Chapter 42

Episode 42. Recommendation for Disposal of Humanoid Supernatural Phenomenon (2)

***

Beyond the screen, a still-pulsating red shape was visible. A human heart, separated from the body, beating while submerged in nutrient fluid.

Putting aside the shock, upon closer inspection, the heart in question emitted a faint blue light from its center.

“……Ha, damn it.”

I sighed and picked up the phone.

“Hello, is this the Security Department Head? Ah, yes. This is Dr. Kim from the Director’s Office. Do you have any Security Department staff available for about 10 minutes right now? Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Lee Se-ah.

You crazy woman. You’re dead today.

***

This is the Research Department Head’s office.

On either side of me, assistants from the Director’s Office and a few Security Department staff are waiting. Lee Se-ah doesn’t seem to have caught on yet.

I kicked open the office door.

“Put your hands on your forehead and stand up.”

My pistol was aimed at the Research Department Head.

The Research Department Head reluctantly followed my instructions, and I holstered my pistol and grabbed Lee Se-ah by the collar. Annoyingly, she was quick to catch on.

“Ah, wait a second. Director-”

Calling me Director right away.

Bang.

I shoved Lee Se-ah against the wall.

“Research Department Head. Was the experiment to extract the Returnee’s heart conducted under your orders? Answer yes or no.”

A nervous laugh.

“Ah. Yes, but actually-”

I pulled her tie, choking her, and Lee Se-ah couldn’t say more.

“Research Department Head. You have been temporarily relieved of your position for insubordination during wartime, destruction of Foundation assets, and harm to Foundation allies.”

“Director Kim. Wait a second.”

“Explanations will be heard in the Isolation Room. Staff, please escort Ms. Lee Se-ah to the Isolation Room.”

“Wait, I understand there’s a misunderstanding, but it’s not what you think, Director.”

The Research Department Head has access to most of the supernatural phenomena managed by this facility’s Research Department. Who knows what cards she’s hiding. Instead of answering, I put a bomb collar around Lee Se-ah’s neck.

“This is a misunderstanding. Let me explain.”

***

Things moved pretty quickly.

The Personnel Department, upon hearing the full story, immediately sent eight staff members. Four seemed to be here to calm me down, and the other four to manage the Research Department Head.

Lee Se-ah was covered in isolation equipment, including the bomb collar, along with polygraph testing gear. Like a cyborg.

I looked at the Research Department Head through the glass wall. Personnel Department staff were operating the lie detector.

“Shall we begin, Ms. Lee Se-ah? Please state three truths and three lies about yourself.”

Lee Se-ah was smiling nervously.

“Director. Isn’t the security measure a bit excessive? I’m not a humanoid supernatural phenomenon, and I don’t have any notable abilities.”

I pressed the remote in my hand, and the bomb collar around Lee Se-ah’s neck exploded. She just blinked.

As expected.

Whether it’s a supernatural phenomenon or Overtech equipment, she’s enhanced to a superhuman level.

“We’ll need to call the Special Forces.”

“Director. It’s true that I ordered the extraction of the Returnee’s heart under my command, and I take responsibility for that, but you’re misunderstanding something.”

At least Lee Se-ah isn’t throwing her subordinates under the bus. I thought she might try to shift the blame to the doctor who performed the surgery.

“What am I misunderstanding?”

“Ms. Ahn Yuri is alive. She received an artificial heart and is lying in the recovery room.”

“Ms. Lee Se-ah. I’m not doing this just because of one humanoid supernatural phenomenon.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Ms. Lee Se-ah, you disobeyed wartime command, destroyed Foundation assets, and harmed Foundation allies. That’s why we’re doing this.”

“……”

“The Returnee is one of the few clues to unraveling the worst terrorist incident of this century.”

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair.

“I can stay calm to solve problems. I can cross the line of common sense to deal with entities beyond providence, and the greater good can justify small sacrifices. I understand that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“But. Those things don’t justify torturing and dismembering people to satisfy your curiosity.”

The Research Department Head sighed.

“Ms. Lee Se-ah, please report to the Personnel Department. Let’s talk again tomorrow or the day after.”

I left the Research Department Head’s Isolation Room.

***

I didn’t plan to keep Lee Se-ah detained for long. She’ll probably return to work tomorrow or the day after.

Even though I gave the Research Department Head a hard time, I’m also curious about the Returnee’s Mana Heart. Since we’ve already cut it out, we might as well research it.

This is the Operating Room.

The Humanoid Research Department staff were gathered around the Returnee’s heart like children with a new Christmas toy.

“This is Dr. Kang from the Humanoid Research Department.”

Dr. Kang Cheon, Head of the Humanoid Research Department. Formerly a doctor.

“Hello.”

“It’s unfortunate about the Department Head, but… we still need to do research, right? We’re currently conducting tests, but we’re being careful because there’s a risk of infection if we take it out of the fluid.”

“Yes.”

“The Returnee’s heart will be moved to the Operating Room for research. If you’d like to observe, Dr. Kim, please put on a surgical gown.”

I nodded.

***

The Operating Room was chilly. The immediate task was to conduct tests on the removed heart of the Returnee.

To prepare, I read the heart transplant guidelines and myocardial infarction treatment protocols.

In the end, manuals are manuals. No matter how complex and difficult the content is beyond imagination. The core issue is this: the Foundation’s doctors are smart.

But.

Most of them lack knowledge about supernatural phenomena and can’t think outside the box.

I’ve heard this from other researchers and experienced it firsthand.

“Then… let’s begin the experiment.”

Six Foundation doctors, equipped with surgical tools, surrounded the extracted heart of the Returnee.

An elderly cardiothoracic surgeon took the heart out of the nutrient fluid and placed it on the operating table.

“What should we check first?”

Hmm.

The Foundation doctors looked at me.

What the doctors know is how to save lives, not how to research mana from an already extracted heart. That’s my job.

“Let’s check the basic supernatural characteristics first. Can we proceed with an ECG and echocardiogram?”

When researching object-type supernatural phenomena, the first thing to do is check the easily identifiable non-supernatural properties.

Only then can we record where it deviates from providence. Even if the object is a heart, it doesn’t change much.

“We’ll proceed.”

“Any notable findings?”

I pondered.

A heart typically survives for about 12 hours after extraction. It hasn’t been 12 hours yet, but according to what I’ve studied, it should have stopped beating within minutes after extraction.

But. The Returnee’s heart is still beating.

“How’s the ECG?”

“This is our first time attaching an ECG directly to a human heart. But it looks perfectly normal. Suspiciously so.”

I nodded.

“Is the sinoatrial node issuing normal beating commands? Any signs of hypoxia in the heart muscle cells?”

“We’ve already confirmed the heart’s ECG is normal, and there are no signs of hypoxia so far. We don’t know why.”

I nodded.

“Understood. Can we measure the lactate or reactive oxygen species levels in the heart sample?”

“Understood. What about the echocardiogram?”

“We’re checking for endocarditis vegetation. But it looks normal. No structural abnormalities or issues.”

Bizarre.

The Returnee’s heart continues to beat even after being separated from its owner’s body.

I picked up sterile forceps and took a step closer.

“Let’s examine the atrial appendage.”

The heart was emitting a faint light.

When I lifted the atrial appendage, the light grew stronger. It seems the light is coming from the center, around the ventricular wall.

***

[Returnee Observation Log]

[Author: Kang Cheon (Humanoid Research Department)]

[The Humanoid Research Department and some medical staff, under the orders of the Research Department Head, extracted the Returnee’s heart for this experiment and replaced it with an artificial heart.]

[If the Foundation does not treat the Returnee using supernatural phenomena or Overtech, or perform a heart transplant, the Returnee is expected to die within 12 months.]

[The Returnee is currently unable to utilize any supernatural abilities. They may have completely lost their powers. With some preparation, they might be able to return to society as a human, not a supernatural phenomenon.]