Seoul Cyberpunk Story-Chapter 62: Space Dino Park (3)

Central Control Room of Space Dino Park.

Dozens of holographic monitors covered the walls, each displaying live CCTV feeds and system information from all over the park.

The security team staff were more tense than usual, keeping to their stations with heightened focus.

It was because of the visit from Kenji Sakamata, heir to Sakamata Heavy Industries.

A megacorp heir visiting was a rare event, and if even the slightest flaw were discovered, no one could predict what might happen.

Especially since Sakamata was infamous even among megacorps for being particularly ruthless.

A single mistake could literally cost you your life.

In one corner of the control room, a staff member was scanning the constantly updating security logs, nerves wound tight.

His eyes were tired, but he couldn't afford to relax.

That’s when it happened.

A red warning message blinked briefly in the corner of his AR interface screen—then disappeared.

Unidentified aerosol detected. Zone: D-7. Analysis required.

It had appeared and vanished in an instant, almost like a screen glitch.

The staff member furrowed his brow.

‘What the...? Did I imagine that?’

Just in case, he quickly scrolled through the system logs.

But nowhere did it mention anything about aerosol detection.

All systems were running normally, and no anomalies had been detected.

‘Did I just imagine it?’

He tilted his head in confusion.

Maybe it was just a hallucination from the stress.

He tried to shake off the unease, but a faint discomfort still lingered in the back of his mind.

Maybe it was that strange message, but he started feeling like there were more coughs around him than usual.

Cough. Cough.

Dry coughs echoed now and then from his fellow security team members—people who were supposed to be in top health—which only amplified his anxiety.

He double-checked the system logs again, but still, there were no signs of anything wrong.

‘Am I just being paranoid...?’

Trying to convince himself, he forced his focus back to the monitors.

But the sound of coughing in his ears only continued to grow.

****

The hotel that served as the gateway to Space Dino Park was located right next to the park entrance.

When the automatic doors slid open, what greeted us was a scene far different from what we had expected.

Instead of cold metal and plastic, a warm and cozy atmosphere wrapped around the space.

A soft carpet cushioned our steps, and a subtle, artificial yet fragrant scent of flowers hung in the air.

The walls were designed with textures resembling massive tree trunks, and the ceiling lights took the shape of leaves, casting a gentle glow.

All around the lobby were life-sized dinosaur skeleton replicas and claw-shaped decorations that made it unmistakably clear we were in a dino-themed park.

The décor alone made it feel like we’d already entered a theme park, yet it didn’t sacrifice the calm and upscale feel of a luxury hotel.

My eyes darted around, taking in the dazzling scenery.

And then, I happened to lock eyes with Iris, who was also looking around wide-eyed.

“Ah!”

The moment our eyes met, Iris flinched in surprise and quickly hid behind Victor and her brother.

She does that every time.

Do I really look that scary?

It felt even weirder because she looked kind of like me.

Victor insisted she just liked me so much she was embarrassed, but... I wasn’t so sure.

We passed through the lobby and split up to unpack in the rooms we’d been assigned.

My room was 603.

I followed the hallway to the door of Room 603.

Just as I opened the door, I felt someone’s eyes on my back.

Turning around, I saw Iris peeking at me from around the corner.

The moment our eyes met again, she ducked back behind the wall in a panic.

I smirked and stepped inside.

Agu, who had been following behind me, plopped the massive bag it had been carrying onto the floor.

“Gyuhihi.”

It let out a satisfied chuckle, like it was finally free.

The strap had left a clear mark on its belly where it had dug in.

Once I finished unpacking, I headed back down to the hotel lobby, where Ember was already waiting.

She was sitting on a plush couch in one corner, checking something on her AR interface.

I casually stepped up next to her and looked up.

Ember glanced away from the screen to look at me.

“Ember, what are you doing?”

“Some surprising news came in. Apparently, the civil war in Hexa Core Armory has entered a lull...”

There was a note of puzzlement in her voice.

And honestly, I was just as surprised.

Ludwig’s side had recently gained momentum, sure—but when it came to shares and military strength, Reinhardt’s side still held a massive advantage.

“I thought it was strange, so I’m digging for more info—but I’ll probably need to wait until we get back to figure it out.”

I nodded at Ember’s words and thought to myself,

‘Come to think of it, I never asked her why the AI Frame Network works all the way out in space...’

The thought slipped out of my mouth.

“Babel’s crazy far from here, but the network still works. Do you know why?”

“Random.”

Ember gave me a strange look at the sudden question.

Then, she gave a very short answer.

“The real source of the AI Frame Network is out in space.”

When I kept staring at her with a confused face, she paused as if trying to phrase it better, then continued.

“Way beyond Dino Station, farther out into the chaos of space that got scrambled after the Great Convergence—there are artificial satellites launched by MK Corporation still floating out there.”

“And those satellites are the actual source of the ground network.”

Her explanation was shocking.

The origin of the network was in space?

“Huh. Then you could never build an autonomous AI lab out in space...”

I muttered under my breath.

No wonder the scientists from the megacorps always burrowed deep underground to build their secret labs.

****

We all gathered at the hotel entrance and boarded the monorail that looped around the entire Dino Park.

The scenery of a massive artificial ecosystem unfolding in a space backdrop, with Earth in the distance, was breathtaking.

“Pterosaurs... everywhere...”

Even Aria, usually calm, widened her eyes in awe.

As the monorail glided smoothly along, the grand scale of Dino Park came into full view.

It was far bigger than I had imagined.

It was hard to believe they had built something this huge, even within the constraints of a space station.

Dino Park was made up of multiple massive domes, each recreating different time periods and environments in fine detail.

In the domes with exceptionally high ceilings, pterosaurs flew freely.

On the vast grassy domes, Stegosauruses and Brachiosauruses leisurely grazed.

Another dome, which replicated rocky terrain, had Ankylosauruses trudging along, showing off their armored backs.

Some of the roars startled nearby kids, but not ours.

[Dinosaur!]

The Child pressed her face up against the window, eyes sparkling as she shouted.

With her tiny, golden-coated fingers, she banged excitedly on the glass.

The Kiwi Birds got just as excited and tried to hop around, forcing Ember, Aria, and Scarlet to each hold one tight.

Of course, the injured Kiwi couldn’t move, so it lay quietly on the pallet strapped to Agu’s back.

“Gyuhinghing...”

Agu let out a soft, disgruntled whimper, clearly annoyed by the Kiwi load.

People around us stared at our group with wide eyes.

Their expressions said, “Why are they carrying their food around so carefully?”

By the standards of a hundred years ago, we probably looked like people carrying around four watermelons like they were priceless treasure.

The thought made me chuckle without realizing it.

Before we knew it, lunchtime had arrived as we rode the monorail around.

So we found seats at a restaurant with a spectacular view.

The restaurant was located at the heart of Dino Park, with its ceiling and walls made entirely of transparent reinforced glass, offering a panoramic view in every direction.

Beyond the full-length windows stretched the dark blue void of space, with Earth floating serenely within it.

Every so often, the Space Mosasaurus would glide by gracefully outside the window.

Below us, the colorful domes of Dino Park were spread out like toys.

It was, without a doubt, the best possible spot.

“Yeah, this place definitely costs what it’s worth...”

Ember muttered as she looked out the window.

“Tourist food usually sucks, though...”

Scarlet, expressionless, was scanning the menu—until her eyes suddenly went wide.

“!!! There’s dino steak!”

“Is that... real dinosaur meat?”

Victor mumbled as he peered at the menu.

“What are you gonna eat, big bro?”

“Hmm... I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

Iris and Daniel were looking over the menu together.

While everyone debated what to order, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» I had already made up my mind.

‘Triceratops Pizza.’

While waiting for the pizza to arrive, I saw the Child playing a snowball fight with a holographic dinosaur.

The hologram that appeared above the table was a small dinosaur, about a meter long.

It had a sleek body and sharp claws—probably a Compsognathus.

As if it had recognized the Child’s presence, the hologram adjusted its size to match her eye level.

Then, like a real dinosaur, it bared its sharp teeth and let out a fierce roar.

KRAAARGH!

[!]

The Child flinched in surprise.

But soon, her mischievous side kicked in—she pulled a green, dinosaur-shaped costume over her head.

The plush suit, resembling a Tyrannosaurus, wagged its tail as she moved, with jagged horn decorations sticking out of the back.

Even her teeth had somehow become pointy like a dinosaur’s as she roared back at the hologram.

[KRAAARGH!]

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

****

Behind the flash and spectacle of Space Dino Park, in a zone hidden from the eyes of visitors...

The maintenance corridor leading to Sector D-7 was especially dark and damp.

Moisture running down the walls left a faint smell of rust from the metal piping, and only the flicker of emergency lights illuminated the way forward.

“I can’t believe we had to come all the way out here just to check on one sensor.”

The young staff member grumbled as he adjusted his tool bag.

“Enough complaining. Let’s check it and head back.”

The team leader, in a work uniform, led the way.

He was a veteran of this facility, but something about this sensor issue felt off.

If it were a simple malfunction, there would at least be intermittent signals or noise—but this one was completely dead.

Almost as if someone had intentionally cut the connection.

“Still, it’s weird, boss. That D-7 sensor’s brand new.”

Another staff member lit up the dark corridor with a flashlight as he spoke.

Finally, they reached the spot where the sensor had been installed.

It was a small room housing critical components of the air circulation system.

Normally, the room would hum with machinery and cool air would be blowing out—but now, it was eerily silent.

A faint, acrid burning smell lingered in the air.

The team leader frowned and shone his flashlight on the wall where the sensor was mounted.

“This is...!”

A low gasp escaped his lips.

The sensor had melted beyond recognition.

Its casing was scorched and twisted black, and the internal circuitry had been completely incinerated—reduced to ash.

As if it had been seared and burned with intense heat.

“This isn’t a regular malfunction.”

His voice dropped into a grim tone.

He carefully brushed the wall around the melted sensor with his fingers.

“This is the work of a netwitch.”

It was unmistakable sabotage—or terrorism.

The team leader muttered to himself.

‘The security systems at Space Dino Park are the highest grade in all of Babel.’

‘An external netwitch infiltrating this deep and destroying a system from the inside? It’s unthinkable. And specifically targeting the air system? Suspicious.’

‘Is this an inside job?’

A chill ran down his spine.

He instantly realized the gravity of the situation.

“We need to report this to Central Security immediately—”

Just as he moved to open a direct line to the Security Center through his AR interface—

GRAB.

Someone seized his arm with force.

“...!”

Startled, the team leader turned around.

It was one of the junior staff who had been standing beside him just moments earlier.

Normally quiet and mild-mannered.

But something was wrong.

The grip on his arm was unbelievably strong—not something a human should be capable of.

Like being caught in a steel vise, the team leader couldn’t move his arm an inch.

“What are you doing?!”

He shouted in confusion, but the staff member gave no reply.

Just stared up at him with empty eyes.

The team leader’s instincts screamed.

This person was no longer the colleague he knew.

“Don’t just stand there! Help me, dammit!”

He shouted toward the others—but no one responded.

“Kh...!”

Letting out a pained groan, the team leader looked closer at the man’s face.

His skin had gone past pale into a bluish tint, and something—drool or foam—dribbled faintly from his lips.

A strange, broken mechanical wheezing escaped his throat.

He no longer looked human. He looked like... something else.

The moment he realized that—

The other crew members, who had been standing with their heads bowed, slowly began to raise their heads.

“Ghh... Ghh...”

All their faces had turned the same bluish hue—twisted into grotesque expressions.