Matt-038 (Halo Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Now the Training Begins

Author's Note: If you have any tips writing tips, please feel free to comment.

Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

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Chapter 3: Now the Training Begins

Location: Epsilon Eridani system, planet Reach

September 24, 2517

0530 hours

"Wake up recruit!" a voice in his ear shouted. Matt groaned and rolled over on his cot. Suddenly, he yelped in surprise and tumbled to the floor.

"I said WAKE UP recruit! Do you know which way up is?" the voice said again. He looked up to see a man in a camouflage uniform standing over him.

"I am Chief Petty Officer Mendez." a voice to his left boomed,"The rest of these men are your instructors and you will follow everything we tell you at all times. You will now head aft to the showers and then return and dress."

The instructor above him opened a trunk at the foot of Matt's cot and pulled out a pair of gray sweats. Matt looked closer and saw his name marked on the chest: MATTHEW-038.

"On the double!" Mendez cried,"Move Move MOVE!" The instructor tapped in between his shoulder blades with a baton. Matt then realized that the baton contained electricity and double-timed it to the showers, washed then returned to his bunk and put on underwear, thick socks, and a pair of combat boots that fit his feet just right. After, they were filed outside into five rows of fifteen. They did 100 jumping jacks, 100 sit-ups, and leg lifts. Finally, they got water bottles and he gulped down the warm and slightly salty water. Then, they all ran to a building that said NAVEL OFFICERS ACADEMY stenciled over the entrance. A woman was standing at the top step waiting for them. She had a white sheet wrapped around her body, but then he realized that the woman was an AI.

"Welcome. My name is Deja and I will be your teacher. Please come in. The class is about to start," the AI said. several kids groaned and grumbled, but Matt didn't complain. He actually liked school.

"If you prefer to skip class, you continue morning calisthenics," Deja said.

They all double-timed it up the stairs and a tray was set up for each of them that held a carton of milk and crackers. Matt wolfed down the stale crackers and gulped down the milk. Deja began telling them about a battle where three hundred had fought against thousands of Persian infantry. A holographic countryside popped up in the classroom and the children walked the miniature mountains and watched the illusionary sea lap their boots. Deja then explained that the narrow strip of land between the steep mountains and the sea was known as watched as thousands of soldiers marched towards the three hundred soldiers who guarded the pass. Deja said that the three hundred soldiers were called Spartans and they had been the best soldiers who had ever lived. The Spartans had been trained to fight since they were children and that no one could beat them.

"That's it for today," Deja said. We'll continue tomorrow, but now it's time for you to go the playground."

'Playground? Hooray!' Matt thought as the kids all ran outside. Outside, Chief Petty Officer Mendez and the trainers were waiting for them.

"Time for the playground. It's a short run. Fall in," Mendez said. The "short run" was actually turned out to be two miles. Mendez then instructed them to form three lines, which they formed without comment or fuss.

"The first person in each row will be team number one," Mendez said. "The second person in each row team number two... and so on. if you do not understand this, speak up now."

No one said anything.

Matt looked to his right and saw a boy with black hair and brown eyes and gave him a weary smile. The name on the sweat top was WILLIAM-043. In the row beyond William was a girl. She had red and green eyes. LINDA-058 and she didn't look happy to see him.

"Today's game is called 'Ring the bell,'" Mendez explained, "There are many ways to get to the bell. I am going to leave it up to each team to find their own way and when every member of your team has rung the bell, you are to get groundside double time and run back across the finish line."

The bell sat atop the highest pole on the playground. Mendez then grabbed his baton and scratched a straight line in the sand. Mendez then said that the winning team gets dinner tonight, which was roast turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, brownies, and ice cream. Mendez then explained that there are winners and there are losers.

"The last team to finish goes without food," Mendez said.

All the kids looked at each other warily.

"Make ready," Mendez said.

"I'm Will," the boy whispered to Matt and the girl on their team.

She said, "I'm Linda."

Matt just looked at both of them and said nothing.

"Go!" Mendez shouted.

All the kids started running. They came in third. In the end, only team three didn't get to eat, which consisted of John-117, Sam-034, and Kelly-087. In the morning, they did more calisthenics and running the entire morning. Then class until the afternoon. Today Deja taught them about wolves. The wolves worked as a pack when they hunted. After, they went outside to the 'playground' again, but there were fewer bridges and more complicated rope-and-pulley systems. The bell was now placed twenty meters higher than any of the others.

"Same teams as yesterday," Mendez announced.

"We did great yesterday," Will said.

"Yep we sure did," Matt replied.

"Same plan as last time?" Linda asked.

"Yeah, same plan as yesterday," Matt said.

"Go!" Mendez cried.

All the kids took off. This time they finished in second place, just in front of team three.

"Awesome job guys," Will said, "If you want we can be friends."

Linda shrugged and answered, "Sure."

"Okay," Matt said. "Friends."

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