Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

Baek Aeyoung swiveled the flashlight with a smile, forming a revolving circle of light around her arm. It looked like she was playing with a sparkler.

“Ah, I wish you’d come to me first. It’s annoying for other people otherwise.”

Her last words sounded odd, devoid of any vocal inflections, as if a robot was speaking. Listening to her in the dark, even a ghost would have appeared less unnerving than Baek Aeyoung. Seo Jihyuk said nothing, but Shin Haeryang, who had been silently listening, responded.

“…Don’t worry.”

“It’s a joke.”

As Baek Aeyoung played with her flashlight, the lights danced, illuminating the stairs and walls. It was almost dizzying to watch the lights move in all directions. Baek Aeyoung spoke softly.

“I’m a bit annoyed with that guy from earlier. Not sure if Geum-yi-ssi or Moohyun-ssi heard, but that guy yelled at me, calling me an orphan. With Shu Ran there, I’m in a pretty bad mood. I wish anyone would fall into my hands. Then, I could wield unjust violence that would appear justifiable.”

” …It’s unfortunate about Shu Ran. You two must have been close.”

Hearing my voice falter, Baek Aeyoung took a deep breath. If her sighs could break the stairs, the ones below us would have crumbled by now. Simultaneously, the flashlight stopped its erratic movements and precisely shone on Seo Jihyuk’s injured foot. A sound was heard; Yoo Geum-yi was probably embracing Baek Aeyoung although it was hard to tell with the light on Seo Jihyuk.

“It’s hard to make friends at work, and it’s tough finding good people. She was really a good friend.”

Realizing my insensitivity, I searched my pockets for something to wipe away the embarrassment but found nothing except a coin. My handkerchief must be soaking in saltwater back in my room in the West district. A nameless sense of guilt seemed to wrap around me. Was she like this all the way up? I had no idea. I felt terribly sorry for not noticing. Baek Aeyoung went silent for a moment before speaking cheerfully.

“Our break is over! Let’s continue climbing! This time, let’s try to go a bit further.”

Then, Baek Aeyoung took Yoo Geum-yi’s hand and began ascending the stairs. The rest of us also linked shoulders and followed.

After a few seconds, Baek Aeyoung started rushing up the stairs at an incredible speed. Yoo Geum-yi tried to keep up, but matching the pace of someone climbing 2-3 steps a second is not easy. 

Once in a while, the flashlight would turn around and illuminate us. Most of the time, the light revealed broken steps or chunks of concrete blocking the way. 

“She’s like a lighthouse,” I commented.

Staring at the receding light, Seo Jihyuk remarked, “An overly energetic lighthouse to me. Team Leader, Baek Aeyoung’s mood is a mess. Physically she seems fine, though.”

“How about you?”

“Concerned about my fragile emotional state at the moment? Or the unforgivable injury on my otherwise perfect physique?”

“Just your leg.”

“It hurts.”

“Both of you seem fine, then.”

Just as Seo Jihyuk was about to make a sarcastic comment, I turned to Shin Haeryang.

“Then, how are you feeling, Shin Haeryang-ssi?”

Seo Jihyuk, who had been talking freely, suddenly closed his mouth. After pondering for a moment, Shin Haeryang responded.

“I’m not great, but I feel much better than when we were in the elevator.”

“Even though we still have over 3,000 steps to climb, bugs or water droplets falling from above in the dark, and the occasional slip?”

“Yes.”

At those words, Seo Jihyuk laughed manically, making a “hihihi” sound. It seemed like he thought the team leader had gone insane. I also tried to join in on the laughter, but my curiosity got the better of me.

“May I ask why?”

“I think it’s because while climbing the stairs, I don’t have to think as much about what the most efficient choice would be.”

“Are you talking about whether to escape using the escape pod or take the elevator?”

“… I’m talking about stuff like which country’s submarine might have detected us after the underwater base was attacked with missiles, how long should the communication have to be down for drones to be sent to scout around the underwater base, whether our escape by escape pod would be detected when observed by satellite, how many of my team members survived, what the other team leaders are doing, and to what extent a cult has taken control of the underwater base.”

“…I guess we don’t have to think too much in this situation. All I can think about are the stairs.”

I lightly tapped Shin Haeryang’s shoulder with my finger as I followed Seo Jihyuk’s broad back. Submarine? Drones? Satellites? Damn it. My head was about to explode just thinking about the people I’d met this week. I decided to leave all that thinking to Shin Haeryang. Seo Jihyuk tapped my shoulder with his finger and said,

“What about you, doctor?”

“I’m currently suspecting everyone I’ve met in the underwater base, asking myself one by one if anyone of them believe in the cults.”

Seo Jihyuk chuckled softly. We were walking so close together that I could feel his chest move.

“Any leads?”

“Besides Elliot?”

“Um…anyone.”

I hesitated, then finally spoke softly when I felt it was safe enough to do so.

“I’m suspecting Kang Sujeong-ssi and Yoo Geum-yi-ssi.”

Seo Jihyuk asked, seemingly not too concerned.

“What made you suspicious?”

“Sujeong-ssi was the first to greet me and help me with my carrier when the helicopter arrived. She also introduced me to other people. Geum-yi-ssi gave me some delicious bread on the first day we met, and it was her first visit to the dentist.”

“So both showed you unreciprocated kindness. What will you do now?”

“I can’t do anything. I’m just climbing stairs in the dark. The suspicions just keep growing.”

Seo Jihyuk nodded. Shin Haeryang, who had been listening, didn’t say anything, even when I expressed doubt about one of his team members.

“Suspicions breed more suspicions. Once you start to find someone’s behavior suspicious, then everything they do seems suspicious. Well, one of the two might actually be involved in the cult, or both might be, or neither.”

“That’s true.”

I nodded fervently.

“Once you start suspecting someone, everything they do becomes suspicious, so clearing those suspicions is almost impossible unless there’s clear evidence. But considering how difficult it is to uncover the truth in the world, you, being a doctor, must be well aware of that due to the existence of news articles and incident columns.”

I nodded earnestly again. Everything he said was true. Seo Jihyuk then asked Shin Haeryang, who was standing to his right.

“Team leader, what do you do in such cases?”

“I isolate and interrogate them.”

The atmosphere turned quiet for a moment. Seo Jihyuk seemed dissatisfied with Shin Haeryang’s answer. After a moment of silence, Seo Jihyuk lightly slapped Shin Haeryang’s back. A “slap” sound was heard. “Our team leader is quite the psycho,” he sighed, then spoke to me.

“If you suspect something but can’t confirm it, there are two ways. The first is to trust the other person.”

“And the other?”

“Remember. End the relationship.”

“Is that your answer?”

“You may not realize how valuable the advice I’ve just given you is. This applies even if you suspect your partner is cheating. If you can’t tell whether they’re cheating or not, then either trust them or cleanly end it.”

Is this a good answer, or just another one of his nonsensical rants?

“What if one of the two is trying to recruit the other into a cult?”

“People rarely make an effort to prove their innocence when questioned or pressured. (Seeing Shin Haeryang hesitate, Seo Jihyuk added, ‘It would be nice if the team leader could keep quiet for a bit.’) Most people who are interrogated get angry, asking why you can’t trust them. And that’s usually the end of your relationship with them. Goodwill or whatever, it’s just gone. Besides, you can’t be at ease anymore seeing what they’re doing.”

“What’s your take on Kang Sujeong?”

Seo Jihyuk seemed surprised by the question. After making a ‘hmm’ sound, he began to think.

“I don’t know if she believes in a cult, but she’s not the kind of person who tries to make someone into something.”

Shin Haeryang’s answer came from the dark.

“If she had started to believe in the ‘Infinity Church,’ she would have told me. She’s not the kind of person who can hide things.”

“Ah, right. She’d tell the team leader, ‘From today on, I believe in the Infinity Church! Look at this shark emblem, isn’t it cool!'”

I mumbled softly, thinking about the distant light and the person struggling to follow it.

“What about Yoo Geum-yi-ssi?”

“I’ve met her several times at the cafe or bakery in the 4th undersea base. Seems like a bread enthusiast? Always buying a bunch of bread. Honestly, I don’t really know. Even the researchers find it annoying to come from the central South district.”

“I’m also not sure,” Shin Haeryang’s voice came through.

“She was sleeping in the West district. Said she switched rooms with someone from the South district. Considering what you said about the researchers finding it annoying to come from South district, it’s a bit suspicious.”

Seo Jihyuk turned his head and glanced at his team leader as if he was in a dilemma, but the team leader coldly continued climbing the stairs. Seo Jihyuk sighed.

“Women tend to switch rooms often.”

“Really?”

“Can I share the reason we came to the West district?”

Shin Haeryang didn’t show any opposition, and Seo Jihyuk took the silence as consent.