Chapter 6
I awoke the next day a few minutes before my alarm went off. Groggily, I got out of bed and made my way past the sleeping forms of my fellow cadets, careful not to wake them as I walked towards the bathrooms. After doing my business and taking a quick high-pressure shower in one of the stalls, I got out to the sound of multiple alarms going off, as the rest of the barrack was getting up. I made a mental note to make getting up early a habit when I saw nineteen other people making their way to a bathroom with 10 stalls. Sapona seemed to be taking a different approach, simply turning over and drawing up his covers when he saw he would need to wait anyway.
As I quietly got dressed, it occurred to me that tomorrow would be my birthday. It felt weird being so far from my home, my family and friends. It’s not like I wanted people to sing for me or anything, but the people I was surrounded by now didn’t feel close enough to me yet to actually do anything other than silently let it pass. Maybe next year.
I’d always been easy to read however. “What’s got you down so early?” a voice came from above me, and I looked up. Tyrna even looked good with a messy bedhead, though I was certainly crushing hard enough to still appreciate her looks if she were wearing a clownsuit. She jumped out with an agility that should not be possible at this time of day, and smiled at me.
“It’s my birthday tomorrow. It feels weird to celebrate it here” I answered her honestly. A deeper voice answered. “It’s your BIRTHDAY tomorrow!?” Sapona rolled out of bed with surprisingly child-like excitement. “Brother, this is the perfect opportunity to go see some bars on the ship! You’re turning eighteen right? In my town, it was a custom to buy a round of drinks for everyone, especially for your buddies! Let’s get wasted!” Tyrna giggled, and I couldn’t help a smile forming on my face. “Alright, alright. Drinks on me...”
Just as I was thinking about how lucky I was to bunk with these guys, Sap turned to the rest of the barracks and shouted. “My friends! Vorn’s treating us to drinks tonight for his birthday! Come one, come all!” The color drained from my face at the prospect of all my money draining from my pockets. Maybe not the best bunkmates after all. Tyrna leaned in close and whispered. “Don’t worry, I’m not too classy for cheap beer…”
At 0600 our barrack was assembled in one of the many smaller training halls of the Altar. A holographic AI gave us a quick rundown of the rules and the program, before a male hybrid in training fatigues similar to ours entered and dismissed it. He briefly introduced himself as instructor Katis, before diving into the lesson. We started out with an intense warm-up, that left most of the humans panting on the floor. The instructor then told the remaining hybrids to do another, more intense version of what we just did, while he went on to walk the others through a few training exercises. As I did my five-hundredth or so one-armed push up, I noticed that even the hybrids had begun flagging. That’s odd.
While hybrids were bred to be strong, it still required training to get in peak physical condition. Even though I had never paid any extra attention to sports before, I still noticed that I was easily outperforming others. Sap was still keeping up, but visibly exerted, and the same went for any other hybrids. My strategic position behind Tyrna didn’t allow me to get a good look of her face, but I noticed her slowing down. Why is this so easy? As I was wondering that, Tyrna suddenly dropped to the floor and turned around, her exhausted visage staring right at me. Caught red-handed, I quickly looked away, but the act threw off my balance and I fell over. Sapona jumped up excitedly, throwing his hands in the air. “YEAH BITCHES, I WIN!” Only to be struck down by a swift shot from a burster. With a victorious smile still on his face, he fell flat on his back. “No yelling in my class unless I tell you to, maggot!”. I was starting to fear this might be standard conduct among our commanding officers.
Luckily, it seemed this burster shot didn’t last too long, and, though significantly more subdued, Sapona was able to join us for the following training exercises, and a close-quarter-combat demonstration.
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It. Felt. Amazing. I had never fought before, aside from maybe a scuffle when I was a kid. But this, this got my blood pumping. As I went through some standard motions with Sapona, I felt an itch being scratched. Clearly equally excited, Sap and I slowly went faster and faster through them. Every blow caught by my arms, every kick landing on Sap’s shin, made my excitement spike. Before we knew it, we were going at it full contact, even going beyond the motions we were shown. I didn’t even feel any pain whenever Sap got a hit in, nor did he seem to mind me striking true. Block left, knee, step in, push him back. I didn’t even need to think, I just flowed through the motions, losing myself in this feeling. Then, an opening, in a split-second I readied the strike, when all of a sudden I was struck by sudden weakness, moments later followed by Sapona’s fist against my jaw.
I found myself dazed on the floor, wondering what had happened. Sap stood over me, reaching out his hand, but I found myself unable to lift -or even feel- my arm and take it. Instructor Katis joined Sap, and looked at me with a mix of disapproval and surprise. “What happened? Sir?” Sap asked him. “Battle-trance.” Katis answered, still looking down at me. “It’s the main reason I carry a burster here, but I usually don’t have to use it until a few trainings in.” Katis looked at Sap. “He was preparing his tail for a strike at your throat. Would have killed you probably.” He looked back at me. “It’s instinct for us, nothing personal. Probably didn’t even know what you were doing, right?” I tried to speak, finding that too difficult I simply shook my head slowly, with an apologetic look at Sap. Fucking shit! Just made a friend and nearly killed him, stupid idiot. Sap looked at me, and amazingly grinned a wide smile. “My friend, if you want to get out of treating me to drinks tonight, then tough shit. Now you owe me two!” I laughed wholeheartedly, more out of relief than joy.
The rest of our first real day as cadets wasn’t nearly as exciting as the morning had been. After a quick shower, a change into clean uniforms, and lunch in the mess, we filed into a classroom that reminded me of home. The lesson mostly focused on basic logistics and etiquette on a Frontier vessel. After an hour of that, the AI teacher remotely opened up a few cabinets along the walls, instructing us to choose a cabinet and take out the large rifle.
“Where’s the ammo?” Rast asked the AI.
It spoke “There is no live ammunition in this classroom. Safety regulations. You must first learn how a weapon works, and learn to respect it. Now please return to your seats, and I will walk you through it.” The AI calmly continued when everyone was reseated with a rifle in front of them. “What you have in front of you is the standard issue PCB901 Flexible Assault Rifle, FAR for short. It is capable of firing several types of ammo, ranging from armor-piercing rounds to less-than-lethal sonic bursts. It uses mass-manipulators and magnetic accelerators to project a round at hypersonic speed, sending it forth to bring any foe a bad fucking day. You will learn how to hold it, wield it, and care for it, before you so much as THINK of putting a live round in it. Follow my lead.”
The lesson passed quickly, as we went through the standard set of weaponry of a Frontier soldier. Aside from the FAR, it came with a nanoknife, capable of slipping between molecules to sever tissue, and a MOBR handgun, which was basically a modernized version of a Desert Eagle. They looked alright, and if the AI instructor was to be believed, would certainly be fine companions out in the field. But they just didn’t feel right. It was awkward to hold them, ever so slightly too small, too light to comfortably use. I raised a hand.
“Yes cadet Proton?” the AI answered.
“I’m having some trouble with the size of the weapon, sir. Is there anything more suited for hybrid use?”. It seemed I wasn’t the only one of my kind who felt this way, as my fellow hybrids looked up at the AI expectantly.
“There is, but it is not standard issue. The FAR is a weapon every Frontier recruit, regardless of future station or position, is expected to be able to wield properly. However, as part of the martial branch, you will be educated in wielding various other weapons in future lessons, some of which are tailored to hybrids. You are still in basic training, cadet Proton, and you must learn to walk before you can run.” The AI smiled. “However, if you show promise, and show that you can responsibly deal with weaponry, then perhaps you will be allowed to progress to more high-end weaponry before your peers. I look forward to your efforts…”
I looked at Sap. I could see it in his eyes, as he could in mine. A challenge. I was going to responsible the shit out of this weapon’s class.
Next to me, Tyrna saw us and sighed. “You guys are idiots”.