Galactic League (On Hold)

Chapter 1

Liam blinked away the pouring rain as he belly crawled through the obstacle course at boot camp. Ten obstacles down, eighteen more to go. This should have been a breeze to do now that he had been in the military for eight years. Once a year he did this with the Privates even though the Drill Sergeants were right there.

The Captain had chosen Liam to show the newbies that the obstacle course never became easier. Every year they had added a new feature or extended each obstacle. The base itself had been extended over the past decade.

Many things had changed now that it was 3035. The military had combined everything: Air Force, Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard. If you signed up for one, you signed up for all of them. Back then boot camp was ten weeks. Now it was seventeen weeks of intense hell.

Liam moved across the easy balancer without one mishap, despite the pouring rain. A few other guys did alright but some of them lost their footing due to the slippery wood.

Next was the Tarzan. And for extra motivation the Captain decided to add a scorpion pit underneath. It appeared to motivate the Privates enough that not one of them had failed so far. But as soon as Liam jumped off the last bar he heard a Private yell as he landed into the ten foot deep pit.

Most privates had a terrible time with the high step-over but Liam's tones legs got him through.

The Swinger felt like a swing in the park.

But almost every single Private got cut during the low wire. Even Liam did every now and then. Even one small change in the obstacle had someone mess up just the slightest.

He made it through the next eight obstacles without a fault.

Then came the "tough one" as everyone called it. The rope was the most difficult part to go through but this was Liam's favorite. He got up the rope, down the ladder, over the suspension logs, and down the rope like it was built just for him. He noticed a few Privates glaring while a few stared with envy.

The climbing rope was next. He got a running start and jumped nearly five feet up, his biceps bulging as he pulled himself up, up, up.

He swung onto a large plank then down the cargo net.

Making a run for the wall he jumped high enough to touch the top with his hands, pull himself up, and swing over like it was a small fence. But this wall was eight feet high.

Last was the fifty feet tall pole. The wood was slippery but he climbed like a monkey. At the top was a handle bar for the zip line. He grabbed ahold of them and threw himself off. This was by far his favorite part. Not only because it marked the end of the obstacle course but because it felt as if he was flying.

He loved to fly and had the privilege to work in the Air Force department for fifteen months straight. He would be able to go back of course but not for a few more months at least.

His feet thudded in the mud as he landed and jogged to a Drill Sergeant a standing a few yards away.

The Drill Sergeant stood with his feet shoulder width apart, his hands neatly folded behind his back. "Do you think you are better than all of these Privates!" he yelled at Liam.

"Sir, no sir!" Liam yelled back. "Just trying to motivate them, sir!"

The Drill Sergeant stepped a little closer to Liam. A small smirk crossed his face. "Well done, Corporal." His voice was now neutral. "Now get your ass in the showers and report to Captain Buxton."

Liam grinned. "Yes, sir."

The rain had stopped by now.

Liam hit the showers, dressed in his uniform, then made his way to Captain Buxton's office as instructed. He hitched a ride in a jeep wrangler driven by a Private First Class, no doubt running errands for a few Sergeants or other Corporals. Liam would have gladly walked the distance on any other occasion but no one dared keep a Captain waiting any longer than necessary. Not to mention the distance to the center of the base was rather long.