The Mantis Effect

Chapter Six

The Olympian trainees had been given a prototype technology to the actual technology used by established Elite Olympians. We weren't permitted to synchronize with our assigned Vector partners yet so we used an imitation adapter of lower grade but exhibited visually what an Olympian could do.

I stood parallel to Ward in the training hall. Brigadier and other high-ranking officers had come to judge whether or not we were ready to be named Junior Olympians. We would be Olympians in name but still students to our mentors. Two years under Ward's mentorship had prepared me for this moment.

My palms began to sweat but Ward eyed me as if to tell me to calm down. I clenched the adapter in my hand and looked down at it. My mother's white tiger still hung around my wrist. It came to me then what I would do. Brigadier initiated the session and I plugged the adapter into my port it was cold and grooved and made me shutter every time I used it. I wasn't used to it yet.

I felt the jolt of current zip through my body, electrifying every nerve on its way through. My toes and fingers began to tingle and I felt as though I could walk through time the way a runner sprinted to a finish line. It was amazing to feel like this and this was only the dumbed down edition of the technology.

Ward hadn't plugged her adapter in rather she tucked it away in the folds of her bandages. She had no intentions of using it.

She was like lightning the way she moved. Before I knew it she was right in front of me and I wasn't as quick as I needed to be in order to block her throw. I found myself on my back and out of breath. She leaned over me.

"On your feet Mei. I've taught you better than that," she said.

I got to my feet and put up a defensive guard. I didn't have to beat her I just needed to keep up. Her strikes and jabs were quick and stunning. Every punch felt crippling and thunderous. I was able to find a pattern to defend myself and started putting up more of a fight. A small grin of satisfaction sat in her face.

I found my chance in the window of a second. There was a gap in between a strike and a flying shin that I could utilize.

In my mind I saw a large white tiger and before me from the black matter it manifested.

It was the size of an average tiger but still an accomplishment for me. Ward looked at me and I knew then that I had impressed her.

She stopped her attack and stood attentively.

"Well composed Ms.Féng," she said.

Some of the higher ranking officers clapped as well as my fellow recruits. Rodriguez cheered loudly and Hap clapped alongside him.

"I see you have adopted Ward's style of composition," Brigadier said as he approached.

I stood as straight as I possibly could. With all of his height a menacing stature he made the blood in your veins take pause.

"Yes sir, she has been an exemplary mentor, sir," I answered.

"Good. I hope to see you pave the way as the next generation of Elite ascendants. I am satisfied in the knowledge the Ward's skill will have passed to another when her day of obsoletion comes," he said.

His tone was cold and unfeeling in saying something like that. He considered her disposable and so we were all going to be disposable at one point. My eyes slid over to Ward for only a second to see her. She stood as stony and absent as she usually did.

"With all due respect sir, I would be lucky to amount to half the Olympian Ward is," I said.

His eyes weighed harshly on me.