Rise of a Valkyrie

Part 55

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Kayla ran up the polished marble steps of the University of Rackeye, heading for the main reception area. As she passed through throngs of young men and women, she noticed that people seemed more deferential to her presence than they'd been before. Nobody blocked her passage or challenged her reason for being there.

She imagined it must be the way she walked, or held people's gazes. The usual anxiety she felt in public spaces had vanished. Now she could get into any situation and handle the consequences. After all, she was a brand-new Ranger.

By contrast, the people around her seemed diminished. They hunched their shoulders or looked away nervously, seemingly devoid of clear purpose as they spoke and moved around. For the first time in her life, Kayla saw the insecurity that underlay most people's behavior. It seemed so alien after the absurd confidence of the Valkyrie women she'd grown used to.

A sharp tone of voice would probably get her whatever she wanted, but Kayla chided herself. That wouldn't be a good thing to do.

She strode up to the lobby's main desk. "Hi," she said brightly to the receptionist.

A young woman turned around with a scowl that softened as she caught Kayla's eye. "How can I help you?" she asked.

Kayla beamed. "I'm looking for a post-doc who works here—Weslan Genny? We were supposed to meet in town earlier, but I was running late, and I wanted to apologize."

The lie was startlingly easy. It wasn't that she enjoyed misleading the other girl, but she had an objective, and she'd be damned if she let something as silly as morality get in the way of it.

The receptionist tapped away at her computer, then frowned. "Yes, office thirty-five B, but that's an employee-only area. You'll need to take a seat and wait for security personnel."

"Sure, thanks for your help."

Kayla wandered over to the seating area and sank into a chair, her eyes searching the building for details. There was a checkpoint gate leading to a corridor, at the far end of which a sign read '25 to 45—Biologicals'. Of course, most buildings made themselves easy to navigate, even secure ones. Deciding that she could manage without an escort, she waited until the receptionist vanished from her desk to take care of another task. Then she jumped up, walking closely behind a young man who flashed his phone at the checkpoint.

"H-hey," he stammered as she pushed through behind him.

"Move it, please," Kayla snapped. "I'm late for a meeting."

"B-but..."

"Stop holding people up, young man!"

He stood aside, his jaw flapping, while she strode confidently away. Nobody questioned the purposeful woman who looked like she knew where she was going. Following the signs, she eventually came to the office the receptionist had mentioned. A small plaque said 'Weslan Genny, PhD' on the door, but the office looked like it hadn't been used in months. A fine layer of dust covered the computer monitor and desk, but Kayla couldn't see anything that might give her a clue about Weslan's current location. As she headed back out into the corridor, she caught sight of another name—Fayel Jearsan—a girl that had been senior to her in Madam Georgia's, and a friend of Weslan's. The tag sat over a cubicle in a large open area, where Fayel sat at her computer, focused on her work.

"Fayel?" Kayla asked cheerfully.

The women looked around, and her expression turned to one of shock. "Kayla? Kayla Barnes? What are—My god it's been so long!"