Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

As we were quietly walking through the aquarium, Yoo Geum-yi seemed to be lost in thought before she spoke to me.

“I’ve been thinking about what that cult follower said earlier. It must be because today is an important day that they are doing this. But no matter how much I think about it, the only thing I can think of is May 31st being Korea’s Ocean Day.”

“There’s something like an Ocean Day in Korea?”

Looking into the distance as if peering into a far-off place, Shin Haeryang frowned slightly and said.

“······It’s probably the day Jang Bogo established Cheonghaejin¹.”

I was dumbfounded. They have a day to commemorate that? Is there also a day for the land?

“So there’s a day to commemorate that?”

Surprised by my admiration, Yoo Geum-yi asked Shin Haeryang,

“How do you know that, Shin-ssi?”

“Someone I know is in the navy. How dis you know that, Yoo-ssi?”

“I’m from Wando.”

Seo Jihyuk grunted and interjected.

“No Smoking Day! No Smoking Day. Today is No Smoking Day. Then, it’s more plausible that the leader is Korean or maybe today is the leader’s birthday.”

“Do they detest cigarettes?”

Yoo Geum-yi hummed thoughtfully, once again lost in thought. I adjusted Seo Jihyuk’s slipping arm to rest securely on my shoulder, trying to pull Yoo Geum-yi out of her reverie.

“What are you thinking about, Yoo-ssi?”

“We need to understand our enemy to increase our chances of survival, so I was thinking about the cult. They committed these acts to obtain eternal life. If today is not certain, I also thought maybe the cult followers would just stop their activities and return if it’s not the day they intended.”

Seo Jihyuk laughed heartily, but then his face twisted in pain.

“My goodness, Yoo-ssi. If you think the cultists will just say, ‘Ah! We got the date wrong!’ and disappear just like that, you are sorely mistaken. These people have committed an armed attack on a four-story underwater base. This type of terrorist spends a long time and a lot of money on their preparations.”

Seo Jihyuk didn’t utter the words that implied she was naively mistaken. That’s because, in the process of escaping from the underwater base, the most foolish person might be me. It’s not something to criticize Yoo Geum-yi for not knowing about terrorists or cult followers. Ordinary people don’t walk around with such knowledge in their heads.

Yoo Geum-yi asked me while walking and supporting Seo Jihyuk.

“Um… What was it again? Moohyun-ssi, what did you call the elements of religion? You mentioned it at the third underwater base, right?”

“Doctrines, dogmas, denominations?”

“Can I ask how you know that?”

I was about to explain about my family but then shook my head as it would be too long.

“I’d rather not answer that.”

Yoo Geum-yi surprisingly backed off easily.

“Is that so? Then please tell me when you feel like answering. …Doctrines. The person who creates a religion is called the founder, right? Um… The teachings of a religion are about obtaining eternal life. But I was surprised that there are quite definite rules. Things like inserting something into your teeth or being told to take up arms for today specifically. Even investing a lot of money in people who are not particularly interested in religious rituals is unusual. Normally, it’s the opposite, I believe. Keeping the explanations as vague as possible seems like it would make it easier to evade issues later on. And I’ve never heard of cults investing money for the followers they’ve recruited.”

Listening to Yoo Geum-yi’s explanation, I nodded quickly and replied.

“That’s true. It’s my first time hearing about it too. Most religions are only interested in sucking money out of people like mosquitoes under the guise of faith, not in giving it back to their followers. The part about sharks was surprising to me. If one joined mistakenly, they might think it’s an environmental organization.”

“Why do you think they chose such a concept? I’ve heard that cults are usually created by founders as a means to draw in labor and funds from followers.”

I imagined a religion with an immense amount of money. No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like a gathering of mad people. But they say you get a lot of money if you join. There are plenty of people in need of money in this world. If one is not sensitive to religion, they might even line up to join. The same goes for the word ‘infinity’. Why promise infinity? There is nothing infinite in this world.

“Maybe if the founder has a lot of money, there wouldn’t be a need to draw financial power through followers, right?”

“So, a person with an enormous amount of money believes that today’s date is appropriate for living eternally, and after having their followers bring in guns through dental treatment with their money, and making them kill people in large numbers, they would enjoy an infinite life?”

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

Yoo Geum-yi pondered for a moment and then frowned at my answer, pointing out exactly what I had doubted.

“But this idea of an infinite life is strange too. To live forever? How long does one have to live to be forever? Lifespans are defined in the face of time. Even Earth has a limited lifespan.”

Shin Haeryang, the marine biologist who had been listening to our conversation quietly, said,

“I’m not even sure there’s a need to live an infinite life.”

“Would you choose to live forever if you could, Shin Haeryang-ssi?”

“No.”

His answer was sharp. It seems he doesn’t like the idea of living forever. Well, there would be people who wouldn’t like it. As I looked at Seo Jihyuk, he groaned and then said,

“Whether it’s eternal life or whatever, I wish my leg would heal. I would have no other wish if I could just get morphine.”

Baek Ae-young, who was standing at the front, rolled her eyes twice before speaking.

“It’s nice to live a long life. Vampires are cool, right? But living forever alone is a bit.”

Baek Ae-young then shook her head. Her long, mane-like hair also swayed gently. Yoo Geum-yi also frowned as she thought.

“I don’t have the confidence to live like a jellyfish. I want to live a finite life and die.”

I asked in surprise.

“Do jellyfish live forever?”

“Some of them have capabilities that are almost like immortality.”

Seo Jihyuk also asked in astonishment.

“No way, so besides those damn Iceland sharks or Greenland sharks, there’s something else that lives that long?”

“But jellyfish don’t have brains or hearts.”

Upon hearing Yoo Geum-yi’s words, I groaned. Oh, my goodness. To think they lack such vital parts. Seo Jihyuk shook his head vehemently.

“……There’s always a trade-off. You mentioned Greenland sharks don’t have eyes.”

“What about you, Moohyun-ssi?”

“To live eternally alone without a family? What if you get tired of living someday? I also want to live just enough and then die.”

It seemed that if the Church of Infinity wanted to recruit among us, they’d have to offer other trade-offs. It would be difficult to lure people in with the promise of an infinite life. Money, perhaps? But right now, escaping safely seemed more appealing than receiving money.

At the location where the deep-sea aquarium was almost ending, Baek Ae-young was waiting. At her gesture to crouch down, Seo Jihyuk and I almost lay down on the floor, while only Shin Haeryang and Yoo Geum-yi crouched. Baek Ae-young peeked her head out of the aquarium very slightly and then quickly returned. She whispered.

“I can see 16 guys from my line of sight. Three in front of the central elevator, five in the central plaza, three at the entrance to the escape craft port on the right, two in front of Café Black Pearl, three at the second elevator. If there are three each at the first and third elevators, that’s at least 22 people.”

“If we assume that there are about twenty people each at the third and first undersea bases, then Tyler’s words are correct.”

About 60 people. Do we have to break through them to escape? No, let’s think positively for a moment. If there are 20 people at the third undersea base, then there are about 40 armed people left in front of us. Does that seem hopeful? ……Whether it’s 60 or 40, it didn’t seem like there was much change in the despairing situation.

Everyone’s expressions were not good. Yoo Geum-yi’s face had turned pale. It seemed that none of the gun owners, including those who would engage in a gunfight with at least 22 people to take over the second undersea base, harbored any grand dreams. It seemed most likely that either Baek Ae-young or Shin Haeryang, rather than Seo Jihyuk who was injured or Yoo Geum-yi who had held a gun for the first time, would have the potential. Hearing my action movie-like delusion, Baek Ae-young smiled. Shin Haeryang shook his head, and Seo Jihyuk just chuckled.

“Reality is different from the movies. If characters like James Bond or Ethan Hunt were in this situation, they might make bullets dodge them, but in reality, numbers rule. Do you think it’s the same for one person to shoot at ten or for ten to shoot at one?”

“…I will hand over my gun to you, and I will obediently wait for Moohyun-ssi to handle things and come back.”

Shin Haeryang rubbed his eyes wearily as he spoke.

Just a few steps from the exit of the deep-sea aquarium, one connects to the entrance of the exhibition hall. It is said that one must pass through the exhibition hall to get to the cable car station. The problem is, once we open the door of the aquarium and go out, our presence will be briefly exposed to the people in the central square. Yoo Geum-yi looked out onto the street outside the aquarium and said,

“It’s about… 5 meters. If we run… we’ll be exposed to the public eye for about 4 to 5 seconds. I hope no one sees us during that time.”

“What if someone does see us?”

Yoo Geum-yi was flustered by my question, but Seo Jihyuk just sighed as if he wished the ground would swallow him up.

“What do you mean, ‘what if’? We get caught.”

I wondered if Seo Jihyuk was using up a lifetime’s worth of sighs right here. It seemed he hated the idea of becoming a burden, unable to walk that short distance quickly; someone would need to assist him.

“You’ll just have to carry me.”

“Thank you very much. Team leader.”

When Yoo Geum-yi asked what to do with the gun if he ran, Baek Ae-Young silently reached out her hand. Yoo Geum-yi handed over the gun to her without hesitation. Suppose we run those 5 meters, but what if someone is at the exhibition hall? What if someone is armed and waiting?

“What if someone is there at the exhibition hall?”

Baek Ae-Young looked at me and answered simply.

“I’ll handle it.”

So, Baek Ae-Young seemed to handle all problems with simplicity. Someday, I’d like to discuss that simple life philosophy of hers. Perhaps all problems would resolve quite easily.

As Baek Ae-Young looked at the door, tension settled on everyone’s backs. It was uncertain whether the door to the exhibition hall was open or closed. Wasn’t it supposed to not open if pushed? Observing the closed exhibition hall, Seo Jihyuk spoke to us.

“It’s probably open.”

“How do you know?”

Feeling the gaze of the people on him, Seo Jihyuk delayed before responding.

“I visited there yesterday, and it was open.”

1. A military headquarter and trading hub located on Wando Island. It also served as a military hub to combat various pirate factions[↩]