Chapter 66

Episode 66. The Abyss, the Abyss, and the Abyss (2)

***

They say the sea hides secrets. Honestly, I never expected those secrets to be this ridiculous yet terrifying.

Well, maybe I’ll understand the situation as I fight. For now, I’ll focus on the enemies and problems right in front of me.

***

We engaged. Like entering a combat zone, we charged into the structure with our guns leading the way.

[Humanoid Hostile Entity detected!]

First, stop.

We took cover behind something. Bullets… no, something fired by the enemy flew toward our position. Probably an optical weapon.

These guys are weak.

They don’t even know the weaknesses of their own weapons. I threw a smoke grenade into the combat area. The smoke grenade revealed the trajectory of the optical weapon.

I’m not sure if its power was halved.

At least the smoke grenade worked properly.

“Popo, charge!”

Popo charged into the smoke.

Along with the Special Forces, I emptied my magazine into the fog, following the trajectory of the optical weapon. Soon, inhuman screams echoed. Are they aliens?

“We’re moving in too!”

Gunfire continued. Bullets ricocheted off unknown objects. Through the fog, I saw Humanoid Supernatural Phenomena falling under Popo’s assault and our gunfire.

The team leader threw a grenade into the far side of the room.

[Combat situation resolved.]

For now, we’ve secured this room.

I checked the space we entered.

The humanoid aliens we took down were much shorter than humans and wore gray work uniforms.

They were humanoid in that they had limbs and heads, but they didn’t look human at all. No whites in their eyes, barely any noses…

I held a spectrum analyzer to the alien corpses. These beings aren’t made of matter either. There’s an element of illusion mixed in.

As bizarre as it is, they might be summoned entities from another dimension, like yokai or ghosts. I can’t think of any other explanation.

[Director, something’s wrong.]

“Didn’t we kill all the enemies?”

The team leader shook his head.

[No, it’s not that. Our altitude is dropping. It seems this structure is submerging, and we didn’t notice because of the combat.]

“Ah.”

[We can survive up to 300 meters below sea level, but anything deeper is impossible.]

I thought for a moment. Fighters from the Seoul Branch and Facility 82 should be on their way.

Four fighters came to take down the unidentified disc-shaped aircraft, and more came to handle the larger city-sized aircraft.

An alien structure floating in the middle of the sea? They couldn’t resist sending forces.

“Reinforcements will be here soon.”

[Director, it’ll take at least a few hours for other Foundation ships to arrive. The same goes for any deployable assets. There are no reinforcements.]

There should be.

There’s one.

A tactical asset deployable anywhere in the country within 10 minutes, capable of fighting inside buildings or underwater, and strong enough to take out a tank alone.

“For now, do your job. We’ll proceed as planned, plant explosives at four locations inside the aircraft, and get out.”

[Director, the reinforcements—]

The Foundation has the situation under control.

No matter where these aliens came from, they’re too weak. They don’t seem to understand what planet they’re on or what hellhole they’ve stumbled into.

*Static.*

A sound came from afar—

[I’ll borrow the comm line. Sorry.]

A cough.

[This is Aide Nanami from Facility 82. I’m joining the operation. Sorry for the late arrival, Dr. Kim.]

“Good work. Let’s continue the mission.”

***

Nanami was wrecking the interior of the structure. Since we don’t know when it might recover or take off again, we need to destroy as much as possible now.

We planted explosives inside the aircraft.

[The explosives will detonate as soon as we exit the structure. We don’t have time. We need to get out within two minutes at most.]

Installation complete.

[The exit is secured. We’re leaving now.]

Nanami had already destroyed a significant portion of the structure’s interior. Now, all we had to do was get out. But water was rising.

The rising water meant…

“Everyone, equip your breathing apparatus. The pressure in this space has already exceeded 3.”

One by one, the Special Forces members put on their breathing apparatus and dove into the water filling the structure.

Can we make it out?

I activated the underwater propulsion device on my back and headed out of the structure. We must have fallen quite deep into the sea, as the surroundings were very dark.

“Is everyone alive?”

[Catfish-5 and Catfish-8 are missing.]

[…]

When did they disappear? During combat? Or did they fail to escape the structure? Or did they get left behind while exiting? Why didn’t we notice until now?

I pondered for a while, but the Catfish Team Leader’s radio cut off my thoughts.

[Director Hyunje, the aide is secured. The two members may have sacrificed themselves to attach the explosives. We’ll detonate now.]

“Wait, Team Leader—”

I didn’t see the explosion.

But the sound was unimaginably loud. A deafening roar shook my entire body, like being in a car crash.

Only then did I feel the immense force of the vast sea pressing down on me. Literally, the extreme water pressure crushed my chest, making it hard to breathe. I needed to ascend quickly—

[We’ll ascend slowly over 30 minutes to prevent decompression sickness. Do not leave my sight.]

I clenched my eyes shut.

I feel like I’m going to pass out.

Recreational divers usually don’t go deeper than 40 meters. Here… the depth is over 100 meters.

[Director, stay calm.]

“……”

It’s not like I have a choice.

“Okay.”

[At this pressure, nitrogen narcosis is possible. Count numbers to stay conscious. No matter what happens, follow me and ascend slowly. Do not leave my sight.]

I exhaled into the breathing apparatus.

I’m always jumping into life-threatening situations, but this is the first time I’ve felt like I shouldn’t have come.

***

We moved upward very slowly. The half-set evening sun was nowhere to be seen.

I’m not sure which way is up.

The direction the team leader is moving must be up. My depth gauge confirmed it. The depth decreases in that direction.

I recalled my visit to the Garden.

The Garden was a beautiful place. The Owner of the Garden always sang to lure humans inside.

But the sea…

It’s not even a supernatural space, just the ordinary East Sea. Yet, the sea gripped me tightly, refusing to let go.

There was no song calling me to the sea. The endless sea, the abyss’s song, wasn’t like that. This was the eerie chorus of ancient gods.

The massive alien structure, the Foundation’s warship, were just tiny specks floating on the sea.

We’re no different.

We boarded a bizarre alien aircraft, risked our lives fighting aliens, but it meant nothing. They and we are just specks swallowed by the sea.

The idea that the Foundation controls the world is just our delusion. I can’t even see my own feet right now. What control?

***

The Pine Man Ship rescued us.

“Director, welcome aboard!”

As soon as I stepped onto the deck, my legs gave out, and I face-planted. Dozens of medical staff from the Pine Man Ship rushed toward me.

“Director, are you okay?”

I don’t know.

“Two missing in the deep sea…”

The medical staff supported me on both sides.

“Let’s get you to the infirmary.”

“The bridge. I need to go to the bridge. Take me to the bridge. I need to order the search for the missing and the salvage of the crashed enemy ship.”

The Pine Man Ship’s medical staff didn’t even pretend to listen. I sighed.

“Nanami! Did you hear me? Order the search for the missing and the salvage of the crashed alien aircraft!”

I was dragged to the Pine Man Ship’s infirmary.

***

[Supernatural Phenomenon P-1947]

[Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon]

[We don’t know what they are or where they came from. The only thing certain is that they fear us.]

[The Foundation spreads misinformation about them through the media and government. But the truth is far stranger than what the public knows.]

[They’re not aliens. They’re a kind of spiritual entity. As such, they’re a mix of non-material and material elements.]

[They also have followers, like other gods. Some groups even summon them. That’s believed to be the reason for crop circles.]

[Of course, it’s not certain.]

[They’ve been shot down by humans a few times. They’re interested in human military and research facilities, and the Foundation’s activities are no exception.]