The Unabomber's Package
The speed of parcel delivery serves as a clear barometer of a logistics network's development. In Korea, a new type of parcel service called "taxi delivery" had emerged. It was Yugyeong Taekbae, a subsidiary of Yugyeong Food, in which Yoo Jae-won held a 33% stake. Yugyeong Taekbae's origins lay in the logistics system built to rapidly supply chicken ingredients such as raw chicken and cooking oil to franchise locations nationwide. Using fresh chicken was Yugyeong Chicken's secret to its distinctive flavor. Rather than relying on external carriers, Yugyeong Food had first constructed its own wide-area delivery network capable of moving only its own products at high speed. Once built, it seemed a shame to use it exclusively for themselves. At that point, Yoo Jae-won's casual suggestion of a parcel service reached them, and Ryu Jun-sik, president of Yugyeong Food, immediately acted on the idea. The result was a capillary-like network extending from the main wide-area routes into nearby rural towns. Yugyeong Food directly employed the wide-area drivers, while last-mile delivery personnel who collected or delivered packages from customers operated under business contracts if they owned box trucks. The critical computer systems were, of course, built with consulting from ID Technology Korea. Overall, the system showed no quality gap compared to early-21st-century parcel networks. Thanks to it, anyone in Korea who chose Yugyeong Taekbae could receive their package as early as the next day. However, in remote island or mountainous regions, door-to-door service was unavailable, and recipients had to collect their items from the nearest town.
Seeing Yugyeong Taekbae's explosive growth, numerous large corporations began running the numbers on entering the parcel business themselves. While Korea was experiencing a logistics revolution sparked by Yugyeong Taekbae, America still operated under an outdated system. The state-owned USPS still held enormous market share. As a government enterprise, its greatest strength was its vast delivery network. Parcels could also be sent simply by affixing multiple stamps. Its weakness was speed. USPS's logo featured an eagle, but in reality its mail and parcels moved at the pace of a turtle.
The package that arrived at Yoo Jae-won's home after he returned from Redmond had been mailed a full week earlier. It had reached the company the previous day, and the mailroom had forwarded it to his residence through standard procedures. An organization as large as ID Group received an enormous volume of external letters and parcels, so it maintained a dedicated department to handle them. Naturally, anything addressed to Yoo Jae-won received special handling. After all, the man enjoyed worldwide recognition; at least dozens of pieces of mail arrived for him daily. Most contained business proposals from people seeking investment or items the senders believed were brilliant. Some were fan letters. Because he occupied a position akin to a rock star in Silicon Valley, quite a few fans sent heartfelt letters and gifts. The suspicious package had been mixed in among those fan letters and proposals before being delivered to his home.
"Lucky break."
He was speaking to his secretary, Kim Dae-seok. Because Yoo Jae-won had been away on a business trip to Redmond, Kim Dae-seok had naturally accompanied him. Had there been no trip, Kim Dae-seok would have followed his usual routine and opened Yoo Jae-won's mail first. One of an executive secretary's duties was to examine and sort incoming mail before it reached Yoo Jae-won. Fortunately, the trip meant all the mail had been collected into a single box and eventually delivered to the house. Upon arriving in San Francisco from Redmond, Yoo Jae-won had sent the newlywed Kim Dae-seok home early out of consideration for his fresh marriage. Normally Kim Dae-seok would have followed him all the way home and finished his work, but the special circumstances allowed an early departure. If Kim Dae-seok had stayed and opened the mail as usual—including the suspicious package—
"It would have exploded."
Exactly. The mysterious package addressed to Yoo Jae-won contained an explosive device. America, with its large population and vast territory, suffered from all manner of rampant crime. Yoo Jae-won lived in San Francisco—in Silicon Valley, no less—so he rarely felt the effects of poor public safety, but in nearby Los Angeles dozens of people died daily in gun incidents. The fact that race riots had broken out only a few years earlier was no exaggeration; crime was genuinely severe. Predictably, the high crime rate also produced occasional serial killers. And today Yoo Jae-won had encountered one of the most notorious among them.
The Unabomber. The bomb-making murderer who had sent twenty-two people to hospitals and killed three others with homemade parcel bombs. Three deaths might seem low, but the weapon was a mail bomb. Most victims had been caught completely off guard while opening packages. As the bombs grew more sophisticated over time, survivors typically suffered severe full-body burns, lost limbs, or went blind. Living was often worse than dying.
"Did I draw too much aggro?"
Yoo Jae-won, who had instantly recognized the Unabomber's package and stepped far back, muttered with a sigh. It made sense. The Unabomber selected targets who were prominent figures in society and actively promoted industrialization or automation. His early victims had been university professors and airlines; later he targeted corporate executives and labor union leaders. Thinking it over, Yoo Jae-won realized he fit the Unabomber's profile perfectly. The man hated those driving industrialization and automation. ID Group, which was advancing computer technology, was at the very forefront of those fields. Moreover, Yoo Jae-won had recently appeared frequently on television through events like the HPC Expo. Had he opened the package without suspicion, he would likely have been killed or suffered irreversible injuries such as limb loss.
The reason Yoo Jae-won had been able to identify the suspicious package as the Unabomber's bomb was entirely thanks to an American drama he had enjoyed in his previous life—Netflix. In that life, Netflix had been a constant companion. Aside from the annual price increases, it had offered unlimited access to all its content for a flat fee. Its distinctive visual style was both a flaw and a strength; it appealed strongly to certain tastes. When something matched his preferences, nothing could be better. Yoo Jae-won had been exactly that kind of viewer. Most of its programming had hit his tastes dead center. Among his favorites were crime procedurals, especially those featuring psychopaths and serial killers. While Korean productions often sanitized such stories, Netflix's versions made no such concessions. They used real names, recreated crimes as faithfully as possible, and even cast actors who closely resembled the actual perpetrators—so much so that viewers could easily mistake the scenes for reality. One of those crime dramas had covered the Unabomber, depicting his entire criminal career from beginning to end as if the show had followed him closely. It had also shown the parallel efforts of the FBI and the task force's criminal profilers working tirelessly to catch him.
"How strange."
Having calmed his racing heart, Yoo Jae-won now felt a sense of wonder. He had never imagined he would become connected in this way to the protagonist of a drama he had watched in his previous life. Even while formulating his master plan, he had barely considered criminals. In hindsight, that had been an oversight. The Unabomber was a perfect example. His first active period ran from 1985 to 1987, followed by six years of silence. He had resumed activity in 1993—the current year—and would continue sending dozens of bombs until his arrest in April 1996. Viewed from that perspective, becoming a target of the Unabomber's second wave was not entirely a bad thing. After all, Yoo Jae-won knew not only the Unabomber's real name but also his current address. The drama had revealed every personal detail without omission. He didn't even need to enter his Memory Palace to recall them; they remained vividly in his mind.
"If you receive something, it's only proper to return the favor!"
Having received a bomb, returning it with a nuclear-level response was only natural for Yoo Jae-won. Moreover, he possessed both the will and the capability. He could immediately lead his security team and begin hunting the Unabomber. While such an action would be unthinkable in Korea, America was a country where citizens' right to bear arms was constitutionally guaranteed. Several of his bodyguards held permits for submachine guns and assault rifles. Adding body armor and ballistic shields would allow them to field a squad on par with regular military forces.
"What to do..."
Yoo Jae-won stared at the bomb package, deep in thought. His personal preference was obviously to lead the security team and strike directly. But he also had to consider how to handle the situation for maximum personal benefit. The deliberation stretched on. Ordinary decisions usually took him ten minutes; the gravity of this matter extended it considerably. Roughly an hour later, he reached a conclusion. With his mind made up, he picked up the phone and dialed the number for the FBI's Unabomber Task Force.
The next day.
From morning onward, San Francisco's television and newspapers were in an uproar. The Unabomber breaking six years of silence was already major news, but the fact that his chosen target was Yoo Jae-won—the most famous executive and "student" in Silicon Valley—left no one unsurprised. Yoo Jae-won's influence was so immense that the story qualified as breaking news not only in Silicon Valley but across America and around the world. Many people who saw the first reports that morning even called the stations to verify whether the story was real. The FBI was equally chaotic. The task force that had taken Yoo Jae-won's initial call had initially dismissed it as a prank; after all, the Unabomber had been inactive for six years and the team itself was in a lull. The night-shift agent who answered had only recently joined and made the critical mistake. Once they realized who Yoo Jae-won was, they rushed to his residence in a panic. After confirming the bomb package, they had no choice but to acknowledge the Unabomber's return to activity. Personnel were immediately reassigned to the previously shrinking task force, and the investigation began. All movements were kept under strict security. Unfortunately, the commotion had been so visible that the media caught wind of it. As a result, urgent bulletins continued to air on Yoo Jae-won's television. Consequently, he received a flood of concerned calls from his parents and acquaintances. Calming their worries took considerable time. The White House even called. Because he had been invited to sit in the front row at President Clinton's inauguration, the relationship was close enough that the call progressed from a secretary all the way to the president himself.
"Yeah, I'm fine! The schedule's no problem either. Haha, who do you think I am? I took one look and knew it was the Unabomber's package. Yeah, I didn't touch it—I called the FBI first thing. The bomb's been recovered safely, and I'm giving my statement right now."
It was Tiffany on the line. She had called the moment she heard the news, though she had been working and saw the report later than everyone else, so her call came last.
"Mr. Chairman, the task force leader has arrived."
At Kim Dae-seok's cautious report, Yoo Jae-won told Tiffany he would call her back and ended the conversation. Turning his head, he saw a middle-aged man walking straight toward him. This must be the Unabomber task force leader Kim Dae-seok had mentioned. In truth, the leader had not needed to come in person. Field agents handled on-site investigation, and the bomb package analysis could be done in the lab. The problem was that the Unabomber's first target after six years was Yoo Jae-won. Having a figure important enough for the American president to call personally become the target of a bomb-making serial killer created enormous pressure on the team.
Huh? Something about the team leader's appearance felt familiar to Yoo Jae-won.
"It's been a while."
The man greeted him as though he felt the same.
"Yes, it has. Agent Walter Skinner."
The FBI agent who had once come to request Yoo Jae-won's help during the homeless serial killer case in Los Angeles had now appeared as the leader of the Unabomber task force. The murder suspect had written a diary containing details of his crimes using the Keyboard Warrior program, and the FBI's high-tech crime unit had been unable to crack the encryption. That was why Agent Skinner had personally sought Yoo Jae-won's assistance. After that meeting, they had not seen each other again. Had the Unabomber's bomb not arrived yesterday, they likely never would have. It was good to see him, yet puzzling. In the drama Yoo Jae-won had watched, someone else had led the Unabomber task force. Apparently, his previous entanglement with Walter Skinner had become a significant variable—fortunately, in a positive direction. Leading the Unabomber task force was a very high position within the FBI, clear evidence of recognition both inside and outside the organization. Yet Walter Skinner's expression was even worse than before. Back then it had been merely blank and cold; now it radiated frost. The lack of progress in the Unabomber investigation was clearly taking a heavy toll. Of course, that was only Yoo Jae-won's personal guess. The man might simply be in a bad mood after being dispatched without breakfast, or there could be some other personal reason.
Agent—now Team Leader—Skinner and Yoo Jae-won exchanged a brief handshake and sat facing each other.
"Shall we get straight to the point, as before?"
"Of course. I have an appointment this afternoon, so I'd appreciate it if we could finish quickly."
Yoo Jae-won answered every question about how he had received the Unabomber's package and how he had known it was a bomb without opening it—enough to call the Unabomber task force directly rather than the general tip line—with complete sincerity within the limits of what he could say. He explained that he had always been interested in serial killers and had found the Unabomber's use of parcel bombs particularly memorable. There was no reason to doubt that such a preference existed. When he also demonstrated that anything he had seen once remained unforgettable thanks to his Memory Palace, Team Leader Skinner could only nod. Once the preliminary questioning was finished and the atmosphere suggested the meeting was winding down, Yoo Jae-won added one more remark.
"If you ever decide to use computer analysis in the Unabomber investigation, please contact me. ID Group will assist with everything we have."
"What exactly do you mean by computer analysis?"
The FBI was only just beginning to apply profiling techniques in the field. Even CSI-level work was still limited to fingerprints, stamps, and bomb fragments. It was natural for Team Leader Skinner to find database analysis unfamiliar.
"You take every clue the Unabomber has left and search it against databases created by government agencies, public institutions, and universities. For example, unusual phrases or key words from his threat letters. If a suspect has written a thesis in a similar style, you could search for it and dramatically narrow the scope of the investigation. There are also ways to process metadata. That's precisely why I contacted the FBI instead of using my own security team. I have complete information on the Unabomber. By using computer analysis while highlighting the clues I possess, we can catch him early. If that allows ID Group to participate in building the FBI's database system, the outcome would be ideal."
"Hmm. Thank you for the offer. I'll consider it."
Team Leader Skinner gave the perfunctory reply while studying Yoo Jae-won, then stood up. The seasoned agent had instinctively sensed that Yoo Jae-won was holding something back. Yet he could not pinpoint that Yoo Jae-won also coveted involvement in building the FBI's database system through cooperation on capturing the Unabomber, so the standard response was all he could offer.
With that, the meeting with Team Leader Skinner concluded. Yoo Jae-won's home, which had been bustling since dawn, finally grew quiet. After sending Kim Dae-seok away as well, Yoo Jae-won went straight to the computer in his study. He needed to construct a scenario in which cooperation with the FBI would lead to the Unabomber's capture.
"The most important thing in this partnership will be demonstrating the usefulness of IT technology."
Just as he had shown the drone team at the High Tech Research Institute the synergy created by fusing IT with their work, he would demonstrate right in front of the investigators that IT technology could be crucially applied to criminal investigations. Team Leader Skinner would experience the same kind of revelation that Dr. Anton Park of the drone team had felt.
"Well, I wonder if those rigid types will accept it easily."
Recalling Team Leader Skinner's face, Yoo Jae-won felt a twinge of concern. Even if the FBI refused his help, it would not matter. Computerization of records and the construction of independent networks were an inevitable trend for both the FBI and the CIA. Besides, once such a network was built, would it truly remain completely separate from Nextcomcast's backbone infrastructure? As long as it was not a fully air-gapped system, Yoo Jae-won had numerous indirect ways to exert influence. Furthermore, if the FBI proved as slow to act as usual even when fed information on a silver platter, he was fully prepared to move on his own.
"How dare you target me? You'd better start praying you're already dead."
Looking back, today's incident had been extraordinarily fortunate. What if the email from the drone team had not arrived? Kim Dae-seok would have opened the package as usual, and Yoo Jae-won would have lost a colleague he had planned to work with for the rest of his life. It would have been a devastating loss for him personally, and an immense tragedy for the newly married Kim Dae-seok and Oh Hyun-ji. If the FBI failed to handle the matter, he would simply deploy his security team, raid the Unabomber's hideout, and end the manhunt without anyone noticing. Grinding his teeth once more at the Unabomber, Yoo Jae-won began typing on the keyboard at an accelerated pace.