Chapter 2 - Native American? (2)

Chapter 2: Native American? (2)

Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack!

The sound of the computers’ engine running was amplified tens of times, strumming Kiwoo’s eardrums.

Was he nervous? His heart pounded voraciously and his mouth parched.

「One minute before operation. Review for final check.」 

A full voice echoed from the speaker. 

Kiwoo re-examined himself. 

From safety shoes, security pieces, bags, and parachutes… he checked over it at least ten times and found nothing amiss.

“All clear,” Kiwoo said.

‘What if something were to go wrong? Could the operation be stopped?’ Kiwoo wondered.

No. Probably not. 

The entrance would be sealed off the moment this… this incomplete time machine started.

There was no turning back.

For Kiwoo to survive and save the human species, he’d need to accurately warp the earth’s atmosphere into the past times, otherwise, he’d die of unconditional death.

This experiment was an unproven hypothesis. It was mere gambling.

Ten men, Kiwoo included, put their stakes and fundings to this creation for the sake of humanity. Had they been given more ample time, the creation would have been further developed and the probability of success higher.

‘There’s little chance for success…’

There was no guarantee that he would travel back into the past, and if he did, he’d warp into space and meet death instantly. The universe was vast and the blue planet was merely a speck of dust.

It would be good if he wasn’t buried alive in the ground during the process, or warped over the vast ocean only to drown should the travel through the passage of time prove successful.

Kiwoo thought it best not to think any further. It’d only give him a sense of hopelessness for something he had no answer for.

He’d die too if proven a failure.

…Still… someone has to.

And he was the chosen one.

This was their only hope to save humanity against the astronomical odds of their extinction.

The plan was simple but the execution complicated.

Kiwoo was to travel to the past and accelerate the development of science. Then, at present time, the current state of technology would be developed enough to change the course of Narva’s direction or migrate and become an interplanetary species before Narvas would be able to reach the surface of the earth.

「5… 4… 3…」 

The countdown coming from the speaker continued at a rapid pace. 

Then, it reached zero.

With an enormous sense of pressure that no human could withstand, Kiwoo vanished and flew away.

***

Whooooooosh!

“Ugh!”

Kiwoo came to his senses. He had no choice but to pull himself together. 

The strong wind gushed through and hit him from all directions.

He opened his eyes and looked around. He was fortunate enough for the transparent security goggles able to make him see clearly.

‘Then… did I succeed?’

He was high in the sky. Even at this moment, gravity was drawing him closer to the ground.

He didn’t expect the sensation to be so… lovely. He had never felt this way before.

He’d done skydiving eight times through simulation training, but the real thing was different. Though thanks to it, he was able to regain his composure quickly.

‘Where is this place?’

He looked around curiously.

Fortunately, he was not on the sea. He could see the vast plains to the side, an evergreen forest, and a vaguely large river.

The odd thing was that there were no signs of development.

‘Not a place has been developed in these large plains?’

It was a rare sight to see in modern times.

‘…The odds of modernity are low. I’m sure it’s in the distant past. The probability is high…’

It dawned on him…

‘Oh my god! The theorem and mechanizations behind it actually works!’

Shivers crept in and his body tingled. The euphoria of living through the past was a ridiculous probability, but he pressed down his overwhelming emotions. 

First, he’ll need to appreciate all the beautiful things in life later. He was freefalling at the moment from the sky. He’ll need to survive. 

‘I need to land near the river.’

He wasn’t sure what time it was nor the continent he landed in but there was one thing he knew… 

Since the existence of mankind, civilizations had always developed from the riverside. The soil was likely fertile and it was a good place to farm.

Kiwoo gathered his thoughts together and opened the parachute.

Chuug!

At that moment, the speed he fell had been reduced by a powerful force pulling him, and slowly, he descended down the river which had been reflected in his eyes.

‘…Wow. So big.’

He appreciated and marveled at nature’s wonder. The river was long and wide and there was no way to tell what river he was in at first sight, but regardless, he did best to remember the lists of rivers he learned from history lessons.

While lost in thought, something caught his eyes.

‘Humans?’

They were the size of an ant, but to him, their figure was definitely that of a man.

‘This is a good start.’

Yes.

This was the best scenario. In order to develop and modernize the world ever so quickly to avoid mankind’s doom, he needed to immerse himself in society as soon as possible. 

As he neared closer to the ground, he saw that it was not one or two people, but about fifteen of them gathered together.