"What do you mean, video game?" Mendez said.

He stared at the alien device, his mind racing. It made a sort of sense.

Task. Reward.

In the real world, people worked because they had needs or desires. You were hungry, so you hunted animals or planted crops. But in a video game, you couldn't be like Bilbo and find your endgame sword in the first troll cave you look at.

"It's a progression system," he said.

"That's..." Mendez paused, maybe thinking about what he'd said. "That's not helping, Chen. I've looked at all the things it's tracking. It is a lot, but it's just statistics."

"It's not just the categories," he said. "It's the space allocated to each of them."

"I don't see where you're getting a video game out of this," Mendez said.

"Okay, maybe a bad analogy," he admitted. "But look at the requirements on each category."

"Do you mean the gaps between the words?" Mendez said.

"No, there's tiny little symbols," he said, pointing them out. "Look, they're kind of in the background, I guess?"

"These circles and boxes?" Mendez said.

"They're faded out because we haven't done them yet. When I look at this distribution, I don't know, I've played so many games that do stuff like this. I just recognized the pattern. You do this, then you do this, you see?"

"Wow, your brain is really wired differently than mine. It's an interesting theory, but you might be reading more into this than there is. It could just be keeping track for some other reason."

"Defense Force, United States Army," the Hub's voice filled the room, seeming to come from multiple directions.

Interesting, he thought. Was it expanding the influence in the area or could it just project the sound somehow?

"All defense force units have incomplete training modules," the Hub continued. "Available training modules, two of two. Training module available: unit emblem. Training module available: initiate rank."

He eyed the emblems. The Hub had made one for each of them. They sat there on top of the Hub. He thought they were lapel pins. Why would they need training on them? He looked to Mendez.

"Which do you want to do first?" he asked her.

"Neither," she said, "but the emblems, I guess."

"Okay," he said, then to the Hub, "begin emblem training module."

"Select units," the Hub said. The display changed to a new screen. It showed both of their names: Cadet Steven he and Kiara Mendez.

"Mendez and Steven Chen," Mendez said, still amused by his mistake when he gave the Hub his name.

The Hub's voice filled the room, somehow both mechanical and oddly comforting. "Welcome, Defense Force Initiates. Please locate your Unit Emblems."

He picked up the small, metallic object that resembled a lapel pin. It felt cool against his palm, its weight reassuring. The shape was not quite a perfect circle, he noticed. There was a faint texture that caught the light, revealing more than the pure black he'd thought it was.

"The emblem features a twisting magnetic clasp," the Hub continued. "Please attach it to your uniform."

He fumbled with the clasp, his fingers clumsy with anticipation. Beside him, Mendez effortlessly secured hers, shooting him an amused glance.

"Show-off," he muttered, finally managing to attach his emblem.

As soon as it clicked into place, he felt a subtle vibration against his chest. A soft blue glow emanated from the emblem, and he couldn't help but marvel at the technology.

"Your emblems are now active," the Hub announced. "They will track your actions in the field and enable communication with other Defense Force members."

Mendez raised an eyebrow. "How far can we communicate?"

"Current range is limited to one thousand three hundred forty-seven feet and three inches for Initiate rank," the Hub replied.

"For the rank? That's oddly specific," Mendez said. She turned to look at him. "What is that in meters?"

"Like, off the top of my head?" he said. But he did remember the ratio. Thirty and a half. He held up a hand, working it out.

"It's about four hundred ten meters," he said, shaking his head. "It's probably not an Earth based distance, the Hub is converting the internal limits for us."

"Now, we will test the communication function," the Hub instructed. "Please state clearly: 'Emblem, initiate communication test.'"

He and Mendez exchanged glances before speaking in unison. A soft chime sounded from each emblem.

"When prompted, state your name and rank," the Hub said.

"Kiara Mendez," she said. Her emblem emitted a soft beep.

"Kiara Mendez, link confirmed," the Hub said.

"Steven Chen," he said. Nothing happened.

"Error, please state the full unit name," the Hub said.

"Cadet Steven Chen," he said with a sigh.

"Cadet Steven Chen, link confirmed," the Hub said.

"Never. Living. This. Down," he muttered. Kiara was laughing to herself, a hand covering her mouth.

"All units connected. Begin communication demonstration," the Hub instructed. "Mendez, please move to the far side of the room and say, 'Mendez to Steven Chen.'"

Mendez complied, walking to the opposite corner. he watched as she spoke the command softly.

Suddenly, her voice was in his ear, clear as if she were standing right next to him. "Chen, can you hear me?"

He jumped slightly, startled by the clarity. "Yeah, loud and clear."

Mendez's voice came through again, tinged with amusement. "Same here. The emblem must be projecting the sound somehow."

He marveled at the technology. It was as if he were wearing high-quality headphones, but there was nothing in or around his ears. "Is that another sound projection trick?" he wondered aloud.

"Correct, Cadet," the Hub chimed in. "The emblem uses directional audio technology to transmit sound directly to your ears without the need for additional equipment."

He nodded, impressed. He glanced at Mendez across the room, seeing her lips move in sync with the voice in his ear. It was surreal.

"Emblem, end communication," Mendez said, and the connection cut off.

The Hub continued, "The emblem can also display information using a particle displacement beam. Say: 'Emblem, display current status.'"

He took a deep breath and gave the command. To his amazement, a simple display appeared in the air. It was somewhat like the Hub's holographic projection. It only showed his name and rank. That made sense, he supposed; they hadn't done anything yet.

"It's using dust in the air," he explained to Mendez. He breathed in through his nose; there was the faint smell of ash. "That's what 'particle displacement beam' means. It's burning up the dust, though."

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Mendez squinted at the floating text. "Neat trick, but hard to read. Hope it works better in the field."

"The display capabilities will improve with rank," the Hub chimed in, as if sensing their thoughts.

As the training continued, he found himself growing more comfortable with the emblem. It was alien technology, yes, but it responded to him like an extension of himself.

"To complete this module, please verbally confirm: 'Emblem training module completed.'"

"Finally," Mendez muttered.

He spoke at the same time that Mendez did, their voices overlapping.

He looked at Mendez. "Initiate training next?"

"Hold on," she said, "I've been thinking about your video game idea."

"I was too," he said.

"So, what if those tracking stats are about the rank?" Mendez asked.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too," he agreed.

"That's not really like a video game then," she said.

"It's like some games," he said.

"But it's more like a regular job, right? You do a good job and you get promoted."

"There's other types of games where you can unlock better equipment as you play," he said.

"Let's just do the training module and see what it tells us to do next," Mendez suggested.

"That's what I was saying," he said, "all right, go ahead."

He rolled his shoulders, feeling the tightness. He started going through the stretching exercises.

Mendez watched him. He thought she was about to join him but instead she turned in the direction of the Hub. "Begin initiate rank training module," she said, her voice steady.

He stopped stretching and moved to stand next to her.

"Welcome, Defense Force United States Army units. This is the training module for initiate rank units," the Hub responded, its tone shifting slightly. "Analyzing current Defense Force composition... Alert: Non-standard unit configuration detected. Adapting training protocols."

He and Mendez exchanged puzzled glances. "What does that mean?" he wondered out loud.

The Hub's vocal presentation shifted, taking on an otherworldly reverberation throughout the cluttered storeroom, its tone unnervingly calm. "Current Defense Force consists of two units: Cadet Steven he and Kiara Mendez. Units are simultaneously the lowest and highest-ranking members. Standard training protocols are insufficient. Initiating adaptive training and equipment fabrication."

With a series of whirs and clicks, the Hub began to transform. Panels slid out with a pneumatic hiss, revealing a complex array of thin beams of light which bounced off of mirrors. The familiar blue-green lights danced along its interior, casting flickering shadows across the walls. he and Mendez exchanged wide-eyed glances as the device came to life.

He rubbed his hands together, a cocktail of excitement and fear surging through him. The fog that had dulled his senses since the encounter with Drix was finally lifting, leaving him hyper-aware of their surreal situation. This was it. The moment everything changed.

Mendez didn't get it yet, but she would. The Hub was about to arm them, to prepare them for the unthinkable. Aliens. The word echoed in his mind, terrifying and thrilling in equal measure. He was an engineer, or one in training, but now... now he had to be a soldier too.

A part of him marveled at his own eagerness. Was this a lingering effect of whatever Drix had done to him in that hazy, impossible space? Or was it his true self, finally breaking free of shock and disbelief? Either way, he felt strangely receptive to the idea of being a fighter, of following the Hub's tasks and seeing where it all led.

This army of two. This impossible mission. It should have terrified him more, sent him scrambling for rational explanations or escape routes. Instead, he felt a growing sense of purpose, of destiny even. Whatever Drix had awakened in him, whatever the Hub was preparing them for, he was ready to face it head-on.

He glanced at Mendez, wondering if she could sense the change in him.

"Here we go," he said, taking in the unfolding display that was the transformed Hub.

Suddenly, objects from around the storeroom began to levitate, drawn towards the Hub by an invisible force. his hair stood on end as he felt the static charge in the air. A metal filing cabinet groaned and tipped over with a thunderous crash, forcing the cadets to scramble out of the way. Office supplies streamed out of the drawers like a bizarre, reverse waterfall – scissors, staples, and paper clips glinting in the Hub's eerie light.

"Commencing fabrication of basic armor and weapons," the Hub announced, its voice cutting through the cacophony of scraping metal and shattering glass.

Mendez grabbed his arm, her fingers digging into his skin. "This is insane," she hissed, her eyes darting around the room. "What is it making?"

His mind raced with possibilities. "Basic armor and weapons," he repeated the Hub's words, pacing the locked storeroom. The air felt thick with anticipation and the acrid smell of ozone. "Could be anything. Bulletproof vest, shiny plate armor. Ooh, what about adaptive nanotech?"

"It's pants," Mendez said flatly, pointing at two freshly materialized pieces emerging from the Hub's glowing outflow port.

Indeed, it was pants. They looked sturdy enough, the fabric a strange blend of matte and shimmer. Mendez reached out tentatively, he half-expected her hand to pass through them, and pulled out both pairs.

She held the larger pair out for him. The material cool and slightly slick to the touch. "It's like cargo pants without the pockets," he observed, turning them over in his hands.

Mendez held up her pair, the legs flaring out dramatically. "Check out these bell bottoms," she said with a nervous laugh, attempting to lighten the mood. "Far out man, groovy."

"I suspect that is a practical design," he replied, pulling the pants on over his ACU trousers and boots. The fabric hung loose. He grabbed at the waist to find a comfortable fit. There was something else inside the waistband.

"There's a belt in here," he said. He tugged at one of the ends.

"The fabric is a bit plasticky," Mendez said as she stepped into her own pair.

He pointed back at the Hub. "Something new is coming out. Could be the gun."

She shook her head. "Way too bulky for that, it looks like more clothing."

A large, rigid piece of equipment emerged from the Hub's outflow port. It was primarily black with a slight sheen, resembling a mix between a tactical vest and a futuristic breastplate. The shape was unconventional, with extended sides that seemed designed to wrap around the torso and strange protrusions at the shoulders.

"A vest," he said, "bulletproof vest. Just like I said."

"The raptors don't shoot bullets, genius," she said.

He tilted his head. True, they used their legs to stab out. But wasn't a bullet just a more powerful version of stabbing? He shook off the argument. Back to the armor, he thought.

"These are way too big," he said. He tried it on despite the size. The vest hung loosely on his frame, the bottom edge reaching almost to his thighs.

Suddenly, the Hub's voice rang out: "Remove the emblem from your jacket and attach it to the thorax armor for armor initialization."

They exchanged puzzled looks.

"Thorax Armor?" Mendez mouthed silently, then she had a look of realization. "Oh thorax, as in upper torso," she whispered.

He nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration. He twisted the emblem free, now a familiar motion after the work with the training module. With a shrug, he pressed it against the front of the oversized vest.

To their amazement, the moment the emblem made contact, the entire piece of armor began to shift and reconfigure. It molded itself to his body, the excess material seeming to disappear as it formed a perfect fit. The protrusions at the shoulders extended slightly, creating a streamlined silhouette.

A new voice, emanating from the emblem itself, suddenly spoke: "Cadet Steven Chen, please stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms slightly extended from your sides for full armor calibration."

He complied, his eyebrows raised in surprise. As he held the pose, the oversized trousers began to shift and conform to his body, much like the vest had done. The excess fabric seemed to melt away, leaving a snug, flexible fit that allowed for a full range of motion.

Finally, he felt some tightness at his waist. It felt like a snake was wriggling around his body. He looked down, finding that the belt and waistband had merged seamlessly with the thorax armor, creating a unified, form-fitting suit.

"Whoa," he breathed, running his hands over the now form-fitting armor.

Mendez put on her vest and went through the same emblem initialization process.

One by one, the Hub continued to create new items, which filled out their armor set. Each time he put on the new gear it started out loose, oversized, but the emblem took over, tailoring everything to a perfect fit.

The final armor piece was the helmet. Sleek black but lacking any bells and whistles.

After the emblem had fixed the fit he took off the helmet and examined it closely.

"What are you looking for?" Mendez asked. She was still wearing her full set, going through various action poses to test out how it felt.

"I was hoping there would be a display in the helmet," he said.

"The emblem does that already," she pointed out.

He nodded. "Just had a different picture in my mind," he admitted.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "If we're going to do this, we need to work with the system," she said, "don't worry about what you're missing."

he nodded, taking in Mendez's words. Her sudden shift to a supportive role caught him off guard, making him wonder if she too was experiencing some sort of influence from their new equipment. Or perhaps this was just her way of adapting to their surreal situation, falling back on her military training to maintain focus and cohesion.

"Thanks," he said, pushing his doubts aside for the moment. "Now hopefully we get a gun."

As if on cue, the Hub's voice filled the room once more. "Available training modules, one of three. Training module available: unit armor."

They exchanged glances, a mix of anticipation and apprehension in their eyes. The mention of multiple training modules suggested there was much more to learn, and potentially more equipment to come.

"I guess we're starting with the basics," he mused, tapping the helmet in his hands thoughtfully. "Makes sense. We should probably know how to use this gear before they give us anything more... lethal."

Mendez nodded, her posture straightening as she slipped back into a more professional demeanor. "Agreed. Let's see what this armor can do."

As they prepared to engage with the training module, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. He put the helmet back on and despite the gravity of their situation, the engineer in him was fascinated by the technology at their disposal. He made a mental note to pay close attention to every detail the Hub provided – understanding their equipment could be the key to their survival.

"Ready when you are," he said to Mendez, then turned to face the Hub. "Initiate unit armor training module."

The familiar blue-green light of the Hub intensified.