May 26, 2009

  Gamamusa inserted a needle into Ko A-young’s arm, connecting it to an IV bag as she lay on the bed. She stared at her arm, bewildered. “…You’re really doing this? I’m not ready…” Without a word, Gamamusa injected anesthetic through the IV. Ko A-young passed out instantly. He picked up a surgical saw designed to cut skulls. Whirr… Testing it briefly, he set it down. “…Not this.” He rummaged in a corner, found a surgical drill, and tested it. The drill spun swiftly and steadily.

  “…Hello…” A young Ko A-young opened her eyes. A girl sat before her. Ko A-young realized the girl resembled her. “…Uh, h-hello? Who are you?” The girl smiled brightly. “…I’m Ko Ye-eun, your older sister. Nice to meet you.” Ko A-young was flustered, slowly grasping the odd situation. A dream? It’s too vivid… Young Ko Ye-eun grabbed her hand. “…Don’t overthink it. I’ll stay with you.”

  Ko Ye-eun led her through a dark space. As they walked, the darkness clarified, revealing an expanding area. People appeared—some crying, some laughing, others with grotesque expressions. As the space brightened, Ko A-young noticed some floated above, others lay beneath her feet. Fear gripped her. “…Where are we? Why so many people?” Ko Ye-eun didn’t turn. “…This is a dream. Your brain’s processing a flood of information, creating this to sort it. Don’t worry—it’ll be over soon.”

  “Aagh!” A sudden scream made Ko A-young spin around. A man was pinning a woman to the ground, attempting to rape her. Shocked, she gasped. “…Shouldn’t someone stop that?” Ko Ye-eun shook her head. “That happened 15 years ago. What’s happening live is up ahead.” Ko A-young followed her gesture. Soldiers in green fatigues and helmets fired at hijab-wearing women and children. The women shielded the kids, taking bullets in their backs. As the women died, the children were crushed under corpses. “…We have to stop this!” Ko A-young rushed forward, but her hand passed through the soldiers. They stomped on the women’s bodies, shooting the trapped children to confirm kills.

  Horrified, Ko A-young turned to Ko Ye-eun, who pointed at the soldiers. “That’s live footage from their body cams. Your job isn’t to stop them—it’s to understand them.” Ko A-young whirled. “…Understand them? How? Why?” Ko Ye-eun faced her, her face blurry. “…To stop them, you need to know why they’re doing this.” Feeling uneasy, Ko A-young stepped back. Ko Ye-eun turned and walked away, as if she didn’t know her. The space darkened again. Bang, bang, bang… The sound of soldiers killing women and children echoed, but Ko A-young covered her ears and ran.

  “…Help me…” A voice in Korean stopped her. She scanned the darkness. “…Who’s there?” Following the sound, she saw an 11-year-old boy holding a bloodied knife, his clothes soaked in blood. In front of him, a student-like man clutched his stomach, intestines spilling out, facing a cliff. Ko A-young held her breath, watching. “…Hey, that’s enough.” She turned. A man filming the scene stepped into view, wearing a police uniform, aiming a gun. “Kim Dae-hyun, you’re under arrest. You have the right to a lawyer and to remain silent.”

  …

  August 17, 2014

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Urgh…!” Kim Dae-hyun writhed in pain. A chip was implanted in his brain, wired to a computer feeding him data. “…Is this safe? He looks like he’ll die,” Ko A-young said, watching. Gamamusa, at the computer, glanced at her. “…If he was gonna die, he’d be dead already. He’s on meds, classified as a low-risk sociopath.” Ko A-young stared at Kim Dae-hyun’s agony, lost in thought. “…If I’d stopped it back then, would things be different?”

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