After dinner, Veronica intercepted me in the hallway.
"A moment of your time?"
"I've got several moments. Pick your favorite."
She led me to a private office on the executive floor. Dark wood furniture. Expensive artwork. A window wall overlooking the city lights.
"Close the door."
I did.
She sat behind her desk. Gestured for me to take the chair across from her.
"Tomorrow you'll receive your official internship assignment. Guild rotation. Different organizations hosting you for different periods. Standard VHC protocol for top performers."
"Makes sense."
"The assignments are theoretically random."
"Theoretically."
"In practice, significant resources exchange hands to influence the selection process." She folded her hands on the desk. "I've invested considerable resources to ensure your primary placement is with Olympus Rising."
"How considerable?"
"Enough that Director Chen will be unhappy for several weeks."
"And what do you expect in return?"
