Editor’s Survival Guide — Chapter 8
Episode 2. I Thought I Had Escaped (3)
Ba-bam, ba-ba-bam, bam—!
The screen brightened as a familiar piece of classical music began to play.
Then a snake wearing a scarf suddenly popped into the center of the screen.
Of course, it wasn’t a real snake, but one resembling a cartoon character.
Opening and closing its mouth, the snake spoke.
—Hello, citizens! I’m Agent Mumu, and I’ll be helping you return home.
—First, I sincerely congratulate everyone watching this video on making it back alive!
The reptile that had introduced itself as “Agent Mumu” slapped its own torso with its tail.
Slap, slap, slap—!
Was that supposed to be applause?
No, if they were going to make an animal mascot, couldn’t they at least have used a tiger or bear with front paws?
Why a snake?
It was absurd from the very beginning, but I silently watched the video.
—The Special Management Zone where you briefly stayed is a space still under study and safely controlled by the government of the Republic of Korea!
—In very rare cases, however, accidents occur in which ordinary citizens enter these spaces. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to all of you who became caught up in such a disaster.
Agent Mumu bowed its head.
Then it spun around once to shift the mood.
—Now, I’ll explain several precautions to help all of you return to your daily lives!
Wait a minute.
So what was a Special Management Zone?
Surely that wasn’t the end of the explanation.
—First, all information concerning Special Management Zones, hereafter referred to as Special Zones, is designated as a state secret. Therefore, it is best that you quickly forget everything you experienced here.
—If you convey information about a Special Zone to anyone else, you may be punished for disclosing national-security secrets!
—Furthermore, you must not leave traces in any form whatsoever—whether as writing, drawings, videos, codes, or otherwise—on paper, electronic devices, or communication media. Please be especially careful, as you may be punished merely for privately producing or possessing records about a Special Zone!
—If a problem occurs, the compensation paid to you will also be recovered. So let’s all be careful to ensure that nothing unfortunate happens!
This was blatant silencing, no less…….
It was telling me I didn’t need to know what a Special Zone was and should never tell anyone what I saw—not even write about it in my diary. Wasn’t that the gist?
Besides, how would they know and punish me if I secretly wrote it in a diary?
As if answering my question, Agent Mumu added,
—For the sake of maintaining confidentiality, monitoring will be conducted for a set period after you return home.
—This measure is for the safety of our society, so we ask for your cooperation and understanding, citizens.
The reptile called Snakey or Mumu or whatever bowed its head again.
No, this wasn’t right!
It was openly declaring that they would surveil us.
Was that the kind of issue they could wave away with a cartoon animal bowing a few times?
Meanwhile, Agent Mumu abruptly sprawled on the ground as though it had fallen ill.
—After returning home, you may experience symptoms of PTSD.
—If previously absent symptoms such as insomnia, auditory or visual hallucinations, panic, or suicidal impulses persist for more than two weeks—or if phenomena such as bodily transformation, encounters with strange creatures, or anomalous abilities manifest—do not seek out a medical institution. Instead, write “Agent Mumu, please help me!” in the memo app of a mobile phone registered in your own name.
—Then Mumu will hear your voice and give you strength!
This was getting worse by the second.
Now they intended to peer into other people’s phones too?
No, before that—were the things it listed really ordinary PTSD symptoms?
What in the world was bodily transformation? And encounters with strange creatures?
—Citizens, you have all been through so much.
—Mumu and the agents will continue doing our utmost today so that all of you who overcame this disaster may safely return to your daily lives!
Agent Mumu saluted with its tail.
Ba-bam, ba-ba-bam, bam—!
As the classical music from the beginning played once more, Agent Mumu vanished into the darkness.
The screen turned off, and fluorescent lights illuminated my surroundings.
But I remained seated there in a daze.
What had I just watched?
It had been strange from the beginning and seemed to become especially bizarre near the end.
While I sat frozen, the topknotted man waiting beside me held out a clipboard.
“This is a nondisclosure agreement. Once you sign it, you will be sent home.”
Feeling thoroughly sick of this, I looked back and forth between the man and the clipboard.
Several documents were clipped to the board open before me.
A quick look showed that they contained almost exactly what Agent Mumu had just said.
I had no desire whatsoever to comply, so I asked the topknot,
“Do I have to do this?”
“You do.”
“What if I don’t?”
“We will provide you with accommodations until you sign.”
What an elegant way to say they would lock me up.
I stared at the documents with reluctance.
Then the topknot remarked casually,
“An acknowledgment of compensation payment is attached behind the nondisclosure agreement. Please sign that as well.”
……This bastard was using money against me again.
I narrowed my eyes at his obvious ploy.
And signed rapidly with my hand.
Right. What good would groaning about it here do? I should just hurry home.
Once I finished signing, the man collected the clipboard and said,
“Thank you for your cooperation. Please be assured that care is taken during monitoring to avoid infringing upon a rescuee’s private life.”
“Suuure. I’m certain.”
When I answered halfheartedly, the man handed me a bottle of water.
My throat had been dry for some time anyway.
Without much suspicion, I accepted the bottle and drank deeply.
As I satisfied my thirst and lowered it, the man began droning on again.
“Although we have emphasized this repeatedly, please maintain confidentiality. Any dissemination of information about a Special Zone will be controlled immediately by the monitoring agent. Consequently, refraining from pointless attempts will benefit both parties. We also advise against obtaining a mobile phone registered under another person’s name for the purpose of evading monitoring. Whether it is registered under a proxy or a proxy twice removed, every electronic device used by you, Seo Do-un, falls within the scope of our monitoring. Finally, if you have committed any crimes within the past six months, we recommend turning yourself in before the police contact you. We will overlook one or two minor offenses, but if criminal conduct of a serious degree is confirmed, we too will take lawful action in accordance with our guidelines.”
What in the world was he saying to an upstanding citizen?
The words *fuck off* rose all the way to my throat.
But what was this?
I could feel my eyelids gradually drooping.
My body grew as heavy as waterlogged cotton, and my mind turned foggy.
What the hell? Why was I suddenly so sleepy……?
On the verge of collapsing, I looked at the man.
But the expression with which he looked down at me was the very picture of indifference.
Anyone should have been alarmed to see a person suddenly staggering…….
Wait. Surely not?
A suspicion flashed through my mind, and I looked back at the water bottle I had drunk from.
The empty bottle sat on the desk, but there was no cap.
It had already been open when the man handed it to me.
The circumstantial evidence was sufficient, but I still wanted to trust another human being, so I asked,
“You didn’t…… did you?”
“It is a safe drug. Please rest without concern.”
“You……!”
The bastard had lectured me about crime while drugging someone else’s water!
I wanted to denounce him with all my strength.
But no voice came out.
I merely lost my grip on consciousness and fell into a peaceful dream.
Read only on MUGEX
* * *
A ceiling.
A very familiar ceiling…….
Freshly awake, I stared at it through bleary eyes.
Then I jolted upright in alarm.
“Hah!”
Where was I?
My room?
To my surprise, I was lying in my room, in my own bed.
What happened? Why was I lying here? Had it all been a dream?
I couldn’t distinguish where reality ended and the dream began.
As I looked around frantically, the clothes I was wearing caught my eye.
A gray tracksuit.
Clothes I had never purchased, received from that suspicious place.
It wasn’t a dream.
Feeling as though I had been bewitched, I climbed out of bed.
When I stepped into the living room, I found an unfamiliar box on the floor.
Not wanting to touch it with my hands, I nudged it over with my foot.
A note and bundles of fifty-thousand-won banknotes came tumbling out.
I picked up the note first and read it.
It said the following.
—This is fifty percent of the compensation calculated for you. Please note that the remaining amount will be paid after a set monitoring period.
I discarded the note and counted the cash scattered across the floor.
“Huh…….”
The cash strewn before me amounted to exactly one hundred million won.
* * *
“Assistant Manager Seo, did you buy a new keyboard!?”
“Seo? Buy what?”
When Associate Yang in the seat beside me spoke noisily, Manager Jo in front of me also poked a head over the partition.
So I showed off my newest item to them.
“Ooh…….”
“Ooooh……!”
Slaves to the printed word, indeed.
To think they could become this excited over a keyboard rather than a watch or wallet.
Associate Yang examined my new keyboard and asked,
“Assistant Manager, what’s gotten into you? You suddenly replaced your phone and bought a new tablet too. Did coming back from the dead unleash your material desires?”
“Associate Yang, that’s a little harsh.”
Manager Jo interjected as he took the new keyboard from her.
“No, this can’t be about material desire. Assistant Manager Seo received that thing this time. You know, the pain-and-suffering money.”
“Manager Jo, ‘pain-and-suffering money’ is rather crude.”
I corrected my teammates’ choice of words.
But the pair only snickered together, and I joined them with a wry laugh.
At present, my coworkers believed I had been in a traffic accident, spent three days in a coma, miraculously awakened in perfect health, and received a sizable settlement.
It was an absurd misunderstanding from beginning to end.
But because I had signed a nondisclosure agreement, I couldn’t correct the fabrication.
Ten days had passed since that nightmarish experience.
Today marked my fourth day back at work.
I was doing better than I had expected.
First, I treated it as an unexpected vacation and rested thoroughly for a few days.
Since a lump sum had fallen into my lap, I bought things I had always wanted.
I also thanked the coworkers who had covered my absence.
Fortunately, I showed no symptoms of PTSD.
Occasionally, remembering the atrocities I witnessed in the Special Zone brought out a cold sweat, but after enduring it for a few seconds, I could soon shake it off.
The real problem was the thoughts that kept recurring even while I laughed and chatted with my coworkers.
What in the world was a Special Management Zone?
How could a space like that exist?
And who were those people claiming to belong to the government……?
……Questions and curiosity that showed no sign of subsiding.
“Assistant Manager Seo, what time are you heading out today?”
Associate Yang’s voice jolted me back to my senses.
When I checked the clock, it was already time to leave.
“Ah, I have a lunch meeting, so I need to go now. I’m heading out!”
Lost in thought, I hurriedly gathered my things and rose.
This must be why that topknot had repeatedly emphasized confidentiality.
After brooding alone over such a bizarre secret, quite a few people would probably end up blurting it out.
To be honest, that was precisely how I felt now.
—Has anyone ever entered a place called a Special Management Zone?
—Other dimensions truly exist in this world.
—If you have a friend who suddenly went missing, please contact me!
I wanted to post something like that online.
But if I did, I would pay the price Agent Mumu had described.
Bah. Enough pointless thoughts. I should focus on work.
Today was the day of the author meeting that had been postponed last time.
At the author’s request, we had agreed to meet at Yongsan Station.
Since I had brought the corporate card, I ought to eat something expensive and delicious, but I didn’t know the area well enough to know where was good.
As I traveled by subway, I searched for promising places nearby.
Before long, I stepped off the train and went up into the station.
“……Huh?”
But when I emerged aboveground without thinking, I froze in place.
I had unquestionably gotten off at Yongsan Station.
Yet the place I had arrived was the 「Railway Station Where the Siren Wails」.