Meanwhile, across the room, Riley was huddled with his group, whispering furiously under his breath. Plans, half-baked theories, and suspicions spread like wildfire through their ranks.
The scene returned to Ryota and Vayunesh. The two sat, legs crossed on adjacent beds, now more relaxed.
Ryota spoke in a low tone. "There are thousands of us here, all thrown into this twisted circus. Different nationalities. Different stories. And yet all of us expected to obey without question. Doesn't that feel... strange to you?"
Vayunesh tilted his head. "Everything about this place is strange. But yes, continue."
Ryota nodded, then added, "Did you notice something yesterday when that AI voice was reading our data? Most of us were introduced using only our first names. No surnames. That can't just be coincidence."
Vayunesh rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There could be several reasons. Maybe there are multiple people with the same names, and they want us confused. If you only give a first name, it blurs identity, makes everyone blend in."
He glanced at Ryota's shirt. "Take your number. 786. Mine's 5358. These numbers are probably how they truly see us. Not by name. But by code. Numbered identities."
Ryota frowned, then whispered, "Almost like... cattle."
Vayunesh chuckled darkly. "Exactly. And what better way to dehumanize people than by reducing them to numbers?"
He paused, then continued, "But that announcement—reading our pasts out loud—wasn't just for data. It was to warn us. Or maybe to amuse them. They want to make this game as psychological as it is physical."
Ryota's eyes narrowed. "You think the data they got... was from the GAC?"
"I'm certain of it," Vayunesh said with confidence. "Only government systems could have such deeply buried information about so many people from different countries. Most of the people here aren't just random criminals—they're selected. Chosen. Maybe as punishment. Or maybe... for sport."
Ryota leaned back, eyes staring at the ceiling as the weight of it all pressed in again. "So we're just numbers... puppets... and they already know how we tick."
Vayunesh sighed. "But we have one advantage they may not expect."
Ryota looked at him. "And what's that?"
A faint smile crept across Vayunesh's lips.
"We're not stupid."