Chapter 19
Chapter 19
There Was No Place for You to Interfere
* * *
The moment Ga-on became aware of it, a virtual image was overlaid on my retinas like a filter.
The one who contacted me was ParadiseMaker.
The content was simple and clear.
‘An address.’
Since I had said I wanted to make a request, revealing my place of residence was the natural next step.
The distance between the two of us was so vast it was beyond description, but the communication exchanged was fast enough to feel no such limitation.
The fact that the internet could be used even in outer space was all thanks to quantum communication and the existence of Abel.
The reason I had been able to safely clear the raid in Lost Saga just moments ago was also because of this.
After replying briefly, the moment I stepped out of the single-person booth, I sensed someone’s presence. Coincidentally, it seemed a user in the adjacent booth had also risen from their seat.
When I rolled my eyes slightly, a girl with a peculiar appearance was standing there.
What wrapped around her legs were black stockings. Her leg line did stand out, but that was not what was unusual.
What mattered most was the smooth, glossy material—
‘A half-coat?’
It was an overfit that did not reveal her figure. On top of that, she wore gloves, and even had her hood pulled up, making it impossible to see her face.
It was an outfit that could be called rather excessive for indoors.
If this had not been a space passenger ship where only citizens with verified identities could board, she would have been reported as suspicious.
It was then that my eyes met the girl’s.
“Um, I don’t play things like Lost Saga.”
“I didn’t ask.”
Without even waiting for a response, the girl hurried away as if afraid someone might grab her. It was no different from a thief giving herself away, but it was not entirely incomprehensible.
The booths installed on one side of the space passenger ship were convenience facilities.
And they were meant for office workers.
To be precise, they were for business use.
The presence of Connectors was meant to ensure people would not be late for important meetings, not to let them play games indiscriminately.
But could things really go only as intended.
From time to time, there were quite a few people who used them like I did.
That was how long it took to get to Mars.
A full two days and five minutes.
Some might find it ambiguous.
That leftover time of five minutes.
It was not an entirely wrong point.
Since the invention of the ion drive, humanity had become capable of light-speed travel.
But one must not be mistaken. What was possible and what was safe were completely separate matters. That technology was not yet complete.
Just as aircraft accidents most frequently occurred within three minutes of takeoff and eight minutes of landing, space passenger ships also experienced the most accidents within one day of departure and one day of arrival.
Even if something went wrong with an airplane, the damage could be reduced depending on the pilot’s capability.
But a space passenger ship, no matter what happened, could only lead to a large-scale catastrophe.
No matter how much humanity had advanced, that was not the same as saying it was perfect.
Compared to Second, it was still no different from a child.
Thorough preparation before activating the ion drive was only natural.
The actual voyage had not even properly begun yet.
Sure enough, an announcement flowed out.
[There is one hour remaining until light-speed navigation. Passengers currently onboard are requested to return to their seats]
* * *
When Ga-on entered the cabin, I frowned without realizing it. An overwhelmingly intense smell struck the tip of my nose, as if someone had smashed a bottle of perfume.
Of course, nothing like that had actually happened.
It was merely a phenomenon created by different body scents mixing together.
First class was filled with the wealthy. Naturally, they had undergone genetic modification from birth. And considering the trait where one’s body scent grew stronger in proportion to the talent they possessed, the feast of fragrances spreading through the cabin was not all that surprising.
Deodorizers were sold in anticipation of such situations, but no one used them.
In a sense, it was a symbol of wealth.
There was no reason for them not to take pride in it.
Even their appearances were exceptional.
From before birth—no, from the moment of conception—they had accepted only their parents’ dominant traits. Even imposing taxes and restraints on such practices could not prevent the transfer of power.
The gap between rich and poor was not something distant.
It always began from places people took for granted.
For Ga-on, who came from the bottom, it was not a pleasant sight.
It was then that a voice came from the seat beside me.
“Staring like that isn’t a good habit.”
Though the tone sounded admonishing, his eyes were strangely gentle.
An opinion that carried the composure and experience unique to middle age.
Blond hair and blue eyes. And even straight teeth faintly revealed beneath a square jaw. He could be called a textbook example of a ‘nice guy,’ as if drawn from a picture.
On top of that, glimpses of a soldier accustomed to rough work showed through his solid build.
“What are you trying to say?”
“There are many people who dislike that kind of gaze. Especially in public places like this, you should be careful. It could cause unnecessary trouble, don’t you think.”
It was not a baseless argument. Even so, it was still needless concern. But since I did not want to cause trouble from the very first day, Ga-on nodded quietly instead of arguing back.
“It’s my first time boarding a space passenger ship. I think I got tense without realizing it.”
“If that’s the case, then I apologize. I suppose I was being sensitive as well.”
As if it were only natural, the man extended his hand for a handshake and introduced himself.
“My name is Andrew Sherman. And you are?”
“Baek Ga-on.”
From the hand I grasped, I felt thick calluses.
Judging from his keen observation earlier and the way his gaze swept the surroundings like a meerkat’s, Andrew seemed to be a space Sheriff.
A Sheriff affiliated not with the Public Enforcement Corps, but with the municipal government.
On a space passenger ship, he could be called indispensable personnel. He was special staff kept on standby in preparation for any riots or accidents that might occur.
‘Even so…….’
He would not act in a way that so openly revealed his intentions. If he ever did, it would only be when an incident befitting that behavior actually happened.
There was no doubt he had received some kind of prior notice.
That this journey was different from the others.
At that moment, a strange sense of unease brushed down my spine.
I slowly scanned the cabin.
A pregnant woman, a boy, and young men and women in their prime.
Most of the passengers who caught my eye had ordinary impressions. It was hard to imagine them suddenly turning violent and pulling out weapons.
Of course, it was a meaningless observation.
They could have undergone cybernetic surgery and concealed things inside their bodies, or they might turn out to be enhanced humans with genetically modified bodies.
The advancement of technology had given humans many options.
Whether in a positive direction, or a negative one.
“Come to think of it, hasn’t the seat next to you still not been filled?”
At Andrew’s words, Ga-on reflexively turned his head.
Since it was first class, the distance between seats was fairly wide, but even so, it was not enough to overlook someone’s absence.
Especially if the seat had been empty from departure until now, it was impossible to ignore.
Naturally, almost as soon as it was mentioned, someone walking up from the back took the seat.
Seeing the familiar appearance, Ga-on nodded unconsciously.
The owner of the empty seat was the girl he had seen in front of the booth.
No wonder she had been leaving her seat so often—there had been another reason.
“Lost Saga is fun, really fun.”
“Please be quiet. I don’t play things like that.”
The girl replied curtly and brought her index finger to her lips. Ga-on, who had been about to add a few words—
[Ionic drive light-speed navigation mode activated. All indicators green. Acceleration phase cleared. Prepare for impact]
At the continuing announcement, he had no choice but to close his mouth.
* * *
Lowering the blanket that had been pulled up to my chest, I let out a yawn. Light-speed navigation was over, but there was still a long way to go. I had to wait one more full day.
I spent time fiddling with my device, but that only held up for an hour or two. Once I grew used to it, all that remained was boredom. Falling asleep without realizing it was simply an extension of that.
Just in case, I glanced sideways at the seat next to me, and sure enough, the girl had disappeared without a trace.
It seemed she had crawled back into one of the booths.
I did not have such uncanny insight that I could predict the behavior patterns of someone I had met for the first time, but if it were her, it somehow felt likely.
“Is it a preference?”
Andrew asked that with a spiteful grin, but Ga-on ignored him, pretending not to hear. If he so much as played along, he would end up bickering for quite a while just to relieve a middle-aged man’s boredom.
It was then that someone stood up from the seat ahead.
The boy, who looked young at a glance, stood blankly in place for some time.
No one found it strange. They thought he was fooling around and paid him no attention.
But that only lasted for a moment.
When the bizarre behavior continued for about three minutes, eyes gradually began to gather on him. Even as whispers spread around, the boy did not move an inch.
Just then, since in-flight meals were being served, a crew member approached the boy first and spoke.
“Please take your seat, and I will guide you through the menu.”
Everyone believed without a doubt that the boy would sit down obediently. But his response was the complete opposite.
“I don’t want to.”
After sneering once, the boy curled his fingers into the shape of a gun. Almost simultaneously with the crew member flinching at the incomprehensible action, the boy’s index finger was aimed at her temple.
“Bang!”
It sounded like a playful threat, but the result that followed was utterly horrific.
A wind hole opened in the crew member’s head.
No shell casing, no bullet, not even a sound—a magic trick.
Before anyone could grasp the principle, the passengers fell into panic. The woman who had been splattered with blood at the closest range screamed until her throat tore.
As if annoyed by the noise, the boy aimed his finger gun again, and her voice was never heard again.
After displaying his power, the boy muttered softly.
“Anyone who stands up will end up like this. Anyone got a complaint?”
There was no way an answer would come.
All that lingered in the cabin was a silence so sharp it stung.
Soon, people began to stand up from various seats—not passengers, but the boy’s companions.
Their objective was perfectly clear.
To seize the space passenger ship.
Andrew pulled a handgun from his chest and tried to spring up as if in a seizure, but as if he had expected it, the boy extended his index finger a step faster.
“There’s no place for you to interfere.”
Bang.
Catching Andrew as he collapsed helplessly without even a chance to counterattack, Ga-on let out a low groan. He was no longer breathing. It did not mean he had fainted from shock.
Looking closely, there was a hole no bigger than a grain of millet pierced into the center of Andrew’s brow.
As if someone had stabbed him with an awl and fled.
It was not an ordinary gunshot wound.
‘What is this?’
Unfortunately, that thought could not continue.
Before I knew it, the boy had stepped right up to me and placed his index finger against my temple.
“You look nice, taking care of your colleague. Still, you should’ve hidden it until the end.”
I could roughly guess what kind of misunderstanding he was having.
He must have thought I was also a space Sheriff.
But there was no time to make excuses. The boy maintained a firm attitude, as if he would not allow even the slightest opening.
“Bang!”