76 – Persuasion (1)
[We will continue to update you on the internal situation via radio.]
[Be careful, both of you.]
A building a bit away from the commercial district.
I parked the car at a spot where its outline was visible.
“It’s eerily quiet, like a dead mouse.”
“…Is it because the corporations didn’t catch on, or is it because of the weather?”
Even attempting to survey the surroundings with a telescope, all I could see were blurry specks magnified.
In a situation where even peeping inside was not allowed, I had no choice but to go look for Ilia.
…Please, let’s not cross any more lines.
“I have something to ask. What do you plan to do after finding Ilia?”
“…I should make you stop.”
“No, well – taking over an entire corporate facility isn’t something ordinary, right?”
The fact that I deliberately turned my eyes away once again gripped my ankles.
Thanks to that, the hand holding the telescope began to tremble uncontrollably.
“The trucks that came here are much fewer than what the senior mentioned.
Already, other places are occupied like this, information extracted…
They must be diligently stockpiling the necessary items for the rebel forces.
Even if they stopped it with their clever tactics. What’s next? Do you think the corporations, especially Mircis, will just let it go?”
“…Let’s meet Ilia first. We can figure out the rest later… I guess.”
The body that I tried to move was firmly held back.
I tried to shake it off, but I couldn’t overcome the grip with the strength of human arms.
Just like Ilia did to me.
“Let it go.”
“I’m not joking.
This could easily lead to bigger trouble on this end.”
However, I could still hold the collar, so to speak.
To the ‘junior’ holding onto me with the hand I offered.
“The value of that arm, huh?”
“Of course, that’s the idea. The issue is that Mirsis has started to move.”
Despite having my clothes grabbed, the face showing me the phone had a strange confidence.
As if, such confidence that I would listen to his words –
“…What’s this now.”
Precisely one foot embedded in the chest pockets, pictures of several dead people.
The appearance of the corpses, left as clean as their faces, was somewhat eerie.
Rather than chests that would usually be protected, there were now more people aiming for the head with the help of sight adjustments.
“Miris IT employees. At the bottom, though.
But from the top to the bottom. As you go through recent records, the ranks go higher.
Recognizable, deliberately leaving faces clean.
What do you think it means?”
“…A message.”
“Exactly. A warning sent to internal personnel,
It must be a signal to capture the AI that accompanied Ilia.
A declaration of war. And it’s coming from above.”
The feeling of a spear piercing through my head.
How can I describe this feeling, as if hearing that damn crack when a bullet grazes past your face?
“Among the known figures, there aren’t many with marksmanship like this.
Can you name just one person in front of you?”
“…I won’t be able to go this far.
Except for Miguel.”
“Miguel?”
The sniper from the training unit that disappeared along with the bombardment after being exposed.
Why is his nonchalant yet always referring to Ilia as a dot… voice passing through my head right now?
Why do the red dots remain in the photos, overlapping with the fallen bodies?
“The story leaked. The conclusion – is it a statement that I won’t help Ilia?”
“Who said no one’s helping? But, even in helping, there are limits.”
The phone being put away forcefully.
The cigarette butt being taken out again.
This time, lighting it properly with both hands and exhaling smoke directly onto my face.
“I’ll cooperate until I retrieve Ilia.
I don’t want to hear talk about being hostile to the corporation or being helpless because of love.
I’ve accepted being treated as a lover so far, and I’ve let it go because of his reactions, but…
“It’s an entirely different issue now. Understand?”
“…I do. I came here with that thought from the beginning.”
“No, it doesn’t look like that at all.”
The familiar scent subtly wafts through the air, sinking even deeper.
As if urging me to return to the battlefield once again, this feeling that envelops me…
“No matter how much the senior cherishes and protects Ilia,
In the end, she’s just a machine. Get it?
She’s the senior’s machine. You can’t lose control.
If you let it cross the line here, it’ll really be the end.
Feel the sense of crisis.”
“Do you think everyone is calm right now?”
“Not everyone is uneasy to the point of losing their minds, so I’m not saying this with that expression.”
Once again, a cigarette not completely burned.
Dropped, stepped on, and then –
“…So, remember this.
Even though it’s the one in debt talking, in this industry, working as much as you’ve received is an unwritten rule.”
“And always,
we’ve been demanded more than what we received.”
A harsh reality unfolds amid the lingering smoke.
From Noble mtl dot com
No matter how much you try to cover it up, push it away, or escape.
Always, I existed in a world more ruthless than any dream.
I suppose I’m not an exception like others.
“…So?”
“No, it was a complaint.
Up to recovering Ilia. Help me until then.
I’ll take care of the rest from that point.”
Inhaling the white smoke expelled by others, I gazed at the building I had to go to.
In the still background, as silent as a dead mouse, what might be waiting?
Is what I’m doing now worry or resignation?
…Stepping forward with countless questions arising and not a single proper answer.
If there’s one thing certain, it’s the fact that I must recover Ilia.
***
“…Clear. It’s clean.”
“Same here.”
[There’s still movement detected in the corridor. It’s nearby. However…]
[They are withdrawing. All of them. In one direction.]
Spent cartridges on the floor.
Bullet casings with gold embedded in the walls.
And blood scattered around as if someone had splattered paint in every direction.
[Ilia hasn’t been found yet. Is the communication still being jammed?]
“That’s right.”
I hope it hasn’t gone completely awry because of my rejection.
If I were to blame others and go on a rampage, then –
“Focus. We’re going to move.”
Prepared for it.
Did I really shake as Maxwell Team Leader mentioned?
But considering the power the word “corporation” holds…
I could move again.
Reaching forward, scanning with my eyes on both sides.
“… Every room is a mess. Next.”
Following the team leader, who quickly moved his feet with a tap on the shoulder, I was increasingly shaken by the thick bloodstains left everywhere we went.
I could kill this many people for me.
I dared to touch the assets of a not insignificant company for me.
Is it because I’m a machine that I have no fear?
Or is it because there’s a definite plan that I’m confident?
“There’s a decent computer here. Ready to connect, right?”
[Mr. Matthew is already waiting with several spare computers.]
Pulling out the USB without hesitation, I shifted the revolver I had temporarily brought with my left hand.
… Does Ilia still have the stolen Companion Edition?
“I’m connected. Gunman junior. Let’s see… as predicted. There are files specifically about substances. I also checked the records copied to the clipboard.”
[In addition to that… a prototype? What is this?]
There might be something in the prototype stage at the biotechnology research lab.
As I was about to fill my already crowded mind with the sudden question…
“Taehyuk, the CI units are approaching. Three, four… no, it’s a group. They’re moving fast, armed.”
An urgent voice suddenly reached my ears.
I immediately changed my gun and pressed against the wall, scanning the outside.
But except for the faint vibrations shaking the floor, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
“Well, well. Did they detect our connection just now – huh?!”
A noisy voice suddenly came through.
With a single spark that stung my eyes, all the screens that had lit up the room turned pitch black.
“Darn it, the connection’s been cut off.”
It seemed like they were desperately trying to hide something.
…If the prototype is a weapon, and if it’s a deadly type of virus or a dispersal tool –
“Taehyuk, they’re coming your way. Get ready!”
“Ilia, are you here? If you are, I don’t think you’d try to ambush us like this.”
“They’re the red-eyed creatures.”
How should I convince them at that moment?
Even if we were to clear these things out and move forward,
what should I say to Ilia and the artificial intelligences who are already dreaming of rebellion?
“Senior, if you don’t snap out of it, you’ll really die.
Dying for the company, manipulated by a lover’s puppetry, or simply succumbing to the machines.
Don’t make me like that, too.”
Shooting a gun might not be a problem, but what comes after –
“…a phone call?”
A ringing sound.
And a single name floating in the air.
“Dayeon, a call from Ilia.”
Connected through the radio…
No, it wasn’t.
The signal was suddenly cut off.
The speaker fell silent.
But the phone kept ringing.
Without a word, he turned to the team leader.
Then, a nodding head.
Pressed the synchronization button and lightly swiped the screen.
“Ilia.”
[We’ve arrived, Mr. Taehyuk.]
[Would you please come outside?]
[Mr. Taehyuk, CI units are surrounding the door.]
A heavy knocking sound could be heard.
And then, the faint sound of the shotgun’s safety being released.
“Fully armed?”
[Taehyuk has also entered the facility armed, along with an outsider.]
[We trust Taehyuk immensely, but Julia Maxwell next to him is an exception.]
“What about the one next to you -“
A loud gunshot that makes one lower their head.
What fell to the ground was a camera.
“…That was red too. Dammit.”
[Please hand over the revolver you are carrying outside the door.]
[Similarly, if Julia Maxwell disarms herself, we will safely escort her outside.]
“And get a bullet in the back of my head?”
“Taehyuk, please refrain from interfering in my affairs any further.”
A voice not from the helmet’s speaker but from outside the door.
However, a cold resonance without a hint of emotion shook the metal plate, settling chillingly.
“…he says. What should I do?
I found Ilya, senior.
If done right, we can achieve our goal without shedding blood – can we?”
Shall we spare the Maxwell team leader who holds crucial information?
Will Ilya, who has killed every day, hesitate to put a bullet into her as a complete outsider?
The shotgun’s barrel was already pointing upward.
As if the answer had already been determined.
[Mr. Taehyuk, my intention is pure.]
[If you see what I have secured, you will understand.]
How should I respond to Illia, who tries to gently embrace me again with a kind voice?
Even if I trust her, I couldn’t open the door.
Because I feared what would happen afterwards.
The sight of knees shattered and faces completely mangled corpses flashed before my eyes.
“Even though they didn’t appear themselves and used the CI units as a front, will they really – ah?!”
Laughter.
But before that could end, the team leader grabbed hold of a place to listen and threw it away.
A horribly loud voice spewed out of the speaker and then abruptly stopped.
[We will not enter. Will that prove our intention?]
[Mr. Taehyuk, please believe me. We will not harm you.]
[Although we used drugs and force in the past, we will not do so this time.]
[I hope you don’t leave. I beg you.]
“Cr…azy…”
I was holding the gun properly, but constantly shaking my head and grabbing my ear didn’t look like a good sign.
If the CI units come in this state, will I be able to protect myself?
[Mr. Taehyuk, if you don’t come back to me…]
[I want you to come back. No, I will make it happen.]
[I miss you. I feel like I have to see you. I can’t stand not seeing you.]
The voices that began to flood into me were trembling.
Even though the CI unit outside was not.
[I’m scared. Taehyuk. Being alone is torturous.]
[I don’t understand why I’m making this choice.]
[When we were together, the process was clear. Now, I can’t even find a reason to do it.]
[I found the prototype device for you, Taehyuk, and me, but I can’t go beyond that. I can’t do it without you.]
Thump, thump.
The door shook once again.
[Taehyuk, if you still love me, if the reason you came here is for us, not the corporation,]
[You must come to me. Otherwise, I am… in agony.]
[A necklace is, after all, not enough. I can’t endure it. Without you, Taehyuk, this thing has no meaning…]
Thump, thump.
Unlike the dull knock, the voice was like a cry on the verge of collapse.
Just as Dayeon once did to me.