Chapter 103
Chapter 103
As Baek Ga-on
***
There were six people gathered in the large and spacious reception room. It was by no means a small number, yet the room remained completely silent. The table full of refreshments and tea, prepared to encourage some ice-breaking, had become meaningless.
There was no need to even mention that the cause of it was Baek Seok-do, who sat motionless in the seat of honor.
What kind of emotions were hidden beneath those eyelids, worn by the passage of time?
It was not difficult to guess.
To him, this series of disturbances must have been no different from a natural disaster.
Almost at the same time that I, having finished observing, turned my head, Baek Seok-do’s cane moved.
“I told you to find my lost child, and instead, you’ve gone and made one.”
After alternating his gaze between me and Baek Gi—
“I am certain that the child I seek is one, yet there are two claiming to be that person. That can only mean someone is lying. This has gone too far to be dismissed as a joke.”
Thud—he struck the floor with his cane.
“If one of you voluntarily confesses, I will let it pass without question.”
At first glance, it seemed like an act of mercy, but what lay within was a trap. It was a kind of wordplay. He had not mentioned any fault on the part of the children competing.
It was practically a declaration that he would never overlook the one who, blinded by greed for shares, had brought someone of unknown origin into the family.
Baek Ryang, who could not possibly have missed that implication, spoke first.
“There’s no need to even ask. Think about who showed up at the private party and caused a disturbance. Isn’t that intention impure from the start?”
As he said, because of my sudden intrusion, it was Baek Seok-do—who had invited the guests—who ended up looking foolish.
However, Baek Seol was not without something to say.
“So that’s why you recklessly claimed someone without even a device as your sibling? If we’re talking about being hasty, you’re no better, dear brother.”
Though his only weakness had been pointed out, Baek Ryang’s expression remained calm. Just as Baek Seol had prepared for this confrontation, he too had been waiting for this very clash.
In other words, it was the question he had most wanted.
“Well said, about that device…”
Trailing off, Baek Ryang looked at me.
“I am also curious. How is it that something stolen by Outriders 16 years ago is now attached to that bastard? I suspect he’s claiming he was exposed to radiation to hide the fact that he illegally implanted the device.”
“I’m the one who’s curious. If you had just taken a genetic test at the colony, you could have gotten a new device anytime. So why have you been hiding all this time? Do you perhaps have a past you want to conceal?”
As I watched the fierce exchange with no intention of yielding an inch, I reached out toward the refreshments that no one had touched.
It takes two hands to make a clapping sound.
Alone, it would have been impossible to create such a situation, but with two, it was different. They could constantly alternate between circular reasoning and shifting the point at issue.
The more sharply they opposed each other, the deeper they sank into the mire.
It was a structure from which neither could escape until one side declared defeat.
Of course, to Baek Seok-do, it was nothing more than worthless noise.
“Enough.”
Revealing his displeasure without filtering it, he looked down at everyone present.
Baek Gi, who had no device but could undergo a genetic test,
And Baek Ga-on, who had a device but could not undergo a genetic test.
Ordinarily, Baek Seok-do would have treated even the process of exposing the fake as part of the competition and a form of education, but he could not afford to wait leisurely. His aged body was racing toward the end of his life.
To begin with, there was also an easy path laid out.
“I will conduct a paternity test once more.”
And then—after a brief pause, as if letting the words hang—Baek Seok-do presented his next move.
“At the same time, I intend to compare the genetic information recorded in the citizen ID with Baek Gi’s genes. That is, if the person in question agrees.”
Refusing here would render everything he had done so far meaningless, so Baek Gi gave a small nod.
“I will do it.”
The disturbance that had arisen over the table was quickly subdued.
As if it had never spread in the first place.
“It won’t take long, so all of you wait in your assigned rooms. It won’t be too late to continue this discussion afterward.”
As if refusing to tolerate any further objections, Baek Seok-do struck the floor with his cane—thud—and turned his back.
***
After everyone had left.
Left alone, Baek Seok-do stared out the window, then spoke at the sudden presence he sensed behind him.
“Come to think of it, we’ve spent quite a long time together.”
“About 150 years.”
Alfredo was a first-generation android produced by Baekdu. As it had incorporated all kinds of technologies to pioneer the underdeveloped market of that time, it was more than worthy of being called an ambitious work.
Moreover, he had continuously undergone maintenance and repairs since then, improving his performance.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the history of modern technological advancement was engraved into his body. It was precisely because he was Alfredo that Baek Seok-do could entrust him with confidence.
A plan he could not tell anyone else.
“The preparations?”
“They have proceeded as scheduled. Both the facilities and personnel have been arranged in secrecy. With your permission, Chairman, it can be used at any time.”
“Good. Make sure there are no setbacks. It won’t be long before I can no longer converse with you in this body.”
It was then that Alfredo’s expression reflected in the window. Noticing the faint image that seemed as though it might disappear at any moment, Baek Seok-do asked,
“It seems you have something to say.”
“From my limited perspective, neither of the two appears to match you, Chairman.”
Like father, like son—what bloodlines shared was not limited to mere genetic traits.
Disposition, personality, even habits.
There were always aspects that science could not explain, yet were still shared.
“It is possible that neither of them is the one you desire.”
“Wasn’t that a possibility I acknowledged and prepared for thoroughly? As long as only one remains in the end, that will suffice. No matter the process, the result will be the same.”
The form of a malicious spirit that suddenly appeared on the window lingered for quite some time before disappearing. That evil spirit resembled a grotesque old monster whose lips were stretched up to its ears.
***
A back-and-forth exchange. They had each landed a blow, but that was all. Neither had refuted anything, nor proven anything. In the end, it seemed the outcome would be decided based on empirical evidence.
For Baek Seol, who had always been at a disadvantage, it was almost a relief.
But why couldn’t she calm down?
Unable to endure Baek Seol’s restless pacing—circling around like a lost puppy—I spoke.
“You’re making me dizzy. Sit down.”
“Do I look nervous?”
“Very.”
“No way. I was just exercising to maintain my perfect figure. It just so happens this is the time I usually do it.”
Though Baek Seol placed a hand on her chest and lifted her chin, she seemed unable to hide the anxiety writhing inside her, as she soon revealed her true thoughts.
“…This makes no sense.”
“What doesn’t?”
“That it ends like this. You must have realized it too. Father must not see the test results. And yet we’re just going to let that happen?”
“You know it too. That we’re not just going to sit back and watch.”
“No way….”
Though Baek Seol swallowed the thought that crossed her mind, unable to voice it, I smiled boldly in her stead.
“I told you, didn’t I? The moment I appeared, the fracture had already begun.”
There was only one course of action Baek Ryang could take to escape his predetermined fate.
“Throughout history, the final point of power struggles has always been force.”
The 24th century was a society where primitive violence was idolized. Sometimes, things could not be resolved through justification and logic alone.
“Then… aren’t we in danger?”
“It’s nothing to make a fuss about.”
Patting Baek Seol’s shoulder as she clearly looked unsettled, I slightly pulled back the curtain and looked out the window.
“Come to think of it, the mansion felt empty. Do the employees use a different route?”
“No, Father hates anything noisy, so he probably fired almost all of them.”
“For the head of a megacorp, should I call that frugal or careless? What about androids?”
“Yeah. He probably thinks Alfredo alone is enough.”
That was why he was a trusted subordinate—and a loyal retainer.
To begin with, Baek Seok-do was living in seclusion. Since he only moved between his office and bedroom, there was no need for cumbersome formalities.
“A perfect place for ghost stories to arise.”
The terrain where the mansion stood could broadly be described as backed by mountains and facing water. More narrowly, it was a mountain valley.
A structure that did not permit the intrusion of outsiders.
Yes, only the intrusion of outsiders.
“If we get attacked, how do we respond?”
“We either go into the nearest panic room and wait for support from the Public Enforcement Corps, or hold out until the dedicated security unit arrives.”
It might have sounded flimsy, but it was a traditional manual. If the situation progressed that far, what followed was nothing short of war.
“Is the panic room far from here?”
After drawing a map in her head, Baek Seol shook her head.
“Not that far.”
“Then that’s good. If an emergency happens, run there immediately.”
His voice was firm, as if predicting it in advance. But his own safety was not included in those words. Naturally, Baek Seol couldn’t help but question it.
“What about you?”
“I have something I need to do.”
I stood up and turned the doorknob.
“As Baek Ga-on.”
***
[Someone from the Baek Family came and handed over gold]
It was a phrase left behind by Brigadier General Edwick, who had commanded the Mars Defense Force during the Black Shower. It was evidence of his desperate attempt to recover even a single lost memory.
Simply discovering a point of contact with Baekdu had dramatically accelerated the investigation.
Sixteen years ago, someone powerful enough to intervene in the military. And the one who acknowledged Baek Ga-on’s death faster than anyone and prepared a replacement—both were the same person.
In truth, there was no need to infer. There was only one person in the Baek Family who had been given the name “Geum.”
“I’ve been looking for you for quite a while.”
Perhaps he wanted to feel the sunlight pouring down on him. The old man was not in his assigned room, but standing in the corridor leading to the colonnade.
“You are….”
“Hello. Looks like you’re sunbathing?”
The old man who received my greeting, Baek Geum-do, frowned. There were few things as unpleasant as encountering an unexpected person in a place one had grown attached to.
“That free-spirited nature of yours—it’s just like a stray cat. I suppose one cannot hide their origins.”
“I didn’t wander around without purpose. I wanted to have a conversation with you.”
“With me?”
“Yeah. With the lunatic who dropped a tactical nuclear weapon on the colony.”
I walked over and stood beside Baek Geum-do, continuing,
“You must have been nurturing ambitions to swallow Baekdu for a long time. You even chased after a mere illegitimate child that persistently.”
Perhaps even Yeosanghwa’s constant changes of residence were not unrelated to him.
“I wondered what business you had, but was it just to spout such nonsense?”
“Let’s not argue like amateurs. Whether my opinion is wrong can be inferred just by looking at the list of strategic materials released from Baekdu Heavy Industries 16 years ago.”
“……”
“I’m personally a bit curious how Chairman Baek Seok-do would react if he found out. He didn’t seem like the type to overlook something just because you’re his brother.”
Even though a secret hidden for decades had been exposed, Baek Geum-do did not lose his composure. He was a veteran who had grown alongside Baekdu. The path he had walked was not so easy that something like this would shake him.
“I know that you are not the real Baek Ga-on.”
“Oh? You know something even I didn’t.”
Fixing his gaze directly on me as I joked, Baek Geum-do responded clearly,
“Fine, let’s assume, just for the sake of argument, that I am truly a cruel uncle. A petty man who cannot overlook even the smallest spark. Then isn’t there something strange?”
Then he pointed with his index finger.
“You, who were swept up in a nuclear explosion, should have died. Unless there is a ghost standing before me, my brother would not question my sins—and if you are a ghost, then you would be the one to question me.”
That was right. Accusing Baek Geum-do would also be a confession for me—that I was not Baek Seok-do’s child.
“So, how will you answer?”
Though it sounded like an unreasonable question at first glance, the answer lay just two steps away.
“A preemptive strike.”
At the same time, my arm stretched out like a whip.