As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, the digital clock by the door read 4:17, which meant I had an hour and 43 minutes until physical training. Despite the temptation to catch some extra shut-eye, I was more excited to explore my new surroundings. Glancing around the room, I took in the black metal desk positioned against the wall between the bunk and the kitchen. Its simple yet functional design consisted of four legs, a smooth surface, and a column of three drawers on the right.

I tugged at the handle of the middle drawer and felt slight resistance before it finally opened with a soft creak. Inside was a large black book with silver lettering on its cover that read "The Law of Nanobot Pilots." The leather cover was stiff and appeared to have never been opened. I carefully lifted the book and felt its weight in my hands. My elbows trembled with exertion after only a moment of holding it.

I dropped the book on my desk, causing a dull thud as it hit the metal surface and reverberated down the desk's legs. I settled into the rigid metal chair, touched the button for the desk light, and tried again, holding the sides down with my forearms. Finally, I began to read, hoping to gain any insight into the complex world of nanobot piloting that I could.

I skimmed through the thick pages and came across a section describing the potential dangers of nanobot technology. It warns that if the nanobots aren't calibrated, they can overstimulate the nervous system, causing a wide range of symptoms such as dizziness, seizures, and even death. In addition, the section details how overstimulation can cause nanobots to multiply, forming large clusters that can overwhelm the brain's neural pathways.

As I delved deeper into "The Law of Nanobot Pilots," I stumbled upon a chilling passage recounting the story of a pilot who had spent too long in the virtual world. The pilot had become increasingly tired, struggling to maintain the nanobots in his system. Then, suddenly, a surge of electrical activity occurred in his brain, causing the nanobots to go into overdrive and multiply at an alarming rate.

First, the nanobots multiplied uncontrollably, causing excruciating pain that overwhelmed the pilot's mind. Then, as the pressure within his skull reached unbearable levels, the worst happened, and his head exploded in a gory shower of blood, all contained within his helmet.

How in the hell am I supposed to master this? The technology was undoubtedly advanced, but at what cost? Moreover, it described the extensive testing and calibration that all nanobot pilots underwent, yet Maria, Luke, and I had not experienced such rigorous procedures.

The book's reassurances about the infrequency of incidents involving nanobots and the government's strict protocols to prevent them from happening didn't help.

A sudden crackling sound jolted me back to reality. Rodriguez's voice blared through my OmniCom's small speaker, reminding me that PT was only fifteen minutes away. Despite my concerns, duty called, and I knew I had to put them aside for now and focus on the task at hand.

With a sense of urgency, I pushed back my chair and rose to my feet, taking a moment to stretch, gathered my gear, and made my way to the door.

The ship's massive open corridors were inspiring to walk through. First, I could hear the workers solving an issue on a gasket nearby and the dancing janitor's music playing while he mopped. Then, as I closed in on the Gravity Optimization and Physical Enhancement Lab (GOPEL), I heard the faint echoes of activity from other soldiers getting ready for the session ahead.

When we entered the GOPEL, sweat started to bead on my forehead. I glanced around at my squad members and saw the same anticipation on their faces. The lab was huge. To the right were free weights and mirrors spanning the walls surrounding the section. There were rows of treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes behind the free weights.

To the left were weight-lifting machines, and behind that was the lab. It looked like a high-tech stainless steel office with glass walls separating it from the rest of the room. But we stayed towards the front of the GOPEL.

Sergeant Rodriguez barked out instructions, "Alright, team, we're starting with deadlifts. Follow me over to the free weights. John, grab that 150-pound barbell; Luke, take the 100-pound one, and Maria, you're with the 80-pounder." Then, Rodriguez performed a few reps to show us the proper form.

I started first. I couldn't believe how heavy the bar was. It felt like the bar had been bolted into the rubber matting beneath it. "This is going to be a tough one," I muttered.

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"You can do it, John! Drive up from your heels like Rodriguez said," Maria encouraged me.

I felt a little embarrassed to struggle so much to even lift the bar off of the ground. After all, Private Jackson had just lifted double the weight for several reps.

"Cheer him on, guys. He's your teammate!" yelled Rodriguez.

"Come on, John!" yelled Luke. "Yea, come on, John!"

I grabbed the bar again and sat in the imaginary seat Rodriguez had described. I slid my hands back and forth over the gritty texture of the bar feeling it sand my palms before I secured my grip for the lift. I focused on the contraction of my lower back and hamstrings in the middle of the lift.

"Push!" yelled Maria.

I looked up and stood with the bar at my waist. I did it.

"Yes!" I yelled in the deepest tone I had heard myself use.

"Nice job, Private Moore!" Rodriguez yelled. "The Xenobots won't stop. They won't. You'll be swarmed, and you'll feel fatigued. You can't let that feeling overcome you."

"It's your turn, Maria," said Rodriguez.

"Oh gosh. I'm not sure about this. Why do we have to exercise if we're using our brains?" asked Maria.

"Because your mind is a part of your body Maria. You'll need to work out for it to be at its most optimal state." Rodriguez replied.

"Fine," Maria said begrudgingly.

"Let's go, Maria," yelled Luke. "You go this, Maria," added Private Harrison. She made it look easy.

"Someone worked out on earth," said Private Harrison. "Eleven reps is pretty impressive, Maria," added Dr. Li. I couldn't believe it.

Jackson was having a blast, his mocking laughter echoing throughout the lab. "Come on, guys. What's the big deal? This is easy!" he jeered as he quickly lifted the weights.

When it was Luke's turn, he had a certain excitement that I hadn't seen since meeting him.

"Alright, let's do this!" He yelled. "Im ready!" he added in excitement.

"We get it, Luke," Rodriguez chuckled.

"One, two, three," Luke said with deep breaths between each number. Then he began the lift and got it twice before letting the weight slam to the floor out of desperation.

"That's how you do it, Jackson," Luke said jokingly.

As we moved on to the next exercise, Maria was exhausted. "I can't do this," she gasped, her face and neck flush from exertion.

We all dispersed into groups when it was time for our halfway point break. Older soldiers like Rodriguez, Dr. Li, Ito Aki, and Belsky are by the coffee maker. Rodriguez poured each of them a cup. They didn't have to work out. It was only for the pilots. Jackson was talking to Luke and Foster. Harrison, Maria, and I stayed by the weights and talked while we sprawled out on the rubber flooring.

"How do the nanobots fly?" I asked

"I'm not a scientist, but from what Dr. Li's explained, they generate a highly concentrated magnetic field around themselves, creating a pocket of low air pressure. One thing she said that helped me was to think about it as similar to airplane wings and how they generate lift by creating low pressure above the wing's surface," Harrison replied.

" How's that work," Maria laughingly chimed in.

"They can change the strength and direction of the magnetic field according to your input to control their speed and the focus of flight. And they have propulsion systems that provide additional lift and maneuverability."

"So what happens when the Xenobots attack the Nanobots?" I asked.

"Nanos have specialized sensors that detect obstacles and analyzes their surroundings, adjusting their flight path accordingly while maintaining the user's focus. In other words, they're designed to avoid collisions while pursuing your focus. Does that make sense?"

"About as much sense as it could in this short period. Thanks, Harrison."

"No problem!"

"Enough resting time to get back to it," Rodriguez yelled, hunched over as he clapped his hands.

Rodriguez had us work out in rounds for the final part of our workout. "At the first station, you'll do push-ups. At the second station, you're going to sprint. At the third station, do burpees, and the final station is bodyweight squats."

Each station was a corner of the square rubber mat we were on. The sprints consisted of clockwise running from the center cone to a corner cone and back to the center cone. The push-ups station consisted of 10 push-ups with only 10-second breaks. The burpees and squats were to be performed for the full extent of the round.

"Come on, Maria, push through it," Rodriguez encouraged her with sympathy and tough love. "Remember why you're here."

I tried to keep up, but my arms shook, and my breathing was labored. "I don't know if I can keep going," I panted, my vision starting to blur.

But Rodriguez was there, urging me on. "Come on, John, you've got this! Push through the pain!"

I thought to myself about what I read at my desk. I don't want to end up like that pilot.

I was determined to finish the last round, not taking a breather.

Ding, Ding, Ding, the timer sounded.

I looked up from my last burpee and saw I was the only one still working out. It felt incredible, especially with Maria watching.

"Nice job, Private Moore," Rodriguez said proudly. So how was the first workout, everyone?" Rodriguez asked, still smiling.

"Yea, greenies, how was it?" Jackson chirped.

The silence was loud.

"Yea, the first one is always the worst," Rodriguez said.

Then Luke threw up all over the rubber flooring.

With the workout finally complete, we all trudged out of the GOPEL, sweat dripping down our faces and salt clinging to our clothes. Luke was panting heavily, struggling to catch his breath, while Maria was wiping the sweat from her forehead with a towel.

"Man, that was brutal," Luke gasped.

"Speak for yourself, bro," Jackson said with a laugh. "I could have done another round."

"We get it, Jackson. You're in shape. Good for you." said Maria.

"Hey, guys, check your OmniCom," Maria said worriedly.