44. What the Crazy Man Has Been Waiting For. (3)

The crazy man in the white coat said:

“The second method is to turn off the power of this power plant.”

…That’s definitely an option.

It’s definitely safer than going into the mountain, where we don’t know what might be there.

But…

I tilted my head.

“If we turn off the power, what happens to the electric fence?”

The man in the white coat laughed and said:

“It will turn off, of course.”

…The electric fence will no longer protect the power plant.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk nodded and said:

“Isn’t the second method better? Going into the mountain is too risky, and there’s no guarantee that the monsters will come down from the mountain just because the power is off.”

Sergeant Song agreed.

“That’s true. Maybe nothing will happen when we turn off the power.”

The man in the white coat laughed at this.

His laughter was clear in its meaning.

He stood up and pointed out the window.

“Look over there.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk and Sergeant Song looked at each other and approached the window.

“What are we supposed to see?”

“Over there.”

The man in the white coat pointed with his finger.

The two of them looked at what he was pointing at, and their expressions changed.

“That’s…”

What is it?

Why did their expressions change?

I also approached them and looked out the window.

In the distance, there was the mountain.

Close by, there was the electric fence.

Various sizes of animals were hanging from the electric fence, charred and lifeless.

They had been electrocuted for a long time.

At one corner of the fence, there were rats the size of thighs gathered together.

One of them was hanging from the fence, trembling violently.

It was smoking and stuck to the fence, having just been electrocuted.

The man in the white coat said:

“They came down when they saw you coming. At least, that’s my judgment. They were probably somewhere on the mountain. If they were nearby, they would have gnawed through the fence and broken in long ago.”

Sergeant Song swallowed and looked at the man in the white coat.

“Did you know they were coming? Did you turn off the power because you knew?”

The man in the white coat laughed and said:

“I don’t observe the mountain closely because it’s scary. But this area, what else can I do? There’s no TV, no phone, nothing to do but look outside.”

He pointed at the rats and said:

“These are the ones I see around here frequently. Sometimes they disappear into the mountain for days, and other times they boldly come down and touch the fence, a few of them getting caught and dying. I knew they weren’t around, so I turned off the power. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have turned it off no matter what you threatened me with.”

Sergeant Song tilted his head and said:

“…It sounds like you’re saying the rats went back to get orders and then came down to carry them out.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk shook his head.

“They’re just animals. They don’t have a command structure. Some might follow a leader, but it’s a stretch to think they’re carrying out orders.”

The man in the white coat looked at Seong Gyu-hyuk with a puzzled expression.

“Are you sure about that?”

Seong Gyu-hyuk fell silent.

He couldn’t be certain.

How could even a Special Forces Commander know how the behavior of animals has changed after the apocalypse?

I didn’t know either.

The man in the white coat narrowed his eyes and looked out the window.

“I don’t think they’re just animals. I’m not a zoologist, but they don’t seem like ordinary rats. I think…”

He paused for a moment and then slowly continued:

“I think they’re observing this power plant, observing me. When I sleep, when I eat, when…”

He stopped speaking.

…Observing?

Seong Gyu-hyuk and Sergeant Song also looked back at the rats in the distance.

Sergeant Song muttered:

“…It does kind of look like they’re observing…”

While they were talking, the man in the white coat spoke again:

“…My food is almost gone. It’s getting dark. I’ll have to go out to find something to eat eventually. If I don’t, I’ll starve here. They’re waiting for that. They’ll come here when I turn off the power completely. To get me…”

His voice trailed off.

“…Before that happens… I’ll… take care of it… myself…”

His voice grew weaker, but his eyes flashed with a wild light.

…He’s a truly terrifying person.

If he confessed to being a serial killer right now, I would believe him completely.

Seong Gyu-hyuk and Sergeant Song were already looking at the man in the white coat.

The hand gripping my sword tightened.

Seong Gyu-hyuk’s finger slowly moved to the trigger of his assault rifle.

“…Sir?”

The man in the white coat suddenly lifted his head.

“Ah, yes? What did I say?”

His eyes returned to their normal state.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk examined him from head to toe.

Tension was still evident in his gestures and movements.

After a moment, Seong Gyu-hyuk sighed and released his finger from the trigger.

“We can help with the food issue. We have some supplies in our backpacks and the helicopter.”

The man in the white coat’s expression brightened slightly.

“You’ll share it with me?”

As Seong Gyu-hyuk nodded, Sergeant Song said, “Ah,” and then continued:

“Commander, isn’t it dangerous with those animals outside? Our helicopter could be at risk.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk looked at Sergeant Song and slowly nodded.

He then turned and cupped his hand to his ear.

“Gayeon, did you hear that? Tell the captains to drop food supplies into the power plant and then return. Yes.”

Sergeant Song’s expression was not good after hearing this.

Sergeant Song said:

“Why don’t we all go back together? Turning off the power is good, but it doesn’t have to be done right now. We can prepare better and do it later.”

The man in the white coat shook his head.

“No, that’s not possible.”

Sergeant Song frowned and looked at the man in the white coat.

“Why not? Look at us. See the guns we’re carrying? This is all we have. A few grenades. We can’t handle all the animals in the mountain. If they break through when the power is off, we won’t be able to defend ourselves.”

The man in the white coat looked at Sergeant Song silently.

His eyes were slightly sad.

He said:

“…When you leave, I’ll leave too.”

“…What?”

Sergeant Song’s eyebrows twisted in confusion.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk tilted his head and asked:

“Leave? Where will you go?”

The man in the white coat turned his gaze to Seong Gyu-hyuk.

He spoke slowly:

“I’ve done enough. I’m tired. Being alone here, talking to a non-existent child… I’ve been here for months, doing this much. Isn’t that enough? How much more do I have to do?”

He sighed and shook his head.

“I don’t want to do it anymore. I can’t do it anymore. When you leave, I’ll leave this power plant. In fact, I’ve been planning to leave for a while now, even today.”

…His heart is completely rotten and decayed.

I narrowed my eyes and said to the man in the white coat:

“If you leave here, you’ll die. You know what’s out there. You’ll be torn apart before you can even find a packet of ramen.”

The man in the white coat laughed weakly.

“What does it matter? I’ve thought about hanging myself hundreds of times a day. Now… it’s enough.”

Sergeant Song laughed in disbelief and said:

“What are you saying? You’ve survived this long, and now you want to die just because the government troops are here? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Government troops?”

The man in the white coat’s face twisted with disgust.

“Government troops? What government troops? Where is the government in our country? Are a few survivors, including some politicians, the government now? What government? What’s left to govern? Everyone is dead. Everyone has turned into monsters! What have they done while everyone was dying, and now they call themselves the government!”

As Sergeant Song bared his teeth, Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

He stepped forward and said:

“Sir, please calm down. What will happen to the power plant without you? Without a manager, it will really be the end.”

“I already said it. I made it clear.”

The man in the white coat glared at Seong Gyu-hyuk with wide eyes.

“I’ve done enough. I don’t want to do it anymore. What if I die? Do you think I care?”

Seong Gyu-hyuk shook his head and said:

“You’ve done well so far. Don’t give up. We haven’t given up either.”

The man in the white coat laughed.

It was a mocking laugh.

He smiled darkly, his wrinkled face twisted, and slowly looked up at Seong Gyu-hyuk.

“I’ll give you four days. Whether you turn off the power or not, it’s four days. After four days, I’ll leave.”

He smiled bitterly, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“It’s better to decide to turn off the power. The crisis started in early summer. The air conditioners people turned on then are still running. Maintaining summer power consumption all year. Ha. Good luck.”

Sergeant Song bared his teeth and stepped forward, but he was blocked by the Special Forces Commander.

Sergeant Song said:

“You, after all the talk about working hard to keep the power on, now you’re being irresponsible! What? You’re being irresponsible!”

The man in the white coat looked at Sergeant Song.

Then, he turned and picked up a thick notebook from the desk and threw it at Sergeant Song’s feet.

Thud.

The man in the white coat’s face contorted as he said:

“I’m not being irresponsible.”

He squinted his eyes and muttered:

“I’ve been waiting. Waiting for someone, anyone, to please appear. So I can leave or die.”

The man in the white coat pointed to the notebook he had thrown at Sergeant Song’s feet.

“That notebook contains detailed instructions for managing the power plant. I wrote it. I’ve created a manual for everything, from water purification to waste disposal. Of course, handling a power plant without proper training is dangerous, but if you follow the manual, it should be safe enough.”

The man in the white coat slowly looked up at us.

“…Four days.”