Antisocial Chapter 1

Chapter 1. Threat

Three months ago, that day was a sunny Saturday.

For once, the fine dust level was not high, so people gathered in groups of three or four on the street.

Bo-yeon was deep in a nap regardless of the weather. It was the day after her first final exam at university. She slept all day to make up for the sleep she had lost during the exam period.

Buzz!

 

Bo-yeon woke up and read the message half-asleep.

‘Red, fog…?’

Natural phenomena such as red tide or watermelon snow in the Alps came to mind, but she had no idea what infectious substances meant.

Last night, news came that dozens of meteorites would fall over a long period of time. When entering the Earth’s atmosphere, it generates enormous resistance and heat, so most of them disappear unless they are particularly large. Even then, 70% of them fall into the ocean, so few people pay much attention to meteorites. 

Buzz! Another message came. 

 

That’s when she wondered what was going on. 

Kwaang! An explosion was heard from somewhere. 

Bo-yeon ran out into the living room. Then, her eyes met with a man standing on the other side of the wall. His eyes staring at her were eerie. 

The blood vessels in his eyes burst and it was completely red, as if ink had spread. His entire body was soaked in blood. The corners of his mouth were in a mess. 

Bloodshot eyes, infected. Excessive violence, infectious disease. 

She was panicking as she thought of those words.

The infected person quickly jumped over the wall and ran towards the living room window. When he hit the window with his head, red blood gushed out.

Bam! Bam! It was a huge sound. Yet he kept doing it as if he couldn’t feel pain. The window cracked with his force.

“…..!”

Bo-yeon, who had been frozen in surprise, quickly came to her senses and ran away. All she could think about was hiding somewhere safe. She held her cell phone tightly and ran to the study to lock the door. The man chased after her and banged on the door. The wooden door was slowly breaking apart because of his strength.

“Hurry, hurry…”

Bo-yeon pulled out the red book on the bookshelf with trembling hands and pressed the hidden button. Then the lock was released and the bookshelf was pushed to the side.

She was unlocking the door by going into the hidden space inside the bookshelf.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

She tapped the password with her sweaty, slippery fingers. Her heart pounded every time she heard a brisk electronic beep. Eventually, the bookshelf rattled as he had finally broken through the door.

“Kuaahhhkk!”

The bookshelf rattled due to the man’s strength. The book fell and a hole was forcefully made through the wooden furniture.  A red, wet hand reached out as if it was about to grab Bo-yeon.

Bo-yeon barely managed to enter. She crawled down the stairs, opened another thick door, and hid, unable to catch a breath.

“…..”

When silence came, where nothing could be heard except her thumping heartbeat, she caught her breath.

“Heuk, haa… Urk! Nhn… Wumhk!”

Bo-yeon’s bunker life had begun.

***

Some downtown houses had bunkers built in their basements as a precaution during past wars.

By coincidence, Bo-yeon’s grandfather had purchased one of them.

Surrounded by 120 cm of reinforced concrete, the bunker was discovered when her family was rebuilding the house.

It was a hidden space, unknown to anyone, but her grandfather saw it as a waste to leave it unused. So, he invested a great deal of money into equipping it with the latest technology—

A solar power system, a large water tank that drew groundwater, an air purifier to filter pollutants, a food storage capable of lasting several years, and various survival supplies.

Before he knew it, the bunker had become his personal project, but it was also meant to protect his children and grandchildren. He had always hoped it would never have to be used. To open the bunker meant that the safety of his loved ones was in jeopardy.

However, less than six months after her grandfather passed away, Bo-yeon opened the underground bunker.

Radio waves could not penetrate the thick concrete walls. After some time, Bo-yeon gathered the courage to push open the heavy door leading to the first basement floor and step outside.

After several attempts—holding her phone up in every gap she could find near the first-floor door that connected to the outside—she finally managed to get through to her aunt.

 

– Bo-yeon! Your uncle and I will be there soon, so don’t move and stay inside! It’s dangerous, so don’t let anyone else in! Okay?

 

Her aunt said she would evacuate to the bunker as well, along with her uncle’s family.

After Bo-yeon’s parents passed away in an accident, she had lived with her grandfather.

Even outside of holidays, her aunt and uncle’s family often gathered at her grandfather’s house. Everyone knew there was a secure bunker beneath it.

“In-inside the house… hic… an infected person… they got in…”

 

– There are a lot of them everywhere! The adults will take care of it, so don’t worry and just wait there. It’s very dangerous outside right now! Don’t come out! You mustn’t come out! Do you understand… Kyaak! Honey!

 

The phone call ended with an ominous scream.

“Aunt! Aunt!”

Bo-yeon desperately called out, but there was no response.

“……”

Fear gripped her—something might have happened to her aunt. But she didn’t dare call again. In such a dire situation, another call might put her aunt in even greater danger.

Bo-yeon sat frozen, clutching the disconnected phone. After a full day, she cautiously sent a message.

There was no reply.

 

-The phone was turned off, so it was connected to the voicemail….

 

Her aunt and uncle’s phones were turned off. She couldn’t reach her cousins either. They all lived nearby, yet there was no news for days.

Bo-yeon knew something had gone wrong. But she refused to think about it too deeply. Instead, she let herself sink into sleep, as if going into hibernation.

Time in the underground bunker passed by in vain, each day blending into the next.

 

–A red fog swept across the world, triggering an unknown epidemic. Dozens of meteorites—believed to be the cause—fell near densely populated cities worldwide, rapidly spreading devastation. The infected experienced complete cardiopulmonary failure and were declared medically dead…

 

For the first few days, she was able to use the Internet.

 

–The most distinctive characteristic of this disease is its effect on the oral cavity. Human canines, which originally degenerated with the advancement of civilization, had lost their function over time. The discovery of fire and the development of cooking methods led to softer foods, reducing the need for teeth to tear food into small pieces. However, upon infection, the canines grow into sharp, elongated fangs, and venom glands containing infectious substances form at their roots. Additionally, the infected develop dramatically increased bite strength. Fortunately, the disease is transmitted only through these canines and venom glands. It is not spread through contact or airborne infection…

 

A specialist came out and explained the characteristics and contagiousness of the new infectious disease.

 

–Since the corpse is revived, moves, and can transmit the disease orally, the infected are referred to as “zombies” on the internet. This is what they look like. The results of the Health and Welfare Branch’s investigation revealed that many people with immunity to the microorganism, ZB0, which is believed to be the infectious agent, were found. Through global collaborative research…

 

Microorganism? Does this mean that microorganisms were found in meteorites? If it were a pathogen like a virus or bacteria, it was understandable. Yet the nuance was strange.

 

–The nuclear power plants, which many people are worried about, were built sturdily to prevent malfunction even during wartime. It would be safer to evacuate to a nuclear power plant. In addition, our military has successfully established a defense line extending into parts of Gangwon-do and south of Chungcheong-do, completing the blockade of the nuclear power plant. If you trust our military and wait a little longer…

 

If all the people managing the nuclear power plant had turned into zombies, the reactor would have melted down due to the inability to replenish the cooling water. The military deployed most of its troops to establish the defense line, including securing the nuclear power plant.

Seoul was not the only city affected. Rumors on the internet claimed that the government had abandoned Seoul, the capital, and a city with a population of 10 million.

 

 

The popular search terms were all related to this situation.

The densely populated Seoul was particularly affected by the epidemic. It was said that every corner of the city had turned into a zombie hell, and that quarantine would be impossible without detonating a nuclear weapon. Not only South Korea, but many parts of the world had abandoned portions of their countries as well.