Glitch in the God Complex (AmpCore #1)

05 - As Above, So Below

"Are you alright?" Odiye asked. "You look... unwell."

"Yeah, kidnapping'll do that," Piper muttered, easing her arm free of his grip. "But thanks for asking."

"We didn't kidnap you."

"I think you need to read a fucking dictionary."

"Enough!" Toran barked, striding around from the other side of the car, his amplifier wand already out. "Both of you, inside, now." One hand shot out, pointing. At the top of a broad, flat set of stairs, a prism-shaped doorway gaped open. She could see lights flickering from within, and people scurried in and out.

Odiye started walking. "Let's go."

Knowing she didn't have a choice, she contented herself with shooting Toran a bitter glance and moved to follow. Pissed though she might have been, at least Odiye was trying to show her a modicum of respect. They mounted the steps and she braced herself, hands clenching and unclenching as the pyramid loomed.

Feeling like criminal heading for execution, Piper took her first faltering steps into the AmpCore Academy.

The entrance hall was a fresh assault on the senses. Following the contours of the door, it was shaped like a triangular prism with flattened corners. It stretched away easily fifty meters, and the walls to the left and right were filled by a constant stream of corporate-branded ads, alongside some kind of internal news update that might as well have been in another language for all it meant to her.

She jammed her hands into her pockets, shoulders hunched as she shuffled along behind Odiye. A couple of paces back she could feel Toran's eyes, watching for any sign that she might make a break for it. Curious glances flashed her way from the academy regulars, but seeing Odiye and Toran with her, no one challenged them.

At least, not until they reached the far end of the hall and were met by another AmpCore agent. He was flanked by two burly corporate security goons, armoured in black, long rifles gleaming dangerously. All three of them were branded with the red Skiltron emblem.

"Mr. Tambo," the man snapped, bringing Odiye sharply to attention. He was older, maybe in his thirties, with swarthy skin, a shaved head and an immaculately trimmed goatee. His gaze shifted. "Mr. Knox."

"Sir." The pair said in unison.

"Report?"

"Two wraiths in the dock slums," Toran replied, moving from his position to stand to her right. He looked a lot more at ease than Odiye did, she guessed because he had the same corporate overlord as the newcomers. It was hardly a secret that Hadrian's corps were happy to grind each other into the dirt to secure a good quarterly report – evidently that distrust ran right to the city's roots.

"I understand you found something even stranger on the docks." The agent's narrow eyes appraised Piper. "This is her?"

Odiye nodded, casting an almost apologetic glance in her direction.

"Interesting. Who is she?"

"My name is Piper," she snapped, unable to contain herself. "And I can speak for myself." No matter what, she wasn't going to stand here and let these spivs talk about her like she was a thing to be examined and discarded.

"So I see," the man replied smoothly, the corners of his mouth curling into a smirk.

"Piper, this is Senior Operative Demir."

"Thrilled to meet you." Piper looked the man up and down with the same level of disdain he seemed to be showing her.

Demir let out a faint snort of amusement as his attention shifted. "And you're sure about what you saw, Mr. Tambo?"