The First Stable Flight
The ID Talk message that popped up on the monitor read simply: "New Experience - Oh my god. So you're in Redmond right now?" That single line made it perfectly clear how shocked Tiffany was on the other side of the screen.
The ID Talk conversation had begun after dinner, which meant it had already been going for over an hour. The hotel Kim Dae-seok had booked was a historic five-star establishment, but that also meant it offered no internet access. As a result, Yoo Jae-won was currently connected via an external modem plugged into a phone line, then linked to his Shell Book. He had originally intended to catch up on company work that had piled up. Then Tiffany suddenly messaged him, and as usual, the conversation veered off course. Before he knew it, an hour had slipped by.
"Yeah, that's how it turned out. What's up?"
Normally Yoo Jae-won steered conversations toward the main point within three or four minutes, yet here he was only asking for the real reason after more than an hour.
"Oh, I was wondering if you're free this weekend. Want to go somewhere with me?"
This weekend. He could have made time easily if he hadn't already promised to help the drone team with improvements. But he had publicly committed in front of the entire team, so backing out wasn't an option. Besides, the drone refinement work wouldn't be finished in a single day; it felt like he would be staying here for several days, maybe even weeks.
"Where exactly are we going?"
It wasn't as though Yoo Jae-won would balk at the cost of a plane ticket. He could simply fly over and back the same day, just like he had today.
"A club recital!"
A recital? Out of nowhere? Tiffany's follow-up explanation cleared everything up. Unlike Yoo Jae-won, she was enjoying a perfect insider's life at the university. She had even joined a club—the Classical Instruments Club. It was exactly what the name suggested: members learned to play piano, guitar, violin, and other classical instruments, and they held recitals from time to time. The performers were club members who had practiced diligently. Naturally, their skill levels varied wildly. Still, the tradition was to listen and appreciate each performance, whether good or bad.
Tiffany said she would be playing the piano.
"Piano? That sounds nice."
Piano was an instrument Yoo Jae-won had some experience with as well. He still remembered playing at the Deokjin-ri church when he needed seed money in the early days after his regression. He hadn't touched a piano since then because of his busy schedule, but he was certain the old skill would return the moment he sat down in front of one. Listening to piano performances was also something he genuinely enjoyed.
"Right? You'll come, won't you?"
"Of course. If it's something like that, I should definitely be there."
"May 22nd, 2 p.m. The venue is Memorial Church."
"Got it. See you then."
Yoo Jae-won confirmed the promise and ended the ID Talk conversation. Once the chat was over, he felt a slight twinge of inconvenience. He would have to fly from Redmond to San Francisco and then make his way to the school. Still, he had always told himself he couldn't spend this precious second life working every single day, so it was a burden worth bearing.
The next day, Yoo Jae-won officially joined the drone team and began assisting with the improvements.
"All right, let me show you what I have in mind for the drone."
Even the improvement process had its own ABCs. Yoo Jae-won had no intention of immediately tearing apart the prototype and rebuilding it from scratch. He started by sharing the concept so that every researcher could become familiar with the new direction. The tool, of course, was ID Presentation.
Although the temporary research building sat in the middle of the forest, it lacked nothing thanks to ID Group's overwhelming financial power. Large screens, projectors, and high-performance computers were all present, so the presentation went smoothly.
"First, this is the concept model of the drone we'll be building soon."
The image on screen showed a drone with propellers roughly fifteen centimeters in diameter. The body was plastic and sleekly aerodynamic—very similar to the affordable models that would later popularize drones in the early twenty-first century.
"Is that a toy?"
Dr. Anton asked bravely. Based on size and shape alone, it could easily be mistaken for one. In truth, once the drone was completed, it would be difficult to avoid being treated as a toy for a while. After all, it had no additional functions beyond wireless flight control. To perform any useful task, it would at least need a camera, but current technology made that impossible. Analog cameras were too bulky and heavy, while digital cameras were still in their infancy. Even if a digital camera existed, there was no suitable storage medium. Future Electronics was receiving Toshiba technology to produce flash memory, but the problem was low density and limited capacity. The flash memory chips currently being shipped held only 1 MB each. Creating 32 MB of storage would require installing thirty-two chips. The price was also absurdly high. Consequently, flash memory had yet to reach the general public outside of military or highly specialized fields. The urgent priority was to expand production facilities, succeed with finer process nodes, and bring the price and capacity of flash memory chips down to realistic levels. Until affordable digital cameras and storage media appeared, the drone would be indistinguishable from an RC toy.
"It may look like a toy for now, but its potential applications are endless."
Yoo Jae-won advanced the slide. It displayed various missions the drone could perform, sketched in pencil the night before. He usually explained his vision for the future with words alone, so using drawings was a first. The reason was simple: while text stimulated the imagination, images fixed ideas in place. Images delivered information accurately but prevented thoughts from expanding beyond that frame. After watching the drone team's fumbling attempts the previous day, he had decided to bring out the sketches for the first time.
The sketches showed missions the drone could carry out once equipped with various cameras: capturing broadcast-quality photos or video, monitoring traffic flow on roads, and even military applications. Every time a new slide appeared, gasps of admiration escaped the researchers. At the same time, the drone team's understanding rose rapidly.
"I have a question! With something that small, what will provide the power for missions?"
Of course there was a Q&A session. At first everyone had been intimidated by the fact that Yoo Jae-won was the chairman, but after several hours of working together, they had grown comfortable enough to ask questions. Yoo Jae-won welcomed every one of them.
"Electricity, naturally. You're aware that Sanyo Battery is under ID Group, right? They're producing high-performance lithium-ion batteries."
Good questions were valuable. Nothing raised understanding faster than a good question. The drone team's perspective had been extremely narrow. They had assumed this small research facility contained every resource available to them. Their excellent skills and passion had allowed them to complete the first prototype quickly, but they had been unable to progress further precisely because of this limitation. They had never considered that they could request and utilize the full capabilities of ID Group.
"It's not just batteries. There's also a company that makes high-performance motors. And another that produces gyroscope sensors in IC chip form."
Yoo Jae-won already had a clear roadmap in mind and was steadily preparing the foundational steps to execute it. Most of the essential components needed for smartphone production had already been vertically integrated. The gyroscope sensor manufacturer he had just mentioned was a company ID Technology had acquired some time ago, precisely to use as a smartphone component.
"I've already placed special orders for the batteries, gyroscopes, and other parts. They should arrive tomorrow. I'll show you how to use them then."
When Yoo Jae-won finished speaking, applause broke out, starting with Dr. Anton. However, Dr. Anton's expression remained stiff. The reason was the first prototype. Thanks to that machine, he had been able to bring ID Group's chairman all the way here, but because he had chosen the wrong direction, it was now confirmed that the prototype had become useless. It wasn't meant to carry a person. His focus had been completely off. Yet Dr. Anton's concerns were neatly resolved the very next day.
As Yoo Jae-won had promised, he began improving the first prototype. His approach was 180 degrees different from Anton's. While Dr. Anton had focused on mechanical perfection—engine output and precise radio control—Yoo Jae-won immediately applied IT technology to the prototype. He first attached the gyroscope sensor IC chips that had been delivered by plane. The chips weren't installed alone; they were mounted on a universal board so they could operate independently. The board was fairly complex. Once completed, it was attached to the main body containing the engine and the frame that held the propellers. Since there were four propellers, a total of five sensors were installed. Another board was added as well—one that collected data from all five gyroscope sensors and converted it into a format the computer could interpret. If he had built that board from scratch using the universal circuit, it would have taken several days, but a capable startup had already prepared everything, so Yoo Jae-won only needed to assemble the parts.
The work wasn't finished yet.
"Lastly, we'll need this."
What Yoo Jae-won held up was his Shell Book. What he was installing was an independent system that would receive data from the gyroscope sensors through the Shell Book, interpret it, and actively control the drone's attitude in real time. Ideally, a much smaller system could handle the task, but that wasn't feasible at the moment. Therefore, he was using the portable Shell Book as a substitute for an embedded system. Although the Shell Book was somewhat heavy, the first prototype was large enough that lift was not an issue.
"How should we secure the data and power cables?"
"We have our all-purpose tools—duct tape and cable ties."
Yoo Jae-won answered the researcher's question without a moment's hesitation. The ideas and components being added to the first prototype were truly cutting-edge. Yet what was actually being implemented looked like a typical engineer's makeshift creation. Cables were aligned with the frame using cable ties, and sensors were firmly fixed with duct tape. It was a festival of temporary measures. Watching this, Dr. Anton was visibly anxious. Although he had never said it aloud, Dr. Anton placed considerable importance on aesthetics. That was why he had made the first prototype as simple and practical as possible. Now the "improved" prototype was covered in duct tape and cable ties. As a result, it looked as hideous as an undergraduate assignment completed in a rush during a lightning storm. It was an unbearable sight, but since it was Yoo Jae-won's doing, he had no choice but to watch in silence.
After giving his instructions, Yoo Jae-won was busy programming on another Shell Book. No matter how many sensors were attached, the most important element was the control program that interpreted the sensor data and provided proper feedback to stabilize the attitude. Yoo Jae-won was writing that control program himself on the spot. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the control program determined the drone's level of completion. Once attitude control was secured, navigation functions could be added, and communication between multiple drones would eventually enable large-scale formations. To ensure stability, vast amounts of fluid dynamics data for the drone, along with precise specifications for propellers and motors, would need to be collected and accurate values extracted. However, Yoo Jae-won did not touch any of that. That was the drone team's job. He was simply creating a function that used the attitude data sent by the gyroscope sensors to keep the prototype stable. He designed it in the simplest possible way so that it could be easily modified later once accurate data had been accumulated.
The program was completed remarkably quickly. In his previous life, one of the toys he had played with out of boredom was a DIY drone. It was a model where the user could customize not only the assembly but also the built-in program. Drawing on that experience, he finished the program rapidly.
Time passed. Hardware preparation was complete, and the control software Yoo Jae-won had written was also finished around 4 p.m. once again.
"All right, let's fly it."
At Yoo Jae-won's words, the researchers carefully carried the improved first prototype and followed him. Visually, it looked far more makeshift than when it had first appeared. The thick layers of duct tape and cable ties made it seem like a temporary assembly. Moreover, the Shell Book mounted on top of the main body had nothing to secure it, so it was wrapped tightly with duct tape as well.
The prototype was soon placed in the clearing. Once again, everyone except the person starting the engine retreated thirty meters. The person remaining beside the prototype was Dr. Anton. As team leader, he insisted on taking responsibility until the very end.
"I'm turning on the power!"
Once everyone had moved a safe distance away, Dr. Anton reported via walkie-talkie. Yoo Jae-won immediately gave the OK sign. Receiving it, Dr. Anton pulled the cord connected to the engine, just like starting a camping generator. With a whirring sound, the engine started immediately. It usually took the researchers several pulls, but Dr. Anton, who had handled engines extensively in his day, succeeded on the first try.
Dr. Anton did not return right away. After the engine started, he checked that the Shell Book was operating correctly, that it was properly connected to the gyroscope sensors, and that Yoo Jae-won's attitude control program was functioning, before finally coming back.
"Now, let's fly it."
Yoo Jae-won, who had been holding the RC controller, handed it over to Dr. Anton. Dr. Anton hesitated for a moment, then carefully increased the engine output.
"Ooh!"
The researchers who had been focused on the prototype reacted instantly. Dr. Anton had only raised the engine output, yet the prototype was already stabilizing itself by swaying left and right. The rocking motion looked slightly unstable, but it was far steadier than when Dr. Anton had controlled it directly. Encouraged, Dr. Anton pushed the engine output to maximum. The first prototype kicked off the grass and rose into the air.
Cheers and applause erupted. The drone team members' faces showed a mixture of surprise and pride. After all, they had been extremely nervous when Yoo Jae-won announced he would participate in the improvement work. Dr. Anton, the team leader, had years of experience at the Russian space agency. The other members had also been selected for their outstanding aviation expertise. That was why the first prototype had been completed relatively quickly. When the chairman himself had flown from San Francisco to Redmond after seeing the test flight video, they had been on edge. If the improvement work had gone wrong, the consequences would have been unthinkable. So they had assisted Yoo Jae-won with their hearts in their throats. Yet the prototype after Yoo Jae-won's touch had transformed beyond their imagination.
"We've seen hovering, so let's try moving it. Move it forward."
At Yoo Jae-won's instruction, Dr. Anton carefully moved the directional stick he had never used before. The prototype floating in the air began to drift forward slowly. It wobbled unsteadily, but it never lost balance.
"Whoa!"
An even stronger reaction came this time. Some people were literally jumping up and down. It was understandable—only a few days earlier, simply achieving hover had been considered an achievement. They had never even considered trying to move it. Now it was moving, however clumsily. And since they had helped create this achievement themselves, how could they not be moved?
Yoo Jae-won also let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, he had been nervous too. He had confidently offered to help with improvements and even had expensive parts flown in. If it had failed after all that, the embarrassment would have lingered. Fortunately, it succeeded, and he saved face. Of course, there was still a mountain of improvement work ahead—attitude control system, navigation program, battery operating time, controller range, and more. Many problems remained to be solved. But Yoo Jae-won was not worried. He had clearly set the development direction. With sufficient support and ample development time, good results would follow.
"All right, let's go eat!"
In high spirits, Yoo Jae-won treated the entire drone team to a lavish dinner. They were working to make a living, yet they had stayed up nights improving the prototype for the past few days. For their sake, he also prepared separate bonuses. After finishing his work in Redmond, Yoo Jae-won boarded a night flight to keep his promise with Tiffany. Upon returning to his San Francisco home after a smooth flight, what awaited him was a mysterious package.