Spent the night checking for salvageable components and some indeed were. In an unimaginable stroke of luck or perhaps just due to a great design, the hard drive was tucked away in a corner of my electronic warhorse and therefore survived. I’ve lost next to nothing!

I wanted to dash out and celebrate, but there was still work to be done. Priority was so high, I didn’t even remember last time I slept. Why would I waste time slumbering when various bloodsuckers were after my jugular?

Plugged in my hard drive to a computer in the lab and began sifting through the various recordings. Noticed the thugs mulling around for days and gradually zero-in on me. It would take far too long to find where this began unfolding. Instead, I accessed yesterday’s recordings. If I could just catch them in the heinous act or in the disposal of a body, this would become the security’s problem.

Everything relevant was gone.

There was no sign of them coming, going or murdering. I saw thugs lug the bag with distant cameras, but that was hardly an undisputable proof. The feeds cut out again when goons reached the dorm my previous identity resided at.

I exhaled and spun around in an oiled swivel chair. So they had the exact same idea. These men put the body to rot in my room, hoping security would be alerted to the smell and go after me with their full capabilities. I’d get my face branded and kicked out into the wilderness, where their patron would pick me up. Terrible place to be meeting anybody.

What to do, what to do? I could hardly remove the damning evidence from my former dwelling, even if those men weren’t watching it on the off-chance I return.  

What rotten business. I had reached the very end of my rope here. Had everything I needed now anyway, so perhaps I should just leave. Tricky that too, because the young Raktkalis won’t let me out through front door.

I should pack up and find something to eat, then get a quick fifteen minute nap. My mind was too sluggish to come up with anything anymore anyway. Voices outside brought more and more gossip too. I didn’t even check if this classroom would be used today. Finding someone within a locked workshop with high-value tech would be iffy to explain away, especially with the newspaper-thin credentials like mine. And, frankly, my oratory skills left a lot to be desired too.

If the campus security joined the pursuit too, that would make things seriously unmanageable.

Alright, a break.

Jumped back out the window and re-joined the society. For around four minutes, then I dove into the basement laundry to pilfer more disguises. I hid my bloated backpack in a ventilation chute and came out a new person.

Sea of people was starting to fill the grounds, so I didn’t fret an apprehension. In fact, crowd emboldened me. I could pick up a can or two from my hidden caches, but instead I waltzed into cafeteria to eat something immediately perishable and ultimately decadent. I deserved a treat for living through two restless days of manhunt.

I was also enormously curious about the gossip. Whilst most everything in the echoing great hall merged into an indistinct cacophony, intriguing fragments of conversation still emerged. I simply needed to pay attention to the titillating combination of excitement and fear. I was compelled to know the details of these subtle ripples. Professional curiosity, as well as personal nosiness. Wasn’t healthy, but made the job easier.

Grabbing myself a lofty slice of cake and a cup of extra sweet yoghurt I climbed to the balconies, where the noise was manageable and private speech – more distinct.

Disappointingly, I haven’t learned anything new. Anyone with two eyes saw the recent deaths as coercion. Students from bountiful lands were outraged, some even tried to agitate more sensible peers into action. As to what that could be, eager activists didn’t quite know. After all, an open defiance would land them outside of the defended citadels – and free to make their own empires and rules.

The hijacked account was attributed to some justice seekers too. My little prank unexpectedly has gained traction and spread far and wide. Normally, just a handful had access to devices with delicate microchips, but a solid half of attendees hailed from the upper crust. They should just embrace it and rename the school as Academy For Gifted And Wealthy.

Thus far, it didn’t seem like anyone surmised they got the cause and effect twisted up the wrong way around. These people just wanted their devious, shadowed champion to be real – even the seasoned cynics. In fact, they cheered on the most. After all, this sort of contempt was risky but not openly suicidal. Right up their alley.

I wasn’t able to record the traitorous speech of potential insurgents, but took note of some names. I might be in trouble, but I usually was and facts like that was what I originally came here for. My list for points of interest for the distant future was having a growth spurt.

I wasn’t here to dig up dirt and rat them out in particular. Enforcing the law was not my job. Not if I wasn’t paid for it. My current standing with powers-that-be made that a somewhat permanent arrangement. However, they weren’t the only ones who wanted to hold a hand on the nation’s pulse. I could sell the data on interesting happenings or persons to tradesmen, foreign agents or common crooks. That was far less dangerous and would be more than enough to sustain this meagre existence.

Just as I finished my cake, new wave of whispers rippled through the cafeteria and the flowery yard below.

Raktkalis, the collective buzz announced. Naked.

Wait, what?

I raised my head and peered over the railing. He was indeed marching down the path in all his pale and completely hairless glory. The prideful warlord only had military issue boots on, straps around his chest to hold two handguns and a belt to house same dagger that skewered my circuitries.

Other attributes there were large as well, and I realised I have drastically underplayed the physique in the picture. Surprisingly, it turns out he did indeed have wide shoulders under the bulky battle suit. The corded muscles gave an impression that man could jump on over straight into the upper veranda.

Awful. Now even the most ardent unbelievers will realise how blatantly fake that image was. Chatter which was hostile not a minute ago suddenly turned favourable. Beautiful people were always so easily forgiven. Admired. No matter how monstrous this cretin was, he would always have charisma on his side too.

The fucker had everything. Yet took away one thing that helped me survive. Then just waltzes in here, completely dismissing my miniscule revenge against fallen comrade whom it will take years to revive.

I squeezed the glass of my unfinished drink - syrupy consistence was a terrible pick to chase down a hedonistic cake. However, my sleeping brain gave way to impulses and they have found alternative uses for the thick, off-white swig.

I stared long and hard at the marching procession whilst stealthily flexing muscles and the bleeding palm. Unrolled my turtleneck’s collar to obscure the changes in my face and launched the yoghurt at the scion’s head.

I missed. By a little bit. He moved away. However, the container splattered Raktkalis’s abdomen with trails of a slowly descending cream anyway. I dared to snicker to myself. Another well-executed act of antipathy.

The thought tickled an alarm bell. It was perhaps a poor choice of words, but execution has been on my mind lately.

Two guards stood to shield their little lord from the further runny artillery, whilst the other two bolted towards me. They wore heavy armours but the speed of approach was alarming.