The room was brightly white without any windows. My breathing was still regulated with the oxygen mask. As soon as I moved the door opened as someone stood standby to open the door immediately when a patient woke. A bulky men came walking in. His skin was the tint of trees, although I never saw one for real, I just imagined that that was the tint. He sat down on the barstool next to my bed. On which I was still tied down. He opened an old fashion paper folder and pulled out an photograph.
"Do you know who this is," he asked. On the picture I saw Doctor Sinclair with a small baby in her arms. I nodded that I knew. "Who is it then," he asked scruffily. "It's Doctor Sinclair," I answered," Head Doctor of Base One." He nodded. "Good," he said," now I am gonna send someone in that is gonna untie you and give you clothes. Can you do that without yelling, screaming or crying?" I raised my eyebrows on him. He gave me half a smile.
"Hey," the girl said as she walked in with clothes in her arms," my name is Macime Callaway." I gave her a smile. "My name is Beau. Nice to meet you." She tilted her head while frowning. "Just Beau," she asked. Confused I looked at her. "Yes, I am from the Middle," I replied. Her eyes grew big. "Owh my dear gosh, how rude of me," she exclaimed," I thought for sure that you were an Elite. So sorry." I just shrugged as she undid the leather straps.
Minutes later I was dressed in the dark blue uniform of a TUAC student. "Since when.." "Since now," said Racgo, entering the room again with a wheelchair. "Get in," said Macime. Doubtful I sat down in it, but when I did I was glad I had because I was exhausted from the dressing. "Let's go take a tour around your new home," Racgo said. We walked out into the hallway. Macime pushed the chair while Racgo walked next to the chair. When we came to the Central Hall he saluted to the men standing near the door. "This Beau," he said," this is Dominic Shields, leader of Base Three. He will be your Head Commander during your month of training. Understood?" I looked at the tall man with dark blond hair and one blue and one green eye. Just like mine the left one had green in it. Although his left one was totally green. "Yes, sir," I said.
Dominic nodded at me, smiled at Macime and Racgo and walked away through the corridor. "Now," Racgo said," it's time for me to say goodbye. I have to get back to my duties as Head Security at Base One. I assure you Macime knows how and what to do. I'll see you in a month." He turned away and walked the other way down the corridor.
"Now, what are we going to do," I asked Macime smiling. "We," she said grinning," are gonna go to our room so that I can help you study." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Our room," I said. She laughed as she pushed the chair down another hallway. "Don't get your hopes up too much," she said," it's not that big."
After a few minutes she pushed open a slide door and there it was. Daylight sprang on as she rolled me inside. It was just two bunkbeds, two desks, two chair and two closets. I was amazed.
"What do you think," she asked, nervously. "I think it's amazing," I said letting my eyes wander. "Really," she asked, sitting down on one of the beds. "Yes," I smiled," we in the Middle share one Barak with fifty other people. All ages, all gender. So this," I said," is truly amazing."
The first week of training was a lot of physical training. I had to wear a magnetic mask that covered my nose and mouth, so I only breathed pure oxygen with every breath. It was really exhausting, but on the seventh day I started to feel better.
The second week was all about protocols. Every morning we started at seven with three hours of talking, and reading, through the protocols. Three hours of physical training. And then three more hours off protocols. The rest of the day we studied on are own or in groups.
The third week was weapons training. It turned out that I was really good with guns. Unarmed combat wasn't my thing, but I was okay at it. According to Mister Greyhard, our teacher.
The fourth, and final, week existed all of combining our knowledge and walking with the real TUAC members of Base Three.
On the fore last day of our finals we had our graduation test; extract 40 hostages from a high security building. This was going to be amazing.
"Okay, gather around eveybody," I said," Jay, Wing you take the left side while Macime and I take the right. Alora, you will take Matthew through the ventilation shaft. Remember to wait for my..." I never finished my sentence. Sirence blared as the red light above the door started to flicker. "THIS IS NOT A DRILL."
"To the commandroom," said our supervisor," now." Sprinting down the main hallway was hard because all the people of Base Three seem to walk down it the opposite direction. Seconds later I realized that they were indeed doing that. They had to if they wanted to go into the lower levels. We were just one level under ground in order to do our finals. Slipping through the cracks of the crowd we arrived at the Command centre. Busy was an understatement.
"Phil, get the pupils dressed in Gear," he said as he passed by talking into an earpiece. Half running we walked into the next room. Everyone of us got dressed in the sand color clothing. Together with the advanced bullet proof vest, high tech helmets and IBM12 guns.
"Team AZ 2, reporting for duty sir," I told Dominic Shields as he looked us up and down. "Gregor, put that gun on safety," he told Wing before nodding," You'll join Racgo's squad." We saluted.
Turned on our heels and marched to Racgo who was giving out orders to his men already. He stood close to the doors. "I bet you we are going outside," I said to Macime. She nodded while laughing mysteriously.
"AZ 2, you'll follow me, and my second hand Luke, so close that if we stop you fall on top of us, understood," he said without even blinking. We nodded in unison. "Let's go," he said. In four lines of two, Luke and Racgo in front, we marched trough the doors to the Outside. Somewhere we did not come at all.
The dessert, that's what they call the endless sandpit, was hotter than hell. As if to help that the sky was clear blue, but filled with planes. Heavy explosions and shots rattled through the air.
Racgo set course to the Air area where the heavy machinery stood. He talked too us through his helmet microphone. "It is our duty to help load the Air Defense Guns," he told us," so stay together and remember what I said; one men can't win a war, but a team of two might. In this case we have a team of eight, so I really like our odds." Moving from hideout to hideout was difficult because of the heavy gear, warmth and the fact that everybody shot at us, but that aside. Alora got hit right under her shoulder so Matthew held her up in the middle of our group. That meant six guns left. An explosion came so close by that we had to take cover behind one of the tanks. "Go," Racgo screamed," go, go, goooo." We ran for our lives.
A sizzling sound came from my right. I looked just as a bomb came whirling towards me. I stood death in my tracks and knocked it aside as hard as I could. Away from my fleeing team.
Ducking as shots flew past me I ran after them. They had just ducked into the Air Defense building when somebody jumped on top of me.
He pulled my arm on to my back but thanks to the good lessons of mister Greyhard I knew how to get out of that. The fight went up and down from me overpowering him to him overpowering me. After an exceedingly good uppercut I turned and ran. Unarmed I felt naked.
One of the bullets of my very own gun hit me in the knee. I fell screaming in pain. I saw the man stand up in the dust. My final hour had come.
