Kindred (3)
Kindred (3)
March 17.
The Headquarters Facility Management Team approached from behind and asked in a flat voice.
"Can you interfere with the speaker in the containment room across?"
Kang Tae-jun, who received the question, glared at the team member silently before coming over to me and relaying the message.
"Ha, shit. It's not like I'm a carrier pigeon. Anyway, you heard that? Can you interfere?"
Interference, huh. At first glance, there's no visible speaker, but I can tell there's a built-in one.
As I extended my senses to interfere like usual, a noise sound rang out from the containment room across.
Chijijik-
After confirming the same, Kang Tae-jun nodded toward the back, and the Facility Management Team operated the remote control they were holding.
"Then, effective immediately, we will begin the visitation between HO-37286 Blue Flame and HO-30018 Blade Head. The visitation will be fully recorded, and please be aware that the Council is also paying attention."
Bbeep-
With the activation, a keyboard quickly popped out from the wall of Blade Head's containment room.
Kaak!
In an instant, a blade flew off.
Blade Head's head blade reflexively attacked the keyboard.
But was this already an anticipated situation?
The keyboard was protected by reinforced glass as a secondary defense, so it didn't break.
'He uses a peculiar attack method.'
Just as I attack enemies by spraying flames from my head.
This guy shoots the blade from his head to stab or slash enemies.
After the action, the blade returned to his head like a spring.
It seemed connected by telekinesis or an invisible tether.
'Is his perception sharp? His reaction speed is fast.'
Attacking as soon as it popped out could be seen as sharp, but I think differently.
Rather than sharp, sensitive is more accurate.
Because he just stabbed without even realizing it was being defended.
"Fast."
Kang Tae-jun says.
The blade's speed is definitely fast. It was a speed beyond human perception.
"If you got thrown in front of that, your head would've been chopped off before you could blink."
"Captain-nim, if we just restrain that blade, wouldn't it be neutralized?"
As expected of Management Bureau agents.
They start coming up with countermeasures against the anomaly as soon as they see it.
But I agree on that part.
If we somehow trap that blade, that guy is just a headless body.
But the Facility Management Team shot down our brilliant strategy.
"It's useless. This has already been attempted, and the phenomenon of the blade returning to its body is classified as an absolute phenomenon."
"By absolute, you mean?"
"No matter what blocks it, it ignores rigidity and pierces through. Or the separated blade disappears and a new blade grows from the head."
"Respawn... something like that?"
"Yes. That's it."
Hearing such a convenient explanation, Kang Tae-jun showed a dumbfounded reaction.
"They just live so comfortably? Even if they break basic physics, it's like, 'Oh well, it's an anomaly anyway~' and that's it."
"Captain-nim, that's why they're anomalies. Surreal monsters that ignore universal basic physics. We're the ones fighting those monsters."
"Hmm. Why don't humans have such convenient abilities?"
What should I say.
It felt like a human complaining about species discrimination?
'They can do it, but why can't we?' That kind of feeling, so I felt awkward.
"Chijik- You──."
I spoke through my interference ability.
As the voice flowed out from the speaker with noise, the tip of the blade rose as if lifting its head.
"Chijik- Can't you── speak─?"
First, I check the possibility of conversation.
The headquarters probably already tried, but if a same kind asks, it might answer.
But it seems I expected too optimistic a situation.
No reaction at all.
It just scrapes the reinforced glass with its blade.
Kkigigi- Kkigik-
"Chijik- If you can't── conversation──?"
I pointed to the keyboard that had popped out from the wall.
But the bastard doesn't even look back.
If its way of seeing is the same as mine, it probably senses it.
"Chijik- You don't── know Korean──?"
Silent.
This is pretty frustrating.
Is this how humans felt when talking to me?
I feel a bit of remorse.
"Chijik- At least── react──."
As if it would. It's just staring.
Should I just give up and go back? After coming all this way?
I can't do that.
I finally found a same kind.
"Chijik- Same── kind."
Assuming it might not understand, I showed it through action.
I poked my chest with my finger.
Then I poked the reinforced glass toward Blade Head.
"Chijik- You and── I. Are the── same."
It reacts.
The blade points downward and looks at my finger.
I repeated it once more.
You and I. Same.
We're same kind.
Blade Head moves.
Kak!
The blade collided with the reinforced glass and slid, leaving a long scratch.
It can't pierce, but scratches are possible.
The surrounding humans stepped back in surprise, but I didn't retreat; instead, I moved closer.
With the reinforced glass between us, we glared at each other like students fighting during school days.
'This bastard... I'm taking the time to accommodate him, but let's see about that.'
A feeling I've never felt before rises.
Even humans who were rude didn't make me feel this way.
The feeling of wanting to beat him up.
I want to crush his head so he can never even slice an onion again.
"Uh?"
"He's reacting. Hey, he's reacting!"
Blade Head finally makes a gesture with meaning.
His finger pokes his own chest.
Then he points at Kang Tae-jun behind him.
"Hm? Huh?"
Suddenly pointed out, Kang Tae-jun's eyes widened in surprise.
Again, Blade Head's finger points at me this time.
Jjeolre jjeolre.
It was a bit faint, but the head blade clearly shook left and right.
The humans seemed not to understand the meaning.
But I could understand its meaning.
- I am human, different from you.
Believing oneself to be human. Was this the feeling?
This bastard, with a knife floating on his head, says he's the same as humans?
'Damn mirror technique.'
More than that.
This bastard understood the meaning of my action just now.
It's not that conversation is impossible. It's just that this bastard refused to talk.
If I had a mouth, I might have ground my molars.
"Chijik- Use the── keyboard."
The careful conversation as same kind is out the window.
I immediately acted coercively.
Blade Head glances at the keyboard once and looks back at me.
As if resigned, the blade tip slants downward, then moves.
It opens the reinforced glass of the keyboard directly and takes out the keyboard.
"Wh-what, he's reacting?"
"Damn, as expected, he was ignoring us because he didn't want to talk."
The most vehement reaction came from the Facility Security Team.
They seemed quite angry that Blade Head understood speech.
He puts the keyboard against the reinforced glass and types in an uncomfortable posture.
The Facility Security Team passed a tablet to Kang Tae-jun, and Kang Tae-jun passed it to me.
"Bluetooth is connected, so you can use this to talk."
I checked the screen.
[Who are you to be in there?]
He's counter-questioning?
I'm starting to understand. This bastard has a tendency to take control of the situation.
I won't let him seize the initiative.
I intercepted the question.
"Chijik- I── ask the questions. You── when were you born?"
No text appears.
Blade Head keeps his hand on the keyboard, staring blankly at me.
"Chijik- Answer── before I crush that head of yours."
"This is the first time I've seen Blue Flame use such harsh words."
"Well... maybe it's because he's in front of his own kind, he seems a bit emotional."
"Chijik- Answer!"
The silent Blade Head types.
[3 years ago.]
"Chijik- How did you── awaken?"
[I don't know. I just opened my eyes. That place was a prison.]
A prison?
I turn to the Facility Security Team, and he explains.
"He was first discovered in an abandoned prison in Daegu. The prison was scheduled to be demolished and replaced with a new building, but our side confirmed the appearance of Blade Head and ordered access control for that area."
"I see. Ah, then what about those clothes? Those aren't our country's prison uniforms."
"They're clothes worn by YouTubers who explore abandoned buildings to keep up the concept. They bought those outfits because they were going to a prison, but apparently they got taken from them."
YouTubers again?
It really is a red ocean. There's no place they don't appear.
I stare silently at Blade Head again.
So he's the same as me.
A guy who knows nothing, like me.
I was hoping this guy might know something. Too bad.
[Now my question. Why are you the only one in there?]
"Chijik- I── cooperated── with humans. I don't── do murder like you."
[I'm human too. I killed humans because I'm human. Why am I the only one contained?]
"Chijik- You're── not human. You're── same kind as me."
[I said I'm human.]
No choice.
I was trying to avoid this method.
"Chijik- You── haven't── seen a mirror, have you?"
I reached into my inner pocket.
I fumbled through a few odds and ends, then grabbed a familiar item and pulled it out.
A hand mirror.
I was still holding the mirror I received when I was in the mountain.
I pressed the mirror surface against the reinforced glass.
I adjusted the height myself so Blade Head could see the mirror.
"Chijik- This── is you."
Blade Head gazes intently at the hand mirror.
Without any words.
Without any action.
Like a baby or an animal seeing a mirror for the first time and becoming absorbed in it.
It just stares blankly at the mirror.
Teodeok, kak! Tuduk.
The keyboard slips and falls to the floor.
Blade Head, who had been staring at the mirror, remains silent with the blade tip pressed against the reinforced glass.
For a long while.
"What's going on? Did you just show him a mirror?"
Unable to wait any longer, Kang Tae-jun finally interjects.
The Management Bureau still doesn't know the reaction of an Object Head when it sees a mirror.
After all, the only captured entity is this guy in front who absolutely won't cooperate, so they probably had no information.
Then who uploaded the information about anomalies circulating on the internet?
Is there someone who knows Object Heads better than the Management Bureau?
Kwang!
Suddenly, he pounds the reinforced glass.
I almost dropped the hand mirror.
Kwang! Kwang!
As if in a mad fit, Blade Head punches the reinforced glass repeatedly.
This reinforced glass is designed for moments when anomalies have fits like this.
It holds up well, but the violent reaction made me a bit uneasy.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
No one spoke.
A click, the sound of a safety being released on a gun.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Chijijijijijijik──
A horrific noise bursts from all speakers.
"Kuaaah!"
"Uuugh!"
The humans can't bear the noise and cover their ears.
The pressure is so intense it feels like the containment room is shaking.
Meanwhile, I simply stared at Blade Head.
'It's not me.'
The noise is not from me.
Blade Head.
It's an interference phenomenon he's emitting indiscriminately.
"Chijijijik- Aaaa─── Aaaaaaa───!"
A rough scream mixed in with the noise.
Whether it's a scream of pain or a shout of uncontrollable anger.
The indistinguishable sound heightened the fear of those listening.
Kagagak! Kagagak! Kwak! Kwak!
Along with punches, the blade scrapes, stabs, and thrashes against the reinforced glass.
The scratches on the reinforced glass are becoming deeper.
"Seal! Seal! Doctor-nim! You must seal it!"
It seems the management room responded to the Facility Security Team's plea.
Bbiiiiii-
An alarm sounds, and the warning light flashes red again.
Kiiiing-
The open wall closes.
Beyond the slowly closing reinforced glass.
Blade Head was staring only at me.
As if vowing never to forget my appearance.
Eventually, Blade Head disappeared, and the noise ceased.
When everything ended, only a dazed silence remained, like after a storm.
"Damn! Thought my eardrums would burst. Hey, Blue Head. You okay?"
Kang Tae-jun, the first to come to his senses, approaches and checks on me.
Meanwhile, I just stared at the closed wall.
I extended my senses to check for Blade Head.
But the containment room was separated, and it seemed to have moved somewhere far away—I couldn't sense anything.
"Damn. We got nothing and only pissed him off. Made things more awkward."
"Chijik- No──."
"Huh? What's not?"
No.
Rather, I'm certain of something else.
"Chijik- There── is."
"What is there?"
"Chijik- A group──."
I replayed the conversation I had with Blade Head.
There is someone or a group that knows Object Heads well.
The Object Head countermeasures leaked online.
Since the Management Bureau has no information, they dismissed it as fiction and failed to grasp it.
And there was a passing remark that might have been overlooked.
I checked the tablet screen.
The last line of the conversation with Blade Head.
[I said I'm human.]
This is a quote from a third party, isn't it?
That means Blade Head had already been in contact with someone before being captured by the Management Bureau.
If that counterpart is human, it would be a group that knows anomalies well, like the Management Bureau.
If not.
"Chijik- There are── same kinds── looking for── their own kind."
※※※
On the return trip after finishing the schedule at Seoul Headquarters.
Park Do-hyun, riding in the lead escort vehicle, wore a disinterested expression because the work ended quicker than expected.
He leaned his head against the window, watching the streetscapes whizzing by, and let out a yawn.
"Hyaaahm~."
"Senior, are you sleepy?"
Kim A-ri, sitting right next to him, asks with concern.
Since the last mental contamination incident, Kim A-ri had become particularly worried.
"A little. It passed by rather blandly."
"You said it was a schedule, not an operation. That's actually fortunate."
"Who doesn't know? If no one dies, that's a jackpot."
Park Do-hyun turned his gaze to the back.
A truck driving on the road was right behind them.
The citizens probably don't know that there's an unimaginable anomaly in that truck.
"But considering we took that entity all the way there, we're coming back with nothing."
"When doing operations, there are plenty of times we come up empty. Even I, the youngest, know that."
"Hey, chick. You've been trying to teach me since last time?"
"Ayaya!"
He pulled her ear to reprimand her.
Kim A-ri patted Park Do-hyun's hand, tap tap.
"I'm, I'm sorry! So please let go."
"It's not that I don't like it. We need results. I hate wasting time."
"I agree with that. Come to think of it, earlier I saw the 5th Unit Captain-nim having a serious conversation with the headquarters doctor-nim."
"Really? Wasn't it just a conversation?"
"It looked serious. I didn't eavesdrop though."
"Hmm- Was there a result?"
What could it be? Is it something that can't be shared with the team members yet?
Or is he hiding it because we're from a different unit? We're from different units, but we're still comrades standing in the same battlefield.
"Hey, 2nd Unit friends. Keep your guard up properly."
"Yes, yes. We're doing it."
Eventually, the 5th Unit members in the front seat pointed it out, and Park Do-hyun turned his gaze back out the window.
After all, they were in the middle of the city; unless someone was crazy, they wouldn't openly attack.
Still, there are 'what if' situations.
"Chijik- Ah, it's the team leader. All units respond."
Kang Tae-jun's voice coming through the vehicle radio.
The team member in the passenger seat immediately grabbed the radio and responded.
"Ah, Tiger. Tiger. Reading you."
The other vehicles respond in turn.
Kang Tae-jun spoke in a tense voice.
"According to Blue Flame's detection, something is approaching."
Approaching?
Not just Park Do-hyun, but even Kim A-ri pressed her head against the window and heightened her guard.
But in the rapidly passing city, there are too many things that could be called 'something.'
"It hasn't been precisely identified yet. Whether it's an anomaly or another faction. I hope it's a mistake, but still, tighten security───."
─Chijijijijik-
A horrific noise disrupting the radio.
All team members, without panicking, gripped their firearms.
Like Management Bureau agents, their eyes changed.
"All units prepare for battle. This is an attack."
As soon as the driver's words ended.
Kwaaang-
Suddenly, an explosion occurred in the distance ahead.
A parked car exploded.
As chaos erupts, citizens scream and flee.
The leading unit vehicles park diagonally, instantly creating cover.
The disembarked team members quickly take cover behind the vehicles, forming a defensive line.
"All units stand by to engage! Activate the perception interference device!"
A wave of trembling air emanates from the truck.
The screams of the panicked citizens cease, and everyone stops with blank expressions.
"The perception interference device has clear limits in the city. Wrap this up quickly. We just left Seoul Headquarters, so contact them, report the attack, and request support!"
"Blocked reports to police and fire authorities for this area. Total block time: 10 minutes!"
"Once the rear is secured, move nearby citizens into buildings first!"
The commander's orders and the team's seamless coordination to defend and take measures.
The result of countless drills and familiarity with emergency protocols.
Behind the blazing vehicle in front.
Someone is walking.
"Currently, due to the flames, enemy numbers and identities are not confirmed."
"Crazy. An open attack in the city center? What lunatic faction is this? Even Cerberus doesn't attack like this!"
Park Do-hyun, behind the vehicle's hood, stared intently ahead.
With good eyesight, he could quickly identify the attacker.
But.
"Th-there's one enemy!"
"One? Just one?"
"And it's walking!"
"Walking? What kind of madman? All units maintain heightened perimeter security. If it had any sense, it wouldn't be alone. You! Continue reporting!"
"A-and also..."
Park Do-hyun doubted his own eyes.
The way it walked was elegant, completely unfitting for the situation.
The silhouette was also strange.
A curvy body and an elegant dress unsuited for battle.
It had a woman's body but was ridiculously tall.
But what left Park Do-hyun speechless was this.
"It has no head."
The space where a head should be is empty.
What filled that space was something else, not a human head.
"Are you talking about an Object Head?"
"A female Object Head entity? Have we ever observed that entity?"
"Everyone quiet. Whether it's an Object Head or not, whether we've observed it before, it doesn't matter. Our return route has been leaked, and internal information has been compromised."
The commander immediately controlled the radio.
No matter who the opponent is.
They are under attack, and the opponent is an assailant with the intent to kill.
So we respond.
No other prior knowledge is needed. That's all.
After receiving a radio call, the commander gave orders.
"Capture operation deemed uncertain. Live ammunition authorized. All units load live rounds. Hold until headquarters support arrives."
In the heavy atmosphere, the commander grinned and cracked a joke.
"Everyone, put black bullets into that sexy body."
Muzzles poke out from behind cover.
The acrid smell of gunpowder fills the street.