Chapter 30 · The Admin Glitch

"Move your hand another inch toward that console and I’ll take your fingers off, one by one." Vera’s voice was a low, dangerous hum right against my ear.

I didn't move. I couldn't. She had me pinned against the cold metal of the terminal, her forearm pressing hard into my windpipe. I could smell the sharp, metallic scent of her armor and something like ozone. Her breath was warm on my neck, a stark contrast to the freezing air of the Admin Hub.

"Just let me finish the upload," I gasped, my lungs fighting for space. "If the system crashes while the port is open, we both get wiped. Not looped. Wiped."

"You think I believe that?" She shifted her weight, her thigh digging into mine, locking me in place. She didn't sound convinced. She sounded like she was deciding which part of me to break first. "You’ve lied since the moment you crawled out of the first reset. Why should I trust you now?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows how to read the glitch," I spat, squinting at the screen. The code was hemorrhaging.