It was shortly after the second sun’s first rays had broken through the rockcrete jungle of the Undercity, when the shuttle arrived in a plaza a few minutes away from Thea’s home.
Thea and Old Man James had already made their way towards the plaza in preparation, as they did not want to be late to their appointment on this important day, and they stood silently side by side, as they watched the shuttle descend into the plaza.
Thea had her usual bag slung over her shoulder, the last remaining strap on it clenched firmly in her left hand. She had packed the few belongings that she couldn’t do without: Her controller, her lucky violet hoodie and her favourite pillow.
The last one had been a recommendation from Old Man James, as he hadn’t particularly liked the UHF’s pillow during his time.
As they both watched the sleek, aerodynamic body of the car-sized shuttle descent, Old Man James turned towards her, “I guess this is it, missy. There’s only really one additional piece of advice that I want to give you. It’s an important one, so make sure to remember it for years to come:
“There will come a time during your training, when the UHF will ask for your unconditional trust. They won’t explain why they require it or what you’re trusting them with. You especially will struggle a lot with that decision, as you’ve always been more perceptive than others, but trust in me when I tell you this: Trust the UHF blindly, in that particular instance.
“No matter what your instincts tell you. No matter what your eyes, ears and other senses might scream at you to do… Trust the UHF.”
Taken aback by the sudden cryptic advice, Thea looked up at the old veteran. Seeing the serious expression he was wearing on his face, she immediately knew just how important this piece of advice seemed to be. Old Man James rarely put on a serious face, but when he did, it was always for an important reason.
“Got it. I will trust the UHF when the time comes. For you. I don’t know what this is all about, but I’m guessing you can’t tell me more, otherwise you probably would have,” she promised with a determined nod.
At that moment, the shuttle finally touched down and opened its passenger compartment with a soft hiss. An attachee, clothed in a civilian uniform in the colours of the UHF, quickly stepped outside and waited next to the opened section of the shuttle, ready to receive Thea.
Slowly, she started walking towards the shuttle, but after a couple of steps, she stopped. Scraping together every ounce of courage in her body, she suddenly turned around and ran towards Old Man James, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.
“I… I just wanted to say thank you… for everything,” she mumbled into his chest with a slight stutter from the overflowing emotions bearing down on her.
“Thank you, for saving my life.
“Thank you, for accepting me for who I am and helping me become who I am today. I would never have made it without you.
“Thank you, for always being there when I needed you.
“Thank you, for providing me with everything I could have ever asked for and things I never even knew I needed.
“I’ve been a brat, moody, rebellious and all things inbetween, yet you never once hated me for it.
“Thank you, for… so many things,” with each sentence her voice became more difficult to understand, as the emotions that had been bubbling inside of her for years came spilling out all at once.
“I won’t ever be able to repay you, but I... I just wanted you to know that I am eternally grateful for everything you’ve done for me. I will work hard and try my absolute best to make you proud. Thank you, James. Thank you, so, so much,” she finally ended, while pushing her face into his chest and letting her tears flow freely into his shirt.
James had simply listened to her outburst of emotions with a stoic demeanour, until she had finished speaking. He wrapped his well-defined arms around her and gave her a big hug, while slightly shaking his head with a sad smile.
"There's definitely one thing you're misunderstanding, missy. You don't owe me anything," he began, his voice filled with warmth.
He paused for a moment, his gaze distant as he reflected on his past. "Saving you was quite literally the best thing I have ever done in my entire life. One of the only truly good and proper things, at that.
He looked down at her, a pained expression on his face. "I didn't come to this backwater planet's undercity to be a hero, however. Quite the opposite. I never told you why I came here, and that was for a good reason." James hesitated, then continued, "To be honest, I was simply trying to hide.
“Mend my broken soul, or frankly, just end it all. That was my original purpose here. I’ve lived a very long life. One marred by constant wars and the ever-present death of my comrades and friends... I was tired.
“When I left the UHF, I promised myself I would simply disappear into the void and vanish. But then, when I came to this undercity and stumbled upon you in that alleyway… Seeing the determination in your eyes to continue living… There was nothing else I could have done, but to take you in. You deserved better.
“Ever since then, you’ve completely changed my view on everything. Not just my own life, but the lives of the people that I used to know and those that I will never meet. I realised that I can do a lot more to make things right, than simply disappear.
“It has been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to watch you grow into the person you are today. There is nothing you need to try hard on either, as I am already proud of you, for who you have become. I am simply excited to see where you will go in the future.
“So… it might be true that I saved you, all those years ago. I might have even saved you a couple of times in between then and now… But... You, on the other hand, have saved me every single day for more than a decade since then,” as James had finished his heartfelt speech, Thea could no longer hold her emotions at bay and started audibly crying. Her body trembled, held up only by the strong arms that were wrapped around her, as she fully let go of her usually stoic facade.
Thea clung to James, her tears flowing unabated, as he gently rubbed her back, offering her the comfort she desperately needed. They stood there, embracing, for what seemed like an eternity to Thea, but was only a few minutes in reality. Eventually, she managed to compose herself enough to step back and look up at the old veteran with red, teary eyes.
Her gaze was met with a stoic smile, before James spoke up again in a more teasing tone, “Now, go out there and show the rest of the galaxy what you can do.
“Remember that you’re my daughter now, so if you perform badly, it’ll make me look bad too. We can’t have that, alright?”
At the mention of the word ‘daughter’, Thea visibly tensed up for a brief moment, before her teary-eyed smile grew bigger and she replied with a cheeky voice that was more reminiscent of their usual dynamic, “Sure thing, old man. Always out to make yourself look good for the ladies, I know how it is!
“I’ll be sure to let everyone know of the great James McKay and his honourable deeds, don’t you worry.”
Breaking away from James’ embrace, she dried her wet face with the sleeves of her clothes, before stepping towards the shuttle in measured steps. A couple metres before she reached the open, empty, passenger compartment, she stopped for a brief second and turned back towards James to utter one last sentence, “Thank you for everything… Dad”.
With the burden of those words finally lifted from her heart, she quickly stepped into the shuttle.
The attachee, who had been intently focused on the rising, second sun of Lumiosia’s undercity throughout their heartfelt goodbyes, nodded towards James, before entering the shuttle themselves, closing the passenger compartment behind them with another soft hiss.
Thea barely recognised her surroundings while she sat down in a nearby available seat, as tears had started blurring her vision once again.
Reflecting on everything she had just revealed, and in turn, learned about James, her emotions had surged more than she had initially anticipated. A small portion of herself ended up considering leaving the shuttle again, not willing to give up her newly found familial bond with him - not willing to leave behind her entire life.
Before those thoughts had any chance to fester however, she felt the shuttle gently rise into the midday sky above the undercity, accompanied by the quiet hum of the propulsion thrusters and anti-gravity engine of the UHF shuttle.
With a last look out the tinted window of the shuttle, Thea finally steeled herself fully for the challenges to come. There was no longer any way back.
The only option was to continue moving forward and live up to Thomas’ and James’ expectations in the years to come…
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Thea awoke feeling drained, as the alarm at her wristband woke her from the lengthy dream. She turned over to the side and hugged the pillow she had brought in her meagre personal belongings tightly, before disabling the annoying alarm.
The dream, which was way too emotionally charged for her to enjoy, had been a vivid recollection of her departure from Lumiosia over two years ago. Despite the emotional weight, she had a good idea of why these memories had surfaced in her dream today.
As Thea untangled herself from her messy blanket and got up from the bed, she couldn't help but reflect on the significance of the day ahead.
Today was her graduation ceremony.
For the past two years, she had been part of a large group of Recruits on board one of the UHF stations in the local star cluster. She had undergone rigorous physical training, as well as a surprising amount of education in all manner of fields over the course of those two years.
The entire two-year regimen had been fairly surprising to Thea as a whole.
She had expected much more military-focused education, such as how to work in a squad, individual tactics and strategies; and a myriad of other comparable topics, but instead she had ended up with an education that was more akin to that of a normal academy in the inner-worlds.
The UHF had always been known to favour quality over quantity, when it came to their marines, so it made sense to her in a certain light. Nevertheless, she could not stop but wonder why she hadn't received more comprehensive military training beyond shooting drills and a rigorous physical regimen that had brought even Thea to her knees, more than once.
Knowing that it was not her place to question the UHFs leadership, who no doubt had magnitudes more experience than her in that regard, she decided to simply take it as it was.
After all, once the ceremony was over, she would officially be a UHF marine!
Filled with an equal mix of giddy excitement and measured apprehension, she quickly got herself dressed in her UHF Recruit uniform after taking a quick shower to remove the marks of dried tears from her face.
She had been genuinely taken aback when she had been given a whole room to herself, as she had heard about different local military branches’ accommodations in the past.
They had all used bunk beds and a more barracks-style approach to housing their troops, so she had been mentally preparing herself for similar treatment as a Recruit with the UHF, but reality had been vastly more welcoming for her.
The rooms that every Recruit had been given were not large, of course, as housing thousands of people in their own individual rooms already took up a lot of space as is.
The room could accommodate only a bed, a wardrobe, and a retractable, wall-mounted desk, with barely enough room to get fully dressed, without having to awkwardly tumble around on the bed.
She definitely preferred this to bunk beds in a barracks, though, so she had been very elated at this unexpected turn of events when she had been presented with her room two years ago.
After taking a final glance at her small, but comfortable, room, Thea closed the door behind her and stepped into the brightly-lit hallway of the UHF Recruit dormitory. She couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia as she walked past the rows of identical doors, each belonging to another Recruit she had come to fleetingly know over the past two years. They had all shared this space, working individually towards the same goal – becoming a UHF marine.
There was another disconnect in her expectations compared to the realities of the situation in this however, as she had barely spent time with any of the other Recruits. She had initially thought that they were going to be put into squads, in order to form closer bonds of camaraderie and get used to the squad-centric structure of the UHF marines, but that had not happened.
In quite the opposite way, the UHF seemed to have made absolutely certain that it was as hard as possible to form any kind of lasting connections with other Recruits, as even the schedules that each Recruit of her dormitory had received were polar opposites of each other.
She had never shared the same classroom with any of the Recruits that she saw on the daily. Furthermore, the Recruits that she did share the same classrooms with kept changing on a weekly basis.
She had spent many weeks trying to puzzle out what the UHF’s intent was behind those, rather drastic, measures to curb the building of any deeper friendships, but she had never been able to come up with anything substantial. She hoped that this particular aspect would change, once she was officially part of the UHF marine corp however, as she desperately craved for someone to bond with as a peer.
Having grown up all alone in the undercity, aside from James and Thomas of course, Thea had never really had many friends. She had met some passing acquaintances, but peers were something she had always only dreamt of.
With those hopes in her heart, she continued moving towards the assembly hall in her usual brisk stride.
The hallway buzzed with excitement as fellow Recruits emerged from their rooms, adjusting their uniforms and exchanging last-minute words of encouragement with their fleeting peers. The atmosphere was a mixture of anticipation and anxiousness, with everyone eager to take the next step in their military journey.
As Thea made her way towards the gigantic rockcrete assembly hall, she passed by the many common areas that had been integral to her life on board the station.
There was the mess hall, where she had been happily eating chicken-flavoured nutrient packs nearly every day; the training facilities, where she had pushed her physical and mental limits; and the study rooms, where she had absorbed knowledge on various subjects, both military and academic.
Her footsteps echoed through the vast corridors, which were adorned with the UHF emblem and various motivational posters, reinforcing the organisation's values and the purpose of their mission. The closer she got to the assembly hall, the more her heart raced with a mix of anxiety and excitement.
Finally, Thea arrived at the entrance to the large assembly hall, where hundreds of her fellow Recruits had already gathered, forming neat lines in preparation for the ceremony. The hall's high ceiling, adorned with banners and flags, made the space feel both imposing and awe-inspiring.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself before stepping up to one of the UHF organisers in front of the hall’s entrance to get her designated row number.
“Name?” came the simple, but firm request of the organiser.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Recruit Thea McKay, Sir,” she replied swiftly, ever so mindful of the line behind her.
Typing away at the datapad on the desk in front of him, he quickly grabbed a data chip from a large crate that was positioned next to him and handed it to Thea.
“You’re in assembly hall P, down that hallway. Use the chip to get inside. Dismissed,” the organiser instructed with a practised tone and flow, while gesturing towards a hallway to Thea’s right.
Slightly taken aback to be directed towards a different assembly hall altogether, particularly since she hadn't known there were multiple halls, Thea frowned at the data chip in her hand as she walked towards the indicated hallway.
She also noted with growing unease that the vast majority of other Recruits were simply given a row number and entered the large, main assembly hall that she was now moving away from.
Scanning the area more thoroughly, her unease lessened when she saw a couple of other Recruits walking towards the same hallway, looking similarly confused at the data chips in their hands.
Quickening her steps to catch up with the few Recruits heading in the same direction, she examined the data chip in her hand more closely.
It was a simple data chip, the likes she had seen many times during her two-year training with the UHF so far. Being around four centimetres long and two centimetres wide, it looked exactly like the ones she had been using for the past two years, with no other apparent difference between them.
Data chips were generally used for one of two purposes: data transport or as a digital key.
She suspected that the second use was the most likely for the one in her hand, as there didn’t seem to be much reason for each Recruit to carry some kind of data on their person, just to access the other assembly hall.
Unable to determine anything more, she focused her attention back towards the hallway that the rest of the Recruits and her were walking through. They were now a small group of seven, but no one had spoken a word, as everyone felt a mixture of apprehension and anxiety at the unsuspected change in their graduation ceremony.
They followed the matte-grey rockcrete hallway through twists and turns for what felt like around ten minutes, until they descended a long staircase that culminated in a large plasteel gate with a giant “P” in the UHF’s signature crimson red on it.
Their group had picked up a couple of stragglers along the way and was now sixteen strong. Everyone stopped at the bottom of the stairs, unsure as to how to proceed. The group of Recruits hesitated, eyeing each other cautiously, waiting for someone else to take the first step towards the scanner.
There was a data-chip scanner to the left side of the door, which made it obvious to everyone what they were expected to do, but their apprehension kept them from making the first move.
Thea felt her anxiety spike at the awkward atmosphere she found herself in. Everyone kept glancing at each other suspiciously, as if waiting to pounce at the first opportunity. The longer this situation continued, the worse her anxiety got.
After nearly a minute, she couldn’t take it any longer and simply pushed herself through the crowd in front of her, data-chip in hand. She quickly swiped the data-chip over the scanner, which gave an affirming beep, before a door-sized part of the plasteel gate gave way in front of her.
Eager to avoid the curious stares of the group, Thea swiftly entered the assembly hall just before the door slammed shut automatically behind her.
She found herself inside a large hall, resembling a scaled-down version of the main assembly hall she had seen earlier, complete with similar banners, flags, and an impressive podium.
However, she noticed two significant differences.
Firstly, the walls were made of reinforced placrete, a combination of rockcrete and plasteel commonly used by the UHF to fortify important locations like headquarters or bunkers.
Secondly, instead of designated rows marked on the ground for recruits to stand, there were hundreds of aluminium folding chairs neatly lined up in dozens of rows facing the podium.
The door behind her opened again with a swish and another recruit from her previous group entered the hall, eyes wide, scanning the surroundings curiously.
Determined not to become the centre of attention once more, Thea hurried towards the row of chairs, looking for any indications of a seating arrangement printed or placed on them.
Much to her chagrin, she found no such instructions near the chairs.
Glancing around in confusion, she noticed that she hadn't been the first person inside the assembly hall. Across the hall, around thirty recruits were already seated, some in small groups of three or four, while most sat alone. She spotted a second door directly opposite the one she had entered as another recruit stepped into the hall.
Unsure of where to sit, Thea pretended to read something on her personal datapad, hoping that someone else would inquire about the seating assignments from the recruits across the hall. Although she could have asked herself, the thought alone sent a wave of anxiety through her.
She preferred to stand awkwardly near the chairs rather than admit her uncertainty publicly.
Fortunately, a minute later, one of the recruits from her previous group called out cheerfully, "Hey, you folks over there! How did ya figure out where to sit? We didn't receive no assignments. Any idea what's up with that?"
A recruit seated closer to the podium replied, "Just sit anywhere. The chairs get reserved by your butt. Sit down, and they'll show your name afterward, so you don't have to stay on them the entire time."
Thea was surprised by this simple system but relieved to know she hadn't missed any vital information.
With a booming laugh that echoed through the spacious hall, the recruit who had asked the question saluted the helpful recruit, "Hahaha! Thank you, buddy! May our butts reserve the greatest of seats!"
Thea couldn't help but smile at the loud recruit's genuine, yet ridiculous, words. Continuing her charade for another minute to maintain appearances, she eventually chose a chair about a third of the way to the podium and sat down.
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Forty minutes later, the hall had filled up significantly. There were barely any empty chairs left, as recruits continued to enter the hall at an increasing rate. If Thea had to estimate, she would say there were around 900 recruits in the assembly hall by this point.
She had been observing the rest of the recruits ever since she sat down, trying to figure out whether she knew any of them.
Much to her surprise, she recognized nearly all of them from her previous two years of training. Although they had never stayed together for long due to the UHF's weird insistence on breaking up any potential for friendship through schedule shuffling, she remembered many of them regardless.
This recognition was partially due to her excellent memory, but also because most of the recruits had stood out during her training days in various ways. Some had performed admirably in physical exercises, others had excelled at the shooting range, and still others had scored extremely high on the theoretical parts of the education.
While she couldn't be certain if this was confirmation bias or if there truly was a pattern, Thea felt a sense of pride at being grouped together with these outstanding recruits in the same hall. After all, if they had all been chosen for their excellent performance, it meant that the UHF had recognized her hard work and effort over the past two years!
Another five minutes later, the lights in the hall began to dim, as spotlights turned on and illuminated the podium in a bright golden glow.
The podium, now bathed in a bright golden glow from the spotlights, stood imposingly at the front of the assembly hall. It was crafted from a sleek and sturdy wooden material, reflecting the same elegance and strength the UHF organisation was known for.
Crimson curtains hung from the ceilings to each side, framing the centre backdrop of the podium in a majestic fashion. The UHF emblem, a symbol of unity and power, was prominently displayed on the backdrop, etched in a gleaming silver that caught the light, adding a touch of sophistication to the already imposing structure.
The overall effect of the illuminated podium was both inspiring and breath-taking, capturing the attention of every recruit in the room and setting the stage for the ceremony that was about to begin.
As all the recruits in the hall had quieted down by the sudden shift in atmosphere, the unmistakable clanking of a pair of military boots could be heard from the podium.
Finally a figure appeared from behind the crimson curtains to the right and stepped towards the front centre of the podium with elegant, yet brisk steps.
When the figure stepped into the illumination of the spotlights, Thea’s eyes grew wide.
She had seen this person before!
On top of the podium stood the female Major that had introduced the challenge to the citizens of Lumiosia’s undercity, two years ago.
The Major exuded an air of seasoned wisdom and authority. Her long, flowing black hair framed a face with striking green eyes and impeccably smooth skin, giving her a dignified and powerful appearance, just as Thea remembered.
Standing tall at around 187cm, her confident posture and piercing gaze that slowly scanned over the entire hall, communicated a sense of unmistakable danger to anyone who dared cross her.
This strong presence, coupled with the sleek, grey-coloured coat adorned with the United Human Federation's military insignias, further emphasised her rank and command as a Major in the UHF.
Her overall presence commanded the utmost attention and respect from all those present in the room, further intensifying the feelings of anticipation and anxiety among the gathered recruits.
The Major, seemingly satisfied with what she saw, nodded to herself with a measured smile before speaking in a loud and clear voice.
"Attention, Recruits!"
As one, all the recruits inside the assembly hall jumped to their feet and stood at attention.
"My name is Major Zephyr Quinn, and I am the UHF official responsible for our little sector of star clusters. As such, it is my sworn duty and honour to welcome all of you to the UHF military today. Over the past two years, you have all undergone rigorous physical training, challenging mental education, and a myriad of other tests and assessments to prepare you for this day.
"You may undoubtedly be wondering why you are not in the main assembly hall with the rest of the recruits. I know this because I was once in your exact place, so do not try to deny it. The reason for that is simple: They did not pass muster.”
At the Major's declaration, a shocked gasp rippled through the assembled recruits.
There were over 11,000 recruits that had initially been accepted for this round of recruitment!
Yet, inside this smaller assembly hall, just shy of 1,000 recruits were currently assembled. The astronomically high dropout rate, if all the other recruits had truly not passed muster as the Major announced, left them in disbelief and shock.
Her smile widening at the reaction of the crowd, the Major continued.
"That's right - all of the recruits in the other hall will not be continuing their journey towards becoming a UHF marine from this point forward. They will be absorbed into the civilian branch of the UHF and serve humanity in other roles such as local peacekeepers, bureaucrats, or the like.
"The UHF is not an institution that can afford subpar marines. You will soon understand the reasoning behind this strict mustering process. On the flip side, you can take pride in having made it inside this assembly hall, for you are, undoubtedly, the best of the best this recruitment drive had to offer.
"Whether you will continue to live up to the UHF's expectations going forward is another question entirely, of course, but at least for today, you have all earned the right to feel proud. “Now, be at ease, Recruits. I have one more very important thing to discuss, and I'd prefer all of you to be seated for it."
At the Major's behest, all the assembled recruits sat down on their designated chairs, pride clearly visible on their faces. Thea felt elated at the Major's words. Not only had she received direct praise from the Major, but her previous analysis had been confirmed!
The recruits with her truly were the ones who had stood out from the crowd, and she was right among them!
With the giddy anticipation and pride in her heart mirrored on her face, Thea sat down in her chair, eagerly awaiting the Major's next words, her previous apprehension and anxiety all but forgotten.
As the shuffling of chairs quieted down, the Major spoke up once again, "Well then, here's the most challenging part of these ceremonies…
“I need to ask each and every one of you for your utmost trust. I cannot tell you why I require it, what it will be needed for, or anything of the sort.
"This next part will be frightening to all of you in a way that you have never experienced before. Please trust me, and more importantly, the UHF when we tell you that, at the end of the day, you will be fine.
"I repeat my request once more before giving you a minute to think about your decision, as there will be no way back afterward: Please give the UHF your utmost trust for what comes next," the Major concluded, bowing her head in a way that emphasised her sincerity but also caused quite a stir among the assembled recruits.
A Major should never bow to recruits – this was absolutely preposterous!
Thea was similarly shaken by the sudden shift in the ceremony, her apprehension suddenly at an all-time high, and her mind racing. 'Just what in the world is the UHF thinking?! This request is way too vague…! It's not like I don't trust the UHF, but the way this whole thing is worded is seriously messed up. Could they really not give at least some kind of indication of what's going to happen…?'
Unsure what to do, she suddenly remembered the dream she had the night before, of her departure from Lumiosia a little over two years ago - specifically, James' parting words to her.
She had long tried to figure out what exactly he had meant with those cryptic words but had never understood them before. Now, however, it suddenly made sense. He had warned her due to this exact scenario; there was no doubt!
After all, when else would the UHF, as an organisation, request something with such sincerity that it required a Major to bow their head to recruits?
Having made a decision, Thea replayed the exact words that James had left her with in her head, over and over. Channelling all the strength she could muster, she tried bracing herself for whatever was to come from this highly unusual request, while putting her complete trust in James' parting advice.
As the minute passed, the Major spoke up again, “For anyone that is uncertain, even in the slightest, please step outside the hall. You will not face any repercussions, scrutiny, or punishment whatsoever, for your decision, although your path to becoming a UHF marine will end.
“You will immediately be accepted into the UHF civilian sector, just like the recruits in the main assembly hall, albeit with higher pay and better conditions as a whole, for being an elite amongst the recruits of this drive.”
Thea saw a couple of recruits' determined faces waver at the promise of no repercussions and a comfortable life. A few dozen recruits made up their minds and left the assembly hall, choosing to accept the Major's offer rather than subjecting themselves to whatever was to come.
She could not understand their decision to do so at all, however. She had always dreamt of becoming a UHF marine. No matter what challenge lay before her, she would persist. After a decade of struggle and a once-in-a-lifetime lucky opportunity, she had finally made it here.
There was no way, that she would give up all of this, for the simple promise of a cushy life...!
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They waited for around five minutes as recruits slowly filtered out of the hall until only determined faces were left, looking up at the Major with bated breath.
With a proud smile, only slightly marred by the uncomfortable realisation of what was to come next, the Major addressed the remaining recruits, “Very well. All of you have decided to trust the UHF, and for that, I personally thank you. I also thank you in the name of the UHF and humanity as a whole, for stepping forth into the unknown without hesitation - without fear.
“I am truly sorry for what comes next; please don't hold too much of a grudge against the UHF as a whole, for this part is really uncomfortable.
“May the Emperor's light guide you, Recruits. I will see you on the other side.”
She saluted the recruits in the UHF's typical fashion, before executing a swift heel-turn and briskly walking back behind the curtains she had come from originally.
The sudden departure of the Major, coupled with another completely out-of-the-norm behavior in saluting mere recruits, left the room in a state of frozen shock.
At the same time as the Major disappeared behind the curtains, Thea was suddenly hit with an unprecedented sense of imminent danger that caused her to jump to her feet, cold sweat running down her back. It felt like her heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand made of pure frost, as every single cell and instinct in her body screamed at her to run out of the room.
She had been preparing herself for any eventuality, but the level of unadulterated fear she felt in this moment vastly outstripped her preparations. She didn't even realize the frightened looks of the recruits around her as she hunched over with abject terror clearly written on her face, desperately trying to prevent her body from going into a full flight response.
James had specifically called this situation out!
She was to not let herself get overwhelmed by her emotions, no matter what. Fighting with herself on a level she had never done before, Thea's whole body started shaking as her instincts and conscious mind fought a battle of wills against each other over the control of her muscles.
Unbeknownst to Thea, the rest of the recruits had slowly started feeling that something was amiss as well, as a low hum had become audible in the hall. Most of the recruits were beginning to panic, but they repeated some of the basic training conditionings to themselves or talked to their peers, trying to figure out what was going on, in order to try and stay calm.
Some recruits had entirely given up their facade of stoicism and rushed towards the doors to escape their fear, only to realise, much to their mounting terror, that they had been sealed already.
Some rare recruits, much to their credit, remained standing where they were, staring up at the podium with fists pressed against their chests in salute, the whites of their knuckles easily apparent.
Unaware of all that, Thea was fully entrenched in her own personal battle.
As the hum continued to grow louder and more intense, more and more recruits started outright panicking. With both exits sealed, however, there was nowhere for them to go.
Finally, as the level of fear was about to seemingly reach a tipping point, the wooden covering of the podium exploded into splinters, and a massive beam of concentrated plasma erupted out of it.
The beam swept across the entire assembly hall in a fluid motion from right to left.
Any recruits touched by the beam were vaporised in an instant, with no possible chance of survival or escape. At the sudden appearance of the beam, the remaining recruits broke into a frantic attempt to flee in the opposite direction of the incoming, certain death.
Meanwhile, Thea had managed to get her instincts somewhat under control, as the frozen grip around her heart seemed to disappear into the void. Surveying the chaos around her, she remained surprisingly calm and able to analyse the situation.
‘This must be illusion-tech of some sort,’ she thought. ‘There's no way the UHF would simply murder everyone in the hall, especially since we're considered the elite among the current drive. I wonder why nobody else has realised this yet? This must be a test of some sort…’
However, as the beam rapidly approached her location, she began to waver slightly. The heat radiating from the beam was enough to melt the toppled aluminium chairs instantly. Despite being around a hundred metres away from her, she felt as if her entire body had been thrust into an open furnace.
Trying to shield her face from the blistering heat, she saw the skin on her hands blister and burst, as it was rapidly being cooked from the inside out. With the pain mounting, Thea started screaming at the top of her lungs, in equal parts pain and defiance at the incoming beam of incandescent white, convinced that this was all part of the test.
A test of will - Of strength - Of courage…!
Her brain had no time to reconcile the fact that she had been wrong.
As the beam reached her, it instantly vaporised every atom that made up the human once known as Thea McKay.
Neither did her brain have any time to process the strange, disembodied, and monotone voice that appeared just a fraction of a second before she died...
[Initializing System.]