Several people had already gathered in front of the escape pod. Nikita, Yujin, the missing Carlos, and the Russians were all there together.
I walked, wringing out the bottom of my old shirt. I was thinking that it would be nice to wring out and shake off my wet clothes in a corner where no one could see, but a man with black hair sitting next to the escape pod platform turned around.
As soon as I saw his face, I was speechless. I thought Vladimir, with his light blond hair and strong jawline, was handsome, but this was a different kind of good looks. A few strands of wet hair covered half of his smooth forehead, but even with his black hair covering more than half of his forehead, he was strikingly handsome to the point of making me lose my senses.
If I had that face, I could sit in the middle of the city and make a living just by showing my face. Pedestrians would probably nod in agreement and hand over money when they saw that face. Just like how looking at cute dogs or cats can make you feel moved, I realized for the first time that looking at someone so handsome can make your mind go blank. For a few seconds, I was so entranced that I just watched the man as he stood up from his seat.
As he got closer, his face became clearer, and his head and jaw were truly astonishing. It was as if he had a precious golden ratio that should be preserved for the next generation. The man, who had scanned me from head to toe, said:
"My name is Shin Hae-ryang. Are you injured?"
A deep, low voice echoed. Oh... even his lips and teeth are handsome. What madness. How can God be so unfair? But if God were fair, this guy wouldn't be stuck 3 kilometers below the sea. I stared blankly at the man everyone was talking about and replied:
"No, I'm not. My name is Park Mu-hyun. ...Why aren't you escaping?"
"You must be the new dentist. All the functional escape pods have already been launched, so I was thinking about what to do next."
...This was the third most chilling thing I've ever heard. It was creepy. Looking around, there were quite a few people. Including Shin Hae-ryang, Seo Ji-hyuk, Baek Ae-young, Yujin, the five members of the Russian team, Carlos, and a child. There are no escape pods for these people to use? 42 escape pods had already been launched, shooting up like missiles toward the surface. I stared at the monitor and asked:
"What about the non-functional escape pods?"
"There are 13 broken escape pods, but it would be better to move to another dormitory than to use them."
I couldn't see if the child on Viktor's back was there or not, but when he put the child down on the dry floor, everyone's expression except mine was quite something.
"Does anyone know who brought this child?"
Shin Hae-ryang's eyes were cold as he asked. No one answered. From the atmosphere, it was clear that there was no implicit agreement allowing minors to live in the underwater base, which I, as a new recruit, was unaware of. I carefully searched my bag with the cat and pulled out a plastic medicine bottle. Yujin, who approached, read the English on the bottle and frowned.
"This is a sleeping pill."
"A sleeping pill?"
"You seem to be the last one to come from Baekho Dormitory. Which room did you bring this child from?"
"Room 80."
Sofia, who used to live in a room near 70, said mockingly:
"That room is empty."
It was chilling. It wasn't because I was wearing wet clothes from the cold seawater; it felt like a Siberian wind had blown through. Minors are not allowed in the underwater base. If I had brought out two unapproved pets in this atmosphere, I can't imagine how chaotic it would get.
I subtly shifted the two bags I was carrying to my back. I hoped the snake and cat wouldn't make any noise. If they had lived quietly in the dormitory without being discovered, they must be good at it. Show your best. Shin Hae-ryang projected a 3D map of the underwater base in the air with a pad and pointed.
"I and my team will move to the nearest Hyeonmu Dormitory and look for an escape pod there."
75 escape pods in Hyeonmu Dormitory were displayed on the screen. Then, Vladimir pushed the map to the side and pointed to another dormitory.
"From what I saw, Hyeonmu Dormitory is also flooded. How about going to Jujak Dormitory instead?"
Engineer Team A's Baek Ae-young shook her head.
"Going to Jujak Dormitory is dangerous."
"Why?"
"Our team was repairing the outer wall when we saw the Jujak Research Center completely disappear."
"Jujak Dormitory is the largest facility in the 4th Underwater Base. How could it just disappear?!"
Yujin, who lived in Jujak Dormitory, bit her lip and said:
"How about taking the central elevator to the surface? Including the ones under construction, there are 14 elevators in total. Can't we take one of the functional ones?"
Shin Hae-ryang, who had been listening, objected.
"We could either experience the shock again or have a problem while in the elevator, which would be the end. The escape pods are much safer."
As people discussed various escape methods, I started to watch with my arms crossed. After all, I know nothing about the underwater base. Even if swimming out immediately was the best option, I had no counterargument. The engineers who had been here for years would know the base better than a dentist who had only been here for a week.
I stood a bit away from the conversation, listening to the engineers. Beside me, Baek Ae-young was watching her team leader like a released Pokémon. I quietly asked her:
"Ms. Baek Ae-young. I have a question about what was mentioned earlier. Can I ask one thing?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Can't we just take the central elevator, which goes straight to the surface? Isn't it the fastest way to escape?"
Fortunately, Baek Ae-young didn't mock me for being stupid. She turned to look at me after glancing at the escape pod locations in Hyeonmu Dormitory that Shin Hae-ryang was pointing to.
"Do you know we are 3,000 meters below sea level?"
I nodded. Baek Ae-young hesitated for a moment, as if unsure how to explain to someone who knew nothing, and then slowly said:
"There are 14 elevators from -3,000 meters to sea level (0 meters). Only two of them move directly: one is the central elevator, and the other is a cargo elevator inside the Jujak Research Center."
I had only used the central direct elevator to enter and exit the underwater base. After all, I had only been here for five days, and it was already difficult to navigate the 4th Underwater Base, where I lived, and the Central Dormitory, where the restaurant and dental clinic were located, without getting lost.
The central elevator takes about 10 minutes, but compared to taking a subway or bus, it saves a lot of time. Plus, you get to meet all kinds of people in front of the elevator, making it a good opportunity for greetings, name memorization, and casual conversations. Baek Ae-young slowly explained to me:
"The other 12 elevators don't move 3 kilometers in one go. There are 3 elevators from 0 meters to -50 meters, 3 from -50 meters to -200 meters, 3 from -200 meters to -1,000 meters, and 3 from -1,000 meters to -3,000 meters. There is also one elevator under construction in the deep sea."
Easy to remember. 3 elevators from the surface (0 meters) to the 1st Underwater Base, 3 to the 2nd, 3 to the 3rd, and 3 to the 4th, making a total of 12. Adding the 2 elevators that move the entire distance, there are 14 in total. Is this a lot of elevators? Or not enough? I don't know. Seeing my puzzled expression, Baek Ae-young explained more simply:
"Imagine you're on the roof of a super high-rise building. When an earthquake occurs, do you think it's safe to take the elevator down, or not?"
I nodded, saying "I see" as I listened to Baek Ae-young. Normally, elevators move 600 meters per second, but it seems that's not the case here. It takes about 10 minutes to go down to the 4th Under