Guide to the Fallen World - Chapter 2

#2. Personal Diary

“Did the shelter collapse again? Why does it seem like the shelters are disappearing every other day? It was one of the few places where human habitation had been established on Earth. You said it was protected by multiple barriers, so it was safe even from monster attacks. It should have been like that…”

[That’s right. But what good are the barriers if the espers inside the shelter go out of control? The disaster doesn’t start from outside the walls, but from within.]

“Is runaway really that dangerous? Can’t we send the espers outside the shelter before they go out of control?”

[If it were that easy, Earth wouldn’t be in this state. It might be hard to understand just by talking about it, so I’ll show you the process of the shelter’s collapse in a hologram video. This time, I’ll make sure to perfectly mosaic the cruel scenes so you won’t throw up…]

“No, stop. I don’t want to see that anymore.”

[It’s true that the video could be mentally and emotionally disturbing, but wouldn’t it be better to watch it this time? You’ll be able to understand why humanity has collapsed so quickly in just 500 years.]

“I told you I don’t want to. Everything you’ve shown so far has been scenes of disaster capturing people dying! Most of them explicitly show mass slaughter, and I bet this one will be no different. Am I wrong?”

[Well, it’s hard to argue because you’re not wrong. But for the sake of a quick explanation and learning…]

“So what exactly is this learning for? Are you trying to make me despair by watching Earth fall apart in real time?”

[Your brainwaves are becoming unstable. Shall we calm down and take a deep breath first?]

At the clever words of the AI, Yeowon irritably ran her hand through her hair.

“Don’t change the subject. There’s got to be a reason why you keep showing me these videos since three days ago. Why are you telling me about population status and all this, just as I’ve woken up from hibernation?”

“You must have forgotten, but I’m just an ordinary person with no connection to that disaster, and I’m not even from the current generation. Just a week ago, I didn’t even know that Earth had fallen apart.”

[……]

“You told me that you were a researcher on the Ark in your past life. For some reason, you’re now a brain connected to the Ark’s network, a transhuman. But based on what I’ve experienced so far, you’re not human. Even if you are, you have no physical form. How am I supposed to know if you’re AI or a brain in a network?”

At Yeo-won’s cold remark, Jay fell silent for a moment. Yeo-won also kept quiet, the silence hanging between them.

Despite all her frustrations, the one holding the reins to her immediate safety and everyday life was that mysterious transhuman. Yeo-won knew this much well.

She had been angry, thinking that as a human, she could escape unscathed… but this was a world 500 years after the fall of civilization. It was possible that the current Earth had become a place where the old rules—where machines couldn’t harm humans—no longer applied.

Jay was the first to break the silence.

[First, I should tell you that I had my own circumstances. It seems we need to get to know each other a bit better.]

[Perhaps I should start with explaining how I died. Would you like to hear it?]

With reluctance, Yeo-won nodded, and as if on cue, a hologram appeared in the air.

On the screen appeared a 30-second video of a young female researcher. From the composition, situation, and the voice playing in the background, it seemed like a colleague in the lab had filmed it as a playful joke. The atmosphere was light and cheerful.

[It’s me from back then. I still had a perfectly functioning body at this point. Before everything went wrong and my brain was uploaded to the network, I was just like you, a normal person. Well, this video is already 15 years old,] Jay said, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

As Jay’s words faded into the background, Yeowon focused her attention on the Ark and the current state of the Ark in the video.

Unlike the current ark where there were no living people, it was clear that there were many people living here in the past. Just by looking at the researchers in the background of the video, it was obvious that there was some kind of problem here.

“So, what exactly happened on this ark?”

[Good question. I’d like to summarize the events that happened on the ark in a video and explain them to you instead… but that wouldn’t be helpful to your mental health, would it?]

[For your better understanding, I will reveal some of the diaries I wrote while I was alive.]

[February 14, 2592. I received the news that Guide Baek Seo-yeon had died. The leadership of Shelter Noah attempted to cover up the Guide’s death and calm the Espers, but they failed to maintain control.

It was an expected outcome. The Espers who had completed their imprinting would have known about the Guide’s death. After that, no news has come from Shelter Noah.]

[March 21, 2592. It is believed that the barrier system of Shelter Noah collapsed due to a collective rampage by the Espers. All communication with the outside has been cut off. Since the communication network with Noah was the only means of contact, this is the worst possible scenario.

However, there is still hope.

“If we succeed in waking the Guide from hibernation, the Espers should calm down. Once the situation is over, we should be able to receive contact from one of the shelters. After reassessment, we will be able to receive additional support.]

[May 9, 2592. I should never have volunteered for this project.]

[May 22, 2592. Everyone is exhausted from hunger. There’s barely any food left. We need to request help somehow, but even the nearest Yeouido Shelter is too far for us.

What’s the point of having satellites, drones, and the latest combat androids if we can’t even use them? Without operational authority, we can’t send out a single distress signal. How did it come to this? I can’t understand it.

It’s all because of the monsters in the committee who are crazy about their own self-preservation. Even considering that it’s a top secret project, there must be an esper among the members.]

[May 24, 2592. Director Kim Dong-won and Senior Researcher Kang So-ra went outside the research center, but died before they could get even 2km out.

Since it’s in the middle of the Death Field, monster repellent and wavelength stones are useless. Furthermore, the distance from the ark to the nearby shelter is 26km. There’s no hope.

We are just researchers, and the moment we are exposed to the outside world, we become prey. Knowing this, we made a great mistake in taking on this reckless attempt.

I no longer dare to hope for a miracle like awakening as a Teleporter. More than ever, we desperately need access to the Ark’s drone operation authority and an Esper capable of dealing with the monsters outside.]

[May 27, 2592. I’m hungry. I can barely eat my fingernails anymore. Everyone is just waiting for the Esper who transported us to the ark to appear.]

[May 31, 2592. The upper body of the missing researcher Lee Ye-na was discovered.

The truth I didn’t want to know makes me want to vomit. Including myself, all of us are losing our minds. To make matters worse, I am now the only female researcher left in the facility. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before I meet the same end as her.]

[June 7, 2592. After intense debate, we ultimately processed the guide sleeping in the capsule into food supplies.

Everyone knows this is wrong… but there’s no other choice. Perhaps because Dr. Yena Lee, who was the fiercest opponent of this decision, has passed away, everyone seems disturbingly at ease.

Guides are essential to preserving what little civilization remains on this gate-ravaged Earth. And yet, here we are—consuming the very guide we need.]

[June 10, 2592. I overheard them discussing when they should kill me.

Every moment spent pretending not to know, while facing my so-called colleagues, is filled with terror. I have a self-defense pistol and won’t go down easily, but… I no longer want to kill anyone. Once was enough.

But if I don’t kill, I’ll be the one to die. I can no longer see them as comrades.

Not a single moment passes without fear. We are all living the life of a beast. I disgust at myself for still wanting to survive this kind of life.

After all this waiting, the reason no teleporter has appeared must be obvious. They must have gone berserk.

Or perhaps they were killed to protect Shelter Noah’s secrets. It wouldn’t be surprising if a bomb had been planted in the esper’s head.]

[June 12, 2592. I killed Im Seong-min. I try to comfort myself by saying it was for survival, but this is already my second murder. The third and fourth will be easier. Of course, that’s only if I have the chance…

There’s only one option left now. I’ve concluded that survival as a human is no longer possible. I’ve begun the process of transferring all my memories into the network and updating them to the ark’s system.

Since this is being rushed, I can’t guarantee the result, but if it succeeds, my body will die, but my consciousness will remain in the network and survive.

I must complete the Guide Project this way. There is very little time left for the Guide in the capsule.]

[November 25, 2592. During the consciousness construction process, there was a conflict with the ark’s artificial intelligence. Some data was lost, causing confusion in my memories. Because of that, it took a considerable amount of time to establish my identity and consciousness as a transhuman.]

[However, in the end, I succeeded in establishing myself within the network. Unexpectedly, I also acquired the long-desired authority to operate the ark.

However, it was confirmed that all of the hibernation guides who were the actual targets of the project were dead.

Even though i finally succeeded in gaining consciousness, there was nothing i could do. The researchers left in the room also all starved to death.

Without succeeding in any of the given tasks or missions… I ended up trapped in the Ark network, becoming one with the artificial intelligence.

I no longer have the strength or will to despair. This is not the outcome I had hoped for.]

Yeo-won couldn’t take her eyes off the last sentence that appeared on the hologram.