ALGORIS VERTID


    I walked up the stairway carrying a box to my apartment the bustling city surrounding me, the sounds then disappearing as I stepped into the apartment silence greeting me. I brought my box over to the counter top, placing it down, and removing the items from the box, organizing as I went. Everything''s accounted for, I’ll check up on my emails make sure I haven''t missed anything important.


    I then walked into my office, and woke up my PC inputting it’s password, seeing two emails one from Zepin, and another from a customer. Zepin is most likely talking about something none important or else he would have called me. I then brought my courser over the customers email, and clicked.


    “Hey, Algoris I heard the news and I was just wondering if you where going to finished that project I commissioned.” I brought up the code for the car.


    This project is more of just a fixer up, the original coders where either incredibly stupid unlikely but possible or a clustered schedule made a mess of this, still I don’t understand why this person wants to fix it, the car has long out lived it’s resale value, it isn’t a popular model or brand, but for what ever reason he insists on fixing it even at the expense of some large funds.


    This shouldn’t be my concern, he’s paying me, and it’s his car the inner workings of his mind are of no concern to me. “Yes, it shouldn’t take me long give me two day’s the second day is to be safe in the event of something unforeseen.” I then hit send, and went to the next massage, and just as I clicked on it he sent one back.


    I reopened it. “Ok, thanks for the update.” Must have been waiting at his computer… He puts way to much time into something that serves no benefit to him, he could be doing better things.


    I then proceeded back down to Zepins email. “Hey Algoris, how’s it going. Yeah theirs really no good way to start this.” My eyes glazed past the majority of the text.


    “Anyways me and the crew miss ya, hope you at least visit sometime or you know tell us where you live or plan to live so we can come up there, but your probably not gonna do that, at least stay in contact with Mum, you may be an adult, but she is still legally your parent.”


    I closed the email, and continued to sit down in my chair. Continuing contact with the group would be risky for me, even if they are a great asset to have around. I’m retiring they are no longer necessary nor am I necessary to them, this is for the best.


    They seem to have a tendency to want to connect with people though, even if it doesn''t make sense, like when they picked me up out in the forest. I’ll never understand why they did that, it was so risky for them, especially when I showed aggression. I checked the time. I got thirty minutes before I need to go.


    I realigned my keyboard, and worked on the code, fixing hacks, and bugs, and when I looked back at the clock it was time for me to depart. I immediately got up grabbing my bag that I packed yesterday, and immediately went out the door.


    School is going to be bothersome since it’s going to tear into my schedule, but if it gets me my citizenship easily without anyone batting an eye at me then I’ll take it.


    I walked down the staircase to the platform, making my way over to the train station, as people all began to swarm out of there residences, taking over what little space there was. They really need to expand this platform especially with the influx of people here.


    The train then pulled in just as the swarm of people began descending upon the station, the doors flinging open just as it stopped. I walked inside and found a seat in a corner near the door, and watched as the mass of people contorted to the shape of the train, the doors closing soon after.


    It then jerked forward, and after a few minutes and a few stops I was at the school. I stepped out with some other kids, the massive schooling complex lying before me.


    I could’ve gone for a low tier school, it’d be easy to blow through increasing time efficiency, but the benefits with ivy league where far to beneficial to shy away from, although they could attract a lot of attention, hopefully I can blend in with the others, though That may prove difficult, due to what Mum believes to be a “problem” fortunately she has learned to exist with this fact.


    I then walked into the building, walking down the halls at a steady pace, arriving at my classroom just as the bell range.


    “Ah good you came I was starting to get worried you got lost or um yeah, well introduce yourself.” I walked forward into the center of the class. “My name is Algoris Vertid.” “Oh, so that''s how you pronounce it.” The teacher whispered.


    I then began walking over to an empty desk. “Don’t you have anything else you want to share.” The teacher asked. “I don’t need to.” I said. “I mean come on the class should know some things about you oh, I know. Class, Algoris here scored an almost perfect score on the entry exam.”


    The entire class then woke up from there tired gaze, and all seemed to stare at me, most where not malicious, but there was a group of male teenagers of various builds staring at me, smiling.


    Some of them looked like they also under took body augmentation since some of there skin looked like silicon rubber, they must have had good surgeons, as the seems are extremely hard to notice, and those type of operations are expensive so there most likely from rich family''s.


    I then scanned the rest of the room seeing if there where any others whom I should be suspicous of, but only found a girl with pale skin, whom was producing the same expression as the teenagers.


    She also seemed to have modified her body but in a different way with more cosmetics then something that could give you an edge, like shark teeth…


    Tattoos that would be intimidating to anyone of tame nature, and her scars seemed to be a mix of cosmetic and real, pale skin is a body mod, but most execs want to look tough while remaining clean so I doubt she undertook the procedure, if she is one.


    Although she might be from Under districts which would explain the pale skin and the scares, her other modifications would require an explanation though to how she received them, as money is most likely a limiting factor if she is from there, on top of that it is unlikely for someone like her to get in but not impossible.


    I scanned the room one last time I seeing one last girl whom was also looking at me differently from the others, her hair short going to just about her neck. She also had these round rimmed glasses, some would probably argue those where to big for her.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I wouldn’t say her gaze was malicious, it seemed to be more of a mix of curious and competitive something that I hadn’t really seen before.


    I sat down. I should be careful of these entities, as there intents are unknown and what there willing to do an even bigger blank.


    The class then went on as normal with the teacher talking about how the days would work what class we would all go too, and so on and so forth, nothing really of note. The day then went on, and I found that my body was ready to expel waste, which didn’t surprise me this time of day is usually when it comes time to attended to the matter.


    I continued into a bathroom using the facility, and exiting the stall soon after, as a teenager walked in.


    “Hey, uh Algoris right.” I nodded. “So I know your new around here so let me tell you how it goes.” I listened in.


    “The fuckers in the back, well lets just say they got there eyes on you because of your grades.” He then looked behind himself, and walked up closer to me, whispering.


    “You see there kinda dumb, or well not as smart as the rest of us so they kinda just en-script the other kids to help them out, and well if they disagree they well get some.” I nodded.


    “Either way best course of action is to keep your future public grades down, and they’ll probably think you just got lucky.”


    “I will ensure to take your advice.” “I’m Tom by the way.” I continued past him.


    “Hey, I thought we could help each other out.” I looked back at him. “You never said any of that when we first engaged in socialization.” “Well uh, yeah.” He wants something.


    “Either way, wanna work on a upcoming project together I think it would be pretty easy for us.” He said he was smart, so wouldn’t it be pretty easy for him, why would he want me, and why did he deflect from my question.


    “are you trying to force a deal upon me.” I said. “Ah ah, no.” He said. “I mean come on we could do this project way quicker.” I turned back around. “Your just like them, although I applaud you on trying a different method.”


    I continued to walk away, and I heard the slight rustle of clothing I turned around, and immediately deflect his punch, then pushing him into the wall, and forcing him into a stall, sending his head into the toilet.


    His attempts to remove my hands from his cloths, unsuccessful in every attempt, and once he got close to blacking out I pulled him out of the toilet, crawling away as I continued towards him, backing him into a corner.


    “Remember if it weren''t for the rules and laws of today it would be more beneficial to kill you. Keep this between us.” He nodded and continued to stare at me with shell shocked eyes, I continued out of the bathroom, and out into the hallway.


    I need to keep confrontations like this down to a minimal if I hope to continue my retirement without any suspicion.


    I continued down the hallway to my next class, that pale girl sitting in the back. If I can’t make myself unattractive to these groups, then I will simply have to join one of them to divert there ire.


    I found a seat that wasn''t taken that was semi close to the front, then hearing the pale girl move herself forward, sitting behind me, and the group of teenagers from the class before also found a group of desks near me.


    My plan for good benefits might be my very down fall… I’ll make due and I’ll start by getting them off my tail some way some how, but for right now I don’t have enough information.


    Surprisingly the rest of the day went by without incident, seems they are deciding to wait for what ever reason.


    Hmm, they probably don’t want to jump until they know for sure I’m worth fighting for, the other kid was probably rolling the dice hoping that I was up to snuff, so he could reap the rewards, but I doubt he would’ve reaped for long he wasn’t very skilled in asserting psychical dominance, and his persuasion would’ve been effective if he was dealing with someone that could be easily swayed.


    I stepped off the train and onto the station the entire platform deserted. I checked the time.


    At least they let us out early to avoid the work swarms. I then walked over to the stairs of my apartment, and looked down at the local store.


    I need to get some parts for a NAS, the old one is at the groups safe house and they use that, some more for play than for work but nonetheless still being used.


    I walked down the stairwell, until I reached the floor, that the shop was on, walking inside. The cashier looking up from his phone for a second, and then back down.


    I went to the far end, down into the used PC parts section, where I found a collection of all the parts I would need cases, server motherboards, ECC RAM, everything that a builder would need. I grabbed the cheapest parts that I knew where reliable, quickly getting to the point where I could confidently cash out, and continued to the cash register stopping just as I was about to walk down the aisle.


    I should look around some more, one never knows what they might need. I checked up, and down the aisles, grabbing some food that I needed too restock on, as well as some laundry detergent, as that was mostly done by Mum back at the safe house.


    I then made it to the last Aisle, which seemed to hold trinkets, and other miscellaneous items that had been gathered by Scavs.


    There was a Underdog Modular Weapons Platform, tucked away in the back. Old, but still useful. I pulled it out, and popped off the side cover using my phones flashlight to light up the interior.


    Burnt, someone probably tried modifying it, and it seems to have ended poorly. I put it back into it’s spot. I’ll keep this in mind, but I don’t need it right now.


    I got up, a patch with a snake coiled around a package catching my eye.