It's been about a week now ever since I've been interred here, in some military prison out in the middle of nowhere. Could be worse, I suppose. I could've gotten shot like my superiors, that was an option that I managed to dodge, so I get to look at the bright side. This last week or two really has been a whirlwind of changes, now that I have time to think about it. Seemed like we had something set up that would last forever: our splinter state of Vesnistan "revolted" from Novi Grad while essentially functioning as a puppet state under the table, running smoothly as a little warlord fiefdom supported by the intelligence services and army from Novi Grad. I don't even remember why they set this up in the first place, some sort of PR operation mixed with a border buffer against The State or something?
Well, it was a good gig, until someone pissed off the wrong general back in Novi Grad and they dropped us like a hot potato. Suffice it to say, being dropped like a hot potato by your de facto overload is not conducive to statecraft. In fact, once it became clear that they were pulling out at an astonishingly fast rate and Vesnistan became a unsustainably small patch of land calling itself a country sandwiched between two hostile regimes, it was pretty clear to the entire world that we were being thrown to the wolves, or, namely, The State. So, of course, they invaded a day later. Not that the army of Vesnistan—what little of it remained after the "expeditionary forces" left—put up much of a fight, and not that I blame them, we were going to run out of food and water real quick, so Vesnistan was essentially a failed state anyway.
And so when some Red Army soldiers busted down my government office door and asked me to come along, I agreed. I wasn't about to get shot, and that brought me here, to this military prison. So yeah, things could be worse. At least the food is acceptable and filling enough, the beds can be slept on, there isn't any work to be done... for being a higher-up in an enemy nation's government, the treatment I'm getting is fine. A couple of my superiors got hanged, too, that's another alternative I dodged. Still, I'm wondering when I'm going to get interrogated, because I know a lot of stuff. I was the egghead in the headquarters, always dealing with the paperwork of running a puppet country while the more public warlords did drugs and fucked hookers. Sure enough, just as I have that thought, it seems like today's the day, because two soldiers show up in front of my cell and call me out.
The way to my destination takes me through a large group of cells, then through a large office complex, with tons of soldiers scurrying to and fro, sorting through piles of documents I remember quite well—for a puppet state being run by another country under the table, we did a terrible job of getting rid of evidence. Nobody ever cared to establish a real process for it, and I wasn't going to put my neck out for that either, so those soldiers are going to have a lot of reading material. There's a lot of soldiers, too... like half of The State is just the army. That's what I've heard, anyway. Well, depending on how this goes, I might be spending a lot of time with those documents soon as well.
Finally, I am herded into a featureless room with nothing but a table, two chairs, and a large mirror that presumably is transparent on the other side and allows some other people to watch me at all times. I take my seat, and for a while, that's all. I'm just waiting, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Whatever happens here is going to define the future of my life, how could I not be nervous? But eventually, the door does open, and in steps a young man. Just from the first look at him, I will admit, he looks strange in the position of what I assume to be my interrogator. He's young, with a soft smile on his face that can instantly put you at ease, like this is just going to be a conversation over a drink or two. In fact, he is actually carrying a tray of two drinks, setting it down on the table and taking his seat across from me before reaching over for a handshake, which I accept out of instinct. "Comrade Lenin, is it? Welcome to The State. It might not be the gregarious welcome the First Comrade teaches us to give our new comrades, but, well, extraneous circumstances will complicate matters sometimes. I am Comrade Fedorov. Would you care to share a drink with me? Distilled from the finest potatoes The State can offer. It's not a mixed drink the likes of which the bars in the capital can create—resources out in the sticks here can be hard to come by—but this spirit is still the pride of The State," he says, tone calm and friendly.
For now, I simply nod my head, take one of the two glasses and take a little sip. It's not unpleasant. Fedorov does the same, and for a bit, I can think. He's a celebrity of some sort in the Red Army, from what I can tell. There were posters with his face on it in the office part of this complex, and some guards were chatting about the arrival of a Fedorov that was apparently a big deal this morning. Not sure how this guy is a military big shot, but I guess if they're bringing someone important out to talk with me, that's a good sign. I set the glass back on the table. "So... what do you want from me?" I ask, wanting to cut to the chase.
But he just smiles that smile. "Oh, Comrade Lenin, that is putting it like we're demanding something from you. We are merely looking for cooperation, and wouldn't it be far more interesting for you to learn what we are offering you?" he asks in return. This guy is smooth. I give no resistance, so he just continues, "In exchange for your cooperation in, well, dealing with the incorporation of Vesnistan into The State, we will offer you what The State can afford. A luxurious apartment in the capital city? A comfortable house out in a quiet village? As page 94 of the First Comrade's teachings say, 'Be generous with your new comrades, and they will be generous with you'. In fact, I am able to offer you a full tour of The State. Dining at its most treasured establishments, staying at its most lauded lodgings. If you are willing, I can show you the busy capital as well as the beautiful countryside. All with your simple cooperation. What say you?"