The Mantis Effect

Chapter Four

It hurt to stand. It especially hurt to breath. I had two cracked ribs and countless bruises. Out of the handful of us that were left after the first found even fewer were left.

Rodriguez stood next to me. His eyes were dark from staying up all night listening to my painful breathing. He had been there to administer the medication and make sure I was as comfortableasi could be in that state. When I asked him why he was helping me he told me it was because he had taken care of his little sister before when she was sick and he couldn't look at me without being reminded of that time. I hoped he would preserve the nice person he was while he was here. I hoped it would never be beaten out of him.

We stood next to each other now awaiting our next level of hell. The Elites stood before us in a line that mirrored our own. I looked around and saw Ward standing there with her jar in one hand and one arm in a sling across her body. She was more fascinated in the jar than anything else around her. She seemed to be her spacey catatonic self again, acting as though yesterday's knock-down-drag-out had no bearing on today. They were right, what they said about her. She was detached; completely disconnected from the reality she lived in. But after yesterday I understood that detached might have been the only way to keep going.

Brigadier started calling and paring names. Rodriguez's name was called before mine and my gut tightened at the thought of not being paired with him. As of yesterday I became aware of the hostility towards women in this unit and knew it was entirely possible and likely that I would be partnered with someone who wanted me gone.

"Rodriguez you'll be assigned to Vector Hap and partnered with Féng", Brigadier announces.

Relief washed over me and I felt as though I could breathe. Both of us wanted to smile but we refrained.

"That being said, Féng you'll be assigned under Ward. She's the only mentor that you could benefit from. She will also be the most difficult", Brigadier surmised.

I looked over at Ward as she continued to stare down at the jar as though she hadn't heard any of the instructions at all. All my life I wanted to train to be an Olympian and I had finally made it. What's more I was going to study under Ward, one of the best Olympians of our time but as I watched her now I realized that she would in fact be incredibly difficult; like a combination puzzle. How was I going to learn from someone who seemed content to be inside her own head all the time?

"Thank you sir", I said.

Once we were assigned we struggled to keep from erupting with excitement. I was going to be an Olympian and Rodriguez was going to get to be a Vector just like he wanted. We both wanted to write to our families and tell them but we'd have to wait for tonight when we were back in our bunk.

Hap and Ward walked up and Hap smiled at us. He congratulated the both of us and we thanked him. He looked down at Ward.

"Ward, we have new understudies. Remember Mei?" He asked.

How could she not, it was my fault she got shot with a horse tranquilizer yesterday. She stared at the jar. I stared at her and decided maybe I should have introduced myself to her personally.

"Hi Ward. My name is Mei Féng-", I started.

"I know. Hap already said who you were", she said.

She was very curt. It caught me off guard.

"Mei that's a delicate name. It means beautiful or Plum in Chinese, right?" She asked.

"Uh, yes", I stammered.