"Administered 50 cc of Cognexil through the cephalic vein. Expecting consciousness to return in 60 seconds."
"Good. Then, everyone, return to your stations and remain on standby. I'll handle this side."
"Roger!"
Just as my consciousness returned, I heard voices speaking loudly all around me. I tried opening my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavier than a boulder. At most, I could twitch them but could barely open them. It almost felt as if my eyes were glued shut.
Soon enough, footsteps echoed away from my spot, and the sound of a metallic chair sliding closer could be heard.
'This... I'm not in danger, am I?'
Although the thought crossed my mind, my "inner voice" wasn't responding. This should mean I'm not in any direct danger... at least I hope.
As my other senses returned, I could finally detect my situation.
I was sitting on a simple chair... I could feel the hard backseat against my back. My arms were seemingly handcuffed behind me. Am I detained? I do recall something about interrogation mentioned before I lost consciousness...
"You're awake, I know."
"...!"
The voice echoed, a familiar, cold, and disciplined voice.
"Koori...?" I muttered by reflex.
I felt her becoming perplexed the next instant. "... How did you... Never mind." She sighed. "Must be because of that idiot mentioning my name earlier."
Slowly, I tried opening my eyes. It was hard, but with enough effort, I could finally see what was in front and around me.
A pure-white room, looking like an isolation chamber of some sort. Cameras could be seen from all angles, all pointed at me, making me feel like a lab rat or something. A simple, white, PVC table is before me, and a familiar blue-haired beauty is sitting across from me.
"...You're not wearing that black suit anymore?" I asked, noticing her change in attire.
Instead of the black one, she's now wearing a similar kind, but of pure white instead. It was lesser in terms of "coverage" too, compared to the black one that fit her from neck down to her toes. I could see parts of her skin. Her shoulder, clavicle, and even her not-so-deep cleavage.
Although this suits her in a way too, I felt that the black one makes her look more majestic... a pity.
"...I'm the one interrogating you here, not the other way around." Koori raised her brow, showing an irritated frown. "Anyway, let's begin."
At her words, the lights in the room dimmed. And then, the next moment, the walls turned to something like a projector screen, showing various clinical details that I could barely make sense of.
"First of all, we have confirmed that you're healthy." She said, pointing at various points on the walls and waving her fingers.
The graphs and reports she pointed out, weirdly, "flew off" the walls and began to congregate near her palm.
"You have no diseases, no past injuries, no anything. As healthy as a man can be."
"Uhh... thanks?"
"I'm not praising you." She snapped at my reply. "The reports also tell us that, as you are now, it shouldn't be possible for you to have amnesia. Are you... lying to us?"
Oh, so that's what this was leading to.
"Do I have a reason to lie in the first place? I don't even know you guys..." I shrugged, barely. My body's still sluggish, probably from some drugs they injected into me.
Koori's eyes narrowed, making her look harsh... but cool. And then, she sighed.
"Well, you've got a point there. But anyway, we're just following procedures." She shook her head.
"As Ophelia confirmed earlier, you have no memories apart from the moment you teleported into the battlefield. Although you have basic common sense wired into you, it's a bit off in some sense..."
She then called a few more charts before her expression dimmed. I could feel a faint bloodlust emanating from her... as if she were trying to intimidate me.
"But we noticed that you, too, have your NSC installed in between your cerebral cortex and the thalamus region—a sign that you're also a Batch Zero."
Various details appeared next. Profiles, pictures, names, and designations. I could barely read through them as they sped past my vision... but weirdly, I could remember every fine details that I saw.
"And as you can see, you're not registered in the Batch Zero subjects list... No, you're not even listed in any government's database."
Her eyes narrowed further, sharper than any knife, as she mouthed her words.
"Who.... are you?"
I returned her gaze, keeping a straight face as I opened my mouth to speak.
"Well, your guess is as good as mine." I shrugged.
"You're not an Illegal?"
"Illegal? I don't even know what that is."
"Then how did you get a cranial insertion of your NSC?"
"What even is NSC? National Security Council?"
"You don't even know what that thing in the middle of your brain is?"
"I thought you said you believe I have amnesia already?"
"I didn't say that."
"... You didn't?"
Just as the back-and-forth was getting intense, Koori suddenly stopped and placed a hand over her ears. Her expression was calm halfway through... before turning grim.
"Is this true?" She whispered, eyes glancing at me with suspicion once more. "... Got it. I'll ask him now." And released her hold the next moment.
"We just received the reports after scanning your NSC." Koori confessed easily. "But..."
And trailed off for a bit.
"The construct of your NSC is seemingly different than ours... The technology used for it is above the current standards."
"Oh... So my NSC or whatever is more hi-tech than yours?" I tilted my head in wonder.
"No," but Koori shook her head simply. "It means your NSC shouldn't exist in the first place."
The next moment, she snapped her fingers, causing numerous ice spikes to appear mid-air, all aimed towards my head threateningly.
"Once more, I'll ask..."
Koori's voice was now cold, as if telling me that she wouldn't accept any other answer but the truth.
"Who are you?"