al floor cleaner. Autumn kept her spine rigidly straight, ign

ny bookshelves, following the system's internal

wall of Study Ro

was unnervingly straight, his dark hair styled without a single strand out of p

tched-a microscopic tightening of the skin. The ai

ed her movements to be slow, deliberate, hiding the frantic racing

icy gray-blue. There was absolutely no warmth in them

e the acceptable arrival window," his

he statement made her want to scream, but the cold

Rectify immediately, ACE'

sional curve. "My apologies," she said, keeping her voice leve

ous lie. He simply reached out and slid a single s

ours were broken down into precise, five-minute intervals. Th

ed stiffly, reaching into her

ive textbooks onto the

covers. His gaze swept over th

ummeted. The microscopic twitch in his br

nce manual?" he demanded, his voic

she had blindly grabbed from the desk. Macroeconomic Theory

ion imminent, ACE screamed in her head. The red

like a judge's gavel. He folded his hands perfectly on top

Harrison stated, his voice devoid of any inflection, "I do not s

ir, preparing to stand up. He was going to wal

f corrupted digital code flashed behind Autumn's e

rocess the action, her h

down hard around H

urned to stone. His gray-blue eyes snapped wide open, flashing

y jerked hi

he edge of the table. He scrambled backward, his chair scraping loudly against th

g in the empty air over the table. T

d ripped out a packet of antibacterial wipes. He tore the plastic open w

emical smell of alcohol flooded the small room. He pressed so

tion, his breathing shallow and fast. It wasn't

rupted. Forced exit seque

Elite parameters were useless no

her eyes. She let the moisture pool, refusing to blink. She took a ragged, sha

n," she

ick, nasal, and dripping wit

scrubbing mo

aked wipe pressed against his red skin.

er trembling lower lip, and the tears threatening to spi