episode_0038

The man who arrived in front of me lowered his body and stared at me. Was it because he had vomited up so much blood, or was it because of the blood and flesh that was all over his body?

A pungent smell vibrated from the old man. I narrowed my eyes and straightened my posture. I had no intention of greeting the old man while sprawled on the floor.

The lack of strength in my legs was only temporary, and my body recovered quickly enough to the point where I couldn’t move anymore.

There were many questions to ask. How did he show movements that were so unrealistic that it was no exaggeration to say that, and why did he suddenly spit out blood after destroying the Screamer so coolly?

Why was the blood all black?

“Danhwa, are you hurt anywhere?”

The old man intercepted my line. The only answer I could give was that it was nothing, so I boldly omitted the answer and boldly placed my hand on the old man’s body.

“No, why all of a sudden…”

“Be quiet. It smells, so take off your clothes and talk.”

I took off the outer garment that had wrapped the old man’s body tightly. It was so covered in rotten flesh and blood that even if I washed it, it would be difficult to reuse it.

He threw the clothes he had taken off to the other side and put his hand on the back of the man’s neck.

The most obvious place to feel a heartbeat is the chest, but unfortunately I have never had the hobby of putting my hand on a man’s chest. And I have no intention of ever having one.

“Big, ah! It’s a short shoe…!”

What is this coughing that doesn’t match… Do you think this is a honeymoon suite?

I decided not to go along with the old man’s strange illusions.

I felt my heart beating rapidly, like a thump or a boom.

It wasn’t irregular. Rather, the fact that the cycle was getting longer and longer seemed to indicate that the excitement that had been building up was slowly subsiding.

I wiped the blood that had splattered on the old man’s face with the handkerchief I had kept in my bosom. The blood that was still sticky and the scabs that were dark red, almost black, were slowly falling off.

It wasn’t because I was afraid my already ugly face would become even uglier, nor was it because I wanted to see the old man’s face. It was simply because it was necessary for the series of processes that were about to begin.

I used my index thumb to pull the old man’s eyelids up and down, and I could see that the whites of his eyes had returned to their original state.

I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief when I saw that there was no apparent problem, but it wasn’t over yet. I had just vomited a small amount of blood.

You could suddenly collapse from anemia, or your blood pressure, which was just starting to stabilize, could suddenly plummet through the floor.

“Explain. What’s going on.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…?”

“If you stick your flippers out, I’ll force you to open your mouth. Explain it to me nicely.”

“Ugh…”

The old man groaned and scratched his head several times. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he let out a deep sigh and began to cry.

“If I were to explain that, I’d have to start with a story about the military. Is that okay?”

My mind was cleared. No, wasn’t this a serious conversation? Do you really have to break the labor pains like this to feel better? And what about the military story?

Since these are all stories about people’s lives, did you think I wouldn’t listen to that one?

*

I made a mistake. I disobeyed the order to kill everyone I encountered, regardless of whether they were guerrillas or civilians, during a platoon-level operation.

The mouths of the guys who were moving in the same squad as me were properly blocked, but unfortunately, a civilian who was saved ended up going the wrong way and was caught by the unit that was following him.

It appears he was shot dead immediately.

A bitter taste rose, as if my stomach acid had refluxed. Damn military life, I should have at least studied harder.

In the administrative office made of containers, there was only me and my supervisor, Sergeant Park Seung-ho. I had yellow epaulettes with two red stripes on my shoulders, while Sergeant Park had three stripes.

“Sergeant Kwon Do-hoon!”

“Hey.”

Although verbal abuse and violence disappeared among soldiers, they still existed implicitly among non-commissioned officers.

It wasn’t a bad thing. It was just a temporary physical and mental pain that would have resulted in a light or heavy disciplinary action.

A pair of pitch-black combat boots struck my shins. The force must have been so great that my legs stung for a moment.

“Bam, Sergeant Kwon, Do, Hoon!”

“Ha…Fuck, Sergeant Kwon.”

“Yes, Officer Haengbo.”

“Isn’t it a soldier’s duty to follow orders? Why can’t I do that? Do you want to see me get torn to pieces?”

Sergeant Park was hard to call a good person, even with good words. And I heard that he wanted to get the rank of sergeant quickly, so he spoiled the military life of his seniors and peers.

It’s just a rumor, but seeing that the non-commissioned officers who were in the same class as him are no longer in the unit, I often think that it might not be just a rumor.

“They were just civilians. Even if they were in an operational area. Following orders to wipe out civilians is a bit… Ugh!”

“That’s not a civilian. If the order came down, it’s a guerrilla. A rioter. I don’t think they’re the same person. If you do that, you won’t last long in the military. There are only three weeks left in this operation. Let’s say you were lucky to be a civilian today and survived. Can you guarantee that the guy who saves you tomorrow won’t stab you in the back of the head?”

“There is a distinction to that extent.”

The officer frowned at my words. It seemed he didn’t like the answer.

“Fucking bastard. If the guy you let go gets discharged, can you say that to a few soldiers who have a bright future after being shot and killed? Huh?”

“No.”

I don’t think that will happen, and it shouldn’t, but if it did, I would have nothing to say. I would probably be plagued by a sense of guilt.

“Come out and have a cigarette or pizza.”

“Yes, Supply Officer.”

Today’s joint time seemed to be shorter than usual. Well, considering that the daytime operation was quite noisy and that I had even been summoned to the temporary disciplinary committee, it seemed like it would be tiring to keep me.

“Whew, Sergeant Kwon.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not a full-time supervisor, so I couldn’t completely cover it. Instead of disciplinary action, you’ll be transferred this week.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, have a nice time there.”

Since it was a transfer, I thought it was a good thing.

There will be no more shooting at civilians.

“Do you know what unit it is?”

“ I did this well, but I have a new house? ”

I smiled awkwardly. It was possible because I knew that she wasn’t angry.

Although he has a crazy personality, he also has a refreshing side.

“Ha, what kind of chemical unit is this? They say it’s a new unit, but it’s just a unit that lives in a barracks attached to the research center and guards day and night. Captain Ko has a lot of connections in personnel. He always sings about switching to electronic cigarettes, so I just gave him a set and found out.”

“I’ll buy you a drink before you go.”

“Okay.”

*

The old man’s story was too long. So what does it have to do with the fact that he was transferred for not following orders?

And why do you keep talking about that annoying old man?

“No, you don’t have to tell me the story of that guy, Seungho Park?”

“Because you always look curious.”

“Never. Ever. ”

The old man scratched his head at my firm words.

I was annoyed.

“If it tickles that much, should I scratch it with an arrow? Cool?”

“Haha, I’ll decline.”

*

‘Asymmetrical Power Development Chemical Battalion’

The new unit I was transferred to was closer to a research institute than a military unit, as Sergeant Park had said.

Seeing people like majors and lieutenant colonels all walking around the building in pure white gowns made me wonder if I should dress up like that too.

What kind of research is this? Since all I knew about asymmetric power was nuclear weapons and poison gas, I thought, “Is this an attempt to create a new type of chemical weapon?” and moved on.

And after about a month, a call-up order was issued to all soldiers in the unit except for the research personnel.

“Our homeland is being challenged by an unprecedented threat. Criminal groups are flowing in from neighboring countries where the central government has collapsed, and potential countries that are taking active expansionist measures are increasing the size of their military.”

At first, I thought it was just a normal mental training session. All the executives except the researchers thought so.

The soldiers also looked at Colonel Choi, the research institute director and unit commander, who was giving a passionate speech with a bored expression, as if they were looking at a chicken.

“Existing technologies have already reached their limits. Faster aircraft, faster interception systems, aircraft carriers with semi-permanent power. However, we are in a situation where it is difficult to research and possess even technologies that have reached their limits.”

I instinctively felt that something strange was going on. I looked at Colonel Choi, wondering if there were any others who had similar thoughts.

“I will create a bio-corps. I will create an invincible army that will recover from being shot, losing limbs, and getting up as if nothing happened.”

With those words, a video started playing.

A soldier clad in high-tech gear was walking across a battlefield where bullets were flying.

As in the movies, there was no incident where the bullet narrowly missed the main character.

As if by the power of the advanced fire control device, bullets flew one after another and lodged themselves in the chest of the soldier in the video, and when the number exceeded five, the bulletproof vest reached the end of its lifespan, and bright red blood spurted out.

The soldiers let out a sigh.

however…

The soldier, who was expected to fall to the ground and die at any moment, continued fighting, holding his gun as if nothing had happened.

The auditorium began to fill with a roar. I kept my mouth shut and remained silent.

“We need your active support. I hope you will help us with patriotism to protect our declining country and to revive it. Our country will not forget your devotion and will reward you accordingly. I promise this on my position and honor.”

I didn’t feel good.

But unlike the soldiers, I had no choice.

I was an officer and he was my superior. I was in a position to follow orders and set an example for the soldiers.

There was no way I could continue my military life carrying the dishonor of two counts of disobeying orders.

That evening I went into the laboratory with my fellow executives.