The Path to the Mad Professor

Gimpo Airport. Kim Sehee. I was still deep in thought. The one thing the infected lacked compared to humans was absolute: "Air Superiority." No matter how superior their physical abilities were, they couldn't fly. The sky remained the domain of humanity. But the problem was the ground. The ground had already become the domain of the infected. The sea wasn't safe, either. At first, the boat people fled to the sea to escape the infected, but with the birth of "zombie boats," the ocean had turned into hell as well. An infection occurs on a ship, and in that enclosed space, the transmission is instantaneous. Those ships soon drift back to the coastline, packed with the infected. That’s why the areas near the coastline are the most dangerous. You have to deal with not only the infected coming from the land but also the threats washing in from the sea.

I had calculated it countless times in my head. Taking a plane and flying straight to Seoul National University? I would do it if it were possible. The sky was still a domain in our favor. But realistically, that was impossible. First, there was no place to land a plane or helicopter safely. A helicopter couldn't just fly into an underground station. Second, that level of noise would attract every single infected being in the vicinity. Third, and most importantly, even if we possessed the antibodies, there was a high probability the current ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠government wouldn't trust us. And even if they somehow did... the current government... had lost its mind. To them, "total quarantine" was the top priority. If an existence like me were discovered? The answer was simple. Disposal. I didn't want to die. No matter how much I tried to overcome this state, the reason for a human to live felt more desperate than death itself.

In the end, there was only one path I chose. Going to Seoul National University. Why Seoul National University? It wasn't just because they had the research facilities. The most important reason was "that research professor" at the university. That professor was a forward-thinking individual. He was someone who conducted research with an approach that broke existing common sense. To him, at least, I could make him believe in the potential of Jang Yeeun's blood. But ironically, I had called that professor a "mad professor." Why? Because even before the world collapsed, he truly acted like a man who had lost his mind. In the end, I had to meet the mad professor to survive this situation.

I snapped back to reality at the sound ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of military boots echoing from somewhere. Regardless, for now, I had to think of a way to escape this situation at Mapo Station. And I had to get to Seoul National University. Because I had to meet the mad professor there.

"Sehee!" While I was lost in thought, Jang Yeeun approached me with a smile from a distance. Her expression looked much more relieved than before. It was enough to make me wonder if she had made some kind of resolution. But my gaze shifted to the person behind ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her. Park Geonho. Honestly, it was a bit uncomfortable. He kept apologizing... But he was holding something in both hands. At first, I thought it was just luggage, but as he got closer, I could see clearly what he was holding. Arrows. His arms were full of dozens of arrows. Park Geonho scratched his head with an awkward expression.

"It seems there was some kind of association nearby; there were tons of sports arrows."

Of course, I knew. This was a setting I had forced into the novel I wrote. Since Jang Yeeun was set to use a bow, I needed a way to supply arrows. So, I had inserted a setting about a sports association into the story. Now, that had popped out into reality.

"Geonho, thank you." Jang Yeeun received the arrows with a bright smile. She checked the arrows one by one and hugged them tightly to her chest.

"I hope this helps." Park Geonho bowed his head with an still-awkward attitude, and I watched them with my arms crossed. The parts I thought were sloppy in the settings ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I created. Now, here, they were revealing themselves as reality one by one. It was still hard to believe, but I was the creator of this world.

"Well then." Jang Yeeun carefully slung the arrows over her shoulder and smiled at me. "We should make a plan now. About what to do from here on."

While Jang Yeeun was organizing the arrows, I quietly took out my notebooks from my bag. "By the way, I got these too." Among the things she had brought along with the arrows were unexpected items. "There was quite a pile of things, excluding daily necessities." ...Daily necessities are the most important thing, though. I turned the first page of the notebook and picked up a pen. A route map. Perhaps because I looked at it so often while writing the novel, the Seoul subway map was almost engraved in my mind. I scribbled a rough route on the white paper, centering on Lines 5 and 9. The path to Seoul National University.

"How can I make this movement a success?" I bit the pen and pondered deeply. It wasn't just about me and Jang Yeeun surviving. If possible, a way to move everyone at Mapo Station. That was my dilemma. There were about 150 people currently at Mapo Station, including soldiers. How could I move this number safely? My hand, which had been writing the plan, stopped for a moment. What came to mind were the faces of those who had been sacrificed in the novel. The problem wasn't simply that there were many of them. First, the ground was full of the infected. Second, the subway stations and lines were already breached to some extent. Third, moving blindly would likely attract the infected with noise.

I drew a line in the notebook with my pen. Mapo Station → Gongdeok Station → Hapjeong Station → Sillim Station → Gwanaksan Station. Gongdeok Station was the problem. According to the novel I wrote, Gongdeok Station was a bottleneck where the infected swarmed in, attacked simultaneously from both the Gyeongui Line and Line 5. Therefore, if possible, I wanted to go straight to Gangnam through Yeouido, but... Yeouido had already been completely devastated when the horde of infected advanced toward Gangnam. The passage connecting Mapo Station to the Yeouinaru direction was also blocked with barricades.

"Sehee, what are you writing so hard about?" Jang Yeeun looked up and smiled at me.

"Just... trying to make a movement plan." I turned my head back to the notebook. "Then should I help you? It's better if we think together."

"Sure. Then..." I organized my notes and repeated the prepared words in my head. It might be an excuse, but it was a sufficiently rational logic in the current situation. "It's dangerous to stay at Mapo Station. When we checked the supplies here, it's hard to hold out for long." If I threw this out, it wouldn't be easy to refute. "Just in case, I think it would be good to prepare to move to another place little by little." If I added this, at least they wouldn't suspect me or see me as strange. In fact, that was both an excuse and the truth. It was a fact I had known since I wrote the novel. Mapo Station was absolutely not safe. This place would gradually be encroached upon by the infected, and in the end, everyone left here would die. Persuading the people here to move wasn't a simple matter. But if we just stayed still, it was obvious everyone would be finished. There was the option of just moving with Jang Yeeun, but... the faces and voices of the people who sacrificed themselves kept coming to mind.

"Sehee, why are you thinking so deeply?"

"It's nothing. It's just... preparation is necessary, isn't it?"

My voice trembled, but there were no other options. As long as we couldn't go up to the surface, the desperate battle here wouldn't end. We were isolated in the airport terminal and the underground shelter area, and the infected were swarming in from the surface endlessly. And a moment ago, a report came in over the radio.

"Colonel... Exit 1 has been breached."

The fact that Exit 1 was breached meant everything was over. I picked up the radio. "...This is my last will."

"Our Gimpo Airport Defense Battalion did its best."

"Good luck. I hope a situation like ours doesn't come to you."

We really did our best. But now, it's the end.

"Damn..." When I looked around, explosives caught my eye. "We will detonate the remaining explosives to block the passage."

"Colonel, those explosives will only buy time. We can't block everything..."

"I know." I patted the adjutant's shoulder. "I know, but we have to buy even that much time."

My fingertips trembled. The voice coming from the radio was consistently bleak. "Colonel, Exit 1 has been breached. The troops can no longer maintain the defensive line."

Strength went into the hand gripping the radio tightly. "Is the explosive preparation ready?"

"Not yet... we need a little more time."

We couldn't delay any longer. If the defensive line collapsed, the infected would swarm into the terminal. "Buy time. We must block them to the end."

As the order was given, the soldiers hurriedly returned to their assigned positions. The scene before my eyes was hell. The infected were already swarming into the terminal entrance, and the defensive line began to collapse in places.

"Colonel, the defensive line is collapsing!"

"I know! Hold on until the explosives are installed!"

Gunshots and screams were intertwined. The soldiers resisted desperately, but the wave of infected didn't cease. As the defensive lines collapsed one by one, the soldiers had no choice but to retreat gradually. The infected smashed the defensive walls with one hand and swept away the soldiers.

"Damn it... Detonate the explosives now!"

"It's not ready yet! If we detonate it like this, we'll be together..."

"Detonate it!"

As the order was given, the soldiers fled in a hurry.

BOOM!!! With the sound of an explosion, the terminal entrance collapsed. The infected disappeared into the flames on the spot, and the tunnel passage was blocked by massive debris.

"Colonel, some of the infected are crossing the debris!"

The growling sounds of the infected from behind the debris were getting closer. We had bought time with a massive explosion, but we couldn't block them completely.

"The Gimpo Airport Defense Battalion... ends here."

In the silence coming over the radio, I gave the final order. "All soldiers, defend the passage. Stop the infected from entering the underground! We did our best."

***

Since that day, no news has been heard from the Gimpo Airport Defense Battalion.