I stood at the entrance to Vortex. A neon temple rising from the city's entertainment district. Pulsing lights spilled onto the sidewalk. Cast our little group in alternating blues and purples. A crowd of hopefuls lined the velvet rope. They eyed us with curiosity and envy as we approached.
The bouncer was a mountain of a man with a cybernetic right arm that gleamed under the club's lights. His eyes flicked over us. Noted the NVA uniforms some of us still wore under our outfits.
"New Vein Academy?" he rumbled.
Carmen stepped forward. "First years. Plus faculty supervision." She flashed her ID with a wink.
The bouncer's face remained impassive. He unhooked the velvet rope with his mechanical arm. "VIP section's open tonight. Head straight back."
"Well, that was easy," Juan muttered beside me.
"Perks of being future cannon fodder," I replied.
