Civil War (4)
[Chairman. The Ministry of Economy and Finance is leaving Seoul.]
"Ah, yeah. Even the Ministry of Economy and Finance."
Seoul, Republic of Korea. Late into the night sky, flames flickered along the North Mountain ridge as the roar of artillery mixed with gunfire. Chairman Kim tilted his glass.
Everyone knew by now that the mutants had broken through Paju, Yangju, and Goyang in sequence, reaching Seoul itself. The Seoul defense line held firm, but the real problem was the north wind that followed.
The north wind, laden with the blue drug that had swept through Manchuria and North Korea, was already on the verge of hitting Seoul. Countless corporations and key government ministries had already abandoned the city and fled south. With the Ministry of Economy and Finance as the last to go, no major government organs remained in Seoul.
It was safe to say the Republic of Korea government had decided to abandon Seoul.
"That's the right call, though."
The Capital Defense Force was formidable against mutant hordes, but powerless against the blue-drug wind. The national military had already suffered a catastrophic loss near the armistice line, where frontline divisions confronted the north wind and seventy percent of their troops mutated into monsters, leading to total annihilation.
From that, the military had learned three responses to the north wind: flee from it, disband units to prevent mutations, or pray to the heavens it wouldn't reach them. The military chose the first, but GeumMyeong Security chose none.
Yu Sil-jang insisted the wisest choice was "overcoming" it. Let those who turn into mutants do so, then take only the survivors. No need for gas masks, evacuations, or any bullshit—just end up with elite ability users immune to the blue drug.
It sounded absurd at first, but Yu Sil-jang proved it. Under the pretext of aiding the military retreat, she led a massive force to Paju and exposed them all to the blue drug. Of the 500 employees, 80 mutated and were executed on the spot. She returned to Seoul with over 400 ability users.
Far higher than the estimated 10% ability user ratio in the general population. The recruits at GeumMyeong Security weren't average to begin with, so it made sense.
So what would they do with that force?
"Put it through."
"It's been a while since the inauguration, but thanks anyway. Cut the crap—what's this about?"
The proposal was exactly as expected. A smile crept across Chairman Kim's lips.
"Is that so? News to me."
"If supplies are sufficient, yes. More than doable."
GeumMyeong Group was now in charge of Seoul's key facilities. In other words, they'd swallowed Seoul whole—with government blessing.
The smile never left Chairman Kim's face during the call.
"Ah, yeah. There is."
"I need the list of all active NIS black agents in the country."
"Every single one, no exceptions."
"Then discuss it with him and get back to me."
Click. Chairman Kim set down the receiver. He'd pretended to mull it over, but the list would come their way eventually. The NIS couldn't defend Seoul, but they could. If the government had to choose who to sacrifice, it'd be the NIS.
The one agency investigating GeumMyeong Group? Uproot it entirely, and who else would dare challenge them? Absolute power would be born.
"Prime Minister? Connect it."
"......"
Park Yi-sa? That bastard's still alive? Managed to survive, huh? Chairman Kim's eyes widened.
"Don't say a word. Just connect it."
"......"
"......"
Clunk. Chairman Kim set down the receiver.
He'd unwittingly gained premium intel.
Australia. Capital, Canberra. Cheol-woo stepped off the plane and removed his sunglasses. After a grueling five-hour domestic flight, his back ached as he stood. Who makes domestic flights this long? Australia's landmass was fucking huge, he realized anew.
'Still looks like the boonies no matter how I squint.'
Canberra was the capital, right? But the airport surroundings were just low hills and fields. Scattered buildings were mostly low-rise or houses—no skyscrapers.
He'd imagined something like Sydney or Melbourne. Disappointment hit hard. As Cheol-woo shook his head, Deputy Director Jason pulled up in a truck loaded with firearms and gear unloaded from the plane.
"Hop in. Straight to HQ."
"Any plans?"
"No long-term, but short-term yes. First, confirm if the Director's infected. My orders to subordinates mean nothing if he overrides them."
Good thing the first recruit was the deputy. Only the director above him—secure or kill the director, and everyone below followed orders.
Cleaning out the Secret Intelligence Agency shouldn't be too hard once the director was handled.
"Why no long-term plan yet?"
"Well... Even controlling command, rooting out parasites agent by agent is incredibly tough."
"What's so hard? Call everyone to HQ, secretly install X-ray scanners in the door frames, scan 'em, and pick off the parasites."
"Can't assemble agents that easily. White agents are desk jobs, sure, but black agents? Tough. Return orders take varying times—they're scattered. Loose deadlines might work, but could take a month."
A month was too long. Rifts had opened, Australia infested for over a week already. Waiting another month might blanket the country in parasites. People were getting infected right now—had to move faster.
"But isn't the Secret Intelligence Agency overseas-focused? Why black agents active domestically?"
"That doesn't matter."
"......"
Jason averted his eyes, changing the subject. If they'd planted black agents domestically on the sly, probably the security agency did the same overseas.
"No parasite news overseas?"
"None reported, from what I know. No foreign intel agency has it yet."
"Or their leadership's compromised, no reports going up."
"......"
Jason's face darkened at David Min's half-joking remark. Plausible enough. The US and UK breaking Five Eyes links amid disaster? If their governments or agencies were parasite-overrun, it fit.
No way the Anglos saw this apocalypse as a chance to surge ahead while others crumbled, right? Selfish bastards.
Shit, both sides had history of backstabbing allies.
"How's Canberra proper? Parasites among pedestrians?"
"Lower ratio here. About one in ten."
"Huh?"
Surprising. Darwin was half-humans, half-parasites despite being backwater—he'd braced for a parasite republic here. Only ten percent?
Maybe parasites landed on the north coast, still clustered north, not spread nationwide yet? Hope flickered.
"Scratch that. Everyone entering that building's a parasite."
"......"
That building? Secret Intelligence Agency HQ. Jason went pale.