Mini-Story 3

Mini-Story 3 (Part 15)

The four of us enter the training room, and I look around, suddenly feeling very curious as to what I'm about to endure. I see that the room is filled with a collection of men and women. Some are bound and have tape over their mouths. The others are dressed in leather suits, with jackets on that say "enemy" across the front. I realize the people who are tied up are representing potential slaves, while the leather-clad individuals are meant to be our adversaries. Interesting scenario, I think to myself.

I see a red square with the word "start" in white letters. I go to the square and stand there. I give the situation a cursory glance, strategizing before I make my first move. I count the enemies. There are four. There's also four hostages.

"Are you ready?" Layla asked, and I nodded.

My parents and Layla walk towards a door in the back, that's next to a glossy glass wall, that has no hint of a smudge or streak. What kind of cleaning accomplishes that? Beyond the wall, I see huge computer screens. They enter that side room and shut the door. I focus back on the task at hand, my training, determined to ace this my first time around.

A device lowers around my head, and I realize it's a camera, so they can see things from my point of view. Without warning, brick walls begin to come out of the floor, in various patterns. A labyrinth forms before my very eyes, and as I watch the hostages and enemies disappear in that maze, I memorize where they are located. That part is surprisingly easy, which makes me feel rather intelligent. My parents and Layla are watching. I need to do this and be good at it. I want to make them proud. There's no room for doubting myself. I pray a quick prayer in my mind: Lord, give me the strength and courage to protect your people from anyone who seeks to harm them.

I think through some possible strategies, deciding what to do first, and which hostage I'd get first. I hear a female robotic voice talking to me through the camera. "When you step off the square, your test will begin. Please stand by to be clothed properly."

A machine lowers close to me, and removes my shirt and pants, somehow without ripping them, while lifting me partially up, which I thought was pretty cool. I feel a draft, but then I'm encased in this dark material, possibly leather, although I didn't look down to confirm it, but it felt smooth to me.

"This is how they treat the slaves when they aren't being used or abused both physically and sexually," the female voice tells me, and I feel immediate sympathy that people have to go through this kind of torture, and it makes me angry.

I'm angry because no one should have to go through this. God created us to be free. Freedom is worth fighting for, and our men and women in uniform do that every day, even the ones that aren't in the military, like our police officers, firemen, nurses and doctors, ambulance workers, and any other citizen who saves someone else. No one should have to suffer in a world where they are controlled and used daily for the sick, twisted pleasure, and be at the mercy of those cruel people. There are some that would sacrifice their lives to save someone else, and that's a true mark of courage. Not everyone would do that. Some people care so much, and then there are tormenters that don't care at all. It's not up to us to judge them. God will do that, when the time comes. All these thoughts go through my head and heart as I take a final breath before plunging on.

I step off the square, and immediately head into the maze. I move towards the first hostage, who is two rights and one left away from my current position. They didn't give me a weapon, I noticed. Without warning, a stun gun materializes into my hand, but I note that it's on safety. I figure I just have to tag them with it, because of course, I don't want to hurt them. This training is so surreal, and contains technology I've never thought of, let alone witnessed. I'm at the left turn. I take a deep breath and peer around the corner quickly. I suddenly realize that I'm moving faster than normal, so quickly that the first enemy doesn't even see me. What kind of advantages do I have? That felt awesome.

The female voice speaks again. "Your movement has been enhanced, to move faster than the average human. You will only be able to do this while on missions to rescue slaves. At no other time will it work for you, so don't expect it to in other situations in life."

I rush around the corner, and strike fast and hard, kicking the enemy in the stomach, only to find that my foot goes through them. What the heck?! They stand back up, and only then do I see the faint lines around the person. They aren't real, but holograms, I realize, but they react like people. Interactive holograms? When would the surprises end? The first enemy gets back to their feet and starts to shift from side to side, which isn't easy, since the walls of the maze are so narrow. I duck as they aim a punch at my face, then return the favor with a punch of my own to their jaw. They stiffen and fall, and I take my opportunity to use the stun gun on their neck. There's a blue light that appears and the enemy vanishes. I reach for the hostage, and realize they are also a hologram. When I make contact, they too, disappear.

I move through the maze with lightning fast reflexes, taking out the remaining enemies. That was so much easier than I expected, and even though it was, I breathe a sigh of relief. I distantly wonder how I would do against someone who had our training but went rogue, though. Would it be so simple then?

Layla and my parents are there waiting as I exit the maze, and it disintegrates as well as the enemies and hostages had.

"Well done," Layla tells me.

"You did excellent, honey," my Mom says.

"Yes, my girl, you really did," my Dad says.

All of them hug me, in a show of warmth and affection. I see now that Layla and me are going to be really good friends. She's been there for me, even when I hadn't met her. She searched until she found me, and that makes me so grateful.

"Thank you for coming to rescue me, Layla," I tell her, tears streaming down my face at both my success, and their love for me that was very evident. I realize now that I am ready for this undertaking that God has placed me in. This is my destiny: to save those who need ME to rescue THEM.