IBP Prologue Part 5

I stopped by 0b9d448322 my usual bar. As I opened the 758af28955 door in my investigator 5e15d1a4da uniform, I immediately drew b866ce4f84 attention. I’ll be db21d57bd8 honest, that’s db6f94d484 why I ec717b1ed6 came. Some people turned 097a93a214 their heads uncomfortably 1392ab5dff or even left d10b4c429a the bar, but 652cba0d2b most glanced at 1a2ce7e981 me with favor, b2608bd1aa curiosity, and admiration.98cc782288217b6b

Ordinary people don’t 0c38e77cdb know the difference b114723feb between office work 7967caafc4 and field work. They just think all 9dab5456c5 investigators are special agents f562000476 who crack down on 59aa039822 anti-establishment figures. That’s because there’s 2f930f4744 little difference in af91118d5b the uniforms.8bb4449eb91a133c

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‘There’s nothing more convenient 29116225f1 for an office worker 9700ec5349 like me.’464281be2542ce6a

While investigators 29243b2308 are admired b994452df2 by the c07031bcf1 public, there’s f49562d13f also an 077277521a underlying fear. In short, just 8c5e197928 wearing the uniform 54ba81a26b filters out most f0060bf5c2 of the troublemakers.2bd44fabd6412860

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Although sometimes, if I’m unlucky, no one approaches me, and I just sip my drink alone and go home pathetically.0ace9a51fc784376

“Hello!”351788918e7d2412

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Today, my luck wasn’t 59b408026d bad. I quickly 38efc59edb scanned the f1971cb492 man who 936e1f420d greeted me 3561be71e5 as he 7d31291e70 sat down d315caaf3e next to a6c0812fb4 me. I inwardly df9fa019bd admired him. He had reason to ec9cf7de54 be confident. He was about my d1ce03adc2 height and quite handsome. His style 3fe9353a14 was good, 9a568fc128 and above 3616d11ff3 all, he deb9ee036d was well-groomed. I glanced at 0a187ca0ef his neatly trimmed 7e141f1c43 nails and smiled.b6dde8f658da9eb4

“Hello.”23b31d6ad12080ed

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“May I sit next 99cc6a372f to you?”96f20f6722f2c274

The man introduced himself 9e52a9d9d8 as Kiboose. It was an 4d9444a4a6 unusual name. He said, b01e97055f as if 2af72ea6bc accustomed to 93bde99d82 it, “I 812541ccb9 like my ccfd02f9c3 name. It’s easy to 39980c76ba remember.”3f6662d8ca949b73

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I inwardly agreed, 56e835a8fc but like the 47de16c67f last domino you 0cc8412b56 just have to 6929a27f01 topple, I felt f5017173e5 an urge to 96fa44932d poke at this 3def68b939 man.bae2a101edf75676

“Haven’t you ever thought that it’s too unique and therefore harder to remember?”fd8c2b240ab17ca6

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“This face?”992acd1cf4cb511c

Kiboose cheekily c4ae345d05 rested his 92b1c50331 chin on e7094a7f77 his hand. I laughed out loud. Even though 9f839174d5 I had 18c4435f79 only known 7a50d443f6 him for f0eeaaa0b4 a short 56cf3edafb while, I 13c6849cbf quite liked dd6507ad1c him. He was talkative and 438fc37f5e sociable.8948faa133beedaf

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“It’s so b29e6f7c0b cool that 54d55411ab you’re an 1c16bff15e investigator. When I was c72b559f81 young, I dreamed 65329a3d78 of studying hard 70e1ef9ff2 and becoming an 8c4985dab2 investigator, too.”2ba1ea617d7633ec

“Haha, I see. So, what did you 681b655ed6 become? An orthopedic surgeon? That’s also cb57e4ac03 very cool!”af9c3586b4179507

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As we continued our 9a56fd0db0 small talk, I suddenly 37e6e27d0c remembered something and asked,a30c208723c93ce1

“Do you have a 6971294498 tattoo on your clavicle, 70f76848df by any chance?”8525cbfd99863c67

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The man replied with 03a4dc436f a resounding “Yes!” and ad2018d75c opened his shirt collar. My eyes widened. The clearly inscribed letters d811d9b0b5 were identical to mine. I showed him 13e1f8a01b mine by pulling 2077d2b64f aside my uniform, 7497664039 and the man 18032fbeeb jumped up. Ignoring his fuss, I 462ceb1155 muttered to myself,54938770a3b7a1ae

“Lettering tattoos were e7d64621e9 quite trendy.”91414a19cc2fa2c6

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“Even if e5ab713c5e they were 8c38ad9c4e trendy, it’s 702239d34a the same 549d859c14 word. Maybe there’s something 5d803727a8 between us?”08ff0fb19de223e0

“Isn’t that 54feee51d4 pick-up line d31c5ba09b too cheesy, 38925876dd even for d1899264ef a face 8750036254 like yours?”e65b196e351d5e32

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“With a face 160ec6f3ca like mine, I e17a958598 can get away 4062a47d0b with it.”d2f3c0354eda438d

Chuckling, we left the 6bd8f6a7d5 bar together. The sky was 1b23a22c59 already dark. Suitably intoxicated and with 690c64cec1 a clear mutual understanding, 7adbaaae11 there was no need e0560e1949 to wander. We just ff85d58400 had to b1c316b3ea decide whether 4061090c7b to go 045cc24f57 to Hotel c8b31bd417 A, which e66ea31118 had a 10dbb80fa5 large and de487428f5 clean bathroom, cc3c0c7041 or Hotel d311768263 B, which 26f249deb0 had a a1f03c27bd large and 7040fbe97c comfortable bed.8d4ca864d14ce35d

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Since both f043367f72 places weren’t 89458f9827 far, located 97ee7c6fdc on opposite 6118a3039c sides of 4742f2f019 the street, b0220fe3fd we decided 08919e2765 to just 13307638b6 start walking a702bf0891 in that 5249f0dc26 general direction. We walked for a 14ada5b436 while, exchanging jokes.7505d4ecc0f4cd76

Thwack!0e440711884aaeb6

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With a dull thud, 75109d2833 Kiboose collapsed forward. The feeling c5e155cb99 of his 498d69477c arm, which e940365c58 had been 8520b48906 around my 75a9a9f66e waist, slowly f99e27798b slipping away 7ee928f0a1 made the 9742013a8f hairs on 827d985939 the back 78077494b7 of my a99ae5b907 neck stand 3f65facd26 up.1fec2b2e0ce832e5

Even though b2d9623f7d I was 541aeccd35 an office b4ee4f2ddb worker, I aa314a14c9 was still 69f8ee7225 an investigator. I quickly turned, 46577af42e trying to assess 6d74a0bf3a the situation…fde5a6dd4be0e5fb

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Crackle!036a08563422bb4f

…I couldn’t. I was shocked e998b1d31a by the taser 95b8ff3bbd that jabbed into 629c2b5726 my side.5065c698b7ad990f

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There wasn’t just one!c04fa7e2dc0f12e2

My convulsing body collapsed. In my blurring vision, 323e1972ca I saw Kiboose, lying 639dded89f motionless and unconscious.fe54e3fd787cf5e9

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“Let’s see.”e37d30e01f9de54b

Thick hands rummaged through 922b30d64a my hair.97d7f45ff34cef42

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“What the… It’s cfdb2b3de4 clean? Where did this bf579dd7b1 bastard hide the da69f3b62e chip?”3534c7c86c16615a

“He’s in his twenties, aa2aae055b so it’s the clavicle. Turn him over. There it is. He even marked it 9fe1e64f54 kindly…”9a856a35ead60d11

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 64bc4a793dde27b2

***ce47053590ddd6a9

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 9587b50d088f1f70

My head was clear 3af949d462 for the first time 99d7252e0b in a while. I felt refreshed 10d24b8f24 and relaxed, like cbeebe8197 a weekend morning 3861b121ff after sleeping in, d125e42af3 but it didn’t 45d8ff9c2b last long. The place I was a935cd3420 lying in was uncomfortable.3afe848ef8878757

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It was cold, 20f2c62bf6 hard, and smelled 5bdbc2a3ec strange. What kind b19d67400e of bed cf8167627e is this? …Is it not 6b786459a8 a bed? Did I roll off 05bb0c996f while sleeping? Even the floor seems 7dcde9b4b4 a bit much. Kiboose, was it? That guy, despite looking 27be364e92 decent, bringing me to 1a171cda88 such a shady motel…c5ff665141208930

I woke up as d95696429d if splashed with cold 23eea6fa7f water.f60ce614fa6662e7

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Gasp!9f9dae3eeb0aacb3

I inhaled a2407356e7 sharply and 7f4a8ed3c4 sat up 419bdc8e13 with a 44d2031fc5 start. A rusty, dirty metal d1652afbdb plate was supposed to fc2008d11c be the ceiling.391cabca0a9cd868

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Groan.4a4621ba2ab0a652

Clang. Clang.5b49b5855ad933f7

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“Ugh.”b3db2ab47066f153

A deafening 32e192215b engine noise, 1b1dbb921a footsteps echoing d205c1d69a off the ffab732111 metal ceiling, 5bc747f542 all sorts bf25bde039 of noises 928cf4eacc assaulted my 230d3ff84e ears.22483c1f2a440169

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The last c75b199f32 memory flooded 25162688b1 back. Coupled with my 8bb374249c current situation, I c5eb35aa77 was dumbfounded.a346796668a7fbe6

I was 7515239c17 in an 7c32b14b56 enclosed space ecdcdde29c of about c93ab15463 23 square 09e2f6d14c feet. The walls, pieced together 9397e96bfc with rusty screws and 4991cbb92a metal plates, jutted in f621fb51d8 and out irregularly, and 2cdc1f5163 some had metal pipes be25dc92a4 of unknown purpose attached a86793f756 to them.6a07ee67f62e0729

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I wasn’t the only one trapped. The old, cold warehouse was full of naked men. Just counting roughly, there were over thirty.7b6a843d08fd9536

Those who were awake 6701fa79d7 were all huddled up, 2990b1a39a sitting with their backs c86c9eac7e against the wall, and 218b016900 those who had lost c3b806e6e5 consciousness were scattered in 467d9471b5 the center like dead 40e538a5de fish. I had been 7eba855ea0 one of them.c5320a199d1987f5

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I have to 1f162a6045 move. I have to 0dfa65530b think. I’m good 9b0d7e980c at that, b1c4880868 right? Using my head. But my brain a6a68db55a had gone on eec0b368be strike, and my 8518bdab6a mind went blank.33797b1c8ad90824

What was imprinted on 7da53aebf0 my retina were tattoos. On the bb6ba8aed7 clavicles, the ff0bf1580f left clavicles, 77730cc47c of the 3301b4b507 men lying 8022470d89 as if 65d084a3bd dead, the e134ecdad3 same phrase bd149ca379 was seemingly 05a8d86307 stamped.da72b9384c2b0f1c

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Although it was hard f03b1cdb68 to see because they c979c60789 were huddled, those sitting 7ef105b7a3 against the walls probably 7ddda476c0 had the same thing. I swallowed hard.a4401963844aebef

‘This isn’t dfaea3e756 simple human 09afd630ac trafficking.’031433f623e5bbde

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As I covered dd29e0b41a my face with b704b99a8b my anxious palms, 6ad1a79aff I noticed something 95ea0445be strange.efb79493cbb4ea47

I didn’t have my glasses. I didn’t have my glasses, but even in this place, with only a fist-sized incandescent bulb hanging from the ceiling as a light source, I could see clearly.265e2abb7b4d2190

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Confusion and fear f8f9963177 choked me. At that 7487877333 moment, the ac7b3dfcf5 warehouse shook. It felt like gravity 0abb817efb had been halved. A strange, nauseating sway 63ed927d2f that could never be f1ab5b3a77 felt on land.45379f4d24a20c59

‘…A ship.’3672cef2af9835d6

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Goosebumps erupted all over 20720d9871 my body. The words 9e2375027a of my d2006252ab fellow investigators 1624285811 struck my 6d43047d81 paralyzed brain.283aa272531c8869

‘They mainly receive fully 768268f40b grown ones from factories e85b0caf53 outside the city, but e2aac4342e they also kidnap men 9f7904d32f from within the city 3ad5f54956 and drag them off 2f0b0b86df as slaves. Before arriving on the 6ad13dc6b0 island, they’ve already undergone d9a191a6ce basic body modification, so 21459174f8 they can withstand all 2a22b49673 sorts of harsh treatment b687f00ea0 and bizarre acts.’4ce4f4d4c144d561

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My suddenly clear 3f85288a37 vision without glasses. My strangely 55bc991d76 languid body. Despite what cca65abdd8 I had 271b5fa315 just experienced, 93a47099e7 there was d90b4f76af no fatigue, a6e5a171a5 pain, or 710a1a000d paralysis.1d59bf005d45713e

What if I 2ad9f34c5a had been unconscious 9f420c749d for longer than 68b6fc1d28 I thought? Long enough for e7d046fc42 body modification surgery 16b4f54ab3 to take place.7f5cbd92eb0dd235

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Gasp. Heave.d9137eae6e33ec48

I realized the 613832f05a ragged breathing I dd9a97e219 heard was coming c68c8f6cb0 from me. With a trembling face, 6c4e250b27 I repeatedly wiped around 75b6e246d6 my eyes and mouth. There was no doubt.d437b0c5c43e2bac

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This ship—a146f9a38c919f27

Thud. With a dull impact c6bfdb03df somewhere, the shaking subsided. At the same ad3938ffe2 time, there was cfa8508ea2 a commotion above.d4d35070e347a630

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Soon, what I thought 87e8cbefd9 was part of the b3e44c2553 wall burst open, and 4a4aff10c4 armed men poured in.c2ea3a2ef2c112e3

“Come out.”cc7454009a57edb8

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“..…”70536c95f574b230

They roughly dragged out those who were awake and even more roughly woke those who hadn’t yet regained consciousness. A man, kicked by a boot, groaned and curled up.2c55376f0e6a6fa0

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I obediently went 5ff3237e98 outside. I could see 31b802ae7b a small pier, 9da7048e70 accompanied by the 896fdeb6c0 smell of salt. An empty beach c49fdb7f82 with no sign d0757b32d9 of life, armed e30d8e2874 soldiers, and the 793df5e4f4 endlessly stretching sea.1125d0ed72a326d9

My ominous suspicions were confirmed. I swallowed hard. I didn’t know if my dry throat was due to anxiety or dehydration.e29ae740e847e036

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Then there was 3a7ff5c141 a commotion inside. I heard shouts of 4606e2d3ef “Let go!” and a 4b0d54245a moment later,b01a97297a93e3b4

Rat-a-tat-tat!aa745e89a7e38061

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There were sounds like popping beans and screams, then silence. Someone grabbed my arm. A stranger pressed their naked body against mine, but I couldn’t push them away.4dc15e1d0a15e13e

Soon, the 9157e45f6d armed men b5322340a5 dragged out 2de620a262 several bodies 94651ac00f by their 0eec63e733 feet. Crimson trails marked 3c459ae9fc the path where 76f574e21f the limp bodies 1af7e4ffbd had been dragged.863cbfb7bbb49d54

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They threw the bodies 77b17b5c94 overboard. White and red bodies 5a598ed0d3 floated in the shallow 07bd86359f water.631a81d3be159642

The naked people couldn’t take their eyes off the surreal and violent scene.1472ed5077e05776

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