Chapter 4: A New Start

Mora spun her chair around to face them. "Oh, you're back? Raden, it looks like you'll need to work with us."
Raden's eyes widened.
"Huh? Work with you?!"
Mora smiled at him. She then stood up and walked over to the side of the table where numerous small screens lined the walls. Mora perched herself on the edge of the table.
"Yeah, you definitely want to eat well like you did just now, right?"
Raden swallowed hard. Michael patted Raden's right shoulder, then walked over next to Mora.
"We care about you. You just went through a terrible tragedy, didn't you?" Michael said, sitting down casually on the edge of the table, his arms folded.
Raden let out a heavy sigh.
"Yeah, my parents' death really hit me hard. Honestly, I'm confused about what to do next. But... this 'working together'... does that mean I have to work for my own food?"
"More or less. We know this might be difficult for you. But we're not a charity or a relief foundation. Right now, we need someone to help us finish our mission faster. We'll still give you a proper wage and facilities, don't worry..."
For a moment, Raden didn't say anything. He was lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the floor.
I thought they genuinely wanted to help me, but they have an agenda, huh? Raden thought to himself.
You can't say that... They are genuine, just with conditions, Oni countered in Raden's mind.
Ugh, not you again, Raden grumbled mentally.
Listen, Raden, this is how you survive. You live to work today, or you die of starvation tomorrow, Oni said through Raden's mind.
Is that so? No wonder my dad rarely came home relaxed. He worked almost every day and returned exhausted, Raden mused.
That's how fate and life work. Humans are always destined to work and develop throughout their lives, not stand still and hope for a miracle tomorrow, Oni stated in Raden's mind.
Alright, alright, I get it. Strange, you suddenly sound so wise, Raden replied to Oni mentally.
Michael tapped Raden's shoulder.
"Raden."
Raden quickly turned his head to look at Michael.
"Y-yes? What is it?"
"Why did you suddenly zone out? What were you thinking about?"
"Um... Yeah, I was trying to think about your offer."
"And what's your decision?" Mora asked.
"I think I..." Raden's words trailed off briefly. Mora and Michael's eyes widened, waiting for his answer. Raden took a breath. "I think I agree to your offer," he finished, lifting his head to look at Mora and Michael's faces.
Mora and Michael immediately broke into smiles. Mora clapped her hands, then turned and rapidly typed on a flat keyboard.
A monitor screen then displayed a square-ratio photo of Raden in a formal standing pose. Raden looked at the screen, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Hey, how can there be a formal picture of me on that screen?"
Mora gave a faint smile.
"You should know that every corner and side of this city is covered by invisible drones," Mora answered, her fingers still flying across the keyboard.
Raden was even more surprised by Mora's words. Michael moved closer to Mora, looking at the large screen beside her.
"D-do you mean you spy on everyone in this city?!"
Mora paused her typing for a moment.
"Yes... you could say that. No system is safe."
"Come on, you watch too many movies, acting all edgy?" Michael said, looking at Mora with a slight laugh.
"Is it a sin to watch a lot of movies?" Mora asked, shrugging.
Michael walked up beside Mora and playfully ruffled her hair.
"It's a sin because you didn't invite me to watch that movie."
Mora pulled Michael's hand away, giving him a slightly annoyed look.
"Funny. You wouldn't understand a psychological movie like that."
Michael smiled at her. Raden chuckled a little but quickly covered his mouth and instantly put on a poker face again.
Mora turned to Raden with a cynical glare.
"Don't you dare laugh. It's not funny."
"Yes, ma'am," Raden said with a straight face. Michael laughed at the exchange. Mora rolled her eyes without responding to Raden and continued typing.
"So Raden, you'll need a new identity for your mission later. I've prepared a new identity for you here. And starting now, you will be called..." Mora kept typing rapidly, then hit the 'enter' key. "Brando, your name is now Brando," Mora continued. The large screen in front of her displayed the name: Brando Brainiac next to Raden's photo.
Raden frowned.
"Brando?" Mora nodded her head at Raden.
Michael looked at the large screen and slapped his forehead. He then ruffled Mora's hair again, making her look annoyed.
"That's not how you give someone a new identity."
Michael asked Mora to shift over. Mora moved away from the keyboard and slightly away from the monitor screen. Now, Michael tried to erase the name on the large screen using the keyboard, then replaced it with a new name.
"Toki, you're now called Toki, Raden," Michael said, pressing the 'enter' key.
Raden rubbed his chin.
"Toki? Hmm... sounds okay."
Mora walked back next to Michael and hit his back loudly. Michael cried out in pain for a moment, rubbing his back. She asked Michael to move over. Michael took his hands off the keyboard and shifted his body. Mora took over the keyboard and typed quickly again.
"Fine, if you guys agree with that name."
A moment later, she pressed 'enter'. A machine next to the large screen hissed, with red, green, and blue lights blinking. They looked towards the machine.
A few minutes later, the machine dispensed a card made of a rather hard material. Mora walked over to the machine, picked up the card, then approached Raden and handed it to him.
Raden took the card from Mora's hand. He was very impressed by it. On the card, there was a name field labeled 'Toki', a large photo of Raden next to it, a job position, an official contact number, and the Indi(e)go logo in the bottom left corner.
"Keep this card safe so people won't mess with you later," Mora said, pointing at the card Raden was holding.
"Alright, I'll keep this card as safe as possible."
"Haha, you suddenly became an obedient kid. Michael, it's your turn now," Mora said, walking to another chair and sitting down casually. Her gaze turned and focused on a set of small monitor screens.
Michael touched Raden's right shoulder. Raden immediately looked at him.
"Come on, follow me."
He then walked out of Mora's workspace and deeper into the building, followed by Raden beside him.
They arrived in front of a door, and on the doorknob, there was a slot to swipe a card.
"Raden, now swipe your card there," Michael requested, his eyes directing him to the doorknob.
Raden swiped his card on the doorknob. Slowly, the door automatically opened. Once fully open, Raden was completely amazed by what he saw.
They entered the room. It was a spacious room with a wide bed, a large LED TV, a long desk with a computer on it, and a very wide window with a one-click open/close system that offered a clear view of the outside of the building. In front of the bed was a door leading to the bathroom.
"You'll live in this room now. Don't forget to keep it clean. Mora and I won't be cleaning it. And oh, if you want to masturbate, don't forget to lock the door tightly," Michael said, looking at Raden's face.
Raden looked at Michael, tilting his head slightly.
"The last part... is that really allowed here?"
"Of course, it is. This room is entirely yours. Besides, it's normal for a kid your age, right? Just make sure you don't watch porn too loudly, or Mora will kick you in the nuts," Michael replied with a slight laugh. Raden laughed too.
"Alright, I'll make a note of that. But... is Mora really like that?"
"Haha, yeah, that's just how she is."
"Well, is there anything else you want to ask about this place?"
Raden shook his head.
"Everything's clear enough, maybe I just need to adapt to this place," Raden said.
Michael walked closer to the room's exit door.
"In that case, you should sleep now. You have to wake up tomorrow morning."
Raden turned around, seeing Michael already stepping out of his room.
"Alright, thanks for showing me here," Raden called out from a distance. However, there was no response from Michael.
Raden began to look around his room. He noticed several paintings on the walls, neatly stacked plates, a computer complete with a monitor and mouse. He then tried entering the bathroom door in the room.
In the bathroom, Raden experimented with the shower device, which had two modes, cold and warm. He accidentally turned it on until the water streamed out heavily, soaking his body. Since he was already wet, Raden took off his clothes and decided to take a shower. He saw some soap and other toiletries on a shelf. With the shower water still running, Raden grabbed the soap from the shelf. He slowly lathered the soap onto his body, savoring the coolness of every drop of water that flowed over him.
After his shower, he grabbed a towel hanging on the bathroom hanger. He wrapped the towel around his body, shivering slightly from the cold. He then stepped out of the bathroom, opened a large wardrobe filled with neatly displayed clothes. He took out pajamas and put them on properly. Then, he closed the wardrobe. After that, he slowly combed his hair until it looked tidy. He stood in front of a long mirror that reflected his whole body. Raden smiled and struck a few poses in the mirror.
Well, are you happy accepting the offer now? Oni asked through Raden's mind.
Yeah, I guess the offer isn't so bad, Raden replied to Oni mentally.
Good. But, remain vigilant of your situation, Oni countered in Raden's mind.
Okay, thanks for the reminder. Hey, let me enjoy this for a bit, okay? Raden pleaded to Oni mentally.
Alright, Oni replied through Raden's mind.
Raden put his comb away on a tidy shelf. He then leaped onto the very soft bed. He pulled the wide blanket that was not far from his body, wrapping himself in it. Raden smiled broadly, then closed his eyes tightly.
On the other side, Michael returned to Mora's room. He walked over to a coffee machine in the room, grabbed a mug, and automatically filled the mug he was holding with coffee until it was full.
Michael held the mug and slowly took a sip. He walked over to Mora, took a chair located not far from her, and sat down next to her.
"How's the kid, done?" Mora asked, her hands busy typing.
Michael placed the coffee mug on the side of the table. He then folded his fingers on the table in front of him.
"Hmm... he's settled for tonight. But it will still take a while before he can work with us. I'm afraid Razor wants him to start working sooner. Let's just hope this goes smoothly going forward."
"Yeah, let's hope he learns fast."
Michael's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took the phone out and answered the call.
"Michael, did you get the kid?" someone with a heavy tone asked from the other end of the line.
"Yes, sir. We've got the kid you asked for. But we need time to train him," Michael replied.
"Good. Don't take too long. I need him to start making money for me."