Chapter 36: The First Death
Translator: ShutDoor
An astrophysicist with a PhD from a prestigious university—no, scratch that.
Eom Tae-yun of the <Level-One-Classified, State-of-the-Art Underground Research Complex of the Highest National Importance, Aerospace Engineering Research Building> could not hide his bewilderment at the sudden emergency summons.
For the past few days, they had stopped researchers from sitting too close together during meals, while people dressed like soldiers controlled their movements to prevent contact with personnel from other research buildings… but he had assumed they were merely security measures peculiar to a classified facility.
Seriously, how many people had ever worked at a national security facility of this scale? Especially in their early to mid-thirties.
When soldiers at a place like this told them not to gather in groups of five or more, they simply figured that was how things worked here.
Honestly, there was hardly room for complaints. They got three good meals a day, the living quarters were clean, and the pay was generous. Most of all, the research equipment was so absurdly advanced that once they lost themselves in their work, they had no time to feel dissatisfied.
Just then, a fellow researcher walking beside him tossed out a remark.
“I heard some of the researchers brought their kids. The Lunar New Year holiday’s almost over, so they’ll have to let them leave soon.”
“Still, isn’t it a little strange to bring the kids all the way down here? Even if it’s supposed to be a benefit.”
“Tsk, honestly, that part is a little strange.”
But the higher-ups had cited ‘the protection of key researchers and their families’ as justification, so it was hard to object. In spy movies, didn’t people sometimes get blackmailed through their families into giving up secrets?
It seemed plausible enough, especially for an underground facility of this scale.
Of course, if they had brought the children underground only to leave them cooped up in tiny rooms, there might have been grounds for complaint. But seeing a perfectly functional kindergarten and elementary school operating underground left them with nothing to say.
That very morning, he had personally seen a bunch of five- and six-year-olds gleefully running around the athletic field beside the park.
In any case, Eom Tae-yun and the other PhDs from the aerospace engineering research building trudged along. They were bitterly disappointed to have been called away from research that had just been getting interesting.
As they reached the exit, Margaret, the aerospace engineering research institute director, turned around and spoke.
“Everyone, put on a mask before we go.”
“…A mask?”
“Yes. Even after we reach the seminar room, leave one seat empty between you.”
Eom Tae-yun accepted one in a daze and found himself holding a white KF-94 mask.
‘Don’t tell me something happened in the virology research building.’
But if there had really been an accident there, masks would hardly be enough.
Just then, one of his colleagues muttered nonchalantly.
“Maybe someone just caught the flu?”
“Oh, yeah. Could be.”
Eom Tae-yun had no intention of letting the flu interrupt research that was finally getting interesting, so he obediently adjusted his mask and entered the seminar room.
‘Why is this place so huge?’
Apparently, the aerospace engineering research building was not the only one summoned. The enormous seminar room was already packed with hundreds of researchers and support staff from the other research buildings.
Judging by the way everyone wore masks and sat with an empty seat between them like they had during the pandemic, something really did seem to have happened.
“Everyone from the aerospace engineering research building is present.”
“Hmm, then that’s everyone~?”
It was somewhat surprising that the research center director nodding as she received the report looked younger than expected. She seemed twenty-something, perhaps in her late twenties at most.
Even if she had graduated early from both university and graduate school, she could have held her doctorate for only about five years at most.
But Eom Tae-yun kept his mouth shut, reasoning that there had to be a good reason why veterans in every field, including Research Institute Director Margaret, quietly treated her as their superior.
After all, science was another field where talent was everything.
Newton had changed human history through the fall of an apple, something taken for granted for millennia, while Einstein had rewritten the laws of the universe with just a few lines of equations.
So if that young research center director was a genius of that caliber, he could accept it somehow.
Surely the person overseeing a research institute this important could not be some politically connected hire.
Of course, he knew that research institutes entangled with the military or civil service were inevitably run in a stifling manner, but at least this place did not seem like that.
Because every one of the research institute directors was simply too capable.
They were genuinely fucking brilliant. There seemed to be nothing they couldn’t do.
—Mr. Eom, come over here. This measurement looks a little odd. I think the error accumulated over this interval, so lower the correction value by about 0.003 and run it again.
—Let me see the data. I can calculate something like this faster than a computer.
—Mr. Eom. In a low signal-to-noise environment like this, the signal we want to observe and the noise from the instruments themselves…
Given the nature of doctoral research, everyone dug so deeply into a narrow specialty that the moment a question strayed even slightly outside their field, answers like, ‘Tsk, I’m not too sure about this,’ were commonplace.
Yet Research Institute Director Margaret did more than effortlessly handle the barrage of questions from over a dozen new researchers. In spare moments, Margaret even shared their own research know-how.
And despite its name, the aerospace engineering research building housed people from a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from astrophysicists like Eom Tae-yun to aerospace specialists.
At least when it came to calculations, they really did seem faster than a computer…
If someone of that caliber said, ‘The research center director is a genius. She is a little young, though,’ then…
Maybe she really was a genius?
‘Hmm.’
About three minutes into his idle daydreaming, the security gate slid smoothly open and soldiers in immaculately pressed uniforms appeared.
Except for the middle-aged man at the front, who looked to be in his fifties, every one of them had their face covered like special forces.
Even though most of the researchers present had served as commuter reservists without ever receiving proper training, they could instinctively tell that these people carried themselves differently from ‘ordinary’ soldiers.
“…Look at the size of those guys.”
A colleague from his cohort whispered quietly from the other side of the empty seat between them.
Ignoring the researchers’ agitation, the middle-aged man stepped onto the stage and swept a commanding gaze across them. After tapping the microphone a few times to test it, he began to speak.
“Good afternoon. I am Kang Tae-seong, Integrated Defense Commander of the National Strategic Research Facility.”
He stood at least six foot two, with shoulders so broad it was hard to believe he was middle-aged.
There were no general’s stars on Kang Tae-seong’s shoulders, but every researcher gathered in the seminar room readily accepted that the man before them was either a general or someone of equivalent standing.
Every person carried a certain air unique to them.
If that man was not a general, who could possibly be one?
“…”
More importantly, what on earth had he come here to tell them? Eom Tae-yun swallowed hard behind his mask and watched General Kang’s face.
“I understand that many of you have questions and objections regarding the current situation, in which your spouses and minor children have been placed under quarantine alongside you.”
“…”
His resolute voice made quite a few researchers in the room flinch.
Only then did Eom Tae-yun look around and realize that nearly eighty percent of the researchers gathered in the seminar room had brought their children.
He also noticed that several of them had immediately tried to object, only to lower their hands, cowed by the special forces personnel arrayed along the seminar room walls like a human screen.
General Kang continued, heedless of the uncomfortable tension filling the room.
“This command has given the highest priority to the expertise each of you possesses and the national importance of this facility. Accordingly, we intend to explain the circumstances behind the current quarantine and protective measures, as well as the situation on which they are based, as fully as current disclosure restrictions permit. We therefore ask that you understand the present situation accurately and cooperate fully with all subsequent measures.”
“…!”
Eom Tae-yun had expected a blunt answer along the lines of, ‘This is a classified national security facility, so once you enter, children or not, you cannot leave.’ He had never imagined such a firm, bureaucratic response.
If they were going that far, something really must have happened.
‘What the fuck is going on?’
Had a virus really spread through one of the research buildings?
No, surely not. That simply made no sense.
Just as the researchers finally realized that something deeply ominous was unfolding and swallowed hard, the enormous screen behind the stage flared to life.
“For your information, everything contained in these materials is classified. When limited outside communication is permitted after the briefing, you must not disclose any of it under any circumstances. If you do, you will be held appropriately accountable.”
With that brief warning, documents appeared on the screen, each crammed with information so shocking it was almost impossible to believe.
“Beginning on January 23, 2027, an unidentified mutant virus was detected in simultaneous outbreaks across South Korea and throughout the world.”
Had it ended there, they might simply have assumed it was another ordinary flu or infectious disease outbreak of the sort that came around every few years.
But as the slides advanced and the presentation continued, the air in the seminar room rapidly chilled, and the researchers’ faces turned deathly pale.
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has conclusively confirmed that the NIV virus is zoonotic and capable of using all vertebrates as hosts. As of 2:00 p.m. today, the virology research building at this complex has also completed its own pathogen testing and verified the CDC’s findings.”
At those words, everyone turned with blank, disbelieving expressions toward the section where the PhDs from the virology research building were seated.
The virologists sitting there seemed to have already grasped the general situation. Their eyes were squeezed shut and their heads hung low.
At that moment, panic spread across the faces of Eom Tae-yun and many of the other scientists.
If even virologists who routinely handled all manner of pathogens looked like that, this infectious disease had to be so horrific and bizarre that even they could scarcely cope with it.
The true nature of the pathogen was soon revealed.
“As of today, the sixth day of the outbreak, the number of NIV infections in South Korea is estimated to have surpassed 15 million.”
“…”
‘…What?’
Fifteen million? In six days?
“However, even that figure is merely an estimate derived from the testing and epidemiological investigation data secured thus far. Given that the daily number of confirmed cases continues to trend upward even after surpassing one million, this command has concluded that at least forty percent of the country’s population has already been infected or is suspected of being infected.”
Amid the murmuring crowd, General Kang advanced the presentation without the slightest change in expression.
The next slide displayed dozens of photographs documenting patients’ symptoms.
“Tertiary general hospitals and major emergency medical institutions across the country are currently mobilizing every available bed, including intensive care beds. However, they reached capacity on the first day of the outbreak and have since begun requisitioning beds from smaller regional hospitals and clinics.”
The symptoms filling the screen made it look like a slaughterhouse.
They ranged from fevers of forty degrees Celsius or higher that made daily life impossible, to hideous red, hive-like rashes covering the entire body, organ swelling, bodily tissue necrosis, and bleeding in the eyes and internal organs.
Because the outbreak was still in its early stages, not a single death had yet been reported, and the means of transmission had not even been properly identified… but that only made it more chilling.
Judging by the vicious symptoms listed there, it would not have been strange for thousands or tens of thousands to start dying at any moment. So why had there not been a single death yet?
Several researchers muttered quiet obscenities, but no one was startled by them or called them out anymore.
At that moment, every person there shared the same terror.
The astonishing part was that the presentation had only just begun.
General Kang’s briefing could be summarized as follows.
First. South Korea, where an estimated forty percent of the population was infected… was in a ‘very’ favorable position compared to other countries.
Across North America and Europe, large-scale riots, arson, and looting were reportedly breaking out sporadically as people condemned their governments’ incompetent, sluggish responses. South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and other East Asian countries were holding together this well only because their populations ‘still’ trusted their governments and complied with controls.
Second. The NIV virus had an abnormally long incubation period. Unlike COVID-19, whose incubation period had been two weeks at most, NIV’s was estimated to range from as little as one day to more than two months. That made determining the true number of infections incomparably more difficult than with ordinary infectious diseases.
Third. Unlike ordinary viruses whose point of origin could be estimated, NIV had emerged simultaneously throughout the world, making it impossible to determine where the outbreak began. Epidemiological investigations were therefore entirely meaningless, and even someone standing beside them in perfect health could already be infected.
Fourth. The military had also taken a direct hit from the NIV virus, leaving the divisions currently deployed along the front lines paralyzed on such a massive scale that they could no longer conduct operations. The Air Force was in somewhat better shape, but in the Army and Navy, nearly every military hospital nationwide except Daejeon Armed Forces Hospital had effectively shut down.
Fifth. The government regarded the outbreak as extremely serious and had begun sequentially shutting down older nuclear power plants around Busan, Uljin, and Gyeongju, followed by stabilization and decay heat removal work. The problem was that the process had removed a substantial amount of generation capacity, leaving North Gyeongsang Province in the grip of a severe power shortage.
And finally, the most important sixth point.
Because this command was classified as a top-priority institution, it had obtained the information three days before the NIV virus was announced to the press on January 23. It had therefore arranged for the safe transport of the spouses and children of its researchers, who constituted critical human resources.
This was the result.
The moment the presentation ended, the room descended into panic for nearly thirty seconds. Some people trembled from head to toe, while others started to embrace the spouses beside them before hastily pulling away.
Then one researcher raised a hand with difficulty and asked a question.
“Th-Then our children…”
“Medical examinations conducted by this command have found no suspected cases within the research facilities. However, because this disease has an abnormally long incubation period, we ask that you strictly observe infection-control measures and minimize contact for at least one month.”
The moment they heard that, Eom Tae-yun and the hundreds of other researchers were overwhelmed by crushing exhaustion and intense relief that they had survived. More than a few actually sighed in relief.
But some of the sharper scientists among them realized why the command had gone through so much trouble to bring in their spouses and children.
The command, which meant… the government, was convinced that this second pandemic would not be easily contained.
That was why it had created an environment where they could devote themselves entirely to research instead of being distracted by concern for the families they had left outside.
In other words, if they failed to produce results…
“You won’t be thrown out merely because your performance falls short, you know?”
“…”
At the clear, ringing voice, Eom Tae-yun snapped his head around.
Research Center Director Rachel was seated at one end of the stage, her legs crossed with easy composure.
“However, researchers from buildings that produce results satisfactory to the command will have the first chance to bring in their parents and grandparents who are still outside… Appropriate medical services will naturally be provided as well.”
“…!”
The researchers had been so relieved that they and their children were safe that they had not yet spared a thought for their parents. Now, gasps broke from them all at once.
That was right. The soldiers had brought only their spouses and children.
“We will now take questions.”
It was only natural that every researcher raised a hand.
*****
I watched the scientists’ reactions in real time through the seminar room’s internal CCTV.
The researchers seemed to have grasped the gravity of the situation and kept their hands raised as they poured out question after question.
Some even suspected that everything General Kang had presented was false information we had cleverly fabricated. It was probably less that they truly believed it was fake and more that they simply could not accept the hellish reality that had suddenly crashed down upon them.
But once General Kang temporarily allowed them to communicate with the outside world under supervision, even that final resistance vanished completely.
—Th-This is real? The whole world really changed overnight…!!!
—M-Mom. It’s me! Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?
—Dad, yes. I’m all right. For now. Ha-eun is all right too.
—No, I told you before I left that I’d be busy and unable to answer for a few days! What do you mean, why was my phone off? I’m sorry I worried you, but I really was busy, okay?!
—H-Hey. What are we going to do about my mom and dad? Huh?
—Yes, yes… We’re all wearing masks too.
Naturally, we were monitoring every call made by the researchers and support staff. If any of them showed signs of revealing information about this place, we would cut the call immediately.
In short, the researchers’ dissatisfaction and resistance had been completely crushed. Once they learned that the outside world was going to shit in real time, why would they care about something as trivial as their children’s cram schools?
The fact that they were all clearly top-tier intellectuals who were quick to assess the situation also helped.
—D-Director! May we go start the project right away?
—Hmm, then let’s report to the Research Center Director and get started immediately.
—O-Oh!
The members of the aerospace engineering research building quickly caught on and immediately took action. One by one, the other researchers also grasped the situation and began hurrying about.
—D-Director. Should we also…
—Yes, Mom! I have to get back to work now! Don’t go outside under any circumstances! You have to stay healthy! Yes, yes!
For the time being, the researchers would work their hardest without complaint, if only to bring the parents they had left outside into the safety of this place.
And…
Viet_1191: First death reported in Japan.jpg
I had work of my own to do as well.
⚬──────────✧──────────⚬
Join our discord server: https://discord.gg/96hMXymzMP