PRIVILEGED
Their worried faces cried in distress. Raj's sweaty face caught some of the dirt that the wind was carrying coloring his face with umber. "Oh no! Oops! Uh-oh!" both are startled, and their beating hearts would be felt throughout their whole body. The collector suddenly dropped the last trash can that he was dumping. After this, the people from the area started to eat their flesh. It was a gross sight they were eating each other's limbs.
The collector was already tensed he grabbed his gun from his pocket aiming at these people cannibalizing each other. Gunshots fired. Headshot. He hit a few of them but it would call out the other cannibal towards them. Quickly they ran their way out shooting people in their path "Fast boy!" adrenaline rushed at its peak. "How lucky you are that I caught you entering this place and followed you, if not I wonder where you would be." Catching their breath. "what do you mean? I am the one who followed you."
The tension eased. They went for a place to sit by. Meters away was a vacant lot just a few steps from the dump area. "Thank you for that." the collector stopped by a store nearby to buy drinks "No worries" he offered a can of soft drink to Raj. Raj immediately declined without hesitation.
Taking a deep breath and then sipping from his drink "So, you are looking for Socrates?" the collector seemed to know exactly where he was and was speaking confidently. "He is not here, and he hasn't returned yet, try coming back after a few days."
Thoughts are already flooding Raj's mind "Would he shoot me? Why does he have a gun? How come he did not hesitate to shoot all those people? He seems like a nice guy." His mixed thoughts registered on his face.
The collector seems amused "Don't worry about those guys that I shoot. They are not already considered human beings. Even they are already considered the walking dead" he lifts a relaxing composure "For someone who saw it the first time the reaction is always like that."
His face covered with sweat seemed to lose tension and was relieved "So, you knew him? What's your connection?" a natural question that he plans to ask ahead.
The collector was shrugging "nah It just happened I knew him," intentionally leaving some important details. Picking up his fingers, he quickly stood up "But please not in that place man, it's a damming place," swiftly he walked by leaving Raj behind.
In a single thud, Raj remembers. Going back, he thought of Axel and his organization "They might have some information about this guy Socrates," he quickly left and followed. Looking at both directions the collector seems to vanish quickly.
Running his way through the building of Regulus. Arriving later soon. His clothes were filled with dirt, his gawk looks, and the funky smell of the chunk and trash fouled his aroma. People around seem to be gazing upon him "Is Axel around?" staring back at the people's emetic look the moment he arrived. Everyone was covering their noses.
Paulo then approached him "If you are looking for Axe he is out" he was about to respond but he looked at himself first. The nauseous look of everyone seems to intimidate him "…could you please change your clothes first and take a shower."
He lifted his arm and smelled his underarms "But..." he hid himself from the look of the people around him "Don't worry we have extra clothes here and you can use the shower over there," pointing towards the comfort room "beside that is the shower room," his embarrassment faded. Confident enough after he was finished, he went to the members and asked them about Socrates. Peolo accommodated him for a while, after stating his intentions Thomas interrupted "Why don't you just search him on the database, you can ask permission and borrow the computer," he was about to ask everyone "Oh, thank you."
Thomas stood beside him while he used his computer. Remaining silent, he saw what Raj was searching from their database. Raj browsed for a while but there were no significant results he could find. Not knowing about anything he thanked Thomas and the people and he removed himself from the seat. In the database there was no Socrates that be found - except for the ancient philosopher "What the hell? There were even no significant results," he managed to see some of their database and thought "They have a huge database. That's nice."
Raj refrained from his side business for a while, while he continued his search. Mr. Mario somehow agreed with the sick leaves he asked for. For several days Raj continues to dwell with Axel and his friends. he would ask questions "How does the corporate world function? How about in the city who ran places like that" For a short time his curiosity was answered with Lee's help, Peolo and Paulo who seem to be good at understanding the economics of how things work.
One time while he was taking a dump something mysterious hit him. He heard the words "Just kill him and extract it faster," another curiosity rose upon hearing these words. Raj tries to just leave it, but it bugs him every time. At that point, he knew there was something abnormal occurring. Raj became dubious and began his research about the structure and association himself. Axel was off for a few days "You might be wondering why Axel has been out lately," Lee seems happy now. He quits wondering and asks politely "Why is Axel not showing up lately these past few weeks?"
"Axel was promoted to commander, In the past few weeks he was under training for the position but, what I know right now is that he already accepted his promotion. He is running a lot of errands these days lately" Ken thought that Raj truly knew the nature of their job and did not bother to explain more explicitly.
Axel came ragged and a bit feverish. Out of curiosity, Raj asked Axel "What his job under the organization is really". Something about the documents was just too good to be true and the benefits were extreme, so he also asked "And their job as the organization? Why are we under protection? If I joined?" fakery he grins. But Axel did not in reply as much "Just doing some deliveries and relocating prisoners. I guess I prefer my old job the old way" he chuckles "We are a non-government organization that helps to maintain peace in the city in which the government lacks." He spoke.
Continuing "and also, to save those people who can still be saved out of hunger and those on the streets." Axel replied to him with a smile and a tap on his shoulder. "but why do you just leave out some people on the streets? I mean, you just pass by them?" Axel looked at him with an exhausted look "There is always stratification everywhere where Raj, we cannot do anything about it. That is the system the world lives. Do you think these people here just popped out and came here suddenly? No, they worked hard to prove themselves that they are capable enough of living such a life."
"Besides, we also pay a lot of taxes to stay here. They automatically deduct it from our wages. We just do not spend that much" Raj saw the imbalance of Mr. Mario and how Axel sees things "Mr. Mario also pays his dues and was struggling to live a life" Before he continues his thoughts Axel continues "Like Mr. Mario" Raj encountered a sudden suspense as if these people can read their minds before their thought "I can see from you face you also thought about him. He can choose to live here, but he would have a hard time adjusting."
"You see Raj, the world is already at risk. In these times of depression, you must act. Others act carefully, while others act aggressively. No option is right or wrong. It just depends on you and your tolerance about things. Even if you ask him yourself why they won't prefer to move here" Axel was speaking with him and yet he can hearsay the murmurs around him.
Axel continues to entertain him while remaining seated in the lobby. Suspiciously enough he felt something odd "Oh yes by the way, we have new offices here that are off limits among visitors, so you might be restricted when you enter rooms, or someone might call you when you are already stepping on boundaries.
Meanwhile, the Regulus is in a debate, "can we trust him?" said Lee to his fellow members. Although Raj overheard "Just play it, he can't do anything, and perhaps Axe said his connections were clean," Ken said, and Chris agreed. Along with them he also pretends that he does not know "With Axel's promotion they moved some of the operations here, so be careful with the people you bring here."
In the dining table. Raj was hesitant to ask Mr. Mario about the things Axel said "Eat young boy, it seems like your mind is in deep space. Just eat it out and go to sleep already, you have a long day tomorrow" he is mustering his courage he dares say "Mr. Mario," Mr. Mario sees the upset and serious look in his face he responded "yes," Raj continues "you know there was a city district opposite, here…right?" Mr. Mario anticipated where the conversation would go, he paused eating and listened "Yes, you mean the Laya area in the north district?" he grabbed his towel just beside his waist. He always wears it every time he does household chores. "Yes, uhm why don't people just move there? Why do they need to beg in the streets here when they could just ask for help from people in those residents?"
"It just doesn't work that way boy. If I were to transfer to that place, I would need to sell all my properties here to get another commercial lease and an apartment to stay…somewhere… I would be paying my rent or let us say I do not get a rent, but I doubt it, they do not let people stay in the commercial leases. The expenses are just too overwhelming, I might be able to move out, but I will be starving myself. It's just too expensive and it does not match my lifestyle. I am already content with what I have right now. Are you complaining right now?" his voice started to get more mellow and petty.
"If others can do it. Why can't you? If they managed to create a better life for their own why cannot others do the same?" Raj asked looking at Mr. Mario straight in the eyes "You know young man, not everyone was born of the same privilege. If I were younger, I could choose to live there. But I am just old now and I have accepted my life the way that it is. If I will be at your age, maybe, those people that you see on the streets made their lives that way themselves. They chose to be miserable. Don't you think that I did not also used to beg in the streets? I did! But when I realized that there is nothing free in this world you need to pay for something that you wanted, or even the things that you needed."
"Everyone has different beliefs and values, and people choose it among themselves. Maybe others, you can say that they are influenced. These things that you are seeing right now are the real world. It is a mixture of those things that people believe, the clashing values, the clashing beliefs, and then the structure of the society creates itself. You can choose to abide by the laws, but even the leaders, our leaders here don't show a good example among themselves."
For an unknown reason Raj's heart wrung, it came to his realization that he knew little in the world he lived in, and it justified his decision to move into the city "That's a good sign young man that you are aware of things, you should learn more and try to discover more," Mr. Mario reached out and pressed Raj's chest. After the things he said he finished his meal and went to the sink "Finish your food, don't waste it millions of people worldwide are hungry, don't just stare at it."
Raj felt ecstatic and had a sense of contentment within him, he thanked Mr. Mario for accepting him "So, is it okay if I move out again?" he walked towards Mr. Mario and hugged him "It is your choice, young man, it is your life, and you create it."
Weighing everything Raj came back to Axel's offer. Raj consulted Mr. Mario about it and there was no negative feedback that he had provided him. He agreed and supported Raj all the way through. He thanked Raj for all the help he had shared with him while he was just starting in the city.