Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

The Infinity Church believers seemed momentarily stunned by Jihyuk’s words. Then they called back to us.

“Which one of those in the corridor?!”

…Good question. There were three dead Asian men in this corridor, all with faces covered in blood. One had his throat slashed so deeply the white cervical bone was visible, his face drenched in blood. Another’s face was literally carved up with knife marks. The last one had taken bullets to both chest and face.

They all had similar builds to mine. Fortunately, they were all wearing casual clothes, making it impossible to distinguish between engineers and a newly hired dentist in a specialized position. This was the kind of lie Jihyuk could pull off. But what if someone among the Infinity Church believers knew my face? Wouldn’t the lie be easily exposed? Tyler’s face suddenly flashed through my mind. If any of the Infinity Church believers had visited Deep Blue, they’d probably already know what I look like.

Judging by their visible panic, my death seemed extremely important to these Infinity Church believers we were facing. …Right. After I die, I return to my room in the Hundred Tiger Building this morning, but what happens to the lives of the people currently living here?

Suddenly Sanghyun looked at his pad and showed it to Jihyuk’s face. It was a message from Ae-young on Michael Roarke’s pad.

[Engineer Team A Ae-young]: Request continue with existing operation

Was this a message Haeryang sent through Ae-young’s phone? Jihyuk briefly turned his head to look at it, frowned, and said to Sanghyun while facing forward.

“Just ask whether a light(switch) or clock(timer) would make a better housewarming gift.”

“What’s that about? Why do I have to ask?”

“You want me to type while holding a gun? Quickly ask whether mood lighting or a big clock would be better.”

Just then, shouting erupted from the Infinity Church believers’ side.

“All three faces are mess-“

“I don’t know! We’re still trying to figure it out! Shut the fuck up, it’s confusing!”

Jihyuk yelled back loudly. Beside him, Sanghyun flinched at the voice and grumbled while typing. The response came back somewhat slowly: clock. Hearing this, Jihyuk heaved a big sigh and said.

“…Alright. First, everyone behind me needs to run to Ophion. Got it?”

“The gym? Why there?”

Carlos asked with a frown, and Jihyuk quickly answered without looking back.

“You got somewhere better to run to right now? At least it’s well-lined with concrete so bullets won’t get through.”

“Should I go too? Isn’t there anything I can help with?”

When I asked Jihyuk, he thought for a moment before nodding while keeping his eyes forward.

“Not needed right now, so go quickly. You’ll just be in the way here.”

Wow. That’s probably true, but it still stings. At those words, Sanghyun’s eyes widened as he spoke.

“Ah, let’s just hand him over. What’s all this for one person! That was asking if Ae-young was injured earlier, right?”

“She’s alive. So shut up. Keep quiet. Get out of here fast while I hold this position… Hey! Come check which one it is since it’s one of the three!”

After shouting that at the Infinity Church believers, Jihyuk waved his hand as if shooing away birds, indicating he was done talking. But since we weren’t birds and couldn’t just fly away, we stared at the back of his head before reluctantly lifting our heavy asses off the floor. Then we started following Carlos, who was advancing like a caterpillar. Tumanako watched Jihyuk’s gradually diminishing figure and asked.

“Is it okay to leave him like this?”

Sanghyun responded irritably to her worried tone.

“He told us to go! So let’s go quickly!”

Hearing that voice, Jaehee looked at Sanghyun in amazement and said.

“Our Sanghyun. I’m so surprised to see you following another team member’s orders so well. This hyung is so proud of how grown up Sanghyun has become.”

“What do you take me for?!”

“What else? The uncooperative workplace colleague on our team.”

We went from crawling with our bellies to the floor like we were trying to wipe up every speck of dust, to moving on hands and knees, and finally to standing on two feet when we thought we’d put enough distance between us and the guns. Seems like we’re gradually evolving back into bipedal humans the further we get from the gunfire.

Ignoring the pain in my scraped knees and reddened palms, I stood up, and Jaehee leisurely asked everyone.

“What now? Are we really going to Ophion?”

His voice was casual, as if everything happening around us had nothing to do with him. While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Jaehee questioned Sanghyun beside him.

“Looks like Ae-young got hurt a bit. Sanghyun, do you know what that question about lights or clock meant?”

“No clue. They’ll handle it themselves.”

“Yeah? Wonder if it was asking whether she was slightly or seriously injured? Moohyun, either way, it looks like Team Leader Shin won’t be able to help Ga-young right now.”

Jaehee said to me in a caring voice. If Ae-young had been shot, Haeryang would be trying to stop the bleeding. He must be pretty overwhelmed. I took a deep breath and asked.

“Yes. So I’m going to the Main Building quarters… Would any of the engineers like to come with me?”

Jaehee and Sanghyun looked at each other without answering. I hadn’t expected much anyway. Just as I thought. Jaehee checked the underwater base bulletin board on his pad and said.

“Well, isn’t it too late? No new posts are coming in anymore.”

Jaehee shrugged lightly after checking the post timestamps. The bulletin board had been flooded with Ga-young’s pleas for help, but even those had stopped coming for the past 10 minutes.

The pad could be broken, or it might have fallen into the seawater. We can’t just assume she’s dead. Ga-young will fight to live until her last breath. And I won’t give up easily either. Sanghyun asked me with a completely distorted expression.

“Do we really have to go save her?”

“The door’s broken, and Ga-young can’t open it alone.”

“What’s in it for me if I go along?”

“…There’s no particular benefit.”

I answered that there wouldn’t be any since Sanghyun seemed to be referring to some kind of monetary benefit. What could Ga-young promise in her current dangerous situation? I have nothing to offer.

“No compensation, and I’m busy trying to stay alive – why should I go into the flooding Main Building and suffer? This dentist is fucking crazy. Why care so much about a stranger who isn’t even family? Are you two dating?”

“No. I’ve never even met her.”

Before today came, Ga-young and I had never met. We hadn’t even met at the dental clinic. However, in the time that only I remember, we worked together to survive and were able to save others. I received countless helps that I can never repay in any way.

Since he kept mentioning compensation, I asked Sanghyun.

“What compensation would make you want to help rescue Ga-young?”

“…This is ridiculous. Ha. Jesus. Come to think of it, I don’t want to go even with compensation. What if we go through all that trouble and can’t save her? And if I get hurt trying to save her, who’s going to compensate me?”

“What about you, Jaehee?”

When I asked the other engineer beside us, Jaehee made a low “hmm” sound, thought for a moment, then answered.

“It might be fun to go with you, Moohyun. But I don’t want to stick my legs in seawater when it’s not even work-related. You understand, right?”

Jaehee said while gently patting my shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much, Moohyun. If she’s meant to live, she’ll survive whether anyone goes to save her or not.”

Ga-young desperately needs help right now. I hadn’t meant to ask, but the words came out anyway.

“What if she dies?”

I feel like I’ve asked Jaehee something similar before.

“It’s not like we killed her. Don’t feel guilty.”

As Jaehee walked away saying that like it was no big deal, Carlos, who was walking in front, heard it and grumbled.

“Ah, this is why I fucking hate these engineer bastards. Only sticking together with their own kind. These fuckers and those fuckers are all just selfish. Not a fucking ounce of loyalty in them.”

When I asked other Engineer Team A members to help save Ga-young, they hadn’t refused like this. Sanghyun, whether hearing Carlos’s words or not, shouted in irritation.

“Why should Engineer Team A help other Koreans? It’s not like they’re paying us! Why should we?!”

“Engineer Team A has people contracted to protect and save Korean civilian nationals. Even without that, why are you so against helping people in danger?”

Sanghyun snorted with an incredulous look and said.

“That’s just Team Leader Shin, Ae-young, and Jihyuk hyung. And they’re only officially required to protect engineer team members! There’s nothing in it for them to save research staff or Koreans in special positions! Fuck! I really hate people like this. Trying to freeload off the engineers’ protection and desperately looking for handouts. Ugh. Fucking hell. Really. If you want to save her so badly, do it yourself. There are always people like this who try to guilt-trip others into difficult situations with their bullshit.”

“Sanghyun.”

Jaehee called his name in warning. But Sanghyun pointed at me and continued.

“It’s true! Those three were hired because of the engineers! Why should other Koreans get our welfare benefits?!”

Something sounds off here. Only Korean nationality engineers? Haeryang, Ae-young, and Jihyuk had never explained it to me that way. I turned to Jaehee beside me with a blank face and asked.

“Wasn’t there a government contract to save all Korean civilian nationals?”

If Jihyuk were here, he probably would have explained more clearly. Jaehee answered with an awkward laugh.

“From what I heard, they help everyone along the way. But I heard the contract itself only specifically mentions Korean nationality engineers.”

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