“Commander Pierce?”
“You know him as President Pierce.” Sharkey looked at the other officers. "Officer Archer will look after the rest of you and lead you to your quarters."
Sharkey led Austin through the Terminus Building. The classrooms were dark and the floors had been polished to a high sheen. They entered the common area and Austin gazed at the high windows, the dwindling light revealing the tall trees beyond. Three officers sat at computer terminals. One woman, her hair streaked with silver, glanced at him as Sharkey led him up the stairs to the president’s office.
When they entered, Pierce stood behind his desk. A fire roared in the fireplace etched with elaborate carvings. The book shelves sparkled in the firelight and the polished dog statues carved from volcanic glass glistene
