Glitch in the God Complex (AmpCore #1)

13 - Come and Make New Friends

 "Now where are we going?"

Piper couldn't keep the weariness out of her voice. Even after just a few days at the academy she felt drained right down to her marrow. Mentally and physically, the place was taking its toll. The sheer volume of information was overwhelming her like an avalanche. She'd managed to avoid any more fist fights (albeit reluctantly), but already felt like she was treading water.

"Lower levels," Odiye replied, striding a few paces ahead of her. "There are some people you should meet."

"Who?"

"You'll see."

She scowled and trudged along. Not that she trusted Odiye, but he was one of the few people here who didn't seem to view her as some kind of unidentifiable stain on the fabric of their lives. Hands in pockets, she hunched her shoulders and stifled a yawn, trying not to think about how impossible this all felt.

The students. The instructors. The wraiths. Right now it felt like the whole world was out to get her.

They reached a stairwell – an evergreen Kaysar Munitions emblem glittering on the wall above it – and he stopped. Stopped so suddenly that in her current state Piper walked right into him. It was like hitting a well-muscled wall and she let out a squawk of surprise, stumbling backwards before regaining her footing, confusion twisting in her brain. He turned around, and she opened her mouth to berate him.

Then she saw the look in his eyes.

Anger. A lot of it.

"Hey..." she murmured, taking a precautionary step back. "You alright?"

For a moment he didn't reply. He just stood there, his expression a churn of frustration and indecision. His shoulders rose and fell; he exhaled.

"Piper, I'm sorry," Odiye said eventually, his tone grim.

"O-kay?"

"I believe you are being set up to fail. I believe Demir's supporters on the board have manipulated your curriculum; set goals you can never reach on your own."

Hearing it didn't surprise her. The suspicion had been gnawing at her gut since her classes had started. In some sense it was validating to know that she wasn't an idiot – that the corps were screwing her all over again.

It didn't make her feel much better though. She rubbed her eyes with both hands and sighed.

"Yeah," she muttered. "I had a feeling."

"And what do you plan to do?"

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Piper shrugged helplessly. "I've got to try. It's not as if they're going to just let me walk out of here. If I can prove that bastard Demir wrong, it all might just be worth it."

To her surprise, Odiye's severe expression morphed into a smirk and he nodded. "I too, would like to see that."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes." He turned for the stair. "And I have friends who think the same. Come."

His words sparked through some of the exhaustion she was feeling and she straightened up, now actually interested in what might be waiting for her. Maybe it was just clutching at straws, but anything that could help her kick Hadrian's corporations in the balls would be worth a look.

Descending the stairs, Odiye led her through a section of narrow, sparsely decorated hallways, until they emerged out into a long chamber. It looked like a small training area, but one that had fallen out of use. Thin films of protective plastic covered desks and dormant computer screens, and the strips of data on the walls carried nothing; just an empty, glittering stream of blue-green where the advertisements ought to have been.