354 – EP.12 Into the Storm-3

***

[After 52m forward, turn left.]

The boy crossed the hallway, a hidden passage used by the staff managing the building to avoid the eyes of higher-ups.

After the destruction of humanity, the sound of footsteps finally returned to the empty passage where no one had walked for a long time.

Knock, knock, knock. The sound of bare feet touching the shiny hallway floor was impressive.

[After moving forward 120m, right door.]

A crude mechanical sound guides him. The ambiguous pitch and electronic sound of the voice may be familiar.

A chatbot in its early stages of development. It sounded very similar to what I used to hear back home.

The reason why the boy, Kang In-ho, started running down this hallway goes back to a while ago.

6:07. The time he woke up from his light sleep.

The ear-piercing sound of the alarm was enough to bring him back to reality as he was just dipping his toes into the ocean of sleep.

A strange sound he had never heard before in Aaru. He jerked up at the sound that struck his ears and tormented his brain.

An annoying alarm sound was heard nearby.

The source of the sound was under the bed. A small object emitting a loud noise and glowing light caught his eye.

“This is again….”

The words ‘What is this?’ came out. There was something suspicious.

He reached out and picked up the object under the bed. When he placed it on his hand, the sound stopped as if he had never cried loudly.

“what?”

It was a small, round object, just the right size to put in your ear.

At that expected use, Kang In-ho did not hesitate and carefully pushed it into his ear.

Tap with your index finger.

[Kang In-ho. You are in danger. You must follow the instructions from now on.]

A voice thick with electronic noise warned.

***

The electronic sound urged him on. Ironically, it was the appeal of that artificial voice that moved him.

Because the essence of that voice, hidden by the crackling electronic noise, seemed like a voice I had heard somewhere before.

[Go to the bathroom.]

The first electronic instruction. He headed to the bathroom.

[Go outside through the vent.]

A large vent next to the light caught his eye. He stepped up to the sink and opened its lid.

Cluck, cluck. Dust fell and tickled my nose.

There were a few times when I almost fell, but I was eventually able to climb back up.

[Follow the passage.]

From somewhere, an electronic voice gave the following instructions.

He closed the lid and crawled along the passage.

A few minutes of crawling. The electronic sound guided him down the hallway.

A few kicks. An exit appeared, and he was able to escape into the hallway and unwrap his crumpled body.

“Where to next?”

The answer he got was silence. He felt as if the stepping stones he had been crossing so well had been broken.

The moment I took three steps, looking around like that, the electronic sound was heard again.

[Turn left and go straight.]

He let out a sigh of relief when he heard the guidance again and followed the instructions.

“hey.”

He spoke to the electronic voice, but there was no sound.

As I walked down the hallway, I kept talking to the electronic sound, but it didn’t respond.

[Go forward 100m, then turn right.]

When I reached the end of the hallway, the electronic sound was heard again.

‘It doesn’t seem like real-time communication is possible. Does it receive location information and then recite a set content?’

Kang In-ho thought.

[Enter the third door on the right.]

Whether or not he knew what was in his complicated mind, the guide just silently did its job.

I followed the instructions and moved around frantically for several dozen minutes.

[After moving forward 120m, right door.]

It was when I heard the guidance sound and started moving my body.

Clang, clang. With a loud clang, I could see the firewall coming down from a distance.

And then, swoosh swoosh, not far away, another firewall begins to come down.

“What, what is it?”

Kang In-ho quickly opened the door and went in. When he opened the door and came out, he saw another hallway.

[After 200m forward, turn right]

Guide sound and

Shhh!!

The sound of a firewall falling from above was heard simultaneously.

“Fuck!”

With a long-awaited swear word, he started running.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of a fire door closing in from behind.

If your feet slow down even a little, you’ll be trapped in the passage.

Swing your arms back and forth, increasing your speed.

[Go straight 50m… Turn left… Go straight 10m… Door on the right. Password 2213]

The faster you pass through the passage, the faster the guidance cycle becomes.

Boom! The door opens and another passage opens. But the firewall is already down.

He turned around and opened the door again. A huge firewall blocked him again.

Kong clenches his fist and strikes the firewall blocking his way.

The boy sighed, his hand numb to its hardness.

‘I wasn’t fully awake, so my judgment wasn’t good.’

‘Where on earth is our destination?’

‘Is it my fault for believing and acting rashly?’

‘Is this a trap set by Isis? Isis has finally revealed her true colors!’

He took a deep breath and caught his breath.

[straight.]

“I can’t go straight.”

He took out his anger on the guide sound for no reason, but it seemed like he had no intention of accepting his feelings.

It was just repeating the same thing.

[straight.]

[straight.]

“There was an error. It’s not that I don’t want to move, it’s that I can’t move….]

[straight.]

[straight.]

.

.

.

.

.

[Go straight. 1m]

“what?”

At the vague distance notification, he started walking in the direction he originally wanted to go.

One step.

One step.

One step.

[Right. Hole.]

Beneath the wall, a passage was visible, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

The awkward finishing felt like it wasn’t there from the start.

Rattling.

Apply strength to your hand and open the hole.

-Whew

I could hear the sound of a strong wind. It was from outside.

The white sand began to disturb the hallway along with the sound of the wind.

The door of the hole rattled with the wind pressure.

Isis said a sandstorm was coming.

Isis warned that it was dangerous.

He hesitated. Unlike when he had entered the bathroom vent, he was more afraid.

Is it right to go out there and believe only the unknown electronic sound coming from my ears?

[Kang In-ho.]

An electronic voice spoke to him as he hesitated.

[Dimensional Navigation Ship… Shouldn’t you see it?]

After the announcement sounded, he went out through the hole.

He walked in on his own.

Into the storm.