Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

“People here often get trapped because of the doors, and once there was chaos when 4 people got stuck, but there haven’t been many cases of 5 people trapped.”

Answering my blurted question, Yoo Geum-yi said:  

“If their identity is revealed, you can’t tell if a rescuer will come or if someone who doesn’t get along with them will show up as a potential criminal instead…Oh my god. The trapped person is a woman.”  

With Kim Ga-young being the one trapped, Yoo Geum-yi’s inference was correct. But how did she know the trapped person was female? As she walked briskly, Lee Jihyun told me:

“Leave a comment. Tell them to get ready.”

“Is that okay? Couldn’t the people reading this post realize someone is wandering the South District?”

If I were my usual self, I would never have had such thoughts. But from Kang Soojung’s style of writing, she seemed reluctant to reveal where they were headed or even the location of the person she was writing to.  

“In our current situation, who else other than us is going to go underwater to rescue that person? It’ll look to others reading like more than 2 people are wandering the South District, but if someone was going to save them, they would have already done it by now. Tell them to get ready.”

I wrote a comment under the name RESCUE. [On our way. Get ready to exit the room and wait.] Lee Jihyun began entering the escape pod bay but stopped halfway.   

Seeing the puddle at the entrance to the escape pod bay, Lee Jihyun blankly stared at the floor before looking back up at us and muttering lowly:

“There are engineers inside.”  

“Huh? Uh, yes? Yes?”

At my stupid reply of Engineers inside? I see. But how did you know that?, Yoo Geum-yi crinkled her eyebrows as well.  

“You mean the engineers who know someone is trapped in the living quarters right next to the escape pods but didn’t go rescue them are in there?”

“How did you know there were engineers?”

At my question, Lee Jihyun quickly responded:  

“The footprints left on the floor are from shoes engineers wear when working underwater. Looks like they entered the South District after some exterior work.”

On the floor were scattered footprints left by people who had rushed over in wet shoes from the flooded living quarters. But imprinted over some were a few other shoe prints. Right. Now that I looked, Lee Jihyun’s shoes were different from the sneakers the rest of us wore. Wait, is this development different from my dream? Lee Jihyun asked us with an expression that said she didn’t expect much but would still ask:  

“Do you have anything that could be used as a weapon?”

“No.”  

“None.”

“Wouldn’t they not know someone is trapped?”  

“Engineers? Those guys handle pretty much all tasks through tablets.”  

I see. Not for dentistry. Plus there’s that underwater base message board. I didn’t even know something like that existed before now. Lee Jihyun’s expression showed she was reluctant to enter through the door immediately. Hm. Probably because bonds between the engineering teams weren’t close. As she looked at the thick, sturdy door of the escape pod bay, Yoo Geum-yi asked:

“Couldn’t they have escaped on the pods?”

“That’s the best case scenario.”  

“Jihyun-ssi. Wouldn’t it be better to rescue the trapped person first then come here?” It’s not far from the living quarters anyway.”

“What if the escape pods are gone when we get back?”

At Lee Jihyun’s question, I simply answered:

“We go to another section. We’re going to rescue them anyway.”  

Lee Jihyun hesitated for about 5 seconds before nodding. Seeing how she valued time, she seemed similar to Shin Haeryang…Does that mean Lee Jihyun was ex-military or a mercenary too? Not sure. As Lee Jihyun and Yoo Geum-yi walked ahead, I watched their backs and steeled myself. Since we’d be moving together either way, we had no choice but to trust each other. I slowly began speaking.  

“Actually, I had a dream a few hours ago.”

“Yes.”

“I saw a similar scene.”  

“How was it similar?”

After thinking for a moment how to respond to Yoo Geum-yi’s question, I spoke up with some hesitation.  

“The-the South District area of the underwater base got hit by missiles, people were unable to escape and dying, we’re rescuing like now, and some pseudo group takes over the base, stuff like that.”

Lee Jihyun, who had been walking ahead vigilantly without responding, now glanced back at me. Then she said:

“How did you know the South District was attacked by missiles?”

“…In the dream.”  

Even as I answered, I felt like I was becoming a complete idiot. 

Mouth agape, Yoo Geum-yi stared at me strangely. Ah, I see why. Anyone would look at someone spewing nonsense in this situation that way. I figured Lee Jihyun would react similarly to Yoo Geum-yi, but surprisingly, she said nothing, merely scrutinizing me briefly before hastening her steps again and responding:  

“It’s true the South District was attacked by missiles. My team members nearly all died from the explosions while working.”

“Huh? Really?”  

As Yoo Geum-yi reacted in astonishment and repeated the question, Lee Jihyun fixed her gaze ahead and nodded. Stunned, Yoo Geum-yi walked unsteadily before asking me:

“Wasn’t that some weird dream story you had? The research center at the South District got blown up by missiles…that’s real? Why? Who? Who would think to completely blow up a research center with over 400 people inside?”

“I don’t know. My dream didn’t show that part.”

“The people at the research center gathered to improve the Earth’s environmental issues. It’s not like they wanted to terraform other planets and ruin them by going to space. They joined forces to somehow try saving the planet. Missiles my ass…How are we going to deal with the deep sea pollution…”

“Um…since concrete and rebar and stuff will sink to the bottom, our mesopelagic zone won’t be impacted too badly, will it?” 

Didn’t seem my words were much help. As Yoo Geum-yi held the back of her neck in dismay, walking unsteadily, I worried she might collapse. But Yoo Geum-yi kept moving forward on wobbly legs. Seeing that, I sighed internally. I asked a question to Lee Jihyun’s back as she walked a bit faster than me.

“You don’t seem very surprised, Jihyun-ssi.”  

“Is that so? I was so shocked when the research center first blew up that nothing I’ve heard now compares.”  

“No, I meant the part about dreaming it.”

Lee Jihyun hesitated, swallowing her words for a bit as she gazed into the distance before responding.  

“The Bible has many passages about dreaming the future as a divine revelation. Even scenes where angels directly appear to Mary to give news of her pregnancy. For Christians, divine messages through dreams aren’t that shocking. Rather, what you said about people being unable to escape on pods or pseudo groups taking over the base is more concerning to me.”

Is that so? Are these memories I have some divine revelation or something? But if so, why didn’t I get any when my father died? When disaster struck my family, why didn’t I receive any divine messages? Never in my life have I felt so favored by God to receive something like this. If this is what living a favored life is, then I’d rather live completely unfavored.  

“Is that so? I thought it was just a meaningless dream. At least until the underwater base flooding and escaping the West District.”  

At my words, Lee Jihyun swiftly summarized the situation.  

“Either way, the goal to rescue the trapped person remains unchanged.”  

“I suppose you’re right.”

It wasn’t my first encounter with a pseudo-religious cult. Plus we’d have to enter the escape pod bay to know anything about the pods. As we headed towards the living quarters, Lee Jihyun hesitantly asked me:  

“In…in your dream, were you able to escape?”

“Uh, yeah, so…”  

I died a grisly death. Should I tell her as is? It hasn’t happened yet, so rather than dampening any will to escape by explaining, wouldn’t it be better to have some hope through a nicer story? After observing me for a few seconds, Lee Jihyun spoke.  

“I understand.”  

She didn’t get an answer from me? Then Lee Jihyun briskly walked ahead, supporting the stumbling Yoo Geum-yi until we quickly arrived at the the South District living quarters entrance. I practically ran from my measured steps to get there before them.  

When I opened my tablet to the underwater base boards, the page was flooded with posts about Room 77 of the South District. Most were about fires going out and rising water levels being frightening.  

I informed the others of the tablet contents while watching Lee Jihyun examine the partition doors connected to the living quarters. She deliberated over whether to press the drainage buttons for the section with lowered partitions, the rooms from 50-99 where Room 77 was located. Then she explained her dilemma to me and Yoo Geum-yi.  

“Normally it should drain some of the water, but if it’s broken, the water might actually flood in faster.”  

“Then can’t you just open the door heading into the living quarters and not press it if the water level is too high?”

Still stunned, Yoo Geum-yi shook her head as she blankly looked at her tablet.  

“It’s probably best not to take pointless risks. There are already too many things beyond our control.”  

Accepting Yoo Geum-yi’s opinion, Lee Jihyun checked the water pressure shown on the partition door before opening the door leading into the living quarters. A dark staircase appeared. The third step was barely visible by the passageway lighting, but the rest couldn’t be seen at all. With the lights out, a chill crept down my spine as I gazed into the endless darkness of the underground area. I rubbed my trembling body with my arms to calm myself, then looked all around. I noticed the axe Shin Haeryang had carried off with him. I gently set my backpack down on the floor and pointed to the axe while telling Lee Jihyun:  

“Let’s take that with us.”  

I quickly pulled the emergency axe off the wall. It was heavier than I expected. Almost the same weight as the guns in my dream. How did Shin Haeryang run around carrying this thing? As Lee Jihyun knocked on a section of the wall, a panel fell off, revealing flashlights and a flathead screwdriver. She vigorously wiped the flashlight handles on her suit before looking to Yoo Geum-yi and me and speaking.  

“Dr. Moohyun and I will head down while Geum-yi waits here by the door for us.”