Chapter.7 Masquerade Ball (27)
***
Ah!
“Hey Joe.”
“hmm? “Do you need anything?”
“no···. “It’s nice that you came to visit, but don’t you usually bring fruit or something when you visit?”
Meanwhile, Bex, who had recovered in just a week after receiving such a huge wound, was eating a huge amount of cucumbers brought by Ian, saying he was visiting, among the doctors who were unusually busy today.
“why? Cucumbers are good, right? It’s good for your body too. They said you should drink a lot of water, so I paid special money to buy it. In fact, they said that Dome’s orchard suffered quite a bit of damage. When the power was turned up, there was an overload and the thermostat went up to 70 or 80 degrees. Almost all the fruits I had grown and stored were unusable, and only the cucumbers survived. “When I looked at the community, I heard that the prices of fruits grown by individual survivors had increased thanks to this, and they were very happy about it.”
“So it was a cucumber. “It’s moisture…”
Bex looked down at his abdomen, where a large scar had formed at Ian’s words. A wound on his side almost as big as two adult fists. In fact, at the time, I didn’t even know it was such a big wound and I fought desperately, but now that I look at it, it was so bad that I couldn’t understand why I was still alive. He probably wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for the numerous state-of-the-art medical equipment that surrounded him.
“I heard people talking about it, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.”
“I know. I was sleeping next to you the other day, and you suddenly woke up, so I pressed your nurse call like crazy, thinking your soul had come out in your sleep. “Then I got scolded for breaking the button.”
“I feel like I’ve done something great. As I was about to use the medicine in the strange test tube, a doctor suddenly came running in and said, ‘That’s it! These are important children who will become the foundation for future cultivation! Give it back! I want it back!’ “Sometimes they say the same thing and get dragged around by other doctors.”
“Oh, that. The old doctor who was giving the injection also shook his hands and closed his eyes tightly before administering the injection. “From then on, my recovery improved significantly.”
“I’m a little anxious because they treat you so well, but…”
“Useup – the patient should just think about recovery. It’s good if you do well. Do we have no money or a hundred? It’s like saving an entire city, so let’s think of it as a natural right. “Would you like one more?”
Druk-tap!
Vex said, ‘Nothing bad.’ The moment I stretched out my hand, I heard the intensive care unit door open roughly, and the attention of everyone in the room turned towards it.
“Oh, aren’t you professor? “I see they recovered as quickly as you did?”
“professor?”
Bex’s eyes shook uncontrollably at Ian’s words.
The door opened and what came in didn’t look human, no matter how you looked at it.
Bandages wrapped around the body like a mummy.
A movement of hunching over and looking around while breathing heavily, like someone who is anxious about something.
And a large, black left arm and hand that could never be called human.
Tuk.
The cucumber in Vex’s hand fell to the floor weakly. Because he saw the true identity of that sad monster during the battle that took place in the central area a few days ago. A monster called a ghost that moves even after death.
“Yo Bex! How are you feeling? “You said you were hurt a lot, but you’re already up?”
Whoosh!
In the end, Bex said,
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurr! Lord is dead! Hepburn! Die and come back to me! Become a monster! Wow!!!!”
I fell down on the hospital bed and cried loudly.
It took more than 30 minutes to calm down Bex, who was running wild after tearing off the IV cord and electrodes attached to his entire body.
***
In order to stop Bex, who was going on a rampage and threatening to die, the professor, Ian, and all the doctors around got into a fight and ended up saying,
“Hepburn. So… are these your hands now?”
“That’s right. It’s useful in a way, but it’s a bit more uncomfortable than my original hand. “I’m trying to find a way to get back.”
Ah!
The three friends were sitting in a messy hospital room, eating cucumbers side by side.
“Ohhh, look at these pretty stains!” “It shines like obsidian!”
“Chairman, why don’t we try a resonance test first?”
“Great idea! Go right now and get some equipment from lab number 3 and get there! Friends who take videos must record every single one of them! This is research that may create a new history for humanity! “This is a video that will be transmitted to another dome, so you shouldn’t waste it!”
In the end, the researchers stuck to the left hand of the professor, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, like barnacles.
“There is no need to worry at all, Professor Park! The utility of this left arm is also a way to return to the original body! Our biotechnology research department will definitely find it for you! “You will never regret your decision to cooperate with us!”
“Oh yes…”
Actually, I was thinking about doing an inspection using the dome’s cutting-edge scientific technology in some way. After resting for a while and the situation calming down, I planned to leave it to the side that proposed the biggest deal out of the various research departments that were talking about earlier.
However, the doctors came rushing down, carrying whiteboards, holographic images, and old-fashioned magazines, and explaining the Vex treatment process and the numerous cutting-edge resources that went into it as if it were some kind of medical seminar, it was impossible to just ignore it.
‘The surgery was performed using an old-fashioned precision surgical robot with an operation limit of only about 580 hours as there were no replacement parts. To prevent infection, 3,000 mg of the remaining TI643 all-purpose antibiotic was administered six times, which was the few remaining in the dome. Since there was no culture facility, it was stored in a frozen state. They scraped all the old-fashioned stem cells that had been prepared to the bottom and poured them all out…’
The data and videos they prepared were too realistic to be dismissed as nonsense. The doctors in this supposedly ‘biotechnology research department’ did everything they could.
‘I came in not long after Bex was hospitalized, so they may have been thinking of asking for my cooperation after I had already recovered, but no, I’m sure that’s not the case…’
Anyway, I received what I received. It is thanks to these people that Bex, who underwent pancreatojejunal connection surgery to repair his nearly exploded liver, recovered in a week and is now chewing cucumbers like that. If you received something, you must repay it.
In the end, I decided to stop by Dome’s biotechnology department once a week and help with research.
“Anyway, Professor, where was the hospital room you were in? “I went to see you a few times to see if you were okay, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find you.”
“Oh, don’t say anything. Because I too was incredibly lost while coming out of the hospital room and coming here. Looking at the strange boxes moving around on rails on the ceiling and the structure with hospital rooms lined up, it looks like the basic base was a university hospital, and it looks like research facilities were installed by tearing out the walls of some of the rooms. Since there is a research building, we need to install security equipment, and there should also be a vacuum isolation room somewhere, but as we put all this and that together, the road became a complete mess.”
The professor was appalled as he thought about the process of escaping from the hospital room and arriving here. As I hid from the researchers who were chasing me tirelessly, the wall behind me opened and a bunch of researchers came rushing out, saying, ‘If you all come to us, there will be no problem until next year’s performance evaluation!’ Wouldn’t they rush at me? A fire shutter came down in an otherwise normal hallway, blocking the path and shouting, ‘Please! If our department doesn’t get research funding this time, it’s over!’ Don’t you just throw your body and hang on? I felt like I was the main character in some kind of zombie movie.
“Somehow, there was a situation where the guy who designed the road was a very sick person and did some art with the building. “How did you get out of that maze?”
“A nurse I know helped me. “He found the path I had been wandering for for 30 minutes in 3 minutes.”
“I’m a nurse… I guess there’s something different about this when it comes to celebrities? “All women fall for a gentleman like you.”
“hmm? celebrity? “What do you mean?”
“Hehehe, you don’t know anything about this? Then… rather than talking loudly.”
Sigh!
“It would be quicker to see it in person!”
Ian, who was grinning at my question, walked over to the window and pulled back the thick curtains.
Hahaha!
“Ugh”
sunlight. It’s sunlight. Not dim sunlight obscured by sand and dust, but clear and bright sunlight.
It was unfamiliar up to this point, but something even more unfamiliar was swarming underneath.
[Guarantee citizens’ right to know!]
[Reveal the status of hero Professor Park and the rest of the BDSM team!]
[Thank you for saving us! I wish you a speedy recovery!]
I never imagined in my lifetime that my name would be put in front of a phrase like that. I’ve never even thought of it as much as a real booger. That’s something that’s hard to imagine even as a delusion.
“That… what the hell?”
“Wow. “Don’t stick to the window.”
“No, something happened while I was in the hospital….”
Come on! Come on! Do it yourself!
“It’s Professor Park! “He finally showed up!”
“It’s a scoop!”
“Ugh! professor! Look at those bandages!”
“You’re alive! “He’s alive!”
“Waaaaaa!!!”
As soon as I put my face against the window in a dazed state, a shower of shutters and cheers poured in.
“Tsk. “Don’t stick around.”
“That… you’re doing it to me, right? “Isn’t there a famous professor Park Seong-seong at this hospital?”
“Yeah dude.”
Ian grinned and casually took out a cigar and bit on it, then put it back in as the doctor, who was clinging to the professor’s arm, gave him a fierce look and said,
“You became famous. You’re not just famous, you’re so famous that there’s no one in the entire wasteland who doesn’t know your name. “The Dome sold your name out loud.”
“Sell my name…?”
“You’re selling it. The expression is a bit odd. “All we did was inform the citizens about who was the most dedicated group to save the Dome in this war and who fell to the ground with injuries so severe that they could not come to their senses as a result.”
Someone heard what I muttered to myself in a daze.
When I looked back, I saw people wearing neat suits typical of the Inspection Department and a young girl entering the hospital room. A tall, white-haired man standing in front of them extended his hand to the professor.
“I’ve heard a lot of rumors, but this is my first time seeing you in person. Nice to meet you, Professor Park, the leader of BDSM. “My name is Alexander Young, and I am the head of the Department of Inspection, albeit a minor one.”
‘Alexander Young… Inspector General!’
The professor held his hand as he saw Ezel and Ralph waving behind the president. As for the president, no matter how brave I am, it’s not time to attack him.
“This is Professor Park, the leader of BDSM. “You said you made my name known. Is there a special reason?”
“Hmm. This is going to be a long story, so why don’t we move places? “There’s a pretty good café in the administration building here, if you’re not busy…”
At those words, the researchers on the professor’s left arm growled, but as soon as the president frowned, they became sullen like children who had their toys taken away, and left one by one. .
“We better go and talk. “This place is too exposed and there are too many listening ears.”
The professor thought about the president’s words for a moment and then turned his gaze to Ian. Ian silently sits down next to Bex’s hospital bed as if he knows what she’s thinking.
The professor picked up the scissors next to him and cut off all the bandages covering his entire body, then stretched and loosened every inch of his free body.
‘Well, everything is better. At this level, even if things go wrong, running away will be no problem.’
The professor walked towards the inspector general, leaving behind the researchers who was hastily picking up the bandages that had fallen off his body and putting them in a plastic bag.
“Can’t I just listen to the two people behind me? I feel comfortable because I know a familiar face. “I’m a patient, so if I’m stressed, it’s not good for my body.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha. That might be a bit difficult. Both of them are capable operators and are scheduled for promotion, but-”
“Master! “Are you serious, you idiot!”
“I’m sorry!”
“…But I thought it would be more appropriate to speak directly from my own mouth rather than to my subordinates.”
It’s level. It means that he will treat me on an equal footing with himself, the president. This is an honor. I’m willing to treat you like that, but it wouldn’t be polite to extend it any further.
“Let’s go then.”
The professor slipped the scissors that cut off the bandage into his pocket and followed the president out of the hospital room.
***
“Can I order something expensive?”
“ha ha ha. Please be patient. “Dome’s financial situation is in jeopardy due to this war.”
“The actual commander-in-chief of the Dome is petty.”
“Now that I have greater responsibility, shouldn’t I work harder?”
“Hahaha, this is such a great person that I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“Hahahaha, words of high praise. “The person who saved our dome is so humble.”
Ralph wanted to leave this place right away.
“The main order is….”
“Please wait a moment. “Those two will decide on their own.”
“All right. But that person… It’s him, right? BDSM’s-”
Percussion!
“If you work in the administrative building… “I thought you would distinguish between scenes you should see and remember and scenes you shouldn’t?”
The cafe staff gasped at Ralph’s quiet threat! He made a loud noise and returned to the counter. I was so nervous that I felt like my eyeballs were going to fall out. I was dragged in just before he died from overwork due to post-war processing, and that was the meeting place between Professor Park and the president. Even-
“Caramel macchiato!” Add syrup! Kid, don’t you want to eat something? “Why don’t you tell me something, manager?”
“Lower your voice, you bastard! “I can’t hear you talking about the president over there!”
I can’t believe I’m with this idiot.
In the intensive care unit, Ezel, who was once again grabbed by Ralph by the collar, lowered his voice only after ordering carrot cake and a glass of milk in a choked voice.
“Cough! Manager Mong, aren’t you reacting too sensitively? The professor isn’t that picky. Just by looking at them, the atmosphere is good, those two people. “I wouldn’t believe you if you said you came here to date.”
“Do you like the atmosphere? Aren’t you picky? Are you from the Inspection Department?”
Sigh!
“Aww! “Why are you hitting me?”
“Speak up!” please! Take a look at the conversation between those two! “Do you know how much can be said in just a few words of conversation?”
Ralph had Ezel sit next to him and told him in detail what conversation had taken place between the professor and the president.
“We lost a lot, but in the end, Dom won the war. right? Although there are only a few tanks captured due to Zeus, in the long run, Raptor’s sphere of influence will be greatly reduced, so the benefits that can be gained in that regard will be enormous. As soon as Professor Park sat down, he pointed out that part and said, ‘Give me the money.’ The president said, ‘It would be difficult to give it to us right now because we have a lot of work to do!’”
“Uh… you weren’t asking me to buy you coffee?”
“you….! “Did you pay for the inspection department exam and pass it?”
Still, it was worth listening to up to this point. What happened next was even more spectacular.
[The de facto Commander-in-Chief of the Dome is grumpy]
Coo!
I thought my heart was dropping.
Because the level 1 confidential information flowed out of Professor Park’s mouth without any hesitation.
‘The fall of the executive branch and the decline in public sentiment due to the administration’s passive response. In fact, now that the three-part parliamentary system has collapsed, the Dome is acting according to the wishes of the Inspection Department. The guy knew that and responded once more, saying, “It’s all yours, so why don’t you give it to me?” The president acknowledged it and, well… I can’t read anymore after that.’
A conversation with extremely political implications. The kind of conversation that made you feel like you would be caught later saying, ‘You knew too much’ just by listening, took place within 5 seconds of sitting down.
“Hmm… really? Well, let’s say so. “Anyway, since Vex survived so well, it’s an extenuating circumstance.”
“Listening to the chairman of the Department of Biotechnology, it seemed like they had invested a lot. “I heard that you can be discharged today.”
“That was truly… a great blessing.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha! no. According to eyewitness accounts of those who participated in the battle, the friends’ performance was also remarkable. There is a video captured on the exosuit’s body camera, so I recommend you watch it later. “It was a very impressive struggle, so we plan to edit it appropriately and upload it to the community.”
Crack!
The professor fiddled with his left hand and quietly put on a grinning expression. Let’s get to the point now.
The professor, who lost his gentle expression and became cold-hearted, spoke in a slightly sharp tone.
“So why are you editing our video and uploading it and treating us like heroes?”
“You’re a hero, right?”
“Honestly, I was a bit heroic. But other than that, I’m curious about its meaning. Honestly, there are a few people in the Inspection Department who risked their lives to fight the Raptors, so wouldn’t it be better for them to let those people go? “I think increasing the awareness of the inspection department will be much more helpful in seizing power.”
“Because we needed a hero.”
The president, who, unlike his last name, was not very young, glanced at the professor’s left hand, which occupied nearly half of the small table, and said,
“Do you know why people flock to the dome?”
“….Justice?”
“There may be people like that. But not most. The people gathered in the dome are those who have failed to adapt to the wasteland. Weak people who are so nostalgic for the past that they can fully accept even somewhat excessive irrationality if it guarantees them a life like the past. But a few days ago, the promise of absolute peace provided by the dome was broken. There was a power outage, a gunfight in the city, and an artillery fight on the outskirts of the city. The Old Picture, which was considered the guardian deity of District 47, ran amok, and even the entire executive branch became enemies and the building burned down.”
Hot!
The professor slowly turned his head at the part about the building being burned down. The fire in the garage spread to the top and appeared to be quite large.
“As daily life collapsed, anxiety took root in the hearts of citizens. ‘Can I continue to work here safely? Shouldn’t I go out and learn how to fight?’ do. Do you know how much the prices of groceries and guns have jumped on the exchange over the past week? There was a rumor that all the crops in the orchard were ruined, but upon investigation, it turned out that the people working in the orchard had resorted to a scheme to steal food and vegetables. It’s bad enough to have suffered only such a small amount of damage. “Prices are soaring and productivity is falling.”
“so. “The issue that would quell that anxiety… was me?”
In response to the professor’s question, the president expressed affirmation.
“Isn’t it like a cartoon? In a desperate crisis, a man with huge black hands appears and saves the city alone! When I first heard the report, I thought the operator who reported it had lost his mind. “Because it was so unrealistic and unbelievable.”
‘He’s a citizen who’s anxious about being a hero in something like a cartoon… Isn’t this noble raccoon special?’
Slowly, the outline of how the president was drawing the picture became clear.
A provocative fantasy for ordinary citizens. By creating a hero to replace the guardian deity known as Old Picture, they make people think that there is a ‘being with great power’ who will protect them no matter what, and
“That community video… I guess they uploaded it under the name of Dome.”
“We even put a large logo on it so anyone can see it as if it was taken from Dom’s perspective.”
For those who are a little bit obsessed, a new force that can compete with the main force of Raptor has shown off its closeness to the main force of the Raptor by uploading a video in the name of the Dom showing me and Ian Becks in an active friendly relationship. will be.
‘Without my permission.’
This was the problem. I arrested and killed all of the executives and even thought about getting along with Dom, but it wasn’t like this. You can’t believe we announced to the outside world that we are allies without saying a single word. I’m planning to grab it and shake it openly.
‘I had a strong feeling, so I came out a little harshly, but I should have said it with some curse words mixed in. ‘You should have clearly shown how it was received.’
I will keep this issue in mind and write about it if I have to criticize the president. It’s already happened, so why bother biting about it right now? Okay then I’m a superstar now. Professor Park, a superhuman who defeated the executive branch traitors with his bare hands and wiped out Raptor’s tank unit.
[If you think about it, it’s not wrong, is it? and! Hero!]
‘Don’t talk like shit. Does a bullet go out just by pulling the trigger? Gun barrel, ammunition, loading handle…. All the numerous parts have done their job, so they are leaving. All I did was pull the trigger.’
Treated like a hero, ugh, my skin is growing. I think we should at least buy a good drink for the dead people in the inspection department. It looks like the ball was intercepted.
“This is our position up to this point. I heard that you have signed a research agreement with the Department of Biotechnology. If possible, I would like you to convey the visit schedule to the Inspection Department. “Preparing for the parade takes more time than expected.”
“They will sneak in through the wall at night.”
“We need to strengthen that security.”
Knock knock knock knock.
The president, who had always led the conversation with a calm smile on his face, patted the table, thought for a moment, and suddenly called a cafe employee.
“Two shots of espresso.”
On the surface, this is the goal of coming here. Having a cup of coffee. The meaning contained within is….
‘The conclusion of this conversation. I don’t know the unit, but two shots? Since it’s more expensive than an Americano, I guess that means it’s quite bitter, right? 20 million? Or about 200 million shillings?’
I’m telling you that I’m going to pay some attention….
Crack, tap, tap!
The professor followed the president by tapping his finger on the table, leaving a deep cut, and spoke to the shocked employee next to him.
“Blueberry smoothie. A big one. “Wipe it cleanly without leaving a single drop of water on it.”
“Well… those drinks aren’t on the menu…”
“No, they are.”
‘Not to you, but to the president.’
The professor, who was playing with a round piece of wood on his fingertips, smiled broadly and said to the president, who looked a bit embarrassed.
“I like something cool and sweet rather than something subtle like coffee.”
When I saw his frowning face for the first time since I came here, I felt like I understood correctly.
What the professor meant was that he was asking for something in kind, not a shilling. And among the assets Dome has, the only real assets worth that amount are…
‘If it’s not the exosuit, it’s the tank we captured this time. The suit is something that cannot be handed over for security reasons. Give me the tank, dude. ‘I’m going home in a new car.’
“…I will discuss it with the staff.”
“Please do it as soon as possible. I heard that me and Bex are all healed, so I want to go home.”
The professor smiled happily as he looked at the president, who looked like he was cursing inside.
***
