"Congratulations, you're now a handler. You'll serve the state with utmost loyalty and pledge your life to its causes" The Officer said as he handed him an envelope.
"Poor in combat... This is what you get. Be grateful," the officer snapped, already turning to the next recruit.
"Pathetic," another officer muttered, not even bothering to lower his voice.
He could feel it. He wasn't cut out for this — never was.
He's come out top of the Business and Finance program, but he was always last when it came to combat.
How pathetic.
______
"You'll do well in the real world, Trent", the Chief Handler in charge of the program, one who's cared for him through everything.
"The real world isn't all about Fighting. It's money that moves the world" he adds, placing a cup of coffee on the table.
He glances at Trent and the newspaper on the table.
"See? You could be like this guy, Morlov Sanchez, Founder of Morlov technologies"
"He's widely appreciated and he doesn't know how to fight. I hear his business is doing very well these days." He says as he waves the newspaper around.
"Hah..." Trent sighed. He's done well in the courses and worked hard throughout the program.
"I guess I'll just do my best out there, Chief" he says.
"Chief? I told you — it's Anton. You're a man now. Time to face the real world." Anton replies
"and yes, you'll do your best. That's what you've always done, just stick with it"
"But how do I do my best with just this?", Trent asks, placing the money on the table,
"Just a thousand dollars? What am I supposed to do with that?" He adds, frustrated.
"Hah. Those bastards. They were supposed to give you up to fifteen thousand, at least" Anton replies, dropping his cup after a sip.
"Those muscle heads get twenty-five grand, I get one?" Trent scoffed. "Bullshit."
"Well.... Here" Anton replies, dropping an envelope and some files, "That's from my pocket. Be grateful, kid" he says as he sits back down
"And those are your files, for school certification and identity and the basics"
"You didn't choose a surname yet, you'll be given a few days after you leave to think about it so we sort it out on all databases"
"They were going to just give you Smith. Those shit heads"
Trent took the envelope and counted the money in it, five thousand dollars.
"Th-Thank you so much, Chief," Trent said, stunned.
"It's Anton, twerp." He looked away. "That's all I could do. Just… take care of yourself, alright?"
"Yes I will, Chi- Anton. Thank you for everything. I'm not going to miss this place, but I sure am going to miss you", Trent replies, arranging everything on the table into his bag.
"Sweet words..." Anton replies,
"Just stay safe out there, kid. That'll be enough for me. There's the address to the apartment provided in there."
"Don't get lost on your way. There's also my private number, call when you choose a name. Now, get the fuck out of my office, I've got other work to attend to"
Trent stood up, took a bow and headed to the door.
Anton, watched as he left and pressed the yellow button under the table.
"Hey, Kiddo..." He calls out
"Be safe out there" He adds, smiling.
"I will. I promise" Trent replies as he opens the door to go out.
Bang.
Something hit his head as he comes out the door. He couldn't tell what it was, he just fell down and lost consciousness.
________
He woke up to sounds of vehicles and people moving. The sound was so sharp, it tore Trent into consciousness
"Ugh..." His head throbbed as he tried to make sense of his surrounding and adapt to it. He slipped down from the chair he'd been positioned on.
A card slipped out of his pocket with him. A bold H on the card with some words written on it. He quickly tucked it away.
Pzzzzzzttt...
The sound came, sharply, cutting through his head that was already in pain.
"Fuck" he jumped up, holding his head. What the hell was that?
"Initiating sequence..." It continued.
"Who the fuck is that?" Trent shouted looking around for the owner of the voice.
The others seated and walking around looked at him confused.
Mothers hid their children and walked faster as if they were running from a mad person.
He quickly composed himself. He looked at the surrounding. He's been dropped at the bus stop.
He checked around and found the bag under the place he'd been seated.
"Host secured" the voice continued.
"Huh?" Trent turned around again confused, "Host?"
"Host, Trent. 25 years old Male" the voice continued.
At this point, Trent decided not to make any more scene.
He picked his things in fright, and rushed with the people taking the bus. They must've dropped him off here for a reason.
The voice didn't continue during the bus ride. What the hell was that?
"Five sixty," the conductor said. Trent tossed a ten and walked off without waiting.
The place the bus had stopped wasn't far from the apartment given to him, so he walked there under the sun.
It was hot, but he managed to get himself to the place.
The studio apartment was small, furnished but with cracks on the wall.
"Damn, those fuckers" Trent cursed as he placed his bag down and went to the room to change out of his clothes.
He checked the wardrobe, "At least they left some clothes". He got into the bathroom and turned the shower on.
"What the hell was that weird voice", he asked himself remembering what happened at the bus station.
"Hello, Host" A voice said out of nowhere. Same voice he heard earlier.
He turned around in shock but it was only him in the bathroom.
"Who's there", he asked, holding the shower head in a defensive stance.
"This is Ave-511e69" the voice continued
"Ave what?" Trent asked confused
"Bound to host. I assign missions. You earn rewards." it answered
"Missions? Wait… you're in my head?" Trent asked
"Affirmative." It responded.
"And about these missions... What's that?" Trent asked as he stepped out of the bathroom grabbing his towel.
"You, host, sign in to locations I provide and get rewarded" it answered
"Sign in to locations?" Trent asked, "that's all? I just have to go to the place?"
"Affirmative" it answered
"And you're Ave-511 what?" Trent asked confused
"Ave-511e69" it answered
"I'm just gonna call you Ave. That's good, yeah?" Trent asked as he put on some clothes.
"Affirmative" Ave answered.
"So, what do I do now? Where do I sign into?"
"This is still very surprising and I feel like I'm going mad, but it's intriguing" he said as he walked towards the sitting room.
"You're here" Ave answered.
"Here? My sign in location is here?" Trent asked, looking around the place.
"Affirmative" Ave replied
"So, what's my reward?"
"I get rewarded when I sign in to the location, yeah?" Trent asked as he took his seat and turned the laptop that was placed on the table on.
"Morlov Technologies. Sell by 4pm" Ave responded
"Stocks... I'm trading stocks?" Trent asked confused
"Affirmative" Ave replied.
"Shit... I really must be going mad" Trent said, laughing.
"I only have cash and what.. it's fucking 3:45 right now"
He checked his bag and brought out the envelope of the cash he'd been given.
He didn't notice when he got off the bus but the envelope had become smaller. Did those bastards touch his money? Shit.
He looked through the envelope and a piece of paper fell out with the remaining cash. He picked it up.
"Twain Bank. 00*****0678. 1204. $Twerp" The note read.
"This must be the bank account details". He checked the laptop and saw the Twain Bank app on it.
"This must be Chief's work" he said to himself.
"Morlov Tech? Isn't that the company that's doing very well lately?" He asked. No response.
"Even if I was going to trade on the stock market, it closes in an hour" He asked again. No response still.
Hah.
He checked his bank account, five thousand dollars.
He quickly created an account with a stock broker and funded it with five hundred.
"That's the cost of going crazy, I guess" he said to himself, "it's almost four" he added looking at the time, "3:58"
"Well, here we go... Full margin. Haha" he laughed as he did it.
"That felt good"
He wasn't so frugal but this was just him burning his exhaustion and trusting his instinct that he was sane.
"Fuck.. I feel tired. I'm gonna go sleep. Well, it's done now, Ave" he called out.
"Must be sleeping too" he said as he positioned himself on the couch.
It's been a long day.
Whether he succeeds or fails on this meant nothing to him.
He was sane and this would prove it. He's not going mad...