Nana Yuki was worried about something else. The lack of lighting didn't really affect the visibility of the displayed jewels; they sparkled no matter what light hit them. It was astonishing to see such valuable items displayed without any security.
"Is a jewelry exhibition usually this big?"
I've never been to a jewelry exhibition before. As I pointed at a piece of amethyst larger than my height and asked Yuki, she replied with a look of disbelief.
"I've never seen an exhibition of this scale. There's a sapphire the size of my torso over there. ...It must be fake, right?"
"It wasn't here when I came yesterday."
Seo Ji-hyuk, holding the android by the neck, looked around the exhibition hall filled with minerals, appearing bewildered.
"That's the lighting I fixed; it was completely empty before. If there were any, I would have picked one up and put it in my pocket."
Baek Ae-young, standing a distance away, responded with a look of disbelief.
"How could you carry something that size?"
Even the smallest gemstones were almost as thick as a person's thigh. They were essentially chunks of rock, so they must be incredibly heavy. I snapped my fingers and said,
"Cable car! It must have been moved here from the first underwater base to the second underwater base using the cable car at the end of the exhibition hall."
"Since the elevator isn't far from here, they might have used an automated cart or a medic to transport it."
Seo Ji-hyuk scratched his head and said. Shin Hae-ryang glanced at the exhibits and frowned. I asked Shin Hae-ryang, who seemed uncomfortable and silent,
"Do you have any knowledge about these minerals?"
"No. They're blinding."
There were enormous pieces of quartz and aquamarine, a massive piece of carnelian, and an emerald the size of a human head. There was also a ruby as thick as an arm. The only minerals I recognized were the purple amethyst and the mercury droplets from the cinnabar, thanks to a visit to an amethyst cave in the past.
The android started moving toward a diamond displayed in the center of the exhibition hall. When we got closer, we realized the diamond was almost the size of two adult fists. Even someone like me, who has no desire for jewels, felt the urge to take it just by looking at its brilliance. It was so dazzling that nothing else in the hall caught my eye. Seeing this, I understood why diamonds are so highly regarded. It was overwhelmingly captivating.
I understood why people give such jewels to each other. With all the gems gathered and lit, the diamond in the center was the only thing visible. Come to think of it, my friend cried over her bank account while buying a diamond the size of a fingernail for her wedding. If it were the size of two fists, how much more would it cost?
When we were about six steps away from the diamond, it was as large as a medium-sized dog. This size must be synthetic, right? Natural diamonds are hard to find and wouldn't come in this size. The android, looking at us admiring the diamond, said,
"The_oldest_mineral_here."
I thought the android, assigned to this exhibition, would know something, but I didn't expect it to give a precise answer. I was startled when it did.
"About_4.5_billion_years."
"路路路路路That's about the same age as Earth."
Wasn't Earth about 4.5 billion years old? I vaguely remembered learning this in Earth science, but it had been so long that I forgot. I can barely remember my own age each year. Yuki, remembering Earth's age, seemed impressed. ...No, if that's the case, this diamond must have been formed around the same time as Earth. So it must be a natural diamond?
"Along_with_the_birth_of_the_stars."
The diamond's brilliance was almost blinding. I thought if all the lights in this hall were turned off, this one would still shine. It was that intensely bright. As Seo Ji-hyuk, sitting on the android's arm, said to Baek Ae-young, his voice was so loud that everyone could hear it.
"Baek Ae-young. Take out the alcohol and put this in your bag."
I burst out laughing at this, and Yuki looked at Seo Ji-hyuk with disbelief. Shin Hae-ryang and Baek Ae-young also stared at Seo Ji-hyuk, equally incredulous. Seo Ji-hyuk, scratching his head, said to Baek Ae-young,
"Looking at the setup here, this place is run by a crazy cult. If this place floods or a gunfight breaks out, no one will notice if the jewels are missing. Even if we take them, who would say anything?"
Yuki, who had been listening with her mouth open, immediately countered,
"I wouldn't touch the jewels of a crazy cult. Even touching the jewels of a sane person can cause a fuss, let alone the items of a cult that has armed itself and taken over an underwater base. I don't even want to imagine how terrible the consequences would be. And the diamond in the center of the exhibition must be very important. If it goes missing, they'll search for it with a vengeance. They won't let us go!"
Baek Ae-young, estimating the size of the diamond, pointed out another issue.
"How do you put an 8kg object in a bag? Carrying heavy things on your back slows you down."
Thinking about it, the cat in my bag, which I got back from Baek Ae-young, weighs about 6kg. Baek Ae-young carried my bag with the cat, two 1.5L bottles of water, and a bottle of alcohol without any complaints, almost flying up the stairs. It seemed she preferred carrying the cat to carrying a diamond of that size.
Seo Ji-hyuk looked at Shin Hae-ryang, then at me, after seeing the expression on Shin Hae-ryang's face, which seemed to say, "No way." I shook my head. I have two bags, but one has a 6kg cat on my back, and the other has a snake inside. Even the cat sometimes screams on my shoulder. Asking me to carry a diamond?
Moreover, I had only thought diamonds were pretty based on photos and videos. Seeing the real thing up close, it was so dazzling and bright that it was a bit scary. It felt like looking at lightning.
I was overwhelmed by the brilliance of the diamond, but I've never taken anything that isn't mine. I've taken a few bites of snacks or drinks from friends, but this is different. Seo Ji-hyuk seemed very reluctant to leave the diamond behind.
"If we take just one, we won't have to work for the rest of our lives!"
His words reminded me of my family's situation and the fact that I might not even get my first paycheck because of the company's state. I stared at the diamond, and Shin Hae-ryang warned Seo Ji-hyuk,
"Think about your own life first."
Seo Ji-hyuk's mouth dropped open, but he didn't seem to want to defy his team leader, who had carried, piggybacked, and supported him. His eyes darted around the others, and then he frowned. Resigned to his fate, he sighed deeply. He kept lamenting about the unowned jewels scattered around, how much he wanted them, and how much he regretted not taking them.
I could understand his feelings very well. I'm not rich either. But in my current state, I can't carry a jewel. If I had the stamina of Baek Ae-young or Shin Hae-ryang, I might have tried to take it. After walking the endless stairs between the third and second underwater bases, I'm walking like a newborn deer, trembling with every step. After the intense run from the deep-sea aquarium to the exhibition hall, I just want to collapse on the floor. I'm only carrying the cat bag because I'm a living being; if it were a jewel, I would have dropped it long ago.
Baek Ae-young, leading the way, passed a ruby almost as tall as the ceiling and a large opal the size of two large dogs. I followed with Yuki, then Seo Ji-hyuk, and finally Shin Hae-ryang.
Seo Ji-hyuk was still asking the android if it could send the diamond to his house via courier or move it outside the underwater base. Yuki, listening to the android's monotone responses, suddenly asked,
"What happens if we take the jewels out of the exhibition hall?"
A chill ran down my spine. The goosebumps on my back and neck made me turn around, and I saw Yuki and Seo Ji-hyuk with shocked expressions. Most of the connections between the underwater bases are via elevators. The escape pods are only used in emergencies.