Glitch in the God Complex (AmpCore #1)

15 - Weapons of a New World

A silence settled over them, but thankfully it didn't last long enough to be awkward. The short passageway deposited them out into a huge, long rectangle of a room, and all along the far wall sat a series of circular bays. Each one was plastered with corporate safety and liability notices, and on the bay entrances the words CORE-FORGE FERRUS M.XXII were printed in functional, blocky letters.

Arrow approached one of the dormant bays, pressing their palm against a scanner on the outer wall. A pulse of blue light rippled across the exterior wall and Piper heard the whirr of mechanisms coming to life.

"Come on," Arrow said gently, beckoning her.

Lips pressed tightly together, Piper stepped into the little alcove and looked around. To the left a three-sided cylinder stood, its interior covered in holographic screens, progress bars and sensor strips. To her right a large, curved console filled almost half the space, boasting a bank of three wafer-thin screens. Directly ahead of her was a black cube, its lower section disappearing into the floor of the forge.

"So... how does this work?" Piper asked quietly.

Arrow sat down at the console, fingers of their right hand gliding with practised ease over the interface. "First, I need you to step into the scanner. Stand on the indicators and stay still. I need to build up your physical profile first."

"You know, if some of the corps are trying to slow me down," Piper said eyeing up the scanner dubiously. "Won't you get in trouble for doing this?"

"A slap on the wrist," they answered, waving a dismissive hand. "Just don't start flailing it around in your beginner classes until we've had a chance to teach you how to use it. Otherwise we'll all be in a lot of trouble." Arrow swivelled around in the chair and pointed. "In."

Piper pulled a sour face and shoved her fear to the back of her mind. Squaring her shoulders, she took two quick breaths then stepped inside. Her world became a maelstrom of shining displays and she could feel them all around her, the data crackling back and forth as through she stood in a lighting storm.

She squeezed her eyes shut, shuffling uneasily from foot to foot, fingers drumming against her thighs.

"Every amplifier is unique, just like every person brought here is unique," Arrow explained as Piper stepped into the scanner, planting her feet on the indicators. "Every implant interfaces with every body in a different way. It becomes a part of your DNA – yours and yours alone."

"Means a lot to you this stuff, doesn't it?" Piper said quietly.

"It's important to find things that matter." Arrow's hands continued to dance over the holographic interface. "Because you're unique, your amplifier will only work with you."

"What happens if the wrong person uses it?"

"It would probably kill them." They fired Piper a sidelong glance. "Stay still."

"Sorry."

With an effort she forced herself to be rigid within the scanner. Seconds crawled by, and she felt the invasive fingers of the machine stabbing into her. Her muscles tensed as she fought to stay still.

"Wow," Arrow breathed.

Piper's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"I've just never seen anything like this. The architecture of your implants, it's deeper and more intricate than anyone I've worked with."

"Is that bad?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure yet."

"Oh, great."