NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45: Collaborator
Chapter 45: Collaborator
“Ugh, it’s too cramped!”
Jin Beom-Min grumbled as he squeezed his body into the narrow, coffin-like seat. The pilot who guided him answered with a bewildered look.
“W-Well, this… seat wasn’t designed to be used while wearing armor…”
“Where do I put my sword?”
“Uh, your sword…?”
The pilot’s eyes shook uncontrollably. He had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary mission from the moment he received the order to fly directly to Australia with a passenger in an F-15K, the main fighter jet of the Republic of Korea Air Force and the core of airspace defense.
But to have the ‘passenger’ in the back seat be the Grey Knight, the man of the hour… He couldn’t have imagined this even in his dreams.
“H-Hold on a second. Here, like this… Ah, it’s too long… Ah, there we go.”
Still, an order was an order. The pilot managed to squeeze the sword into the space next to the seat. It would be uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t interfere with the flight.
“I’ll deactivate the instrument panel… but still, don’t touch anything. It’ll be a big problem if you do.”
“Yes, I understand. But then I can’t go to the bathroom, right?”
“…You can’t. Please hold it in.”
The pilot put a helmet on Jin Beom-Min and climbed down the ladder, sweating profusely. Looking back, he saw five other F-15Ks, heavily armed, with passengers wearing masks covering their faces in the back seats.
‘Could it be that monsters have appeared again…?’
The pilot shook his head and checked the aircraft again. Whatever had happened, the order he received was clear.
Refuel in the Pacific and get the passenger to Australia as quickly as possible. That was all.
“Ah, can you hear me? How does this thing work?”
[Ah, Jin? Are you aboard?]
Lee Sang-Jun’s voice came through the communicator attached to the helmet.
“Ah, yes. I can hear you.”
[Okay, I’ve connected a separate secure line.]
“This seat is too narrow.”
[It can’t be helped. We’re not in a situation to leisurely fly in a transport plane.]
“What’s going on? You told me to pack my armor and go to the airport without any explanation… and now I’m in a fighter jet?”
[Monsters have appeared in Sydney.]
“Sydney? Sydney, Australia?”
[Yes, a large number of monsters have appeared in the middle of the city. There are a lot of casualties.]
“Hmm… I see…”
Sydney was Australia’s largest city and a tourist destination visited by countless tourists.
If a large number of monsters appeared in such a place, the damage would be as severe as in France.
The only good news was that he was going in a fighter jet, not a transport plane.
It seemed that the higher-ups had fully understood the importance of a quick response after the incident in France.
Or perhaps it was the effect of the UN resolution.
Either way, it was a good thing.
Except for the fact that he had to fly uncomfortably crammed into a tiny cockpit.
[It’s been almost two hours since the monsters appeared. The damage will only increase if we don’t hurry.]
“I understand. Then I’ll have to endure the cramped space.”
[Yes, please do. And this mission is the first mission of the ‘World Extraterrestrial Creature Response Organization (WECRO)’ launched through the UN resolution.]
“Uh… so…?”
WECRO was an international organization under the UN, established following the announcement of the UN resolution.
Basically, it was about overcoming the crisis through international cooperation and revealing the identity of extraterrestrial life, that is, monsters……
In Jin Beom-Min’s view, it was just a word game.
After all, the only one who could actually defeat the monsters was Jin Beom-Min.
In reality, most countries joined WECRO for the purpose of learning South Korea’s countermeasures against monsters.
[The organization isn’t fully established yet… but other countries are also dispatching response teams. You’ll be working with them on the ground.]
“What kind of cooperation can I expect…?”
[Well, I’m not sure. WECRO isn’t fully organized yet… I’ll find out more and get back to you.]
“Alright.”
[Okay, then have a good flight.]
“Ugh…”
Jin Beom-Min couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
Compared to the transport plane, where he had plenty of space and could lay down a mattress and take a nap if he was tired, the fighter jet cockpit was too cramped.
The pilot, who had finished checking the aircraft, got into the cockpit, and after a while, the fighter jet’s engine ignited. A tremendous noise and vibration were transmitted to Jin Beom-Min’s body. He felt the power of a different class compared to the transport plane.
[We’ll be departing now.]
The pilot’s voice came through the communicator.
“Ah, yes. Please take care of me.”
[Yes… well… please try not to throw up.]
“Ah, but…”
[Yes.]
“How long will it take? To Australia?”
[Well… including refueling time, it will take about 6 hours.]
“Ah… yes…”
That meant he had to fly for 6 hours, stuck in a narrow seat, unable to even stretch his body.
Jin Beom-Min let out another deep sigh.
Whoosh!
With the engine sound getting even louder, the F-15K entered the taxiway with a majestic appearance. But Jin Beom-Min’s mind was filled with regret.
‘I should have gone to the bathroom before getting on…’
***
“The list of WECRO personnel dispatched to participate in support activities in Australia is out.”
Agent Kang Jin-Woo handed Lee Sang-Jun a thin file.
Lee Sang-Jun opened the file, flipped through the contents, and asked.
“Is this all?”
“Yes.”
“…That’s strange.”
“What’s strange, sir?”
Lee Sang-Jun tapped the file with his fingertips and answered.
“These people… based on the information available, they’re all desk jockeys.”
“Well, that’s usually the case with people dispatched to international organizations, isn’t it? Administrative experts.”
Lee Sang-Jun shook his head.
“No, it’s different. This operation is WECRO’s first mission, and a large-scale monster force has already invaded. If you were in my shoes, what kind of people would you send?”
“Uh… soldiers? Doctors? Firefighters?”
Unsure, Kang Jin-Woo spoke whatever came to mind. Fortunately, Lee Sang-Jun nodded in agreement.
“Right. If it were me, I’d probably dispatch military experts first.”
It was only natural. What all other countries that didn’t have Jin Beom-Min needed right now was the know-how on how to respond when monsters invaded.
The people needed to understand these response methods were naturally military personnel or military experts.
Moreover, if they were soldiers, the speed of finding the right people and issuing dispatch orders would be faster.
However, the file Kang Jin-Woo handed over contained no military personnel or anyone who had worked in military-related affairs.
Most of them were people whose identities were difficult to discern just from their names, who had worked in consulting at companies he had never heard of, or served as external advisors to government agencies.
“So these people… are likely spies.”
“Spies, sir?”
“I mean intelligence agents.”
“Ah, yes… I know what spies are… but those people, they’re listed as civilians on the documents…?”
“Hey, man. We’re also civilians belonging to Inbiz Trading Company on paper.”
Inbiz Trading Company was where Jin Beom-Min was first approached with the scouting offer.
It was a disguised office of the NIS 4th Division, but it was actually a well-established company that filed corporate taxes and sales reports diligently every year.
It would be the same for the WECRO personnel participating in this operation.
Their affiliations would be elaborately disguised fake companies, actually operated by each country’s intelligence agencies with considerable funding.
“Why intelligence agents…?”
“…It means that figuring out detailed information about Jin Beom-Min and Ghost Squad is a higher priority than acquiring monster response strategies.”
“Then… is the goal recruitment?”
“Probably. They’ll do anything if they can recruit him. Temptation, threats, bribery. Anything is possible. Even assassination…”
“A-Assassination? Why would they…!”
Lee Sang-Jun slapped the thin file on the table and rubbed his chin.
“There are quite a few countries that are unhappy with our country taking the lead and influencing WECRO, and further, the UN.”
Indeed, there was a lot of noise during the announcement of the UN resolution and the formation of WECRO.
Some countries argued that the permanent members of the UN Security Council should lead WECRO, and some insisted that the country with the most damage from monsters should lead WECRO.
There were even crazy countries like North Korea that insisted they should lead WECRO unconditionally.
It was Shim Jung-Min’s contribution that made it possible to draw up the final resolution and organize WECRO amidst this chaotic situation.
Therefore, Shim Jung-Min was the most likely candidate for the currently vacant position of WECRO Secretary-General.
“Sigh… This is a headache. I think it’s better for someone with a bad head like me to just quietly work as an intelligence agent.”
“…Don’t you think being an intelligence agent is a bit too much for you?”
“No, sir. I think it’s my calling.”
Lee Sang-Jun handed the file back to Kang Jin-Woo, who was shaking his head, and instructed him.
“Investigate these people again. Dig everything up, from official records to their acquaintances.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“Until Jin and Ghost Squad arrive in Australia…”
Lee Sang-Jun glanced at his wristwatch and added.
“5 hours and 38 minutes left. Can you do it all by then?”
“Sir? This much?”
“You said it’s your calling, right?”
“…Yes, sir. I understand.”
Lee Sang-Jun ignored Kang Jin-Woo’s dejected expression and turned back to the situation board.
‘This is where it really begins…’
He had anticipated that things would escalate like this. The problem was that there were many variables that had intervened in the process.
The troublesome foreign powers were a problem, but Shim Jung-Min, who played a significant role in the announcement of the UN resolution and the organization of WECRO, was also a concern.
As far as Lee Sang-Jun knew, Shim Jung-Min was aiming for the next presidency.
Supporting the NIS 4th Division and Lee Sang-Jun was also an act to boost his approval ratings by showing off his diplomatic skills through the announcement of the UN resolution and the organization of WECRO.
And as the presidential election approached, Shim Jung-Min would try to interfere more in the activities of the NIS 4th Division and WECRO.
There would be no other action that could raise his approval ratings as much as eliminating alien monsters.
However, the NIS 4th Division… no, Jin Beom-Min shouldn’t be used in such a way.
‘…I’m sorry. I… I decided to dedicate my life to the country… to atone for my sins.’
Lee Sang-Jun suddenly recalled what happened 20 years ago. It was what he said when he broke up with his lover, whom he had once promised to marry.
The vow he made then would not be broken. As long as he lived.