Awakening

Chapter 5 - Eric (3/3)

Eric's arms and chest still ached from the push-ups--a cruel reminder of the punishment. He took his place at the row of recruits, shoving himself between Hawks and Saib.

Everybody was standing straight and keeping their mouths shut--a couple of months getting practically beat-up every time they even whispered something to each other, taught them not to speak when Galloway was around. It was as though he was able to hear everything around--and maybe he did.

Eric was not the last one to enter the hangar--many other teams weren't full yet. The stream of recruits was trickling more and more meat to the room as the sergeants grouped in one section of the hangar, talking to each other and watching the teams come.

"What'd I miss?" Eric whispered to Hawks.

"Not much. Still waiting for others."

"Anything said?"

He shook his head.

"Silent command?"

He nodded.

Eric didn't feel like another punishment would be a good thing for him now. The last mission was called 'the survivalist' for a reason. From what they heard, they would be sent to a tropical area on Origin. Each team should receive the same mission and fight over an area or flag. Nobody actually knew what was going on there, but one thing was sure--this would be their last challenge before they advance. Eric had to prove himself. He had to advance as Umusa told him he would.

Eric was already the top recruit in the boot-camp's ranking system. He worked hard to stay on top and push himself to his limits, but this mission could change everything. He had to stay focused.

Another stream of recruits entered the hangar with a hiss of the doors, clanking with their boots on the metallic floor.

"Okay. Listen up," One of the sergeants broke formation with the rest of them and clanked his way to the row. He was much younger than Galloway and looked more nonchalant as he stopped in front of the frightened row of recruits.

"You are about to board the last mission you receive on Moon-Base-CSBC." Said the sergeant. "This mission can change your ranking altogether, so don't slack if you have the lead. You all got the chance to prove yourself to be worthy of calling you a soldier."

He paused and made eye contact with everyone he could, finally meeting Eric's eyes and lingering for a moment.

"Your team leaders--the ones with the highest rank--will receive a holo-drive with information about the mission. You'll be sent to a hostile location with radiation and pollution. Wear your protective gear at all times. Is everything clear recruits?"

"YES SIR!" a loud bellowing of everyone almost shattered the dome at the edge of the hangar.

"The seats in the ship are arranged by teams. Grab your gear and go."

"YES SIR!"

The echo of the screams was still resonating in the hangar, mixed with the clanking of the magnetic-boots of scrambling recruits. Running was still impossible wearing these things, but everyone got used to the motion. They scattered, grabbing their bags and rifles, organizing themselves in columns or echelons of teams and strolling forward to the ramp of the transporter.

Demia was the first to board after receiving the drive from her sergeant. She eyed Eric and blinked towards him, half a smile drawn on her face while she stepped on the ramp.

Shit, He thought. If the rumors are true...

He grinned back, but he knew they are rivals down there. No room for feelings. No room for fear or regret. He grabbed his own gear and threw it over his shoulder, turning around to face his team.

"Alright, men. Let's do this." He said and they all walked towards the ramp, sergeant Galloway waiting for them at the bottom of it.

"I don't understand one thing," said Saib while strolling forward. "How's a dwarf going to lead us in a giant's world."

They chuckled, throwing nervous glances towards the sergeants. Eric knew they could hear them, somehow. Reaching the sergeant and receiving the drive, Galloway said "You are their commander now. Don't let'em talk like that about you, boy, if you want to keep being their commander."

"Yes sir." Eric said taking the holo-drive.

"I count on you winning this mission and taking the objective back to base. Don't let me down." He said.

"Yes sir." Eric said.

"Go."

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A/N - I just want to use this opportunity to thank you all for the votes and comments. It really is a great push for me to keep writing.