A month have passed since I got shot in my arm. It stings at first, and annoying to get out because it embeds itself between my muscle. The doctors said I need to go through a surgery if I want to get every pieces of shrapnel out of my arms. Well, it's not like I would say no to such a suggestion, because an untreated bullet wounds like this one will lead to a nasty infection and I still want this arm to be functional.

Of course, the surgery went well with complication. I just need to take a pain killer once in a while when it hurts. They gave me this pill-like candy that I need to suck on inside of my mouth so the effect of the pain killer could be slowly administered.

Besides the top notch treatment that I got from being shot once by a stray bullet, courtesy of those bitches wearing dark lingerie back in The Federation, I also got myself a vacation. The Agencies told me that I need to take a break, a long one. Three month of fully paid vacation they said. Who wouldn't take that offer.

But even though I'm still enjoying my sick leave, they dare to rang up my phone this morning, for a damn job. In the weekend.

One of the agent told me that our VIP just woke up after a coma. The Agency want me to visit him and make some light conversation, dig up any information about Milium activities in The Federation.

I refused it at first, obviously. I'm not the only agent capable of doing such a simple task. But their reasoning does make sense, I'm one of the only experienced agent that knows about the underground life in The Federation. I have a lot of memories of that place, because I was stationed there for several years. Just some small jobs though, reporting in about happenings from the inside, acting as a civilian.

I caved in and said yes to their awful and untimely request. They brought me a man in suits to pick me up from home and drove me straight to a hospital near one of our stations, secretly placed in the middle of the city.

When I got there, a doctor briefed me about the VIP's condition. We did those things where he walked beside me while still talking about something very important. Made me feel like a character in one of those "business is my life" kinds of movies.

After all that, I got inside of a room where he's resting and recovering from a bullet hole that's gone through his mouth and tongue. I sit here, besides him, a weakened man that can barely talk. He is slurring, even when his mouth isn't forming any words.

On his bedside, is a fake name that they gave him for safety. I don't really look at it, because it doesn't matter. What matters is his real name, Herrera. A man so knowledgeable in mana pipes, that even I'm fascinated by his fixation in it.

Poor bastard could barely sit straight. He looks hideous, but surprisingly alive. Our conversation hasn't started yet, but I can feel that he's trying to talk to me. In a way, that should make things easier. But how come a person with such a disfigured face could talk is beyond my imagination.

My question is then answered promptly. A female nurse gets in our room, bringing a device that's placed on a literal silver platter. From a glance, it looks like a shock collar with blue tint and a small screen on one of its sides. The nurse walks right past me and starts to attach it around his neck.

She turns around and gives me a nod of approval, as if we're talking about the same thing. Still have no idea what she means by that, but I soon find out something about that device.

Herrera

Hello, testing?

A robotic voice comes out of that collar. It's manly, stiff, but still clear enough for me to understand. That collar seems to act as a speech maker, probably to assist him because 50% of his face is almost unrecognizable. This device enables its wearer to speak without moving around facial muscles because everything is inferred from the vibration near his larynx.

Agent C

I can hear you loud on clear, Mr. Herrera.

Herrera

Huh, what an amazing gadget. Thank you for saving me back then sir. I didn't think that you're going to save me, must have been a terrifying journey.

Agent C

Your safety is our priority.

Herrera

Did you also get Bill?

Agent C

I'm sorry?

Herrera

He is a tall guy, big muscles, big belly, very funny guy. Did you also get him out of there?

Agent C

I'm sorry Mr. Herrera, you're the only one we can find there.

He is visibly upset and depressed that his friend, "Bill", which is also one of our informant, didn't get to be rescued. Of course, I already knew this information before hand from Agent A in a debriefing session. He is most likely shot dead by the Black Flower Gang, probably hours before our encounter with Herrera. His body was found floating in horrible conditions a week ago, in a river that happens to cross The Republic and The Federation's territory.

I'm not going to give him details of his late friend, not with his condition. Let's keep this conversation in a need to know basis only, for his sake.

Agent C

Mr. Herrera, I'm sorry for your loss. Right now we are investigating the cause of your kidnapping, would you mind helping us in solving it?

That's of course a bit of a lie. Even if we're interested in his condition, our ultimate goal as an organization is to take every bit of information that we can to get an edge when shit truly hits the fan. He will surely agree that cooperating with us is the best chance for him to stay alive. After all, he's a fugitive from a country next to us, if he isn't doing his best to please us, we can basically threaten him to be deported back to The Federation. It's cruel, but very effective.

Herrera

What do you want from me?

Agent C

How about your activities within the last month, before all of this awful things happened.

Herrera

Alright.

He moves around that device on his neck, finding a good position as to not choke himself. Being not only restrained by the situation, but also with an actual collar that he can't possibly live without. Again, what a poor bastard he is.

Herrera

As you may have known, I was a slave back then. An illegal one for sure, but that doesn't change the fact that my days are haunted by that gang.

Not exactly a slave either, the government considered me as a "free man", but they didn't exactly help me to uphold that title. No one is ever considered a "slave" anymore in this modern time. The chains are always invisible nowadays, if you get what I'm saying.

I know exactly what he means by being "slaved". It's a modern condition that uses an archaic term, usually done to desperate men in need to solve a problem. I've heard of this sayings back in The Federation. There are four kinds of currency used by everyone. The saying goes like this;

Asset is the money of kings.

La is the money of men.

Barter is for the peasants.

But debts, is only reserved to the slaves.

Herrera must have gotten into a trap, a setup, made by Black Flower Gang. People who deal with them are those who have no other option, even if it means their life being put on a proverbial line. I wonder what his debt was, just to make sure we're on the right track.

Agent C

So you're a slave to them, huh. Was the salary that we gave to you, plus your day job not enough to cover your needs?

Herrera

No, it's more than enough. In fact, I'm eternally grateful for your country's help. But that's not enough to cover things that happens out of the blue, like hospital bills. It was a nightmare to deal with.

Agent C

What happened to your hospital bill?

Herrera

Not mine sir. I was talking about a sister of mine, she got into an accident that sent her to a coma. In an ideal world, her hospital bill wouldn't balloned into 30 thousands La. That's just the hospital stay, it doesn't include the many medication and treatments that I need to choose because I don't have unlimited budget in my pocket.

That's why I became a slave for them, making a deal with the devil perhaps.

Welcome to The Federation. They charge their citizen for a stay in hospital, enough to afford a 3-room house in the neighboring island. No wonder he's willing to be a for that gang when even the government doesn't care about his almost-dead-sister.

Herrera

It's worth every blood, sweat, and tears dropped though. As long as she's leading a happy life, I don't care about anything. Even if I got shot and lost most of my face.

His expression, without a doubt looks like a man with an undeterred pride. He knows that his love for his sister is unmatched. The prove is written all over that mauled face.

Agent C

I'm sorry for your condition Mr. Herrera. I hope your stay in our country could at least give you some peace of mind.

Herrera

Don't be sorry, sir. Every big brother in this world would've done the same thing.

Agent C

I appreciate your positive attitude. But how come they got you and Bill into such a situation? I think them kidnapping you in the first place and bring you to those Milium men is unique to say the least.

Herrera

That's because we are caught in our own home sir. At first, they didn't know about my work as an informant. All they want to do is to break into my house, destroy some things, and get valuables to be repossessed.

Bill was also there when it all happened. In the end, they found out that one of my cupboards are filled with papers about ancient mana pipes, which those debt collectors surprisingly knew about. After that, we were brought to those Milium's men as a present. Blindfolded, bounded, and sucker punched one or two times.

This is a usual case of an informant not being careful enough. Can't believe all of this bullshit could be prevented if his schematics were stored on a computer. I mean, he can definitely just starts a routine to overwrite everything in a hard drive, in case he's broken into by someone like a debt collector. I put my face away from his and starts to think about what to do next. What kinds of information this man has that I don't know about.

Agent C

Do you have anything you want me to do before I go out there and make a report?

He looks down to his knees and ponder.

Herrera

There's one thing that I find very strange about them. I think it might have some relation to those Milium men back in Barak's City Hall. But I don't know about how useful it is, because everything is just gossips around us.

Agent C

Any kinds of lead will help us in the long run.

Herrera

Very well. It happened back when I was still bounded by them using ropes and blindfolds. In the sedan that they brought me in with, one of them is talking about a plan that those Milium men are forming. If my hearing serves me right, it was Madam Celeste that said it.

It was rumored that Milium is trying to have an "ascension" very soon. They are trying to "cleanse this world from filth", and their plan to go there is going to be in the "next level". I don't get what they mean by this except the "cleansing the world" part.

"Cleanse this world from filth" is an old and still used motto that Milium's Government uses all the time. It's philosophical basis for everything that's going on in Milium. To be better you need to be "cleaner", and those who "cleans" are the best among their peers. That's a well known thing around the world, so I'm not surprised by it.

But "ascension" is a new word for Milium's government, this is definitely top secret stuff that I just found. I suppose "ascension" and "next level" are closely related to each other, so we definitely got a new lead to what we're supposed to dig around this time. That said, we need to act fast because whatever this "ascension" is, it's going to happen very soon according to his testimony.

I think that's enough information for today, time to make up a report for it. This is going to be the discussion of the month, with how new and current it is. I think it's time to bid him farewell, at least for today.

The mood starts to loosen up once we talk a little about our days. He talked about his sister being a well managed woman, the beauty that she really is, and her achievement as a scientist. Really, 80% of what he said is just his sister being good at something. I need to close out this conversation before the rest of the day is filled with her sister as our main topic.

Herrera

How is your arm, sir?

Agent C

Thank you for your concern, it doesn't hurt as much anymore.

Herrera

Did the doctors tell you to rest and not work anymore?

Agent C

Yeah they did. But a certain person from our agency told me this morning, that you've just woken up from a coma. So here I am, doing my job.

Herrera

Must have been a harsh life huh, being an agent.

Agent C

Less than you think, but more than it really is.

Herrera

You agents, ambiguous as always.

Agent C

Heh, that's a part of our job. Anyway, thank you for talking to me Mr. Herrera. I will give you an update when there is one, about Bill and your sister. I will see myself out.

I shake his hands and starts to move away from his bed. As I open the door out, I starts to hear a robotic sounds coming before my ears.

Agent C

Yes Mr. Herrera? Can you say that one more time, I didn't catch it.

Herrera

I was wondering, don't you have a real name besides just being called "C"?

Agent C

I did have a name.

Herrera

What happened?

Agent C

I became an agent, and now everyone calls me by that letter.

Herrera

Don't you want your old name back? Being called a letter sounds very impersonal.

Agent C

Meh, I've been through worse. It's part of the job and sometimes, you have to make some sacrifices. A name is just in a long list of things that I'm willing to put away just so I can get this job.

Herrera

But why though?

Agent C

Because I like this job.