Republic of Tactics

Republic of Tactics: Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Commander Bovise Asherman. Welcome to your final test." A woman says. Scribbling on a notepad.

"Thank you. What do I do?" I ask looking at each of the four examiners, each expressing a long face. They scribble a bit more until the man next to the woman speaks,

"Choose the weapon of your choice." He points behind me to a wall holding swords and knifes and blades. Similar to the room Olden took me to before the bombing. I pick the dagger, ironically.

"This one." I say taking it of the shelf. The two men on the end begin typing on a little device. Then, on both of my sides, 3D dummies begin floating on the air. The two men at the end of the table begin moving analog sticks and buttons in the same device, controlling the dummies. I prepare to swing the first stab. I supposed the blade would go right through. Since the dummy appears projected. It is projected though, like a hologram. But when I go stab it, I can feel it is solid, comparable to real flesh. Only no blood pours from the wound. The controllers are combining moves and trying to close in multiple hi-tech dummies around me. I realize I'm only stabbing the chest, which is good, but they want me to be a little more fancy with my movements.

After that test, I have a physical proficiency test where I have to do monkey bars and jump rope and stuff like that. The ropes and bars are also holograms. A matted floor pops out of nowhere when I begin them, my arms sore. Next, is rock climbing, the hologram "cliff" has stupendous rocky graphics. When I begin climbing, I start to feel nauseous for no reason, so I slow it down. Once I come down, the woman scribbles on a note pad and smiles forcefully.

After the climb, I have other random workouts like wheel carrying and the wobbly ladder.

When I'm ready for the psychological test, the woman makes a hovering chair appear which I'm instructed to sit in. I'm facing all four of the dreary faces which also look doltish.

"Well show you a card, and you'll say the very first thing that pops in your head." The man on the end tells me. I just nod back. The first card looks like angel wings wrapped in a blanked, black ink.

"Dark." I say. The next one irrationally looks like one of my old friends Will.

"Will." I tell them. What? They asked for the first thing I think about.

The card following appears like a fancy letter R.

"Rome." I say. They look at me and stop the activity.

"Alright. Put these on please." The man next to the woman demanded. He hands me a metal tube like item.

"Place the end with the hole in your forehead." He instructs. I do as I'm told. That end of the thing automatically sticks onto my forehead. I see the woman insert a cable into the other end, but it didn't have a hole or socket for entry. Magnetic I'm guessing.

"Just close your eyes and forget about everything, let yourself be drifted into your own head." The lady says. I close my eyes and the tube starts to suck on my skin like a vacuum. I can't see anything, or think, or hear. It's like I'm dead.

Then abruptly, I feel the hovering chair under me, see my hands, hear the four mentors discussing. I've been looking down during the little show so I look over at the table. In front of the four mentors is a floating screen. I can't see what's on it from behind, but their eyes are all over it. Their hands typing and pressing and scrolling on it.

"That was fast." I say lifting their heads. The screen shuts down right away with a push from the woman.

"Yeah. It's not long." She says.

"What happened. Is there results or something?" I ask. My eyes holding all their look in a single glare.

"Here you go." The man on the left end hands me a slip of blue paper. Before I read it, the woman says,

"Commander Bovise.... you have set ablaze a republic of tactics." She says. And dismisses me with a wave.