Kayla looked around and saw Rose and her group emerging from the treeline, evidently heading to the same checkpoint. They stopped to inspect their map, and as they stared at it in confusion, an instructor approached them. After some deliberation, the words “Pull your head out of your ass!” drifted by on the warm air.

“Oh, hell,” Kayla moaned. “You know, all the girls in her clique give me the cold shoulder. I’m pretty sure she’s been telling stories about me.”

Thandi nodded. “She’s telling people that you spied on her when she was changing at her dance classes.”

“Wha—” Kayla looked around suspiciously. “When were you going to tell me that?”

“Just now.”

“Awesome, thanks… anyway, I wouldn’t even have been allowed into the building for God’s sake.”

“Watch your language, please,” Thandi cautioned.

“Oh, give it a rest, won’t you?”

They watched as the rival group flopped down a short distance away, while Rose moved alone to a copse of trees.

“It’s so on,” Kayla declared, tiredness forgotten as she staggered to her feet.

Rose never heard a thing as she relieved herself in the undergrowth. Kayla crept up behind a tree, and as Rose walked back, she popped out right in front of her. Rose yelped with fright.

Kayla enjoyed the genuine moment of fear she had provoked. She adopted the creepiest expression she could manage and spoke in a monotone voice. “What’s the matter, Rose? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“God, Kayla!” Rose yelled. “Just…screw you okay, that wasn’t funny!”

Others from the group walked over to see what was happening.

“I just want to be with you, Rose. Wherever you go. I like watching you,” Kayla continued as she stared without blinking.

“Yeah, whatever,” Rose grunted as she shoved past her.

Kayla doubled over with laughter. “Had you worried there for a moment,” she called once the buzz passed.

“You are crazy Kayla, how you say… stalker,” said a member of Rose’s group, in a thick French accent.

“She’s not crazy, Brielle,” Thandi cut in, a smirk on her lips, “and you are a dumbass.”

The instructors watched from a distance, stone-faced and silent as they usually were during break times.

Rose stomped back towards Kayla, a furious expression on her face. “Isn’t it typical of you to be so childish?” she snapped. “We’re trying to take this training seriously, and all you can do is joke around.”

“Uh-huh, and lying about fellow recruits is taking things seriously?” Kayla fired back.

Rose flushed red. “Well, there was that time in school when you burst in—”

“I was running from the janitor! Why do you think everything is about you?”

“Of course, always causing trouble, aren’t you? Why don’t you grow up and learn to accept your station like everyone else?”

“Yes, your majesty!” Kayla said sarcastically. “Why don’t I just get in line with all the other drones so we can serve your every whim?”

“I should think that in a military organization,” Rose explained slowly, as though she was talking to a child, “everyone should understand their place on the team and work towards the common goal.”

“I guess that must be why you ditched Weslan? Because he wasn’t useful to your ‘common’ goal?”

Rose shook her head. “That’s none of your business, as you are well aware.”

“I might look him up after I graduate boot camp. Now that he’s single.”

Rose laughed. “You can do whatever you want, but he won’t date a girl like you. Before I left, I heard they were going to offer him a job at some glamorous research lab, where he’ll no doubt make enormous amounts of money.” Her expression turned sour. “He’ll only be interested in one sort of woman,” she muttered.

Kayla grinned. “Who knows? Some guys have a thing for tough chicks.”

“He doesn’t care who you are, he—well, actually, I’ll let you find out for yourself.” A vicious smile appeared on her lips.

“You bet I will.”

“Hey, Rose, I don’t get it,” Thandi cut in. “Sounds like you walked away from one hell of a life. Why do you want to be here?”

“Didn’t Kayla tell you?” Rose asked. “All I care about is proving that I’m better than her, or something ridiculous like that.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. Of course, that was all Rose cared about.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Uh… I think for myself, actually,” Thandi replied.

Kayla glared at her, but Thandi avoided her gaze.

“Fine,” Rose said. “If you must know, I don’t think a billion credits and the adoration of your peers are all that interesting.”

“Oh, okay,” Thandi nodded. “So, um… if you stay in Valkyrie and I quit, can I just have your bank account?”

“Of course, you colonists all think like that, don’t you? Find the money and life becomes paradise?” She looked down for a moment, then glared back at Thandi. “And obviously, I don’t believe you remotely care why I’m here,” she snapped before walking away.

“She won’t make it to the end of the month,” Kayla muttered, then saw Thandi raise an eyebrow. “What?”

“Why do you hate her?” Thandi asked. “I mean, I get that Helvets are annoying, but she’s no different than the rest of them.”

“You don’t know what she’s like,” Kayla said, as they started walking back to their rucksacks. “Always has to be Miss Perfect, always needs everyone to know she’s better than you, so she can boss you around.”

“Sure, she’s motivated and competitive,” Thandi said, “but I haven’t seen her bossing anyone around.”

Kayla scoffed. “Oh please, you see that clique she’s building up?”

“It’s normal for girls to gather like that. And… I don’t know. She fits that mold; beautiful, charismatic…”

Kayla spun around. “What? You like her?” she snapped.

“I didn’t say that. I said I can see why others might—hey get back here!” she cried as Kayla turned on her heels and stalked off.

The day finished with a mile run. Kayla’s legs were so stiff she paced herself, going as slow as she could without falling to the back of the group. An instructor drew level with her, running alongside as they always did. No matter what exercise the recruits were asked to perform, an instructor would be there doing the same thing. When Kayla was near the end of a long PT session, struggling to complete the next repetition, she would look over and see an instructor nearby still going strong and in perfect form.

Their watchful gaze never missed a slacker, and now Kayla’s performance had drawn attention.

“Recruit Barnes you are pacing yourself,” the instructor said.

“Yes, instructor,” Kayla gasped. The recruits had learned to answer all instructor observations with this phrase, though not always with the spirit or meaning the words implied.

“I don’t need recruits who hold something back so they can make it easier on themselves. I need to see you at your limit. Right now.”

“Yes instructor.” Kayla ran faster until acid soaked through her thighs. The effort tired her quickly, and she began to slow, but she kept pushing, driving through the intense need to stop.

The instructor kept pace with her the whole time. “You will not pass this course by showing me an average performance.”

“Yes, instructor.”

“Push your limits all the time. I will be watching—understand?”

“Yes, instructor,” Kayla gasped, mentally ascribing a less polite meaning to her words. How was she supposed to keep going when all she wanted was to throw up and pass out? But she didn’t stop, and neither, to her surprise, did her body.

Ahead, Thandi was similarly harassed. She tried to explain herself. “Well, instructor, when we were hiking—”

“Oh good, an excuse!” the instructor snapped. “I love excuses, and I’ve collected millions of them. Go ahead, let’s see if you can surprise me with a new one.”

Kayla winced. The recruits might not like the instructors, but arguing with them was a critical error.

Once the run was finished, the recruits returned to their cabins. Kayla approached hers and cringed when she heard the voice of Kiki berating Chisom. She dreaded having to go inside and face the endless torrent of negativity that the girl spewed, but she could hardly avoid it. Pushing through the cabin door, she saw the exhausted Chisom was already in bed with a book, clearly trying to avoid the conversation.

“I just think we should stand up to them,” Kiki was saying as she paced back and forth. “You’re all just going along with this nonsense. I mean, for god’s sake, someone could have been killed today!”

Chisom shrugged her shoulders and turned a page of her book.

“You’re all just sheep, aren’t you?” Kiki glared at Kayla.

Kayla snapped. She was tired of breaking through physical and mental barriers, and Kiki was so consumed by her ego that she was piling on more. Besides, righteous anger felt so satisfying. She grabbed Kiki by her t-shirt and shoved her against the wall of the cabin.

Chisom sat up in shock.

“Kayla…” Thandi stood at the door of the cabin, a stern look on her face.

“I’ve had enough of you mouthing off in my space, Kiki,” Kayla said in a quiet voice. “You’re trying to drag us all down with you, and I’m not going to let it happen.”

“How dare you—” Kiki began.

Kayla shoved her again. “You have two choices. Go ask to quit or shut your mouth from here onwards. Make it quick, ‘cos I’m not missing any sleep tonight.”

Kiki stared open-mouthed and looked like she was about to speak. Instead, she grabbed her jacket and walked out of the cabin, slamming the door behind her.

Kayla felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

A short time later, Christie appeared with a full rucksack. “The last recruit left my cabin, so the instructors sent me here,” she explained.

Nestled comfortably between her bedsheets, Kayla groaned as she tried to sit up and reach for her glass of water. When she saw it was empty, her heart sank. “Good to see you, Christie,” she said. “Since you’re up, would you be a dear and get me a refill?”

“I will not,” Christie said, as she stowed her gear. “I heard you pushed Kiki up against a wall, and I do not condone that kind of behavior. Get your own water.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. “She was a loser. And why are you here if you’re against violence?”

“Because I expect to work alongside people who want to protect others from it.”

“Sounds right to me,” Chisom said, glancing at Kayla. “Kiki was annoying, but you took it too far.”

Kayla was tired of being questioned. She glared at Chisom, who looked away.

“I saw a lot of difficult people in the boxing world,” Thandi said idly as she lowered herself onto her mattress. “Combat sports teach you a lot about discipline and conflict de-escalation. Of course, you also learn how to beat someone until they can’t stand up straight.” She locked eyes with Kayla. “That’s so you can deal with those hard cases, you know, who need to learn they can’t just throw their weight around whenever they want.”

Kayla wavered in the calm, but unblinking, gaze. Maybe she had crossed a line. Her gut knotted tightly, and she shut her eyes. “Well, maybe you’re right, Chisom,” she said. “Next time I’ll try to be more diplomatic.”

“S’all good,” Chisom said.

“This morning, in front of a class of my peers,” Christie said brightly as she leaned back on her pillow, “an instructor politely corrected my assertion that the ancient Amazons had to cut off a breast to be good archers. A fact which would have been apparent to me, she explained, had I ever spent five seconds trying to shoot a bow. So, I’m happy to report that I have enjoyed feeling like a complete idiot today.”

“They for sure enjoy humiliating us,” Thandi nodded. “But we probably need it.”

“Well, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Kayla said as she raised a finger, “Rose is still here. I would caution against making assumptions about whether these people are the good guys. Or girls. Or whatever.”

“Yes,” Thandi said with heavy sarcasm. “The presence of one girl you don’t like means the entire organization could be evil. That’s definitely true.”

“Why would Valkyrie be evil?” Chisom asked.

Thandi explained their suspicions that the instructors were not being truthful about the Jotnar’s presence on Earth, and the age of Valkyrie.