Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

Yoo Geum-yi quickly regained her composure and asked,  “Are there people from the 3rd and 4th underwater bases who have come to the 2nd base?”

“Some are here. There are also a few at the 1st underwater base. We had to kill some who didn’t obey, but those who did are all gathered in a corner.”

Yoo Geum-yi hesitated, as if contemplating something. Good. It seems they haven’t killed everyone who came via the elevator. But was it unnecessary for us to climb the stairs? No, one of the dead could have been me. I was lucky to not be caught by the cult. Not knowing about us can be a strategic advantage, although I’m not sure how much.

She then cautiously spoke, “So, why does Infinity Church insist on killing people? They could simply let people escape.”

I quickly nodded in agreement to Yoo Geum-yi’s question. “Exactly. The base is yours to take. Whether it’s the Chinese team, Russian team, or Japanese team, fight amongst yourselves to decide who takes it. Just let the others escape to their homes.”

Tyler seemed perplexed as he responded, “I’m not sure, but to carry out the ceremony for the Day of Infinity, there have to be many people in the building, and some must die. Previously, fish were used, but on the Day of Infinity, it has to be people. Initially, the ceremony was planned for tonight or tomorrow morning, but when the 4th base was suddenly destroyed, they decided to go ahead. If only the people of the Infinity Church survive, then everyone else can be considered dead due to the 4th base incident.”

Typical for a nonsense cult, sacrificing humans. Unbelievable. Even people who lived 1500 years ago knew the value of human life and used clay figures in sacrifices.

Seo Jihyuk, visibly irritated, questioned Tyler, “So, you’re saying you didn’t fire the missile at the 4th base?”

“Missile? Someone shot a missile at the 4th base? Was I the only one not in the loop?”

Tyler looked at us and frowned, as if feeling wronged. 

“Why would Infinity Church destroy the 4th base? If it was before it was built, maybe. But to destroy a base that’s been built 3000m underwater would lead to ocean pollution. Who will clean up all that concrete, dust, and garbage? What about the marine life there? What if the mining pipe bursts and leaks oil or gas? Even the radioactive pollution from Japan decades ago hasn’t been resolved. If this base gets destroyed, the North Pacific will become a mess.”

While I was dumbfounded by Tyler’s unexpectedly rational argument, Yoo Geum-yi chimed in.

“So you don’t care about human lives being lost for a religious ceremony, but you do care about marine pollution?”

Stung by her sharp words, Tyler retorted, “Well, as long as it’s not me dying, who cares?”

And then, as we had no more questions, Tyler closed his mouth with a shrug. When Seo Jihyuk asked Tyler about the communications, he said that all internet and phone lines had been cut off since they took over the underwater base. Communication between the same underwater bases was done via radio, and contact between the 2nd and 1st underwater bases was made by going there in person. Shin Haeryang showed the map of the 1st and 2nd underwater bases in mid-air using a pad.

“Point to the areas where your followers usually are.”

Several places had already been selected in blue. Tyler looked at Shin Haeryang as if he was extremely displeased but soon pointed out the 1st and 2nd underwater bases with his finger. The map started to fill in with red dots. It was significantly different from what was colored in blue. The blue probably was colored by the man they had met at the 3rd underwater base.

“Do you only know about the 2nd underwater base? Will you send me back after I color everything?”

Tyler asked, pausing his coloring, with a sarcastic tone. Shin Haeryang shook his head.

“No. You’re coming with us. If we encounter other followers in the areas you didn’t select or run into unnecessary people, then you’ve betrayed your religion. I don’t know how much your religion takes care of its followers, but we can at least confirm if they’re the type not to shoot even at traitors.”

Tyler’s mouth fell open. So did mine, inwardly. Then Tyler hurriedly erased a few of the red dots with his hand. Seo Jihyuk was holding Tyler’s gun, checked whether it was loaded and the safety status, and then placed it beside him, laying the handgun they had somehow acquired from the 3rd underwater base on the sink counter. Then he called me and Yoo Geum-yi towards the sink.

“Among the two of you, who has ever wanted to fire a gun?”

There was no response from either me or Yoo Geum-yi, so Seo Jihyuk sighed and asked again.

“Or, which one of you has better focus?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hard to say.”

Both Yoo Geum-yi and I were flustered by Seo Jihyuk’s question. Isn’t that something to be determined by a brainwave test? Then Seo Jihyuk spoke to Yoo Geum-yi.

“Try holding it, Geum-yi. How is it? I didn’t think it was heavy, but people who haven’t exercised find guns heavy. Do you feel out of breath or like strength is leaving your legs, or breaking into a cold sweat?”

“No.”

“…Your hands are trembling.”

Seo Jihyuk noted with an awkward tone. Yoo Geum-yi held the gun with an utterly scared expression and asked, “What if I shoot it by mistake?”

“Just don’t shoot your toes. Put the gun back on the sink. Yes, well done. Now, Moohyun-ssi, you try. How does it feel?”

“Heavier than I thought.”

“Did you think it would feel like chopsticks?! Hey, hey, hey! Hold it tightly! Do you have no strength in your hands?! Where did you learn to hold your index finger like that?”

Noticing that I had my index finger extended so as not to accidentally pull the trigger, Seo Jihyuk asked. His attitude was completely different from when Yoo Geum-yi was holding the gun. Darn it. 

“Action movies.”

“What’s your favorite movie, Geum-yi?”

“Disaster movies?”

“…The gun is in Moohyun-ssi‘s hand. The barrel is usually pointed at the floor and only fired when told to. Keep your finger like that. If you pull the trigger now, a bullet will go off, so don’t even think about pulling it. Only shoot when told to.”

The risk felt like holding a grenade in hand. I never knew a gun could be so heavy. I’ve never held a gun in my life. It was far heavier than when I filled my large tumbler with coffee. Probably, Seo Ji-hyuk wanted me to hold the gun not just because there were four of them, but also because my hand wouldn’t tremble. Of course, it’s a given. Who would want to get treated by a dentist with shaky hands?

I felt uncomfortable and indigestible, gripping the dark, heavy gun. My eyes couldn’t leave the gun. If I looked away, I had this absurd imagination that the barrel would spin and automatically point at me.

“You know, when Yoo Geum-yi holds tweezers, her hand doesn’t shake!” I whispered softly, but Seo Ji-hyuk merely nodded his head and scratched Yoo Geum-yi’s insides by saying, “Same here, my hand doesn’t shake when I grab a chicken drumstick.”

It looked like Tyler’s coloring of the map was almost done. As Shin Haeryang was examining the patchily colored map, Baek Ae-young aimed her gun at Tyler’s head and asked her first question.

“Why did you come this way? Hardly anyone comes toward the deep-sea aquarium.”

“Why do I have to answer that?”

Then Tyler chuckled and sneered. The moment I heard that from the direction of the sink, I completely forgot about the gun in my hand and turned my head toward Baek Ae-young. She was grinning widely despite Tyler’s arrogant response. This was the first time I had seen her smile since the utility room.

Baek Ae-young slightly turned her head and looked at Shin Haeryang. The moment their eyes met, Shin Haeryang simply blinked once. Baek Ae-young, still smiling, took off the interpreter attached to Tyler’s ear and spoke in Korean softly.

“You think I’m a pushover? Because a petite East Asian woman under 160 cm is holding a gun, you see it as a toy? How much of a fool do you take me for? Huh? Thinking of all sorts of things in front of a person with a weapon? Our team leader and that idiot over there answer well even to people who’ve never held a gun before. Does your hearing fail when a woman speaks? Huh?”

The “Huh?” she uttered had an undertone of condescension. Moreover, everything Baek Ae-young said was in Korean. I could sense what was going to happen next, and I got goosebumps on my arm. Tyler, who had the interpreter removed, probably didn’t understand what Baek Ae-young was saying but assumed from her gentle tone that she was saying something favorable.

“What are you saying? You like me? You wench, it’s nice when you smile, isn’t it? Take off your clothes,” he spewed out in English. Without warning, Baek Ae-young brought down the barrel of the gun onto Tyler’s cheek, the hard steel making contact with soft flesh.

“Arghh!”

Grabbing the back of Tyler’s head as he toppled backward, Baek Ae-young proceeded to brutally strike his forehead and eyes with the gun she was holding in one hand. Tyler reflexively raised his arms to shield his face, but his wrists were already tied with Shin Haeryang’s parachute cord, rendering him unable to do anything but raise his arms up and down.

Baek Ae-young, gripping Tyler’s hair in her hand, drove her knee into Tyler’s face. Due to Tyler’s head being continually shaken while being gripped by the hair, it was unclear whether Baek Ae-young’s knee had hit his neck or his jaw. Baek Ae-young then said,

“Laugh again. Huh? Laugh again! You teased me by asking why you should answer me!”

And then Tyler’s head was again driven into her knee. For some reason, the faint sigh of Seo Jihyuk standing next to me echoed clearly in my ears. Yoo Geum-yi was completely shocked, covering her mouth with both hands as she witnessed the violent scene. As I tried to intervene, Shin Haeryang, who was pointing the gun at Tyler, subtly shook his head at me. It was a signal not to interfere.

As I watched the horrifying scenes unfold, shaking with fear, a sudden thought crossed my mind that the direction of Shin Haeryang’s gun could change at any moment.