Mini-Story 3

Mini-Story 3 (Part 12)

I hold my parents close for several long moments, lost in the amazing feelings of this perfect reunion that's occurring, something I didn't think would be possible just a day or so ago. I never thought I'd see them again, and now here they were, so close to me, and forgiving me as if nothing ill ever happened between us. I thank God that they have forgiven me. Only His Grace has given us this second chance to be a real family.

I release them, as Layla looks on, understanding in her eyes, knowing how much we need this time.

"My...uh...training test is today," I tell them, feeling slightly nervous.

They smile down at me.

"Sweetheart, you will surprise yourself," my father tells me.

"Your instilled training will guide you," my mother says.

I think about how the map to the Savers of Justice building popped into my head, the first bit of proof that I do possess this training they've told me I have. I do have a question, before I go through with the test. I need to understand how the training was given to me. I turn to Layla, the curiosity evident on my face.

"How did the training work?" I ask her. "How was I given it? I don't understand how someone could be given training, but not remember it. Was it hypnotism?"

She nodded her head yes, then set about explaining how the training had been given to all of the Savers of Justice members.

"It's a sort of hypnosis, though not performed by a person. There's a virtual reality device that you put over your entire face. It still allows you to breathe, but it alters your sight, sense of smell, and can transmit sound at the same time. It is like hypnotism in that you forget it after it happens. At age ten, you were brought here, to this very building, and were shown the regimented training video, which all members were shown at that age. Part of the training allowed you to forget the trip your parents took here, and you would only remember the location when you came back here as an adult. Does that make sense?"

"I suppose so. That would have to be some type of advanced technology."

"Yes. It was developed only for us. No one else knows of it, nor is it used by anyone else."

"That's pretty cool," I comment, my mind reeling from the information I just received.

"There are some that speculate there's a secret tech operative working alongside our enemies, whose created something better, to make their members stronger than ours. It would have to be a traitor, someone who worked with the original Research and Development team. The only proof we have of that is that sometimes, the Savers of Justice have been bested, defeated by the enemy, though that could come from tiredness or lack of concentration. The point is to always try your best, and hope that your enemy was once one of us, so that they have no advantages. Then you would be on equal footing. Our training makes it so they can receive no other type of instruction. That's why the enemy chooses people who have no training to be on their side."

"What about your brother?" I ask her quietly.

"It turned out, he never had our training. My parents didn't subject him to it. They tried to train him on their own, which made him susceptible to the enemy's influence."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. So, are you ready?" She asked me.

"I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be," I answered honestly.