by Troy Dukart
There was a full moon out and it was chilly outside. We had to buy Tibetan jackets to stay warm. The staff allowed the Whiteclouds inside, which we were grateful for. Rest in warmth leads to better recovery, which they deserved. Once we got settled in, I logged onto my computer to find where Yungbulakang Palace was, but it froze before I could begin.
“What the hell?” I whispered.
Dozens of lines of code flashed upon the monitor until a video popped up. There was a person wearing a Japanese kabuki-inspired mask, starring back at me.
“Greetings. We have been waiting for you to come,” the distorted voice echoed.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
“We are the Salvators. Freedom Fighters of the underground. Protectors of the innocent. The ones who keep our leaders in check. We are here to help you Strafe Rocknus. There is nothing to be afraid about.”
“You don't look like the Avengers,” I joked.
“....” they didn't get it.
“Well, I almost crapped my pants when you took over my computer just now. FYI,”
“There is much you are not aware of, Strafe. Much. Earth is going to be poisoned soon. Zixin is in grave danger, they are already looking for him.”
My heart skipped a beat, “What are you talking about?”
“The Federation had two missions in Eternia. One, to awaken Guardian and Nian and vie for their control, and another more sinister.”
“What could be more sinister than that?”
“To study and take back a live sample of the spliced human/Slate program and weaponize it.
After they learned about the Venerates, they thirsted to attain their power. They saw the opportunity to become more powerful than any entity on Earth. Your brother is the key,” they responded.
“Key to what?”
“Zixin has special DNA inside him. You will see soon. He is what they need to awaken the Slates.”
“Is this a secure line?”
The Salvator let out a quiet laugh, “You really don't know who we are, do you?”
“What are you trying to achieve?”
“We want you to help us stop the Federation from hurting the innocents across the world. They have begun to hunt us. Many of our bastions have been sacked, and the members have gone missing. We know what you did in Eternia Strafe, and how to find what you're looking for.”
“....” I stood silent for a moment, “How can I trust you?”
“Search under your bed.”
Zixin stayed out of the camera's view until now. Turning to him, I nodded. Slowly he pulled up the sheets and looked under our bed. Reaching under, he found a golden scroll wrapped in yarn.
“When you reach Yungbulakang Palace, that map will take you to the secret chamber, where you will find what you are questing for.”
I turned back to the screen, “What do you want from us in return?”
“Just that you stay in contact with us. It is of the utmost importance that your brother is kept out of their hands. We are everywhere Strafe. We will be watching you,” the Salvator said before the video disappeared.
CHAPTER 4
Yessa
Nobody can prepare you for the military. My time back in Eternia felt like a cake-walk compared to the Space Force.
When I got off the bus in Houston at Space Force Training Center, they immediately barraged us with yelling and screaming. They wanted to break you down so orders were easier to follow. Every meal we ate in silence. Nobody spoke unless spoken to. If you gave up on a run, they put you in solitary confinement for three hours. No outside communication for eight weeks. Every night when we went to sleep, without getting barked at, we considered a victory.
Each branch of service has a basic term for their troops. Army is soldier. Navy is Seaman. Air Force is Airman. Our title? Astronauts. Spacemen was also acceptable. Not gonna lie, I think we win.
Being so close to the Houston Space Center was cool. In the heart of the base, aka Space Port, stood a giant rocket from the 20th century. The reason? To remind us of human kind's roots in space travel.
There was a nice girl I made friends with, her name was Amy Scotta. Growing up in western Tennessee, she couldn't hide her southern accent to save her life. Sometimes the drill instructor would make her say sentences like a New York or Midwest person just to mess with her. Weird way to mind-game someone.
Despite my disdain for the rigors of basic training, I did enjoy one aspect of it, Space Flight Simulation. Every member of the Space Force needed to understand how to use a break-through technology, the Space Suit. It molded and adapted to each individual and had a myriad of uses. An elastic uniform that hardened to bullet-proof armor. Perhaps its most impressive feature being Space Flight.
Any user could use the Space Suit to fly anywhere in the world, any time. Crossing oceans or have a meeting at your favorite restaurant down the block? Not a problem. Powered from solar electricity and through the usage of an electromagnetic tether from a satellite constellation, we flew through the sky. Unfortunately, each flight got recorded in an embedded chip that couldn't be removed. That way no knuckleheads would use it to buy groceries or fly home from the bar drunk, per se. Usage regulated for official Space Force duties only. Didn't stop people from trying though.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, our instructors would take us down to what they called “The Dome.” Designed as a zero-G simulated environment, we used it to practice flying around. The first time I put mine on it was a little tight but by instructing the artificial intelligence or AI, I made adjustments in real time.
The Space Suits were all black except for our last names on our right side of our chest and “U.S. Space Force” on the left. They glowed white and adjusted the luminosity level to match the surrounding environment. The helmet that would form over my head looked like a medieval French or English knight. It was pretty awesome.
On our back's a “life-light” illuminated that allowed our fellow Astronauts to see each other's vitals. On the inside of our wrists laid customizable holographic displays which showcased anything, whether it be ammo count, directions, troop location or fantasy sports. It fit anything one's imagination might dream of on a digital display.
Our Space Suits also enhanced our speed, reflexes, and strength. Sub-orbital flight was its crowning achievement and what made it unique. What did this mean? It functioned as an extravehicular activity suit or EVA for short. They told us that more capabilities unlocked once we graduated training. I couldn't wait to learn more about them.
“Hey, I'll race ya!” Scotta, (we went by last names) grinned.
“You're on!” I said.
Jumping forward together, we entered into the Dome. We passed through a liquid shield made of the same material as our suits. Inside, the zero-G kicked in right away. Available to us? Obstacle courses, an earth-flight simulator, and even laser tag. Scotta and I loved them all, and our instructors gave us complete freedom while inside to do what we wished. The Space Suit used electric propulsion to push us in zero-G. The movements were controlled by scanning brain signals, which made it incredibly fast. Any move up or down, left or right or even if you wanted to do a flip, you thought it, and the suit would follow the command.
“Is that all you got?” Scotta jested.
“Girl, I'm gonna show you how it's done!” I ribbed back.
Racing together, we flew through an obstacle course of floating debris, tunnels, and tight turns. Neck and neck. As fast as possible we raced until I saw the finish line in sight.
Not this time.
Leaning forward, I activated my super-sonic boosters. It was forbidden to use them here, but I wasn't going to lose again. With a quick jolt, I propelled past Scotta and zoomed through the finish line. She stopped shortly after she crossed it but I lost control. I hit the wall, which thankfully was elastic. It bounced me back into the free space.
My instructor had been watching us. He yelled, “SCOTTA! URENA! RE
PORT TO MY OFFICE!”
“Shit,” I whispered to myself.
“Push the wrong button there hun?” Scotta laughed. She cracked jokes all the time. It helped us both get through this madness.
After we got out of the Space Suits and reported to his office, our instructor ordered us to stay behind and clean all the toilets as punishment for using the super-sonic booster. We didn't mind as it and we got some good girl-time in together. Most of the other girls were very introverted or didn't talk much.
“So what's it like in California? Heard it's beautiful. I'd always wanted to visit someday,” she said.
“Can't say I ever lived anywhere else but truly gorgeous. Great weather 365, beaches, lots of cool things to see and do. Didn't have much reason to leave until recently,” I regretted divulging that.
“Why's that?”
I shook my head before I answered. Didn't want to tell her about Eternia, yet. So I decided to frame it in a more believable way.
“I broke up with my boyfriend.”
“Ohhhh! You never told me about him, girl! What happened if you don't mind me askin'?”
“He... had some family issues and there was a long distance thing going on between us for a while. It put a dent into our relationship.”
“Oh honey, as long as he ain't sleeping with your friend or abusing you, that ain't no reason to give up on a man. What's his name?” Scotta sang.
“Strafe,” I breathed out as wiped my forehead, “His brother's name was Zixin. I kind of feel selfish leaving him when he needed me the most, but I needed a break.”
“Some strange names,” she said. I raised my eyebrow. “So, you stayed with him while helping to look after, Zixin? Sounds like he really trusted you hun. Did you ever love him?”
“Do all Southern girls share everything right away like this?” I chuckled.
“Yes!” she nodded her head, “Love is nothing to be scared of darlin'. Every one of my old boyfriends I appreciated and loved because they taught me something new about myself. To love someone is to respect them. That's what daddy always said.”
“Of course I loved him. He was my first boyfriend. We had gone through some hard times, not his fault, and we did our best to be there for each other. He'd been with me since our teenage years. I needed some time to grow and to focus on myself for a while.”
“Awww! Isn't that the cutest! High school sweethearts!” Scotta giggled, I threw a sponge at her.
“You want to go try some laser tag?!” I smiled.
“Any time hun, any time. But for real girl, think you'd ever go back to him?”
“He's watching over my wolf, but I'm not sure. I kind of left him high and dry in a time when he needed me the most. And, we both saw people on the side.”
“Oh, you sneaky biatch you!” Scotta snickered, “No wonder you walked away! You gotchu another man!?”
“Not exactly” I chuckled. “I needed someone there for me. I didn't think he would do the same thing but we both apologized to each other and tried to move on. That girl he kissed I grew to admire, strangely. We never officially broke up, but I did leave without saying goodbye.”
“You messed up girl. Any self-respecting guy would never appreciate that,” Scotta shook her head.
“Strafe needs to focus on his family, and I would've only been a distraction. Plus, both of our lives were going down different paths. I wish him the best, I truly do.”
“Well, onto the next one right!?” Scotta cheered. “There's a lot of cute guys in the Space Forces. Plus, we get to travel the world! I know a guy in Spain or France is waiting for me.”
“Ha, concentrate on helping me clean these toilets before you think about going over to Europe and getting knocked-up,” I joked.
“Girl, you don't have to tell me twice. I'll do anything to not go back home.”
CHAPTER 5
Yessa
Weeks later, we graduated. Eternia's battles were worse, but surviving basic training for the Space Force was one of the most grueling undertakings I'd ever accomplished. Six girls from our flight didn't make it.
At the graduation ceremony, we received our commission and became full-fledged officers of the military. Many family members of the graduates came. They looked so proud of their sons and daughters. You don't know what you got until it's gone, the wise adage states. Esper and Strafe came to mind. Part of me regretted my decision to leave. I felt that I had burned my bridge to them.
My time with Scotta? Over for now. She was to become an Intelligence officer while I was picked to go into Reconnaissance. We promised to stay in touch. No doubt one of the best friends I ever made.
There were no airplanes to board to our career training, we simply put in the coordinates in our Space Suit, sat back and enjoyed the ride. A newly minted tradition of all Space Force graduates was to “Fly into Space” together. Around a thousand of us stood near the old shuttle. Under the Base Commander's signal, we launched into the sky. Thanks to the brilliance of the guidance chips, nobody had to worry about collisions. Our helmets formed over our heads and the electric propulsion systems kicked on.
Scotta and I waved to each other before she disappeared from my view. Afterward, I parred up with the other individuals also coded for recon training. Looking at my heads-up-display (HUD), it read we were traveling to Montana. Secluded in the forest was a survival school. To my surprise, we arrived cross-country in twenty minutes. It was incredible how fast the Space Suits traveled using sub-orbital flight. Earth from space, what a treat. The descent terrified me at first since it looked like falling to our deaths, but the suit slowed our fall and we safely landed.
Just when I thought the yelling would end, the Cadres, as they called themselves, were waiting for us. They rounded us up and began to shout and scream in our faces.
We all got into formation until the lead cadre introduced herself, “Listen up! My name is Captain Rollins. We're so glad, so happy you graduated from that cake-walk, but life doesn't get any easier from here. Follow our instructions, or your ass will be burnt worse than toast. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?”
“Yes ma'am!” we echoed in unison.
“Good! Now, move your pampered asses into the classroom for a briefing. And don't let me beat you there!”
As fast as we could we ran into the class and to our seats. The classrooms weren't the same as the ones in Houston. Instead, old, pine smelled rooms with scratches and scuffs everywhere is what we got. At the front of the class was a whiteboard and to the left an open field.
What did I get myself into?
“This place looks fun,” a guy whispered next to me.
“What is all this?” I asked.
“Survival school. A place where they weed the weak out.”
“Shit. This will be nothing,” I smirked.
“Hmm, tough one eh? Trent Parker,” he held his hand out, “Pleasure to meet you.”
Parker was a good-looking man. He had tan skin, green eyes, and well-defined check-bones. Seemed to be in his later twenties. I felt bad to think about it, but he was kinda cute.
“Yessa Urena. Nice to meet you too,” I said with a smile.
“ROOM 'TENCH-HUT!” someone yelled and we all stood straight up.
Whenever an officer of higher grade walked into the room, military custom ordered us to stand at attention until told to be at ease. After setting her notebook down on her desk, Captain Rollins motioned us to sit.
Quickly, we sat back into our seats. She scanned the room, looking right through us. Despite being only around 5 feet tall, that woman put the fear of God into ya. She had so many scars on her forearms and neck, most dudes would be intimidated. She had the eyes of someone who loved to fight; a born-to-be military woman. She'd smash your balls or rip your hair out without a second thought.
A female Non-Commissioned Officer walked in and stood beside her. She whispered something to the Captain and she nodded and exited the room.
“For the next three months, my job, along with Flight Sergeant Guiwan, is to make your life a living hell. The Space Force did not hire you for your personality, nor for you to think for yourselves... yet. It hired you to become Angels. Do what Sergeant Guiwan and I say and you will make it through this. Don't, and we will leave your ass to freeze in the night. Oh, and if you think I'm playing, your flight ability has been restricted and is under my control until I deem you worthy of being an Angel,” Captain Rollins asserted, “Any questions?”
One guy in the back raised his hand.
“What is it?” she snapped.
“Ma'am, what's an Angel? Is that a code name? I thought this was for Recon?” the trainee asked.
She rushed over and invaded his personal space, “Well look at you, ruining surprises! You must be an expert in survival huh? Why, I should just send you on the battlefield since YOU ALREADY KNOW MORE THAN ME!?”
“No, no, no ma'am,” he stuttered.
“Well, next time you have a question, make it one I'M NOT JUST ABOUT TO ANSWER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
“Yes ma'am!” From the look on his face and his shivering body, he might have pissed his pants.
“Now, before we had to hear that crap, I was about to tell you why you're here. This is Tracking and Survival training school,” she pulled up a hologram and projected it onto the wall, “Here, we're going to teach you everything you need to know before you head out into the field. That includes knowing what to do when your team gets killed, you become surrounded, and if your suit is damaged. The list goes on. I spent ten years in Recon. Friends have died in my arms. This isn't a game.”
I remembered how Strafe told me about how Brutus passed away, in his arms.
She paused before looking back at us, “Despite what you all may think, there is an evil presence forming in the world. For quite some time now. It's not a nation or terrorism; something worse. The U.S. government will be ready for it. These skills will help combat against the next level of enemy.”