Number 7

"Now then... can anyone tell me why you've all been lined up here today?"

A man wearing the pitch black attire of a military police paced back and forth, his hands behind his back as he spoke in a booming tone towards the hundreds of people who had been lined up in front of him.

Along the line, there were numerous other military policemen, each wielding a rifle like a soldier at attention, prepared to react at any moment.

However this man in particular, whose orange beard stuck out like a sore thumb, appeared to take the lead among them.

"Nobody? So perhaps nobody knows? Or perhaps... the one who knows is unwilling to step forward?"

As soon as he spoke these words, the people gathered seemed to straighten their backs, fear evident in their expressions.

"Hmm... I see. I see. I suppose nobody is going to come forward. Well then... perhaps an explanation is due."

Stopping in his tracks after analyzing the faces of the people laid out before him, the man stood forward, tipping his military cap as a grimace overtook him.

"In our nation... as I am sure you are all well aware... we prize equality as the highest of virtues."

Stepping forward, the man began to make his way through the crowd as they parted like the red sea, creating a path for him while he walked.

"All humans are born equal, and all humans should be given equal measures in everything. It is only in equality that we can rise above the GREED that has destroyed so many other nations... yet this nation is different from the rest."

Stopping for a moment, the man grinned with pride as he looked to the skies.

"This nation is a nation of people who have overcome such greed, able to sacrifice the potential to become rich and wealthy for the sake of their brethren around them."

However, the expression which the man held immediately turned sour as he continued glaring up at that reddened sky.

"Yet... there are some who would still succumb to such greed."

Turning around, the man began to walk back, out of the crowd towards the front.

"It is because of our Supreme Leader that we have been able to overcome our greed. By following his example, we have moved forward with this path of self sacrifice which has opened up a world of possibility for our next generation."

With each step he took, the man spoke in an overbearing manner - one which ensured the silence of every person present.

"And this next generation too, will then proceed to sacrifice for the generation after. It will be a continuous cycle of self sacrifice - yet this sacrifice is not for nothing. This is not an endless cycle of suffering, but rather an endless cycle of refusing luxury so that those around us may obtain the basic needs which they have the natural born right to."

Finally reaching the front once more, the man turned around swiftly as he now faced forward.

"Yet this system, so perfectly established by our supreme leader, has been tainted by a thief."

At the moment he said these words, a number of gasps could be heard, and the people seemed to shift around, looking at one another with suspicion.

"Greed is the very enemy of equality. It is the act of taking beyond one's share that forces inequality into this world. And the perfect example of this... would be the wretched nation of Stronvardia."

The man spoke this name with a chuckle, as if the very concept of such a vile nation was laughable.

"A place where the thieves sit on thrones, where crooks run the jails, where inequality is the very creed of their life - this nation of Stronvardia is nothing less than a hell on earth where the weak are damned to suffering and the strong lift themselves higher and higher - until nobody can even reach them."

The people's expressions were filled with horror and disgust as they heard of this wretched place known as Stronvardia - a nation where the rich and powerful do as they please while stepping on the backs of those underneath them.

Corporations and politicians, corrupt policemen and mafia organizations - these were the things that the nation of Stronvardia was known for. All things which had been completely eliminated in Joraten by the existence of the Supreme Leader.

Corruption, greed, violence, none of these things were present in this great nation.

Thinning his eyes as he spoke, the man's tone lowered as he uttered his next words.

"I will not allow our Town of Malmus to even approach that den of wickedness. Of that... you have my guarantee."

As soon as the man said this, a rain of applause poured upon him as the people cheered him on.

"Thank you, Officer Stralgen!!!!"

"You are truly a servant of the Supreme Leader!!!"

However as soon as the man held up his hand, the cheering stopped.

"I thank you all for your fervor. Truly, you all are subjects of the Supreme Leader. However... not all of you are clean."

As if he had dropped a bomb upon the people, their excitement soon turned to hostility.

'Who is it?'

'Which one of us would dare to go against the Supreme Leader?'

"As you all know, the food reserves are explicitly controlled by the servants of the Supreme Leader - myself and the officers under my command. And as you are all well aware... to attempt to manipulate or steal from this supply would be nothing less than HIGH TREASON."

Holding out his hand, one of the other military policemen placed a memo in the hand of Ector, who glanced upon it as he read it out loud.

"Among the 145 families present within this Town, there were only 144 sets of weekly rations remaining. Of course, this was no mistake in counting, nor in the supply that was ordered. Our officers have assured us of such a thing. Which would mean that ONE of you managed to STEAL the property of another family."

As he said this, a seething rage seemed to blow over within the man - however this rage was not contained to him alone.

Each and every person appeared to be infuriated by such an occurrence.

"Which means... it is MY duty... as your Human Resources Officer... to find the culprit... and to ensure that they are not distributed any further rations."

Closing his eyes as he spoke in a low tone, the man controlled his anger as he continued.

"Such a punishment is quite light... but worry not, my good and faithful citizens... they will not get off with such a MERE sentence. I myself will ensure that... as your Human Resources Officer."

Waving his hand in dismissal, the man made one final comment.

"Ah, of course, I am sure you all understand that no further rations will be dispatched until the culprit has been found. The possibility of giving rations to the culprit would be far too high. Searches are being performed in all homes and workplaces as we speak... so your patience is appreciated."

At that moment, the man raised a fist.

"Hail the Supreme Leader."

And as he said these words, each and every other person - a serious expression on their faces - raised their fists as well in unison.

"Hail the Supreme Leader."

----

'They couldn't have found it.'

'That's right.'

'I hid it in a spot that couldn't possibly be traced back to me.'

'I buried it in the borrow pit. When things have quieted down, I'll dig it up again, but until then... I'll let things boil over.'

'It won't rot. The rations won't spoil so easily.'

'But...'

A man sat alone in his office, fretting alone at his desk.

His hair was ruffled, and he was clearly stressed. Bags were present underneath his eyes, and it was obvious to anyone that he had been concerned about something.

'My daughters... will they be alright?'

Looking back with worry, the man shook his head, brushing off such things.

'They will be in even more danger if I were found out. Therefore... I absolutely must not be found out.'

This particular man - the father of seven daughters - had stolen a single ration from the reserves of the nation.

The reason why he had performed such a heinous act, which would label him a criminal and a traitor if he were to get caught?

His daughters were starving.

Thinner than any of the other children, there was but a single reason for this.

Rations were given out to each working man for a single family.

The weekly rations were designed for a family of three - one child, a husband and a wife.

Needless to say, trying to feed seven people on rations designed for three created an inequity.

The single men and women who worked were given rations for a single family, enough for three people.

The same went for people like him - fathers of seven daughters.

Many larger families would send their sons out to work even from a young age to counter this. Most would avoid having children altogether, given the burdens associated with them.

However, to this particular man, sending any one of his daughters out to work would be nothing less than failure as a father.

Not once did his girls ever complain.

Not once did they ever so much as say anything about the difference in treatment, but each day this man had lived with a hole in his heart - deeply infused with the sentiment that his work alone was not enough to provide for his girls.

Truly, he was a failure as a father.

And on one particular night, his youngest daughter - only three years old at the time - had come up to him.

"What's wrong?", he had asked her as the girl approached the man while he sat on the couch.

"I'm... hungry."

And with tears in her eyes, the young girl held her stomach with a pained expression.

The man and his wife had already given up on eating much. They took the bare minimum amount of food to keep themselves going each day. But even so, as a man who worked day in and day out doing harsh physical labor, to not eat was nothing less than suicide.

He had to eat, so he could work. And he had to work, so his family could eat.

In the end, the man ended up taking a significant portion of the rations on his own. This was no fault of his, for if he allowed himself to get sick due to not eating, then there would truly be nothing left.

However with nine people splitting the portions of three, the food spread thin. Even with the mother sacrificing much, she became very sick as a result of this - yet she continued to sacrifice.

He had been cornered.

With a now sickly wife, who had to consume her due portion in order that she may regain her health, and with himself consuming just enough to sustain his work, the rations had been reduced to a single portion for seven children.

And that had resulted in seven very sickly children.

So weak that walking was a task from which their stomachs cried out in pain at each moment, and as he looked upon the child on that night, the expression of his youngest girl broke the man.

'What have I been doing... as a father?'

So he had performed an act of desperation.

He had vowed to stop eating anything at all, and to keep on working until he collapsed, only then eating something.

However this would not be enough.

He needed more.

He needed to be given more food.

'So... I'll take it.'

If he took the rations from the storehouses, some unmarried person would just have to share with another single person.

They would both get what they needed, and he and his family would have what they needed.

This was the rationale that led the man to perform such a high crime - and the day after he had done such a thing, he immediately regretted it.

For the entire assembly of citizens had been called together for his crime.

'But even so... they don't know it was me.'

There was no way they would find out.

If they had known already, he would have already been arrested and punished far before any meeting was held. Right now they were investigating.

'They can investigate all they want, but they can't dig up every corner of the Town to find a single package of food. Even if they did find it, there is nothing that can trace it back to me.'

That was right.

Unless he was seen digging it up, he would not come under suspicion.

'I have to be careful about that... which is why I have to wait until the search stops.'

It was unfortunate, but he would have to wait.

Yet even so, this man did not regret his actions.

He truly felt that he did what was right.

'This system... it doesn't promote equality.'

These were his true emotions.

'Sure... everyone is given an equal amount. But that has nothing to do with equality. If someone needs more, then shouldn't they be given more?'

'I'm not the one who was wrong here.'

'I'm not the failure here.'

'It's the system that has failed me.'

As he had these thoughts, the man heard a loud knocking downstairs, at which his heart sank into his chest.

----

"Y-yes, officer? Is there something I can do for you? Would you like to come inside?"

"As a matter of fact, I would."

The man with an orange beard had come to Vladimir's home without warning, entering after barely having been invited in.

This man was Ector Stralgen - the Human Resources Officer - the last person that Vladimir wanted to see.

"I'll be having tea tonight. Have your wife fix it for me."

"Understood."

With a low tone, the man glanced over to his wife, who nodded patiently as she headed off towards the kitchen.

Even if she was sickly, she couldn't miss a meeting with a man as important as this. The entire family had been gathered on the couch, at which Ector sat down across from the seven children.

'To think that he has the audacity to come into MY home and demand to drink from OUR reserves...'

Tea and water were a part of the rations, and there was only a limited amount per family. To have to prepare such a thing for a guest would significantly hurt their supply.

"Make sure it has sugar and milk. And plenty of it.", Ector added - as if to throw salt in the wound.

"Of course, Officer!", the wife had responded from the kitchen without missing a beat.

"Now then... Vladimir... why don't you have a seat? Your daughters are all sitting, after all. If you keep on standing, I'll feel like I'm ABOVE you."

Motioning for the man to sit, Vladimir could do nothing else other than take up the offer.

"You are quite generous, Officer."

"I try to be. Well... your daughters are certainly looking fine. I see that they are growing up quite nicely."

'What part of them is growing up nicely?'

The man wanted to shout this, glaring over to the girls who were as thin as rails, yet he calmed himself.

"Ah... of course.", he responded with a grin.

"Here you are, officer."

Bringing the man a cup of the tea, so white that one might mistake it for pure milk, the man grabbed it as he took a sip of the fluid.

"Ahhh.... I see that you haven't spared the milk and sugar."

With a satisfied smile, the man motioned for the woman to take a seat as well.

"Now then... since we're all gathered, let's get on to the main topic."

Suddenly, the tone of the man shifted as his eyes thinned with accusation.

"Vladimir. You were the one who stole the rations, weren't you?"

----

"S-sir... with all due respect... I don't see how you could have come to that conclusion."

Tip-toeing with his words, Vladimir felt sweat beading down his forehead as he ensured not to make a scene, instead speaking carefully to the one making the accusation.

There was no way this man could have found out.

He was testing him. Perhaps he had done this to many people already.

"Seven kids... and all of them female. It must be quite difficult, isn't it? You don't have to lie to me. I already know that you hate the system."

"Sir... I have never said such a thing. I have absolutely no complaints about the system that our Supreme Leader has put into place. As a matter of fact, I am one of its greatest supporters."

Placing his hand to his chest with a desperate smile, the man rattled off a series of petty compliments as he reduced himself to a robot.

"There is nothing that our Supreme Leader has done which could possibly have been incorrect. Every one of his policies, implemented by yourself and the other Human Resource Officers, have been nothing less than excellent."

"Is that what you truly believe? Hah..."

Ector snickered, as if the words of the man were something laughable.

"But you know... at the end of the day, it could only be someone like you. With seven daughters who don't work, you're probably at your wits end trying to find out how to get ahold of more than your share. But who is to blame for that?"

With a grin, the man stood up as he looked down upon Vladimir.

"Your daughters, for not working?"

Nodding his head no, the man closed his eyes.

"Wrong. It's your fault for having so many kids in the first place."

"Sir... I haven't complained at all. And... you have no proof that I am the one who did this."

"Ah...."

Sitting back down, the man cracked a smile, now nodding yes to himself as he kept his eyes closed.

"You're right. My good boy, Vladimir, this is a nation of equality and fairness. We don't discriminate against any person based on circumstance. As such... to merely accuse a person of a crime blindly would go against our precepts."

Opening his eyes, the man glanced down the row of girls in front of him.

"Without proper evidence, it would be excessively unfair to say that you've done such a thing."

"I-is that right? I mean... yes. Yes, of course it is, Officer."

Nodding heavily, Vladimir held back a sigh of relief.

Without evidence, nothing would be done against him.

A terrifyingly small amount of information had been leaked regarding those who had been charged with crimes, however the one thing that everyone knew for certain was that it wasn't something that should be investigated - lest you yourself end up as one of them.

People could disappear at any moment, without any given reason. Those who appeared on the outside to be loyal in every way would be gone the next day, and everything would continue as if nothing had happened.

If a person disappeared, it was almost guaranteed that their family too would disappear. There were almost no instances of people disappearing while their family members remained.

'But... if evidence is necessary... then I should be fine.'

After all, he had left no evidence.

Fingerprints? He had worn gloves to protect against such a thing. Recordings? He had checked the storehouse beforehand to make sure no cameras were present inside or out. Witnesses? There had been no guards present at that time. He had ensured to pick a time when security was low, and had snuck in while the guards were patrolling another sector. He hadn't met a soul on that day, and even then he had worn a mask over his face to ensure he wouldn't be recognized even if someone had seen him.

All his bases had been covered.

"Well, since I am a fair judge, and since the laws of this country are fair, I suppose we can't do anything without evidence. And I presume you have nothing to confess yourself?"

Glancing over to the man with a raised eyebrow, Ector pressed Vladimir, who held back a victorious grin.

"No, of course not. I would never dare to lie to a servant of the Supreme Leader, after all."

With this response, the man with the orange beard stood up, preparing himself to leave.

"I see. I apologize for the wasted time."

"Not at all, Sir! Not at all. It was truly an honor to invite you into our humble home. Please feel free to stop by at any time if you wish."

As Ector walked out, he was bombarded by the submissive words of Vladimir, who ensured not to show the slightest shadow of insubordination.

"But I suppose the one I should apologize to... is myself."

However, just as the officer reached the door, he looked up to the ceiling with disappointment.

"After all... it was MY time that has been wasted... speaking to a traitor like you."

And with the snap of his fingers, Vladimir's world shattered.

In that instant, his heart sank, and at the same moment a dozen men burst through the doors, weapons in hand as Vladimir and his family all found themselves on the opposite end of a firearm.

"We have our ways of gathering evidence. You went to the storehouse on that night. At 11:46 PM, you snuck into the storehouse. You were in there for exactly four minutes and twenty three seconds before you left. It took you fifteen minutes and thirteen seconds before you eventually arrived at the borrow pit - where you buried the rations. This took six minutes and forty three seconds. You returned home after this, and arrived exactly eighteen minutes and thirty five seconds later. Is anything I just said incorrect?"

"SIR! I- I have no idea what you're talking about!!!!"

With a gun now pointed at him, the man began to shout as he lost his composure.

Yet despite his vehement denial of the scenario, the man was flustered on the inside.

'How did he know?'

Even Vladimir himself knew not of the exact time he had performed such actions, but based on what he recalled from the night, Vladimir could tell that the man was correct to the tee.

'There were no cameras. I was certain of that.'

'Even if there were... I was wearing a mask! A mask! How would he have known it was me!!!'

'No... he wouldn't have.'

'Was he just stating those time frames to make me irritated?'

"Sir, please! You've got the wrong person!", Vladimir begged.

"No. We most certainly don't, One Double O Seven Three Six."

Pulling up a device which looked to be similar to a tablet, a map was shown before the man - and on that map were about 20 dots.

Nine of them red, nine of them blue, one of them a dark blue.

'Each of them... is a person in this room?'

And as the man looked upon this device, he found the dot which was associated with him.

The number above it was exactly as the man had described - 100736.

Walking towards Vladimir, the blue dot approached him as Ector made his way to the man with a victorious grin.

"Come now, Vladimir. You must have undergone the procedure when you were younger, so maybe you don't remember it - but did you really think that we wouldn't keep tabs on our citizens... to ensure their COMPLIANCE?"

As Ector walked past the man, he viewed the back of his neck to witness a small scar - ever so tiny that it was barely even noticeable.

"Well... we do make sure that it happens right after birth... so that nobody remembers such a thing."

At that moment, Vladimir fell to his knees in defeat.

"You... my entire life... you've been monitoring us?"

"Such a vile word. We've been running quality control, Vladimir. On our people."

In that instant, Vladimir felt a gun against the back of his head.

"Because we don't need any defective products such as yourself entering the mix."

----