Chapter 1

Episode 1. How Much Is the Salary?

***

Guns are creepy things. Especially when you look up at their barrel.

I’m not sure how things ended up like this, but I was staring straight at the black figure pointing a gun at me.

“Stand against the wall, put your hands on your forehead, and don’t move. If you move, I’ll shoot.”

I did as I was told.

“Uh, excuse me.”

“What.”

“Why the back of the hands?”

“……”

The black figure glanced at me for a moment.

“What kind of crazy person are you? Is that what you’re curious about? Even with a gun pointed at you?”

“Yes.”

A black pistol, a black helmet, black combat gear.

The upper part of the face of the person in front of me was covered by some kind of optical device, and the lower part was covered by something like a gas mask.

The voice was distorted, probably because of the gas mask.

“Aren’t you scared of the gun?”

“I’m scared, that’s why I’m asking.”

A breathing sound came from behind the gas mask. It might have been a scoff.

“Alright. Do you know where you are?”

I don’t know where I am.

At first glance, it looks like a dingy studio apartment. There are no windows, and the door the black figure came through doesn’t seem to have a regular lock.

A door that locks from the outside.

It looks a bit more comfortable than a regular prison, but it’s still a prison. A door that can’t be opened from the inside has no reason to be in a normal place.

More than that, the fear of not knowing why I’m here or where this place is started to creep in.

Even if I was kidnapped, shouldn’t I at least remember the moment I was kidnapped or what I was doing right before?

What happened?

“A… room?”

“It is a room.”

A sigh came from behind the gas mask.

“I told you to raise your hands so I can see them, and to turn your palms so I can check if you’re hiding anything. I told you to put your hands on your forehead so my focus isn’t divided.”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

Yes.

I know it’s a dangerous situation, but…

“What do you do?”

“Take a guess.”

I thought for a moment. If they wanted to kill me, I would’ve been dead the moment the door opened.

The fact that I’m still alive and have a chance to talk means that if I play my cards right, I might survive.

I opened my mouth.

“The room looks cozy, but there’s no way to open the door from the inside, and there are no windows. So it’s probably some kind of prison. I heard footsteps for a long time before the door opened, so there must be a hallway. There must be more than one or two rooms like this.”

“Right.”

“So it’s a space where at least a few people are held. I don’t know why people are being held here, but it must’ve cost a lot of money, so there must be something important they want to get from us.”

“Yeah.”

“The special gear you’re wearing looks like it costs billions, so you’re probably not just dealing with civilians like me who have no combat skills.”

“The gear is way too much for someone like me. The combat gear is black, not camouflage, so it doesn’t seem like you’re expecting a firefight with an equal opponent.”

“If it’s a black special forces unit, the first thing that comes to mind is the police, but even the Korean SWAT wouldn’t chase people with night vision goggles and gas masks.”

“So the only thing I can think of is the National Intelligence Service, but that’s something I wouldn’t know about.”

“Right.”

“Are you Men in Black or something?”

The black gun pointed at me twitched slightly. Just a little. Enough to pierce my head from any angle.

“What, is this an essay interview?”

“Ahaha…”

“You’re a smartass. Guessing a lot isn’t always good. Didn’t you think that the more you guess right, the more you know, the more reason there is to kill you?”

I nodded.

“No, I didn’t.”

“You got most of it right with the information you had. This is the Foundation’s isolation room. You’ve been classified as a supernatural phenomenon and isolated. You probably don’t remember the last 24 to 48 hours because of the short-term memory eraser.”

“Ah.”

That does make sense.

I have no memory of how I got here, what I was doing before I was taken. The last thing I remember is coming back from a funeral and falling asleep.

“Humanoid supernatural phenomena are, without exception, subject to extermination, containment, or recruitment according to the Foundation’s rules.”

Now the full picture of the situation is starting to come together.

“Ugh, recruitment, recruitment.”

“Yeah.”

“But what happens if I refuse?”

The black figure shrugged.

“That depends on your abilities and goals. If possible, you’ll be contained. If you’re too strong or dangerous to contain, you’ll be killed.”

“Understood.”

Click. The gun was pulled away from my face, and I heard the safety being engaged. For now, I’m alive. I let out a sigh of relief.

***

The situation moved to the next phase. The gun was no longer pointed at my head, but the black figure was still standing in front of me.

“What are you doing?”

“Reviewing your file.”

“Why do you have my file?”

“We have everyone’s files. Whether someone will open it is another matter.”

“Ah, right.”

“Let’s see. You’ve served in the military. You’ve been at Seoul National University for a few years, and you have a few computer-related certifications.”

“That’s correct.”

“The reason you’ve been classified as a humanoid supernatural phenomenon is that you’ve changed your appearance at least once using supernatural means.”

“That… you’d know better than me.”

“Do you remember why you changed?”

“A few days ago, my advisor passed away, and I was under a lot of stress, but I don’t think that would cause me to change. Isn’t that your area of expertise?”

“Ah. That… extreme stress can sometimes cause that.”

“Really?”

“Do you think it’s real? Use your head, supernatural phenomenon.”

The black figure turned their gaze back to me.

***

Click.

The optical device covering the upper part of the black figure’s face lifted, and the gas mask-like device covering the lower part lowered.

“What’s your name?”

“Nanami.”

I hesitated for a moment. Should I ask?

“What’s your last name?”

“What do you mean, last name? It’s… a pseudonym.”

The face looked much younger than I expected. But now that I can see the expression, it feels much more human.

***

Nanami let out a deep sigh.

“Okay. By my standards, you pass. What I’m about to tell you, you must not disclose to anyone. Even if it’s another Foundation employee.”

“Understood.”

“There’s something I want your help with.”

“If I say no, I die, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Understood.”

“I want you to work in my Director’s Office. We’re short on staff right now. The Director’s Office usually hires externally, but there are a lot of vacancies right now.”

“Uh, I don’t know what that is.”

A brief silence.

“I already know what you’re going to say. The Foundation’s remote viewing team has checked your present, the precognition team has checked your future, and the intelligence team has checked your past. All you have to do is nod.”

I kept my mouth shut. I can’t answer easily. I don’t know what they’re trying to make me do, and my life might be in danger.

“You’re a scientist, right? Aren’t you curious?”

Of course, I’m dying to know.

But. More than my life being in danger right now. This facility itself is suspicious of my existence, and they wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if necessary. I need to hold out for now—

“Ten million won salary.”

Sigh. I checked my collar.

“I’ll bury my bones in the Foundation. When do I start?”

***

Nanami let out a sigh.

“That’s out of my hands. The Personnel Department and Medical Department will decide after they see you in person.”

“By the way, what does the Foundation do? Specifically.”

I watched Nanami’s expression.

Nanami was thinking for a moment.

I have a rough idea of what the Foundation is. It’s probably a group related to managing supernatural phenomena. The problem is, right now, I’m a supernatural phenomenon.

“It’s complicated to explain… You. This isn’t the first time you’ve worked for the Foundation. It’s natural that you don’t remember.”

Huh?

***

[Supernatural Phenomenon Discovery Report]

[Author: Nanami]

[Date: 2016/01/08]

[Temporary Name: Kim Bari]

[Serial Number: Undecided]

[Risk Level: Safe]

[Classification: Humanoid Supernatural Phenomenon]

[Humanoid Supernatural Phenomenon Classification Code: Gray]

[Security Level: Only the Director’s Office, Personnel Department, and Medical Department can access.]

[Damn, I filled in the codes for a while.]

[Ah. Does this not get deleted?]

[Sorry.]

[This entity is believed to be affected by a supernatural phenomenon, but there is no evidence that it is a supernatural phenomenon itself. Specifically, this supernatural phenomenon claims that its body has changed.]

[This supernatural phenomenon seems safe for now. But it might not be that the body has changed, but that it’s mimicking or stealing someone else’s appearance.]

[It might be a doppelganger or mimic-type supernatural phenomenon, so a thorough examination is needed. But we’ve already received a promise of cooperation from it. There’s no need to be overly cautious.]

[The supernatural phenomenon has been secured safely. Next time, it would be helpful to have helicopter support to make the operation smoother.]

***

[Supernatural Phenomenon Discovery Report. Reply]

[Author: Support Department]

[It costs a lot of money to deploy a helicopter. Please use vehicles for tasks that can be handled by vehicles.]

[Additionally, the Foundation recommends activating the Twin Killer Protocol for all individuals suspected of being doppelgangers, individuals who have come into contact with doppelgangers, and individuals suspected of having come into contact with doppelgangers.]

[Minimize contact with Foundation personnel and undergo an anomaly inspection by the Medical Department’s anomaly inspection team within 12 hours.]

[P.S. The Research Department Head is curious as to why the Director’s Office is directly managing this supernatural phenomenon instead of other related departments or the Containment Department. A brief explanation to the Research Department Head would be appreciated.]

---