Adaptation and Evolution (Book Two of the EDSOR Military Academy Trilogy)

Chapter 22- A Meaningful Departure

“Wake up, sleepyhead. The War Council is waiting for us”, Skye Dawson nudged me as we walked the long path from the Poveda dormitories to the multi-colored EDSOR gates, the same gates that Jesse and the former War Council exited before the final battle.

I rubbed my eyes and groaned. My duffel bag felt like it was weighed down by a ton of bricks. I stashed a lot of vitamins, water and canned goods there. Skye was only carrying his carrying his brown knapsack.

“Do you really need a lot of provisions to sustain yourself?”, Skye asked, watching me lug the oversized yellow duffel bag on the pavement, uncouthly. Not the typical Honoran tradition. Honorans would stash their provisions on their jackets and pants, not stuff them into some bag.

“How are you going to survive with that amount of food?”, I shot back, pointing at his little rucksack. I was expecting him to think but he just calmly grinned.

“Oh, this? It contains my survival manual, a professional flying guide, a thin sci-fi action novel, food pills from the Xavier camp, a rain catcher and some shurikens from my Poveda allies”

“Poveda allies? Wow, you have more friends than I imagined”, I said, feigning surprise. I’m starting to like this dude. He’s cool and sarcastic, in a good way.

He shrugged as he lifted the flap and showed me the recently-oiled black shuriken. It shone in the sunlight and reflected the shiny rays directly at my eyes. I flinched.

“How many do you have of those? Can you spare me a few?”

“They gave me five packs. Each one containing about twenty”

“That’s not gonna last us a week in a rebel-infested area”

“We’ll be flying planes anyway so those are our last resort”

I nodded my head as I tinkered with my penknives inside my pocket. We walked the rest of the road in silence, listening to the roosters crowing, signifying a new morning. I remembered how Tara looked distraught when I bid her goodbye last night. Nano gave me a dozen penknives, the official stealth weapons of the Xavier camp.

“Just a thought; do you really know how to maneuver a plane?”, he asked.

“Umm….not really. But I’m willing to learn. And anyway, if I die but you succeed, then the mission will be a success and we can all go home happy…well except for me”

“Stop joking about dying! They said we’ll be on the same plane so I might as well take the throttle and steer us to our proper course. In case of emergency or I die, then you take charge”, he exclaimed as he whipped out the professional flying guide. “Let me tell you the basics”

I listened and listened till my head was throbbing with too much information. He spoke like a wild horse on the run.

By the time he finished, it was 7:28 am and we reached the EDSOR Departure gates. The War Council, including a few EDSOR campers who usually wake up early bid us farewell. I saw Nano in a corner and then I went up to him to punch his shoulder. “Thanks for everything dude”

Nano just smiled. “Yeah, it’s not a problem. Tell me how your adventure goes. It gets lonely staying in front of a computer screen, in some virtual video game world”

“You bet!”, I laughed. “Jamie?”, I heard a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around and found myself staring at the eyes of Marco.

“Hey Math Wiz. I guess I won’t be seeing you for a very long time. Maybe...I won’t see you if I…”

“Don’t think about that”, he said as his sad face contorted into anguish. “I don’t want to lose any of my friends again. I lost….most of them in the War against the Militicians. Jesse Hope….I also lost her. Now, if I lose you too….”, he said, in between choking with tears. I hugged him and saluted him.

“I’ll make you proud, Smarty-Pants”

He smiled and then saluted me back. I was flattered. “You already have”, he smiled as he disappeared in the crowd of people.

A few random people also shook my hand and talked to me as if they knew me since the day I was born. Wow. I was that popular.

I then felt a light hand on my shoulder. “Stark, it’s time to go”, Skye whispered. I nodded my head as I followed him. The gates opened and revealed a small yellow Lamborghini waiting for us.

Gerard was waiting for us there. “Good morning, Dawson and Stark. Are you ready for your mission today?”

Skye nodded. I just stared at the President, who didn’t seem to mind my reaction. “Well, in that case, I’ll have James, my personal chauffeur, drive you to the Philippine Airforce Base near NAIA”

Personal chauffeur? This Gerard is very, very lucky and pampered.

“Skye Dawson and Jamie Stark, I give you the EDSOR salutation for you have both volunteered for this extremely difficult task. Always remember, you two, that EDSOR Military Academy will always be rooting for you”, the small four foot and eleven inch guy said as he saluted to both of us.

As I did, Gerard shot me glare. I stopped midway, with my hand awkwardly placed on my forehead. “Please don’t salute me. I give much honor to you both. You truly are the embodiments of genuine Spartan warriors”

The crowd behind us started to cheer the traditional war chant. “To glory, to victory! Animo EDSOR!”

Sir James, a middle aged man, possible Gerard’s uncle or dad, leapt out of the car and opened the door for me. I glanced at Skye.

“Ladies first”, Skye smiled. I took a deep breath and sighed. The shouting grew louder and louder until it became muffled when James closed the door.

Skye placed his hands on his head. “We’ve just signed ourselves up for Death”

“You said it, man”, I grunted as the car sped away, leaving a trail of smoke. I looked back, trying to catch a last glimpse of the school. I may not be able to come back again, so now’s the time to ponder about my life.