Chapter 63

Episode 63. We Don’t Know What They Are (3)

***

The members of the Special Forces ‘Catfish’ moved with precision. The team leader examined the target again.

Though visibility was poor underwater, the shape was unmistakably that of a typical UFO. The Special Forces team leader connected a net around the UFO.

But something felt off. The team leader activated the underwater jetpack and circled the target once. He had heard that this aircraft was shot down by the Korean military and crashed into the sea.

Yet, there were no signs of damage anywhere.

Was it really shot down?

The team leader cautiously ran his hand over the surface of the UFO. At the moment, there were no visible openings or damaged areas.

Strange. Well, once we haul it up and analyze it, we’ll figure it out. The team leader connected the last remaining hooks of the net.

“This is Catfish-1. The target has been securely secured. Please begin lifting the target.”

All that was left was to pull it up.

However, the Catfish team leader couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Strange deep-sea fish were still staring at the Special Forces members from all directions.

And there was a continuous strange sound.

It wasn’t exactly a sound, but something was resonating in the team leader’s head. It felt like a sound, but he couldn’t be sure.

***

There wasn’t much I could do. The target was 150 meters deep in the sea. Without specialized equipment and training, it was impossible to reach.

I stared at the sea.

“Director.”

“Why are you calling me?”

“Please come to the bridge, Director. We’ve established a video link with the submarine. You should be able to see the target by now.”

“Ah, I’ll be right there.”

***

Just as the staff had described.

The Special Forces members were connecting the net to the target. The crashed target was a massive silver-gray disc, about 20 meters in size.

“Can we communicate with the Special Forces members?”

[Kuhu- Yes. Hold the mic and speak, kuhu- We can hear you. We can hear you clearly, kuhu- but speaking is a bit, kuhu- difficult.]

Bubbling sounds and breathing.

It didn’t seem much different from speaking through a gas mask, but the sound was heavily distorted. Probably because they were underwater.

I stared at the screen.

Most supernatural phenomenon readings were normal. But strange low-frequency waves were emanating from the UFO. I wasn’t sure if they were dangerous to humans.

[We can hear you. Go ahead.]

“It looks like a typical UFO. Is there any way to enter the structure? Can you see any damage to the structure?”

[Kuhu- No. Nothing visible.]

“How’s the progress?”

[We should be done in 10 minutes.]

“Good work.”

[There’s something unusual, though. A massive number of deep-sea creatures are gathering around. No idea why……]

“Is it dangerous?”

[Doesn’t seem dangerous yet.]

Even through the submarine’s camera, many strange fish were visible around the target. Strange. Since we’re still on the continental shelf, there’s no reason for such deep-sea creatures to be here.

More importantly.

Do the fish have some special affinity for the UFO? There must be something unique about it.

It’s always something bizarre and strange.

I mean, even supernatural phenomena could be simpler, right? Why does it always have to be so convoluted, hiding some grand secret?

Can’t it just be simple?

[We’re almost done with the lift.]

“Alright.”

The submarine’s camera focused on the net. The net was fully connected to the target.

“……”

There’s one thing that’s bothering me.

“Team Leader. Can you find any damaged areas? Specifically, where was it damaged?”

[I don’t know. Couldn’t find any.]

What the heck. This is weird.

[Come to think of it, there were some marks on the side, but they didn’t look like damage from being shot down.]

The submarine moved above the target, and we could see the marks directly through the camera. They looked more like scratches from a car than bullet holes-

Ah. That’s a scar.

“That mark looks like a healed wound. It’s possible that it submerged into the sea not because it was shot down, but to escape temporarily.”

[Ah. So what do we do?]

“We’ll lift it immediately. We don’t know when it might fully recover, so we’ll have supernatural weapons on standby in case it comes back to life.”

[Understood. We’ll lift it now.]

I thought for a moment.

The low-frequency waves detected around the supernatural phenomenon might be some kind of communication device. If it’s a communication device, it might be calling for something.

Is that why the fish are gathering?

As always, it’s filled with unknowns.

***

The crane began to move.

The silver-gray disc-shaped object, tied in the net, was being lifted. The submarine followed the net upward.

I walked toward the crane.

“Ugh… It needs to come up quickly.”

If the UFO fully recovers from its wounds, it might take off again or do something bizarre. It’s just speculation for now.

What should I do? I picked up my phone.

“Advisor An.”

[What’s the matter?]

“It’s here. Please mobilize the Director’s office and prepare fighter jets for launch. I’m sending the data now. The target is near Busan.”

[Ah, us?]

“Yes.”

[You want us to launch them now?]

What should I do? Even if we prepare for launch and keep them on standby, it’ll take a while.

I pondered for a moment.

“Yes. Then, as soon as they’re ready, launch the fighter jets and have them escort the Pine Man Ship area.”

[Understood. Should I also request cooperation from the Korean Air Force?]

“The response chief and a few Korean military officers are here, so it shouldn’t be a problem. But I’m outside right now, so it’ll be difficult for me to handle.”

[Got it. I’ll proceed.]

I hung up the phone.

That’s taken care of.

Now, we just need the crane to lift the UFO, but how long will that take?

***

Clank, clank.

“50 meters to the surface!”

Uh-oh. The chains tied to the crane began to clank ominously. The Foundation staff on-site started murmuring.

“Director! Emergency situation!”

Ah, I should’ve stayed on the bridge.

“40, no, 60 meters to the surfa-”

I didn’t need to see it to know.

“I’m heading to the bridge now. Is the supernatural phenomenon acting up underwater?”

“First, we need to get the diving bell out quick-”

Sssssssss.

The crane creaked and groaned, then began to sway as if it had lost its grip on the chains.

“70 meters to the surface! It’s going down!”

“Uh, everyone, get out of the way! It’s dangerous!”

“If we lose it now, the Special Forces-”

Skkkkkkkkk!

Something pulled on the crane, and the bolts holding it in place began to snap one by one.

Boom!

“Get out of the way now!”

The people at the stern of the ship hurriedly moved aside. The sound of metal twisting grew louder, and the crane slowly tilted backward.

Crack!

The chain snapped.

The crew of the Pine Man Ship rushed onto the deck with weapons in hand. I’m not sure what they plan to do with those rifles.

“Clear the deck!”

Waves began to ripple in the sea where the crane had fallen. Something was rising.

“No, I said clear the deck!”

Thud, thud, thud.

A deep rumbling sound came from the depths of the sea.

“Take cover now!”

Boom!

A wave and shockwave swept over the deck.

“Damn it.”

The silver disc shot into the sky. I ran toward the bridge. We need to respond as quickly as possible. It might already be too late.

“To the bridge!”

Are the fighter jets still not here?

***

I hurriedly ran into the bridge.

“Report the situation!”

“The supernatural phenomenon has burst out of the sea and is flying back into the sky. We’re currently tracking it with radar and information density tracking systems. Also, four Foundation fighter jets have launched and are in pursuit.”

I took a deep breath.

1, 9, 25, 49, 81, 121, 169, 225.

Okay. I’m a bit calmer now.

“Are you planning to shoot it down?”

“We’re shooting it down.”

I let out a sigh.

“Have other fighter jets ready for launch as well. Tell all Korean military fighter jets nationwide to prepare for launch.”

Whatever those things are, we’ve already shot one down. They’re enemies that can be killed with human weapons. Especially with the Foundation’s weapons.

We’ll kill them all.

“By the way, what’s the status of the Special Forces?”

“They’re safe. But the crane is destroyed, so it’s a bit difficult to get the diving bell up now.”

“Gather all the Special Forces members around the submarine. Make sure no one’s position is unaccounted for.”

“Understood.”

I scratched my head.

“The enemy aircraft is being tracked smoothly. It’s currently fleeing east at around Mach 2.”

Mach 2… We should be able to catch up.

I checked my watch. It’s been almost 20 minutes since I called the Seoul branch, so the Foundation’s fighter jets should be arriving soon.

Ah, there they are. Of course, I can’t see the fighter jets themselves, but I can see the contrails and sonic booms.

The sound of the sky being torn apart began to echo.

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