by LC Morgans
Her last few days were spent without tears or the black cloud that’d been looming over her, and instead she actually felt excited about going back to work. She spent her time preparing herself for the hardcore training she knew would come during the elite phase, and by the time she boarded the ship heading to the Alaskan training base, Kyra was absolutely raring to go.
Chapter
Sixteen
Hundreds of other elite trainees travelled alongside Kyra on their long train ride north to Alaska. Once a thriving country, it was now a restricted area used solely for training the elite forces. In her research, she hadn’t found much information readily available to the public, but knew it was now a hive full of highly motivated and well-trained soldiers ready to further their careers, rather than towns and cities full of civilians like it had once been.
At first, only a few of the soldiers on her intake spoke to one another, and the silence was deafening. Either nerves or excitement seemed to be getting to them, but by a few hours into the journey, they were all chatting and getting to know each other. The fresh start felt good, and it was liberating to meet other soldiers headed to the elite base with aspirations of a future as upper-class officers, and potentially even Gentry.
Kyra wandered the train in search of a face she recognized, but instead found a small group of fellow Intelligence Division soldiers, and joined them at a large table they’d taken over.
“What are you pursuing?” she asked a few, and each took it in turns to offer their specialty. There were mostly strategic intelligence, computer programming, and technological science students, or like Kyra, code-breaking. They all chatted long into the night, and it felt good talking with like-minded people who not only knew the subject matter, but also actually engaged in debates with her over some of the lessons Gron and Capt. Quinn had taught them. Each training base seemed to do things differently, and it was a breath of fresh air engaging with others who were just as passionate about their jobs as she was. Kyra eventually settled back in her surprisingly comfortable seat and got a few hours sleep, while the whirr of the engines lulled her into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
When dawn came, so too did the end of their journey. She stretched and grabbed her things, rubbing her eyes groggily, but was alert and quick to pull out her jacket to see off the chill that’d descended. The freezing blasts that hit the trainees faces as they disembarked was sure to wake up any stragglers, and many groaned against the stark change in temperature. Platoon Commanders were there to greet them, just like they’d done at Fort Angel, and Kyra followed the line heading to the right, where a banner indicated the Intelligence Division. There were no buildings on the horizon, only the handful of entranceways like the one beside the banner. After a better look, she saw that it led inside a domed bunker ahead of her that was covered with snow. From above it’d surely look sparse, and Kyra couldn't wait to see what was inside.
She stood with the others and trembled against the cold. They’d been given warm coats, but the arctic chill still permeated the down, and she couldn't wait to get inside. A human woman wearing the rank of Captain stood before them, and she glared at the newcomers as though completely indifferent to their discomfort.
“You'll soon get used to the temperatures here in the extreme north, and this is actually the mildest time of year,” she informed them with a smile once all were present and correct. “Welcome to Elite Base North, where you will be trained not only in your Division, but also as elite soldiers in general. Here your hard work and due diligence will pay off in leaps and bounds, but only if you stay focused, otherwise it’ll be back to the middle-ranks for you.” She stared them all in the eye, and Kyra was careful not to avert her gaze when theirs locked. “My name is Capt. Kash, and I’m the Commander of the Intelligence Division’s training section. You’ll be seeing a lot of me, and believe it when I say, you’re lucky to have me as your leader. Follow me.” Kyra wondered what she meant by that, and envisioned other leaders who might take pleasure in pushing their trainees to their breaking point, or perhaps only let their class favorites progress. She hadn’t heard of favoritism in the military before, but guessed it must happen across the training bases.
Their group did as they were told, and each sighed in relief when they entered through the doorway and hit the warm air within. It was just as she’d imagined, and the narrow hallways quickly opened up into a maze of passages and archways. They finally found themselves in a canteen, where a handful of soldiers were sat drinking coffee, and Capt. Kash stopped.
She turned to face their group again. “This base is built entirely underground, and each Division is linked by a series of tunnels. It’ll take no time at all before you're familiar with it, but in the meantime you’ve all been provided with a map of the building in your new rooms. Speaking of,” she told them, and started walking off down another passage that led away from the delicious smell of food. The trainees were taken to a corridor marked ‘D’ and Kash grabbed a small device from its holster on the wall. Kyra recognized it as a handheld information console, and watched as their superior called up the logs. “Your rooms are all on this corridor, go and dump your things, check out the maps and other information provided, and then come and meet me back in the canteen in an hour.” Kash handed the device to the closest trainee, who then started reading out the names and their associated room number.
Kyra headed off in search of hers, and ran her wrist over the lock to open it. She still marveled at the technology behind the microchips implanted in their arms. The complex transponder allowed them to live and survive so fluidly within their new home and work areas, and by simply emitting just the small amount of information required by the readers at any given time. Never once had she needed to go and investigate any problems with her microchip or her clearances, and wondered whether it was a computer system or a team of human soldiers that maintained the seemingly faultless system. Of course, the chips also meant they were always traceable, like Gron had made clear when he tracked her to the bar, and it made her a little uneasy at the same time.
Her new home was clean, spacious and surprisingly light for an underground fortress, and she quickly set about unpacking her things. Kyra spent a few minutes making sure her room was properly tidied, and then sat down to peruse the information Capt. Kash had promised would be left for her. A small tablet device was waiting on the desk, and she powered it up. The screen showed Kyra where each division studied and slept, and where the other areas of the huge base were located. This building alone was miles wide, and distant areas were connected via a train line she was sure they’d be shown at some point over their first few days. Each section had a state-of-the-art simulated training area like at Fort Angel, and Kyra hoped they might be sent in a simulated desert terrain soon. Despite the freshly pumped warm air, she already missed the heat of L.A and the intense barrenness of Death Valley. She suddenly found herself wondering what was going on right now at the base her friends thought she ought to be returning to, and smiled at the reaction she was sure Silas had given upon hearing she’d been accepted into the Elite program after all.
A quiet knock at her door pulled Kyra from her thoughts, and she opened it to find a short, slightly rounded girl on the other side.
“Hello,” she said, reaching her hand out, and Kyra shook it. “I’m Gabriela, or Gaby for short. I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Kyra, and likewise,” she replied, feeling a little unsure of what to say next.
“I live directly across from you, so I thought I’d stop by and say hi. Do you want to walk back to the canteen together? I’m giving myself plenty of time just in case I get lost along the way,” Gaby told her, and Kyra agreed that it was a good idea. She nodded, grabbed her things, and then followed her new friend down the hall. They turned in the direction Kash had taken them, and soon got chatting as they followed the path to where they hoped some breakfast would be waiting for them.
“I just graduated secondary training from Fort Baker outsid
e of New York, heading down the computer science route, how about you?”
“I’ve just finished secondary too, but I’m hoping to specialize in code-breaking. I trained at Fort Angel in Death Valley.”
“Where did you live before you joined?” Gaby looked sheepish at asking, but Kyra wasn’t ashamed to answer her honestly.
“I was a foster kid from downtown L.A.”
“Me too, but from New York,” Gaby replied, and they both grinned. “Far away from where we once were, hey?”
“Yeah, and never going back,” Kyra agreed. She liked Gaby, and hoped they might end up being good friends. There wasn’t a place in her life for a new man, but a new best friend—she downright needed one of those. Brona was carrying on with her medical training at Fort Angel, and Kyra wasn’t sure they’d even see each other again. She missed her already, but knew they'd both have to accept the changes life had thrown at them, and try to remain in contact wherever possible.
The training was as grueling as Kyra expected, and then some. Weeks went past in a blurred routine of meals and lessons, training and simulations. Each of the trainees was put through so much, and she wondered when she’d ever see the other side, let alone the natural light of day again. Living underground did have its perks though. The chill was kept to a minimum, and there wasn’t any risk of insect bites or rainy weather ruining their days, but the sunshine was a tormenting memory she daren’t access, because it made her feel utterly homesick in a way she’d never imagine possible.
By the end of her first year in elite training, she felt like a well-oiled machine rather than a person anymore. She was desensitized to so many natural human emotions because of their intense seclusion while at Elite Base North, and Kyra often felt like she was akin to a computer running on programming and codes, rather than a member of their new society.
When she travelled south on the long train ride back to Los Angeles for summer break again, there was nowhere she wanted to stay, not even the Crowned King. She wasn’t the same person she’d been the summer before, not by a long shot, so decided to board a train or bus heading anywhere that looked good. She had plenty of credits, as well as her free travel warrant, so decided to let her gut lead the way.
After waiting in the terminal building for a little over an hour watching the timetables, Kyra made a decision, and climbed aboard a ship going west to Japan. She hadn’t heard much about the ancient country, but was open to learning all about the different cultures and history behind the people there. Everything she owned was in her backpack, and she didn’t feel the need to add more to it, however it was an exciting idea travelling to places she’d never dreamed of before. Gone were the days of different languages across the globe, so she knew there wouldn’t be any problem finding places to stay or tour guides for her holiday. The Thrakorian’s had ordered that all regional or cultural dialects should be ceased, and all humans now spoke a single language no matter their heritage or race, as there simply was one race now—human. Kyra had to admit it made things easier, but at the same time she loved hearing the strong lilts and odd sounding words coming from the mouths of those old enough to remember their mother tongue, and she wondered if they dreamed in forbidden languages or wrote secret letters in their strange script.
Japan was a stunning mixture of ancient beauty and modern technology, and there she found an underground group of hackers who adapted any console they could find to improve and play with the mainframes. It was perfectly harmless, and highly exciting for an enthusiast like her to get involved in, so she didn’t worry about joining their fun. Kyra spent the entire two weeks testing and reprogramming computer systems with the men and women who were pioneers in the apparently new field, and she wondered if perhaps the Intelligence Division might look at recruiting them before too long.
The small band of supporters sought change and a move into the more digital world for the human race, and all while working with their leaders’ technology to revolutionize the old and give birth to a new era of machinery. She loved being in Japan, and absorbed every element of the culture she could. On top of her underground activities, Kyra made sure to experience everything else the country had to offer. She ate every variant of food she could find, and walked through both the bustling cities and the tranquil fields that were so close together it felt like a marvelous contradiction.
She’d set out on a journey to clear her mind, and it worked. When she stepped off the hovercraft in Los Angeles’ terminal building again the world felt small, and she yearned for the peace she’d hoped would stay with her longer. Her Asian paradise already seemed so far away, not just half a day’s travel, and she took a moment to grieve it.
While sat nursing a coffee and whiling away the few hours wait she had until their train would disembark for Alaska, Kyra began watching the busy terminal, especially the people all milling around it. She spotted mothers with their children, soldiers with their comrades, and then something else caught her eye. It was her job to notice things out of the ordinary, and all of a sudden not all seemed right. Every moment of training came back to her in a flood, and it made her stomach lurch.
There were two men were standing not far away, leaning close to each other and whispering intently in one another’s ear. The closeness wouldn’t normally bother an everyday passer by or casual observer, but Kyra’s gut immediately flared. The men weren’t lovers, and they certainly didn’t seem to be friends either. Their exchange was all business, and methodic, like every movement had been meticulously planned. She immediately wondered if they might be up to no good. When the two men moved down toward the train tracks, Kyra followed her instincts, and took after them. She watched from afar, sipping her coffee from its paper cup casually, so as not to alarm them, and spotted a black smudge on the wall to one edge of a turnoff, which they coincidentally took. Something about the marking stirred her even more, and she continued to follow the men. She watched as they came to a stop, checked their periphery, entered a control room, and then left again a few minutes later dressed as policemen.
Kyra could tell they weren’t enforcement officers, and somehow knew without a doubt that something bad was about to happen. She looked for a nearby device to alert her superiors to a potential threat, and found an old style telephone that was attached to the wall. She lifted the receiver, and hoped for the best. The lines were long since dead, but should’ve been replaced using cell receptors, and as soon as she heard the dial tone, Kyra knew the real police would be on the other end of the call no matter what buttons she pressed.
“This is Lieutenant Kyra Millan, Intelligence Division,” she said quietly into the receiver. “I believe there to be a potential threat to the L.A terminal building, and I’m requesting permission to take the suspects into my custody for questioning. What do you recommend?”
“We see you, Lieutenant. Which are the suspects you are concerned about?” a female voice asked from down the line, and she turned briefly to look at the two men, who were now hovering by the tracks. They were standing close to each other again, whispering intently while watching the crowd, and still looked out of place among the travellers.
“Two men, dressed as police. In my line of vision now,” she told the call handler before turning back, and knew they had seen her on their cameras.
“Thirty seconds until Thrakorian infiltration. Please stand by,” the voice told her, and then the call ended abruptly. Before she could even think or move, a squad of around thirty huge men and women stormed the station. They moved stealthily through the sea of people, and the tactical advantage was marvelous. It was clear to Kyra where they were going, however the two men seemed oblivious to their presence until it was too late thanks to their covertness and speed. They tried to fight, but were quickly reprimanded by the powerful Thraks and taken away, while she and the other humans watched on with open mouths.
Next thing she knew, they were being evacuated. A loud voice sounded throughout the crowd via hidden speakers, issuing directions to the nearest
exits and informing them that all trains and other crafts were grounded until further notice. Kyra followed the crowd and started walking back to the entrance, when a huge hand fell on her shoulder and halted her.
“Lieutenant Millan?” the burly Thrak soldier asked, and she nodded. “I need you to come with us for debriefing,” he told her, and she knew there was no other choice but to comply. Kyra followed him back over to where the rest of his squad were combing the area and taking photographic evidence of the scene. She stayed quiet while they did their thing, and was surprised when she was ushered into their truck and taken to the nearby precinct. She’d never been involved with the police in her life, and felt odd riding in the back of a van with five heavily laden Thrakorian’s. The foster kid inside of her wanted to run away in fear, but the soldier element won over, and she kept her cool.
Chapter
Seventeen
“Lieutenant, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” a young woman greeted them inside the entrance to the police precinct, and Kyra shook her outstretched hand. “I’m Bow, the call handler you spoke with.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bow,” she replied, and followed her further into the depths of the huge building. “I hope my instincts were correct with those two men in the terminal?”
“It’s not my place to say, but I can tell you that you caught the attention of our Commanding Officer, Paladin Forst. He was quick to act on your call, and would like to meet with you,” she told her, and Kyra had to stifle her shock. She’d never dreamed of meeting one of the highest ranking officer’s in the Thrakorian army, and wondered if he might be waiting in the back to interrogate her about why she’d acted the way she had towards the two men. It would be hard to explain, but every moment of it had been pure instinct, and she barely even remembered a moment-by-moment account of the capture. All conscious thought had left her when she’d found a fragment of chaos within the apparent normalcy of the terminal, and everything after that had been natural, learned responses to the scenario.