Guide to the Fallen World - Chapter 6

#6. Shelter Noah

Though Jay humbly claims that it would have been impossible without the Guide, from Yeowon’s perspective, it was Jay’s humanity that was pulling the entire world up by the collar.

When they first met, Yeowon couldn’t even begin to understand the unfamiliar concept of a transhuman and thus, she had doubted or mistrusted Jay at the time. But not anymore.

Yeowon no longer doubts her. After all, it was Jay who took care of her during the year she had been depressed, unsure of how to live in a ruined world. It was Jay who looked after her overall well-being and health.

Of course, there had been some troubles between them before… but in the end, Jay had changed just as much.

Thanks to Jay, she had been living comfortably without any problems, even in the midst of the world’s collapse. At this point, it was only right to trust and rely on her completely.

However, that trust shattered the very next day with something Jay said.

“I’ve failed to secure the Ark’s operational power. We might not be able to get the fusion core.”

Seeing Jay with a serious expression, delivering an even more serious problem, Yeowon closed her mouth, her face now devoid of any trace of a smile.

***

If there’s a problem, the first thing to do is identify the cause.

“So, what’s the problem then? Didn’t you say just yesterday that the location of the fusion core had already been surveyed?”

“Yes, that’s right. We dispatched a large number of androids to secure the core, both above and below ground.”

“Above and below ground? Wait, are you telling me they dug tunnels overnight? Is the core located in a destroyed shelter near the Ark?”

“That’s right. It’s nearby. The problem is, every time we send in an android, some asshole destroys them all.”

“Who? Have you confirmed it with the satellites?”

“Identifying them was the first thing we did. But we couldn’t find anything. The fusion core is in the underground of a ruined shelter building. The problem is, this guy is coming out of that very building… but the bastard doesn’t show up in any satellite images, reconnaissance drones, thermal cameras, or even search android lenses.”

“…”

“Judging by the fact that they can take out combat androids in a single shot, it’s clear they’re a high-level esper. Ugh, what should we do about this?”

Seeing Jay unexpectedly sounding frustrated, Yeowon made a suggestion.

“Why not try using the guiding stone? You said it’s the most effective way to lure espers.”

“That’s a bit risky to use recklessly… It could attract all the nearby espers. Using the guiding stone near the Ark is way too dangerous. And what worries me the most is that this guy isn’t even registered in the esper database.”

“Not registered?”

“Yes. I’m keeping track of esper activity worldwide in real-time, so I know. That guy is an esper I haven’t been able to identify. He’s an unknown entity. I don’t know anything about him—no biological data, no identity, no ability type, no wavelength, nothing.”

“How is that even possible? You built the esper database, and you’ve distributed so many guiding drugs to complete it.”

“It’s not complete yet. This case just proved that.”

“It’s my mistake. The espers who actually control the shelters are mostly the ones who’ve been receiving the guiding drugs, and since the shelters that were operating normally were the ones getting the supplies, I didn’t focus much on the ones that had collapsed. The espers who stayed in the ruined shelters, after the guiding drugs were distributed, were all trying to seize a stable shelter by any means… So I didn’t think there would be such a gap. Well, now that I know, I’ll have to start investigating right away. Who could this guy be?”

Instead of answering, Yeowon opened a hologram to check the number of remaining androids and reconnaissance drones in the Ark.

“You’re planning to send more androids and drones to gather information, right?”

“Yes. We’ll go with the safest approach.”

“But there are too few operational androids right now.”

“They’re all damaged. We’ll have to make new ones.”

“Creating androids and repairing them are the most resource-draining tasks. Isn’t this too much? On top of that, the energy consumption in the Ark will double.”

“We’ll have to do it. It’s necessary.”

“No, let’s calculate this. If we run a simulation, designate the esper’s level as high-level, and determine the number of necessary androids… Then what? The Ark’s operational power will be drained by 2%? Jay, this is impossible. If it falls below 20%, the whole Ark will go into forced power-saving mode.”

“…I know.”

“You know? If that happens, you won’t be able to stay awake 24 hours like you are now. Your consciousness will be limited to just 5 hours a day within the network.”

“I know. I know that better than anyone. Still, there won’t be any issues with the production of the guiding drugs. The factory will run 24/7 without any problems, so don’t worry. Deliveries will continue smoothly according to the automated algorithms…”

“Jay. That’s not what I’m talking about right now. I’m against this. If the opponent is an esper, there are many other ways to handle it. Just flood them with the guiding drugs. That’ll make them come out. Investing scarce resources just to figure out their identity is a loss for us.”

“About that… I’ve already tried.”

“Tried?”

“Guiding drugs aren’t all-powerful. The desire to secure the drugs is necessary for the lure to work, but this guy doesn’t seem to have that. In this case, it could be one of two things: either he’s planning to die soon, or he has enough guiding drugs to not care.”

“Interesting. Could it be that he’s targeting me?”

“Yes. I think it’s probably the latter. Maybe some of the shelters have formed an alliance and are doing this. They might be trying to understand our intentions and interfere with our efforts.”

“Sigh. It’s my fault for neglecting surveillance on the ruined shelters.”

“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known things would turn out like this.”

Though those words were spoken, the chilling possibility still made her hands instinctively freeze. Yeowon silently checked the remaining power of the Ark once more.

“You said the shelter with the fusion core is near the Ark.”

“That’s right.”

“Where is it?”

“Shelter Noah. It’s the massive shelter that was the first to fall due to the rampage of espers.”

***

The guiding stone is similar to a guide in that it emits a wavelength.

However, it has the limitation of being nothing more than a box temporarily storing the guide’s wavelength. Like a clock that stops when the battery runs out, once the guiding stone has released all the stored wavelengths, it becomes an empty shell.

An even bigger issue was that the guiding stone spreads the wavelength over a very wide area. This is because it was developed during the old Gate Incident to provide collective radiation guiding to espers.

Jay’s concern that the espers might get tangled when using the guiding stone was due to this very reason.

However, the guide, who is the one controlling the guiding, is different.

A guide can adjust the range of the wavelength and control its intensity. All of this is done according to the guide’s will, and even Yeowon, who has only been trained as a guide for a little over two years, can do it as naturally as breathing.

In reality, Yeowon had not yet personally guided an esper, but she had mastered the theoretical knowledge and the method of using the wavelength.

In other words, she was one of the most efficient strategic assets within the Ark.

“Looks like it’s better if I go.”

“Ancestor, do you really think I’ll allow that?”

“Come on, I told you not to call me ancestor.”

“Yes, yes. Anyway, I can’t allow it.”

“Before you talk about permission, why don’t you calculate the risk of failure first? It’s fine to consume the power and make more androids, but then what are you going to do afterward?”

“…”

“Even if we find out the opponent’s identity, background, and scale, then what? How are you going to overcome the power difference? Are you going to bring in a third party? Do we have the time or resources for that?”

“That’s for me to consider. Everything is being calculated already. What do you think I am, a transhuman? Even if we brought all fifteen supercomputers left on Earth, they still wouldn’t be able to outdo me.”

“Oh really? Are you trying to reassure me with just those words? Every time I’ve contradicted you or disagreed, you’ve always shot me down with numbers and data. Why can’t you do that this time?”

“…”

“You’re certain, huh? The truth is, you don’t have a real solution, do you? The one option you had is already full of holes. That’s why you’re not saying anything.”

“I’m working on it. It’s just that it needs more time.”

“Then explain it to me.”

“I haven’t fully planned it out yet, so I can’t tell you anything specific.”

For the first time, seeing Jay unable to clearly present a solution, Yeowon let out a short sigh. From the moment Jay had informed her that the fusion core couldn’t be secured, she’d had a feeling this would happen.

“Jay, I understand that you’re working on a plan. But we don’t have the luxury of time. This is an unexpected issue, and even a supercomputer can’t calculate these kinds of uncertainties. You’re a transhuman, not a machine that can predict the future.”

“…”

“I think it’s better if I show myself and catch them off guard. It will be risky, but I’m familiar with methods to deal with Espers. I can draw their attention and buy you time to secure the fusion core using the androids.”

“You’re just saying that because you want to go out, aren’t you?”

“So, am I wrong? Do you have any better alternatives?”

“I told you it’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous? Android that doesn’t make a difference even if it’s destroyed and a guide that can’t handle the aftermath if it’s killed. Which one do you think would be more dangerous? If we were dealing with an unbeatable monster, sure, but we’re up against Espers.”

“And what if you get caught by something like a Shelter Alliance? What if they’ve formed a temporary alliance with the Esper? What will you do then? In the worst-case scenario, they could be working together.”

“So what are you going to do? What else can I do? I’ll end up like that Guide Baek Seoyeon, or maybe I’ll reactivate the cultivation pods and finally….”

“Yeowon!”