Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Equivalent Exchange Machine
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Ansong Research Institute Senior Researcher Lee Se-hwa.
Such lettering was embroidered in black thread over the white lab coat I was wearing.
"This experiment involves interacting with an anomalous entity. Type 0 Personnel, please cooperate as I guide you through the process."
I sent my voice through the microphone into the inner containment cell.
The three Type 0 Personnel fidgeted anxiously, shaking their legs or glancing around.
"As notified in advance, successfully completing this experiment will grant you a chance at parole. I ask for your full cooperation."
Type 0 Personnel are those who conduct experiments by making contact with anomalies deemed dangerous.
Research institute staff handle contact with anomalies judged safe or those whose danger level hasn't been determined yet.
That's why Type 0 Personnel are deployed for experiments involving anomalies confirmed as dangerous.
"We're ready! Hurry up and start the damn experiment or test or whatever. I wanna get outta here right now!"
The largest of the Type 0 Personnel shouted.
He was a man with a prominent tattoo sprawling across his face.
Type 0 Personnel are mainly composed of death row inmates or long-term prisoners.
They strike a deal: participate in experiments, and they get paroled.
"We will now proceed with the experiment. Personnel 1, please enter through the leftmost door."
At my command, the burly man obediently complied.
The man headed to the leftmost of the three doors in the primary containment cell.
This man was a serial killer from about twenty years ago who had murdered twenty-one people.
To ease their guilt, researchers receive the crime records of Type 0 Personnel before experiments.
The documents detail every atrocity committed by the Type 0 Personnel.
They include specifics on how victims were killed, photos of the bodies—details never released to the public.
All to assuage guilt.
"Proceed down the passageway to the secondary containment cell."
Soon, the man arrived in the secondary containment cell.
I switched the microphone output to the secondary cell so the other Type 0 Personnel couldn't hear.
"You should see a large vending machine ahead. Do you confirm?"
"Yeah. It's a bit weird-looking, but nothing too anomalous—just like a regular vending machine."
This experiment was being conducted with the anomalous entity nicknamed the "Equivalent Exchange Machine."
The Equivalent Exchange Machine resembled a large vending machine.
It was quite different from standard Korean canned drink dispensers.
The compartments for each item were much larger, like those odd Japanese vending machines.
At the top of the machine, text was written in a language not found on Earth.
No matter who read it, the text evoked the words "Equivalent Exchange Machine."
Even illiterate subjects, when shown the text, reportedly thought of "Equivalent Exchange Machine."
"First, press the button in the second row from the top, fourth from the left."
"This one that looks like a soda?"
"Yes. After pressing the button, show the item to the camera and place it in the blue box."
The Type 0 Personnel pressed the button on the Equivalent Exchange Machine.
Clunk.
Something dropped into the dispenser slot at the bottom of the machine.
"Huh? Feels kinda empty. Wait, what the—?!"
The man who pressed the button sensed something off and patted his head.
His hair was gone.
"What the hell! Where's my hair?!"
The now-bald man yelled.
"That's the property of that anomaly, the Equivalent Exchange Machine. It takes something from the person who presses the button and dispenses an item in exchange."
"I see. Well, hair's nothing if it means parole. Hahaha!"
The bald man laughed heartily.
He held up the canned drink from the machine and showed it to the camera.
'A Wound Recovery Potion. Should stock it in the institute's reserves.'
The can the man held had simple green packaging with a red cross emblem.
It was an item we'd obtained from the Equivalent Exchange Machine before.
Drinking it healed minor wounds completely.
It wasn't particularly useful for major injuries, though.
Most institute staff wanted it for skin care rather than wound healing.
"Next, press the button in the fourth row from the top, sixth from the left."
The man pressed the button on the Equivalent Exchange Machine.
Thud—.
This time, a heavier sound echoed than before.
"Huh? Doesn't seem like anything changed this time."
The man groped his body, checking everywhere.
Visually, nothing appeared different.
Probably an internal organ like a kidney or gallbladder was gone.
The man showed the camera the item from the Equivalent Exchange Machine.
He held a long sword in its black scabbard with both hands.
A new item. Would need to test it later.
"Place the sword in the blue box and press the next button. First row, first column—the top-left button."
The items in the Equivalent Exchange Machine change daily around 00:42:42 UTC+0.
In Korea, that's roughly 9:42 a.m.
At that time, the products randomize.
Except for one.
"Why's this one so white?"
The first row, first column of the Equivalent Exchange Machine never changes, no matter the date.
That slot always holds a pure white cube.
The man pressed the first button.
Click.
The sound of the button echoed.
With that sound, the man vanished.
The containment cell fell silent, as if no one had ever been there.
'Same as always.'
Anyone who presses the first button on the Equivalent Exchange Machine disappears.
And no item comes out.
Thus, the first Type 0 Personnel—the brutal serial killer of twenty-one people—vanished from the world.
The goal of this experiment was to obtain the white cube from the Equivalent Exchange Machine.
A white cube of unknown nature.
Senior institute executives had thrown dozens of Type 0 Personnel at it to get that cube.
Given the machine's name, it must appraise value in its own way before dispensing items.
'Does that mean the cube holds value incomparable to dozens of lives?'
No one knew what the white cube did.
We couldn't even be sure it was something obtainable by feeding it people.
It might not come out even if we threw in the entire world's population.
'They're criminals anyway.'
I recalled the crime records I'd read before the experiment.
Those people deserved to die.
I took a deep breath to steady my mind.
I spoke to the two remaining Type 0 Personnel waiting.
"Next, Personnel 2, please enter through the center door."
My sudden voice made the waiting Type 0 Personnel flinch.
Number 2 stepped forward.
Soon, Personnel 2 arrived in the secondary containment cell with the Equivalent Exchange Machine via the center door.
The primary containment cell had three doors.
But all three led to the secondary cell with the Equivalent Exchange Machine.
They were split into three to prevent rebellion if the first entrant didn't return—giving the illusion of different destinations.
All three doors led to the machine.
"Press the buttons as I instruct."
The experiment began again.
We obtained miscellaneous items, and when his body seemed sufficiently damaged, I ordered him to take the white cube.
This Type 0 Personnel was a fraudster prosecuted for a two-trillion-won fund scam, facing a 45-year sentence.
Another criminal vanished from the world.
"Finally, Personnel 3, please enter through the right door."
Button pressed, item dropped.
Button pressed, item dropped.
Button pressed, item dropped.
Button pressed, and the room was empty.
Another criminal gone.
This one was guilty of murder. Or was it fraud? Didn't matter.
I couldn't recall the exact charge, but he was definitely a bad guy.
I entered the now-empty containment cell after the experiment to recover the items.
The cell was eerily quiet.
"I miss the Princess..."
I muttered softly to myself in the empty cell.
I finished the experiment and wrote up the report.
I cataloged the items from the Equivalent Exchange Machine and noted that we failed to obtain the white cube again.
"Haa."
I sighed deeply and stretched.
Report complete.
Guess I should go see the Princess.
Using the excuse of being the Black Princess's handler researcher, I headed to her containment cell.
As I entered, the Princess looked right at me.
The Black Princess gave a faint smile.
"Would you like some cake together?"
I'd been invited to the Princess's tea time.