Chapter Text
Vancouver International Airport, Canada
"Hey, kid, what time is it?"
I rolled my eyes and pulled up the sleeve of my hoodie. Ironically, among the three of us - one who won the lottery, one who owned multiple private jets, and me, who was a beggar - I was the only one with a wristwatch. It was one of the few things my mother had left behind. All of our phones were dead, so in terms of telling the time, I was superior. Hurray.
"Two-forty a.m.," I looked over my shoulder at Wooyoung. "And I'm pretty sure I'm just one year younger than you - not a kid. Can't you just call me Jongho?"
Wooyoung just shrugged. "Fine. You're the youngest one here, that's all."
San picked up his pace and appeared next to me, leaving Wooyoung to walk behind us. "It takes at least twenty minutes to walk back to the plane, maybe even longer in the dark. So I'd say we spend... one and a half hour max here, then start to head back?"
I nodded, even though I was slow at math and I had no idea if he did the calculations right. The soldier gave us all three hours to get the things we were assigned to - if we failed, then we failed, but we had to get back before the three hours were up.
Earlier, San and Wooyoung led the way. Instead of going in the terminals from the front entrance, we went in from the International Terminal, gate D71. Apparently there was a group of people guarding the terminal lobby like it was their territory.
The chargers were easy to find. There was a convenience store right next to the gate we emerged from, and although it was empty of food and water, there were some chargers and charging wires left, which could last us a while.
Whatever, it wasn't like I had a phone anyway.
The Departures were mostly empty, which was good. The few people that we saw were either uninterested or too weak to care about us.
Wooyoung, San, and I had been walking for ten minutes or so, but all we saw were raided food courts and cafés. Apparently, we were looking for a supermarket, because that was where we could find stun guns and two-way radios. Of course, I had no idea until San told me.
"San, this is helpless. We have to go down there. To the Arrivals. I saw Best Buy when we first got here," Wooyoung said, after we went a full circle around the Departures.
I sat down heavily onto one of the benches and took out my bottle. It was almost empty. "Why do we need walkie-talkie's and tasers anyways? Let's just go back and pretend we can't find any."
I wasn't one to surrender, but I knew when to avoid trouble when I needed to. We couldn't risk letting others find out we had a plane.
"Hongjoong-ssi said that sooner or later, telecommunication networks might fail, or power in the city will run out. If that happens, we can't use our phones. It's a safety measure to have FRS radios," San explained, eyeing me and Wooyoung. "Also, we found out electricity can stun the robots for a bit. Hence the tasers. I'm not sure how common they are, so let's not waste anymore time."
I didn't know why he sounded so enthusiastic. I also didn't know what was telecommunication or FRS radios. San and Wooyoung may be university students, but my free education stopped after middle school.
I drained the rest of my water and stood up, trying to pretend that I understood what San said, because I didn't want their pity. "Fine. If they're that important, then let's go."
I didn't wait for them and headed towards the escalators that brought us down to Arrivals. The other two were just a few steps behind me, and Wooyoung started talking in a low voice. He probably thought I couldn't hear him. My ears perk up.
"San. Remember our deal? It's about time to finish your part."
"What?"
"You promised to tell me why you left the spaceship."
I almost turned back at that. The only way San could leave a spaceship was if he was inside one in the first place. Wait, is he crazy? He got onto a spaceship, but he chose to leave?!
San sighed heavily. His voice was so soft I had to strain to hear the words. "Promise you won't make a big deal out of it, okay?" A pause: Wooyoung might've nodded. Another sigh. "You know how the GHSA are using the Invincs to... to thin out the population. They only want the stronger ones to survive and help planet ATZ-008 - the new world - thrive, right?"
We were getting close to the bottom of the escalators. I deliberately slowed my steps so I could continue eavesdropping on what seemed to be a ridiculous confession of how San preferred a dying Earth over a chance at surviving in New World.
Wooyoung made a small noise, sounding as impatient as how I felt. Get to the point. I want to hear what kind of idiotic reason you have.
For a while, all I heard are the footsteps as I led the way to the Arrivals lobby.
Finally, San said, "basically... I don't think I'm worthy of GHSA's criteria. I'm- I'm weak. I can't do anything right." His voice wavered. Is he going to cry? "A few days before I boarded, I watched my little cousin get raped by a group of men, and women. But I was frozen in spot, just like how I was earlier, when an Invinc was running after me. And just like how I needed you to save me, Wooyoung--" He choked. "My dad had to pull me away. I could've - should've - done something to help my cousin. But I- I just stood there... and my cousin never boarded--"
I stopped in my tracks, and Wooyoung and San stumbled behind me, almost bumping into me. I couldn't explain how I felt now, something between anger and contempt, perhaps even a little sympathy deep in the warm core of my heart, but this wasn't the time to go over San's little anecdote.
We had arrived the lobby, and it was worse than I anticipated.
Just a few steps ahead, a row of trashcans, chairs, and suitcases lined up to create a cordon of the Arrivals area, and a few men were standing behind, holding actual weapons.
One of them with a baseball bat spotted us, and gestured for us to come. With no better option, I took a shaky step forwards, while San and Wooyoung tried their best to shrink behind me, making their presence as small as possible.
The guy perused us as he swung the bat in his hands. He was scrawny, eyes black from lack of sleep, and he was giving off an unpleasant smell. I breathed through my mouth.
A second man, looking about the same state as his companion, walked towards us with a metal rod. He said something in English.
I twisted my head to look at San, who was the best at English among us. He gulped and said something. I made out the word "terminal".
The first man raised an eyebrow, asked something again.
San replied, and I was starting to feel anxious, especially when I couldn't understand anything. Wooyoung looked at me with worried eyes.
The second man put one end of his rod down and leaned on it. He and San continued a short conversation, and Wooyoung whispered into my ear, translating the gist of it. "The people won't let us pass, so San is telling them that we just want to meet our friends outside the terminal, and that we are going to a small house near the airport."
I leaned back, unsure whether it was a good idea to lie.
The first man scoffed, but his partner pulled him away to the side. I couldn't hear their words, maybe because my heart was thudding so loudly in my ears.
A few seconds later, they came back. Wooyoung told me they want food, water, and the location of the house.
I cursed internally, then looked at San, hoping that my steely gaze was enough to convey my message: Now what? You made the lie, so you deal with it.
San put out a hand, palm facing upwards, as if asking for something. He sounded confident.
The men exchanged a look again, and one of them passed San their phone, opened to a Notes app.
Wooyoung and I watched as San typed out what looked like an address. I widened my eyes and poked Wooyoung, who shrugged.
San gave the phone back. I felt dizzy from all the English that he was saying.
Wooyoung seemed to understand, though, and yelps in surprise. He pulled San back. "You gave them the password to your house? And the PIN to your safe?"
"Don't worry. It's a vacation house. I have plenty of those around the world. No one is there, no one will get hurt." So he wasn't lying. As soon as San finished talking to us, he turned back to the men, who look satisfied.
I sighed with relief as they pulled back a bench and let us in.
"This way," Wooyoung whispered, not wanting to alert the sleeping people around the lobby.
We turned a corner, and thank god the Best Buy was right there.
"We have to be quick, before they found out we're still roaming in their territory." Wooyoung looked left and right before walking into the store. Unlike the others around it, this one still had a glass door intact.
A bell rang when the door opened, and we winced at the echo. We waited a little, half expecting someone to emerge behind a display shelf, but my shoulders relaxed when I heard nothing. "Alright, let's split up."
"No," San hissed. "It's too dangerous. We can just follow the signs." He pointed at the banners hanging from the ceiling that categorized each aisle.
I pursed my lips but didn't object.
The electronics were at the far end, and as we walked towards the shelves I kept praying for there to be everything we need. It was almost half-past-three - thirty minutes left before we should be heading back.
I failed to suppress a yawn, and almost jumped when I felt someone tapping my shoulder. It was Wooyoung, exclaiming that he had found the two-way radios.
San patted Wooyoung's back. "Good job, let's--"
"Stop there!"
The three of us froze, and goosebumps rose on my arms when I realized that the voice just spoke in Korean. I located the source, which turned out to be a middle-aged, chubby woman... holding a butcher's knife.
She stepped out into the aisle, pointing the sharp edge towards us. Her eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with dark circles. The mop of dark hair on her head stuck out at all angles, as if she had cut it herself recently.
"Don't come any closer," she tried, although I could tell by her trembling voice that she was scared. "This is my place, don't take anything!"
San raised his hands in the air. "Ma'am, we just need some radios. Surely you can spare one or two--"
The woman swung the knife to San, making him stumble back in surprise. "Shut up! Get out, get out!"
Wooyoung tried to meet my eyes, but I already knew what he was thinking: she's crazy. Let's get out of here.
Instead, I scanned my surroundings subtly. My gaze landed on an abandoned umbrella on the floor. Just what I needed.
Meanwhile, San continued to negotiate. That's right, keep her busy. I scooted towards the umbrella half a step at a time, ignoring Wooyoung's urgent glances towards me.
"Alright, okay," Wooyoung breathed, shifting the woman's attention to him. "We'll leave." He turned back at me, and mouthed what are you doing? Let's go!
I shook my head and, finally close enough to my new weapon, bent down to scoop up the umbrella swiftly. The woman screamed and charged at me but San shouted to distract her. For a second, her back faced me, and that was enough. I swung the umbrella down onto the crown of her head, and she fell limp, crashing onto a shelf nearby before sliding onto the floor.
San's mouth remained opened, in the middle of saying something.
"We don't have time," I explained, slightly out of breath from the adrenaline. I stepped over the body - I mean woman; she's still alive, dammit - and started sweeping the radios off the shelves and into my bag. "Help with the stun guns," I shouted at the other two.
As soon as our bags were full, we headed out from the back door. "Where's the exit?"
San said nothing but led the way quietly.
Wooyoung was staring at me from behind - I could feel it - but I ignored him. He had been doing that since we teamed up, and I had an idea what was on his mind.
What a poor kid. Grew up poor, having to act tough for his hyung, who has asthma... and now the world is ending, and he's become a cold-blooded man who will do anything to win the race. Where even is the rest of his family?
Something along those lines. But I couldn't care less.
When we looped back to the lobby, San stopped. I was going to ask what was wrong but then I saw it, too. The people were all gone, and the place looked messier than before. The chairs were overturned, and I saw claw marks on the floor.
We all heard it at the same time: a distant, high-pitched scream, followed by a telltale shriek. I cursed out loud. "The Invincs."
We changed courses and ran away from the sounds, but they seemed to be everywhere. Luckily, there were exits everywhere in this terminal, and besides, the Invincs had opened up a lot of holes in the glass walls.
An escape route was right ahead, and my vision tunneled to block out everything else. All that mattered was to survive now, not to look at the robots around me. I expected my companions to keep up with me, but I heard a familiar voice, and was forced to turn around.
What on Earth is he doing?
Wooyoung was the one who called for me, and he shouted for San, who was running towards... death. Yes, that was exactly what he was doing. I wasn't wrong: he was crazy. Because why else was he running straight at a killer robot?!
Once I got close enough, I heard it. It was the same guy at the cordon, the one with the bat. He screamed in English, but I heard that phrase so many times that I understood it. Help me.
It sounded ridiculous, but my fears came true: San was running to help him, the man who was being held down by an Invinc. And Wooyoung was trying to stop San. I couldn't stop swearing, knowing I had no choice but to save them both. They were the ones who had the stun guns, and I couldn't imagine what hyung would say if I went back to the plane alone.
I felt around my hoodie pocket, and realized I had only one rock left. There was a detached chair lying next to me. Okay. I took a deep breath and aimed the rock at the robot's head. I threw it. Almost immediately I picked the chair up - it was so much heavier than I thought - and charged at the robot, knowing the rock would do nothing but distract the robot for one second.
San was screaming with the man. The Invinc pulled its claws back, ready to strike them both at the same time. What even was San planning to do? Pull the man out from under the robot? Punch the robot? I didn't want to know.
With the chair in front of my chest, I ran. "Move!" Wooyoung dodged just in time for me and my chair to slam into the body of the Invinc, throwing it off the man. The claw was just inches away from San's face.
I pulled Wooyoung up from the ground and yanked a dazed San away. The chair was already smashed into pieces by the robot, which was already standing back up onto its two feet and running at us. I heard the man shout something at us, but I didn't care about him.
I tightened my grip on my teammates' arms, then together we dashed out the terminal and into the cold.