As things turn out, Jan was serious about breaking things off if he chose to leave.

  Twenty years old now and feeling as if his heart's been torn from his chest, Torvald still finds an out - a years-long contract with a megacompany named International Systems Fields Telecoms in the States. Based in Novalectrum City in the eastern part of the continent, ISFT has hired him on for one of its infiltration teams sight unseen.

  They must be hurting for combatants. Still, as long as he gets to go to battle the blond man doesn't really care too much what he's doing before or after that.

  His father never allowed him much of an education other than what Torvald sought for himself. And in truth, he doesn't have the nature of a scholar. He likes a fight too well even for a berserker, and he likes men too well on top of that - though truly only his father objects. But in the end, despite that and despite his warlike nature, he yearns for peace too; at least a little.

  This is why he left. If he'd stayed around his father he never could have had any. He has begun to suspect as he grew older that Ulfram envies him and hates him in equal measure, none of which his mother would ever do anything about.

  And so, without Ulfram's permission or his knowledge, he's done as he must, driving away from his hometown in a rental car ISFT has provided.

  Six years after passing the Test the man has grown broader and a bit taller than he was. He's had some time to become accustomed to his implants, both the one that replaced his left eye, the one that holds his shattered liver together, and the others, here and there throughout his body. Now he looks a far more frightening sight than he did at fourteen.

  He rubs a large palm over his right eye, though he doesn't touch the metal plate over his left eye. Sighing, Torvald settles back in the front seat of the skycar carrying him and all his worldly possessions - the ones he cared to bring with him. He looks into the backseat, checking on his pet snake Diggy for a moment before peering out into the unfamiliar landscape. Here and there the horizon is dotted by lights delineating the Atlantic Skycar Pass, a route that connects Europe with the States.

  After some time he places the car in autodrive and allows himself to be soothed to sleep by the sound of lapping waves far below and the hum of his vehicle.

  Torvald wakes with the rising sun in his face. He stops long enough to refuel his vehicle at one of the small shops lining the Pass. Breakfast is easily had here, even if the food on offer is unfamiliar. The young man eats as his skycar takes him into the sunrise. It's lonely, yes; indeed very lonely. But he's been lonely his entire life in some way or another and so he's accustomed to it.

  Unbidden comes the hope that perhaps it won't be so in the new place he's going to. But he knows better than to hope by now...doesn't he? Still the emotion persists, try as he might to shake free of it.

  The rest of the young man's journey passes in a blur of eating, refueling, sleeping. Entertaining himself with some of the portable electronics he's managed to obtain over the years, checking on Diggy. Wondering what sort of city Novalectrum is and whether he'll be able to find someone or at least find a place to have a good time at. He'd better or he may as well have not left home.

  Technically he could stop at a motel or something, the stipend ISFT sent him's good for that. But somehow he doesn't want to. He'd rather arrive early and settle, odd as it feels to be somewhere other than his hometown for once in his life.

  Novalectrum City appears on the horizon sooner than he might have thought.

  It's a dazzling city, brilliant with lights and skycar lanes and advertisements quite unfamiliar to him. No doubt there's plenty of crime here too - something his father always complained about when the topic of the megacities came up - but he'll deal with that if he must.

  Torvald finds himself relieved when he pulls the skycar in front of the furnished flat allotted him by ISFT. It was a long trip and sleeping in the car is never wonderful for one's body.

  He has to keep himself fighting fit.

  The man opens the front door with a keycard - he'll have to see about a biometric lock one of these days - and looks in on his new living quarters. Compared to his father's house it's rather barren but he'll take it. He has the remedy for it in the car, in fact.

  Unloading his possessions isn't fun but it has to be done. The first thing he takes out is Diggy in his tank, none the worse for all the traveling he's done. The blond finds a spot for his pet and sets him up the best he can.

  Nothing else requires that much thought or care; mostly everything can wait until the morning, though he does dig through and find his towels and toiletries so he can shower. He'll unpack later after he's had a chance to clean up and take a rest.

  Torvald's had occasion in the course of the trip to wonder why the company that's hired him would be willing to go to all this expense simply to buy his as-yet-untried services. They said corporate espionage - not a sinecure and yet not the most difficult job either - but somehow the blond gets the feeling that it isn't going to be that simple.

  That's a problem for tomorrow.

  Torvald manages to wash up and falls into bed, asleep almost as soon as he pulls the blanket up over his chin.

  ------------

  After the grinding tedium of the journey from Sweden, having a half-day before he has to report to his new job seems like a luxury. First the one-eyed man putters around in his home arranging his possessions, then he looks for local bars and other means of entertaining oneself in the big city. He goes out for a midday meal, hoping for decent food but not really expecting much. Not many Swedish expats in Novalectrum, it seems. But he does find a restaurant with something palatable. Thus far, not so bad.

  His watch rings an alarm. It's time to make ready to report to ISFT for his briefing and first assignment.

  Weapons will be provided to match his skills, or so he's been told. Therefore the blond dresses in clothing that's easy to move in along with boots with good traction before taking the skycar out.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The blond isn't truly certain what to expect. His entire life his father's been badmouthing the companies - and especially ones full of those who deliberately implant themselves for whatever reason. Convenient, that Torvald isn't included in that definition. He hadn't chosen what was done to him.

  After arriving in the perfectly arranged reception area, the man goes to the the front desk; it's manned by someone who looks ordinary, so far as he can tell.

  The gray-haired woman looks him over. "Yes sir?"

  "Ah, I'm Torvald Ulfsson." He presents his identification without being asked.

  She scans the card, types rapid-fire for some moments. "Ah, the new employee. You'll need a temporary keycard until your permanent one is made up - here."

  He accepts the card and his identification back.

  There's rather a lot of paperwork now that he's physically present, including an NDA. Once everything's filled in to the woman's satisfaction, he's given further instructions.

  "Your liaison is Agent Kravchuk - he'll be waiting for you in debriefing room 4B. Oh, that's just down the hall there," the woman tells him, indicating the hallway in question. It's painted in cool colors like the reception area.

  He thanks her and heads down the hallway.

  When Torvald gets to room 4B, a tall, slim man with a scarred face greets him and introduces himself as Agent Kravchuk. Something about him makes the blond think the man is more than he seems - something around the eyes. Men who've taken lives have that kind of look.

  "Good morning, Torvald. I've reviewed your paperwork - your weapon proficiencies are accurate?"

  "They are," Torvald replies, with no small amount of pride.

  "Excellent. Retrieve what you need from the armory there, and I'll introduce you to the team."

  The armory is a small closet stocked with a surprising number of weapons and other things. Torvald chooses a hardlight sword, a backup dagger, a set of light torso armor with a hardlight shield, and a small pistol - it's always best to have options. Kravchuk watches him intently. The man doesn't say anything but there's an approving glint in his eyes.

  Once he's as prepared as he can be, Kravchuk leads him further into the medium-sized conference room. There are five people seated, dressed similarly to him, and their handler introduces him around.

  There's Anatoliy, their cybersecurity expert; he's a short, pale, bald man with an impressive array of implants, making Torvald wonder what he's packing that isn't visible. Cássio, a darker-skinned fellow who's an expert in ranged weaponry. Konrad is a lithe, dark-haired man with eyes too brightly green to be natural. He's in charge of procurement - in other words, a thief. Sanya is an expert in physical security, which some companies still favor over electronic security; she also has unnatural eyes, though hers glow a shade of red. And finally there's Valentin, a scrawny thing in charge of infiltration.

  Kravchuk explains that they don't all go out on every mission. But this is the overall team, one of a few working for ISFT. After all, corporate espionage is an expensive matter and no one company keeps more than a half-dozen teams.

  After introductions are sorted Agent Kravchuk gets down to business, briefing them for his first mission with this team - or at least part of it.

  Torvald sits bemused through the briefing. It seems like his first job's going to be a simple theft; they're to go in, retrieve a set of plans, and escape in a provided getaway car. It's something low-stakes to test his ability to work with a team. They're provided with blueprints on their various communication devices and then their handler says it'll just be him, Anatoliy, and Valentin.

  Fair enough.

  In the helicopter, the cybersecurity expert and the infiltrator take the time to get acquainted with him. Naturally he tells them only bits and pieces about himself. These people aren't like anyone he's met before but they seem to be trying to get him to feel at home in this team. Torvald isn't quite sure how to feel at home, but...they're trying, at any rate.

  Time will tell.

  The helicopter drops them a few blocks away on the pretense of transporting supplies, and together the three men walk into a side door Valentin cracks open with his tools - apparently the spot's too out-of-the-way to be monitored electronically.

  The first part of Torvald's very first mission goes fairly quickly. The men dip in, Valentin opens any locks, and Anatoliy takes care of all the alarms. Unfortunately the plans they're here to steal - in a computer room in a disused hallway - seem to have been on a different circuit than everything else and as Valentine lifts them, that triggers the alarms.

  Torvald draws his new hardlight sword as the drones appear in the room, grinning fiercely. Time for his part of the mission. This is what the Old Man meant him for, surely.

  He flips on his hardlight shield and flings himself into the fray. One, two drones fall under his furious assault, all the while Valentin fires wildly, bringing down a third. A brief glance shows him that Anatoliy is working furiously on his wrist computer, likely trying to hack the drones or disable further alarms.

  He turns his attention back to the machines.

  Elsewhere Torvald might have to confine himself to attacking the drones on or near the ground but in the confines of the computer room there's no need. He simply reaches up and plunges his sword into the belly of a fourth drone. The thing gives an electronic squeal and goes dead; he must have struck some vital component.

  Another drone wobbles in the air and then begins firing on its companions. It must be Anatoliy's work.

  Working efficiently, the three of them finally clear a path and flee the building.

  They laugh together as they trot towards the getaway car parked a few blocks away and Torvald feels more a part of something than he ever has before. Still grinning, the blond man sheaths his weapon as they all bound into the getaway car and flee the vicinity, Anatoliy disguising their presence and scrambling any cameras as they go.