Major Quinn shifted her gaze towards the area of the assembly hall where Thea was seated, slowly scanning the rows to find the Recruit whose voice had just interrupted her speech.
As her gaze briefly passed over, Thea suddenly felt a pang of danger in her chest. The same kind of life-threatening, fight or flight-level warning that she had experienced when she first met Major Daxton, except more focused and wielded with intent. While she was happy to see that she did not lose this intangible instinct after her abrupt resurrection, she was also terrified of Major Quinn’s gaze.
Cold sweat had immediately started forming on her back and her body was pumped full of adrenaline, simply from the Major’s gaze passing over her for less than a second. The sheer amount of terror that the woman on the stage was able to exude in Thea in such a short time was frankly absurd.
What was the most terrifying to Thea however, was that the Major’s demeanour had not changed at all. Her face, eyes and body language did not speak of any intentions to act, yet something intangible had changed, that caused Thea’s instincts to blare alarm signals throughout her body. This unknown factor is what truly frightened Thea the most in the Major’s gaze.
As the Major’s eyes finally rested on one of the Recruits six rows behind Thea, she slowly lifted her left arm, eyes fixed on the Recruit. Her hand was opened in a half-crescent shape, as if she was leisurely reaching for something like a bottle.
When Thea heard the surprised gasps of other Recruits and the muffled screams of a girl behind her, she turned to take a look at the rows behind her as well. What she saw was a world-shattering sight.
Around three metres above the ground, a female Recruit was suspended in the air, eyes wide in terror and mouth open. However, nothing but muffled screams escaped, as if an invisible hand had grabbed her by the cheekbones and lifted her all the way up. Thea’s heightened senses could even make out slight, finger-shaped indentations on the Recruit’s cheeks!
Snapping her eyes back to the Major, Thea felt a mixture of abject awe and terror. She couldn't help but compare the position of Major Quinn’s fingers with those of the invisible hand holding the Recruit up in the air. Despite feeling like she knew the answer already, she had to confirm that they were both the same. After a brief analysis, she confirmed it for her own sanity.
The Major was, remotely, holding up the Recruit with her bare hand, some twenty-odd metres away.
Major Quinn then retracted her arm into a more comfortable position, which did not seem to correspond to any movement from the Recruit, who was still suspended in mid-air. The Major went on to hold up her hand as if ready to snap, before letting her gaze slowly travel across the assembly hall, as if to make sure everyone was carefully paying attention to her every move.
Satisfied with the attention she received, she snapped her fingers, and three things happened at once.
First, an ear-piercing cry of pain came from the suspended Recruit behind Thea.
Second, a wet-crunching sound could be heard from the same direction, just a fraction of a second before the scream.
Third, a shockwave travelled outwards from the podium through the rows of assembled Recruits, strong enough to knock over the first couple rows of chairs and Recruits alike.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Thea's head snapped towards the suspended Recruit and once again was shocked by what she saw.
The Recruit's right arm had simply snapped in half. A large and sharp-looking piece of bone was protruding out of her forearm, dripping a not-insignificant amount of blood onto the floor of the assembly hall.
Outside of the girl's panicked screams of terror and pain, the entire assembly hall was dead silent, shocked and awestruck by the display of the Major.
"With that demonstration out of the way… I hope you have all learned something important from this," came the same educational-sounding voice of Major Quinn from the podium, grabbing everyone's attention in the otherwise silent assembly hall.
As everyone's eyes returned towards the front, with only a few Recruits still staring at the suspended and bleeding girl, the Major gently lowered her left arm. This time around, the female Recruit moved accordingly and was returned to the relative safety of solid ground.
As she touched the ground, she immediately started trying to stop the furious bleeding from her open wound.
"Very good. It seems you have learned at least that much in basic," the Major commented with a tone of satisfaction.
Shifting her gaze slightly towards one of the Privates that had helped coordinate the seating arrangements, she pointed her finger at him and continued, "Private, take some med-gel and stop that girl's bleeding. I am not done with my speech yet. She can find the medics later."
Shifting her gaze back to the rest of the assembly hall, the Major raised her right hand and signalled the number three.
"There are at least three things you should learn from this demonstration, all of extreme importance.
"First, you are not on your home-planet anymore. Throw away your narrow mindset and open your eyes, ears, and brain to the possibilities before you. The Allbright System is a near omnipotent entity that can break the laws of physics with ease. Psychic abilities are just the start.
"Take anything that anyone tells you about the System with a grain of salt, but never outright dismiss it. If you can't disprove it, it's likely that it exists, somewhere inside the depths of the System.
"Just as psychic abilities are now a part of life, there are countless other things we don't know about yet. Things we might not even be able to imagine, without encountering them first. Narrowing your mindset and dismissing things outright as magic or impossible is one of the fastest ways to die."
She counted off one from her fingers, leaving only two held up high for everyone to see.
"Second, don't underestimate the importance of your Resolve Attribute. While tomorrow's class will go more in-depth on it, it is likely that a lot of you want to originally skip out on it, as it serves no real usage. Resolve is the Attribute that directly counters the Psychic Attribute.
"The Recruit over there only has around 3, I'd say. If she was at a 4 or heaven forbid a 5, this whole demonstration would have been a lot harder. Even small changes in the power-ratio between Resolve and Psychic Attributes make a huge difference, so don't skip over it completely, or you'll get utterly destroyed the second you meet an enemy Psyker in the field."
The Major pointed briefly at the female Recruit, who was currently having med-gel applied to her open wound, before counting down once more on her fingers.
“Third, and most importantly: Never. Fucking. Interrupt. Me. Again.
“Or any of your Superior Officers, for that matter. You're officially part of the UHF Marine Corps now, and the time for leniency regarding insubordinate behavior is over. The next time any one of you does, I will splay out your fucking spine for everyone to see, ten metres high in the air, so all of you can enjoy a warm shower.”
With those threatening words, spoken in a dead-serious and ice-cold tone that sent shivers down Thea's spine, Major Quinn counted down the last finger and closed her fist, emitting another shockwave of psychic energy that rippled through the assembled Recruits to underline her previous statement.
As the assembly hall entered into another brief moment of shocked silence, Thea briefly noted that some of the Recruits' eyes near her had glazed over.
Thinking it over for a second, she thought to herself, 'Are they checking their Resolve Attribute…? Can't really fault 'em, after this. I'm really happy I got a 5 now… This was absolutely terrifying. Is everyone capable of doing this?! I need to get my hands on this Psychic Attribute as soon as possible; it's horrifying... and kind of awesome.’
The sudden voice of Major Quinn ripped Thea from her thoughts. She was back to her former warm and educational tone, which now held a whole different undertone for Thea than before.
“Now then, where was I… Right! I need to introduce someone very important to you, so let’s get this over with as well… Attention on deck!”
At the Major’s call, all the assembled Recruits jumped up from their chairs and stood at attention. This was a near instinctive response, which had been drilled into them over the past two years, and even the Privates responded in kind.
On the podium, a person suddenly stood next to the Major.
The man's presence in the hall was undeniably authoritative, and no one present could ignore the impact of his overall appearance or the sudden way he simply showed up on the podium.
His tall, sturdy frame spoke of the physical strength honed over his years of service in the relentless environment of deep space.
Draped in the UHF Navy's dark purple command uniform, his broad shoulders showcased various medals and ribbons that celebrated his many accomplishments and the respect he had earned. Gold embroidery on his epaulettes and collar denoted his rank as Captain, while a commanding insignia took pride of place on his chest.
His muscular forearms were veined and exposed by the ripped-off sleeves of his UHF uniform, alluding to the manual labour he had endured during his military career. The slightly dishevelled, torn state of the sleeves formed a striking contrast to the otherwise immaculate appearance of the Captain's uniform, further emphasising the sense of barely restrained power and authority he radiated.
The man's weathered face revealed a lifetime spent navigating the harsh void of space, with deep-set lines around his eyes and a prominent scar that traced its way from his forehead, across the bridge of his nose, and down to his left cheek. His piercing blue eyes seemed to slice through the assembly of Recruits, as if he could evaluate their potential with a single sweeping glance. A thick, salt-and-pepper beard covered his square jaw, adding to his grizzled appearance, and his close-cropped hair, peppered with silver strands, lent him a distinguished, battle-hardened look.
A polished leather belt encircled his waist, holding various pouches and a sidearm, indicating that the Captain was prepared for any situation that might arise. His impeccably polished, black military boots reflected the overhead lights, a testament to his attention to detail and unwavering discipline in maintaining his outward appearance.
Thea was thoroughly impressed by the sudden arrival of the Captain. Despite her heightened senses, she had no idea when or how the man had appeared on the brightly lit podium. It was as if he had always been there and simply chose to be visible now.
Before she could analyse him further however, his wandering gaze briefly crossed over her, meeting her own eyes dead-on.
The impact of the Captain's penetrating gaze on Thea was immediate and intense. She felt as if he was peering into the very depths of her Soul, assessing her strengths, weaknesses, and potential with just a brief glance. The raw authority radiating from his eyes made it impossible to look away, and she found herself momentarily frozen under his scrutiny, even forgetting to breathe entirely.
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For what felt like an eternity to her, their eyes continued to meet and Thea managed to glean a sliver of the true power held by the Captain on the stage from the depths of his eyes. He was unmistakably the strongest person she had ever met. This was a realisation that immediately came to her upon gaining that sliver of information.
Further awe-struck by the immense amount of restraint he put on that power, as it did not even tick her innate danger sense instincts, Thea could do nothing but continue to stare back.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the intense connection broke, and Thea gasped for air. Despite only a brief fraction of a second passing when their eyes had met, she felt completely out of breath.
As his gaze continued to sweep across the room, Thea was left with a lingering sense of admiration and newfound respect for the Captain. The feeling that this man was a true leader, one who had earned his position through sheer determination, skill, and an unyielding commitment to his duties, was undeniable.
After a short moment of complete silence in the assembly hall, the Captain finally spoke up.
His voice was a deep, resonant baritone that carried with it the weight of countless battles and years of experience. His tone commanded authority, easily demanding attention and respect from everyone inside the hall. The timbre of his voice had a gravelly quality to it, and each word he spoke was enunciated clearly and deliberately, further demonstrating his discipline and meticulousness to the assembled Recruits.
“My name is Captain Horatio Cross, and I welcome you aboard the ‘IGS Sovereign’, Recruits.
“You will be on board this ship for quite a while, so make sure to treat her with respect. She has seen more combat than all of you are likely to see combined.
“I would tell you to be at ease, but I just do not feel like it. I am a fan of proper etiquette and ram-rod backs, so keep up that attention for just a while longer, as I give you the primer that I am obligated to provide as the Captain of this venerable ship.”
He let those words hang for but a small moment, before continuing with what seemed to be a rehearsed speech.
“You are but a small cog in the giant machine that is the UHF military. The Sovereign currently houses nearly 90,000 UHF Marines, you included. While this ship is one of the larger troop transporters, it is nowhere near the largest in our armada.
“You will be on board this ship for at least the next year, as you go through your advanced training and become proper members of the UHF Marines and stop being a resource hog. As a result of this, you might be wondering ‘how do 90,000 Marines fit on a ship?’ and I will tell you the answer: They do not.
“The truth of the matter is that only around one-fifteenth of the Marines are actively deployed on the ship itself at any given time. The rest, you included after this ceremony is over, is digitised and inside of the Sovereign’s own Deep-Dive Simulation.
“Every legion, every platoon, every company, down to every squad will have to perform ship duties at some point in time, on a rotating schedule, so do not be afraid that you will not get to stretch your real legs.
“The only time we will actively deploy all Marines on the ship is in times of active battle. It is simply way more efficient to leave all of you in storage the rest of the time. You should all be accustomed to Deep-Dives by now, so you know it is not a bad deal.
“Moving on, there are some very simple rules regarding your stay on my ship. First and foremost, the Sovereign has the ultimate command authority on this ship.
“If the Sovereign tells you to stop doing something, you stop doing it. If the Sovereign deems you unfit for being a Marine, you stop being a Marine. It is that simple.
“The Sovereign is equipped with next-tech AI that can act almost entirely autonomously. It is the closest that Humanity can get to true, full sentient AI before we breach the Emperor’s commandments, so do not believe you can outsmart her. Trust me, many have tried before, and none have succeeded.
“Secondly, the Sovereign will monitor the entirety of the Deep-Dive Simulation at all times. I hope you understand what that means. While she will not needlessly interfere with your everyday life or your off-duty time, if you heinously break the rules of the ship or the laws of the UHF, you will be caught by her.
“Lastly, as the Captain of the ship, you all owe me a drink whenever you see me inside of a bar. This is the law, do not break it, for lawbreakers will be hunted down mercilessly.”
Captain Cross ended the last sentence by narrowing his eyes, before sweeping a suspicious gaze across the assembled Recruits.
For a brief moment, Thea was not sure whether the last rule had been an actual rule or not, but as the Captain cracked a toothy grin after completing his gaze, she figured she had her answer.
“You always have to get that last one in there, don’t you, Captain?” Major Quinn interjected from the side with an exasperated smile of her own.
“I cannot have these fresh Recruits disrespect their new Captain now, can I, Major? I believe I am done with what I have to say, so I will take my leave now. Do not be too harsh on the new-blood, Major Quinn,” he finished with a friendly nod, before walking off the podium.
The sudden end of the Captain’s speech caught the Recruits by surprise, as they had expected the Captain to at least divulge more information about further rules on the ship, yet he had simply walked off the stage.
To Thea, it seemed that the Captain was more of a man of action. He had this intangible feeling to him that spoke of perpetual readiness and a barely restrained will to get into the thick of the fight himself. Thinking about it for a moment, it made sense to her that Captain Cross would not want to spend too much time on speeches and the like.
As Captain Cross had fully disappeared from the stage, Major Quinn took command of the hall once again.
"At ease, Recruits. If you somehow missed it, this was the Captain of this ship you're on. After your last graduation on the station, you were resurrected on here, as it was the closest rez-station willing to accept you.
"On purpose, mind you. It makes transporting a large number of new Recruits a lot easier when you can essentially teleport them once, rather than having to ferry them back and forth, as you might imagine.
"Now we're nearly done with this ceremony, but there is one more official thing I need to do before we all get ourselves digitised and enter the Sovereign's DDS.
"As you all know by now, you are the elite of this recruitment drive in the sector. You won't be the only marines from this drive, however. The ones you left behind at the station will get another chance, although they won't ever go past the rank of Sergeant, as their aptitude for the System is simply too low.
"That does mean though, that you will have some competition soon. We estimate that the ones that were close to meeting the requirements will be able to join you all in just a month or two at most. It is not just the UHF that values this competition. The System itself thrives on it. Competition and risk are the two fundamental building blocks of the Allbright System.
“The more you compete with others and the more you risk, the greater the rewards the System will bestow upon you. In order to further emphasise this spirit of competition, the UHF has decided very early on to always have a bar for their Marines. A bar for you to strive for and to pass, in order to keep you focused on continual improvement.
“While all of you have been registered in order to get a squad assignment later on, a select few of you already know your squad designation, due to the rarity of your System granted active ability…”
Thea’s eyes went wide as she realized where the Major was going with this introduction— 'Oh fuck. She’s going to call me up on stage in front of everyone! I am not prepared for this!'
“These few of you are considered the elite of the elite. They are your bar. These Marines will be designated as Alpha Squad, for they have been marked as being exceptional by the System itself. For the members of Alpha Squad, your goal is to stay ahead of the curve, don't let the rest of the Recruits catch up, ever. If you fall behind, you will be replaced as members of Alpha Squad.
“Now, come up on stage, members of Alpha Squad, so the rest of the Recruits can see your faces and remember them for years to come.
“Recruit Lucas Callahan, Recruit Desmond Reimart, Recruit Isabella Itoku, Recruit Corvus Leander Sylarion, Recruit Thea McKay, and Recruit Karania Faulkner are the six members of your Alpha Squad. Come on up, you don’t want to make me wait, I promise you.”
Before Thea could fully prepare herself to get up and begin her slow walk towards social annihilation, she suddenly felt her arm get dragged from the left.
“I knew it! There had to be a reason they put me next to you, after all! Ahhhh…! This is so awesome! We’ll be squad-mates from now on, Thea! Let’s go up! Let’s go!” Came the overly excited voice from Karania, who was dragging Thea off of her chair into the wide walkway between the rows.
Thea’s face was already burning red and her chest had constricted itself into a knot by the current situation. She was barely able to put one foot in front of the other, as her entire body was apprehensively pulled forward by the brightly smiling and waving Karania.
Karania, on the other hand, seemed to be used to the limelight, as she simply dragged Thea behind her and waved, smiled, and winked at her fellow Recruits on their way to the podium, as if she was some sort of virtual idol. It was like she treated it as a rockstar approaching their stage, more so than a slow walk to the gallows that Thea felt they were on.
She was equally thankful for Karania dragging her, as Thea knew she would not be able to get up to the podium in any rapid fashion without her and invariably incur the Major’s wrath, as much as she was hating Karania in that moment, as they were by far the loudest and most attention-drawing pair of Marines approaching the podium.
Nearly the entire assembly hall was watching them walk up to the podium, as Karania kept putting on a bit of a show, while dragging Thea behind her, who was meanwhile trying her best to shrink down to the size of an individual atom.
Thea did briefly weigh the option of simply trying to run and incurring the Major’s wrath for wasting her time, but decided that the anxiety of the current situation did not quite yet outweigh the inevitable pain that a splayed out spine would cause. It was very close, however.
Thea’s mind was utterly jammed by her anxiety, unable to form a proper thought beyond doomsday predictions of what might go wrong on their way to the podium or once they arrived. She focused intently on trying to keep a good posture and seeming confident, but she was certain that her burning face was a hard to miss indicator of the contrary for anyone actually looking at her.
Thea could only form a few coherent thoughts before they arrived at the podium, ‘Why was I so happy to be assigned to Alpha Squad?! This is the absolute worst…! Let it end quickly, please…’
As they walked up the stairs and towards the centre, where the Major was waiting for them, Thea saw the rest of her squad for the first time.
Happy to have a distraction for her brain, she quickly focused on the four other Marines that made up her first ever squad, who were either already standing near the Major or walking towards her from the opposite side of the podium.
One of them was a roughly 200cm tall, broad-shouldered young man with a chiselled jawline and a strong, confident posture. His short, wavy brown hair was kept neatly trimmed, in accordance with the UHF’s recommendations, and his piercing brown eyes seemed to take in everything around him with a keen sense of awareness. A faint dusting of freckles adorned his cheeks, giving him a slightly youthful appearance that belied his imposing stature. His lean, muscular frame was evident even through the standard-issue UHF Marine uniform he wore, hinting at a rather high level of Strength and Vitality, if Thea had to guess.
Next was a man of average height, coming in at around 184cm, with a lean, agile build that spoke of an even mixture of Strength, Finesse and Vitality as a whole. His dark, close-cropped hair framed a sharp, angular face, with deep-set green eyes that hinted at a quiet intelligence and focus. A small, slightly crooked scar on his left cheek added an air of ruggedness to his otherwise clean-cut appearance. His uniform fit snugly, showcasing the toned muscles that rippled beneath it, a testament to his overall physical conditioning, which was evident on all members of Alpha Squad with even a modicum of Strength focus.
The last of the assembled men was standing tall and exuded an air of authority. The young recruit's posture and demeanour clearly showed a background of privilege and discipline. His chiselled features, strong jawline, and piercing blue eyes were framed by his neatly combed, dark brown hair, which fell just above his collar. Thea guessed that he was likely to be of some sort of noble upbringing, as was evident in the confidence he displayed in every movement and the way he held his head high, asserting his presence.
His smooth, fair skin seemed almost unblemished, a stark contrast to the scars and roughened hands of some of his fellow recruits. It was clear that he had been groomed for leadership from a young age, and he carried that expectation with an almost regal bearing in his stance alone. Despite his refined appearance, there was a hint of steel in his gaze, suggesting that beneath the aristocratic veneer, a warrior's spirit resided, just waiting to be unleashed on the battlefield.
Having checked the members that were standing next to Major Quinn, Thea briefly concentrated her heightened senses on the last Recruit, who was walking towards the Major from the side opposite of Thea and Karania.
The first thoughts that crossed Thea's mind upon seeing the girl were of an imposing figure, her stature akin to a mountain made flesh. The standard-issue UHF uniform she wore, which every Recruit had been automatically clothed in upon waking up in their rez-pods, had been ripped off at the sleeves and revealed her bulging, muscular arms below. Her broad shoulders, powerful build, and extreme height, coming in at around 197cm tall, further hinted at her immense Strength.
Her face was strong and determined, with high cheekbones and a square jaw. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes were attentive and unwavering, while her ebony hair was tightly braided and secured against her head to keep it out of the way. Her every move radiated a sense of purpose and confidence, yet came with a sort of grace that belied her stature, making it clear that she was a force to be reckoned with, regardless of confrontation.
Faced with a seemingly all-stars team of a squad, Thea felt even less confident than before.
After all, her physical appearance was the least imposing out of everyone in Alpha Squad except maybe Karania, even before one took her heightened levels of anxiety into account.
The fact that she was currently being dragged onto the podium by the comparatively meek-looking Karania only added to her concerns about the first impressions she was making on the rest of the Recruits in the hall…