Chapter 21: The Museum (４)

****

I’m registered as an anomaly in the Foundation’s database too. That’s why I’ve studied humanoid anomalies diligently.

Humanoid anomalies are divided into several classifications.

The Gray type—those affected by an anomaly, or suspected of being one but not confirmed. This is the most common category.

The Wizard type—those who wield anomalous abilities or tools with supernatural power.

And reality benders.

Beings who don’t simply affect their surroundings or wield power as an anomaly, but dominate and manipulate reality itself with their own ability.

That’s the category my opponent belongs to.

I’m currently hiding, unable to even see ahead. My opponent, meanwhile, wields godlike power—albeit within a limited space.

But. Two machine guns are trained on the reality bender right now, and the anesthetic the Foundation dispersed is gradually sealing off the building’s underground section.

The opponent is likely already affected by the drug we spread. That might be why I’m still alive.

The opponent. How strong are they?

There’s clearly a limit to their ability. I’m still alive, the museum building is mostly intact, and the artworks are less deformed than I expected.

The reason they fear bullets, too.

My opponent is weak.

When measured elsewhere in the building, their reality manipulation readings didn’t even register properly.

The task force is waiting somewhere in this area. They might kill the reality bender for me.

“Mechanical Section Chief. Are you there?”

[Yes.]

“Max out the anesthetic, and open fire.”

The steel spiders burst from their hiding spots and opened their ports. I ran quickly.

The warped voice again.

“There you are, Director! Come on in!”

The anesthetic concentration is rising anyway. It’s already reached the point where I can barely see. Now that I’ve confirmed the target’s specific location, I can pump the anesthetic in with considerable accuracy.

Let’s have a match.

Whether your power runs out first, whether the anesthetic we’ve poured into this space runs out first, or whether our bullets run out first.

Let’s think from the enemy’s position. The enemy has to worry about the anesthetic, and about the bullets. And finally, about me.

“No comments on my work?”

Keep talking, you bastard. I kept my eyes shut and ran through the exhibition hall. Even if I can’t see ahead, I can keep a hand on the wall and run.

The task force.

The task force is inside this exhibition hall.

I was pinning my hopes on the task force being alive and having a way to counter the reality bender. If even one of them survived, then while the reality bender was moving—

BANG!

It was a gunshot unlike the suppressed rifle fire or the robots’ machine guns. A sniper round slammed into the reality bender’s head.

I don’t know if that’s enough to kill them. But if that monster’s focus broke even for a moment, the anesthetic would have started spreading through their body.

THUD.

The target collapsed.

The night-vision screen came back, which meant the cognitohazards scattered around were dissipating too.

I couldn’t suppress my curiosity and looked at the reality bender. A human-shaped form lay collapsed on the floor, and I emptied a magazine into it.

“Dr. Geum!”

Who is that?

A moment later. The task force appeared on the scene.

[Dr. Geum! Are you alright?]

“I’m fine.”

I wasn’t particularly unsteady, but the task force team leader caught hold of me anyway. Foundation personnel in protective suits ran past the task force.

Haah.

I looked at the Foundation personnel.

The reality bender was down—likely due to the anesthetic’s effects. The current anesthetic concentration on the first basement floor was twice the level used for general anesthesia.

The Foundation personnel fitted an explosive collar around the reality bender’s neck, placed an inhaled anesthetic mask over their mouth, and injected a needle into their shinbone.

Situation over.

For now, we get out of this building.

****

This is the on-site command post for the operation.

“Decontamination! Raise your arms, please!”

My combat suit and equipment were now covered in a large amount of anesthetic. Not exactly dangerous, but not something I could just leave as is either.

Foundation personnel in protective suits ran a tool like a large hairdryer over my body.

“Dr. Geum. Please hand over your equipment one by one. It needs to be cleaned before it can be used again.”

I nodded and handed my gear to the decontamination team piece by piece. Gun, observation equipment, body armor, pads, helmet, communication gear.

“All electronics removed?”

“Uh, yes—”

A spray of water.

Damn, what the hell. Soaked through, I coughed into my gas mask. Foundation personnel had brought a hose from somewhere and were spraying me down. I hurriedly covered my face.

“Hey, what—”

“You can take off the gas mask now.”

I handed my dripping gas mask to the Foundation staff, then walked into the tent, water streaming off me. Freezing.

As I sat there dazed for a moment, one of the Foundation doctors handed me a towel and a foil blanket.

“Cold?”

I nodded weakly. My hair and clothes were still soaked.

“Yes.”

“Dr. Geum, any injuries?”

“None.”

I looked up, and Dr. Lee was staring at me.

Dr. Lee. The doctor who had performed the C-section on anomaly P-3030 last time. I’d thought she was an OB-GYN, but maybe the Foundation doesn’t divide departments the same way? Not sure.

“Did everything wrap up well?”

Dr. Lee nodded.

“The reality bender has been dealt with. He’ll be handed over to the Humanoid Anomaly Containment Division now. All veterans there, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“I see.”

“Don’t worry. The Head of Research won’t let him live more than two days. That’s usually how the Foundation’s protocol for reality benders goes.”

I let out a sigh.

I didn’t fully understand the situation. In fact, there was far more I didn’t understand than I did. The outcome was good, so I’ll just wait and see what the Foundation staff do.

“The mirror. Did you find the mirror?”

“I don’t know. It’s outside my field of work. But the Recovery Division took all the artifacts from inside the museum, so it might be among them.”

Small mercies.

****

After tidying up my wet clothes and hair, I headed to the on-site command post.

Absurd as it sounds, this single incident had brought in five helicopters, and dozens of Foundation personnel were gathered at this spot.

As I stepped into the command post, the Foundation staff working there all turned to look at me at once.

Maybe it was funny—hair still damp, wrapped in a shiny foil blanket—but this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

“Chief Researcher. What brings you here?”

My blanket rustled.

“I’m fine. Connect me to Recovery Section 1.”

A moment’s hesitation.

“The Section 1 chief is on site. I’ll patch you through on the radio right away.”

“Thank you.”

I sighed. The Foundation staff checked the communication equipment, then brought over a chair so I could sit and talk.

Ugh, what was I about to say just now. Cold, miserable, and hungry—my thoughts aren’t coming together.

“Section 1 chief. Can you hear me?”

[Loud and clear. Go ahead.]

I grabbed the radio.

“This is Dr. Geum, Chief Researcher of the Director’s Office. Could you give a report on the operation’s progress, for the Director’s Office?”

A brief laugh came from the other end of the radio. Could have been a sneer.

[Doctor. You could just have me report to you directly. I was planning to anyway.]

“Then report.”

Paper rustled on the other end of the radio.

[Of course, Director. The operation concluded successfully. The reality bender has been secured, and we found the bodies of multiple humanoid anomalies. Could be victims, too.]

Bodies—that reminded me.

“Any casualties?”

[We’ve contacted the police. Currently, 11 museum staff are dead or missing. Foundation personnel have only minor injuries.]

“Dreadful.”

[Something keeps rustling on the comms. Dr. Geum, is your connection unstable?]

It’s my blanket. The crinkle of the foil blanket is audible on their end, it seems.

“It’s just my blanket. Please continue.”

[Ah, yes. The Wooden Dolls are all being incinerated on-site, and the paintings are being burned as well, except for two kept for study.]

“Is there a mirror?”

[We’re looking. There is something unusual… Multiple anomalies have been discovered within the building, and it appears the museum staff were managing them. Did the Foundation know about this?]

News to me.

I didn’t come to the site knowing everything, of course. But if anomalies had been stored in the museum for a long time, someone would have mentioned it.

“I doubt it. I’ll pass your report on to the Director’s Office—for now, just do what you think is best.”

What could this be about.

[Aren’t you the Director’s Office, Dr. Geum?]

“Anyway. Get back to work.”

[Yes.]

Click.

The radio went dead. Now all that’s left is to return to the Foundation facility and wrap things up.