Chapter 4

Episode 4. Your three predecessors all died.

***

“Dr. Kim. Can I come in now?”

“This door locks from the outside.”

*Clank, clank.*

The iron door of the isolation room slowly opened.

Nanami walked into my isolation room. This time, she wasn’t in combat gear but just a plain black suit.

Nanami didn’t come further into my isolation room and instead leaned against the iron door to speak.

“Dr. Lee was the first chief researcher of the Director’s Office in this facility that I remember. He was researching an artifact when his soul and body were separated.”

What’s the point of telling me this? I nodded anyway. Nanami seemed satisfied with my reaction.

“His successor was Professor Kim. He was also the chief researcher of the Director’s Office in this facility. A great man who dedicated his life to protecting humanity and seeking truth. He ended his own life, though.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Dr. An took over after him. He too was an excellent scientist. Sadly, he also ended his own life.”

“That must have been heartbreaking.”

Nanami nodded with a somber expression.

“It’s truly unfortunate. Anyway, you’ll be the next chief researcher.”

“Uh, what?”

Nanami didn’t seem to realize the irony in her words. I stared at her blankly.

“Is it a tough job?”

“It’s not easy.”

“Can’t I get a different position?”

Nanami shook her head.

“No.”

I sighed. What do I do now?

I don’t want to take a hellish job and end up committing suicide… but I also don’t want to stay in this isolation room forever.

The problem isn’t staying in the isolation room. What if the Foundation changes its mind and decides to dissect me? I steeled my resolve.

I’ll just do my best.

If I do better than the people who killed themselves, that’ll be enough.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

“Good. It’s worth the effort.”

“You can start next week. Prepare a black suit. You’ll need to wear it when going out for field inspections or audits.”

I’ve been locked in this isolation room for days. How am I supposed to prepare a suit? Does this mean I’ll be allowed to go out soon?

Nanami stopped leaning against the door and stood straight. I looked at her again.

“Follow me out of the isolation room. I have something for you.”

***

Director’s Office storage.

Ah, not storage.

It’s the Director’s Office Supernatural Containment Wing. It only contains stationary supernatural phenomena of a certain safety level, so it’s practically no different from a storage room. Nanami rummaged through the storage and handed me a box.

“What’s this?”

“Dr. Lee.”

“Huh?”

“This is the Dr. Lee I mentioned earlier. Supernatural Phenomenon O-2370. It’s an object containing Dr. Lee’s consciousness. If you have any questions, ask this box.”

“Even in death, he’s still working.”

“He doesn’t seem particularly unhappy.”

I guess so.

From the outside, it just looked like an ordinary crystal with no signs of life.

“Is it okay to touch?”

Nanami nodded, and I carefully opened the box to check its contents. It was a yellow crystal the size of a thumb.

“How do I use it?”

“There’s probably a communication device made from the Crystal Clock base somewhere in the storage. Where it is… I’ll have to look around.”

“Okay.”

Nanami started searching the storage. I pretended to help, but I didn’t know where anything was, so I couldn’t really assist.

“Nanami, are you a high-ranking person in the Foundation?”

“Me? No. No one wants to listen to me. They just respect my power and the authority of the Director’s Office.”

This might be a weakness I can exploit. I glanced at Nanami.

“Why is that?”

Nanami hesitated.

“Probably the same reason as you.”

Right after saying that, the atmosphere around Nanami turned icy. What does that mean? Is it the same reason I ignore Nanami?

Or is it the same reason people ignore me and Nanami?

“Found it.”

“What?”

“The Crystal Clock.”

*Click.*

Nanami placed the crystal inside the Crystal Clock and handed it to me. *Tick, tick, tick.* The Crystal Clock started making strange clicking sounds.

“Is it on?”

“It’s on.”

“I have work to do, so I’ll leave now. Your office should be ready on the Director’s Office floor. Good luck.”

“Okay.”

Nanami disappeared instantly after finishing her task.

***

At least I got the Crystal Clock.

I sat in the office with my name on it.

My office wasn’t very big and had no windows, but still. They set it up for me after just a few days.

Come to think of it, it must have been the office of my predecessors who committed suicide. That thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. They didn’t kill themselves in this office, did they?

Anyway.

The Crystal Clock clicked in my hand.

If Nanami’s words are true, this clock is a supernatural phenomenon and can communicate with me. What should I do? I stared at the Crystal Clock.

“Um. Dr. Lee, how are you?”

No response.

“I’m starting work next week, but I have no mentor or anyone to help me. So, Crystal Clock, Dr. Lee, I’d appreciate your help.”

What kind of fool am I? A scientist talking to a clock. I slammed the clock down on the desk.

*Beep, beep, beep.*

[So? You’re my successor?]

“Not really. I heard two chief researchers in the Director’s Office committed suicide before me.”

I looked at the clock again.

There’s so much I want to know.

This supernatural phenomenon must have its own rules. If Dr. Lee’s consciousness remains in the crystal, how is that information stored?

For example, if we analyze the crystal’s data with a computer, could we copy Dr. Lee’s consciousness into a computer program?

If we break the crystal into pieces, would its properties remain the same? Why did the Foundation hide the Crystal Clock in storage instead of using it?

It’s all a mystery. I’ll have to research it.

“But, Dr. Lee, what exactly did you do wrong to get your consciousness sealed in a crystal? What exactly is Supernatural Phenomenon O-2370?”

[I don’t know either. After I was sealed in here, research on this crystal was banned. But at least I can communicate with the outside world through this Crystal Clock… I guess.]

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

[We called O-2370 the Soul Stone. We thought it could store high-density information. I just didn’t expect it to be me.]

“Does it hurt being in the crystal?”

[It doesn’t hurt.]

The Crystal Clock started ticking again.

[As the chief researcher of the Director’s Office, you’ll probably have a lot of work. People will come asking you to check on the supernatural phenomena they manage.]

“Okay.”

[You’ll also have to explain science to non-scientists in the Director’s Office, and you’ll often have to go out into the field.]

[But do your best. It’s definitely a tough job, enough to make your predecessors commit suicide. But you’ll also have considerable power and be on the front lines of saving humanity.]

“Understood.”

[Let’s start with studying. There should be a book called ‘Understanding Supernatural Phenomena’ among your predecessor’s belongings. Look around the office.]

“Is it okay to rummage through a deceased person’s belongings?”

[Of course. Their death is their own business.]

I searched the office. Just as the Crystal Clock said, there was a book titled ‘Understanding Supernatural Phenomena’ in one corner.

It was bigger than I expected.

About the size of a general chemistry textbook.

[If you have no experience dealing with supernatural phenomena, there’s no other way. You have to start here. Attend workshops or classes if you can, and ask your colleagues for help.]

“Why did the Director’s Office hire me in the first place?”

[I don’t know. The Foundation’s intelligence team, precognition team, or remote viewing team might have seen some ridiculous potential in you. Or they might think you’ll die within a week.]

“Let’s assume it’s the former.”

I sighed and opened the textbook.

***

[Polygraph Test Results]

[Author: Min A-ri]

[Head of Personnel here. We’ve successfully completed the polygraph test on Supernatural Phenomenon H-1124. The Personnel Department has concluded that H-1124 is not dangerous to work for the Foundation.]

[H-1124 did not lie once during the test. The statement that they don’t know the cause of the supernatural phenomenon they experienced was also confirmed to be true.]

[Polygraph data and conversation recordings are attached separately.]

[P.S. The medical department needs to complete their examination before we can record the details, but there are quite a few unusual findings from the physical examination.]

***

[Researcher Kim Bari’s Examination Notes]

[Author: Cheon Gyeong-chae]

[Security Level: Restricted to Personnel Department]

[I’ll get straight to the point since the results are all attached. Currently, Supernatural Phenomenon H-1124, Kim Bari, does not match any human recorded in our database.]

[It’s reasonable to consider them a newly created person.]

[Additionally, the physiological age of H-1124, as measured by diagnostic medical tests, is estimated to be between 17 and 20 years old. This is a 10-year difference from the mental age they claim.]

[This should give you some clues about the nature of the supernatural phenomenon H-1124 experienced. If you have any other questions about the examination results, feel free to contact me.]

***

[Researcher Kim Bari’s Examination Notes. Reply]

[Author: Min A-ri]

[Dr. Cheon, you really need to work on writing in a way that non-doctors can understand. Of course, I understood it perfectly, but you might want to be clearer next time.]

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