Chapter 17: Head of Research Lee Seah

****

It was a bizarre sight.

In the Macrobiology Division containment containment cell, there were now twelve Popos living. The Macrobiology Division had thawed eleven specimens under the pretext of research.

“That’s quite a lot more.”

“We thawed a few more.”

“Popopo?”

I wanted to scold them for thawing those things out again, but the atmosphere wasn’t right for that.

Not only did the Popos not look dangerous, they seemed perfectly content with the conditions inside the containment cell. The Macrobiology Division researchers had placed a cat tower inside the cell.

Cute, though.

“Isn’t this dangerous?”

“There are dozens of creatures more dangerous than these in the Macrobiology Division containment containment cell. This level is well within our control.”

I looked at the entrance to the containment cell.

Just outside the containment cell, within arm’s reach, a fire axe and a shotgun were mounted. So they hadn’t completely neglected safety measures.

“Is there anything else you should tell me?”

“The Popos talk.”

I was startled, but the Macrobiology Division researcher just shrugged as if it were nothing.

“If you think about it, it’s only natural. The Popos are made from human cells and genes, and they have a nervous system similar to a human’s.”

What’s natural about that, you lunatic.

The shock faded quickly, and curiosity began to fill my head. How intelligent were the Popos? Could they speak well? Did they have human-like vocal organs, or some other means?

“Can they speak well?”

I looked at the glass window of the containment cell.

“Still at a parrot’s level, but I think they’ll soon be able to speak like humans. Though I’m not sure teaching them to talk is a good idea.”

“Bizarre.”

Let me think.

If those things were divine beings, did they have that kind of power too? Or could they be taught to create power for the Foundation, or for us?

The riddles never end.

“I asked around—the Thaumatology Division thinks Popo is a kind of god. The Popos were born through a virgin birth, like Jesus, so I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”

“Do you think so too, Researcher?”

The white coat shook his head.

“That thing is ultimately just a monster. The Popos are strange, sure, but there’s no evidence of any anomalous ability beyond their odd appearance.”

“True.”

It differed somewhat from the contents of the document I’d received from the Head of Research. She believed the Foundation’s headquarters was conducting some kind of experiment with the Popos harvested from around the world.

Opinions differ.

“Understood. I’ll take a look at the research records.”

I’d just turned on my pad and started reading the research records when the Head of Research walked into the lab. She looked at me first thing upon entering.

“Chief Researcher of the Director’s Office.”

“Hello.”

The Head of Research seemed glad to see me. Strange—I honestly found her a bit difficult to deal with. She must have a favorable opinion of me.

“Did you get a chance to read the document I sent?”

“Yes.”

“I looked into it—the Popos are indeed divine beings, or something close to it. The Foundation’s headquarters and other facilities think so too.”

Opinions really do differ.

“They say it’s being used for research on artificial organs, cure-alls, or similar fields. Our facility just hasn’t yet identified the anomalous characteristics of Popo tissue.”

I looked at the Popos beyond the glass. They were climbing the cat tower in a group. They really are cute, those things.

The Head of Research cleared her throat.

“This is just my opinion, but I think we should try teaching them to speak. I’d like to clone them and raise them in human form, but you wouldn’t approve that, would you?”

“No.”

Why on earth would anyone do something so horrible.

“Well, never mind that. Would you like to touch one of the Popos? It’s safe this time. They’ve been confirmed to have no cognitive hazard elements.”

“Oh, is that alright?”

The Head of Research took one Popo out of the containment cell and handed it to me. The texture was closer to a rabbit than a dog. Both in its roundness and in how its fur was softer than it looked.

The Popo I was holding looked up at me.

“F-friend.”

“See? It can talk.”

So this is what it meant by talking.

“Friend.”

Goodness.

I looked into the Popo’s eyes again.

Even though it was trapped in the lab, the Popo either didn’t understand its situation or simply didn’t care. It just seemed happy.

“Still, it is cute.”

I checked Lee Seah’s expression. The anomalies were adorable, but the Head of Research’s face was full of worry for some reason.

“Is something the matter?”

“Just… remembering something from the past.”

Head of Research, Lee Seah.

She was lost in thought.

A Popo learning to speak while locked in a lab. It resembled someone in Lee Seah’s memories. An old memory, but not one easily forgotten.

****

Over ten years ago, and then some.

A containment cell somewhere in the Foundation. But not all containment cells were cold, unpleasant laboratories.

The containment cell Seah lived in was filled with soft pastel-toned furniture and dolls. Though a containment cell was still a containment cell.

“Lee Seah. You’re 9, right?”

Seah nodded.

“Hello.”

Seah answered. In front of her sat a researcher in a mint-colored lab coat.

“Seah, look here. Can you tell how many candies are on the desk? Answer correctly and I’ll give them to you.”

There was exactly one candy on the desk. Even accounting for Seah being a small child, it was far too easy a question. Seah tilted her head in suspicion.

“One.”

When Seah sat quietly and waited, the researcher pulled more candies from his pocket and set them down.

“Correct, Seah. Just now there was one red candy, but now there are two. Now three, and this time four. The candies are increasing, aren’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Now. There’s also one blue candy beside them. Shall we add more blue candies? Now the blue candies are three, five, seven.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Several candies were placed on the desk.

“Yes.”

“The blue candies are increasing too. Which color is increasing faster?”

This time, Seah thought about it. The red candies increased one at a time, the blue candies two at a time. The blue ones were increasing faster.

“The blue ones.”

“Seah. Being able to compare the rate at which the candies increase means you can express that rate as a number, right? And you could also express that number—the rate of increase—back in terms of candies.”

“Yes.”

“Well done, Seah. Can you explain what you just learned to me one more time?”

Seah nodded again.

“You can predict whether the candies are increasing or decreasing, and you can express the rate at which they increase as a number of candies.”

“Well done.”

The researcher wrote something down in a notebook.

“Seah. Starting next week, you’ll be learning calculus with me. You can do it.”

“What’s calculus?”

“It’s not hard. It’s just drawing pictures of how fast things grow or shrink.”

“With candies?”

“Sure. That works too.”

The researcher gathered up the scattered colorful candies and handed them to Seah. Seah brightened at the sight of them.

“Seah. You can eat them one at a time, slowly, right?”

“Yes!”

Seah smiled brightly and returned to her containment cell—no, her room. Carrying an armful of candies.

****

[Regarding Popo — Re:.]

[Filed by: Head of Research Lee Seah]

[This document is access-restricted.]

[I apologize for contacting Foundation Headquarters without the Director’s Office’s permission.]

[I have reached a conclusion regarding Popo’s identity.]

[Headquarters seems to know a great deal about anomalous phenomenon P-3030. The Antichrist, the Second Coming, dimensional gates, a replica of God, a child of God.]

[It is very complicated.]

Dr. Lee Minsik would have liked this. Then again, he might be horrified instead. I don’t want to admit it, but that man was right.

Of course, it doesn’t seem to be a demon, but what is the Antichrist if not a manufactured Messiah?

I’ll brief you on the details in person. This report is access-restricted. I don’t even know where to start.

The Foundation has multiple task forces. Some are just well-trained people, and some are human weapons who fight god-class horrors for the Foundation’s sake.

After looking into it, Foundation Headquarters has been using this anomaly for a long time. The Foundation regards this anomaly, Popo, as a fragment of a god, or something similar to one.

I’ll say it plainly, Director. Foundation Headquarters was using Popo to create a god in their own laboratory.

Here’s what I propose. Let’s designate Popo as a friendly anomaly right away and get as much use out of it as we can. I don’t know what Foundation Headquarters wants, but we need to find out.

Why can’t we try it too? If we can create a god in our own laboratory, how can we, as creatures, refuse that duty?