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"The Roacherian Effect" A novel by John C. Delavan
Chapter Six
"I ask questions that I may hear answers -- not silence. You will answer my questions without hesitation, or you may never answer another. Do I make myself understood?"
Tiny slits of coal black eyes peered from beneath the heavy, epicanthic folds of oriental eyelids. Kil Choong Pak's eyes held a fire which told the man, looking up from a prostrate position on the floor of the great hall, that the speaker would relish killing him should his answers be unsatisfactory.
"Do Ju Nim," the man pleaded, using the Korean title of respect reserved for the highest, most revered, religious leaders, "Please hear my unworthy answer. The task of making the transfer of money was given to an American not of our order. We believed him to be trustworthy. I do not know whether he was robbed and killed by the two American thieves or by an outside party. I have every man available in Japan looking for the two Americans now."
His face an inscrutable mask, Pak sat on his dais in the great hall for nearly three minutes before speaking. "Go to Japan yourself and find the Americans. If you fail, and we do not receive word from them, do not consider living longer. You will not, nor will your family. Now go."
The prostrate man touched his forehead to the floor three times, then rose and backed to the door. Bowing deeply at the waist he turned and stepped down onto the porch outside. The temple guards closed the heavy iron-fitted doors behind him. Furious with the situation in which he found himself and with the ill-treatment afforded him by his master, Dae Suk Choi dived into the back seat of his waiting car, barking instructions at his driver. He refused to speak to anyone again until he arrived home, then only to yell more instructions at his wife while preparing for his immediate departure for Japan.
Still sitting on the dais in the great hall, Pak lit a long, slim, traditional Korean pipe. As he puffed the first few small wisps of acrid smoke into the air, he meditated upon this new course of events.
He was caught in a power struggle. On one side was his greed for wealth and power, and his desire to unite both North and South Korea under his own rule. On the other side was the desire of his Cuban benefactors and their "advisors," a group of ex-politburo chiefs from the former Soviet Union who'd absconded with incredible riches from the crumbling USSR. They wished to maintain control over him with their monetary backing and gain control of the secret American weapon he'd promised. With the money he'd received from them over the years he'd made significant inroads into the military and intelligence branches of both North and South Korea.
His own personal fortune had grown immensely through a religious front organization known simply as "The Way," or "Do" in Korean, of which he was the established leader, its "Universal Supreme Grand Master." The Way was loosely based on the ancient philosophies of the Hwarang warrior class during the Silla Dynasty in ancient Korea and also incorporated much of the old-style martial arts as well as a smattering of Buddhism. It was, however, primarily based on his own greed.
To further the impression he made on the outside world, Kil Choong Pak wore only the ornate and colorful ceremonial robes of ancient Korean high-ranking nobles. He had also established his headquarters in an old Buddhist monastery high in the mountains of South Korea. The ruins of the monastery had been restored to its original breathtaking beauty, and during its reconstruction was secretly fortified. Behind the facade of the beautiful and peaceful temple grounds, hid a modern command complex, complete with a computerized worldwide communications center buried deep in natural and man-made caves behind the old buildings. It's from here Kil Choong Pak intended to establish his empire and return the Korean people to the glories of the old three kingdoms era which came under Silla rule 2,000 years ago. It's from here that he intended to become a living god.
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His first "disciple," Dae Suk Choi, assisted Pak in organizing his "religious" scam. Pak was the charismatic figurehead, a man with the ability to create fanatical followers out of disbelievers. Choi was the businessman, the one who organized the gigantic public gatherings and demonstrations which had fueled the ever-growing worldwide movement. All this, in turn, made Pak an internationally known figure. Now Choi had become less necessary to Pak who ruthlessly controlled all his first-rank followers with an iron hand, not to mention the persuasiveness of a small army of cutthroats.
Choi had been organizing followers throughout the United States, most recently working in California. The money The Way received from its Cuban connection was channeled through one of the Cuban front organizations there, U.S. Technologies, Inc. This company was a center for Cuban intelligence, run by Gregori Carpov, a former KGB section chief, who'd gained his position by dint of ruthless tactics, family connections and lifelong devotion to the Communist Party.
While in California, Choi recruited into his inner circle a lonely, mousey woman employed as the vault custodian at Intertech Electronics International -- Norma Hughs.
Norma quickly became a fervent believer. Like many lonely people she was willing to believe anything her "religious" advisor, Choi, told her. Norma was of special interest as a potential source of information in the secretive, and lucrative, world of industrial espionage. Her virtually unlimited access to the secrets of Intertech was a major windfall to Choi, who went to great lengths to cultivate her. Norma desperately wanted Choi's attention and approval. This need for approval eventually caused her to reveal Dr. Roach's secret project. The project known as the Roacherian Effect.
Choi clearly saw the monetary potential of possessing a weapon of this magnitude and had immediately notified Pak. Pak, in turn, made a deal with his backers in Cuba; thinking the project was being developed under the auspices of the U.S. Government.
Norma was only involved enough from this point on to furnish proof of the project's existence, and the interesting fact that Dr. Roach kept a complete "hard" file outside the computers -- which was the only area Norma didn't have access to. She was then told her help had greatly assisted the cause of world peace. Norma was promoted within The Way to a respected, but safe, position to ensure her continued belief in Pak, and her silence.
Pak also saw the immensity of the secret almost within his grasp. With this weapon all his former dreams of power faded to insignificance like the whimsical desires of a child. He would soon be the most powerful ruler of all time. The entire world was within his reach, and he would have it--no matter what the cost. This time the great Silla dynasty would not succumb to a more powerful nation as it had a thousand years after its initial inception. This time there would be no more powerful nation on earth. This time the entire world would know the glories of ancient Korea and would be ruled by the god-king, Kil Choong Pak. He had no intention of delivering the Roacherian Effect device into the hands of the Cubans. His insane laughter rang through the halls of the old temple, echoing and redoubling as it drifted out over the mountainside.