Just like many of the buildings inside of the base, the wall was lackluster, utterly different from what she experienced inside of Star and Moon Studio. When entering the building, they were greeted with a large room that had two desks next to a metal door. Sitting at the desk were two soldiers with a Military Police armband.
"Chelsea, back again with the girls?" The woman on the left asked.
"Hey, Addison!" Hannah waved at the woman.
Addison chuckled, "For people not supposed to be in this building, the two of you are starting to become regulars inside this place. What do you think, Leah?" The woman turned to the woman near her.
"Considering how far they've been able to progress, I get the feeling they should enlist," Leah grinned.
The three of them walked towards the two tables where the two women sat.
Leah, the closest to the door, moved her head in the direction of the door as one of her arms shifted under the desk. There was a buzzing sound before the metal door opened. "One of these days, you're going to get in trouble."
"That's probably true, but the two of you will be equally in trouble, in addition to the others who let us in without having to sign-in," Chelsea winked at the two seated women.
The smile on Addison's face faded away, replaced with a grim expression, "You should probably get them ready, sooner rather than later." She lifted one hand and pointed at Claire and Hannah with her index and middle finger.
"You hear anything new?" Chelsea picked up on the message between Addison's words.
Addison glanced over to Leah, who nodded her head. Looking back at Chelsea, "My connection in Military Intelligence is hinting at a change occurring outside of the Fort."
"What changes?" Chelsea furrowed her brow.
Compared to the other times they had shown up inside of the building to train, Claire found the change in mood to be unnerving. From past experiences dealing with Addison, it was unusual to see her looking so severe.
"You know how we sent out units to scout out the area?" Addison asked.
Chelsea nodded.
"Inside of the forest, we've been noticing strange plant life." When Addison noticed the confused expression on Chelsea's face, she made a face, "I don't know how to explain the situation. But my connection looked as white as a ghost."
"How about the Modified Humans?" Chelsea asked, looking frustrated by the response she was getting from Addison.
Addison shuddered at the mention of the Modified Humans, "We've lost a lot of people because of those things. It's worse considering the ability for those things to adapt to external stimuli, and not on an individual level either. Those things are able to fundamentally change the way they behave."
"That's why the two of you need to gather as much experience as possible," Leah talked to both Claire and Hannah. "Aside from knowing that supplies are plenty in the shelters, which I...," Leah looked at Chelsea.
Chelsea nodded at Leah's signaling, "I've explained about the shelters, though not the exact location. Though I don't know much." She crossed her arms under her breasts.
"That's the same with us. The only thing we know is the locations of some of the entrances, but not what's on the inside." Leah sighed.
Flicking a hand in front of her, Addison growled, "No one knows what's in those things. For some reason, the higher-ups are keeping things secret."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"It's not something we need to worry about at the moment," Chelsea sighed. "We should probably head in and get some hours in."
Addison nodded in agreement with Chelsea's words.
"It's important you learn this stuff. Chelsea's good, so make sure to pay attention." Leah said to Claire and Hannah.
Claire grimly nodded, feeling as though something momentous had just occurred and how their experience with Chelsea could save them in the future.
Waving to the two women, Claire followed after Chelsea and entered through the thick metal door. Past the door, they were confronted with a hallway with another metal door at the end. On the corners of the corridor were several cameras that recorded their movements.
"Chelsea, I always wondered about the cameras. If we're not supposed to be here, then wouldn't the cameras be able to see that we're not military people?" Claire looked to Chelsea and back towards the cameras, each one tracking them.
Chelsea laughed, "You just noticed that?"
Claire blushed from Chelsea's laugh.
"Who do you think watches these videos?" Chelsea asked.
Not expecting the question, Claire tilted her head, thinking about the answer.
"Military Police," Chelsea waved at the camera.
Both Hannah's and Claire's eyes widened at the revelation.
"Though technically both of you aren't allowed back here, I've already informed them that I take you guys back here," Chelsea informed them.
"Why were you always hesitant to bring us back here?" Hannah asked, confused by Chelsea's response.
Sighing, Chelsea said, "It's because of the implications of having the two of you here."
As they reached the other door, it automatically opened up. It was thick, just like the previous one. Due to how thick it was, the door slowly opened.
On the other side of the door was a wide-open area, the sound of gunfire being periodically heard from various locations. Claire watched as a team of soldiers maneuvered their way through a model of a town.
"It still amazes me how large this place is," Hannah spoke up in wonder.
Chelsea rubbed Hannah's head, tousling her hair. "It's around the size of a stadium. I know the military spent a lot of money to build this training area." Making a face, "I didn't understand why Star and Moon offered to design the building, even going so far as wanting to pay for the construction."
"Star and Moon wanted to build this place?" Claire's mouth widened in surprise, never hearing about this fact in the past.
"Yeah. Their representative contacted those in command, but it was ultimately decided that a private company couldn't design such a thing that may threaten Continental Security." Chelsea stated. "The Fort even denied an offer to design a stadium for a new sports facility. Though they were able to get involved with the emergency shelters, I'm not sure how much Star and Moon was involved in that project." She tilted her head, as though the idea bothered her.
Eventually, Chelsea led them to an area that they've been practicing each time they arrived inside of the building.
"You guys back to try again?" A man standing in front of a charging cart asked them.
Hannah made a fist as she grinned, "This time, I'll get the high score!"
The man laughed as he turned around and grabbed a helmet that was attached to a power cord. There was a sound of the cable being disconnected, and soon, he was turning around, presenting a large helmet. "Let's see how far you get this time." He smiled as he indicated for Hannah to step forward.
As Hannah moved closer to the man, she soon had her head covered by the helmet.
Claire watched as the man began buckling the helmet and tightening to numerous straps. Several adjustments were made on the helmet until he looked satisfied. "How's it feeling?" Claire asked her friend.
"Feeling a little snug, but in a good way," Hannah answered.
Lightly moving the helmet, to check if it moved too much on Hannah's head, the man said, "Glad to hear that. Just let me know if you need any adjustments while you're going through the simulation." He flicked on a switch, making lights turn on all over the helmet.
"Got it!" Hannah said in a cheerful voice.
Going back to grab another helmet, the man pulled out another helmet.
Stepping towards the man, Claire watched as the man put on the helmet. Her vision was soon obscured by the device. She felt her head tilting back and forth as the straps on the helmet were adjusted and tightened. There was a sense of weight from the helmet, putting pressure on her body.
All she could see was darkness as she waited for the process to be completed. Patiently waiting, Claire soon heard a click of a switch on her eyes were showered with light from a display. In front of her, she could see a blocky image of the man.
"You good?" He asked Claire.
Claire nodded, her head feeling a little top-heavy. She had to fight to prevent herself from toppling forward. "I wish this thing wasn't so heavy." She grumbled.
"That's the most advanced system in the world you're wearing on your head," The man laughed.
Sighing, Claire walked over to a cart that held numerous dummy guns. Grabbing the most basic assault rifle, she turned to look towards the area they'd be training inside. What she saw were blocky houses and abandoned cars.
"Let's start this simulation," Claire gripped her weapon, calming her pounding heart.