"You removed it?"
"Yes, I did."
"How did you get it removed?"
"There's a doctor in the east district who can perform such operations."
"But that's against the law!"
"I don't care, I was sick of it!"
Two men were arguing on the steps in front of a building made entirely out of glass.
"It's just not fair to everyone who still wears it."
"Look, I was strongly against it when it was first implemented, so I finally did something about it."
In front of them, a traveler was listening to their conversation. It was a young traveler, with short black hair wearing a beige coat and a brimmed hat with goggles. Beside her was a motorrad.
"Excuse me?" The traveler said.
The two men finally noticed the individual eavesdropping on them for about two minutes.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Is this the government building?"
The two men were slightly confused for a moment.
"Oh, you must be a traveler. Well you see, this country doesn't have a government."
The traveler was also confused for a second.
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it great? About 7 years ago this country's government was abolished, so people could live according to their own will. We are no longer bound by their rules."
"So what is this building?"
"This is the LiveLife headquarters."
The traveler was intrigued by this turn of events.
"Let's go, Kino." The motorrad spoke up.
"Alright then. Let's go, Hermes." The traveller named Kino replied as she lugged the motorrad up the stairs.
"Welcome to LiveLife Incorporated." A secretary greeted as Kino and Hermes entered the building.
Kino looked around the expansive and decorative lobby. "Hello, I'd like to speak to a representative of your business."
"Understood. Please take a seat and I'll be with you shortly."
After a few minutes of waiting, a man wearing a suit walked in to meet Kino and Hermes. They were invited into his office with refreshments provided.
"So, what can I help you with?" The man asked upon taking a sip of his tea.
"Someone had told me that this building was the government office."
"I suppose they'd misled you."
"What he really said is 'That is where they run this country.'" corrected Hermes.
"Now I understand. Yes, in a sense we at LiveLife are the ones who 'run' this country, but trust me, we are only acting in the benefit of the people."
"I don't quite understand. What is it that you do?" inquired Kino.
The man stood up from his seat and began to speak in a very formal tone.
"Seven years ago, this country's government had disbanded. Back then, we were being heavily taxed and were given strict guidelines on how to act. The people were now free to do whatever they desire… but soon after the crime rate had skyrocketed. Since there were no laws, there were no repercussions for their actions. As you can guess, many people wanted to live in safety, and we had the opportunity to provide that. So we made a proposition to the people of this country to set certain rules and implant a behaviour chip. With this new agreement, we have—"
"Wait just a moment, 'behaviour chip'?" Kino interjected.
"Oh, don't worry. I suppose you are a traveler, so something like that would cause a bit of alarm. This chip doesn't control the behaviour of our people. No, it only monitors it."
"So everyone was implanted with these chips?"
"Yes, and it was completely necessary."
"And why would you want to monitor their behaviour?"
"It's quite simple, you see. These chips monitor the level of brain stimulation at all times so we can pinpoint when someone feels happiness or pleasure. With that information, we simply charge a fee for every time an individual feels pleasure, varying on the intensity."
"That's going a little too far, don't you think?" Hermes asked.
"It's completely necessary. You see, if people are charged every time they feel some sort of positive brain activity, they would be discouraged from committing crimes and harming others, which produce the greatest amount of pleasure. But, there are times which are out of our control where people are charged for moments of wholesome pleasure. Every time someone eats a certain food they like, plays a sport they enjoy, or is with someone they love, they are charged for those instances depending on the degree of pleasure."
"And this is all in the interest of safety?" Kino asked.
"It is in the interest of the people."
Kino and Hermes finished their tea and bid the man farewell. After lugging Hermes down the steps, Kino looked back upon the towering building made completely out of glass, fully decorated with luxurious adornments inside.