Informed Consent Form
The room next to the one housing the woman who acts as my love doll. It’s the second room attached to the laboratory. And it’s the last one. I should have built more rooms while I was at it. Why did I only make two? Anyway, I put all four experimental participants—two men and two women—into that room. They glare at me with eyes full of hatred. But for some reason, I like that expression. It’s easy to read. I’d much rather they be honest about their emotions like that. In that sense, the woman in the next room is still suspicious. A woman who hides her true feelings and acts all sweet and submissive is far more terrifying. The more she acts like that, the less I can trust her. Well, come to think of it, it would be hard to trust her no matter what she did. I wonder if there’s even a reason to keep her around. For now, that’s a decision to make after I see the results from these two women. It’s not something I need to do right this second.
So, as I close the door, I speak kindly to the four of them. "You see that camera over there? Don't do anything stupid. If even one of you tries anything, I’ll dispose of all of you immediately. The bathroom is over there, so don't shit wherever you please, and food will be provided when it's time, so just sit tight and wait. Any questions?"
There isn't a single person here who would calmly raise their hand and ask, "Me." They just glare at me with eyes that are a perfect mix of 30% fear and 70% hatred.
"For your information, I’m doing this to stop you from turning into zombies. The method is a bit rough, but I think it’s better than you turning into zombies here and killing or tearing apart your friends or lovers. See this?"
I toss a PCR kit to them. A kit that displays spore concentration levels. The indicators are almost completely filled with color.
"You’re all on the verge of an outbreak. So please, don’t get stressed. Stay calm. If even one of you turns into a zombie in this cramped space, the other three will all become zombies too. If that’s what you want, feel free to get angry. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to all become zombies together, right?"
With that, I turn around and leave the room. I lock the door and fasten the padlock. Having four people in there is a bit unsettling, but it should be fine. They are ordinary humans. Their survival instinct will be their top priority. That’s how they’ve managed to survive this long, after all. If they didn't have that survival instinct, they wouldn't have clung to life so desperately until now. Wouldn't they have died long ago? Because this current situation is a world where you can barely survive only if you have both effort and luck.
Anyway, after coming out, I head straight into the next room. The woman eating her meal stops when she sees me. She’s eating a can of meat and some soup made with hot water. I flick my hand to point at the bed, and she puts down her food, walks over, and lies down. I take off my pants, approach her, spread her legs, and rub my penis—which isn't fully erect yet—against her vagina. I push my hardening cock into her, and she lets out a faint moan even in the middle of that. Honestly, seeing things like this, her service is top-notch. There’s no way she’d moan like that just from penetration. Along with that moan, she looks at me with an affectionate gaze. It’s as if she’s appealing to me that she’s harmless. A gesture as if asking me to trust her. What this woman is aiming for is clear. To stick to my side. It’s the most suitable attitude for a woman with a weak body to survive in this world. So, a woman with a clear goal is relentless in her actions. I suppose you could call a woman like this ambitious. Truly, she’s an amazing woman.
I move my body mechanically. In sync, she moans and makes a lewd expression. An expression and moan that make it seem like she’s truly feeling it. As if she’s actually enjoying this sex. If you just looked at it purely, you’d be completely fooled. She acts like she really likes it. She’s truly incredible. Regardless, it doesn't matter if it’s real or fake. I just need to grab her breasts, thrust my hips, and ejaculate. Copulation without consideration, respect, communion, or affection. This is just one-sided sexual gratification. It’s a bit lacking to even call it sex. It’s just the act of stimulating my genitals with a warm female body to produce a series of pleasurable reactions. The meaning of the act is nonexistent. That is why I pour the semen I’ve collected throughout the day into her body. Senselessly. That’s the end of it. There’s no need for conversation. Once the act is over, the business is finished. I wash off appropriately, put my pants back on, and come outside.
I feel refreshed, yet not quite. But I erase even those kinds of feelings immediately. There’s no need to put excessive meaning into sex. Why bother? Anyway, after leaving the lab, I eat my own meal as well. Considering the macronutrients, calories, and expiration dates, I grab my food, mix it all together, and shove it into my mouth. I just need to eat. Taste is a luxury. As I eat, I suddenly think of the home-cooked meal at Elder Choi’s place. Damn it. It was delicious, though. A curse naturally forms in my mind. Thinking of that table, what I’m eating now feels like dog food. I also need to check the effects of the growth promoter on the body. I don't even have a clue how to go about that. Should I really go to the Seed Vault? Seeing that the elderly are fine, it seems like it’s probably safe to eat, but...
Thinking such thoughts, I finish my meal. Then, I give food to the four people in the lab. It’s the first day, so I should give them a bit more. At least if I feed them well, they won't have complaints. Perhaps because of that, they seem a bit surprised when they see the food I gave them. The look on their faces says, "You're giving us this much?"
"This is enough for tomorrow, too. So divide it up amongst yourselves." I said that, but it’s still a large amount. Well, it’s not like food is scarce. If anything, I’m more worried that it’ll expire before I can eat it all. That’s why I didn't hold back. Rather than letting it go to waste, I might as well be generous. After giving them the food, I return and prepare for tomorrow's tasks. Then, I go to bed early. I have to sleep. Eating, sleeping, and shitting are my jobs. So I shouldn't skimp on sleep. I have to get enough rest so I don't get sick. In this situation, I must not get sick no matter what. Especially in a season like this where it’s getting cold so suddenly.
The next day. I resume the experiments. Nothing special happened with the four men and women overnight. They didn't try to pick the locks on their handcuffs, attempt an escape, or try to break the camera. They just listlessly ate their food, talked to each other, got annoyed, and eventually collapsed into sleep. "Is it a ruse?" was my first thought. They’re supposed to be pooling their strength to encourage each other, but they’re just getting annoyed at one another? It’s different from how they acted in front of the church yesterday, isn't it? Perhaps I’ve been overestimating them. Come to think of it, they’re only in their early to mid-20s. They aren't people with any special abilities. At best, they’re just college students. People who were lucky. No, wait. They were caught by me, so are they unlucky? Anyway, even so, I won't let my guard down. I’ll just follow the rules I’ve set and do my work carefully, even if it’s a hassle.
So, I resume today's experiment. Today's goal is: "Do zombies recognize humans even when their sight and hearing are blocked?"
Looking at the zombies' movements so far, they only judged whether something was human or not after recognizing something moving through sight or sound. So, I need to find out if they react when a human approaches while their sight and hearing are blocked. If that’s the case, there will be so much more I can do.
I take a zombie out of the fish tank. Then, I block its eyes and ears. Blocking the eyes isn't difficult, but blocking the ears isn't easy. Still, I shove whatever I can into them to plug them up. Ugh. It’s disgusting. It’s truly horrific. It’s so strange that I’ve become someone who can treat these zombies so nonchalantly. They’re clearly repulsive, to the point where I don't even want to touch them. Yet here I am, doing it so calmly. I don't understand how I can be like this. Perhaps that’s why there aren't many people who experiment like I do. It would probably be difficult for an individual to do this. Well, to begin with, there are so few living people left, so even a group would find it hard to do something like this. Above all, being close to zombies raises your spore concentration. I’m wearing a gas mask, but I know full well that this isn't a good thing to be doing. Once I finish this experiment, I’ll have to test ways to lower spore concentration. It doesn't seem like it will be easy, but it’s worth a try. If by any chance I succeed, I’ll be holding a hand of cards that makes no sense. There’s no reason not to try.
I go to where they are and tell one of the men to come out. The guy stands up with a determined look on his face. As if he’s going to sacrifice himself for everyone else. Well, it’s a pretty cool look, I suppose. If he weren't naked, that is.
"You, go back in. You, the woman there. You come out."
The guy who stepped forward looks flustered at my words. Then he shouts at me, "I'll do it! I'll do it! Leave Soyeon alone!"
But I just aim my pistol at him. He shuts his mouth. I flick my finger at the woman who is hesitating. The woman is trembling, but she looks at the man from a moment ago and her surroundings, and I sigh. "So annoying." How can she not grasp the situation even in this state? As I aim my pistol without a word, the woman staggers out toward me, and when I close the door, I hear a "Bang!" and someone shouting, "Damn it!" from inside. *Sigh.* What a mess. It’s melodrama. Pure melodrama. They’ve watched too many dramas and movies. Does that guy think acting like that is cool?
I take the woman away. Then, I gag her, put a gas mask on her, and tie her to the experimental table. A naked woman. Maybe because she hasn't been eating well, her body is a bit thin. But I actually prefer this. It’s better than being fat. If I had made a pig-like woman do this, my eyes would have been even more tired.
"Cooperate actively. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to survive."
When I say that, the woman looks at me with eyes full of contempt. I was being sincere, in my own way. I guess my sincerity didn't get through. What a shame. Yeah. Sincerity, my ass. I should just get on with the experiment. Since when have I ever cared about other people's circumstances?