members of society who could protect the British Empire. Since then the purpose of ARES has remained broadly the same. While the empire itself has waned we have remained constant. For over one hundred and seventy years, ARES has trained Shifters and regulated them. And to what end, I hear you ask?”
I hadn’t said a thing.
“Ad verum via. That’s our motto. It means ‘towards the true way’, or the best possible way. And that is what each and every individual here at ARES strives to do. Work towards creating the best possible reality.”
We must have circled around as we were now walking down the same corridor I’d passed on my way in. A group of children piled out of one of the doors and raced away. Morgan waved and pointed at a few as they passed. The kids nodded and grinned to his face. But I was able to catch the expressions they made to his back. They weren’t very polite.
“We have eighteen cadets in training here,” Morgan said. “Plus thirty-six Shifting Class Officers. It’s the highest concentration of Shifters in Europe,” he added, smiling at me. I tried to appear impressed. “And then we have the Regulators, the lay team supporting us, made up of exShifters and other, specially-chosen, military personnel, headed up by Mr Abbott.”
“And is Mr Abbot here?” I asked, hoping that I would see him again.
“He’s attending to other business.” Morgan stopped outside a door. “Please,” he said, guiding me in with a wave of his hand. “Step into my humble abode.” I walked in and he closed the door behind me.
This was a little more like it. Morgan’s office had a large window with views across East London. I could just see the tip of St Paul’s spire in the distance; the dome hidden by grey concrete blocks. He gestured at a spindly chair that stood in front of a large walnut desk and took his seat in an expensive-looking leather chair. He brought both his hands together as though in prayer and raised them to his lips. I sat down.
Morgan wasn’t that much older than me. But he was clearly loving the power of his job.
“So, Scott. Scotty, can I call you Scotty? Good.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued. “Now, let’s see what we have on you, Scotty.” He adjusted a wafer-thin computer screen positioned on his desk and waved his hand in front of it. The screen lit up showing a picture of me dressed in my school uniform, glaring miserably into the camera. A second wave and the screen was filled with writing.
“So you say the first time you Shifted was three days ago? And in a public place too.” Morgan shook his head and sighed. With each casual wave of his hand a new page of my file appeared on the computer. I tried to apologise but he cut me off with a raised hand. “Yes, I have a Shift registered on that night that tallies up with your story.” He said story like he still wasn’t totally convinced I wasn’t making this all up. “And you agreed to turn yourself in to ARES in return for training?”
“Yes, I guess.”
“There’s no guessing, Scotty. It’s all here.” He tapped the screen his finger making a dink dink noise. “Everything that goes on at ARES is all right here.” He pushed the computer out of the way and turned around in his chair to face the window. The back of the leather seat had a large tear down one side.
“The question now is…” He spun back around, dramatically and leant over his desk, both hands pressed firmly on its top. “What do we do with you?”
The threat in that question made my head start prickling with sweat.
Morgan laughed. “Ha, don’t look so worried, Scotty. You’ve done the right thing. Had you decided to go it alone, well… things might not have been so pleasant. We might not have been able to have this nice little chat.” He stood up and walked around to perch one butt cheek on his desk. He knocked over a pen pot, which sort of ruined the effect. He ignored it and stared at me.
“So, Scotty. What do you
I hadn’t said a thing.
“Ad verum via. That’s our motto. It means ‘towards the true way’, or the best possible way. And that is what each and every individual here at ARES strives to do. Work towards creating the best possible reality.”
We must have circled around as we were now walking down the same corridor I’d passed on my way in. A group of children piled out of one of the doors and raced away. Morgan waved and pointed at a few as they passed. The kids nodded and grinned to his face. But I was able to catch the expressions they made to his back. They weren’t very polite.
“We have eighteen cadets in training here,” Morgan said. “Plus thirty-six Shifting Class Officers. It’s the highest concentration of Shifters in Europe,” he added, smiling at me. I tried to appear impressed. “And then we have the Regulators, the lay team supporting us, made up of exShifters and other, specially-chosen, military personnel, headed up by Mr Abbott.”
“And is Mr Abbot here?” I asked, hoping that I would see him again.
“He’s attending to other business.” Morgan stopped outside a door. “Please,” he said, guiding me in with a wave of his hand. “Step into my humble abode.” I walked in and he closed the door behind me.
This was a little more like it. Morgan’s office had a large window with views across East London. I could just see the tip of St Paul’s spire in the distance; the dome hidden by grey concrete blocks. He gestured at a spindly chair that stood in front of a large walnut desk and took his seat in an expensive-looking leather chair. He brought both his hands together as though in prayer and raised them to his lips. I sat down.
Morgan wasn’t that much older than me. But he was clearly loving the power of his job.
“So, Scott. Scotty, can I call you Scotty? Good.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued. “Now, let’s see what we have on you, Scotty.” He adjusted a wafer-thin computer screen positioned on his desk and waved his hand in front of it. The screen lit up showing a picture of me dressed in my school uniform, glaring miserably into the camera. A second wave and the screen was filled with writing.
“So you say the first time you Shifted was three days ago? And in a public place too.” Morgan shook his head and sighed. With each casual wave of his hand a new page of my file appeared on the computer. I tried to apologise but he cut me off with a raised hand. “Yes, I have a Shift registered on that night that tallies up with your story.” He said story like he still wasn’t totally convinced I wasn’t making this all up. “And you agreed to turn yourself in to ARES in return for training?”
“Yes, I guess.”
“There’s no guessing, Scotty. It’s all here.” He tapped the screen his finger making a dink dink noise. “Everything that goes on at ARES is all right here.” He pushed the computer out of the way and turned around in his chair to face the window. The back of the leather seat had a large tear down one side.
“The question now is…” He spun back around, dramatically and leant over his desk, both hands pressed firmly on its top. “What do we do with you?”
The threat in that question made my head start prickling with sweat.
Morgan laughed. “Ha, don’t look so worried, Scotty. You’ve done the right thing. Had you decided to go it alone, well… things might not have been so pleasant. We might not have been able to have this nice little chat.” He stood up and walked around to perch one butt cheek on his desk. He knocked over a pen pot, which sort of ruined the effect. He ignored it and stared at me.
“So, Scotty. What do you
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