Under The Radar [Makoharu]

Chapter 1 - Silence

Authors note:
I would just like to clarify that this story is written in the perspective of Makoto, if I decide to alter the perspective then I'll be sure to notify you.

Also, this chapter is extremely short as I wanted to focus on Makoto's character for this part so Haru will be introduced in the chapter following this one.

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I live in a broken world.

Everything is controlled by the host.

We are just the ants running around in his little patch of grass and if we act inadequately then we will be stepped on and terminated from existence.

Sometimes I think to myself, 'What is the purpose of life itself?'. I could ponder on the topic for decades yet I would still fail to obtain an answer. It's a hard question to crack. We go to school to educate ourselves on useless subjects that we will most likely never need for the extent of our adulthood just so we can take exams which will supply us with a sheet of paper with a collection of letters upon it. Consequently, we will then use these letters to get a job to pay for our food and to have a roof over our head, yet if our letters aren't As, Bs or Cs then we will be dismissed as 'stupid' or 'worthless'. Later on in our lives we are then told to reproduce otherwise our peers will deem us as irregular and odd, possibly even boring. So we find a partner and start a beautiful family which will be insignificant compared to the rest of the planet. This results in us having to raise another generation until we eventually pass away only to have left little or no impact on the earth. Our existence is meaningless, so it seems.

Despite this, I try to steer clear of thinking about that idea for too long for I fear I may lose my marbles.

I made my way along the dingy street as the lamp lights above me cast my silhouette upon the pavement. I didn't despise the alleyways in the heart of the city, they just made my journey a little less comfortable. Currently I was commuting from work to my modest flat near the outskirts of the new building estate; yet again they were cramming in more ugly apartments nearby to sell for a greed-driven profit. It didn't come as a shock whatsoever.

I looked upwards at the sky to distract myself from the silence which seemed to consume my mind, as per usual, it was thick with clouds of pollution and fog. The moon was hardly visible and I couldn't remember the last time I managed to actually see a few stars twinkle through the blanket of greenhouse gases. Cautiously, I turned down another alleyway which seemed to be even more cramped than the last. I wondered to myself why I chose to do this every night for it was not practical nor pleasing. Every now and then I would look behind me to check I wasn't being followed since theft was fairly common however the streets were practically empty since I often worked late into the night. This was just so I could earn some extra money to pay my rent every month.

A few minutes later I could hear a noise of footsteps or something similar coming from behind. Whoever it was, they seemed to be very aware of how much noise they were making and were clearly trying to move as quietly as humanly possible. Luckily for them one of the observational drones flew overhead which caused an abrupt buzzing noise to echo through the alley. The drones monitored the city day to night, night to day, 24/7, 365 days a year to check that everything was in tact and to supposedly 'prevent crime' which was just a load of bullshit that the government crammed down our throats. Crime was imminent all the time and they did little to stop it. As the drone swiftly moved on, the whirring faded out and the footsteps stopped. In a state of curiosity, I decided to briefly look over my shoulder to see if the person had turned down another alleyway or something-

I felt a cold breath of air trickle along the nape of my neck.

I inhaled sharply at this and decided to simply not move whatsoever.

"Hand over your ID chip, kid", the voice whispered hoarsely into my ear, causing my skin to crawl.

Well I'm fucked.

ID chips are Identification Chips, much like the ones used in dogs & cats, which are implanted into a baby's earlobe after they're born. The process is a little messy but it ensures that the child's country of residence is always known. This was the host's way of keeping everyone inside their own country, eliminating any form of immigration or migration completely. However, as nice as this system sounds, if you lose your identity chip then you're as good as dead. Unluckily, in my neck of the woods, losing your identity chip is no uncommon feat, this is mainly due to the ID chip thieves that roam the streets during the night. These guys assault strangers by carving the ID chips out of their earlobes using some sort of pocket knife and sell the ID chips to people who want to immigrate to our country without being caught and exterminated. They then make a profit from this and use it as a horrible way of making a living. This whole business is highly illegal, not to mention, and if you lose your ID chip then your body will be erased. That's just how it is. So basically, you really want to keep your ID chip for as long as possible. That's why I was kind of freaking out about this situation...

"...or I'll cut it out of you myself"

I turned around as a sudden shot of confidence flooded my mind, grabbing the man's wrist which was holding the threatening weapon. His face was covered by a black mask and he was sporting a black hoodie and black sweatpants to try to not stand out in the darkness. I could see a lock of his black hair stick out slightly through one of the eye holes in his pullover mask.

"No", I retaliated. I even managed to shock myself that I had enough courage to say a word to him.

"Don't be tricky", he spat, tearing his arm out of my grasp only to then grab me by the throat. I choked a little - my breathing felt restricted by his grip.

"You're not taking it", I snapped, flailing my legs at him in a desperate attempt to get away. I felt the artery in my neck pulsate as he squeezed harder. Fuck. My determination to escape was obviously unquenchable... That's probably why he did what he did-

"Alright, I have no other choice"

My ears pricked up at this. What? What's he gonna do-

I felt a electric current jolt through my body, rendering me as semi-paralysed.

I'd been fucking tasered.

"Lights out, kiddo", he laughed as he leaned forward, knocking me out with a swift punch to the head.

All I could remember was the silence...

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A/N: If you're enjoying this so far then feel free to add it to your library, many thanks,
- Alicia ☆