She packed her borrowed textbook, gave a little wave, and walked out the door. She didn't run. Running was a tell. She walked with the measured pace of a teacher who had a faculty meeting to attend.
Taro stared at her. His eyes narrowed. He glanced at his laptop riser. Nothing. The drive was gone. His face went pale, then a dangerous red.
"I prefer the term 'tutor,'" she said. "It's less paperwork."
Taro didn't look up. "It's already balanced if you consider combustion," he muttered. "Glucose plus six oxygens yields six carbons diox and six waters. Boring." She packed her borrowed textbook, gave a little
Scatter.
"Alright," Ameri said, straightening up. "I think the best way to learn is to get out of your seats. Pair up! Taro, you can work with me at the front. I want to go over some advanced reaction mechanisms."
"Yes?"
Into her sleeve mic, she whispered: "ATOM-084 to Nest. I have the data siphon. Target is suspicious. Requesting immediate exfil."
Papers fluttered everywhere. Ameri gasped, apologizing profusely. As she knelt down to gather them, her knee bumped the table leg. The laptop riser wobbled.
At exactly 4:47 PM, her phone buzzed in her pocket. A single, pre-arranged text: EVAC. She walked with the measured pace of a
A crackle. Then: "Copy, 084. Rooftop. Five minutes. And Ameri?"
A murmur of protest. The lookout girl’s head snapped up. Taro hesitated. "I'm fine here."