Papers Please, Next Please
Chapter 1
The door unlocks, followed by a faint sound of coughing. The door opened slowly, allowing the light from the hallway to illuminate the room. And the silhouette of a lone man appears, standing in the doorway.
He takes a deep breath and sighs as he enters his new apartment.
He turned the lights on, with his suitcase in one hand and carrying a bag of groceries in the other. Barely able to get his large and heavy trunk into his new home.
Nobody bothered to offer him a hand on the way here. A young family walked by him earlier on, and they noticed him struggling to lift his trunk. But they ignored him and pretended that they didn't see him there.
With a heavy breath and a moment of rest, he finally sets his trunk inside his new home. He sits on it and takes a breather, wiping the sweat off his forehead and placing his suitcase down beside it.
He wished that his luggage didn't have to be so heavy. But inside of his trunk was filled with lots of sentimental things that were too difficult to let go of, "I still think of you two every day." He said softly, placing his hand on the trunk.
All of that hardship he had faced, all the endurance he had gained, and what little of his determination remains has brought him here. But only he had made it, and his friends, relatives, and his family were gone.
But even though he has made it through the worst. The war had already started to take a toll on his health. His body needs to recover soon if he wants to make it for the New Year.
With his body feeling somewhat rested, he slowly gets up and closes the door behind him, almost forgetting to lock it.
He turns around and checks the apartment. The place seemed okay. One bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen and a living room with a TV. Small, comfortable, and empty. A level 8 flat is the cheapest place a minimum wage worker can afford.
Usually, it's the rich folk that buys a flat. Those snobby, self-entitled, political individuals love to look down on the less fortunate.
People like him.
Before the war, he used to be a farmer, but when the bombs fell, he had to put his tools away and grab a rifle to defend his family, traded fertilizer for gunpowder and took a life instead of planting one.
The sounds of paper bags placed on the table were the only thing he could hear from his empty apartment.
It's gone so much lonelier ever since his wife had passed not too long ago.
But what can he hope to expect from his new life? Honestly, there isn't much. Too old to care much for such things, and his life has been long and treacherous already.
At the old age of 46, and yet they expect him to still go to war. He had a wife and a farm to take care of, and they already took his son away from them six years ago. And they haven't heard from him since after his departure to the frontlines.
Not even in the form of letters that they have yet to receive from him.
They liked to believe that their son could still be alive out there. But, six years is a very long time. And how long he has survived is something that he chooses not to remember.
Especially not after what he has already done.
Arstotzka has gotten worse after a six-year war with the neighboring country of Kolechia. He fears for the worse as the tension between the two countries continues to grow even after.
Anyone from both sides could lash out at each other at any moment when you least expected it.
This peace isn't even official yet. It was only temporary. The official peace treaty will be at the end of the year until Christmas. But there was news of marriage between the "daughter" of Artztozka and the "son" of Kolechia.
But he cared little about it. Whatever that those two idiots leaders do to make themselves happy is none of his business anymore.
All he cared about was the one month that he had to wait till freedom.
One month, just thirty more days till all this horror is over.
For now, their guns will stay silent, their knives away from each other's throats, and the pin stays with the grenade.
It's already late. And there's little time to unpack what little things that remain. The rest had either been destroyed, stolen, or lost.
He opens his trunk and pulls out a set of pajamas and his family portrait.
After taking a quick wash and a change of clothes, he finally sat down on his bed to rest his tired body. He placed his family portrait on his nightstand.
He brushes his fingers against it, staring longingly at it.
His deceased wife, fallen from illness, and his son taken by the army, is probably dead at this point.
Feeling alone is not an easy thing to handle.
He looks at the photo for a few more minutes before setting it back down and turning it in for the night. As he lay his head down on the pillow, bringing the blankets over him, letting his mind began to overflow with drowsiness.
He could feel his eyes lids getting heavier. He closes his eyes and starts breathing more comfortably and letting sleep taking over him.
But then his doorbell suddenly rang out of nowhere.
Surprised and very annoyed, he unwillingly gets up and walks back over to the front door.
Grabbing his keys, unlocking and opening it, in front of him, he sees a youthful raven-haired woman in a suit, with her Artztozkan badge presented prominently upon her chest.
She brushed her hair aside and adjusted her hat before addressing herself. "Good evening, inspector. I am Aurelia, and I am your new overseer for your new job." She said smiling, "I hope I didn't interrupt your time at such a late hour. I apologize, but I have come to deliver you an important message." She said with joy.
The inspector just stared at her, his face shown clear annoyance, and he didn't even say one word.
Aurelia awkwardly looks back at him for a few seconds. She then takes out an envelope from her pocket, "Also, here, your last month's pay." She added. "Just head to the bank and hand this in, and they will sort out the rest for you as usual."
She hands him the envelope, "Back to the message, a reminder, your new location will be at the Grestin borders, a 12-hour shift from 6 am to 6 pm. That office hasn't been in use for almost six years, and they have just reopened it again. Just a bus ride from right outside your building or a fifteen-minute walk to your new workplace." She pauses, waiting for the inspector to let the information sink in.
Ah yes, his new job. As an immigration officer or inspector. On the Grestin border that rests between the west, that is Kolechia and the east Arstotzka.
He heard a lot of rumors about that place back at the October Labor Lottery.
"Many would want to be in your position to have a place like this." She said with a smile.
Lies. The inspector thought. Who would want a job that's right next to what would or will be their death? But he cares little about that now, and at least he had a stable job again. It was hard trying to live homelessly for the past few months. Forging and fighting each other to earn your bread. Finally having something to eat for the day and worry about what you're going to eat next tomorrow.
Both his home and farm got destroyed by the bombs, and there was no more life around and nothing left to grow. The city was the only option he had left, and if he had chosen to stay there, the wolves would eat him instead.
The inspector nods and lets her finish the rest of the conversation. Her eyes suddenly harden, "I'll come back and see you at your station first thing in the morning. The minister will be there as well, so be on your best behavior." She sternly warns.
The inspector nods at her, still not saying a single word.
Aurelia changed back to her usual self and said, "Well, I think that's about everything. Enjoy your new home inspector. Rest well and don't be late tomorrow. You wouldn't want to get fired on the first day now, would you?"
He nods.
She turns and leaves, "Alright then, good night, inspector."
He watches her leave, rolling his eyes while closing the door. He tosses the envelope at his dining table and goes back to his room. He lays back down on his bed. All of his thoughts came back to him.
His life has been nothing but loss and despair after the war started.
He had lost his family, his home, and his life. And yet, they decided him to pick up a rifle and charge at the enemy and somehow still lived, after all that.
And now, there's nothing left for him to live.
They declared war and boasted that they would bring peace and that their son would return home before Christmas. And everything would be back to normal.
Lies. All of it.
They waited, but he never came back for Christmas. Maybe next Christmas, but after the fourth, they've already given up on that. His wife didn't take it so well.
And here he is, all alone. But why is he still here? Maybe he doesn't want to go yet, that there is still a bit of hope left in him. That border, even without seeing it, he knows that the place would be his death. Who would want to work there?
He would.
A single tear had escaped his eye. Running down his face and touching the pillow, his eyes started to close again. That's enough emotions for today. He has a job tomorrow, and he couldn't afford to be late. He was lucky to win the lottery. Maybe this time, things would be different from now on.
/-/
"It appears that some of our information is exposed. The individual is running now as we speak, and he's trying to make it back to Kolechia by any means necessary." Said the Headman. "This is an attempt for them to spark the war again between the two countries."
"If that information makes it out, then our entire organization will be known. We must stop that informant."
Everyone in the room shows their concerns and worry, "This can be it for us. The people of Kolechia and Arstotzka still need our help."
"We got careless this time, but we can't allow this to happen again."
Then, the leader stands up from the table, "All of you, relax this, is not the end for us."
"Headman, why aren't you worried? How can you be so calm about this?" One of the members said.
The Headman smiles, "That informant would never make it out alive, and I have already sent our best agent after him. He was the one who has informed me of the situation, of course." He said, sitting back down.
"Our best agent, you mean him, right?"
The Headman nods, and at that moment, everyone immediately calmed down. "Thank god, we are lucky to have him on our side."
"Rest assured. We will have this informant dealt with as long as we have our best agent on the field. The EZIC Order is indeed lucky to have him in our organization." Said the Headman.
"We wouldn't be able to achieve what we have now if not for him."
Down in the slums of the poorer districts, a lone man runs through the dark alleyways, trying to get away from someone who is chasing him, hiding in the dark. "No, please. We can sort this out. You don't have to do this." He begged as he ran, looking around for a place to escape, "I've only taken some information about them. I didn't kill anybody, please!"
He ran into a dead end. He turns around and sees no one behind him. But he knows that the person is still there, somewhere. "Stand back," He pulls out his gun and racks it. "I'm warning you!"
But before he could even shoot it, it was already too late. Something landed on him from above and quickly injected a needle into his neck, slowly bringing the informant to the ground.
That is none other than the EZIC's most effective agent, Floyd.
"Thank you for standing still," He said as he stood up to adjust his suit and tie. He reaches into the informant's jacket and pulls out a document file, "I'll be taking this back as well, thank you. The order needs to update its security measures. Fake IDs and a forged access card. No wonder he got in."
He finishes up and leaves the alleyway. He activates his radio communicator by his belt, "Headman, this is Agent Floyd. The informant is asleep, and I have recovered your file." He said.
"Good work, Agent. You may return that file tomorrow morning when you report. You will receive your next assignment in the morning as well. And, sorry once again for the inconvenience, Floyd. We'll make sure that this won't happen again." Said Headman.
"Understood, Headman. I will do anything to protect my country."
"Oh, and congratulations to your father on winning the worker's October Labor Lottery." Said the Headman.
"Thank you, sir. I did rig the system after all."
"Of course you did. Enjoy your night, agent."
Floyd switches off the radio and disappears into the night.
End of Chapter 1