Arm bells sounded through Hunter’s mind. He felt cold, and yet he could feel his palms sweating, and his mouth was dry.

  “Oh?” he asked, trying to keep his breathing even.

  “Pippen and I were old friends. His family and mine have done business together for quite a while. In fact, you could say that Pippen was a subordinate of mine.”

  Hunter felt stunned. Was this a trap? Was he in danger?

  “And I must admit that I feel somewhat responsible for what happened,” Jason said, frowning as he spoke, “I hadn’t realized the man that Pippen was, and I think that there were some obvious signs which, in hindsight, I had either missed or ignored because of our history.”

  Jason leaned forward in his chair.

  “If I had known who I was dealing with, I would have been able to divert him from taking such rash action against you. I’ve known for a while how deeply he feels about his family’s victimhood, which they attribute to the Oberon’s. Not that I’m ying the bme on you, understand,” Jason said, holding up both palms to forestall any objection that Hunter might have to his words.

  Hunter shook his head.

  “So you’re saying that Pippen works for you, but you didn’t know that he’d had any intention of attacking me?” Hunter asked, trying to hide how his hands shook. His voice threatened to quiver.

  Hunter was having trouble parsing out what he was feeling. Fear mixed with rage and grief. He felt like taking all of his anger out on Jason for not having stopped his friend from nearly killing him.

  But it wasn’t Jason’s fault, if he was telling the truth.

  “I’m saying that Pippen worked for me, but no longer does. After I discovered his involvement in your attack, I cut ties with him. Of course, your sister was quick to accuse him, and made a very public example out of him. But he was my friend, you understand? I know how that sounds, but if it was your friend, wouldn’t you give them the benefit of the doubt?”

  Hunter considered his words. He’d never been in that situation before.

  “I don’t know,” Hunter said.

  “Look, Hunter, I’m not a saint. Ask anyone who knows me. I deal in the more morally grey areas of society — and I’ve done my fair share of shady things in my life. But after Pippen attacked you, Aera seemed to decre war on everyone that Pippen’s ever known, including myself.”

  “So that’s why you brought me here,” Hunter said. “This is about Aera.”

  “It’s about both you and Aera. It’s about the Visgolds and the Oberon, it’s about Aera and me. It’s about all of us. Here’s the thing: although Pippen acted on his own—and you don’t need to take my word for it. Ask the officers in charge of the investigation—Pippen had you in his sights since the moment he saw you. He felt he needed to strike back at the Oberon family on behalf of his own,” Jason said.

  Hunter frowned.

  He had heard nothing about that from Aera.

  “Your sister thinks I was involved, and has taken action against not only me, but my businesses. And I have to tell you it’s not just my business, it’s my family’s business as well. Do you understand?” He paused and tilted his head.

  “That didn’t come out right. I’m not threatening you. I just want you to know what being successful here at Barnum means to me. My family is counting on my ability to run our operations here smoothly, and I feel like I’m being unjustly targeted by your sister for something that I had no part in,” Jason said, spreading his palms as he plead his case.

  “So, you want me to talk to her, or something?” Hunter asked. He wasn’t sure if he could change Aera’s mind about anything.

  Jason scoffed.

  “Aera is a stubborn creature. Once she’s set her sights on someone, she’s like a hound after a bone,” Jason said, practically spitting out the words, and Hunter heard venom in his voice. Jason sighed and defted, his anger seeming to leave him as fast as it had appeared. The anger took Hunter by surprise, but he could tell it wasn’t directed towards him.

  “Unfortunately, I’m sure I’ll remain a target of hers for the near future. However, I’m not without defence. But!” He said, sticking up a finger, as if he expected Hunter to interject but wanted to get a word in before that.

  “But, I just wanted to let you know I have no interest in fanning the fmes anymore than they already have been. I may be at war with your sister, but I’m not at war with you. I’ve done my homework on you, Hunter. You appear to be rather independent, and open-minded,” Jason said, reaching into his jacket’s inner pocket and pulling out a business card. He handed it to Hunter.

  “I wasn’t lying earlier. I feel like I owe you, and a mere apology isn’t enough for what happened to you. There are services I can render you, but I have a feeling that party enhancers and illicit merchandise aren’t up your alley — am I correct?”

  Hunter frowned. “Yeah, not my thing,” he said. Jason nodded.

  “That’s what I expected, but you never know. What I had in mind was more in the form of protection.”

  Hunter found himself intrigued.

  “You mean like weapons?”

  Jason ughed.

  “Of course not, that would be illegal, and much more risky than anything I’d be willing to py with during my time here. I have aspirations, after all. No, I was thinking along the lines of bodyguards,” Jason said, smiling at Hunter.

  “The school wouldn’t allow it,” Hunter said, never mind the fact that bodyguards from his sister’s rival didn’t seem like a great idea. At the very least, it could jeopardize his retionship with Trey if he ever found out.

  “The school wouldn’t have to know. Your guards would be other students, and as far as the faculty are concerned, you’re all just good friends who like to walk together between csses,” Jason said.

  Hunter considered the offer, but he still felt like it was too much of a risk.

  “Thanks for the offer, Jason, but I’m not interested. You said it yourself, you and Aera aren’t seeing eye to eye. I don’t think doing business with you would be very appropriate.”

  Jason nodded.

  “The offer remains open. Keep the card, and let me know if you ever need anything. It’s the least I can do after what you’ve been through.”

  Hunter stared at the card. Something about this didn’t feel right.

  “You don’t appear convinced of my authenticity,” Jason said, sighing.

  Hunter considered denying it, but maybe Jason could convince him otherwise.

  “I think that it’s strange that you would invite your rival’s sibling to a private meeting, no matter what your history is with Pippen. Not that I think your apology isn’t genuine, but the offer; bodyguards, it just seems a bit …” Hunter said, trailing off as he tried to think of a way to put it politely.

  “Sketchy,” Jason said, saying what Hunter wouldn’t. When Hunter didn’t correct him, Jason ughed.

  “I can understand why you’d think that. But it’s not like I’m not getting anything out of the deal. Both Crk’s recommendation and the fact that you’re an Oberon are both sufficient reasons for me to be interested in establishing a business retionship with you. You’ve got the potential to be a future leader, after all. In fact, as an Oberon, I’m sure that in your case, it’s more than just potential. Am I wrong?”

  Hunter shrugged. He still didn’t understand what his role would be at Oberon Enterprises. He had ideas, but nothing would take shape until after his time at Barnum was over. There were two avenues open to him, depending on how his time at Barnum concluded. Either he was headed to further his education in preparation to leave Sanctuary behind him, or he would take on a full-time research and development role while enjoying all the luxury afforded to him as an Oberon.

  “Let’s say you’re not,” Hunter said.

  “Then I would say that a social network is a type of currency, and that I am not suffering a loss by offering you my services for free,” Jason expined. “Of course, it would be on the condition that you remain out of this messy business between Aera and I. It’s an apology, a peace treaty, and a good business deal, all in one.”

  What Jason said made sense, and all the nerves that Hunter had felt since the conversation started had melted away. He liked Jason Chan. He seemed honest, despite the business he was involved in. The word that seemed to stand out to Hunter was honour. Jason seemed honourable, the same way Trey seemed to be.

  Still, accepting the offer outright might risk invoking Aera’s ire. He’d been enjoying the budding warmth that seemed to grow between them. It was not a deep friendship, but the ice had been thawing. He liked the idea of the both of them becoming actual friends, rather than associates who tolerated each other.

  “I’ll think about it,” Hunter said.

  “That’s all I ask,” Jason said, standing with Hunter and leading him out the door. But before they left, Jason seemed to be struck by a thought.

  “There is one more thing. I have other business partners. People who aren’t as… restrained as I am. Aera’s actions have hit their businesses as much, if not more, than they’ve hit mine. I’ve talked to everyone, and told them that there would be consequences for involving you in any scheme to punish Aera, but I can’t control their every move.”

  Hunter was resenting Aera’s stubborn determination. He’d known that she was willing to fight for her pride, but he couldn’t help but feel like she’d taken it too far. At least she was thinking ahead when she gave him the taser, and he hoped that she’d prepared some defence for herself as well. Maybe she’d agree to wear some of his new armour. He also had an idea about adding some interesting force-field attachments to the armour, inspired by his handiwork back at the museum.

  He thanked Jason for the warning, who nodded as if it was a polite courtesy. They both emerged from behind the bar and rejoined the rest of the group. Hunter checked the time and realized he would need to leave in order to get ready for his tutoring session with Aera.

  Crk told him they meet up at different pces around campus about once or twice a month, and he’d let him know when they held the next one. Hunter left, feeling uncertain about his meeting with Jason. But his personal network just expanded to include some people who Hunter admired, and like Jason had said, their potential influence could prove invaluable in the future. Hunter considered the group and whether he felt like he belonged there. He’d never envisioned himself to be a leader. A pioneer, sure. Or a pathfinder. Did that qualify him as a member of the Society of Future Leaders?

  He wondered if he’d get some sort of ring if he ever joined. Or maybe a badge.

  But those connections felt insignificant considering what Jason had revealed to him about what was simmering beneath the campus’s surface. The weak attempt to improve his own mood was like a wave crashing against the side of a high cliff. Aera had upset many people, people who could prove very dangerous.

  What if one of Jason’s business partners decided they needed to use him to send Aera a message?

  What if Aera had bitten off more than she could chew?

  Hunter hurried home, watching every alley that he passed. He would need to talk to Aera about his conversation. It was time that she came clean and told him about everything that was going on.

  Hunter felt some relief as he walked through the lobby of the apartment building. It was a quiet evening. He took the elevator up to his floor and felt himself calming down.

  As he neared his apartment, his heart froze. Someone had kicked in his apartment door, leaving it wide open. Hunter wished he’d remembered to bring his taser with him as he slowly walked towards the entryway, trying not to make a sound. He stopped just outside, and listening for any signs that someone was in there.

  He couldn’t hear anything.

  Stepping into the suite, he felt the all the hair on his body rise. Someone had torn apart the small kitchen, throwing drawers to the ground and scattering cutlery everywhere. Someone had broken his coffee press and smashed his microwave into pieces. There appeared to be no reason for the destruction — just violence for the sake of it.

  The ruin continued into his living room. His table was smashed in half, and the small television was on its side, the gss screen having shattered into pieces over the floor. The journal with his AR results had been torn apart, pieces of paper littering the floor. His heart skipped a beat, and he rushed into the closet of his room. Whoever did this had thrown his clothes throughout the room.

  He felt a surge of relief as he spotted his father’s suitcase behind the small boxes he’d used to hide it.

  Hunter saw a folded piece of paper on his bed. His hand shook as he reached for it and opened it.

  You’ve fucked with the wrong people, Oberon.

  He took a deep breath and wiped away the beads of sweat forming at his temples.

  He was once again being punished for something he’d had no business in — again, baring the Oberon name felt like a curse.

  They trashed his cell phone along with his other belongings. Oddly enough, the bed appeared completely undisturbed. It had been left the same as it was when he’d left the apartment this morning.

  Hunter was gd he hadn’t been here when this happened. He searched his apartment and couldn’t find the taser.

  Frustration at the invasion of his sanctuary was to understate how he felt. He pushed back the tears as best he could. His chest burned, and he resisted the urge to punch the wall.

  It wouldn’t help.

  He stifled back the sob which threatened to erupt from his throat.

  For the first time in weeks, Hunter felt overwhelmed. Unable to clean the mess himself, and with no one to call for help, he was completely alone except for Aera. However, he was unwilling to reach out to her.

  She should have been more careful. She shouldn’t have antagonized these people, whoever they were.

  But how could he avoid talking to her? She’d find out about this even if he said nothing — but what would she do if he told her about it now? Wouldn’t she just respond in kind, making another example out of someone like Jason had said she’d done with Pippen?

  She would just make things worse.

  Hunter could not rely on Aera. He needed to take more steps to keep himself safe. This is what Jason had warned him about, and he hadn’t realized that the potential danger that he’d been so imminent.

  Hunter left his apartment and took the elevator to the lobby. There was a phone down there that he could use. He took the card out of his pocket and dialled Jason’s number. It rang for a while, and Hunter wasn’t sure if Jason would pick up, but eventually he did.

  The line clicked open.

  “You’ve got Chan.”

  “I see,” Jason said into his phone, trying not to let the excitement overwhelm his voice. His chair swiveled around in a slow circle in the centre of his office. Not fast enough to make him dizzy, but enough to keep his mind occupied from the tedium of having to pretend to be a good person.

  The Society of Future Leaders had adjourned after Hunter left. Jason had strategically scheduled the meeting at one of his bars. He wanted the space and privacy to execute this little pn he’d been thinking about for a week.

  Crk had been eager to inform the Society about his newest friend, and Jason hadn’t expected the opening. But with Jason’s blessing, Crk gave Hunter the invitation.

  It was the perfect opportunity to sound out Hunter for himself at st. Was he a lion or a kitten? How much had Aera told him about her arch rival?

  Was Hunter Koar a prey animal for Jason to use as he wished, or did he require a gentler approach?

  Their meeting had proven to be both enlightening and convenient. Everything seemed to work in Jason’s favour; Hunter’s naivety, Tilda’s desperation, Aera’s stubborn pride she no doubt inherited from her father.

  The mewling Oberon had been a much easier target than he’d expected. Surely a mind so focused and prone to suspicion would have been harder to sway. But Jason had overestimated him.

  Like any other animal, Hunter felt conflicted. He’d been looking for an excuse to mistrust people, and yet desperately desired to pce his trust somewhere. Jason was all too happy to give him both. The fault-line was already there, and if Jason wanted to break the new Oberon unit apart, he just needed a sufficiently powerful wedge.

  “I hadn’t expected my associates to retaliate so quickly, either. I’ll make some discrete investigations, but I can only think of a couple of people who would be so brazen.”

  “Thanks, man,” Hunter said, and the distress in his voice was still clear, though he appeared to think he could hide it.

  “Have you told your sister yet?” Jason asked, optimistic about the answer.

  “Not yet — I’m not sure she’d take it well.”

  “Thank you,” Jason said. “I think that’s wise. She’ll be more open to hearing about it if you present it to her along with the culprit, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like it would help settle her nerves.”

  “I’m gd to hear that you agree, Hunter. Now, I wouldn’t be comfortable letting you remain unprotected over the next little while. I’ll have a couple of guys sent over to watch your pce. I’ll call Crk. He’ll let you crash at his dorm for a bit. His roommate is away for a little while from what I understand, so there’s a free bed,” Jason said.

  “I owe you one,” Hunter said, breathing the words out in relief. Jason smiled.

  “Not at all. Consider this an extension of my apology. I’ll figure out who was behind this, and I won’t rest until I do. You have my word,” Jason said, “Oh, and don’t worry about getting a new phone. I’ll have one brought to you soon.”

  “You don’t have to do that—”

  “—I know, but I want to. It would be tiresome to rey any news through Crk, right?”

  Hunter sighed.

  “Yeah, I guess I can see that. Thanks again. I’ve got a meeting with Aera soon, so I’ve got to go.”

  “Alright, Hunter. Remember, the less she knows right now, the better,” Jason warned.

  Hunter agreed, and hung up, feeling much more safe and content to rely on his new, trustworthy friend, Jason Fuckin’ Chan.

  He ughed. It was a deep, genuine release from his gut. Hunter was a na?ve child — he was oblivious to the danger he was in. He was unprepared for the viper’s nest he’d haplessly wandered into.

  What had Aera been thinking? What had Trey been thinking, letting this whelp wander freely among hungry wolves?

  Beside Jason was a briefcase containing a certain construct prototype and its network schematics. He patted it, wondering what he’d done to deserve such a wave of fortune. Tilda Burner had been all too willing to hand it over to help pay off her debt. She’d begged him to take it, saying it could be worth millions of credits. He’d called his mother to see if she’d be willing to accept it in exchange for Burner’s family to be let off the hook. His mother accepted on the condition that they would only release Tilda’s family from bondage once the aftermath of the coming chaos had died down.

  With a promise of future freedom for betraying her friend, Jason had successfully taken candy from a baby.

  Please don’t tell Hunter, she’d whispered, unable to handle her inner turmoil. It was delicious.

  He was just pying with them at this point.

  Jason had his suspicions that Aera was wise to his ambitions. His family had informed him that Oberon’s intelligence people had been making inquiries into the Visgolds and the Locke’s, and had discovered the Chan family’s ascent through the social strata. Yet, the Oberon’s appeared to have a gring weakness.

  None of them communicated with each other when it counted. It was his own family’s greatest strength, and a Council Seat should have figured that out a while ago. The entire ship needs to work together — everyone needed to row in the same direction.

  There weren’t many Oberons, and each of them was just as stubborn as the st. Hunter was no exception, even though he cked the connection to his new family by blood. If Aera had been more forthcoming with Hunter, then they’d have been able to avoid this whole situation. It was their own fault.

  He dialled Crk’s number.

  “Our friend Hunter is in a bit of trouble and needs a safe pce to rest for a few days. If I recall correctly, your roommate is out of town for the near future?”

  “Yeah, if Hunter needs a bed, I’ve got no problem with him staying here for a bit.”

  “That’s wonderful to hear. I admire that about you, Crk, always willing to help a friend in need,” Jason said.

  “Hey, the feeling is mutual!”

  “Of course, oh, and I’ll be sending a few people with him. They’ll be hanging around your apartment for a few days, but you won’t need to let them inside or anything. They’re just their to scare off anyone with ill intent. Is that alright?”

  “I feel safer already!” Crk said, and Jason felt grateful for his mb’s innocent little mind.

  “Good. Thanks again, Crk.”

  “No problem, I’ll get the room ready,” Crk said, and Jason hung up.

  It was during times like these that Jason wished he were a poet. He lit the extinguished joint he’d been smoking just prior to Hunter’s call.

  Sometimes he wondered if there was a god, or some divine force which drove the movements of the world. Everything was going perfectly, more smooth than he could have expected. He had not only found a weak spot in the Oberon’s armour, but had opened it even wider.

  Perhaps this was the opening they’d been looking for. Perhaps his family’s timeline could be accelerated.

  Jason almost shuddered in anticipation. He wouldn’t need to wait until the end of the year to see Aera begging in him on her knees to spare her and her family.

  Victory was so close he could taste it.

  He dialled his mother’s number once more, ready to deliver the good news.

  The Oberon’s were primed for colpse.