Page 6 of The Program

This monster was finally biting back.

CHAPTER 2

Alexander

The cadets marched in two straight lines from one class to the next. My current job was to ensure they maintained correct posture and procedure without deviating from their formation. Even an inch and I would be forced to issue a demerit. Team after team made their way down the corridors of Nova Academy, always moving one step forward, never allowed to stop or take a step back.

This was not what I signed up for when I joined the military. I wanted to make a difference by shutting down the illegal operations that slithered throughout the underbelly of the Intergalactic Union. Instead, we’d somehow ended up under their thumbs.

Dorian Ituk made brief eye contact with me as he and his team passed on their way into the classroom. A quick glance down showed his hand was arranged into a loose thumbs-up. I noted the way the Tornu guard was staring me down across the way, his perceptive glare reason enough to contain the relief that my body was so eager to expel. This was exactly the news I had been hoping for.

I stepped into the classroom behind the last cadet and closed the door behind me. The guards always attempted to sit in on my classes, but I stood my ground with a firm no every time. If they wanted to take a class at Nova Academy they should have applied and paid their dues. Most other instructors agreed with my stance and also refused them entry, though there were some that were either spineless assholes or in league with The Program. I had no proof one way or the other just yet but my bet was they were the moles who allowed them entry onto Nova Station in the first place.

Rule number one of surviving a coup: don’t trust anyone.

Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to already have a group of people I trusted.

‘Good afternoon, cadets,’ I greeted the quiet room. There wasn’t much levity or conversation these days, but at least I didn’t have to deal with a rowdy class. ‘Today you will be separating from your teams for an assessment. Please find your names on your temporary assigned holo-tables,’ I instructed.

They complied, though with a groan here and there. I was sure that they had studied and would do well individually so I wasn’t worried. It was a requirement at Nova Academy before the take-over that cadets studied rigorously with allocated times and tutoring options available. Now, however, there was no free time for anyone. The cadets’ only responsibilities were sleep, eat, go to class, and study. Socialising was no longer permitted, and we were under such close watch that even trying had dire consequences. I had noticed that the teams were struggling because of this, their inability to communicate with one another outside of Academy business was inhibiting their growth as a cohesive unit.

Which was why that thumbs-up from Dorian was such a welcome sight. It meant we had acquired one of the only rooms without surveillance beyond the assigned guard, and our assigned guard was one of the few that was on our side. For a few hours we would be able to speak freely without repercussions in order to plan.

In the past solar, we had been successful in acquiring the room under the perfect circumstances only four times. This would be the fifth, and it meant we would have to cram in a lot of information into a short time frame. Luckily, we each had plenty of time to ruminate over the problem and try to find a solution. This meeting would hopefully be the last before we had a concrete plan in place that we could finally,finallyenact.

The two teams that made up my newest squad were scattered around the room as they took the test. It was simple enough if they’d done their homework, which I was sure they had. Both teams were particularly morose, though one more so than the other. With Arty and Reece no longer members of their team, Bromm and Foryk had been absorbed into another’s. Bromm’s influence as a prince ensured the two of them remained together, but they had the added complication of trying to skirt around their newest teammates to get to our secret meetings.

Luckily, our guy on the inside had enough connections to assist us with that little problem. The Program didn’t just focus on experimenting on people, it seemed. They liked to have a multitude of methods in which to destroy lives and had also invented a concoction of substances for an array of purposes. Our access to those drugs was limited, but we were fortunate enough to have a small in.

I maintained my watchful stance at the podium in the front of the classroom. Sitting down and kicking my feet up could wait for when I was in bed with Addy. We had officially declared our relationship through the correct channels, and now were living together as a couple. It would have been a dream come true if not for The Program tarnishing everything they came in contact with.

I was unsure how many other military bases had been taken, but there were enough that we had been warned that any attempts to reach out for help would be pointless. I had looked into it when everything first went down. My ship was gone, completely destroyed in the attack, and all other modes of transportation were under heavy surveillance. I wanted to get Addy out of here as soon as possible, but that wasn’t an option.

Slow and steady,she'd remind me whenever I got frustrated. We would get out, but we needed to do things properly or else lose our only chance.

I wasn’t the only one who was impatient, however. Addy, Bromm and Reece were especially eager to find Mercer, but I was no longer certain finding her would be the best course of action. The colonel still wanted me to get her on our side, but with her back in The Program’s clutches I didn’t see that happening any time soon. I doubted they would allow for a second escape attempt. They would learn and adapt from the first one.

Our guy on the inside was more aware of that than anyone else, since he was the one who’d helped her escape in the first place.

I wasn’t sure what they dynamic was between them, or why he chose to help her specifically, but he hadn’t elaborated in the time I’d known him. Each time I tried to bring it up he shut down and refused to speak on the subject. It was a curious reaction that indicated to me that this was somehow personal to him. Sure he was one of their guards, but he wasn’t on their side and that was all that mattered to me. His personal stake in this fight was irrelevant.

Didn’t stop me and Addy from theorising, though. It had become our favourite pastime as of late. I wasn’t typically the type for gossip and rumours, but there wasn’t much else to do these days. It helped entertain us in the late hours of the night.

‘Time,’ I called out when the test was over. It was pointless since everyone had already finished, but I did it anyway. ‘You shall receive your results next week. Dismissed.’

I opened the door and stood back to watch over them as they left. Urman brushed by me on his way out, and I felt him slip something into the pouch on my belt that contained my holo-tab. A note, then. I would need to slip away to the restroom, one of the only places that still provided any degree of privacy, to read it. I was eager to find out the time of our meeting.

I found the closest facilities and made my way inside, ignoring the way the guards followed. I entered one of the stalls and made a show of using the toilet for their benefit. I may have added a few extra grunts and other noises using different parts of my body to really sell the act since I didn’t actually have to go, and I took a certain amount of pleasure when I heard them exit back out the door.

Still, I waited for the sound of the flush to read the note then quickly threw it into the disappearing water to dispose of the message. It was the last timeslot available for the private study rooms. Perfect. With no one waiting to use the room after us we would be able to take the time we needed without rushing.

Yet, despite everything going according to plan, I had a bad feeling growing in my gut. Everything was going too smoothly. I was waiting for the catch.

Before I could find out, however, I needed to keep up appearances and eat with the other instructors. We had our own cafeteria separate from the cadets with a better selection of food. Markus had been assigned to the staff kitchens and he was by far the best chef I had ever met. I just hoped that he already knew about the meeting because I wouldn’t get the chance to talk to him beforehand.

Adara was already seated at our regular spot when I walked in and she waved me over as soon as she saw me. She was always happy to see me, hersmile lighting her not only her face but the entire room. She was still and always would be the best part of my day.

I swung by her to place a kiss on her head before making my way to the line of food. It was self-serve, everything already pre-made and set up buffet-style. I grabbed a tray, loaded it with a variety of meats and vegetables, and settled beside Addy to dig in.

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