ππ‘ππ©πππ« ππ: ππ©π«πππ ππ‘π ππ¨π«π (1)
γThe Map Roomγ
Veneti Galleass (82 years old), director of the Venice Editorial Intelligence Agency, stopped before the door of the Map Room.
“What are you doing here?”
The team leader looked up, his face puzzled.
“Huh? Oh, because you told me to come. Something urgent.”
“Even if it was, I don’t know what you’re trying to do. This is basic protocol. You’ll need to explain why you’re here without my permission.”
“I apologize.”
“I’m waiting.”
Galleass shook the wristwatch on his left hand.
Rumble.
The heavy automatic door, which was 6 meters wide and 5 meters tall, opened heavily to the left and right.
Galleass entered the open space called the Map Room.
In the center of the hemisphere-shaped space, a small mechanical table stood alone. Along the walls and ceiling, long rows of lights maintained the same brightness in all directions.
Rumble.
The automatic door closed behind him and the lights went out all at once.
In the complete darkness, only the mechanical table emitted a blue light, illuminating Galleass’s face and upper body.
“Map parallel deployment.”
The blue light from the mechanical table spread out a hologram. Stars were placed all around Galleass, and the two stars of Defaulstellay floated above his head.
“Human Galaxy, general deployment.”
The Venice Editorial Intelligence Agency’s map of the galaxy calculates the actual distance of each celestial body as a square, and the distance increases exponentially as you move away from the center point.
As a result, the stars around Galleass appear to be denser as they get further away from him.
“Solar year 26201210. Update.”
The celestial information collected by the Venice Editorial Intelligence Agency is gathered on the galaxy map and updated with the latest date.
The margin of error in the distance between celestial bodies is reduced, which celestial body is recognized as owned by which group, where dangerous celestial bodies such as black holes and neutron stars are located, and whether stars that were observed actually exist or have changed are all updated.
In a word, the galaxy map is a collection of information constructed from astronomical data.
Soon, a message appeared indicating that the update of the galaxy map was complete.
“Deployment canceled.”
Immediately, the bright lights returned to the Map Room and the hologram that had been spread out in the darkness disappeared neatly.
Galleass, who had finished his work, felt his cell phone vibrate as he was about to leave the Map Room.
Tring. . .
“Speak.”
It was an urgent call from someone.
“What, Mirnyy’s business team said that?”
Rumble.
Galleass shook his left hand and opened the automatic door.
“It seems there was a mistake. We’ll let you know as soon as possible.”
The team leader was waiting outside the door.
Galleass met the team leader’s eyes and continued talking.
“. . .Alright. I’ll double check myself and give you a call.”
As soon as he ended the call, he asked the team leader,
“Mirnyy said they never sent anyone. They are asking why 1.9 billion Cret was added to their name.β
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Could you have come all the way here just to bypass the procedure to tell me that?”
“I came here in person because it was related to Mirnyy. It’s not that. This is. . .”
“Director!”
At that moment, bodyguards rushed in from a distance.
“What is everyone doing here today?”
“That man. . . He came in without permission!”
“What? How did you get in, then?”
Stab!
At that moment, the team leader stabbed Galleass in the abdomen with something.
“Director!!!”
It must have looked like slow motion to the bodyguards. Galleass fell backwards, the team leader fell on top of him, and the two of them collapsed inside the Map Room.
Rumble.
By the time the bodyguards each drew their pistols and ran to the front of the Map Room, the automatic door had already closed.
“What are we going to do?!”
“Only the director can open the Map Room door!”
“Damn, how did he. . . We were watching all the entrances!”
“I did a facial scan and he was the team leader.”
“Why would someone like that stab the director? Is he crazy?”
“Director! Can you hear me?! Director!”
“Shouldn’t we force it open?”
“How can we open it by force?! The wall and door are 0.7 meters thick!”
“And there’s a shield between the walls, so you can’t even cut through it with a cutter.”
“Isn’t there a ventilation duct or something inside?”
“There is. But it’s a passageway that not even a cockroach could get through.”
Rumble.
Less than 20 seconds after the two entered the Map Room, the automatic door opened.
It was a very unnatural and strange thing.
“Director?”
“Are you hurt?!”
Galleass stood unscathed.
And inside the Map Room, the team leader lay collapsed in a pool of blood.
“That guy stabbed me with some kind of toy knife.”
“Director. . .! There’s blood on your abdomen. . .!”
“It’s not my blood. Thanks to the fibers of my shirt, I’m not injured.”
Galleass walked past the bodyguards and walked quickly.
“He vomited blood and collapsed all by himself. I wonder if he ate some kind of nasty medicine. . . Tsk tsk.”
“What?! So, this is, what is it now. . .”
Then the team leader, who had collapsed in the Map Room, spat out blood and spoke.
“I. . . I. . . was. . . tricked. . .”
“I don’t know what you were unhappy with, but I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. I won’t report you, so explain everything properly later. And I’ll let you go quietly.”
The bodyguards were sweating profusely at the confusing situation. However, Galleass ignored them and calmly gave orders to those bodyguards.
“You guys stay here. Watch that crazy guy and call an ambulance.”
“Are you really okay, Director? Even so, it would be better if a few people went with you.”
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m fine? I need to go home, take a shower, and change my clothes. Get out of the way. Quickly.”
The bodyguards who remained saw the blood splattered around the team leader and the strangely coagulated blood clots.
“What did he vomit to make it so lumpy?”
“Did you find the weapon?”
“He doesn’t have it on him.”
“He stabbed him with a knife. Look for it under him.”
“. . .Really, it’s not here?”
“Does that make sense?”
Then, one of the bodyguards squatted down and looked at the team leader.
“How did you get in here without permission? Why did you suddenly stab the director?”
“. . .A. . .h. . . I. . .”
“What is it?”
“I. . . . . . . . . No. . . . . . . . . .”
The team leader, who had been mumbling something, reportedly died just before the paramedics arrived.
And the EIA later learned that the DNA of the blood under the dead team leader was actually that of Director Galleass.
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