The Third Option
"That’s a fucking moronic idea. Let’s do it right now, shall we?"
— Lee Sieun —
If things went this way, our plan to side with the Civilian Government was effectively dead in the water. "Is that information for real?"
He didn't answer, simply showing me the screenshots on his phone. No matter how I looked at it, the data screamed military secrets.
"...Hey, are you even allowed to be describing things like this?"
"The world is ending or whatever, and you're still worried about that?"
My mind went completely blank at that moment.
"They say Japan is pretty much the only country in the world functioning normally right now. Apparently, they’ve fortified their coastlines, and their navy is shooting down every infected person and ship that gets near, somehow holding out."
With that, he tucked his phone back into his pocket. If this was the case, siding with the Civilian Government seemed impossible, too. The Military Junta had no intention of protecting civilians, and the Civilian Government was clearly out of its mind.
"...Did you know about this?"
If you knew, would it have killed you to mention it during the meeting?
"I just found out myself. The young man only told me that the internet connection had been restored."
"...But how are we supposed to explain this to the people? If they find out... what if they split into factions supporting the Civilian Government and the Military Junta and start fighting? No, that couldn't possibly happen, right? If that happens, we’re all finished."
The situation had become far too complicated. Information I never expected was flooding in. The young man swiped his screen again.
"The Civilian Government is operating out of northern Gyeonggi, so they can launch a direct attack via Line 1. But among the soldiers in the subway stations, almost no one supports the Civilian Government. The Military Junta is holding out in Sejong City, so a direct attack on Seoul is impossible, but the majority of the soldiers are on their side, and the civilians are being ignored."
The young man finished speaking and swiped the screen one last time. "That’s the end of this thread."
I fell into deep thought and nodded. I felt helpless, not knowing how to untangle this mess.
"I think we need to talk about this again tomorrow. We should call Major Lee Junhyeok, too."
Was the reason the Military Junta staged a coup because the Civilian Government was just too problematic? Is this what they call the curse of knowledge? The more I learn, the more complex and chaotic the situation becomes.
My walk back to our quarters was heavy and sluggish, as if I didn't even know where I was going. Just one step, then another. When I finally arrived, Jang Yeeun was there, organizing her bow. She spotted me after a moment, waved, and then quietly lowered her hand.
"...What's wrong?"
"The state of this country is such a mess, it's driving me crazy."
I let out a sigh and collapsed onto the blanket, completely drained of energy. Jang Yeeun watched me silently for a moment before stopping her work and coming over to sit by me. She sat down quietly at my side and, without a word, reached out her hand.
...That hand was truly warm.
By the next morning, Ms. Bae Sunok had quickly relayed yesterday's information to the other survivors, and a meeting of the representatives from each survivor community was convened. This time, even Police Superintendent Lee Yeonggeun and Major Lee Junhyeok were included. However, since Major Lee Junhyeok said he would finish his regular report first, no one had gathered yet by the time Jang Yeeun and I arrived at the meeting room.
Suddenly, a loud CRASH! echoed from inside the meeting room as something broke. I jumped to my feet and sprinted in the direction that had instinctively drawn my attention. When I opened the door, Major Lee Junhyeok was slamming his radio onto the floor, gasping for air.
"Lee Cheolyong, I never would have thought..."
Major Lee Junhyeok was throwing his phone down with eyes full of rage.
"I'm sorry, I trusted him so much... It turns out Lee Cheolyong is the mastermind behind the coup. And what? They’re going to abandon all the civilians and only save themselves?"
Lee Junhyeok's face turned increasingly red, and his fingertips were trembling. His lips were already bitten raw, drawing blood. He couldn't continue for a moment, looking around with a grimace.
"...Lee Cheolyong is the mastermind of the coup?"
Lee Junhyeok nodded. "That’s right. And on top of that, this Choi Jaeyeol guy is trying to purge the military in this situation?!"
He sighed and slammed his head against the wall repeatedly. "Why is this country such a disaster..."
...I feel the same way, honestly.
A short while later, as Lee Junhyeok was calming down while clutching his head, Park Yeongsik, Bae Sunok, Kim Cheolyeong, Son Gangjo, Jeong Iehyeon, and Lee Yeonggeun arrived at the meeting room one by one. Their faces were all haggard with fatigue and confusion, as if they had all lost their minds.
The meeting began in earnest shortly after, but everyone just sighed, unable to offer any real solutions. Major Lee Junhyeok was still sitting facing the wall, his anger clearly not dissipated, and Bae Sunok sat with her arms crossed, quietly observing the situation with her head bowed.
"Even if we cooperate with the Civilian Government... they aren't in their right minds either, and now they're talking about war in this situation."
Police Superintendent Lee Yeonggeun sighed as he spoke.
"The Military Junta has already abandoned the civilians, and they have no intention of protecting people like us, either."
"That’s true. Since they have no intention of caring for the civilians, they are effectively out of the question." Son Gangjo nodded.
"Then, what about the Civilian Government..."
As Bae Sunok started to speak, Major Lee Junhyeok suddenly jumped up and reached toward her.
"They’re the same."
He caught his breath, looked at the equipment placed in the corner of the floor, and opened his mouth.
"That guy Choi Jaeyeol, he’s still trying to purge the military in this situation, isn't he? In the end, they’re just fighting so that they can survive... It’s not like we’re saying we should abandon all the civilians and fight the Military Junta, right?"
"Right, that’s not an option," Park Yeongsik said, breaking the silence.
"I really don't know what we should do."
"Is this really the best way?"
"I don't even know what we're doing anymore."
Just then, Second Lieutenant Jeong Iehyeon stood up from a corner of the meeting room. Everyone must have noticed his hands shaking, but no one said a word.
"We... we can't just watch the situation unfold like this. But... then again, I don't know what else we can do..."
Major Lee Junhyeok remained silent for a moment at his words. Then, he bowed his head, sighed, and rubbed his forehead.
"But there’s no alternative, no alternative at all."
Then, Second Lieutenant Jeong Iehyeon quietly opened his mouth.
"What if we... just become the third option? If we hate the Military Junta and we hate the Civilian Government, then in the end, the majority of the people in the Seoul subway stations are 'civilians,' right? Most of the men among them have military training experience, so if we organize them well, we can use them as a fighting force. All we need is supplies, that’s all."
Jeong Iehyeon continued, fleshing out his plan.
"You said the Civilian Government is coming down to take Seoul Station to strike at the Military Junta, right? Then what if we take Seoul Station first and fortify it? Wouldn't we be able to offer another alternative to the civilians in Seoul?"
Jeong Iehyeon stopped for a moment and looked around the meeting room. The expressions on people's faces shifted slightly.
"That’s true, but..." Police Superintendent Lee Yeonggeun nodded first. "Fortify Seoul Station? Is that even possible?"
"With the resources we have now, I think it’s possible," Jeong Iehyeon said with more confidence. He pointed to the documents detailing the materials and supplies obtained during the Chungjeongno Station operation.
"And... if we just hold out like that, the Civilian Government in the north will run out of supplies and won't be able to entertain crazy ideas like war. If we just stand our ground, their fighting will eventually become meaningless. We don't even need to fight them directly. If we just blow up the tracks at Seoul Station, the Civilian Government won't be able to do anything with the surface crawling with infected."
"Then... if we occupy Seoul Station first and defend it, we’ll be able to present the alternative we’re talking about to the civilians." Bae Sunok’s eyes lit up.
"That way, the civilians will have a chance to make another choice."
"Yes, that’s exactly it."
Just then, Pastor Son Gangjo tilted his head, organized his thoughts, and raised his hand.
"Since it’s come to this, why don't we just take over all the subway stations in Seoul first?"
People were shocked for a moment and looked at each other, but Son Gangjo continued as if he didn't care about their doubts at all.
"The stations we currently occupy are Chungjeongno, Aeogae, and Gongdeok, right?" Son Gangjo took the subway map off the wall. "But I heard City Hall Station is in a state of civil war, and Seoul Station is directly connected to our station via the Airport Railroad. As for Yeouido, they said the area around Yeouinaru Station is swarming with infected. But if we take Seoul Station, we can head toward Namyeong, Yongsan, and Noryangjin via Line 1."
Then, Police Superintendent Lee Yeonggeun slapped his hand on the table.
"Yeouido has the National Assembly and many other important buildings, so there must be piles of supplies."
"Then in the end, we’re taking over the center of Seoul? It’s a truly absurd idea, but..."
Just then, the subway map caught my eye. The station right after Noryangjin is Daebang Station. From Daebang Station, you can take the Sillim Line directly to Gwanaksan Station. My goal from the start was to go to Gwanaksan to make a vaccine using Jang Yeeun’s antibodies. If that’s the case... if we take Seoul Station and secure Daebang Station, we can use the Sillim Line, and from there, we can approach Gwanaksan Station.
At that moment, Jang Yeeun looked at me, tapped my back, and shouted.
"That’s a fucking moronic idea. Let’s do it right now, shall we?"