Humanity Protection Company

TL/Editor: raei

Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: None.

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"Let's get moving!"

They followed the researcher to a large open area. At the entrance of the field-like space sat various types of drones, with zones marked by clearly drawn lines.

The hurried researcher paced in front of the lined-up drones.

"These are our training drones. The ones without attachments are for basic training, while the attack, observation, and transport drones are for practical exercises."

Lee Yeonwoo examined the drones closely, noticing ones equipped with guns, cameras, and boxes. He focused on the attack drone and raised his hand.

"Of course. Since firearms training is part of the curriculum, we use actual weapons."

The researcher pointed across the field. Target boards stood at the far end, with distance lines marked in front.

As everyone's attention shifted there, the researcher clapped his hands to refocus them.

"Here are the controllers, manuals, and exam instructions. Read through them and practice freely. I'm busy, so I'll be stepping out for a bit."

With that, the researcher hurried off.

"What kind of half-assed training is this..."

"I heard they're changing all the drones to a new system. Seems like they're trying to rush through this."

People muttered amongst themselves before grabbing manuals and controllers, sending drones buzzing into the air.

"Let's start with the manual."

The Anomaly Investigation Team, however, quickly grabbed manuals and retreated to a corner of the field.

Keeping an eye on the attack drones that had started firing, they carefully passed the manual to Yoo Ji-yoo.

Ji-yoo read the manual on behalf of the group. Flipping through it amidst the gunfire, she raised her voice to summarize.

"Okay... The practical exam has three parts: firing with the attack drone, precision photography with the observation drone, and transport with the cargo drone."

The team leader glanced at the drones flying overhead and casually asked, "Is it difficult?"

"We'll have to try it to know for sure. Just looking at the manual, it seems pretty complex."

They watched other people using the drones warily, as if observing something unfamiliar. They'd only seen them used by other departments before.

Now that they actually had to learn and use them, it felt strangely bothersome and unreliable. The team leader especially felt this way.

"I wonder if we can trust those things. Getting hands-on is always the most accurate. And what if we run into something that can mess with drones or machines?"

"Still, it's better than nothing. Even with that fog monster, if we'd had drones-"

They were already considering how to use them for investigations, imagining various scenarios.

In contrast, Choi Jae-min excitedly ran towards the attack drone.

"I've played with that drone before. I'll show you how to use it after I try it out."

"But that's not for civilian use..."

The team leader muttered, unable to stop him as Choi grabbed the attack drone's controller. After examining it closely and fiddling with the controls a few times, the drone took to the sky.

The team leader scratched his head and slowly started moving.

"Damn. I'm no good with machines..."

"Aren't you going to look at the manual?"

"We can learn by breaking a few drones. They're not our property anyway."

As the team leader and Ji-yoo gradually approached the basic training drones, Yeonwoo suddenly glanced at the entrance. The researcher who had disappeared earlier came running back, shouting breathlessly.

"We need volunteers! It's a prototype system from the lab. Just try it out and fill out a survey! You'll get bonus points for the practical exam!"

"Prototype? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Not at all!"

In response to someone's question, the researcher pulled out his phone.

"We've developed a program to improve control convenience. There are no dangerous functions. Think of it as beta testing."

"I'll do it."

The team leader quickly stepped forward at the mention of bonus points and convenience. The researcher smiled brightly and started tapping on his phone.

"Please give me your department and name. I'll send you the drone control app."

"I'm the team leader of the Anomaly Investigation Team."

"Pardon?"

The researcher's fingers froze on the phone. He slowly raised his head to look at the team leader, his expression somewhat uncomfortable.

After licking his lips a few times, the researcher asked, "Are you here for an audit...?"

The team leader had caused quite a stir using his audit authority more than once. Enough to make most employees feel uneasy.

The team leader frowned.

"I'm here to get a drone license. Why? Want me to do an audit? Did you do something fishy?"

"No! We didn't! A drone-making lab would never be controlled by an anomalous entity. Here, I've sent you the app. Any more volunteers?"

He looked around, changing the subject.

Yeonwoo observed the situation quietly before raising his hand and approaching. It wasn't a difficult task, and getting bonus points would be good.

"I'll volunteer too. Yeonwoo from the Anomaly Investigation Team."

"Investigation team, Yeonwoo.... I've sent the app. Install it and connect to the drone."

A few more volunteers came forward to download the app.

Yeonwoo connected wirelessly to a basic training drone and examined the simple interface.

"Looks like a game screen."

The UI focused on the drone camera's view and ease of use. It seemed intuitive enough to use without further instruction.

Indeed, Yeonwoo easily started maneuvering the drone.

'...This is fun.'

It felt like playing with a toy, taking his mind off the exam. He flew it high, moved it around in various ways.

As they focused on the drones, the tired-looking researcher rubbed his eyes and disappeared somewhere again.

---

---

The researcher hurried off, his mind filled with regret.

'I must be crazy. Sinking all my savings into cryptocurrency. Damn it. I won't be able to recover from this.'

He had obtained what seemed like good information and invested not only his savings but even borrowed money, only to see it plummet. His dreams of living luxuriously after quitting his job had evaporated without a trace.

'Just the money I need to pay this month...'

Walking down the main building corridor of the research institute, the researcher finally cursed out loud.

"Sh*t. I can barely handle my current workload as it is."

"...What did you just say?"

Startled by the sudden voice, the researcher looked up. His superior came into view through his worry-darkened vision.

"That's..."

"If the work is too much, pass it on to someone else. There's no need for you to take on all those tasks yourself."

That wasn't an option.

From his research on anomalous entities as a researcher, to drone education support with additional pay, the drone system development project, and the new weapons system development project.

If he lost even one of the jobs he'd desperately taken on, he'd barely be able to pay the interest on his debts.

"No, sir. I can manage. I won't miss any deadlines or cause problems for the projects."

"Hmm... Let me know if it gets too difficult. We can always adjust your workload."

"Yes, sir. I'll be going now."

The researcher bowed his head and walked briskly towards the containment room.

'First, the weapons system takes priority. I need to finish my part somehow.'

Focused on cryptocurrency, he hadn't noticed the approaching deadline. He needed to deal with that first.

'There's no time...'

The researcher took a deep breath as he stood in front of the traditionally secured door. He brought a key to the door locked with padlocks and chains.

The containment room of the anomalous entity, which had allowed him to work on two projects simultaneously, opened.

Before entering, the researcher muttered softly.

"Grammar Nazi Robot. Just don't make any mistakes."

---

---

Beyond the containment room stood a robot in the corner. It wore human clothes and had a monitor attached to its chest.

The researcher walked in as quietly as possible, careful not to even breathe loudly.

Grammar Nazi Robot.

It communicated only in programming languages and attempted to kill anyone who used human speech or made even a single typo in programming language.

In exchange, it demonstrated exceptional programming abilities, and the researcher had received a lot of help from the robot.

The researcher sat at the computer in the corner, typed out a message, checked multiple times for typos, and then hit enter. It was a request to finish the program development he was responsible for.

Beep-beep-

Lights flashed on the mechanical parts of its head, and strings of text appeared on the monitor on its chest.

The output of the part he should have developed himself scrolled by in an instant.

'It worked! Somehow I pulled it off again!'

The researcher's breathing became ragged. He covered his mouth and nose with one hand while copying the output with the other.

His joy at obtaining the results so quickly was short-lived.

The researcher bit his lower lip. After hesitating for a while, he typed in a few more lines of text.

He said he had invested in the cryptocurrency the robot had predicted, but it had all crashed. What was it going to do about that?

The answer was simple.

It was his choice. Predictions can obviously be wrong. Why blame the robot?

It was a reasonable response, but the researcher felt his blood boiling. I trusted your words and even borrowed money...! At least give me a solution...!

"Ugh!"

Thud-

The researcher collapsed. It felt as if blood vessels had burst in his head. As his vision darkened, he flailed his arms. Urgent words spilled from his mouth.

"C-call... No, I can't!"

Screech-!

The Grammar Nazi Robot, having heard speech that violated programming language, began to move.