Chapter 4 – Containment

Chapter 4: Containment

…

Gasp!!

I woke up.

The moment I opened my eyes, I felt my own body, and after confirming that all my limbs are intact, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Thank goodness. I’m still alive.

That was… far too real for a dream.

One moment I’m suddenly thrust into an another dimension, and the next, I’m getting eaten by a shark from under the snow

Occasionally, I had dreams where I would end up getting injured or dying, but experiencing sensations this vividly would be a first.

Anyways, what the hell was that? Was it just a dream, seriously?

Just as I’m thinking about how I wasted my energy being terrified—while simultaneously feeling relieved that it was only a dream—I try to get out of bed and realize something.

As I was recalling my decisions during the dream– while simultaneously feeling relieved that it actually was only a dream, I suddenly realized something peculiar.

Um, where the hell am I?

I was in a small room, about twelve tatami mats in size. There was a bed and a television. If anything, it was a clean-looking room, but it’s not one I recognize.

TLN: Like around 200 square meters, the size of a master bedroom, so not that small.

If what I just saw was truly a dream, I should have woken up in my own bed at home.

There is absolutely no reason for me to wake up in a place like this.

“So… it was real…?”

Was that incomprehensible scene all real, and did I actually die after being eaten by a shark?

Is this heaven? If so, it feels a bit too modern…? I would’ve expected a more luxurious setting after death…

『UJP-01-98 “Snowman,” good morning! How are we feeling?』

While I was contemplating whether this was heaven or reality—a voice echoes from nowhere.

I looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the voice, but since I couldn’t tell which direction the sound was coming from, I wasn’t able to pinpoint its exact origins.

And what on earth is “UJP-01-98 Snowman”? Was that supposed to be me?

『My apologies. You still seem a little disorientated, so let’s try this again. Akane Rindou, how are you feeling?』

This time, they used my actual name.

Wait, that’s a little creepy… how does this person know my name?

Apparently, when a stranger whose face you’ve never seen and whose voice you’ve never heard suddenly captures you and says it, it triggers a sense of primal fear.

Man, this is the worst day of my life.

『You still seem to be in a state of confusion. However, this conversation is essential for assessing your current condition. Could you please give me some kind of response? Or are you unable to speak?』

“Ah, no. I can speak…”

The question had a bit of an edge to it. Feeling intimidated by the owner of the voice, I answered for the time being.

Actually, can they even hear my voice? I don’t see any microphones.

『Thank you. Now then—wait, hey!! Why are you just barging in?!』

『Huh? I heard that idiot klutz of a researcher messed up while I was gone. I just came to see the victim.』

『Then why are you taking my microphone?!』

『Because I want to talk to the victim? Listen buddy, I got permission already.』

『You—!!』

The voices were getting noisy. Not knowing what to do in this situation, I decided to lie back down onto the bed. At least it was comfortable.

『Haha!! You’ve got “explain what’s happening” written all over your face!』

Hmm?

The voice shifted from a seemingly kind older sister type to a slightly more aggressive one, and she nailed exactly what I was thinking.

『It’s written right there on your face. Well, since my subordinate screwed up, I’ll explain a few things as an apology. That said, I can’t tell you everything. Right now, you’re what we call a “guinea pig”—an experimental subject.』

“Gui… guinea pig…?”

I’m an experimental subject? Me? Why?

I’m just a normal human… there’s nothing about me that warrants being experimented on.

Wait, is this some kind of crazy organization that uses normal humans as test subjects?

As my thoughts began to spiral out of control, the voice began to speak calmly, as if to soothe me.

『Listen, calm down and hear me out. First, do you remember the snow shark you encountered?』

“Y-yeah. I remember.”

『OK, good boy. Looks like we can actually hold a conversation. That snow shark—that’s a phenomenon that couldn’t possibly happen in the modern world as you know it, right?』

“Right.”

If being suddenly swept away by a blizzard and attacked by a snow shark were common sense in this world, then this wouldn’t be the Earth I know.

At the very least, on the Earth I’ve lived on, snow doesn’t spontaneously move to form the shape of a shark and attack people.

『However, it happened in reality. A clear abnormal phenomenon. In other words, an “anomaly” was triggered. We call those “Unknowns.” And our organization’s job is to protect people by keeping those Unknowns away from them.』

“I’ve never heard of such an organization.”

『Of course not. If the world knew such a thing existed, there would be total chaos. Conspiracy theorists worldwide would be overjoyed, writing all sorts of nonsense, and the occult crowd would start summoning demons. Information control is also part of the organization’s job.』

A clear abnormal phenomenon. An existence called an anomaly that defies general common sense.

If such things actually existed, the world would indeed be plunged into a vortex of confusion. Just as the aggressive woman said, conspiracy theorists would write about the world being controlled from the shadows, and occult enthusiasts would start summoning demons or angels.

It would be the end of the world. At that point, a world where mohawked punks ran around blasting flamethrowers might actually be more sane.

Maybe because of this exchange with a seemingly normal person, my tension and confusion slightly melted away, and I laid back on the bed.

“I guess there are some things in this world that are better left unknown, right?”

『You get it. People don’t need to know more than is necessary. It’s better not to gaze into the abyss out of curiosity. Now, you should have a general understanding of what an “Unknown” is and what our general job entails. Now, to the main point: why exactly you are being contained by our organization.』

“Because I’m a survivor who actually witnessed the abnormal phenomenon?”

『That’s also correct, but that’s not all. You possess a much greater value.』

“..?”

I remembered the words of the researcher-looking man who talked to me earlier and wondered if I was here as a witness.

However, that apparently wasn’t the right answer.

Come to think of it, she called me a “guinea pig” earlier.

They want to unravel an inexplicable abnormal phenomenon.

So, what would a secret organization like them do?

They capture the phenomenon to make it a test subject.

They would observe it, test various things, and solve the mystery of the anomaly.

Due to my initial confusion, I was unable to properly access the situation. However, now that I’ve gotten some background information and calmed down, I was able to figure it out.

In other words…

“Am I… did I become an abnormal phenomenon…?”

『Oh, you’re quite a quick one! Correct. You were caught up in that anomaly, and you yourself became one of those phenomena. That’s why we had no choice but to contain you like this. I’m speaking through a mic, but I apologize on behalf of my subordinate. I’m sorry.』

“….”

That apology sounded sincere, coming from a heart that truly felt sorry toward me.

I couldn’t see the other side of the microphone, but I could tell she was bowing her head deeply in apology.

Before I could even decide whether to forgive her or not,

I couldn’t decide whether to forgive her or not because my brain was still in a state of mild shock after being told that I was now one of those “Unknowns”.

I’m an abnormal phenomenon? How did it even happen?

I tried to picture what might happen next, but there was no way I could predict the future of a situation I’ve never experienced in my life.

“Well, it happened, so it’s too late for regrets. For now… I want to get some rest. I want some time to organize my thoughts.”

『I understand. I’ll pay you another visit when you wake up. For now, please rest up.』

After our conversation concluded, I decided to stop thinking about the future for a moment and headed toward the world of dreams.

My friends would never believe this story. I only hope that this organization is humanitarian and doesn’t violate human ethics.