Divers' Delight and the House of Two Mothers

Mom was happy just gazing at the cleaners packed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into my Containment Facility. They were all twisting their bodies to express their joy.

I'd done my best to recreate the smell and taste of the sewer, along with its murky environment, in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the space where the cleaners were contained. It was a bit amateurish since it was all DIY, but it had to be better than a cold asphalt floor.

They couldn't appreciate the charm of anomalies, those lost souls who didn't get my aesthetic sense.

The divers themselves loved it, though.

"Right?"

When I stroked one's head, it nodded repeatedly before suddenly powering down and collapsing like it had been unplugged.

The Search Squad Member was spot on—the cramped space was the issue. Hamsters get stressed when you overcrowd them too. This was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exactly that.

I could expand the area, but the problem was I couldn't.

Wasn't the Containment Facility supposed to gain power just from containing anomalies? It felt like they were helping each other out.

No wonder the divers had fully submitted without me doing much.

Without the queen, their intelligence drops and they can't communicate? That wouldn't do.

"Where's your mom?"

The divers gestured wildly. The meaning was clear.

'We don't know either.'

"Then how do we find her?"

'We know the humans who found and bargained with the queen. Find them, and you'll learn the way.'

I'd have to check at the Response Agency Gangseo Branch. Perfect timing—Team Leader had called me in for my reward anyway.

"Jeongchan, head to the Operations Planning Office."

After missions, we reported to the planning office. Since missions weren't easy to quantify, rewards varied by accomplishments.

"Good work, both of you."

Following the team leader, we were greeted by a dignified gentleman in a monocle.

"Planning Director Yun Jonggu. Nice to meet you, Jeongchan."

Yun Jonggu got straight to the point.

"You identified the original author of the community center rulebook, confirmed the rules of the mutated Gap Convenience Store, and rescued missing people from the sewers this time—plus spotted the altered ladder."

Yun Jonggu chuckled.

"No one at other branches would believe a newbie freelancer pulled this off. Here."

He pulled out pre-prepared rewards: eye drops and a red potion.

Nahee's eyes widened.

"Already handing out stuff like this?"

"You push talent that delivers results."

Ignoring the stunned Nahee, Yun Jonggu explained.

"The eye drops let you glimpse hidden info. Transplanting eyes would be more efficient, but I hear you already have special ones. Use carefully."

I applied the drops to my left eye.

Things blurred briefly, then a status window explained the change beside me.

"Where do you get stuff like this?"

"Can't say. You'll learn when your rank rises."

I fiddled with the eye drops.

"Jeongchan, now you can use those eyes to see the Response Agency staff notes hidden in the rulebook. Normally only for 9th graders. And only survivors after a month."

"Consider this an advance. 9th grade gets different rewards."

Yun Jonggu continued.

"This red potion is for life-threatening moments."

As I took the rewards, Yun Jonggu asked.

"Want anything else next time? I'll prepare it."

"Info on anomalies. As much as possible."

"You'll learn as your rank rises. At 9th grade, you can access Response Agency anomaly records."

"Director, how much did Jeongchan's rank go up?"

"Didn't mention it. Jeongchan is now 12th Grade."

Nahee was shocked.

"That's..."

"Fastest from 15th to 12th ever. Lots of anomaly contact. Sewers had worse than anomalies, though..."

"Found the ones rusting the ladders?"

"Amphibian Society."

Nahee's ever-smiling eyes from the sewers turned fierce.

"Those damn bastards..."

A criminal org profiting off anomalies.

"Got their tail. Raid scattered hideouts, extract members. Take the mission?"

"Obviously."

Nahee was ready to move.

"Jeongchan, rest."

"No. I'm in."

Perfect. Needed to ask those dealers how they found the queen.

****

"Normally, your rank couldn't handle this... no augmentation yet."

"I wanna rank up fast."

"Already fast enough. Others would freak."

"Hate it?"

Team Leader Nahee grinned widely.

"I like it. Better than solo."

Just us again. Hideouts everywhere—personnel split into pairs.

"Jeongchan, I go first."

Ours: rundown house in an alley. At the set time, we slipped in quietly.

Typical safehouse inside.

Eye on family photo.

Standard smiling family of four.

Squinted for detail—face zoomed like smartphone.

New eye effect?

"Jeongchan, hold tight!"

Team leader rushed me.

"Anomalous phenomenon!"

Not my eye—photo expanding. Shadows from it swallowed us.

Opened eyes: somewhere in house, middle of stairs.

"Jeongchan, lucky we're together. Got pulled in."

Anomalous phenomenon. No rulebook or case notes visible. Shame.

"First time for us."

Team leader pulled notebook, handed me one.

"Write escape method yourself."

Escape method.

Each had one.

Find inconsistencies, normalize them; or follow role/rules to find exit.

Finding it was life-or-death roleplay.

What was this one?

Answer came quick.

"Jeongchan! Nahee! Dangerous up there! Come down!"

Voice from stairs bottom. Same from 2nd floor.

"Kids! Mom just heard! Don't go down!"

We exchanged looks.

"Two moms, Jeongchan."

"Yeah. Two moms. First time ever, and doubles."

"Never had one."

"One each?"

She brushed off nonsense, tension eased.

"We're the kids."

Siblings fixed. Play family, find escape.

"Photo had one dad, one mom. Now two moms. Find real, remove fake?"

Normally pick one.

But I thought different.

"What if both right?"

"Huh?"

I paused, then spoke.

"Two moms? Real life, one's stepmom. Or adopted."

"Yeah?"

"How pass up legal non-blood incest?"

"What? What're you saying?"

"It's an anomaly. Gotta seize chance."

"What? Photo had one mom."

"Can't just add one more to the family photo?"