Red Dot - 94

It didn’t take long to head out from Lab 1.

Originally, Lab 1 was connected to the outside, creating a maze-like structure around it, with Lab 2 expanded at the end. They had a primitive exit that didn’t require passing through unnecessary corridors, making it close to the outside.

“I told you not to worry!”

As soon as they stepped outside, Ji-an’s relieved voice was heard. Three people who had anxiously waited leaning against the outer wall of the blood center rushed over.

“Are you both okay?”

Changmin asked, looking at Junseong and Hanseo. Junseong nodded apologetically, his face showing no visible issues.

“I’m sorry. I got a bit lost because I’ve never seen that place even in my dreams.”

“As long as you came out safely. Was there anything unusual?”

Junseong couldn’t help but feel guilty at Changmin’s question.

Until he could confess everything to the others, he couldn’t imagine things like the existence of Lab 1 or Hanseo’s past, which was so closely linked to him. However, he couldn’t bring himself to reveal what happened inside in this short time.

“I better keep quiet about what happened inside.”

Deleting the research data that contained Hanseo’s past was already decided in his mind.

Hanseo’s past was something only he and Hanseo would know. That’s why when he packed Hanseo’s last remaining blood pack in his backpack, he deliberately removed the name tag.

No one else needed to know.

“I’m enough to know about Hanseo’s past.”

His decision was firm, and it was not going to change in the future.

Junseong, with a resolute mind, replied to Changmin, “It was just like a storage room.”

“More importantly…”

As if trying to change the subject, Junseong’s gaze turned to the sky. The thickening clouds were darkening the surroundings to the point of affecting the sense of time.

“The drones must be here too. We shouldn’t get caught in the rain, let’s hurry back.”

By now, the drone they had sent out earlier would have landed quietly in front of the hideout, waiting. Just thinking about what the footage inside might reveal made him tense already.

* * *

The way back to the hideout was not particularly dangerous.

They had chosen the safest route when heading from the hideout to the blood center, and after dealing with the zombies encountered during the journey, they proceeded. So, the return journey was expected to be smooth.

Just before the rain started pouring, Junseong and his group had arrived at the hideout as expected, taking the drone inside the building. Soon, a considerable amount of rain poured down, making the ceiling reverberate.

Without a moment to rest, they played the drone footage. Everyone was as curious about the outside situation as the pouring rain.

It was not much different from what Junseong had seen in his dream.

A horde of zombies filling the intersection, a gruesome scene that made one wonder if there were any survivors other than the group, and sporadic SOS signals visible.

Despite being in a safe place, the footage raised anxiety to the point where one would nervously glance at the doors and windows.

It had been quite some time since the scene at the Abigyeohwan began to be illuminated in a straight line.

A makeshift net-like iron fence was erected around the intersection. The height of the fence itself was about 2m, with sharp iron spikes crossed in an X shape above it instead of a rounded iron mesh.

Perhaps unable to completely block the zombies, several police buses were tightly surrounding the fence.

Although it looked sloppy, it could be considered the optimal barricade that could be prepared in a short time once the incident occurred. After a brief period in this state, creating a proper secondary barricade at a slight distance would be sufficient for defense. Moreover, it was possible to reduce the number of zombies attached to the net fence by shooting them.

However, outside the iron fence that had blocked the intersection, only traces of the planned secondary barricade remained. There was no intact place to be found.

Only the zombies who were undoubtedly police and soldiers in their living days were wandering around.

On the screen, a police bus that seemed to have been abandoned and a broken iron fence that looked wide open were visible. Although it seemed like the zombies were crowded enough to break through, seeing the relatively intact police bus made it seem like someone had ‘intentionally’ moved the vehicle.

Junseong noticed this but couldn’t bring himself to speak up. The atmosphere among the group was as chaotic as the dark outside pouring rain.

“This is the worst.”

Junseong wiped his face with a hand devoid of color and bit his lower lip.

Although he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, the information he had gained in his dream included details about the blockade of the intersection. It was a fact revealed even during the information gathering session, and something he had been informed of several times by his colleagues in his dreams. So, he naturally thought that it would be the same in reality as it was in his dream.

However, contrary to his expectations, the zombie virus had spread far beyond the intersection, reaching into the dark distance. The number of zombies filling the drone footage was too overwhelming to even count.

Yet, he didn’t rule out the possibility that, unlike in his dream, the zombies had escaped the intersection.

“I thought… it could happen, but.”

The only thing that could have the influence to change the route that had been continuing in his dream was a ‘variable.’ For example, someone like Do Hanseo, whom he had encountered through a slight change in his pattern.

“It’s obvious who did it.”

As if to support that thought, the police bus deliberately moved to clear a path for the zombies, and the appearance of variables other than Do Hanseo came to mind.

A variable among variables, Nam Ki-hyuk.

If that ruthless man had anything to gain, he had the potential to use anything for his benefit. Whether it was for that purpose or if there was another hidden agenda, the likelihood was high that the landscape outside the intersection captured by the drone was his doing.

He looked at his companions, swallowing a sigh. Do Hanseo’s expression remained unchanged as expected, so he immediately scanned the others.

Starting with Changmin, who had his mouth tightly shut and eyes open, Kyung-oh and Jee-an seemed lost in thought. Especially Jee-an, whose eyes were turning red as if she would burst into tears if touched wrongly.

It was no small matter.

If it had been limited to Insan City, he could have just focused on himself, thinking that his family outside the city would be safe. But now that the virus had spread even outside, the situation had become the worst, causing more than just concern.

This was also a worry that Junseong could not avoid.

“We can’t safely get Chae out like this.”

The next day, the 7th day.

It was the day when Junseong and his companions, including his sister Chae, would arrive at the subway shelter, where the reliable man from his recurring dreams had helped him.

Although the subway tracks were filled with zombies unlike in his dreams, they prioritized rescuing survivors, so they would definitely check that place, which was almost like the last shelter. That way, they would reach the hospital with everyone from the shelter, including his sister Chae.

The problem lay ahead.

Originally, after joining the survivors, including his sister, at the hospital, they were supposed to head straight to the shelter on the outskirts of Insan City. If he hadn’t been bitten by a zombie and died in the last dream where he found a solution, he would have joined his sister immediately and headed to the shelter.

He thought that once he delivered the solution obtained from the blood bank to the testing center at the shelter, his job would be done… That was the happy ending he had achieved in just a week of countless days in his dreams.

If only the zombie virus had been confined to Insan City.

The drone, which had been moving in a straight line, smoothly changed direction. Turning 180 degrees as if looking back, it continued forward, illuminating the scenery it had previously shown.

The fact that the drone was starting to return to the base meant they had reached the limit of where they could go. The images shown by the drone until then were full of zombies instead of living people.

The drone’s normal speed was about 70km per hour.

However, this time, it had been significantly slowed down due to modifications to allow for longer autonomous flight using a hefty battery. Considering the speed and round trip, it was reasonable to assume that the drone contained information within a range of about 50km.

Within at least a 50km range, it was already full of the zombie virus. Even if they moved beyond 50km, in the current situation where they couldn’t know where was safe, they couldn’t rashly escape with his sister to the outside.

“Maybe that man has enough information outside, so we just have to wait.”

He sighed sadly, thinking of the bald middle-aged man’s face shining under the sunlight.

Junseong, after checking all the drone footage, opened his mouth while looking at the expressionless Hanseo and the faces of his companions.

“Contrary to expectations, the virus has spread outside Insan City. It’s probably his doing.”

Junseong used the word ‘him’ instead of the unpleasant name Nam Ki-hyuk.

“I don’t know his intentions, but only ‘Variable’ can change the predetermined route.”

“If it’s him… it’s a plausible story. He was a crazy murderer.”

Changmin’s face, clenching his fist, twisted in a scary manner. He was probably recalling Nam Ki-hyuk he had seen on the CCTV.

“But knowing the situation doesn’t mean we can do anything right now.”

“Was it this afternoon? The man you mentioned and your sister are coming.”

“Yes.”

Junseong nodded to Changmin’s question and looked out the window. The heavy rain that had been falling had weakened.

“The rain will stop soon. It will rain again in about an hour, so it’s better to move to the Insan Hospital within that time.”

As it had been raining endlessly on the 7th day tomorrow, they had to aim for now to move comfortably without an umbrella.

“I know everyone is feeling heavy, but let’s move for now.”

Following Junseong, the group stood up with somber faces. Despite their worries, they did not ignore what they needed to do and could do right now.

Watching the group pack their belongings, Junseong turned his gaze back to the window.

Through the thin rain, the Insan Hospital could be seen in the distance.