Chapter 79
Chapter 79
This Is Something to Look Forward To
***
“They said the Public Enforcement Corps recovered everything. Judging by how things are going, it seems they have also caught on to the principle of Eden.”
Although Eden was known to the public as a simple electronic drug, its original purpose was malicious code designed to analyze a cloud computing platform.
Would it be easier to explain it as a bridgehead for reaching the massive data center located in District 1?
If it had been mass-produced as planned, it would have been a card capable of overturning the entire social system.
Of course, from the perspective of the Meta-humans, that was only a minor benefit. What they truly aimed for were the additional effects that would follow afterward.
It was something discovered by chance while participating in Ryungyeong’s experiment, but for Meta-humans, Eden became a trigger that brought out their deep consciousness.
In other words, it allowed them to face their own essence without any separate device.
When the woman first heard the news, she thought it was a revelation from the heavens.
If they could grant self-awareness to abilities—an unexplored domain until now—it seemed possible that they might obtain results beyond imagination.
If it was a state where communication was possible, wouldn’t it allow them to skip several stages without undergoing arduous training?
Needless to say, compromise would be more efficient than conflict, so everyone used Eden filled with hope.
But that was the beginning of the disaster.
The awakening of abilities was a realm even they could not dare to predict.
The problem was that they had tried to define it recklessly.
They attempted to negotiate with an existence whose principles and foundation were unknown, so the aftermath inevitably affected the real world.
Yes—
“Are the people who participated in the experiment still in a coma?”
“Unfortunately, there are no signs of improvement.”
The woman let out a quiet exclamation and pressed her forehead. It seemed she would have to pay a harsh price for her greed.
“The only one who woke up was Andrei, but they say he needs to recuperate for the time being. It’s expected to take quite a considerable amount of time.”
Andrei Ilyich Petrov.
He was a Meta-human who had reached Stage 4 and one of the central figures of the organization. One could say he was the asymmetric force that had maintained balance against external powers.
“Should I call that fortunate amidst misfortune?”
“According to him, it forces one to reveal and confront the nature they wish to hide. Since you must overcome it using only willpower and reason, an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to escape.”
It was advice spoken by someone close to the strongest. Among the Meta-humans, there was probably no one capable of enduring it.
“He even joked that if someone overcame it in a single attempt, they would be a monster among monsters. A lifeform that should not exist.”
It was truly nonsense. That meant surpassing Andrei’s abilities by a vast margin. For the woman, who knew just how powerful he was, it was an absurd assumption.
Still—
“On the other hand, I would like to see it. If such an absolute sage truly exists, he could lead us.”
***
A house located on the outskirts of District 32, basement.
Sitting in front of the computer, Ga-on carefully read the information displayed on the monitor.
Amal Kam, born in 2157.
Alias, Broken Precept Monk.
When Mars was first colonized—back when the Seed Colony had not yet become the Seed Colony—a swordsman appeared and became the center of attention.
Wherever conflicts arose, he would appear and unleash violence under the pretext of saving sentient beings. A once-in-a-generation madman.
The number of confirmed casualties alone exceeded 700.
If this had been Earth, he would have been arrested the moment he appeared. But on Mars at the time, where infrastructure had yet to be established, such a thing was impossible.
Because of that, Amal only stopped his rampage three years later.
The number of personnel deployed to capture him reached around 3,000. More than half of them were androids, but even so, it was still an unprecedented scale.
Just how wildly had he rampaged for people to say that because of Amal, the completion of the Seed Colony had been delayed by an entire month?
But—
‘All of that was manipulated information.’
Amal, who was reported to have died, had in fact survived to this day.
He was now 164 years old. He had lived so long that it was difficult to believe he was an ordinary human who had never undergone genetic modification.
It was probably thanks to his martial arts reaching a transcendent level. Even Ga-on could not help but click his tongue at the inner power that allowed him to hold back the passing years.
Well, perhaps because he was Amal, the Mars Defense Force seemed to be making good use of him.
‘As long as you cannot escape death and wander through this present life, we will meet again someday.’
Suddenly, Amal’s pronouncement came to mind. From a grand perspective, his prediction had not been wrong. However, if he believed Ga-on would remain crouched down forever, that was a mistake.
Opening the attaché case, Ga-on looked down at the metal device wrapped in memory foam.
A cube where an indescribably large number of integrated circuits formed a cluster.
Just as Owen had guaranteed, it was a top-quality item.
In the underworld, there would be no way to obtain a better artificial intelligence than this.
Immortality.
The foundation for exploring his own origin had been prepared.
All that remained was to scour it thoroughly to the very bottom.
***
Pshhh.
Emerging from the Connector, Amal waved both hands as if trying to grasp empty air.
The omnipotent sensation he had felt just moments ago had long since disappeared.
What he was controlling now was not a specially manufactured full-body prosthetic, but a body that had aged to the point of decrepitude.
It was not easy to regain his balance amid the dissonance created by that gap.
Of course, whether Amal struggled or not, Major Piper placed handcuffs on both of his wrists.
“Get up, prisoner number 0001.”
“Do you not even have the heart to give alms? No matter how much you hate me, if you endure just once, you would accumulate merit.”
“I have already received a report that the Public Enforcement Corps has concluded the case. They say you completely destroyed the full-body prosthetic that is our property?”
“It could not be helped. That is the natural order.”
“Let’s say the 50-year sentence reduction never happened.”
“Very well.”
Was it because he was confident that when the time came, they would have no choice but to call for him again?
Seeing Amal respond without the slightest sign of disappointment, Piper felt a strange sense of incongruity.
As expected, Amal had no interest in his sentence.
That was because he had accumulated experiences more than enough to make up for it.
“I saw something very interesting outside. Perhaps it could even be called the meaning of life that I have been searching for all this time.”
“That’s enough nonsense. Say another word and I’ll open fire.”
In case Amal might cause some sudden trouble, Piper cut off the conversation beforehand.
“Haha. What a pity.”
What Amal had intended to mention was someone who might one day grow into an enemy of humanity. Yet here they were, turning away from it out of petty emotions.
Amal shook his head but did not bother adding anything further. After all, he had no intention of yielding that person to anyone else.
Thud.
The moment he entered the solitary cell, his limbs were restrained and he was forcibly laid down, but Amal quietly closed his eyes like a baby lying in a cradle.
“Detain him.”
“Let’s meet again next time.”
The moment the Connector was placed over his head, Amal’s consciousness was thrown into virtual reality.
When he opened his eyes, what he saw was a house with a pastoral atmosphere. Since it was a place he had stayed in for decades, Amal headed toward the gravestone erected in the backyard without hesitation.
There was little that could be done here.
No, there was only one thing.
That was to look at the list of victims engraved on the gravestone and apologize for his wrongdoings. In a way, it was a routine no different from brainwashing, but to Amal it was nothing more than a meaningless compulsion.
Kneeling in a familiar posture, he closed his eyes.
To stand wholly as a special existence, one had to accomplish a task greater than anyone else.
Yes, shouldn’t it at least be enough to sever the shackles of wandering spirits drifting through the mortal world?
That single act of resolve was a more benevolent mercy than ten thousand sermons—
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Without moving a single step, Amal recited a Buddhist prayer.
While recalling the sword strike Ga-on had shown him again and again.
***
Baek Seok-do was a self-made figure who had built the megacorp Baekdu.
That did not mean his life had been full of hardship.
His family had operated a mid-sized company for generations, and they also possessed a considerable amount of real estate.
But as the saying goes, there is always someone above you.
Baek Seok-do always felt a sense of thirst about his position, which was too affluent to be called upper class, yet not quite enough to be called a chaebol.
His blind obsession with social ascension stemmed from that very feeling.
However, there was nothing Baek Seok-do could do in the face of an entrenched power structure.
While time passed helplessly, the situation changed completely when visitors arrived from outer space.
A foothold had been established for humanity to advance to Mars.
Sensing that the opportunity of a lifetime was right before him, Baek Seok-do liquidated his shares and gathered capital, planning to venture into the unknown land.
In colonizing Mars, he viewed the greatest obstacle not as resources or capital, but manpower. The number of humans who had been suppressed until then was limited, and the available workforce was equally constrained.
In the end, the vacant roles could only be replaced with tools.
That was why he swept up patents and technologies related to androids.
As expected, the number of people wanting universal laborers increased exponentially.
Thanks to his steady preparations, Baek Seok-do was able to ride the tide of the times. It was also around then that he changed the name of Baekga Industries to Baekdu.
Now, it had grown into a giant tree supporting Martian society.
As could be seen from its history, its main field was robot manufacturing.
From full-body prosthetics to sensors, chips, modules, batteries, and frames.
High value-added industries indispensable to modern society were the livelihood of the megacorp Baekdu.
As if demonstrating its prestige, on the outskirts of District 2 stood a mansion built solely for Baek Seok-do.
There were no holograms implementing augmented reality there, nor even the common android.
Not even unnecessarily tall skyscrapers had been built. The wide-open scenery stretching beyond the horizon was proof of that.
This entire area was a model garden that recreated the childhood memories Baek Seok-do cherished.
At the same time, it was both a device and a facility that demonstrated he stood at a position more exalted than anyone else.
But even the most splendid flowers do not bloom for ten days; the time during which Baek Seok-do could enjoy wealth and honor was limited. This too was the law of nature. His body, nearing 200 years of age, had begun to cause trouble.
Medicine had advanced so far that it could extend one’s lifespan well beyond natural limits, but it was not enough to mock death itself.
Realizing that the thread of his life would soon run out, Baek Seok-do had gone into seclusion a year ago. It was to settle his personal affairs and distribute his inheritance during the time he had left.
It was only natural that he, sitting in a rocking chair, would sink into contemplation as he did every day.
Living out what had now become a routine, Baek Seok-do let out a groan.
While organizing matters, a memory from the past that had suddenly surfaced had stirred his mind for several moments.
He thought he had buried it deep within his heart, but apparently that was not the case.
If so, there was only one solution.
The judgment and the decision were made almost simultaneously.
Rising with the help of his cane, Baek Seok-do immediately summoned his friend and confidant, Alfredo.
“What is it, Chairman?”
“Call the children.”