I remained still in bed, staring at the ceiling in disbelief. How could I just drop everything and leave right at this moment? I barely knew Taiji, so why should I listen to him at all? I came up with many possible excuses on why I shouldn’t, but a single feeling in my heart simply erased all of those doubts. He said I was his reincarnation, and when he said that, it struck a strange chord inside my heart. It felt familiar and warm, like I was reunited with a long-lost family member.

 

I sat up slowly, looking around my bare apartment. If the government was on their way like Taiji said, what would they do to me if they found me? Take me in for questioning? Taiji said they’d “eliminate” me, but they’re the government; shouldn’t they be more empathetic?

 

At that moment my phone vibrated. I looked down at it and picked it up. Attached to a text message from an unknown number was the link to a website for boat trips. I looked at the link confused and opened it. On the page was an already booked boat trip under my full name from the coast of Incheon to the south coast of China.

 

I stared at it shocked. I didn’t pay for this trip.

 

“Oh my god, you didn’t…” I skimmed through the page briefly and tried to view the unknown number. It was not available to show.

 

I pulled up a map of the Earth in another tab and searched the location of the Bermuda Triangle. It was a small location between the Bermuda islands, Miami, FL, and Puerto Rico.

 

That boat trip isn’t going to get me there fast at all. I shook my hand and looked up the number for Incheon airport.

 

If I am going to the triangle, there’s no way I’d be out on a boat for several weeks when I could just take the plane.

 

Thirty minutes later, I was able to book a last-minute flight from Incheon to Miami and walked out of my apartment with my backpack over my shoulder. As I entered and sat down on the subway, I looked down at my phone and didn’t move my fingers. I wanted to call my parents and friends, but hesitated. I didn’t want them to worry about me, but I didn’t want to just leave and not say anything about it. After the train passed by a few stops, I sighed a little and finally called my mom. She didn’t pick up, so I left a very choppy message explaining that I was going out of the country for a while and that she and my dad shouldn’t worry about me. Then I texted Sunwoo and Jinyoung, telling them the same thing. I turned my phone off after that.

 

Once I got to the airport, I checked in, ate some breakfast, and was on the plane another thirty minutes later. I sighed a little once I was settled in my seat. So far I had been fine not getting pulled over by anyone that looked like undercover agents for the government, but with the eighteen hour flight ahead of me, I had a lot of time to think.

 

After an hour on the plane, I got sleepy and decided to play music. I pulled out my headphones and the little TV station in front of my seat. I settled on a soft music station and pressed play, leaning my head down on my airport pillow. The music was nice and calmed my nerves a bit. Then it was suddenly replaced by static, making me jump and raise my head.

 

“You have no idea how lucky you were.” Taiji’s voice rang in my headphones, but the screen in front of me was completely black.

 

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my racing heart. “You scared me.” I said quietly.

 

“I told you to take the boat.”

 

“This was faster. You said to get to the Triangle as soon as possible, right?”

 

“I also said to avoid the government. You just left personal information with the airport staff.”

 

“I’m in the air now, aren’t I? They can’t do anything once I’m in the states.” I responded tiredly.

 

Taiji sighed. “You really don’t understand this situation. The Human Dream project is South Korea’s most top-secret case. Now that a citizen who knows about it has successfully escaped the country, the government will send out global alerts to all of the other countries. They’ll call you a national threat.”

 

I didn’t respond.

 

“But it’s too late to change that now. You’ll be landing in Florida in approximately seventeen hours.”

 

“Good thing I didn’t take the boat then.” I sighed a little. “Why would you send me a boat anyway?”

 

“It’s the safest route. You would arrive in China first, then I would have sent you multiple train tickets through Europe until getting on another boat across the Atlantic Ocean, putting you directly on Bermuda.”

 

“Yeah, this route is a lot faster than that.”

 

“…I suppose you’re right.” I could practically hear the sigh in his voice.

 

We were both quiet for a few minutes as the flight attendants passed by, offering drinks. I took a cup of water and downed all of it immediately.

 

Then a thought crossed my mind. If I was Taiji’s reincarnation, and if Taiji was a robot…

 

I slowly lowered my cup, staring at it extremely confused.

 

“…Taiji?” I slowly looked at the black screen in front of me.

 

“Yes?”

 

“…a-am I…?”

 

“Yes you are.”

 

I blinked and raised my voice a little. “I didn’t even finish that sentence!” A couple people around me looked at me funny and I quickly lowered my head.

 

“You are a robot, Shinwoo. A robot with a brain that has been designed to grow and evolve like a human brain would.”

 

This was extremely disturbing for me to accept. “B-but….that’s i-impossible!”

 

“Is it? We’re related, aren’t we? And besides, haven’t you ever had the feeling that you were different from your friends? From everyone you ever met?”

 

“I-I…”

 

“The Human Dream project created much more than the scientists working for it wanted it to. They indeed created a new form of life in advanced computer form. It makes sense for the government to want to hide that from the public, doesn’t it?”

 

“H-how can I be a robot? I have all of the normal bodily functions of a human and I bleed normal red blood! You must be lying right now!” I felt my skin getting clammy and my stomach knotting.

 

“Your body is made out of a more organic material, but it’s not human material. It’s all part of your artificially intelligent brain.”

 

I quickly shook my head and pulled off my headphones. I held my face in my hands and shook a little from breathing a lot.

 

“Excuse me, are you okay sir?” A female voice asked next to me.

 

“…c-can I have another cup of water?” I didn’t look up.

 

“Of course.” The flight attendant walked down the aisle and came back a few seconds later with a full cup of water.

 

“Thank you.” I shakily took the cup and drank it much slower.

 

“Are you feeling a little dizzy?”

 

“Y-yeah.” I nodded.

 

“Please rest your head in between your knees. If you still feel dizzy after ten minutes, please let me know, okay?”

 

I nodded again and did as she advised. I stayed in my position for several minutes, trying to digest everything Taiji told me.

 

I could accept his talk about him being a robot somewhat easily even though he didn’t really act like one, but the fact that I was a robot was simply too hard for me to even think about. I grew up as a normal child with friends and loving parents and never once experienced any kind of accident in which I need surgery or any kind of important medical procedure that would give results of non-human characteristics. I wasn’t a stone cold person and I know I care about things.

 

After ten minutes, I carefully raised my head. My skin was still clammy but I wasn’t dizzy. After staring at the screen for a moment, I slowly put my headphones back on.

 

“Are you feeling better now?” Taiji asked.

 

I sighed a little. “No.”

 

“I shouldn’t have told you so bluntly. I’m sorry.”

 

I didn’t respond.

 

“I realize it may be hard for you to accept this reality, but like the whole situation you’re in, it’s the truth. And right now, and especially once you arrive in Florida, you need to have strength.”

 

“Why?” I asked almost sarcastically.

 

“Because once you arrive in the midst of the Bermuda Triangle—“

 

“I’ll understand everything, yeah you told me.”

 

“Your body will go through a great amount of stress and pressure. That’s what I was going to say.”

 

“Why?” I asked again.

 

“Th—“

 

Suddenly all of the TV stations turned blue and shut off. I looked up and around surprised. Then the voice of the pilot rang over the speaker system above us.

 

“Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. We are experiencing some systematic malfunctioning and as a result, the TVs must be turned off. We are fixing the problem right now and everyone should have TV access in about an hour. Thank you for your patience.”

 

I sighed a little and leaned back in my seat. I wanted to keep talking to Taiji so I closed my eyes, trying to relax enough to fall asleep. But my thoughts kept me awake and anxious.

 

How can everything be coming down to this…? How can I possibly continuing living my life knowing that I’m not human…?