Chapter 22

Episode 22. Dissection

***

“Director!”

The Research Department Head burst into my office. I sighed. I should’ve locked the door completely. What’s with this lax security?

The Research Department Head was laughing for some reason.

“Director, thank you so much for handing over the Reality Adjuster captured by the Humanoid Research Department.”

“Is that such a big deal?”

“Of course. I’ve only seen one once before.”

“I don’t think you came here just to talk about that. What do you really want, Research Department Head?”

The Research Department Head stepped closer and started patting my head. I leaned back in my chair to avoid their touch.

“……”

“I really did come to talk about that.”

The Research Department Head cleared their throat and stuck their hand in their pocket.

“Sorry. We’re starting the experiment in an hour. If you have time, would you like to observe?”

“Why are you conducting an experiment?”

“It’s more of a vivisection. In Korean, what’s it called? Biopsy? Live dissection?”

Ah, that.

So they’re planning to dissect the Reality Adjuster we captured. Well, considering the horrific things they did, and the fact that they’re a clear research subject, there’s no helping it.

“Anyway, I can just go observe now, right?”

“Hehe, yes.”

***

The surgery was conducted in a high-level biological containment room.

“Why is it so cold?”

“Sorry. It’s part of the standard containment procedure. Biological anomalies tend to be less active at low temperatures, so the operating room is maintained at 4 degrees Celsius.”

“Okay.”

I was waiting, dressed in surgical gowns, a hair cap, and sterile gloves. I thought I could handle it, but I’m freezing to death before the surgery even starts.

“Everyone. I know you’re all excited, but this isn’t a surgery, it’s an experiment, and I’m leading it.”

The Research Department Head declared.

The gathered doctors nodded.

“Okay.”

“Let’s hurry, it’s cold.”

Six doctors surrounded the subject from all sides. A similar number of surgical nurses were on standby, and behind them, research staff were waiting with ultra-low temperature storage containers.

I had nothing to do. Dozens of medical and research staff were on standby. I was really just there to observe.

“Target confirmed. Starting the experiment.”

“Okay.”

“From now on, we’ll separate the central nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid of this subject and place them in a special anesthetic. Once that’s done, we’ll separate all the organs and tissues and store them in formalin.”

“Any questions?”

There were none.

“Then let’s begin. Scalpel, please.”

The medical team moved like lightning. The scalpel split the subject’s scalp, and soon the bone saw began cutting into the skull.

Meanwhile, a drainage tube connected to the subject’s lower back began extracting cerebrospinal fluid. I just watched the horrific scene.

“Skull opened. Starting to remove the meninges. The cerebral cortex is visible.”

“Uh, the subject’s vitals are unstable!”

“Ahhh! The subject’s eyes just opened!”

“Uh, hey, pour some sedative.”

“Where?”

“Into the brain!”

“Pouring special anesthetic into the brain now!”

“Research Department Head, what should we do?”

I glanced at the Research Department Head’s eyes. Their gaze was cold.

“Extract the brain immediately.”

“What about the optic nerves and spinal cord?”

“Just cut them. Give me the surgical scissors.”

*Snip, snip, thud.*

After a series of horrifyingly unpleasant sounds, the subject’s brain was completely extracted. The Research Department Head immediately threw the brain into the anesthetic.

“Put the brain in the ultra-low temperature storage immediately. Everyone else, report on the progress.”

The brain was already extracted. One of the medical staff grabbed the brainstem, which had been connected to the brain just moments ago, and pulled. A long, spaghetti-like strand of white spinal cord was pulled out of the subject’s spinal canal.

“Spinal cord extracted.”

“We’ve secured a cerebrospinal fluid sample from the subject. The spinal cord and brain have been removed, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Starting the disassembly now.”

The Foundation’s doctors moved busily. Syringes were connected to the subject’s arm and leg veins, and blood began filling the blood packs.

“Secured 4 liters of blood.”

The experiment was proceeding successfully. The subject’s organs were extracted one by one and placed in the ultra-low temperature storage room under the Research Department Head’s instructions.

I couldn’t help but feel nauseous.

***

Surgery over.

The research staff, looking satisfied, each carried specimen containers and moved to where they were needed.

“Dr. Kim, can we talk for a moment?”

The Research Department Head stopped me.

I nodded.

“I’m not sure if you’ve seen all the analysis results. The Wooden Dolls were made of human tissue, and the paintings hung in the exhibition hall were also painted using human blood and such. I’m not sure exactly who was sacrificed or how.”

“Yes, I knew that.”

That’s why I didn’t say anything while that Reality Adjuster was being dissected alive.

It’s unpleasant and unethical, but if we want to find a solution to the problem, there’s no other way.

I glanced at Dr. Lee Se-ah. The Research Department Head looked deep in thought.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“A little.”

Lee Se-ah laughed.

“I didn’t ask you, Dr. Kim. How did you come to the Foundation? Under what circumstances did you get hired?”

I didn’t really want to answer.

“……”

“What about you, Research Department Head?”

“I was born and raised in the Foundation’s facilities. Literally. My earliest memory is of a Foundation scientist in a white coat trying to teach me letters.”

“I see.”

“I have no idea what ‘normal’ is. Especially the criteria ordinary people use to judge each other in the outside world, I only know indirectly.”

That alone answered a lot of questions about the Research Department Head.

Personality, abilities, age.

Their personality is a mess because they were raised by Foundation scientists, their abilities are naturally outstanding because they’ve dedicated their life to it, and they look so young because of early education.

To take it a step further, they might have been an experiment subject.

“What about you, Director?”

“My advisor passed away. Right after I finished my thesis. I went to their funeral, and when I opened my eyes, I was in the Foundation’s containment room. They said I was an anomaly.”

The Research Department Head looked at me. With the same cold gaze they had when looking at the subject on the operating table.

“So you were designated an anomaly because your appearance changed due to supernatural reasons. I think there were rumors about that.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure if you think our purpose justifies the means. But the Foundation has never been afraid of being the villain to someone. I think that’s right.”

This is the voice of the Foundation.

“I know.”

“That person we just saw, having their brain extracted and body disassembled alive, wasn’t a good thing. You might have been uncomfortable.”

“Right.”

“But we still need to research it properly, don’t we? At least dozens of people must have died because of that thing. We need to find a way to stop it.”

“I fully understand.”

The Research Department Head, Lee Se-ah, sighed.

“By the way, I prepared a small gift for you, Director. Nanami should have taken it to your office. You’ll see when you go.”

I tilted my head. What could it be?

***

[Operation Report]

[Author: Nanami]

[Refer to the body cam for time-stamped operation records. Note that the body cam footage has been edited to prevent the spread of cognitive hazards. Also, this is not a record of the entire operation, but Nanami’s personal combat record.]

[Entered through the 4th-floor window. Cleared one floor below while the Special Forces advanced. Destroyed multiple Wooden Dolls.]

[Cleared hostile entities on the 1st floor, then made arrangements for the recovery team to enter the building. Eliminated four hostile humanoid anomalies.]

[While the Special Forces were searching, Dr. Kim got separated from the group. The Special Forces searched for Dr. Kim and eliminated two hostile humanoid anomalies.]

[Meanwhile, Dr. Kim encountered a Reality Adjuster.]

[The support team injected a high-concentration anesthetic into Basement Level 1. The Reality Adjuster was likely incapacitated by the high-concentration anesthetic.]

[The Special Forces eliminated the Reality Adjuster.]

[Most of the anomalies found on-site were incinerated. Some were handed over to the Research Department for study.]

***

[Operation Report. Postscript]

[Author: Nanami]

[Most of the humans inside the building were unconscious. The inhaled anesthetic injected into the building was highly effective.]

[But it couldn’t have been easy.]

[From what Dr. Kim said, they were isolated once during the search of the exhibition hall, and after being isolated, they couldn’t see their surroundings due to a cognitive hazard.]

[I’m not sure how Dr. Kim survived. Even if it was a weak Reality Adjuster, being caught would have meant instant death.]

***

[Regarding the Reality Adjuster]

[Author: Research Department Head]

[Long live the Director]

[The Director is awesome]

***

[Regarding the Reality Adjuster. Reply.]

[Author: Kim Bari]

[Research Department Head, Foundation records are rarely deleted. Especially text-based document exchanges are very difficult to erase.]

[Anyway, thank you. Capturing the Reality Adjuster was mostly thanks to the support and recovery teams who poured a truckload of anesthetic into the building.]

[Thank you.]

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