9.

 August 19, 2217- the Former KOEX in Samseongdong, Seoul I*C Thirty or so unfamiliar men rushed toward the entrance from the Millennium Plaza in the former KOEX building. Armed with hunting rifles and handmade guns, the men headed for the ten vigilante committee members who were guarding the entrance. Instead of the K-2, the vigilante committee members guarding the entrance were issued hunting rifles similar to the ones the men rushing towards them were carrying. The vigilante committee members called in the situation and asked the men with a deliberate calmness: “What’s your business? I thought everything was made perfectly clear the last time.” The man who had a big nose and a beard spoke. Judging from the equipment he was carrying and his behavior, he looked to be the head of the pack. “My business with you is finished. Call Papa for me.” “Papa doesn’t concern himself with this kind of trivial business.” The man snarled as he heard the vigilante committee member speak. “What? Trivial business? I don’t think you should be talking to me like that. I’m Byeon Hansu, the leader of the Gangbuk District Subway. Quit yacking and inform Papa that I have new conditions.” “Is that so? I don’t think Papa will agree to any of your conditions.” Byeon Hansu glared and grabbed the vigilante committee member by his collar and placed a gun next to his head. At that moment, the men and the vigilante committee members drew their weapons. “Bastard! If you keep mouthing off, I’m going to slice that tongue off! Do you know what this is? You would be gravely mistaken if you thought it was a crappy gun like the one you are carrying! This is the authentic pistol called the Desert Eagle, which was at one time the top of the line! Call Papa!” The men and the vigilante committee members were in a standoff, and it was silent to the point of suffocation. Just at the time the fingers on the triggers started to move, a group of people rushed to the Millennium Plaza. “ Enough! Put your guns down!” It was Papa. Not able to mask their dislike for each other, the men and the vigilante committee members slowly put down their weapons; Byeon Hansu let go of the vigilante committee member’s collar and greeted Papa. “Hello, Papa. With each passing day, the nickname Papa seems to fit you. Ha-ha.” “Come in, Byeon Hansu. And put your weapons down. It’s making everybody nervous.” “You’re definitely the man. It’s expected that as people with big hearts, we understand each other.” While jeering at the vigilante committee members who had stopped him, he followed Papa’s group and entered the old KOEX building. The group entered the arcade called the Summit Walk. The cold blue lights and the matching marble floors created an atmosphere that felt as if you were walking into ice. The group sat in a run down restaurant used for entertaining people from the outside. The restaurant was packed as twenty of Papa’s entourage and thirty of Byeon Hansu jammed into the interior of the restaurant. Byeon Hansu immediately started to speak as he sat down. “When I thought it about it, I think I made a mistake. I was a little too stingy with 5%. I’m Byeon Hansu after all! I’m really not that stingy of a person. 7%! I will give you 7% of the profits. I also won’t receive tax for subway passageway protection. What do you think, Papa?” Papa did not say a word but continued to look at Byeon Hansu, and seeing Papa’s expression, Byeon Hansu started to speaking while frowning. “I see you’re a very greedy, Papa. OK then! I’ve been generous up to now. Why stop here! 10%! What do you think about 10%? With this amount, it won’t be difficult to feed the KOEX family.” Papa remained silent. Byeon Hansu smacked his own head while speaking. “Wow! I didn’t think you were that kind of person. If you’re going to be like that, I will take a loss. What about 20%? You would be a robber if you asked for more.” Papa closed his eyes momentarily and contemplated before speaking. “Byeon Hansu, I did not call for you to discuss again that sloppy business talk. That talk was over the last time we met. No organization will be allowed to sell medicine inside the KOEX. Do you understand? You can offer 10% or 200% for that matter. We won’t receive that junk money.” Byeon Hansu abruptly rose from his seat and glared at Papa. Papa did not budge and continued to speak. “Sit down, Byeon Hansu. I’m not finished talking. Although I have turned down your business, when thinking about the amount of drugs you have, it won’t be enough to simply protect the KOEX.” “What are you going to do about it!” Byeon Hasun’s eyes seemed as if they would pop out. “Come work for me Byeon Hansu. I will help you if you conduct a proper business.” As soon as Papa finished speaking, Byeon Hansu slipped his hand into his chest and when his hand reappeared, he was holding a dark gun. With bloodshot eyes, Byeon Hansu pointed the gun at Papa’s head. ” “Screw you! Just because you govern a bigger territory doesn’t make you untouchable! You’d be mistaken to think this is one of your crappy handmade guns! This is a Desert Eagle I remind you…” Byeon Hansu inhaled and stopped talking. The dozens of vigilante committee members were pointing dark long barreled rifles at him and his entourage. Although Byeon Hansu and his entourage pointed their guns as well, they noticeable cringed as the vigilantes all switched their guns to semi-automatic. “Byeon Hansu. You like guns, huh? Then I don’t think I need to delve into a lengthy explanation about these guns. Go back home. I’ll be waiting for a favorable response.” Byeon Hansu could not hide his rage and turned around. At that moment, a violent cough exploded into the tense air. When Byeon Hansu looked back, he saw a vigilante committee member helping Papa who was bent over and coughing. It seemed as if he would cough forever but as he stopped, blood dripped from Papa’s hand, which had covered his mouth. Byeon Hansu who was looking askance at Papa snickered. “I see you’re having some health problems. Take care of yourself, Papa. Only then will you be able to take care of your KOEX followers for a long, long time. He-he.”

10.

Headline of the November 2080 issue of National Geographic: The Coming of the Inorganic Creature (Reporter): Kiyosiki Annabel “How are you? I am Kiyosiki Annabel. You’re a lot younger than I… I mean I see you are young. You have already received the list of questions, and since with that alone, it might be a little stiff, add something about Dr. Dugall’s family history…Ah! I apologize. I think I hurt your feelings. I won’t ask you any questions you don’t want to be asked. Please sit down again. I see you are quite tall. Then, let us get into the main topic. In the beginning, there was a time you were well-known as a doctor of philosophy. I am aware of your thesis at the time… Continuous body and discontinuous body… That’s not it… continuous personality and… uh-uh. I know it’s ‘Misperceptions Regarding a Discontinuous Personality and Continuous Body and Misperceptions Regarding a Continuous Personality and Discontinuous Body.’ That’s a pretty long title. Anyway, when you published that thesis, some people thought it was about your parents who had suffered a heartbreaking accident- Okay, okay. Hold on for a second. I won’t talk about your family history. Okay? I won’t ask you leading questions. Give me one last chance. Then let’s move on to the next question. What exactly is the silicon life form you and Dr. Gang Wontaek have collaborated on and published? Umm… In other words, I think you are saying it is something that contains both inorganic and organic traits. Is it fair to refer to it as a living thing? Excuse me? Me? What do I consider to be living things? Well, something that bears children who look similar due to the DNA, something that eats and defecates…pretty much that, don’t you think? Oh, it’s surprising. I like your smile. Ah, I will be quiet. I take your laugh to mean I am wrong. You say life is a “circular being that forms waves”? That’s a difficult notion. Can you explain it in an easier way? You are asking me whether today’s sun is the same sun that fostered Pteridophyta 60,000 years ago? That’s not what you’re saying. Umm. That’s interesting. You discussed this in your philosophy PhD thesis? Of course, I read it but it would a little too much to ask that I memorize all 270 pages of it. To summarize what you have been saying- the interior continues to undergo nuclear fission and even though it might become something else physically, the system known as the sun could be established because of its consistent act of spewing light. Does that mean the sun is also a living thing? Aren’t you interpreting the significance of life in terms that are too broad? No, no. What you are saying is very interesting. After hearing the inside details of your research, I don’t think our discussion is off the mark. In other words, the living beings you create using silicon fit in with your definition of living things that ‘circular beings form waves.’ Ah, I am also right? Thank you. So, you are telling me that your silicon life forms consume something and uses that something as energy and it is eventually released by some digestive mechanism… It’s possible at a higher level? What do you hope for in the end for these silicon life forms? …… Shocking! I pray your hopes will be realized in the near future. But…”

11.

 August 15, 2217- Seoul Asan Bio Research Center (formerly Seoul Asan Hospital) It was a tranquil morning as the wind and rain that had hit hard the night before disappeared without a trace. As soon as the rain stopped, people who had cringed in the face of the clamorous roar throughout the night hung their flags in celebration of Independence Day. Wanting to cross the street that had become so clean, Jinseok got off the railroad before reaching the bio research center. On the roadside, plants from the underground had pierced through the ground seeking the sun and showed off their rampant leaves. Under the holes forged by the roots of the plants, a faint roar could be heard coming from the old urban area of Seoul. It appeared to be the exhaust emitted from the old cars using fossil fuel. Jinseok lifted his head and peered at the grand, immortal city which continued self proliferation unceasingly. Seoul, which was one of the thirteen immortal cities in the world, was built on top of the former urban area; therefore, the entire city was made of duplexes. Naturally, the weaklings of society who did not have the strength to move and could not get renewed by mechanized body ended up living in the old city, in the Seoul underground. Out of reach from the law, the underground was a chaotic place where childish, young rich kids would occasionally drive recklessly old cars using expensive fossil fuel. Immortals perceived the Seoul underground where mortals lived to a hotbed of crime, and people running for mayor always made campaign pledges that they would clean up the Seoul underground. The mayor elected this time was particular zealous about the issue and a map of the underground after rummaging through the Seoul City Hall Record’s Office. A short time after, the huge white building of the bio research center appeared. On one wall, the names “Seoul Asan Bio Research Center” appeared along with the “DAB” mark which symbolized its cooperation with the DAB Research Company. Before stepping into the hospital, Jinseok stood tall and looked at himself. He looked at his raised hands, then looked down to his legs and then to his feet. People are affectionate for even shoes they have worn for a long time- even immortals were not pleased about changing bodies. After entering the bioresearch center and sleeping for thirty-two days, his body would become pure like the body of a child. He was not happy about doing it. Jinseok looked at the scenery of the street after the rain, which he liked and entered the hospital after firming his resolve.

12.

 August, 22, 2217- the Home of Dr. Gang Wontaek, Seoul I*C An old man was walking down the corridor leading to Dr. Gang Wontaek’s room. The old man walked ruggedly and the fuzz of the red carpet brightly sprung to life as sunlight broke. The old man opened the door and entered the room. Dr. Gang Wontaek put down the book he was reading and took off his glasses. “Didn’t we agree to meet every two months?” “No need to stick to promises you decided on, is there?” “I think you are speaking a little too casual to someone who is your grandfather. What is it anyway?” Without saying a word, the old man threw a small disk on top of the bed. Gang Wontaek took the disk and read the disk through the small display next to the bed. A liquid crystal screen rolled down from the ceiling revealing human internal organs in sections. Dr. Gang looked at the screen while picking up and wearing his glasses. He briefly moaned. Transformed and fragmented cells had invaded the majority of his organs, his brain in particular. “Two months. That’s how much time I have to live. Sixty-nine years is a long enough time I guess. However, I must take care of somebody. I have too many responsibilities to die like this.” Dr. Gang’s pulse shot up. The numerous words spoken by the old man crashed inside his head, and the majority of his words were fatal to Dr. Gang. “I have not lived a moment since that day you grabbed me from that elimination warehouse. I was clearly a living human being. Not only that, but also I was clearly dead. I was dead legally and in real life, as well. Can you explain why I am like this?” Dr. Gang grabbed his chest with his right hand, pressed down, and replied in agony. Although it was not the first time he had been asked that question, it flustered him every time he heard it. “You already know this. At the time, that was my only choice.” “That’s right. I still understand that. I am very grateful to you. Whatever the case may be, you saved my life. But that was not the only choice I would have to make.” “What are you talking about…” “I want my life back. For my own sake and for the sake of the people who follow me.” “In what way for god’s sake? You don’t exist. You are like a ghost!” “You know fully well that there’s not much to think about. I want to do that. The thing you have been working on.” Dr. Gang felt hopelessly remote as if he had fallen off a cliff. “Even if you do that, you will still remain. It’s a paradox. An absolute paradox!” “I know. I agonized about that very issue. But I reached a conclusion. I would be satisfied to experience what the victims of a murder feel as they see the murderer given the death penalty or what parents feel when they give birth to children and raise them. And “I” will be able to watch over them continuously.” Dr. Gang looked at the old man with a stupefied look on his face. Words that had reached his throat shattered into a million pieces and Dr. Gang regretted his past. He regretted as if he was talking about somebody else.

13.

August 15, 2217- Seoul Asan Bio Research Center (Formerly Seoul Asan Hospital) The room he was taken to had two bathtubs. Although it would be misleading to call something a “bathtub” when it was not used for washing, it could be called nothing else because of its uncanny resemblance to a bathtub. He was lying in a mobile bed and the bathtub next to him was filled with water; and in the other bathtub, somebody was reclining in the water. The face of the person lying in the bathtub was covered with an opaque silicon mask. He felt the urge to see who the person behind the mask was but he knew this desire was not a result of simple curiosity. If he took off that silicon mask, he would have been deluded into thinking he was looking at himself in the mirror. The effects of anesthesia had not kicked in yet but his five senses started to become desensitized. Sounds started to fade, and although he could see things clearly, he could not recognize what they were clearly. People dressed in pure white disinfected gowns bustled around him, coming and going. One of them approached him and made eye contact. As if some kind of protective coloring, he assimilated into the surrounding white color and it seemed like only his eyes were floating around. While the mask of the man wearing the disinfected gown rustled, he could hear a voice clearly- it was not muffled at all. “One, two, three, four, five… s-s-six… seven…” The surroundings faded away. He was penetrating time. That’s not right. He felt as if he was penetrating time. Because the force of the times that had passed by was too strong to keep the memories contained in his head, memories that had been pushed away rose in lumps to the surface like stirred, warped mud. The memories that rose to the surface became air bubbles and popped at the surface of the water, and they affected him as they drew tiny ripples across the surface. Ah, ah… He let out a sigh. Rediscovering forgotten memories was splitting his self-consciousness into two. The self he recognized in the “present” and the self he recognized as being his expanded, “past” self were different in many regards, and he was unfamiliar with that different self that was different. He did not feel that way for a long time. The countless number of creatures who resembled his present self were floating like soap bubbles around him and immediately flickered. After the flickering of all his memories, he could feel that only his present self, who he could always easily feel, only remained. However, this feeling did not last for a long time. Each memory started to diverge. He felt as if he was gradually shriveling and felt as if he was getting smaller; he tried to block the divergences from occurring but once divergence began, it could not be stopped. Ah, ah… Although he sighed again, he sighed for a different reason than before. The self which had expanded into the past continued to converge on the invisible point known as the present. And soon after, he could no longer see even that self. Ah… He could no longer speak.

14.

August 23, 2217- Seoul International Station

After the unification of Korea, the Buui Line which connected the Gyeongui Line and the Gyeongbu Line that crossed over Sinuiju and traveled all the way to Beijing was resurrected for the first time in a 100 years since the train ran from Busan to Beijing in 1939. After that, after ten or so years of construction, they built a railroad line connecting all the way to Lisbon, Europe and Cape Town, Africa, and from that moment on, the unified Korea opened a new era as the distribution hub of the northeast. Along the total length, which measured 16,317 kilometers, Seoul Station had developed and completely transformed into an important station along this “railway artery.” Just sitting in a corner of Seoul International Station one could hear at least 60% of the languages existing in the world. However, indifferent to the developments of Seoul Station, homeless people filled every corner of the station. Yi Seongchan blended in with the homeless people and was hunched over. On the big screen in front of Seoul Station, a news reporter was talking over the newly elected mayor’s press conference. “Mayor Gong Sangdu established the following two weeks from today as the period where underground dwellers voluntarily report themselves and the mayor asked for their cooperation. Mayor Gong Sangdu promised on several occasions as a campaign pledge to handle underground Seoul, which has become a hotbed of crime, in a sound and humanitarian way. The measures which will be executed this time will also based on these intentions...” “Humanitarian my ass.” Yi Seongchan grumbled as he looked at the screen. Some captain of the Capital Defense Command came on the screen and was going on about how the Seoul underground was hurting the national image of the country. Without any explanations, it was clear what they were going to do after the two weeks of the humanitarian and wholesome voluntary reporting period. Yi Seongchan was wearing a dirty, unseasonably warm jacket that he had no idea where he had gotten but he was still wearing his dark fatigues. Seongchan took out his cellular phone and checked who had called. A short message left ten days ago was the last message he had received. “Don’t bother coming back Yi Seongchan. Orders have already been issued here for your extermination. –Gim Gijun.” As soon as he received that message, his cell phone died. Seongchan fumbled for the cigarette in his pocket and put it in his mouth. Although it was not that long ago, he could not remember if it started to rain before Seong Sangdu died or after. If it was raining, he thought of the rain falling behind Seong Sangdu who had a bullet pierce through his body and the blood spreading over the surface of the water; if that was not the case, he thought of the dust that rose as Seong Sangdu collapsed. It was troubling him but it was not a big deal. On August 13 Seongchan discovered a mechanized body that was still alive before undergoing elimination. In the beginning, people were able to accept the whole body package substitute because only the “body” was exchanged. People believed through the whole hippocampus transplantation, which governs the human memory chain, the long-term memory and even the mid and short-term memories that swam in the brain as a form of electric charges were expanded to long-term memory through hippocampus reinforcement; in other words they thought there was no memory loss whatsoever when moving into another body. But that was not true. Memories were simply being duplicated. Seongchan had no way of knowing what that technology entailed but it was a formidable enough to shock to him, as he had been renewed three times. In some unknown place, he had collapsed and died. And this happened three times for that matter. Only now was he able to understand everything and he realized he had uncovered a huge secret. Reeling in shock, the moment both of them tried to escape an intense searchlight dropped in from the high windows of the distribution warehouse. He vaguely heard the sound of a gyro helicopter, the sound of a large number of soldier boots pounding the ground and heading inside. He saw soldiers who were wearing dark gray fatigues in preparation for a street battle. They did not ask any questions but immediately began to fire their anti-personnel rail guns. In spite of their small size, when the uranium bullets, which were .01mm in diameter and burst through a strong electromagnetic field reaction, hit things, they made everything explode like small bombs instead of simply penetrating. It was a formidable obstacle. Although Seong Sangdu informed them while rushing for cover that they were prosecutors and that he was a junior prosecutor of the violent crimes section in the Seoul I.C Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, they continued to fire their rail guns anyway. While avoiding the rail gunfire, Seongchan realized how ridiculous it was that these rail guns were made to kill people. Although the biological functions could be preserved when being shot by K-2 or shotgun, human beings could still die from the momentary shock. However, the rail guns made holes big enough for a head to fit through! Although he knew people said the guns were made to prevent crimes committed by people using mechanized body, it didn’t really hit home with him until he was under fire. The two men that had gone outside realized they were the targets of a hit and they started to run without saying a word. It was raining outside. Large raindrops pounded their faces. Seong Sangdu was a slender type mechanized body while Yi Seongchan was the normal type; a gap quickly formed between them. The bullets of the rail gun sprayed all over the place and broken pieces scratched his body. In an instant, Seong Sangdu ran in the opposite direction before Seongchan could stop him. “Seong Sangdu! What are you doing!” “Run prosecutor! Both of us won’t make it.” As Seong Sangdu ran, he injected himself with the shot packed in his shoulder. At the moment, Seong Sangdu jumped unbelievably high. The soldiers saw Seong Sangdu’s sudden attack and pointed their rail guns toward the sky. Seong Sangdu who had remained still, kicked off the wall of the distribution warehouse and rushed towards the soldiers while screaming: “Go!” That’s when Seongchan started to run. If he were to die as well, it would have been a useless death. As a slender type body that stressed speed, Seong Sangdu ran to the soldiers and moved in all directions, hitting and taking out soldiers. As they were engaged in hand to hand combat the soldiers could not fire their rail guns, they took out their secondary weapons and pointed them at Seong Sangdu. He hit his limit in no time. It was too much to ask for a 35-kilogram slender type body to disarm the heavily equipped soldiers. The effect of the medication started to wear off and he started to feel something stuffy in his own nostrils. Seong Sangdu stopped briefly and the noise of gunfire, which had been intermittent, burst as if a dam had burst. Seongchan continued to run while covering his ears. Even after his surroundings had gone quiet and he was no longer being chased, Seongchan did not stop. If he stopped running, he thought he would go insane. When he gathered his senses, he was standing at the Lotte World arcade, which was part of the Seoul underground residence. Seongchan blended in with the homeless people and started investigating who the owner of the K-2 was and the fourteen duplicated contact lenses, which were used during the attack of the distribution warehouse. Seongchan looked at the wall clock hanging from the plaza at Seoul International Station. It was 12:58. With two minutes left before his appointment, Seongchan tossed his cigarette to the ground and rubbed it with his shoes before starting to move again. Seongchan entered the restroom at Seoul International Station and stood at the fourth urinal from the right. Nothing was coming out, but someone standing at the next urinal spoke. “Oh, it’s very small.” Seongchan was somewhat taken aback by the password but he responded quietly. “You don’t need a big one to urinate.” “That’s true. Is there somebody you want?” After confirming he was the contact lens dealer, Seongchan responded with a question: “Not really. There’s something else I am more curious about.” The lens dealer sensed something was wrong and tried to run away, but Seongchan grabbed the dealer by the collar. Yi Seongchan dragged the lens dealer to the toilets and after sitting him down, he twisted his collar a little more before asking: “Hey, hey. Why are you in such a hurry? I just want to ask you a simple question… Who asked for Ha Jinseok’s contact lens?” The lens dealer started to struggler tenaciously. “Geez! Are you a cop?” Seongchan drew the weapon from the back of his waist and shoved the gun down the lens dealer’s mouth while speaking. “I was a cop but I turned in my badge. If you have no desire to live, keep your mouth shut. If you want to see the sun rise tomorrow and ask someone else that stupid password, I suggest you answer my question.” The lens dealer anxiously nodded his head and Seongchan withdrew the gun from his mouth. The lens dealer grabbed his own throat and started to cough violently. “Good. I see we’re ready to have a conversation.”

15.

John Dugall changed in many regards after getting married. He converted to his wife’s religion. After seeing Dugall take sacrament with his two hands pressed together in prayer, the people who knew the extent to which Dugall had ridiculed religion started to believe that no limit existed to how much a man could change. Although his theory on materialism might have been intellectually superior, he said that his understanding of people had been deficient- he said there was room for reevaluating his theory of dualism which had been philosophically refuted the most. John Dugall was happier than any human being could be during this time; although he was still considered a great scientist, many thought he had lost his brilliance. Dugall did not pay attention to the discontent expressed by his fellow scholars. Unlike originally predicted, developing a carnal substitute that used a silicon life form was growing more remote and indefinite. Dugall started to believe in the inner perfection of human beings. Dugall started to believe in the existence of some transcendental being and that this being decided the fate of human beings. Dugall started to understand greatness inside the meanings of hackneyed words like “love,” “friendship,” and “faith.” Kiyosiki Annabel, his wife, was the one who had changed him.

16.

September 16, 2217- Seoul Asan Bio Research Center, Seoul I*C Sunlight entered the hospital room and Ha Jinseok wearing a lightly fluttering hospital gown woke from his sleep and got up. As soon as he got up, Jinseok smelled alcohol in his nostril that seemed as if it was pressing down on his mucous membrane. It was the hospital. Jinseok did not have a problem recognizing where he was. Jinseok lifted his own arm. His shoulder and elbow naturally moved in a peristaltic manner and his hand approached his own eyes. There was a white tag on Jinseok’s wrist: “AB age 58- age 69- sex male- name Ha Jin-seok.” Jinseok tried moving his fingers successively. When he tried moving his baby finger, he slightly trembled as the finger curled toward his palm- his ring finger did not budge. Regardless of the ring finger, his middle finger and index finger curled back in order towards his palm and brushed against his thenar eminence. Jinseok glared at his ring finger, shook his hand, and tried again. He moved his baby finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger, and thumb. His fingers moved in order towards his palm and returned to their original position. Jinseok smiled in satisfaction. A nurse with her hair tied back and wearing a net approached him. Unlike other nurses, nurses for the mechanized body center wore black uniforms. After inputting with a pen the numbers on the machines next to Jinseok into her portable computer, she asked Jinseok some questions. Unbefitting her animated voice, as she approached, she smelled of hydrogen peroxide. “Is your body showing any signs of rejection? Do you feel any dizziness or nausea?” Jinseok did not know which question to answer among the barrage of questions leveled by the nurse and replied after hesitating momentarily that everything was all right. The nurse presented him with the portable computer and a plastic stick. “This is your discharge form. Please sign here. Press your thumb in this small square.” Jinseok casually stretched out his hand and paused as he placed the stick on the blank line shown on the portable computer. “Why am I hesitating?” Before he could think through the reason for his hesitation, he had already signed “Ha Jinseok” on the blank line in his familiar handwriting. Somewhat bewildered, Jinseok stamped his thumb; after confirming his signature, the nurse sent Jinseok’s discharge data through the hospital’s host server. Soon after, the laser printer in the room printed out Jinseok’s discharge paperwork and the contract for the mechanized body. The nurse organized the documents and handed it to Jinseok along with this warranty for the mechanized body. “Let’s see. The hospital fee and the cost of renewing the mechanized body will be divided into 72 installments. You need to discharge before 2 PM. You can see information regarding this mechanized body in your warranty for the mechanized body.” Jinseok started to skim through the warranty. A preface written by Dr. John Dugall commonly referred to as “A Case for Being Immortal” was on the front page of the warranty. (The first part has been deleted). I know that you have concerns about my research, the whole body package substitute. I agree with many of your concerns and as the person in charge of this, I feel a great sense of responsibility. However, I have stated by conclusions on numerous occasions. My research did not originate from the unjust motive of defying death; my research originated from the favorable motive of accelerating the growth of human beings as a whole. Human beings have consistently existed as single biological organisms for tens of thousands of years. We wanted the human race to move in a certain direction and we have advanced continuously in that direction. However, we made many mistakes and suffered great waste. When I say “waste,” I am talking about the restoration regarding the continuous damage for consistency incurred when changing generations. When I say “mistake,” I am talking about the numerous problems which were caused by the imperfect restoration for the consistency damage. (Middle part deleted) Because of (omitted), I did not want to see the damages in human history incurred through generation change happening again, and I presented the world with this whole body package substitute for human beings to come closer to their goal of immortality. When Dr. Dugall presented the world with the “whole body package substitute” or what is known as a “mechanized body” in the name of Silica Lucy, the response of the world varied. The religious world was in an uproar. The great scholars belittled it. The people welcomed it. In 2119, already 70% of the world population used for at least one part of their bodies a “carnal substitute.” When having an accident or being born deformed, people preferred exchanging their body for a carnal substitute, which was superior to their pre-existing body in terms of external form or function, instead of opting for treatment that had uncertain results. People considered the “whole body package substitute” to be packaged set of a “carnal substitute” which was created to increase comfort. Therefore, the people welcomed that comfort, and renowned scholars ridiculed it as the invisible mending of the original research. However, that could not have been further from the truth. Unlike the carnal substitute that possessed “life” in an inorganic state through its connection to the body, the whole body substitute preserved life from the beginning. Amidst high opposition and concern, Dr. Dugall opened the DAB (Dugal Artificiality Body) Research Company and made its first sale in the market in 2128. Within six years of its introduction, 670,000 people had ordered the whole mechanized body, but due to limitations in stock, 1,111 people were reborn with whole body mechanized bodies. The world focused on these people. The first generation of people who had received whole mechanized body continued on with their daily lives as if nothing had happened, and as they continued to live, the world was in an uproar. As a year rolled around, the number of orders skyrocketed in 2129 reaching close to a 100 million orders. Like the Microsoft Corporation of the 20th century, the DAB Research Company made enormous profits, and by the year 2130, 47,000,000 people had become whole body mechanized human beings. And in that same year, Dr. Dugall put a revolver in his mouth and ended his life. Beneath Dr. Dugall’s lengthy writing, the information mentioned in detail about the mechanized body. Printed at the top was the statement, “7 Year Warranty.” Guessing the life span of a mechanized body was difficult. Although they guaranteed 7 years as a standard, using the body for 15 years was considered a long time. Although how the owner used the mechanized body was an important factor in determining the life span of the mechanized body, a large difference existed in the life span between two identical models regardless of management. In severe cases, some people would have to go in for re-transplantation after using the mechanized body for merely a year, but the Guinness Book of World Records listed a person who had been using a mechanized body for 68 years. Jinseok had used his mechanized body for seventeen years, which was a long time. Under the warranty year, it listed the numerical values of the mechanized body. -Height= 178 centimeters -Original weight= 33.6 kilograms -Added weight= 32 kilograms (silicon, mercury) -Total Weight= 65.6 kilogram Although the mechanized body was much lighter than the actual weight of the person, it recreated the normal motor ability of human beings; therefore, the body would not be able to maintain everyday bodily sensations because it was too light. Consequently, silicon and other things were added to the mechanized body to add weight. Jinseok felt that his emotions were still jittery, but he settled himself down by telling himself it was a temporary thing. This was his sixth renewal of a mechanized body. Since his last renewal was seventeen years ago, a long enough time had elapsed for him to forget the feeling, but he could never forget that feeling because memories were particularly vivid after renewal. The broadening and strengthening of the power of memory and the numbness of emotions were common conditions that arose after renewal. Emotions like happiness, sadness, rage, and agony are not concrete and the person is left with only the feeling of confusion. Although each person reacted differently, for the most part, the person regained his or her senses after the first month. He left the Seoul Asan Bio Research Center, which seconded for the mechanized body center, and entered an automated taxi. After he inputted his destination into the automated taxi, like a boat departing from a port the rear suspension vibrated before the automated taxi took off. The automated taxi immediately reached speeds of a 180 km/hr and the taxi did not slow down even as it rounded curves. The railroad the automated taxis traveled on spread across Seoul, but Jinseok’s house was somewhat distant from the railroad. So, he would get out of the taxi and switch to a hydrogen fueled car. Although it was better that cars that used fossil fuel, hydrogen fueled cars used the same engines as fossil fuel cars that ran by exploding fuel and expending exhaust; therefore, the cars were very loud. He arrived in his home in Sangam in a short time. As soon as he got home, someone hugged him. It was a woman with an athletic body and dark eyes that reminded him of an herbivorous animal. Her name was Yi Gyeonga and she was Jinseok’s civil partner. She was mentally very young, as she had been renewed to mechanized bodies only twice. Jinseok lightly hugged Gyeonga and stepped inside his home. Jinseok felt that Gyeonga was sad about something. Her eyes were swollen and her shoulders slightly trembled. He guessed that she had been crying. Jinseok rubbed Gyeonga’s eyes and asked: “What’s the matter?” “It’s nothing. I got up a little shook up.” Gyeonga was trying to hide something, but Jinseok noticed the document on the table. Printed at the top of the document in bold letter was “NOTICE OF INFANT DELIVERY RANKING.” Jinseok picked up the document on the table. The document stated that it regretted to inform the civil partner family, Ha Jinseok and Yi Gyeonga, that they had dropped in the rankings to have a baby and the writing was filled with tedious rhetoric. As Gyeonga saw the document again, she started to sob as she was overcome with emotions again. “W-W-Why aren’t we allowed to have a baby?” Of course, there were many reasons. In the city of Seoul where only a hundred people died a year, letting people have children at will would have already pushed the city into an over saturation state. In addition, everybody who had received renewals were maintaining bodily functions that were those of people in their twenties and thirties. Furthermore, couples needed to pass an interview process and document review in order to have a child. Gyeonga and Jinseok were able to pass the interview, which tested the human nature of parents without any problems, but there biggest obstacle remained that they had not made any concrete contributions to society. Gyeonga was aware of this fact but putting this aside, she felt it was unjust that she needed the permission of the government to have a child. Jinseok could offer no consolation and simply hugged her tightly. As Jinseok looked into Gyeonga’s watery eyes, he felt as if the aftereffects of the renewal were subsiding. Without saying a word, Jinseok kissed Gyeonga. Gyeonga naturally parted her lips at Jinseok’s sudden advance. Moments later, Jinseok pulled away and looked straight into Gyeonga’s eyes and spoke. “Don’t rush things. We will have a child soon.” Gyeonga grabbed Jinseok and pulled him toward the sofa in the living room. Jinseok started to unbutton Gyeonga’s shirt. At Jinseok’s familiar touch, Gyeonga was quickly undressed. Jinseok felt as if Gyeonga was breathing faster than normal. Jinseok placed his hand on Gyeonga’s breasts and touched her nipples. Gyeonga had spent a long time away from her husband and got excited immediately. Gyeonga placed her hand on Jinseok’s back to push him in deeper. Gyeonga who was absorbed in the act suddenly pushed Jinseok away as if surprised by something. Jinseok was flustered and asked: “What’s wrong?” Gyeonga’s eyes were wide open and she looked at Jinseok. “No, it’s just that it’s been such a long time…it suddenly feels very foreign.” Gyeonga spoke ambiguously. The awkward silence between the two broke and the sound of the chime bell and a low voice alarm broke into the air. “A letter has arrived. Should I deliver it by voice?” “No, I’ll read it myself.” Jinseok put his clothes back on. Feeling somewhat apologetic, Gyeonga grabbed Jinseok’s hand and Jinseok smiled awkwardly at Gyeonga. The black screen of the LCD stood on one side of the living room and a very stiff looking gothic font with a black ribbon started to roll up the screen. The writing started to rise, and Jinseok started to feel dizzy. His emotions, which had gotten under control, started to waver again. “Ahh…” Gyeonga who had followed behind Jinseok groaned and let out a sigh as she read the writing on the screen. “Grandfather…” It happened. It was a death notification. Dr. Gang Wontaek, Jinseok’s maternal side grandfather, had died from senile decay.

(to be continued)