The Lost Voice by V St Clair

Author:V St Clair [Clair, V St]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-08-07T22:00:00+00:00

13

Carl Vucanis

Carl took a last look at the Academy as the driver pulled away from it, merging onto the Augenspire Expressway. It felt strange and surreal to think he was done with the place, unless he chose to visit.

For years I’ve been dreaming about being free of the place, and now that I am, all I can do is stare at it and wonder if I’ve made the right choice.

His meager belongings were in the trunk of the massive ground-car, trundling towards the Augenspire and whatever awaited him there. As a captain, he would be residing within the monstrous building itself, though he had no idea what the accommodations were like or where the rest of the ground forces lived.

“Well, looks like you made it through the gauntlet and got yourself a job after all,” his driver, Artim, congratulated him from the front seat.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Carl responded, turning his back on the Academy at last. “Any advice?”

“Well, I’d normally tell you to keep a low profile and avoid the attention of the higher-ups, but since you’re the only ranking officer in the entire military who’s also Gifted, I’d say you’re going to have a hard time keeping out of the limelight.”

“How angry do you think most of the soldiers are going to be about me being Gifted?” he asked, wondering if he was setting himself up to take a knife in the back.

Artim shrugged.

“No idea. I was never crazy enough to go into the military so I don’t know what those nut-jobs are thinking. No offense.”

“None taken.” Carl chuckled and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Artim was probably closer to the mark than he knew.

“Well, we’re here.” Artim pulled to a stop near the west entrance and popped the trunk, getting out of the car to help unload Carl’s possessions. “If you ever need a driver, give me a call.”

Carl raised an eyebrow and said, “Whenever I want?” He felt like a rube for not knowing the basic workings of the government. He would need to rectify the issue as soon as possible.

“Sure. Let me see your comm and I’ll link my number.” Artim turned his own communicator screen-out and touched it to the face of Carl’s so the numbers would transfer.

“Thanks. Out of curiosity, why are you so helpful? Do you just really love driving or something?”

Artim laughed and said, “I forget how much you don’t know about how things work here. Even in our ranks, there’s a hierarchy. Most of the big-wigs have preferred drivers, so if I’m lucky enough to be chosen I get better perks and bonuses—and more bragging rights. They log every person I drive for, so repeat business is good for me, especially from important people. It makes other important people think of me when they’re looking for a driver, which means a bigger raise and more vacation.”

Carl hadn’t even considered that each function here probably had its own pecking order and ranking system. There was so much to learn, it seemed an insurmountable task.

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