CH 32

Of course, it’s not like Shin Haeryang, who was carrying Seo Jihyuk, could have flown the distance we had run out of breath. Apparently, they were caught on the way. Hai Yoon started to shout that it was her order to just let them go.

There were members who opposed Hai Yoon leading the team. If what I heard was correct due to Seo Jihyuk’s swearing, it was particularly a severe situation, involving Li Wei, Hao Ran, and Wei Chi. They frequently ignored the commands of their female team leader, causing a mess in their relationships. When Li Wei insinuated that Hai Yoon might be letting Shin Haeryang go because she liked him, Hai Yoon responded that it had nothing to do with that, and since then, they had been directing their guns at each other.

“Especially because Shu Ran is friends with Ae-young, she was saying we should help when we know the person, and not to shoot. Even then, those crazy bastards were laughing and shooting at the Great White Shark, and it seems like Shu Ran had also lost her mind.”

I was taken aback and stared at Baek Ae-young.

“Are you hurt?”

Baek Ae-young scowled and shook her head. “That bastard shot at my feet. To intimidate me.”

“Once Shu Ran began screaming that she didn’t want to kill people anymore, and after Hao Ran shot at that madman, everything went to hell. The blackout was a godsend. I truly thought heaven was helping us.”

‘Each person’s situation is really different. Haha. When the elevator stopped due to the power outage, I really thought I was going to die.’

“As soon as the blackout started, our Ae-young threw a knife at Wei Chi’s head and ran for the elevator, Shu Ran collapsed, Team leader Shin ran with me behind, and Hai Yoon covered us.”

Baek Ae-young said with a distressed expression, “When we arrived at the elevator, it was nearly at our floor, which it should have been stopped at the third underwater base. We thought it was a good thing at first. The elevator was built to resist bullets because of the water pressure. The rest is as you two have seen.”

Shin Haeryang, who had been quietly listening, sighed heavily and said, “Shu Ran wouldn’t have made it. I saw her get shot twice in the lower abdomen. Only Hao Ran and Li Wei are left. Since only Li Wei came running and shooting, it seems Hao Ran injured his leg.”

“Three times, three times”

At Seo Jihyuk’s voice, Shin Haeryang quietly said, “Yeah, three.” Baek Ae-young, pulling a face, looked at Seo Jihyuk, who was also making a terrible face, and asked, “Is that Wei Chi guy definitely dead?”

“I guess you’re asking because you didn’t confirm it. I definitely saw it. I didn’t make a mistake.”

“I see.”

As soon as Baek Ae-young replied, the elevator suddenly stopped and the lights went out. Yoo Geum-yi screamed a soprano shriek, and I also screamed. The three didn’t scream at all. Only Seo Jihyuk’s curse could be clearly heard.

Shin Haeryang calmly said, “If you wait quietly, the standby power will be activated within 5 minutes.”

Yoo Geum-yi took my pad and set the alarm. Everyone seemed to be waiting for exactly five minutes. Seo Jihyuk’s moans barely came through. Although it was unsettling to be in the darkness with five people and a corpse, surprisingly, it wasn’t as scary as being with Yoo Geum-yi. I listened to Seo Jihyuk’s story and asked the thing I was most curious about first.

“Why are Taiwan and Hong Kong lumped together with the Chinese?”

In response to my question, Shin Haeryang’s voice came from the quiet darkness.

“Hong Kong and Taiwan didn’t have the resources to contribute to the annual underwater base development fund. Even though China collapsed into a federation of eight provinces, they still had money, so as the saying goes, ‘even if the rich fall, it lasts for three generations’. As far as I know, the three countries are cooperating on matters related to the underwater base. It seems they decided on the positions for the engineers and mining team amongst themselves.”

“Huh.”

Then Seo Jihyuk abruptly interrupted. “So that’s why Shu Ran from Hong Kong and Hong Tao from Taiwan don’t want to be tied up with China, they keep singing ‘I’m not Chinese’. Hong Tao always makes milk tea and salt coffee for the underwater base, and Shu Ran, seeing this, tries to make egg tarts, even applying for baking lessons to learn from Ga-young. It was quite a scene.”

I let out a long sigh. This underwater base is a complete disaster, isn’t it? I waited in the darkness and the lights came back on within 5 minutes, but the elevator remained stuck. Did it really take less than 5 minutes in that darkness? It felt like 20 minutes.

As soon as the light came back on, Baek Ae-young began to fiddle with the control panel under the elevator buttons again. During that time, Shin Haeryang was blowing a whistle, holding a water bottle, and Seo Jihyuk had another candy in his mouth.

When Baek Ae-young withdrew her hand from the panel and snatched Shin Haeryang’s water to drink, the elevator started to move upwards again. Yoo Geum-yi and I exchanged glances, letting out a sigh of relief. Having escaped the thought of dying in the elevator, I only then began to wonder about the cause of the power outage.

Looking at Baek Ae-young, who was drinking water as if she was going to drain the whole bottle, and Seo Jihyuk, who was finally quiet because of the candy, I asked Shin Haeryang, “How does the underwater base get its electricity?”

Shin Haeryang replied succinctly, “Cogeneration.”

Upon hearing this, Yoo Geum-yi’s face began to turn pale.

“You mean… then… we…”

“Yes. We need to escape quickly.”

The engineers seemed to have already known. The more information I got about the underwater base, the more I realized it was not good for my mental health. I asked, guessing my face must have been as pale as Yoo Geum-yi’s. The word ‘cogeneration’ might seem scary, but at least it’s not nuclear. I wouldn’t be exposed to radiation.

I looked at Shin Haeryang and asked, “What is cogeneration?”

Before Shin Haeryang could answer, Seo Jihyuk was the first to speak, his words muffled by the candy in his mouth.

“Please explain it in detail, team leader. In detail.”

Shin Haeryang glanced at Seo Jihyuk, then began to answer my question.

“The underwater base uses a small cogeneration system for electricity and temperature control. It uses natural gas from the seabed directly to generate electricity by rotating gas turbines, and the heat produced in the process is used in boilers. Because it generates both power and heat energy from a single source of natural gas, it is efficient and stable in terms of energy usage.”

‘That’s a good explanation. Even a layman like me can understand it vaguely. But that’s not what I wanted to hear.’

“What are the drawbacks?”

“The cost of the equipment is high. And without the supply of natural gas, it’s no better than scrap metal.”

“And… if you could provide some worst-case scenarios?”

“Depending on how badly the small cogeneration system is damaged, different issues could arise. There could be leaks of gas or pollutants, or if the pipes are broken, they might pour out high-temperature intermediate hot water. In the very worst-case scenario… if we’re unlucky, an explosion could occur due to the natural gas, and the entire fourth underwater base, along with the connected mining pipe, could be blown away. Considering the central elevator is connected to the other bases, they would be at risk too.”

Shin Haeryang spoke casually, but the content was nothing short of terrifying. I shivered. ‘Were we really using something this dangerous?’

“Was there no thought of using alternative energy instead of cogeneration?”

“Under the sea, you say?”

‘I was at a loss for words. What on earth could power something underwater?’ I couldn’t even begin to guess.

“Well… true. If you build a base 3 km under the sea, how the heck do you supply electricity?”

“There’s been ongoing discussion about using nuclear fusion via a small nuclear reactor, or geothermal energy, but nuclear fusion has been rejected due to its inability to ensure stability at these depths. As for geothermal energy… finding a suitable location where volcanic activity provides usable geothermal energy without risking earthquake damage—a must when building an underwater base – has proven difficult.”

‘What a relief it’s not nuclear. I, for one, would have strongly opposed it. Wouldn’t I? I’m not sure.’

Seeing my face, Sin Hae Ryang simplified his explanation.

“In layman’s terms, the base would need to be built near countries like New Zealand or Japan. However, if they agreed to let the 8 nations indiscriminately extract their natural gas and oil, it’s questionable whether they’d resort to terrorizing the underwater base or simply partake in its development… The primary underwater base and Daehan Island receive their power from wind energy, while the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th bases utilize their respective combined heat and power systems… I hope this power outage is only temporary.”

Shin Haeryang trailed off uncertainly. At the end of his gaze lay the deceased Hai Yoon. Maybe it was because I had laid her down properly and neatly arranged her hands by her side, but she looked as if she was sleeping, as though she might wake up any moment. I found myself asking Sin Haeryang a question I hadn’t intended to.

“Were you two dating?”

He turned to look at me and shook his head.

“No.”

I opened the snake-filled bag with my blood-soaked, sticky hand and pulled out the towel I’d used to dry my hair in the laundry room. It was a bit damp, but I spread it as best I could and covered Hai Yoon’s face with it.

Silence hung in the air. The elevator ascended quietly. The atmosphere was utterly bleak. Seo Ji Hyuk, who had been making a lot of noise, was now silent. Baek Ae-young, who had been quietly leaning against the elevator wall, suddenly exploded, shouting, “We should’ve thrown that bastard Hao Ran!” and startling everyone.

“Damn it!”

Baek Ae-young could no longer contain her fury as she ranted, before realizing that everyone was looking at her and slowly leaning back against the elevator wall, covering her face with her hands. The cat that had been quietly curled up in a corner jumped in surprise, staring at Baek Ae-young. The sound of Yoo Geum Yi’s frustrated sigh reached my ears.

Looking around, the sight of people either sitting or lying on the elevator floor was pitiful. It reminded me of the atmosphere at my own home three years ago. I sighed. The sound of a rumbling stomach came from someone. Seo Ji Hyuk, who had been lying down and staring at the ceiling, spoke.

“Am I the only one who’s hungry?”

Apparently, a chocolate bar, candy, or snacks wouldn’t satisfy him. Yoo Geum Yi, who was next to him, nodded with swollen eyes.

She did like bread.

“…True. I’m hungry.”

“I hope we can get some bread as we pass the third underwater base. Or maybe stop by a convenience store nearby.”

When I said that, looking at Seo Jihyuk’s leg, his already pitiful expression seemed even more so. He would have to fast before undergoing surgery. In our current situation, there was no telling when we might escape.