Chapter 12: The Laptop That Sees the Future (３)

****

“You called for me, Chief Researcher.”

The Foundation’s Seoul Branch task force.

“Moon of Seoul” had returned from a long mission.

Apparently, the task force had been fighting the Foundation’s old enemies in the underground beneath Seoul…

What’s under Seoul? The specific details of the operation the task force conducted this time were classified even to me. It’d take some effort to find out.

“Thank you for coming.”

I bowed my head and greeted the task force leader. The task force had come to my office without even changing out of their combat gear—or rather, fully kitted up in it. This was our first time meeting.

Were they trying to establish dominance from the start and take control? Maybe. After all, command authority over the task force rests with the Director.

And the Director is currently absent.

If I needed something, I—or the Director’s Office—would have to ask the task force for help. Normally, Nanami would handle this sort of thing.

I’m not the Director, and my current appearance isn’t exactly one that inspires trust. So I could understand their somewhat hostile reaction.

I briefly scanned the task force with my eyes.

Urban combat camouflage. Body armor, joint protectors, night-vision goggles with six lenses. Multiple optical devices stared back at me.

Like spiders eyeing their prey.

I let out a sigh.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“And what is that?”

“I’m not the Director.”

I considered my next words.

“I also know how I must look to all of you. I’m not a superhuman like Nanami, and I doubt the task force members want to take orders from a little girl.”

“That’s not it.”

I smiled faintly.

“But I’ll be honest. Since the Director is absent, someone has to provide leadership for this facility—even if it’s just us. However, I can’t do it alone.”

“I’m not sure what you’re proposing.”

“I have no intention of being proud in front of the task force. Team Leader. I’ll cooperate with you as much as I can, so let’s work well together.”

The task force leader raised their night-vision goggles.

“Very well. What do you need us to do?”

“What we need to do today isn’t anything major.”

Literally, we just needed to make a trip to the Precognition Division.

****

The Support Department’s Precognition Division, Human Resources Department, and Intelligence Division. These three departments are quite close to the Director’s Office. Both physically and in terms of their operational scope.

Today’s destination was the Precognition Division.

It’s a place that divines the near future for the Foundation, but from what I remember, its performance wasn’t all that impressive. Not very accurate.

One peculiarity: apparently, divining the future requires live sacrifices. The Precognition Division kills dozens of goats and chickens every month.

Not that I particularly care.

“Let’s not be nervous and just follow the plan.”

“The only one nervous here is you, Doctor.”

“Ah, right.”

I had my right hand in my pocket, and in my left hand, I held the laptop in question. Flanking me on both sides stood fully equipped task force members.

“We’ve arrived.”

We soon reached the steel door of the Precognition Division.

“Open the door, please.”

No need to knock.

This is the Precognition Division. They would have foreseen our arrival. If not, they’d be watching us on the surveillance cameras anyway.

The effect was clear. The Precognition Division staff opened the door to their department. Though they were still blocking our way in.

“Wait, Director. What brings you here—”

The Precognition Division seemed quite flustered the moment they saw me and my task force members. Flustered enough to call me Director, apparently.

Anyway. I wasn’t here to harass the Precognition Division staff today. I raised my left hand and showed the briefcase to the staff.

“The laptop you were looking for. I’ve brought it.”

“Wait, you brought four armed task force members along just for that one laptop?”

“This laptop is still officially an anomaly. If it’s truly a laptop that can see the future, then having armed escorts isn’t excessive.”

Initial intimidation: success.

“…”

“Please, come in, Chief Researcher.”

The Precognition Division staff cleared a path.

“If you’re here because you’re unhappy with the anomaly transfer request we sent, I’ll check with the Precognition Division Chief and sort it out.”

A flustered expression, followed by general confusion. The Precognition Division Chief let out a sigh.

I answered with a faint smile.

“Unhappy? Not at all. I’m simply here, as your Precognition Division requested a few days ago, to receive help in researching the anomaly’s properties.”

“Yes.”

“Do I go this way?”

“The central research lab should be fine.”

I moved with my party.

***

I’d brought task force members along as a show of force, but I had no intention of lying. There might be something they could actually help with.

After all, this laptop wasn’t an anomaly that could see the future, so the Precognition Division no longer had any grounds to demand it be handed over.

Sure, I’d had some intention of giving this department a hard time. But I didn’t want a fight either. They were still colleagues.

A moment later.

A Precognition Division staff member in a suit entered the lab. As expected, an older gentleman with gray streaking his hair.

In this lab now: me, four task force members, the Precognition Division Chief, and two division staff. Eight people in total.

“Kwon Sian, Chief of the Precognition Division.”

“A pleasure, Section Chief Gwon.”

I bowed my head in greeting first.

Separate from the strong opening, I needed to be a bit friendlier now. There would be plenty of times ahead when I’d need their help.

“Ye—… Hello, Chief Researcher. Did you bring the laptop?”

“The laptop in question.”

I showed the laptop to the Precognition Division Chief, who immediately checked its message history. He looked somewhat pensive.

-Have you found the Parallel Mirror?

-The anomalies that destroyed my world are not few in number. I don’t know everything, but I’ll find out as much as I can and relay it to you.

The Precognition Division Chief looked at the chat window I’d been viewing.

“Interesting.”

“Yes.”

“A Foundation from another dimension… Certainly not an anomaly that can see the future.”

I nodded.

You’re not getting the laptop, you idiots.

“There’s no way to know whether what the anomaly says is true, or whether it’s trustworthy. Nor whether the information is useful. For the time being, I’ll keep it stored in the Director’s Office warehouse.”

“Yes.”

The Precognition Division Chief stared at me for a moment.

“I’m not trying to pick a fight with you, Doctor, but it might be wise to undergo an information contamination screening at the Research Department’s Cognitive Department or the Medical Department’s psychiatry unit. Interdimensional communication can be rather dangerous.”

“I’ll do that, Chief.”

And then.

“I’ll be discussing the laptop with headquarters, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t disclose anything related to it to anyone outside the Precognition Division for the time being.”

“Of course.”

And with that, this matter was settled.

“We’ll run a few simple tests on the laptop in our department and then return it to you.”

Section Chief Gwon carefully placed the laptop in its briefcase, then rose from his seat, black briefcase in hand.

***

Section Chief Gwon pressed hard on his temple.

That gave me a scare.

Honestly, he’d dismissed her as a young new researcher, but he never expected her to come barging through the Precognition Division’s door accompanied by the missing task force members.

He’d figured she’d be dead or have killed herself by now.

Not only was the new Chief Researcher holding on quite well, she was drawing considerable cooperation out of Foundation personnel. Charisma, personal charm, ability, supernatural power — she clearly had something different about her.

He’d already apologized. From now on, he just needed to cooperate with whatever the Director’s Office did.

***

[Regarding Anomaly O-714]

[Filed by: Precognition Division Chief]

[Notice to all Precognition Division staff.]

[Per the Precognition Division’s analysis, this anomaly has been confirmed to possess no future-predicting function. The anomaly in question will be stored in the Director’s Office warehouse for the time being.]

[Additionally. Please refrain from unnecessary internal politics and power struggles going forward. In particular, any friction with the Director’s Office should be avoided at all costs.]

[Additionally. Chickens and goats do not dig their way out of the ground either. There’s no need to be frugal, but there’s also no need to waste them deliberately.]

****

[Prophecy Result Report]

[Filed by: Precognition Team 1]

[These are the results of slaughtering twelve chickens.]

[Is Anomaly O-714 safe: Yes]

[Is Anomaly H-1125 safe: Yes]

[Does the Parallel Mirror exist as a physical object: Yes]

[Today’s analysis of Anomaly H-1125]

[Tarot card: No. 1 (The Magician)]

[Superior ability and manual dexterity, eloquence, eternity and infinity, the Ouroboros, self-centeredness, potential.]

[I believe you know what this means. The result requires no interpretation; it is self-evident.]

[It is Precognition Team 1’s assessment that the Chief Researcher of the Director’s Office, along with the three anomalies connected to her, are safe. We will proceed with our research.]

****

[Anomaly O-714]

[The Ordinary Laptop]

[Risk Class: Safe]

[Classification: object-type anomaly]

[It is just a laptop. Do not be curious about it.]

[The following content is restricted to Foundation executives outside of access.]

[Repaired by the Director’s Office.]

[This anomaly is one of the few means of communicating with other dimensions.]

[Communication is not always possible, nor do both parties experience similar linear time, and it is not always clear who one is communicating with each time. It is also not possible to share files or other data beyond text.]

[On the other end of the communication conducted through this laptop, there is at least one person, and the communication is believed to connect to multiple dimensions.]