Heinrich remained where he was for a minute ever since the timer started at 10 minutes. His mind was still partially on his parents, and that cold sensation on his back and arms keep him shivering and the pain in his neck keep throbbing whenever he thought of his parents. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly to focus so he can stop what was happening. Around him, recruits started pairing off, with some naturally gravitating toward familiar friends and some even towards family and headed to the assigned area.
Malik spoke without raising his voice. "7 minutes left. Choose carefully, you may depend on that person with your life and training for the whole year, essentially whomever you will tie your life together with will be that person."
Several of the recruits who were left started to pair off differently then before but almost all people avoided Heinrich gaze, what he showed during the trial of Sekhmet left them scared of him. No one wanted to join a ruthless street orphan. It wasn't a surprise though, orphans are disliked due to there being almost zero orphans since the alliance made everyone forcefully take care of everything and everyone they own or made as to not to waste resources. Heinrich thoughts moved elsewhere through questions and possibilities on who to choose. The main question on his mind was who would betray me? He scanned the room quickly. One kid was being super loud and that was a no for him. There was a timid girl in the corner that was a no also, because he couldn't have someone who would hesitate. Then someone walked directly toward him, Heinrich looked up and the boy was a tall amber skin around six foot two with messy red hair and tired eyes. "Red hair?? He must be a Martian or dyed his hair because only Martians have natural messy red hair now days" Heinrich thought at least.
He looked younger than Heinrich but Heinrich also noticed that his right arm wasn't human. It was a black metallic prosthetic extended from shoulder to fingertips, sleek but dense, lined with faint glowing channels beneath the surface. Dark matter pulsed through it like blood through veins.The recruit stopped in front of him then grinned
" Looks like you don't have a partner either" He said while holding out his left hand. "Arkyn"
Heinrich stared at the offered hand for half a second then shook it. "Heinrich."
"Yea I figured I seen you're fight during the trial of Sekhmet….not going to lie dude, you're cutthroat with the way you fight."
"Is that a problem?" Heinrich said with a little base in his voice.
"Hell nah" Arkyn said with a half smile. "Actually I respect it. I'd rather fight with someone who will actually kill our enemy instead of a last minute hesitation because they didn't finish them off."
There was silence Heinrich and Arkyn as they studied each other carefully. Heinrich was mostly confused most people would've been fearful of him or praised him for his fight but all that came out of Arkyn's mouth was respect. He could partner with someone like that.
"I grew up on the streets and crime in the underground can be rough so I had to do what I had to do and learned how to fight like that" Heinrich said.
"Same," Arkyn responded "Well, a little bit differently"
The timer overhead dropped to 06:30. Arkyn eyed the timer and leaned slightly on his right back heels of his foot before speaking again. "So here's my pitch." He raised one finger. "One, everyone else in this room either looks fearful of you or too stupid and want to partner up with friends or family, blood ain't always thicker than water." Another finger.
"Two, there's no reason for you to trust me but it has to be better than mixing in with rest of them, you know like the fancy nobles" He said doing a soldiers fix of the uniform and stand up straight before he goes back to his usual stance "Plus as long as you don't cross me I got your back." A third finger goes up "And last my goal is to become one the supreme commanders one day and with my arm it won't be too hard....at least for now."
They were silent as Heinrich pondered what was said and then Heinrich realized something he was laughing....Heinrich was genuinely amused by the gall of the proposition. He never thought he would meet someone as cocky as him but instead he said, "You always talk this much?"
"Only when nervous or impatient"
"You don't look like it though."
"I'm very talented."
This was a new thing for Heinrich, someone he can respect if given time. Though there was a part of him who thought of the cold streets and times of hiding under boxes to hide from the rain and staying warm. The time his younger self was counting stolen food portions from the fast food restaurant in the neighborhood...….
"Heinrich?"
He blinked. Arkyn was looking at him now. "You alright?"
Heinrich didn't realize he zoned out he replied "Yeah I'm alright just zoned out."
Arkyn waved it off immediately. "Shit happens I do it at least 5 times a day" The timer dropped lower 03:15
"You from Earth?" Arkyn asked
"Yea"
"Where if you don't mind me asking"
"New Champaign City"
Arkyn let out a low whistle "The Megatropolis?"
"Yea but I'm from the underground"
"That explains a lot "
Heinrich narrowed his eyes slightly "What you mean by that?"
"For starters the way you fight and your demeanor but mostly from how you don't give off prep school kid vibes but I'm from Mars.....thanks for asking.... Just kidding"
"Guessed as much especially from the red hair but ain't mars ran by the Crimson Syndicate" Heinrich said
"Yea but I grew up on the outskirts near the rebuilt colony," he said while his expression softened slightly " Near the Dawn brigade Sector that's where you can still see parts of the old burn zones"
Heinrich replied " Then how'd you get the new arm"
Arkyn looked at it with pride yet sadness "When I was fourteen, I almost blew myself up."
"What? How?"
"I was tinkering with this very dark matter gauntlet prototype….Well the mark 1"
"That was stupid.....Sorry" Heinrich said feeling bad as soon as it came out of his mouth
"Naw you good….It was stupid." Arkyn grinned but then his grin faded slightly. "My best friend Dr. Kay Ramos was there."
The name caught Heinrich's attention immediately.
Kay Ramos. The academy's youngest doctor and the granddaughter of the architect of Dm implants
"When she seen what I was doing she tried shutting the project down," Arkyn continued. "But I tried activating it anyway."
"What happened after you activated it"
"The core destabilized near me and her and I pushed her out of the blast radius just in time. Maybe I was lucky or something because if the blast was a meter further I would've died but only my arm didn't make it." Arkyn looked down at his prosthetic, Dark matter flowing through its inner channels slowly.
"And after that?"Heinrich said
Arkyn laughed a little "Well I spent the next three year in rehabilitation and studied more engineering and dark matter with Kay and then persuaded her dad to get the captain to recruit me into the academy"
"Why?"
"Apparently nearly killing yourself for science does wonders"
Heinrich snorted softly. Arkyn pointed triumphantly "Hey I got a cool arm out of it as long as I don't blow anything up I can keep working on it and I can keep it plus no one knows how it will do in the army but me so I win" Arkyn laughed loudly
Before Heinrich could answer Malik's voice cut across the chamber.
"Time." The timer vanished "Whoever you're with they are your partner" Malik paced slowly before them again "You will study together." A screen behind him lit up with military symbols, tactical formations, fleet structures, and doctrine markings. "You will eat together, You will train together, hell you will even shit together if I say so"
"And if necessary you will die together."
No one said anything just listened
Malik nodded once "Good." He gestured toward the screen "Tonight you begin studying military doctrine in your rooms" Words appeared behind him.
ALLIANCE MILITARY DOCTRINE
WAR IS MOVEMENT TOWARDS A DESIRED OUTCOME.
STRATEGY IS THE ART OF DIRECTING FORCE THROUGH LINES AND ARROWS TOWARDS VICTORY.
BEFORE DIRECTING THESE ARROWS TOWARDS YOUR ENEMIES, YOU MUST FIRST DIRECT THEM TOWARDS YOURSELF.
Then he spoke again "Most people think war is won through strength, NO Strength without direction is useless." He looked across the room at every recruit. "If you cannot control yourself, your fear, your impulses, or your weakness then you will die."
Silence then he spoke again.
"Combat training begins tomorrow. Your Dismissed"
The Banes assembly moved quickly as Heinrich and Arkyn walked through the Bane Wing together.
Every few meters armed personnel moved through the halls with mechanical precision. Surveillance drones hovered near ceilings their cameras tracking everyone's movement.
Arkyn noticed Heinrich observing them "Damn I didn't know we were in prison."
Heinrich replied immediately. "Probably necessary though"
Arkyn raised an eyebrow "maybe but still I hope they don't watch me take a shower?"
When they get to the bunk door, it slides open automatically both stopping briefly upon entering.
The room was larger than Heinrich expected, two reinforced beds built into opposite walls. A central table and state-of-the-art training equipment lining one section of the room—weights, resistance systems, combat simulators. Blunted practice weapons mounted neatly across the opposing wall. Two holo-computers rested beside each bed and a small message blinked across both screens: ALL ACTIVITY MONITORED
Arkyn pointed immediately. "See? Prison."
Heinrich laughed and ignored him not hiving him the satisfaction of being right, and started examining the rest of the room. Training uniforms rested folded neatly on each bed. Dark grey mesh suits. He picked one up and felt a dense weight to it.
Arkyn grabbed the second one and was taken a back by the sudden weight. "This must be 20 pounds at least not too heavy but man we going to sweat heavily but judging by the making we should have pain resistance," Arkyn said as he tossed it onto his bed before falling backward onto the mattress fully clothed.
One arm behind his head and his eyes closed.
"Going to sleep already?" Heinrich asked.
"Nope just resting the eyes."
"Yea.... We'll see I bet in 5 minutes tops you'll be sleep"
"You would lose that bet"
Heinrich walked and sat at the holo-table.
The military doctrine file they was given appeared on the screen.
Arkyn spoke without opening his eyes
"What do you think about the doctrine?"
Heinrich leaned back slightly.
"If I had to guess it could be about conquering your fears and weaknesses not just in body but in mind too"
"WOW" he said still eyes closed "We might have ourselves a Napoleon or Sun Tzu here"
Heinrich laughed "I wouldn't go that far those guys are legends in war , we have hell of war more war and time before I could be them but I do think on the same lines like them and how wars aren't won by emotion it's about keeping the mind on your enemies and the same upon yourself because your greatest enemy is yourself both body and mind."
Arkyn finally opened one eye "You sound like an old man"
Heinrich's gaze stayed on the screen and continued "Every conflict is movement toward a goal. If you understand your goal, you can predict how you will act towards that goal"
Arkyn sat up slightly now "And what is your goal?"
Heinrich gazed up at the ceiling and said "Right now the top of the class...….but eventually the top of the Alliance"
Then Arkyn asked like he could sense the loneliness of Heinrich words he didn't say supreme commander he said the top of it all "Dude how long were you on the streets?"
The question hit him harder than expected.
He looked away briefly "…Since I was seven, my parents were chased and pursued for experimentation on their child....they gave me a DM Implant illegally." Arkyn sat up but just listened quietly "I was told that they where never caught and basically abandoned me but the only thing I remember is that they told me to live."
The room went quiet neither one spoke.
"Damn dude…..I don't even know what to say "
Heinrich shrugged "It's alright shit happens can't change what's unchangeable."
"Still...a child shouldn't go through that," Arkyn said softly
Heinrich said nothing but respected his sentiment
Arkyn stretched slightly before speaking again "But you know what your problem is?"
Heinrich gave him a look.
"You assume survival and living are the same thing."
As much as Heinrich wanted to say something there was only silence from him because he knew Arkyn was right.
The holo-screen shifted to tomorrow's schedule.
0500 — WAKE UP HORN
0700 — BUNK PHYSICAL TRAINING
1200 — REPORT TO TRAINING OFFICER
1500 — LUNCH
1900 — R AND R/FREE TIME
2100 — LIGHTS OUT
"Oh and that schedule sounds good but eventually it will suck" Arkyn fully laying back down and cowing his eyes" "But as long as we end up at the top" He grinned said laying back down…it doesn't matter what they do I have plans and a future to pursue" and Then the lights dimmed and sleep toke them both.