since it has no face, reading its face is meaningless. Whether influenced by the blue light or genuinely feeling sick to his stomach, the pale doctor answered carefully.
"I-it's the length up to the neck." "Measure up to the flame again…." "Ah, uh… a-again?" "Hurry. Hurry up and measure it again before it feels uncomfortable." "Th-the flame is inconsistent, though?" "Then measure up to the inner flame's position."
Even if it is a flame of a surreal phenomenon, it is ultimately a type of flame. Because it has a very universal shape of a flame, it accurately maintains the shape and form of the flame commonly known to people. So the bright area inner flame, located between the flame core, which is the central position of the flame, and the outer flame. He directly measured with a tape measure up to the position otherwise called the inner flame and checked the exact length.
"It's 2m 45cm." "Confirmed…. For other exact figures, we'll just use the measurements taken when measuring for the suit. Moving on to the next task."
Kang Tae-jun, who was monitoring that rare scene on the monitor, drank the coffee that was on his desk. A little later, a guest came looking. A doctor looking tired with a similar appearance approached and sat in the seat next to him.
"Hey, Kkang Tae-jun." "Huh? Ah, Dr. Jung Won-joong."
He is presumed to be around the same age as Kang Tae-jun, but seeing as he immediately showed respect and greeted him, he is a figure presumed to be much higher up. Dr. Jung Won-joong took a Ghana chocolate out from his chest, took a bite, and offered it to Kang Tae-jun as well.
"Do you like sweets?" "I don't particularly enjoy eating them." "You have to eat sweets to activate your brain. But I've been eating them for years, you know? I don't think I'm seeing any effects."
Chuckling, he put the chocolate back inside his clothes.
"And yet you eat them consistently?" "Ah, it's an addiction. Because I can't concentrate if I don't eat chocolate."
Then isn't he seeing effects? It seems it was a type of joke. Jung Won-joong, who was watching the monitor from the next seat, marveled at the Object Head, which was completely motionless like a stone statue.
"My goodness. In all my life, I never thought I'd see an entity that docile." "There were a few docile entities." "Those weren't really docile, were they."
To be exact, they weren't docile, they pretended to be docile. There are well over thousands of anomalies that quietly complied with demands only to change their attitude and attack or escape. The Bureau of Management, having experienced such a bloody history to the point of being sick and tired of it, developed a habit of pointing guns first whenever they saw an entity.
"It's already been 20 years since I started working in this Bureau of Management." "I am around that much too." "I came in 3 years earlier, right?" "Yes. That's why I'm treating you well as a senior."
Jung Won-joong, who chuckled, directly tapped the keyboard and zoomed in on the monitor.
The head of the Object Head on the screen gets closer. An appearance with only a blue flame floating on it. It was such an unrealistic appearance that at first glance it felt like high-quality graphics.
"There hasn't been a human-friendly entity in 20 years. And I thought there wouldn't be any in the future either." "Would it only be 20 years? There probably hasn't been any throughout the entire history of the Bureau of Management."
Because there hasn't been any throughout the entire history of the Bureau of Management, that is why the Bureau of Management is paying even more attention to the Blue Flame Object Head. This is a golden opportunity that will not come again.
"Finally." "…What do you mean finally?" "Those efforts of dedicating decades to research just to eliminate a single anomaly. We have finally obtained a manpower that can replace that."
Jung Won-joong's eyes sink heavily, and his pupils deepen. Perhaps recalling old memories, he didn't speak for a long time.
"Think of the employees sacrificed during that long history. The sacrifice of each and every person became fertilizer for destroying anomalies, but there are far more figures who died a dog's death than that." "Mmm……." "Now is humanity's counterattack. If we solidly build a cooperative relationship with that friend……." "It was 5 years ago, right?"
He turned his head and glared. His focus is blurry, seeing if he is zoning out. Jung Won-joong pressed a pen from the pencil holder with his finger and twirled it gently for no reason.
"The incident where the 5th Task Force was annihilated once." "Doctor. Why that story……." "It was since then that you began to exceptionally hate anomalies, didn't you."
Because he gritted his molars, a crack occurred on Kang Tae-jun's jawline. Jung Won-joong is not a bad person. He doesn't have a bad relationship with Kang Tae-jun, and rather, having endured without dying for 20 years, he is a figure with camaraderie. However, the fact that he is a figure very closely tied to the Bureau of Management is one of the reasons he cannot be completely trusted.
Bureau of Surreal Management Level 1 Doctor. Jung Won-joong. A doctor with veteran skills, and simultaneously managing as many as 3 anomaly entities alone. That means he has seen a considerable amount of employees dying. Which means, in other words, he is a figure who lacks some humanity.
"And you are treating that entity right now... exactly like a human?"
A shadow is cast over Kang Tae-jun's eyes.
"May I speak honestly?" "If you are worried about Article 1, Paragraph 6 of the Confidential Security Act, don't worry. If it's an entity the Council directly monitors, we get immunity from the law." "It's because it looked especially more like a human than humans." "……."
Jung Won-joong's gaze lands on him. He couldn't tell well if it was worry, contempt, or patheticness.
"Even though it's not human, it saved humans, and worried for their safety. Even if humans attack it, it doesn't kill them and just stops at the level of suppression." "……." "It tends to be a bit lacking too. It has a deficiency in being unable to judge how it will look to humans. But even that looked exactly like childlike innocence." "…That could be so." "So I made up my mind looking at the surviving operatives. That thing is definitely different. An anomaly, but un-anomaly-like……."
Pressing the keyboard, the zoomed-in screen zooms out. The screen was set so the entire containment room could be seen again.
"…A human." "I trust you. Kang Tae-jun."
Jung Won-joong stood up and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"With your career and veteran judgment, you will surely create a good wind." "Doctor?" "That's probably the reason why you didn't put the Facility Security Team on standby even when shoving doctors inside the containment room without protective measures." "This is a condition of trust."
Because he trusts it is a human, he doesn't put operatives on standby. Even if they are put on standby secretly, an Object Head can detect and grasp the distance. Preparing the security team means distrusting it, so it would produce an adverse effect.
So this is proof of trust. Even though the doctors are trembling in fear as a condition of trust, it was a gamble they had to take, so they have to endure it.
"Because believing it is human is our cooperation contract." "I know. I understand and believe it." "Then why are you speaking so uncomfortably?"
Dr. Jung Won-joong gestured with his chin towards the outside of the control room. The targets of that chin gesture would be the other employees in the Bureau of Management branch.
"Internally, the trust level for this Blue Flame entity is still hitting rock bottom."
Of course, rumors about the Blue Flame have already spread and spread among the employees.
An entity that doesn't kill humans. An entity that helps humans. An anomaly cooperating with the Bureau of Management.
However, because it is ultimately an anomaly, that cooperative relationship still brings doubt.
"I understand such gazes. Even if we believe it's human, it's an anomaly in the end." "They are especially worried about this the most. There's no lock on the containment room, is there?"
Normally, the basic principle is that the doors of containment rooms are designed so they cannot be opened carelessly from the inside. However, as an exception, only the Blue Flame has measures taken so it can be opened from the inside as well. Because this one trivial design is a condition of trust, it is a condition that must be taken.
"They are worrying that the Blue Flame might suddenly change and destroy this facility." "I understand." "So build up the trust level well with that entity. I want to trust it properly and have a conversation with it too. What on earth do anomalies think about while living? It's a feeling exactly like wondering what my dog at home thinks about usually."
At Jung Won-joong's very normal curiosity, Kang Tae-jun hesitated and muttered.
"Noodles…." "Huh? What?" "It's nothing."
Leaving words that they should catch a company dinner next time, Jung Won-joong left the control room. Kang Tae-jun, who was focusing while looking at the monitor again, put strength into his jaw, seeing if he suddenly recalled the past.
"I will absolutely… not make their sacrifices dog deaths."
March 14th.
"Then you may punch it once."
A square board. That thing with a target drawn on it was attached to a prepared steel pillar and stood in front of me. It looks like a punching machine, but leaning slightly more towards training use, it was a device that could measure how strong physical functions are.
"Y-you can just hit it."
When I didn't hit it and just stood still, the employee trembled and gave the instruction again. You mean hit it, right? But how? Since I didn't really know, I lightly hit the board with my fist for now.
Poof.
Along with the feeling of a device cushioning the impact, the numerical value is measured. Of course, it's a considerably low value.
"A-ah, no. Not like that, you have to hit it hard."
Not this? Then how do you want me to hit it. When I didn't understand and just blankly looked at it, the doctors became even paler.
"I-is he angry? He didn't get offended because we pointed it out, did he?" "W-we're fucked. Since he has no face, we can't tell even if we read the room." "What if he gets angry and kills us all?"
The moment everyone was at a loss and wandering in confusion.
Hiiisssss-
The airlock door opens and someone comes in. It was Kang Tae-jun.
"No, no! Not like that."
Kang Tae-jun strides over and stands next to me. Kang Tae-jun, with a tall height that even the doctors have to look up to. He looked up at my flame and carefully placed his hand on my shoulder.
Gulp.
Swallowing dry saliva, he lightly pushed me back. As I backed away as pushed, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Now look. This is how you hit it."
Then he takes a stance. After taking a guard stance, he smashed the board with that heavy fist.
Bang!
It's incredibly explosive for a sound coming from a person's fist. The numerical value that actually came out was considerable too.
"It came out identical to the punching power of a heavyweight boxer."
The doctors who measured the value marvel and clap. Kang Tae-jun, looking triumphant, explained the posture to me.
"Lower your body a bit. Don't keep your legs stiff either, bend them like this. Then load your waist's rotational force and deliver that to your fist. And load your weight, like this, Bang! Got it?"
I bobbed my body back and forth meaning I got it for now. Next, I imitated Kang Tae-jun's posture and then hit it with all my might.
Crash!
"Ugh!" "Crazy!"
The board tore. No numerical value came out, and nothing is displayed, perhaps having frozen. The doctor who checked the machine answered with a despondent expression.
"I-it's broken?" "It's confirmed to be outside human standards." "Would it be at a gorilla's level?" "Even a gorilla wouldn't be able to break it, would it?"
The doctors put their heads together and write a report. While looking at the broken machine with a regretful feeling, Kang Tae-jun approached and lightly poked my shoulder one more time.
"Your posture was terrible, but at least you knew how to hit it." '…….' "I'll teach you boxing if there's a chance. I have a history of being active as an amateur boxer before joining the Bureau of Management, you know? Ah, no sparring. Someone will die from that."
I just stared intently at Kang Tae-jun without any reaction. Why is this? This strange awkwardness I'm feeling.
'Why does he keep poking me?'
It's not unpleasant, but he's been strangely and forcibly poking me since earlier. That attitude is exactly like the physical touch a friend gives a friend. I can see him trying to treat me as a fellow human being somehow. Even though his stiff posture and expression cannot be hidden.
'I should reward his efforts too.'
He's trying this hard for me, wouldn't it be rude in its own way if I act un-human-like. If there's a reward I can give at times like this, wouldn't it be this?
Tap.
I also lightly hit his shoulder, just like Kang Tae-jun.
Silence. A silence that felt like it would block breaths arrived. The doctors who were chatting among themselves, and Kang Tae-jun who received my reward too. Everyone freezes and shuts their mouths.
"Heo… Heo-eop."
One doctor gasped for breath and ended up covering his mouth. Kang Tae-jun, frozen exactly with his smiling face, smoothly rolled only his pupils and examined his shoulder and my hand. Trembling as he lowered his head to his shoulder, he let out a deep sigh of relief only after a long while.
"Haaaaaa……."
Starting with that sigh, the doctors all slump down or collapse on the desks. Kang Tae-jun didn't collapse, but leaned his back against a pillar and rubbed his pale face with both hands.
"Y-you damn punk…. You scared me!"
Scared, you say. I treated you exactly the same way. Kang Tae-jun, who became drenched in cold sweat in that brief moment, examined both of his hands.
His hands are trembling slightly. His lips must have dried out too, as he licked them with his tongue and then looked up at me.
"N-no. Y-yeah. That's it. That's how humans joke around too."
Right? This is human-like, isn't it? I'm getting a little happy? Until before this, I thought I couldn't mingle with humans, but it feels like I'm blending into the gaps of humans, even if little by little.
"H-hey. L-look at the flame!" "It's moving fascinatingly? Why is it doing that?"
The doctors observe my head, startled. While exchanging words not knowing what was going on, one doctor guessed.
"Doesn't he look happy?" "He looks happy?" "Look, the flame shape is dancing exactly as if it's happy. That's it! That flame affects emotions too!" "Emotions! I see. The entity right now... a-ah no, the Blue Flame is feeling the emotion of being happy!"
One more line is being filled in the report again. That emotions are revealed in the flame was a part I already roughly knew too. Kang Tae-jun also carefully examined my flame head, then smiled faintly.
"Yeah… so you're saying you're happy right now?"
A natural smile finally comes out from his stiff face. I could tell too.
Just as I reveal my emotions with my flame. Humans reveal their emotions with their facial expressions. The flame is my facial expression.
'Is this how all humans live? This is really nice.'
This is human relationships and socializing. And Lee Da-eun entered the containment room and lightly knocked on the wall.
"Commander?" "Yeah, what?" "The noodles… you ordered have arrived." "It's already evening? Time is damn fast. Right, we should eat some food. Do you guys want to eat too?"
Kang Tae-jun offering noodles to the doctors too. Of course, the doctors exchanged glances among themselves and vigorously shook their heads.
"A-ah no. We aren't hungry." "Maybe because I was tense all day today, my stomach is a bit……." "I'm worried I might get indigestion. I'm sorry."
Kang Tae-jun smacked his lips as if regretting it.
"You frail people, you should eat more and regain your energy at times like this. Well, I only ordered exactly 3 portions of noodles anyway, so there wasn't anything to share. Anyway, let's take some meal time."
The doctors left. I sat in front of the desk brought all the way into the containment room. But isn't Kang Tae-jun bringing the noodles down and sitting in front of me?
"Well. People can eat meals together with people." "Commander? You're going to eat there?" "Yeah. Ah, you come here too."
Lee Da-eun also eventually came down with a tearful face and sat next to Kang Tae-jun. Two humans and one anomaly. Two species that can absolutely never mingle sit at the same desk and eat noodles.
"But he can't… eat noodles either, you know."
Kang Tae-jun and Lee Da-eun examine with suspicious eyes. I picked up the noodles with chopsticks.
"He's good at using chopsticks." "Why is he good at it?"
The two people aren't even eating their meals and are just keeping watching. I lifted the noodles above my head and shoved them into the flame.
"……." "…He placed them again."
The thin noodles pierced through the flame and were neatly placed on the neck cross-section again. The two people watching absentmindedly. Unable to hold back, Kang Tae-jun threw his chopsticks and shouted.
"If you're going to do that, don't ask me to order it for you!"
"……Therefore, as the information and technology to be obtained from the entity in question has all been completed, it is judged that there is no need for further containment of the entity."
A conference room where doctors and operatives are gathered. Along with the operatives densely filling the observer seats, a round desk in the center. The high-level doctors and unit commanders gathered and seated there were keeping a close eye on an entity through the center hologram.
The existence appearing in the hologram is not a living creature but an object. However, even if it's a simple object, that is a type of anomaly.
"I hereby request the disposal of the entity in question."
The request of the doctor in charge of managing the entity in question. And on the large screen installed on the wall of the conference room, the shadow of a woman whose features were covered was being projected. South Korean Branch Director, Cha Soo-hyun. Cha Soo-hyun, having heard the agenda for entity disposal, nodded lightly.
"Very well. I permit the disposal case in question."
A deep sense of relief settles on the doctor's face. As he sat in his seat, another doctor spoke.
"I agree regarding the disposal of the entity in question, but as you know, the disposal of an entity is not accomplished that easily. This won't work even if you burn it in fire or sink it in the deep sea. As you know, didn't the discovery of the entity in question start in the deep sea of the Pacific Ocean?" "Even so, we cannot waste manpower on an entity with no harvest." "I am not objecting. I am asking for the method."
Signs of an argument slowly showing. Cha Soo-hyun lightly raised her hand and stopped the dispute between the two figures.
"Commander Kang Tae-jun."
At Cha Soo-hyun's call, Kang Tae-jun, who was sitting in his seat, stood up from his place.
"Yes, Branch Director." "The entity in question is a Green threat class, so it's not dangerous, right? However, the personnel who contacted the entity in question are complaining of deep fatigue and sorrow." "That is correct." "But wouldn't it be different if it's the same kind of entity?"
The time has come. Kang Tae-jun's eyes become quite sharp. He straightened his back and answered with a strong voice.
"It hasn't been confirmed, but in the previous contact with the Anomaly Hospital and the Mad Doctor entity, we grasped the fact that the Blue Flame was immune to hallucinations. I expect the ability of the entity in question will probably be the same." "Do you believe there will be no unexpected situations since it's a Green threat class?" "I think so."
Cha Soo-hyun nods satisfactorily.
"Good. If so, it's time to verify the necessity of the Blue Flame entity."
At her words, all personnel straighten their backs and correct their postures. Their gazes were focused on Kang Tae-jun. Cha Soo-hyun spoke sternly like a procedure.
"The Council permits it. We permit contact between entity HO-37286 and entity OH-01998. Let us look forward to seeing if the Blue Flame entity can consume the entity in question as well. The meeting concludes here."