Wanderers in the Dark : Part 1

by Carlos Vergara

  Every student was filled with anxiety since no one had an idea of what they’d be asked to do. Unlike the other subjects, where they were given mock-up tests and revision paper as preparation for 2 – 3 hour exams, this exam was scheduled over several days with everyone given an assigned time and date on when they would have to do it with little idea of what to expect.

  Alyssa and the group were scheduled for the first day in one of the afternoon sessions.

  Those who completed the exam weren’t allowed to discuss anything about it with any student who hadn’t been tested. But the students got an idea of what they were going to face when they saw the students who returned from their exam appeared drained and covered in dirt, so they knew it was going to be tough. Some had damaged suits, and in extreme cases, others suffered physical injury. This was most noticeable amongst the adults. No one could tell the extent of the injury since it was concealed beneath the suit.

  Alyssa and the group waited in the armoury and remained together with their other class members. They were waiting on the ships to bring back the students who were being examined before it was their turn.

  ‘I’m a little nervous. I don’t know if saying that makes me less of a man, but I’m saying it anyway,’ Eikichi admitted.

  ‘It would make you less of a man, if you didn’t,’ Janice said.

  ‘That’s reassuring.’

  ‘Looking at the students,’ Ali said, ‘that did the exam, you know we’re facing something tough.’

  ‘Like what?’ Eikichi asked.

  ‘Don’t know.’

  ‘Maybe they faced some crazy-ass-freak-looking thing that the academy kept quiet until now. They could be hiding in it some place and when we get there, we start doing our thing, and then BAM!’

  ‘It’s possible, but unlikely.’

  ‘There aren’t any inhabitants on this planet, Eikichi. I doubt that will be the case.’

  ‘Oooooooo, you never know.’

  ‘You really are scared, aren’t you?’ Janice asked.

  ‘I’m just… nervous.’

  ‘I’m concerned,’ Clara said.

  ‘About what?’ Janice asked.

  ‘About the creature that attacked Alyssa. I hope it doesn’t show up.’

  ‘There hasn’t been a sighting since Alyssa fought it. That was nearly three weeks ago, and it wouldn’t make sense for it to show up now. It might have gotten frightened by Alyssa, Clara, and may not want to visit here again.’

  ‘That’s not reassuring,’ Clara said. ‘We can’t allow yourselves to get comfortable with guessing. You never know what might happen today.’

  Ali smiled. ‘Everything will be alright, Clara. We’re altogether. If it does decide to show up, it won’t have much of an advantage, as it would be greatly outnumbered. Also, you have Yannick beside you. I’m sure he’ll be there to protect you from harm if it decides to show up, won’t you, Yannick?’

  She looked at Yannick, who was nodded in confirmation. She hugged his arm tighter.

  Moments later, the ceiling opened with the ships returning from the examination area. The adult students exited the ship, appearing to be in a far worse state than the previous group who’d completed the exam.

  Alyssa watched as the last remaining students exited the ships.

  ‘Curious?’ Ali asked, standing beside her.

  ‘Yeah. Are you?’ she asked.

  ‘I am. I think I know why the adults are looking the way they are after the exams, compared to other students.’

  ‘Do tell.’

  ‘It has to do with the course structure conditions placed upon them. I believe the academy is giving tougher exams to get them graduating sooner. From what I’ve seen during our time here, I’ve noticed some adults not attending some of the classes and focusing their attention on other subjects that I believe they’re not familiar with. I think those who aren’t attending the classes have some sort of credit recognition, allowing them to complete the course earlier.’

  ‘Hmm… it might be true. It’s a quicker way of getting people to Edollon. The sooner the academy can get students graduating from here, the quicker it’ll be to get people searching for planets to live on.’

  ‘I agree,’ a voice said.

  The pair turned around and saw Arthur behind them.

  ‘Arthur, how long have you been standing there?’ Alyssa asked.

  ‘Not long,’ Arthur quipped.

  Alyssa introduced Ali and Arthur to each other.

  ‘So, any idea on how they’ll test us?’ Arthur asked.

  Ali answered. ‘I believe they’re be testing us on teamwork, coordination, and our knowledge and application of the offence and defence formations, as well as the weapons we were taught to use. How they’re going to test us is beyond me. What about you? Do you have any idea?’

  Arthur smiled. ‘Not even the slightest.’

  ‘How did you go with your exams?’

  ‘Alright. I think I didn’t perform well for one of them, but aside from that, it was alright. How about you two?’

  ‘I think it went okay, though I can’t speak for Alyssa. She’s in a league of her own.’

  ‘Really?’ he said, sounding surprised and interested.

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘I’m not,’ Alyssa interjected.

  ‘That’s good to hear.’

  ‘Alright, students. It’s time to get on board. Remember to stay in your classes,’ an instructor said.

  Alyssa and Ali bid Arthur good luck before re-joining their classmates.

  Everyone boarded a ship. When all the students were aboard, the ships hovered through the ceilings and flew away in different directions to their examination area.

  Only one ship stayed next to the ship Alyssa was in.

  I wonder why there’s one beside us and the others travelling to different areas.

  About three minutes later, the students noticed a large rectangular area with rocky terrain, manmade trenches, and mock-up battlefields, surrounded by barrier that connected to a large wide disc high above the ground––the gravity simulator. This piqued the interests of many students.

  ‘I wonder what the gravity is going to be like,’ Eikichi said, interested.

  As they approached the area, other things became to visible such as examiners, large black containers, and several large inactive drones resting on the floor.

  The ship parked close to the area and the student assembled in front of the examiners, one of which they recognised––Miss Olivera.

  ‘Hey, look, it’s the teacher you have a crush on, Eikichi,’ Janice said.

  ‘I think I’m feeling better now,’ Eikichi said.

  ‘So am I,’ Ali added.

  Janice rolled her eyes. ‘Boys.’

  ‘Welcome, everyone,’ Miss Olivera said, walking toward them, ‘to your first Arms and Military exam. Feeling excited?’

  She was met with mixed responses.

  ‘It’s alright. There’s nothing to be nervous about. This exam is going to be a fun one for you. It’s going to be a lot better than what you’ve being doing in your other exams. Though, I think you’re going to find that hard to believe after you saw the aftermath of the students that completed the exams, especially the adults. They weren’t looking good, were they? But never mind that.’

  Miss Olivera chuckled. She clapped and rubbed her hands in anticipation of something thrilling. ‘Okay, over there in the containers, there’s going to be a collection of weaponry to choose from. You’ll only be allowed two firearms for this exam.’

  This comment appeared to confuse and worry the students.

  ‘Now, before you get worried, these weapons have been modified. None of them are operational for kill, though, you’ll still feel the impact should you be hit. This is intentional. We want you to experience being hit and feel the anxiety of facing them. So, collect yours, and then I’ll explain to the exam’s objective.’

  ‘Man… they really trying to put us in an actual battlefield,’ Eikichi sa
id.

  The assistants beside the containers pulled the lids open, revealing a variety of weapons to choose from.

  Students huddled around the containers, thinking hard about the weapon they were going to use for the exam.

  ‘Oh my god, this is exciting!’ Janice said. ‘Just look at the collection of guns we can choose from.’ Then her eyes hit the jackpot. ‘Oh my god... We have sniper rifles.’ She looked at the nearest assistant. ‘Please tell me we’re allowed to use them?’

  ‘Yes, you are. But remember, you only allowed two weapons,’ the assistant said.

  She quickly grabbed one, eyeing it like the love of her life.

  ‘They don’t expect us to fight one another, do they?’ Clara asked, inspecting the assault rifle.

  Eikichi answered. ‘By the looks of it, I think we’re going to be doing that.’

  ‘So, it’s going to be like a game of skirmish, then?’

  Alyssa stood beside a container, glancing at the weapons she wanted to use. Hmm… what to use? She picked up an assault rifle and held it in her hands for a moment. She walked around and found a set of expandable batons. She flicked opened one, spun it around her hand.

  ‘Are you planning on beating up someone, Alyssa?’ Eikichi asked.

  ‘Of course, not’ she said.

  ‘Good. I don’t think I’d want to be on the other side of that thing while you’re holding it.’

  Alyssa smiled, putting the baton away. ‘I see you fashioned yourself the standard gear for battle.’

  ‘You know I’m a simple guy. I see an assault rifle and a handgun, I’m in heaven – much like a burger and French fries. You just can’t go wrong with that, now can you?’

  ‘No, you can’t.’

  ‘Though, it would be pretty cool if they allowed us to use grenades. Some explosions would be nice.’

  She chuckled. She glanced around and saw a change in mood of everyone there. All the students had lively expressions as they choose the weapons. They appeared eager to get going with the exam, which wasn’t the case a few minutes ago.

  When everyone had collected their weapons, they assembled back in front of Miss Olivera and other examiners.

  ‘Okay. I see all of you are ready. Good,’ Miss Olivera said, as she positioned herself closer to the students. ‘The objective of this exam is simple. There will be two teams opposing one another and the goal is to retrieve the opposition’s flag post and plant it beside their own flag post. If you get shot in the heat or chest, walk to the entrance door with your hands up on your head, to signal your exit to other active members. If you signal your surrender in a fight, do the same thing. We will be watching everything, and we’ll know if you got shot or surrendered. Understand?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ the students replied.

  ‘Remember we’re here to see how you work as a team and how your team fairs when you’re pitted against an enemy. Granted, your opposition will be your classmates, but, I expect you to treat them as the enemy during the exam. We want to see your tenacity and fighting ability should you be put in a position to use them. Remember keep it clean. Should I catch anything different, they and their whole team will lose by default.’

  ‘That’s a bit harsh,’ Eikichi muttered.

  ‘No point in complaining now,’ Janice said.

  ‘Any questions?’ Miss Olivera asked.

  A person raised their hand.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Is this what the adults had to do?’

  ‘Yes, the difference was that their weapons were set to kill for their exam.’

  Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

  She glanced at his assistant. ‘Open the gate.’

  The assistant did as they were instructed.

  ‘Before we get started, I want you to elect a captain to your group. Following instructions is also another aspect of the exam we’ll be looking out for.’

  Alyssa and the group selected Ali as captain.

  ‘Alright, when I call out your group, I’ll be assigning your team a colour which is the same colour as your flag.’ She glanced at her list. ‘Group 1, you’re red. Group 4, you’re blue.’

  Group 1 was Alyssa and her group. Group 4 was Arthur and his group.

  Alyssa saw Arthur, who gave her thumbs up.

  Both teams headed into the arena and positioned themselves around their assigned flag.

  ‘Man, you can definitely feel the gravity. I feel heavier,’ Eikichi said.

  ‘It must be two times Earth’s gravity,’ Ali said.

  While the groups secured a perimeter, the drones inside became operational and flew over the groups to provide a view of the activity for the examiners and the students watching on the sideline.

  Alyssa leapt onto higher ground to get a better picture of the field.

  This is it.

  ‘Ooooooo man, I’m excited. It’s time for some ass whooping,’ Janice said.

  ‘Don’t get your hopes up too high,’ Ali said. ‘Arthur is on the other side standing guard by the flag post. This won’t be easy.’

  ‘That’s alright. We have Alyssa and Yannick,’ Clara said.

  ‘That’s the spirit!’ Janice said.

  Alyssa could see Arthur kneeling, as he aimed his sniper rifle toward them.

  ‘Alright, commence the exam,’ Miss. Olivera said.

  CHAPTER 23

  SHOTS RANG THROUGH the examination arena, followed by loud impactful explosions. A great battle had begun between the two groups.

  Alyssa manoeuvred through the field, evading the oncoming fire from the opposition, who were shooting from above. She took cover and secured position ahead. Before giving the signal, she scanned the area and noticed the opposition members advancing, getting closer to her side. She fired her weapon, only using BURST SHOT––multiple shot in quick successions––to keep them at bay.

  ‘Alright, Clara, Ali, you can go move now. The path is cleared,’ Alyssa said.

  She spotted them pass her and position themselves deeper in the opposition’s territory.

  The group were employing one of their tactics they learnt from class. Leapfrogging, which is an effective tactic of suppressing opposition fire while progressing further into enemy grounds.

  Alyssa believed it would be useful in bringing them closer to the opposition’s flag post. However, several members from the opposition took position in areas that made it difficult to get a shot on them.

  Four members including Alyssa took offensive positions, pushing forward into the other team’s area, while Yannick and Janice took defensive positions near their flag post.

  Alyssa scanned the area to get a layout of the area and positions of the other members. She realised Arthur was still in the same position with his sniper rifle locked on her team. However, there wasn’t much time to use to get a view of the others, when he fired his weapon at her. She dodged shots that whistled past her head before moving away from the position.

  You make a mean sniper, don’t you, Arthur?

  ‘As long as Arthur stays in his little cosy spot,’ Eikichi said. ‘we’ll have no chance of getting closer to their flag post.’

  ‘Don’t worry about him for now,’ Ali said. ‘Just focus on eliminating his team members.’ He jumped with Clara into one of tranches to avoid the incoming shots. ‘We want to reduce his group’s numbers. If we can take out at least two or three, it’ll rattle him a bit, which I believe will want to make him leave his position.’

  Eikichi ran across the field, avoiding shots, and jumped inside a deep trench for cover. ‘Alright, sounds like a plan.’

  ‘Clara and I will provide cover while you move on ahead.’

  ‘Alright.’

  Ali and Clara moved onto the next tranche before Eikichi could advance.

  ‘Alright, we’re in position. Go Eikichi!’ he shouted.

  Eikichi moved through the trenches, advancing further inside the opposition’s area. He stopped when he was in front of terrain full of small boulders. ‘Hmm…’<
br />
  ‘Keep your attention on the surrounding areas, you don’t want a surprise attack.’ Ali said.

  ‘Got it.’

  Eikichi got up and searched the area, looking for shadows or any movement of rocks coming down the hills. ‘Where are you guys hiding?’

  He continued to look around, eyes slowly moving left to right with his weapon tightly grasped in his hands. When he approached a tall, sandy hill, he came under attack. Barrage of shots came flying at him with some coming close to making contact.

  ‘Dang it!’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Clara asked.

  Eikichi didn’t answer. He quickly hid himself behind boulders but was confined behind them. He tried to fire back, but whenever he made a slight move, shots were instantly fired.

  ‘Shit!’

  ‘What’s wrong, Eikichi?’ Clara asked.

  ‘I’m pinned. I’m sitting behind a boulder with a number of guys from the other team grilling me.’

  ‘Do you know how many of them are there?’ Ali asked.

  ‘Don’t know. It all happened so fast. All I know is that most of the shots are coming from the same place.’ He peeked, but shots came straight at his face, causing him to duck quickly. ‘That was close.’

  ‘Where are you?’ Alyssa asked, but couldn’t hear his response when she came under attack herself. She retreated, firing shots at her ambushers. ‘I’m sorry. You’re going to have to repeat.’

  ‘I’m on your left. Check your GPT.’

  ‘We don’t have that, remember?’

  ‘Oh yeah,’ Eikichi said, remembering.

  ‘Alyssa, don’t worry about Eikichi’ Ali said. ‘Clara and I will assist him. Just focus on getting closer to Arthur, so you can obtain their flag post.’ He stared back to his other team members by their own flag post. ‘Janice, she’s going to need your assistance. She’ll won’t be able to do it alone.’

  ‘Got it,’ Janice said.

  Ali and Clara managed to get closer to Eikichi. They spotted the members from the opposition in-between two hills, meters above the ground, but their line of sight was blocked by the formation of the hill.

  ‘We’ll have to flank them,’ Ali said. He looked for his pinned teammate. ‘Eikichi, we’re nearby, but you’re going to have to stay there a little longer. We’re going to disperse their attack. It’ll give you a chance to break free from your current position, so you can fire back.’