Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

Me and Yoo Geum-yi had other worries. The lighting was minimal, but it did not affect the viewing of the displayed jewels. No matter what was illuminated, they shone brilliantly. Displaying such obviously expensive items without any security seemed reckless.

“Is it normal for a gem exhibition to be this grand?”

I had never been to a gem exhibition before. Pointing at an amethyst larger than my height, I asked Yoo Geum-yi, who responded with a look of disbelief.

“I’ve never seen an exhibition of this scale either. There’s a sapphire over there as big as my torso… It must be fake, right?”

“None of this was here when I came yesterday?”

Seo Jihyuk, holding the neck of an android, looked around the mineral-filled exhibition hall in bewilderment.

“That’s the lighting I fixed, but this place was empty. If these had been here, I would’ve taken one in my pocket.”

From a distance, Baek Ae-young commented incredulously on Seo Jihyuk’s words.

“How could you take something of that size?”

Even the smallest jewel was nearly the size of a human thigh. Considering they were gemstones but essentially rocks, they must be incredibly heavy. I snapped my fingers and said,

“Cable car! There’s one right at the end of the exhibition hall, they must have moved these from the first underwater base to the second and then here.”

“Since the elevator isn’t far from here, they might have used an automated cart or a medic to transport them.”

Seo Jihyuk scratched his head as he spoke. Shin Haeryang glanced at the exhibits and frowned. I asked him, sensing his discomfort.

“Do you have any knowledge about these minerals?”

“No, they are dazzling to the eyes.”

There were huge crystals and aquamarines, and enormous manos. There were emeralds as big as a human head and rubies the size of an arm. The only minerals I could recognize were amethysts, which I had seen in an amethyst cave before, and cinnabar leaking mercury.

The android soon headed towards a diamond displayed in the center of the exhibition hall. As we got closer, it became clear that the diamond was almost the size of two adult fists. Even someone like me, who lacks greed for jewels, was tempted by its brilliance. It was so spectacular that it outshone all other gems around it. I understood why diamonds are so coveted. They overwhelmingly attract attention.

I understood why such gems are given as gifts. All the jewels gathered under the lights made the central diamond the sole focus of attention. I remembered a friend who cried over his bank account while buying a tiny diamond for his wedding. If a diamond was the size of two fists, how much would it cost?

When we got about six steps closer to the diamond, it was about the size of a medium-sized dog. Such a size suggested it was a synthetic diamond; natural diamonds are almost impossible to mine in that size. The android, observing us admiring the diamond, said,

“This is the mineral that has_ lasted the longest time here.”

Regardless of what the android said, Baek Ae-young and Shin Haeryang were checking the exit and any sounds, while I was looking at the lights shining on the diamond. Yoo Geum-yi asked the android,

“How old is it?”

Thinking that the android, being part of the exhibition, might know something, I didn’t expect an actual answer. It felt strange, as if I had only seen androids on TV. The android’s precise answer made me jump in surprise.

“Approximately_ 4.5 billion years.”

“······It’s about as old as the Earth itself.”

Is the Earth 4.5 billion years old? I vaguely remember hearing that in Earth Science class, but it’s been so long I’ve forgotten. Remembering the Earth’s age every year is hard enough, let alone my own. Impressive, Ms. Kim, to remember the age of the Earth. But then, does this mean the diamond was formed almost at the birth of the Earth? So, it’s a natural diamond?

“With the birth of a star.”

The brilliance of the diamond was almost blinding. I wondered if it would shine on its own even if all the lights in the exhibition hall were turned off. It was that intensely luminous. While admiring the diamond, Seo Jihyuk, seated on the arm of the android, spoke to Baek Ae-young, loud enough for others to hear.

“Baek, remove the alcohol from your bag and put this in.”

I burst out laughing at his comment, and Yoo Geum-yi looked at Seo Jihyuk in disbelief. Shin Haeryang and Baek Ae-young also stared at him, seemingly astounded. Seo Jihyuk scratched his head and said to Baek Ae-young,

“Looking at the way things are displayed here, this is all crazy cult stuff. Besides, if this place gets flooded or there’s a shootout, no one will notice if a gem goes missing. If we take it, who can say anything?”

Yoo Geum-yi opened her mouth wide in shock at Seo Jihyuk’s words, then quickly retorted.

“I wouldn’t touch a gem of a crazy cult. Even tampering with a sane person’s gem causes uproar, let alone something belonging to an armed cult controlling an underwater base. I don’t even want to imagine the terrible things that could happen. And seeing the diamond in the center of this exhibition, it must be very important. If a diamond of this size goes missing, they’ll search high and low for it. They’ll never let us go!”

Baek Ae-young, gauging the size of the diamond, pointed out another issue.

“How can you carry something about 8kg in a bag? It’ll slow you down if it’s heavy.”

Thinking about it, the cat in my bag that I got back from Baek Ae-young weighed about 6kg. Baek Ae-young carried my bag with the cat in it, along with two 1.5L bottles of water and a bottle of alcohol, up the stairs without any complaints, moving as if she were flying. It seemed Baek Ae-young would prefer carrying the cat rather than a diamond of that size.

Hearing this, Seo Jihyuk looked at Shin Haeryang, who had an impenetrable expression, and then turned his gaze towards me. I shook my head. I had two bags, but one carried a 6kg cat on my back, and the other had a snake inside. Even just the cat sometimes screamed on my shoulder, and now he wants me to carry a diamond in my bag?

Moreover, while diamonds in photos and videos had always seemed pretty, seeing one in person was somewhat intimidating with its excessive sparkle and brilliance. It felt like watching lightning.

The overwhelming radiance of a human-head-sized diamond was one thing, but I’ve never casually taken someone else’s belongings. The thought of putting the diamond in my bag was frightening enough. I’ve never stolen or even touched someone else’s belongings, apart from maybe taking a sip or a bite of a friend’s snack. But a gem like this is different. Seo Jihyuk seemed particularly regretful about leaving such a large diamond behind.

“Just taking this one would mean none of us would ever have to work again!”

His words reminded me of my family’s situation, and the fact that my first paycheck was in jeopardy due to the company’s current state made me stare at the diamond. Then Shin Haeryang warned Seo Jihyuk,

“You should be more concerned about saving your own life.”

Seo Jihyuk’s mouth dropped open, but he seemed to have no intention of arguing with the team leader who had been carrying and supporting him. His eyes darted among the others and then back to himself with a grim expression. Resigned to his fate as someone being carried by an android, with no chance to carry the diamond himself or entrust it to others, he just sighed deeply. He looked at Baek Ae-young with a lingering sense of regret, but Baek Ae-young didn’t even meet his gaze. Yoo Geum-yi, after surveying the jewels around her, shook her head decisively.

“I’d give up all these gems just to be able to leave here alive.”

Yoo Geum-yi’s tone suggested she was utterly fed up with the underwater base. Baek Ae-young, looking at her, smiled and extended her fist towards Yoo Geum-yi.

“I agree with that sentiment.”

Yoo Geum-yi, initially taken aback by Baek Ae-young’s extended right fist, looked around hesitantly before extending her own fist and lightly touching Baek’s. It seemed that researchers like her were not accustomed to fist-bumping.

Seo Jihyuk let out a deep sigh. Clinging to the android’s neck, he lamented the missed opportunity, repeatedly expressing how regrettable it was to leave such ownerless jewels behind. I could empathize with him, as I was not in a financially comfortable position myself. However, in my current state, carrying gems was out of the question.

If I had the physical strength of Baek Ae-young or Shin Haeryang, maybe I would have considered attempting to take one. But after walking those dreadful stairs connecting the third and second underwater bases, my legs were trembling like a newborn deer’s. Especially after running into the exhibition hall from the deep-sea aquarium in a state of high tension, all I wanted was to collapse and rest. The only reason I was still carrying the cat in my bag, sobbing internally, was because it was a living creature. If it had been a gem, I would have abandoned it long ago.

Baek Ae-young, leading the way, passed a ruby large enough to touch the ceiling and was now walking past an opal the size of two large dogs. Yoo Geum-yi, Seo Jihyuk, Shin Haeryang, and I followed behind.

Seo Jihyuk was still pestering the android, asking if it could send the diamond to his house via courier service or if the android could move it outside the underwater base. Yoo Geum-yi, listening to the android’s monotonous voice responding to Seo Jihyuk’s chatter, suddenly asked the android a question.

“What happens if someone tries to leave the exhibition hall with a gem?”

“All_elevator_operations_will_be_suspended_and_an_alarm_will_sound.”

A chill ran down my spine. Turning around in surprise, both Yoo Geum-yi and Seo Jihyuk looked equally shocked. The primary means of connecting the underwater bases were elevators, and escape pods were meant to be used only in real emergencies.