Humanity Protection Company

Illustrations: None.

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They walked through the narrow concrete hallway in the basement.

Dr. Kim, leading the new employees somewhere, raised her voice with passion and academic fervor.

"Culture. It drives people mad. Makes them laugh, cry, feel moved, burns their passion, and even leads to death."

Her enthusiastic voice echoed through the gray hallway. It felt strange. She didn\'t seem like this type of person at first glance. The new employees widened their eyes and stepped back a few paces.

Dr. Kim, absorbed in her own world, continued speaking rapidly.

"Movies, songs, idols, dances, paintings, sculptures, novels, poetry, literature, dramas, musicals. What do all these have in common? What power does this culture hold?"

"Is it about giving the audience or readers new experiences?" Seoyeon asked cautiously from behind.

Dr. Kim shook her head without turning around.

"No. That\'s not it."

She suddenly turned under the nameplate of the First Laboratory, looking at the new employees with wide, staring eyes. Seoyeon flinched and stopped. The following new employees also stopped.

From a slight distance, her voice became sharp and high-pitched.

"It\'s about controlling people."

"...Controlling?"

Her unexpected words continued.

"When people see a great work of art, they often feel similar emotions. Why? Because art controls people in that way. It controls their souls, their brains, their physical reactions."

"Do you mean like crying when watching a sad movie or laughing at a funny one?" Kang Yeol asked, trying hard to understand.

Dr. Kim smirked. Her hand moved to the doorknob of the First Laboratory.

"You\'ll understand when you see it."

She opened the door wide and said, "Now, you will witness the power of culture that can kill people."

Dr. Kim disappeared through the open door. From a few steps away, the new employees couldn\'t see what lay beyond the door. Only the bright lights of the laboratory cast a square shadow on the hallway.

The new employees stood frozen in place, their faces stiff. They felt like mice facing a snake, encountering something unfamiliar. Their bodies wouldn\'t move.

Then, someone pushed through the crowded hallway of new employees. It was Yeonwoo from the back.

He clenched his lips and strode forward.

‘Think of this as an evaluation. Move actively and proactively. This is the company you\'ll be working for, and these are the anomalies you\'ll face. Don\'t be afraid. Adapt.\'

Yeonwoo paused for a moment at the sight of the First Laboratory, then walked resolutely to stand beside Dr. Kim.

"Let\'s go in."

"Did you mention the Werther effect...?"

"Let\'s go."

Following him, the other new employees regained their composure and hurried in.

"..."

"..."

They were speechless at the sight of the laboratory, standing in a daze.

"Is the experiment ready?"

"Oh, Dr. Kim. We\'re about to start. Are those behind you new recruits?"

"They\'re here for a tour. It\'s better to see once than hear a hundred times."

"That\'s true, but..."

Vroom-

The laboratory buzzed with the vibrations of computers and unidentified machines.

A researcher in a white coat sat at a computer, typing on the keyboard. The young researcher glanced at the glass window.

"Won\'t it be tough to see something like this from the beginning? They might quit."

On the left side of the laboratory, a large glass window replaced the wall.

Behind the glass, in a containment room, a person was tightly bound against a concrete wall. Wires hung around their head, swaying, but their face was not visible.

In front of their face was a tall, vertical lectern, so it wasn\'t clear what was on it.

"Anyone who runs away at this point won\'t last long anyway."

"That\'s true. Well then, shall we begin?"

Just as the researcher reached out to pull the microphone in front of the glass window, Han Changseong, the former police officer, raised his hand and interrupted.

"Is this a human experiment? Why is that person tied up?"

"It\'s legally compliant. We have their consent."

"You have their consent?"

"Yes, so don\'t worry. It\'s all legal."

"It\'s not about worry... never mind."

Deciding to observe for now, Han Changseong folded his arms and stepped back.

Seoyeon started examining the equipment, while Kang Yeol stood by the door. The other new employees found their spots.

Yeonwoo stood close to the glass window, watching Dr. Kim and the researcher\'s demeanor. They were as businesslike as if it were a routine task.

\'They\'re so used to dealing with anomalies. There\'s no need to be scared.\'

Then, the experiment began.

"We are commencing the 23rd experiment on the anomalous entity \'36 Reasons I Should Die.\' The purpose of this experiment is to analyze elements of cultural disasters and measure the changes in the entity. The subject..."

The researcher holding the microphone paused briefly, glanced at the new employees, and spoke softly.

"The subject is a judicial trade-off. Can you hear me, subject?"

-Yes, I can hear you clearly.

The voice of a middle-aged man came cleanly through a small speaker. The researcher spoke while only looking at the monitor.

"We will open a book for you to read. Once you finish reading, let us know, and we\'ll turn the page for you."

-I get that, but will you really reduce my sentence if I just read this?

"Yes, of course. Let\'s begin."

Click-

Rustle-

As the researcher pressed a button, the sound of a page turning came from the high-performance speaker. Though not visible, it seemed the page had turned beyond the lectern.

A moment passed, enough time to read one page. The subject spoke.

-I\'ve read it. But is this like a will? It\'s unsettling.

"Keep reading."

Click-

Rustle-

Another page turned. This time enough time passed to read two pages.

-This seems like someone else\'s will. Anyway, I\'ve read it. But if it\'s like this, can\'t you just untie me? I can turn the pages myself.

"No. Just tell us, and we’ll turn the pages for you. Keep reading."

The new employees watched with puzzled expressions, wondering what kind of experiment this was. It didn\'t seem dangerous at all. The person was simply tied up and made to read a book.

For all the talk of death and anomalies, this seemed...

-I\'ve read it. Turn the page.

"Alright. Let us know if you feel anything strange."

-Just turn the page.

Click-

Rustle-

The speaker delivered the sound with perfect clarity, with no noise at all.

Yet, Yeonwoo felt his eyes twitch. His mouth went dry for reasons other than PTSD, and a chilling thought clouded his mind.

Dr. Kim\'s words and the name of the anomalous entity.

‘They\'re experimenting with an anomaly that kills people on a human? They’re really going to kill someone? For real?’

He wanted to believe it wasn\'t true. Yeonwoo glanced at Dr. Kim and the researcher. Their faces were so ordinary. There was no sign of madness.

\'It can\'t be. This company wouldn\'t do such crazy things. It\'s supposed to protect humanity.\'

Yeonwoo opened his palm and wiped it against his pants. The cold sweat beading on his hand was wiped away.

Click-

Rustle-

How many times had the pages been turned?

-I’ve read it. Turn the page.

“Do you feel anything strange, any thoughts coming to mind, or anything special?”

-No. Just turn the page.

“Are you sure?”

The researcher, looking at the computer monitor, asked again. The monitor displayed an image of the person\'s brain, with red warning indicators flashing.

-I said no. Just turn the page.

The subject shook his head from side to side, causing the wires attached to the EEG device to ripple. The researcher checked the monitor\'s readings several times before pressing the button.

“Alright, one more page then.”

-Hurry!

Click-

Rustle-

Not even enough time to read two pages had passed when the subject shouted.

-I’ve read it! Next!

“…”

The researcher looked at the brain model, now lit up in red, and sighed quietly. He spun his chair around and stopped to face Dr. Kim.

“It’s certain. After the last person died, another trait has been added.”

“Not only does it make people want to kill themselves by the end, but it now makes them want to keep reading. Who knows how much more it will change? We should stop the research for now.”

“Then we’ll end today’s experiment here. Continuing might kill him.”

The researcher turned his chair back around to see the convulsing subject.

-Turn the page! Hurry! Hurry!

The subject struggled in his restraints, trying to move his body, bending his head toward the lectern, reaching for the book, and stretching his legs.

But the restraints binding his joints and the chains connected to the wall didn’t budge. His desperate voice echoed through the speakers, almost tearing them apart.

-Why won’t you let me see it? I told you I finished reading! Turn the page!

“Today’s experiment ends here.”

-Stop messing around and turn the page! I want to see it!

“Yes, the experiment is over. Security staff, administer the sedative and isolate him.”

Clang-

The sound of a heavy steel door opening could be heard through the glass. Then the rhythmic sound of boots marching in unison followed, and two men armed like the front gate guards entered the containment room.

-Administering the sedative.

-I’ll find the key to the chains.

The containment room was busy as one pulled out a syringe and the other took a key from his pocket, wrapping up the experiment.

Dr. Kim, standing in the middle of the glass window, turned to face the new recruits. Their bewildered, slightly distrustful, and confused faces awaited her. Dr. Kim let her mouth droop.

“If the new trait was weaker, I would’ve let you experience it directly. But given the situation, that’s not possible.”

“…Is this person acting like that just from reading a book?” Seoyeon asked, pointing at the glass.

They could see the face of the subject slumped sideways. The sedative had loosened his neck and facial muscles, but his eyes remained fixed on the lectern.

The situation made no sense.

“He’s like a drug addict,” Han Changseong muttered. Dr. Kim shook her head.

“This is the kind of anomaly we research here. Just like how culture can control people-”

While Dr. Kim continued her explanation, Yeonwoo secretly let out a sigh of relief.

\'Not all anomalies are necessarily lethal. And the experiments aren’t some insane human experiments.\'

Prepared safety measures. Ethical practices.

The worries about how to adapt to the company were being resolved. His heart, which had been racing, started to beat at a normal pace, and the sticky cold sweat stopped.

The gentle breeze from the laboratory’s air conditioning felt refreshing. Just as Yeonwoo was relaxing his stiff shoulders, he heard it.

Rustle-

The sound of a page turning. The button had not been pressed.