“Please show me your hand for
fingerprint registration.”
“... “
“Hand! Give me your hand! No,
not there! Here, hold it like this!”
Jin-woo, sitting in one corner,
quietly observed the frustrated employee and the man, who was slowly responding
to each request.
“Oh my, my fortune-telling
says...”
The employee sighed and mumbled
to herself, nervously fiddling with her hands as she continued the registration
process.
After a few more keyboard taps,
she finally handed the man a black slingback shoe and a card with a
necklace-like cord, saying, “Here, take this. Don’t forget it! Got it?”
“... “
“Well, you’re a long way from
coming to your senses.”
When the man just stared blankly
at the items in his arms, the employee got up and put the card around his neck
herself before pushing him towards the waiting area.
“Alright, you go over there!”
“Yes.”
Jin-woo sat down, mentally
preparing himself for whatever questions he was going to be asked.
Unfortunately, the employee didn’t give him a chance to ask any.
“So, we’ve already entered the
location and time of discovery...”
“Excuse me, but why are you
doing this?”
“Oh, looks like you have a
question, too.”
“Yes?”
“If everyone just followed me
this much, I would be much more comfortable,” said the employee, muttering as
if in relief upon seeing Jin-woo’s nervous reaction.
“What was the question again?
Ah, this. We need to do it, or we’ll be in big trouble,” she added in an
indifferent tone.
“So, could you explain exactly
what it is...?”
“We don’t have time, so just
give me your hand for now...Okay. Here, take this welcome kit. There’s an
instruction manual inside, so make sure to read it later.”
Although it seemed like they
were registering the identities of people somehow, Jin-woo was at a loss for
words because of the employee’s one-sided attitude of just doing her job.
“Do you not need my name or date
of birth?”
“You remember them, right?”
“...”
The employee’s inquiry appeared
peculiar in some aspect. Their demeanor suggested that it was common for those
who were registering to be perceived as mentally incapable. For instance, the
way she engaged with the man who was saved alongside him.
The employee, who interpreted
Jin-woo’s silence as she pleased, smiled as if to say, ‘I expected nothing from
you.’ Then said, “That’s something you’ll need when you become a formal
citizen. Until then, think about it carefully. Well, it doesn’t matter if you
can’t remember until the end.”
“...”
“This is more important than
that now. Here, take it. You might have heard it already, but be careful not to
lose it.”
Jin-woo reflexively examined the
card that the employee handed him. From a distance, he couldn’t tell, but it
was a transparent card with nothing written on it.
Jin-woo gazed at the card,
noticing an unusual rock-like object affixed in the space designated for an IC
chip on a regular credit card. With a perplexed expression, he inquired,
“What is this?”
“Well, that’s a normal
reaction.”
“Excuse me?”
Jin-woo looked at the employee
with a puzzled expression. The other acted as if she was dealing with a smart
dog.
“Oh, sorry. It’s been a while
since I got a proper question... That’s a point card. It’s like an ID card and
a bank account combined.”
“A point card?”
“It’s a bit complicated to
explain, but basically, people like you who are not citizens don’t have credit
to create a proper bank account. So, instead of using currency, you can use
points.”
There was nothing in the
employee’s explanation that Jin-woo could easily understand.
And judging from her attitude so
far, it seemed difficult to get a sincere answer even if he asked more
questions.
Jin-woo took a deep breath and
looked around the information desk for a moment.
His gaze landed on a poster
attached to one wall, like a refugee shelter.
[We support your new life!]
The words engraved on the poster
were clearly unfamiliar.
But I can read it with no
problem.
Jin-woo rolled his eyes and
looked at the employee in front of him.
A clueless foreigner. Someone he
had conversed with just fine.
Come to think of it, neither
Cliff nor his party were Koreans either.
Then.
“...Where exactly is this
place?”
“Oh, it’s been a long time since
I received that question.”
“Explain it properly!”
Paaaah!
Jin-woo’s voice was drowned out
by the sound of a horn suddenly coming from afar.
Turning around, he saw people
gathering on the platform.
“Oh no, it’s already time.”
The employee said that as she
took out two tickets from the drawer, one for Jin-woo and one for the man
sitting there absentmindedly.
[One-week free pass - regular
seat]
“Hey, hey! You can take the
train with this government-supported ticket for the first week, so take care of
it well. You can visit the factory in the next city and, if you’re lucky, you
can even have an interview.”
“What? The factory?”
“Well, there’s nothing more I
can do for you, even if you keep clinging onto me here. It’s better for you to
get on this train for now.”
The employee pushed Jin-woo and
the man next to him out of the information booth as if she were driving away
people with no money out of her store.
“Be sure to read the guidebook
in your bag. And it would be wise to listen to the ‘Roamers’ you ride with
about what to do next. It seems better to stick to the people who helped you
earlier.”
After the employee got up from
the bench and gestured at the people preparing to board, she went back in
without giving them a chance to catch her.
“Roamers...?”
As Jin-woo mulled over the
unfamiliar word, he raised his head at the voice calling him.
“Hey! Over here!”
“Mr. Cliff?”
On the other side of the
platform, Cliff, who had gone away with some business to attend to, was
standing and waving his hand.
“Have you finished registering?
Did you receive everything you were supposed to receive?”
“Um... I think so.”
“Fortunately, we finished in
time for the train. We can board now.”
Cliff pointed towards the train
approaching the makeshift station.
Zzzzzt!
“Is a train supposed to feel
this big?”
Jin-woo had expected the train
to be like the usual subway trains, but the black train in front of him looked
imposing.
[Gaia Express - Schnesvelt]
Jin-woo unconsciously read the
name engraved on both sides of the train’s front and then looked at the long
line of cars.
Overall, the design was sleek and sturdy, yet elegant in some way. The most captivating feature was the mysterious light-emitting gems embedded on the side of the train.
Drawn to the sensation emanating from the gems, Jin-woo wanted to take a closer look, but Cliff urged him to board the train, as they were already running late.
***
Jin-woo and Cliff’s group were
in the “general seating” car at the back of the train.
The facilities in the car were
noticeably different from the front car that Jin-woo had glanced at through the
window on his way in.
I got a free ticket, but
what about these people...?
Jin-woo sat down and estimated
the financial situation of Cliff’s group.
Since they didn’t have assigned
seats, everyone took a seat where they could find one.
Cliff, who seemed interested in
Jin-woo, sat down next to him and struck up a conversation.
“Hey, young friend. Have you
come to your senses somewhat? Your friend over there still seems to have a few
screws loose.”
“Uh... yes. Thank you for your
help earlier.”
“Haha, one thank you is enough.
But, by the way... there was a dead spider nearby earlier when we found you.
Did you kill it?”
Cliff asked casually, but there
was a hint of anticipation in his voice.
“Uh... no. I didn’t even see it.
Maybe it was struck by lightning or something.”
“Just a little rain and
lightning, and it died? Anyway, you didn’t see it either, did you?”
Jin-woo nodded in response.
“But... was that... a monster?”
“Ha-ha, are you referring to the
spider? Although you appear to be unharmed, it appears that you have yet to
fully recover from the shock.”
“But it was such a big
spider...”
“Are you doubting whether there
are really monsters in the world?”
Cliff burst out laughing.
“There are 10-meter-long snakes
in places like the Amazon on Earth, you know? Well, I haven’t seen one
personally, though.”
“That’s...”
Jin-woo was about to object, but
he shut his mouth. He had just confirmed the identity of the discomfort he had
felt until now.
“Mr. Cliff.”
“Hmm? Why the sudden formality?”
“Where... where are we,
exactly?”
“Hmm, you catch on quick. You
can probably expect good things.”
Instead of answering
immediately, Cliff made a strange remark. Then he patted Jin-woo’s shoulder and
changed the subject.
“Don’t rush things. You’ll find
out naturally in the end.”
“But...”
“You’re just waking up, so take
it easy for now. It’s normal to be a little confused for the first few days
after arriving in this place.”
With those words, Cliff yawned
and stretched. He took a blanket out of his bag and covered himself as if he
was preparing to sleep.
“Learn things slowly but surely.
If you’re bored, you can read the guidebook or something. Well, anyway...”
***
He died and underwent
‘reincarnation.’
Ignoring his newly born body and
changed eye color, the haunting specters of his previous life, as if from a
movie, kept Jin-woo from falling asleep.
An indescribable sense of loss.
Sitting blankly with unresolved
thoughts, he stopped unproductive thinking and instead look at the guidebook he
received from the employee.
The lighting was dim, but he
could still make out the words.
<Schnesvelt Settlement
Guide for Reincarnates>
“...Schnesvelt.”
When he opened the pamphlet,
which was small but thick enough to be about 3 cm, the first page was filled
with tiny letters.
He wondered when he would have
time to read all of this, but subconsciously flipped through the pages until he
stopped at the thick red paper.
[Guide for Those with Superhuman
Abilities]
“What’s this now...?”
Superpowers too? Jin-woo felt an
inexplicable sensation as he continued to read the page.
[Among the 1.5th generation,
there are very rare individuals who possess superhuman abilities, collectively
known as ‘superpowers.’
Their numbers are small, and
proper research has not yet been conducted, but it is believed that they are
closely related to life on Earth.
Representative types of
superpowers:
-Excellent communication ability
with plants and animals
-The ability to control fire,
water, wind, etc. to a small extent
Example: A male 1.5th generation
who lived a normal life for over a year after reincarnation once awakened his
fire ability while looking for a cigarette.
*Whenever you confirm that you
have developed superpowers, please report it to the government and register
immediately.]
Tap.
Jin-woo covered the guidebook
and stared blankly at the ceiling, with his throbbing head leaning against the
chair.
As he was exposed to too much
unbelievable information all at once, it felt like his mind was going crazy.
Flicker...
The dim light kept flickering,
as if its lifespan had expired. Jin-woo’s eyes furrowed involuntarily.
Not only is this disturbing,
but the flickering makes me feel even more uneasy.
This can’t happen on a train
in South Korea...
Jin-woo recalled the bright
lights inside the subway that shone day and night.
If only I could stand under
that light right now.
And the moment he had that
thought, his vision suddenly became much brighter.
