Under The Dome

Chapter 3: Atria

To be accepted into THE UNTAMED you have to be 2 of 3 things; insanely smart, athletic, or born into a family with a high rank. Lucky for me, I qualify as the first two.

I knew I was signing up to be a soldier but, damn. The physical exams in this place are next level. We started off with a 2.4 km timed run, next came maximum repetitions of push ups and sit ups, a long jump, and a 'game' of paintball.

All cadets were given armor and a gun loaded with red bullets of paint, how many kills you ultimately got and when you yourself were shot determined your training squadron. The objective of the exercise is to stay in for as long as possible and shoot as many people as you can, by any means necessary.

I was assigned to Lieutenant Ramsey's Training unit; Alpha Squadron, a month and a half ago. All ranks in The Untamed are colour coded,  junior cadets like myself are identified by our tan cargo pants. Training is brutal but I managed to make a friend, Cadet Vega Bradshaw. 

We were the last two left in the game of paintball, she eventually shot me in the shoulder after she took out the kid who had been sitting pretty in the sniper's nest, we were inseparable after that. 

We would spend downtime between simulator training sparring with each other, We bonded over the fact that we were, without question, the best in the training squadron. Cadets figured out pretty quick that we could hold our own in a fight and as pilots we could wipe the floor with them all in the simulators.

Vega is a force to be reckoned with, her shiny black hair is cropped into a pixie cut with the sides shaved short, her round face and wide Asian eyes are full of a piercing intensity further exaggerated by the angry birth mark stretching from the inner corner of her left eye to the skin above her brow bone. She's small for our age but god forbid anyone call her out on it because that person will find themselves face down on the ground in about two seconds with their arm twisted painfully backward.

 "Keep your hands up!" Vega mutters as she swings a left hook for my head.

It's Wednesday and that means weekly physicals. Vega and I are sparing while we wait for our turn on the obstacle course. I position my wrapped fists on either side of my head and lunge, feigning a blow to her head and landing a jab in Vega's stomach.

"Bitch" she breaths out, the ghost of a smile on her lips, "Keep up slowpoke" I shoot back, bouncing back and forth on the balls of my feet.

There's a crash from the obstacle course that makes us both drop our hands, Cadet Bryce Sol has just fallen off the balance beam, he curses and blames his boots getting caught. 

"Get a Quality excuse, Sol" Vega mutters "Next he'll be saying that an Incubuere swooped down through the dome and attacked his hair," I stifle a giggle, Bryce was a good soldier by all other accounts but gravity seemed to be permanently against him. 

I turn to Vega and whisper "We're almost up, when is your important friend going to be here?" She gives me a knowing glance, "Any minute now" I turn and look at the line of cadets waiting to preform their physicals in front of us. another two minutes goes by before the training room doors slide open with a series of automated beeps. As one, the Squadron gets into formation and stands at attention. 

The most handsome boy I've ever seen strolls through the doors. He looks about 19, his toned biceps and strong chest are covered in a tight charcoal grey t-shirt the same colour as his eyes, his crew cut blonde hair a shocking contrasted against his cargo pants, dark blue, the colour of a squadron leader. Lieutenant Ramsey looks lividly at the boy, "Aten McCormick, what are you doing here?" he practically spits.

"I have orders from Colonel McCormick" Aten replies dully.

"Oh do you now?" lieutenant crosses his arms across his chest "and what would those orders be?" 

Vega and I smirk, WE know whats coming next. 

"I'm to take the two top cadets in your squadron with my team on street patrol" he says nonchalantly placing his hands behind his back.

An excited inhale of breath runs through the group like a wildfire, "Like they think any of them have a chance anyway" Vega whispers more to herself than to me. Lieutenant Ramsey stares at Aten with a stoic look in his eyes, obviously upset that he was caught off guard with this information in front of his entire squadron, by a cocky kid no less. Vega and I suppress our laughter and stand at attention.

"My recommendation would be Cadets Bradshaw and Stone," Aten smiles and unfolds his hands from behind his back to wipe invisible dust from his charcoal grey t shirt, "I've heard good things about both girls and the Colonel agrees"

"humph, Very well" the Lieutenant looks as thought he wants to say more but he just crosses his arms, excuses Vega and I, and yells at the next cadet in line to get on with their fitness test. 

We walk past the sea of jealous eyes towards Aten McCormick, the training room doors slide open allowing us to exit after a series of loud beeps, all three of us grinning like idiots. 

"HOLY SHIT!!!'" as soon as the doors close behind us Vega grabs me by the shoulders and shakes until I can hear by brain bouncing around in my skull, "I CANNOT believe that actually worked!" she shrieks. 

"Honestly, me neither," An amused voice chuckles behind us, I turn around to see three cadets walking up the hall towards us. Two boys; One lanky, read headed, and freckly beyond all hope. The other boy is a tall mass of muscle and skin so dark it reminds me of a starless night. Walking between them is a small girl who I can only assume is Vega's little sister. All three are wearing the green cargo pants of senior cadets. Aten smiles and fist bumps the lanky red head who spoke.

"Cohen! Deimos, long time no see," Vega makes her way over to the towering dark skinned cadet, Deimos, he smiles with shockingly white teeth and wraps her in a bear hug. "Are you three taking care of my baby sister?" all three boys grin. 

Aten turns to me with a warm smile "Atria, meet my squad," he gestures to the group, "Cohen our weapons specialist, Deimos over there is our botanist and tech analyst, and I'm sure Vega has told you all about our youngest member Nova, possibly the best pilot in the untamed" Nova blushes for the briefest second. 

"Apart from me! She's my baby sister but that doesn't mean I won't beat her ass" Vega says, planting her feet and crossing her arms indignantly but there's the ghost of a smile on her face.

"Great to meet you all" I say, shaking everyone's hand in turn. Nova has the same buildup of calluses that I do from flying.  Cohen's shaggy red hair falls in front of his eyes as he leans down and pretends to kiss my knuckle, earning himself a smack upside the head from Vega. I'm still giddy from the excitement of getting out of training, and I still have no idea what were doing. All six of us start to walk down the hall to a section of base I've never been to before. 

"Now, you got us out-" Vega starts. 

"Thanks for that by the way" I interrupt glancing at Aten and the rest of his squad. 

"No problem, whats the point in being the Lieutenant Colonel's son if I can't use it to BS my friends out of physicals" with that Cohen whoops and bunches him on the shoulder. 

"My boys gotten us out of more crap than even I care to admit"

"Well, now that you've gotten us out of the literal shit pile that is physicals," Vega declares 

"What exactly ARE we doing with our new found freedom?" I ask

Nova, who has been walking beside me, clears her throat. With an absolute shit eating grin on her face, says 

"Have you ever been on a hover board?