Feeling as if my head were pounding, I woke up from my sleep.
In my field of vision, the time and weather were displayed.
8:30 AM. Overcast.
It wasn't too early, but it wasn't too late either. There were no windows in this place, so I had no idea about the outside conditions, yet seeing the weather displayed in my view was oddly comforting.
I didn't feel like moving, but I also didn't want to stay lying down; it was a strange feeling.
I had been lying there for about ten minutes when the phone on the table rang.
As I pressed what seemed to be the call button on the phone, a woman's voice came through.
"Is this Sigma of Recovery Room B1213?"
Her voice over the speaker was somewhat formal, so I responded in kind.
"Yes. What can I do for you?"
"Sigma, I am Jane Piper, an investigator from the Information Security Bureau. Our head is looking for you. The investigation room is on the 6th floor underground. Please come promptly."
The call ended abruptly.
I was curious about why the head of the investigation room was looking for me, but I pushed aside any unnecessary thoughts and got out of bed.
Wearing a patient gown would be embarrassing when meeting someone important. I hadn't even been given a saline drip, and for some reason, I felt like I could get dressed properly.
I opened the nearby wardrobe and examined the contents. Inside, I found a black suit jacket, a white shirt, pants, and dress shoes. Dressing in these would probably suffice without drawing too much attention.
Dressed in the suit, I stood in front of the door of the recovery room.
"Outside access is restricted except at the authorized times."
Damn machines. They bring me here from outside and then don't let me go back. I grumbled in frustration.
"Is the machine broken? You just called me. They're looking for me in the investigation room. Open up."
"..."
The door quieted down, and after a while, a voice came through.
"Authorization complete. You may enter."
A green light appeared on the right panel of the door, and it began to open.
The hallway in front of me was dominated by nothing but black, except for the red lights emitted by CCTV cameras.
I had been in Recovery Room B1213, and across from me, I saw B1205. There seemed to be several recovery rooms, but I couldn't determine how many.
For now, I headed to the elevator. It wasn't too far from the private recovery room I had been in.
Pressing the elevator button, I waited for it to arrive. With a signal sound indicating its arrival, the elevator doors began to open.
Inside the elevator, I started examining the floor panel displayed on the right.
12th Floor - Rooftop 11th Floor - Storage, Maintenance ... 6th Floor - Bureau Office, Situation Control 5th Floor - International Affairs Office, Strategy Room ... 1st Floor - Lobby ... Basement 6th Floor - Investigation Room ... Basement 12th Floor - Infirmary, Operating Room, Private Recovery Rooms
I saw some rooms, but I needed to get to the investigation room, so I pressed the button for Basement 6th Floor.
Upon entering the Basement 6th Floor, I saw more than ten people bustling around in a hurry.
Too much information about each person began to appear in my vision. It was dizzying.
I would need to ask the doctor how to turn this on and off.
First, I needed to find Jane Piper.
As I searched through the information on many people, I saw the name "Jane Piper" near the middle of the investigation room.
I arrived at Jane Piper's location. She was a woman with clear features, short red hair, and sharp facial features.
"Are you Jane Piper?"
"You've arrived. Sigma, our head is waiting for you. Let me guide you."
Jane Piper stood up, and I followed her.
We stood in front of the bureau chief's office door, waiting for it to open. There was a brief silence, and to break it, I spoke to Jane.
"By the way, Piper, can you tell me what the investigation room is like?"
Jane spoke as if she found it surprising that I didn't know where I was.
"The investigation room within the Information Security Bureau is responsible for cooperating with law enforcement agencies of various countries to investigate international crimes related to our nation. We usually deal with criminals connected to hostile nations, those who don't typically cooperate with our country."
Hostile nations? Were there countries currently at war? Out of pure curiosity, I asked.
"Which nation is considered hostile?"
Jane seemed to be surprised that I didn't know this basic fact.
"Your memory must really be wiped clean. Usually, they erase most of the agents' memories, but I didn't expect them to erase even this fact for you."
"..."
"These hostile nations pretend to be normal countries on the surface, but behind the scenes, they distribute weapons, and narcotics, and build underground organizations. They're even involved in inciting wars among small countries and selling weapons to them."
"Are we at war with these hostile nations?"
"On the surface, we maintain a neutral relationship with each other. But those hostile nations are constantly attempting various espionage activities against us. That's why the Information Security Bureau exists. We thwart these espionage activities and conduct our own against these hostile nations. That's our reason for being."
The head of the investigation room's door opened right when Jane finished speaking.
The chief sitting at the desk looked rather petite for someone working in an intelligence agency and was muttering something while facing the computer.
When I looked at the chief, his information appeared on my display.
[Subject Information]
Gender: Male
Affiliation: Information Security Bureau - Investigation Room Chief
Name: Edward Arther
Age: Mid-40s (estimated biological age)
Biometric Response: Normal
Threat Level: Unknown
The chief, busy typing on his keyboard, seemed to start producing something from the computer after entering all the text.
"Here you go."
The chief threw a small object towards me.
I felt my reflexes kicking in, and my right hand accurately caught the object.
It looked like some sort of chip.
"The data chip contains information to explain your upcoming tasks. Insert it into the slot at the back of your head, as instructed."
Insert? I felt a hollow space as I touched the back of my head. As I did what the chief had said, the chip smoothly slid into the slot. Immediately, an abundance of information started pouring into my vision. Among the details, the mission and its content stood out.
[Mission Objective]
Monitor developments related to hostile nations.
Gather important information held by the hostiles.
[Mission Details]
Our country and the hostile nations have been engaged in a continuous resource war for the past three years.
A new energy source, Cobaltium, which is over three times more efficient than conventional fossil fuels, has been discovered. Extraction and trade of this resource are reshaping the world economy.
There are two companies leading the extraction and trade of the resource: the Energy Association in our country and Mir Corporation in the hostile nation.
The CEO of Mir Corporation, Alexander Kachinskiy, is scheduled to deliver a speech regarding the frequency of Cobaltium extraction in an outer satellite city of the hostile nation a week from now.
Securing the contents of this speech is critical as it will determine our country's response to Cobaltium extraction, making it a vital part of the mission.
I felt like I had grasped the mission objectives and details and pulled the chip from the slot at the back of my head, placing it on the chief's desk.
The chief, still focused on his computer, spoke without giving me so much as a glance.
"A simple mission, isn't it? This is your first mission as an agent. If you have any questions or need anything for the mission, talk to Jane over there. You may go now."
Jane and I headed to her spot as if being dismissed. She appeared concerned and began speaking.
"As the chief said, do you have any questions for now?"
"For the mission, I might need equipment. What's available?"
Jane began to rummage through a small cabinet at her desk.
"I've prepared counterfeit ID and a passport for you. Please take these."
She handed me the counterfeit documents and continued.
"I've also prepared these items for your disguise. Would you like to see them?"
When I opened the bag, I found a camera, recording device, spare clothing, toiletries, and more.
"Your fake name is Boris Kadirov. You're a journalist from the Economic Department. It's all for your cover."
Jane added, "To perform the mission, there's another agent waiting for you."
Just as she finished speaking, I felt a presence behind me.
"Oh, you've arrived at the right time."
I turned around and saw a man who was approximately my height with tousled blond hair. He seemed like he could get in trouble at any moment. Information about him began appearing before my eyes.
[Subject Information] Gender: Male Affiliation: Information Security Bureau Name: ??? [Code name: Gamma, γ] Age: Early 30s (estimated biological age) Biometric Response: Normal Threat Level: Unknown
Although I couldn't see his name, the word "Gamma" was displayed beside him. It was clear that he was another agent.
The man looked at me and started talking.
"Is this Sigma? You look like you're about to die a thousand deaths even before going into enemy territory."
"Gamma, show some respect. Sigma is in a difficult situation right now, so don't push too hard."
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you, Jane."
Their conversation sounded casual. Gamma addressed me.
"Anyway, introductions are in order. Nice to meet you. I'm Gamma. I'm a field agent just like you. I'll be prowling the field, unlike our desk job agents. That's me."
Gamma took something out of his pocket and handed it to me: a counterfeit ID.
"Oh, I should introduce myself properly so you don't get confused again. I'm Yuri Gamov, a journalist from the Social Department."