Chapter 30: The Forgotten City (１)

****

Even if it’s Foundation work, work is work.

It’s no different from any other job.

Every morning, haggard humans who might be zombies or researchers wander around clutching coffee, and there are people who gather in the break room to badmouth their superiors.

Above all.

There’s never enough time, and too many problems to solve. Probably the grievance of every working person. And I have no one to ask.

My three predecessors are dead, I don’t want to go to the Head of Research, and Nanami won’t comment on anything outside what she knows.

In the end, I have to figure it out myself.

I could ask the mirror, the Crystal Clock, or the laptop. Today I chose the mirror. I sat in the lab, and my reflection on the other side of the glass stared back at me.

“Hey. I’ve got something to ask.”

[No, my Queen. I’m sorry to say this, but Snow White is the fairest in the land.]

“Well, well.”

What the hell was that supposed to mean.

I wonder if other people see the same thing I do when I look in the mirror.

The person I see is just an inexperienced, weak girl. At least on the surface.

Do the other employees really see the next Director in me? A leader? Or just a mascot who stamps documents?

My reflection adjusted its collar.

[So, what is it this time?]

Anyway. I opened my mouth.

“Something big is supposed to happen, but I don’t know what yet. Can you help?”

[How am I supposed to help if you don’t even know what it is?]

“We have to respond before it happens.”

My reflection shook its head.

[From my side, there’s more than one big event, so I’m not sure. Explain the situation.]

“Group of Interest activity in Korea has spiked recently. There were even people bold enough to infiltrate a Foundation facility and try to smuggle out prisoners.”

Dr. Geum on the other side of the mirror pondered.

[How much do you know about the Foundation’s history?]

“Not much.”

[The past was a world ruled by magic and the anomalous. But over the last hundred years, the Foundation has hunted Groups of Interest without mercy. Bombing them, gassing them, reshaping the terrain.]

That did sound about right.

[And then they rewrote history itself. The Groups of Interest that remain are only the ones that cooperate with the Foundation, to some degree. Your world is probably the same.]

[Even the most vicious of the Groups of Interest have no choice but to keep the principle of guarding the Veil of Ignorance and hiding from the public eye.]

I nodded. It wasn’t something I already knew, but considering what the Foundation had done during my time here, it made plenty of sense.

[Anyway. From a Group of Interest’s perspective, the biggest-scale thing they could do—short of something like mass terrorism—is summoning a god. That’s the most important objective for a good number of them.]

I thought for a moment.

So summoning a god is what matters to Groups of Interest. It’s the most significant thing one can do in the world behind the Veil.

“Groups of Interest are trying to summon a god? And that’s why all this noise is happening?”

[Just my guess.]

Come to think of it, that makes sense. And there’s a solar eclipse coming up soon.

[Ah, you have an eclipse coming up on your side?]

“Yeah.”

[An eclipse changes things. No mage who isn’t an idiot would let an eclipse pass by. Get your people moving and respond without leaving any gaps.]

“Right. Thanks for telling me.”

So I found a lead, and a solution. There’s a chance a god gets summoned on the day of the eclipse. Though I can’t know who’s summoning which god.

****

If it’s about predicting and responding to events before they happen, the Foundation does have a group of specialists. Even if they’re a bit awkward to deal with.

Let’s call the Precognition Division.

That department has a track record of successfully predicting the incident at that museum, after all.

“This is Dr. Geum from the Director’s Office. Section Chief, you’re Dr. Kwon, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“I’m calling to ask what you’re preparing for the eclipse, and whether you’ve found anything that could be a problem. Any anomalies?”

The answer didn’t come right away.

“Dr. Geum. It’s good that you’re being diligent.”

“Yes?”

“But that doesn’t mean you can call me whenever you want a problem solved or have a question.”

I bit my lip for a moment.

“Why not? This is Director’s Office business.”

“This is the Precognition Division of the Support Department. Not the Research Department, which is your specialty. No matter how brilliant you are, you’re still just a first-year researcher.”

I pulled my mouth away from the phone and let out a sigh. Unbelievable. I just wanted to ask something.

“Let’s talk later, then.”

I hung up.

Note to self: the Precognition Division is full of lunatics.

I set the phone down.

Interdepartmental friction and personal grudges exist in any organization. And with so many lives riding on Foundation work, people getting a bit touchy is only natural.

I did wonder why they were treating me like this, but I knew the reason. I look young and lack experience, so they figure I’m an easy mark.

Someone with almost no Foundation career under their belt, going around doing the Director’s job. Plenty of people would resent that. It stings a little, though.

****

There are plenty of people who’d be grateful even for a simple scapegoat mascot or a stamp machine. These guys just aren’t those people.

Thinking about it, there were a few more problems.

Since I joined, the Director’s Office had started running more or less. But the Director seat was still vacant, and things weren’t fully normalized.

The fact that I, who’d been filling the Director’s role, had been leaning on means other than the Precognition Division might be part of why today happened.

In the end, the Precognition Division Chief was frustrated because there was no Director to consult with and deliver prophecies to. And she thinks I’m not worth talking to.

Anyway.

I can’t keep fighting with the Precognition Division.

I need to prove to them that I have the right to speak. Should I talk to them face-to-face, or send an official memo? Or would that backfire?

I got up from my seat.

I needed to lie down for a bit. The Director’s Office was on the third basement level of Facility 82’s central building. The office itself consisted of seven rooms.

Director, Chief Researcher, Deputy Chief Researcher, adjutant, aide 1, aide 2, administrator. Seven offices for seven people.

Anyway.

I covered my face with a book and lay down in the break room. A few minutes hadn’t passed before Nanami walked in.

“Why the long face?”

“I just had a fight with the Precognition Division.”

I took the book off my face.

“The Precognition Division? It’d be stranger if you could talk to those weirdos. Did you know they slaughtered 60 goats this month alone?”

“60 goats?”

I’d heard about that.

Apparently the ancient Romans used to slaughter chickens and divine the future from their blood. I didn’t know the Foundation’s Precognition Team did the same thing.

“I can’t tell if that place is an office or a butcher shop. They spent 6 million on goats this month alone. 6 million. I’d almost rather they were embezzling. At least that would make sense. But no, they actually blew it on slaughtering goats.”

“How do you know that, Nanami?”

“Just. Work I used to handle before you came.”

“What do you think I should do? I feel like we need some kind of trust relationship to work smoothly.”

Nanami shook her head.

“Just play along as best you can. What other choice is there?”

“…”

“Reports will come up on schedule anyway. If you need something, try the Intelligence Division or other sources. They don’t want you because you lack experience… The aides will handle them for a while.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s only natural.”

Right. I needed to ask about that too.

“The Parallel Mirror said something. That on the day of the eclipse, a Group of Interest might conduct a rite or cause some kind of incident. Have you heard anything like that?”

This topic seemed to catch her interest. Nanami perched on the edge of the desk.

“A rite?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly did it say?”

I thought for a moment.

“Given that Group of Interest activity has been picking up before the eclipse, it said someone might be trying to summon their god into this world.”

“That makes sense.”

“And the fact that it’s on the day of the eclipse?”

Nanami shook her head with a serious expression at that.

“Rituals are usually performed on specific days. A full moon, a new moon, a solar or lunar eclipse works too. It depends on the symbolic power required, I suppose… Honestly, I don’t know either.”

“No, that was helpful.”

“If it’s about rites or spells, go ask Bishop Oh. That old man’s the expert on that sort of thing.”

***

[Company Club Application — Rejected]

[Filed by: Human Resources Department]

[The creation of the company club “Director Geum Fan Club” has been rejected under the authority of the Human Resources Department.]

[The Foundation is a military organization. We understand it’s a joke, but operating a private organization within the Foundation in this manner could make you subject to quite serious disciplinary action. I believe you already know the reason without me having to spell it out.]

[We’ve processed it under the changed name of “Coffee Club.” The new coffee machine will be placed in the Human Resources Department break room, so you may take it out for each club activity and return it when you’re done.]