by Cary Caffrey
Sigrid stepped forward, taking the weapon from the girl in front of her. She checked the chamber before slapping a new clip into the handle, as Chesna had shown them.
Hesitantly at first, the girls began firing at the targets. Sara cursed in the stall next to Sigrid; she glared at the target, then regarded the weapon in her hand skeptically. "I think it's broke," she said.
"Keep firing, Ms. Skarsden—and don't blame the weapon."
Chesna stopped by Sigrid next. "Are you waiting for a formal invitation, Ms. Novak?"
"No, ma'am."
"Then I suggest you get to it—this is a timed exercise."
Sigrid swallowed and hefted the heavy pistol; she needed both hands to hold it steady. Dreading the scolding she was sure to get, Sigrid held her breath, aimed, and squeezed the trigger.
Sigrid's jaw dropped—she'd actually hit the target, square between the man's eyes. She realized, then, that Chesna was still standing behind her.
"Think you can do that again?"
Sigrid looked back at her with her mouth still open. She wasn't sure what to say, so instead turned back to the target. With the weapon grasped tightly in her small hands, she fired again, three quick shots, all perfectly grouped, splintering the wood around the previous hole she'd made.
"Very good, Ms. Novak." Chesna pointed further downrange at the more distant targets at seventy-five and a hundred meters. "Now those."
"Those?" Sigrid asked; she didn't see how she could possibly, but Chesna gave her shoulder a squeeze.
This time, Sigrid held the pistol in her right hand. With her body turned sideways to the target, she raised the weapon, aiming down the length of her outstretched arm. Squeezing her left eye shut, she fired two shots, and only two shots, yet scored a hit on both targets—although she barely winged the more distant of the two. It seemed enough to satisfy Chesna though, and she patted Sigrid's shoulder.
Beside her, Sara cursed again; she still hadn't managed a single hit.
"You should watch this one, Ms. Skarsden. You could learn something."
Sigrid stiffened as Sara's eyes narrowed and stared at her. She felt herself flush.
Chesna seemed unaware, though. With her hand still on Sigrid's shoulder, she leaned closer, speaking low in Sigrid's ear. "Although I can’t say much for your technique. Both hands on the weapon next time."
"Yes, ma'am."
Chesna grinned, satisfied, and led Sigrid back to the racks of weapons. "See anything you like?"
Sigrid looked to the weapons mounted before her; her hand played over a longbow that was easily taller than her. The long-barreled sniper rifle also caught her attention. Her eyes glazed over.
"Uh—all of them!"
* * *
Sigrid slept deeply and happily that night. After so many months of struggling with her studies, she realized that she'd finally found something she was good at. The swords she trained with always felt unwieldy, and despite her efforts in the hand-to-hand exercises, her failures were becoming legendary; the other girls had such longer reaches than she did. But now she knew—she could shoot anything.
After dinner she'd yammered Suko's ear off before bedtime, babbling on about all the types of weapons and how she'd hit every one of Chesna's targets. Of course, Suko had been there and seen the whole thing, but she let her friend prattle on, smiling at her excitement.
"That's great, Seeg," Suko said, feeling genuinely happy for her; but her eyelids were heavy and she yawned. "Now, you hafta let me sleep! I'm knackered." Suko laughed and hit her with her pillow.
Sigrid didn't think she could sleep, but exhaustion from the day's constant activities took hold and she passed out before she knew it, snoring soundly.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep when the strange, muffled sounds woke her. Her eyes struggled to focus in the dark; she could barely make out the shape of several girls by Suko's bunk. She sat up, fully awake—two sets of strong hands grabbed her arms and two more girls grabbed her legs, tossing the sheets aside and tearing her from her bed before she knew what was happening.
Sigrid screamed. Four girls covered Suko with a blanket, pinning her to her bunk. "Suko!" she cried out, but someone clamped a hand over her mouth. Kicking and screaming, she was dragged into the showers at the far end of the dormitory. She bit down hard on the hand covering her mouth—the girl yelped and pulled it away. Sigrid called out again, more frantically, "Suko!"
As much as she struggled, it was no use; the girls dragged her down, sitting on her arms and her legs. Sara knelt behind her head, staring down at her with a menacing, satisfied grin. "Hold her," she said.
Sara stuffed a small wash cloth roughly into Sigrid's mouth, then used a rag to tie a gag around her head and neck, cinching it tight. It knotted in Sigrid's hair, and she cried out a muffled scream, but Sara just laughed. "Thought I'd forgot about you, you little bitch?"
Sigrid felt their hands reaching for her underwear and her shirt, and she screamed, terrified—just a smothered, gargled sound through the rags. She got a leg free and managed a good kick to one of the girls' faces, clawing at another, but there were too many of them and they pinned her back to the cold floor.
Sara leaned over her, staring at her, and Sigrid felt herself flush, humiliated and scared. Her heart pounded as another girl approached with a length of rope and handed it to Sara. She tried to pull away, but the girls held her fast as Sara quickly bound her, winding the thin twine around Sigrid's wrists and ankles.
The ropes tore at the skin on her wrists, but Sigrid didn't cry out; she knew it would just spur the girls on. Laughing at her, they dragged her into the showers and tied her to a length of pipe.
Sigrid flinched as Sara leaned close to her. "Don't worry. We're just going to give you a little shower." Sara nodded to one of the other girls who turned the faucet full-on cold.
The blast of icy water hit Sigrid hard, and the girls laughed with glee, watching her struggle as she pulled at the ropes, trying to free herself. Two more girls turned on the adjoining showers, directing even more water onto her, ensuring she got a good dousing. Sigrid breathed water through her nose and choked, almost gagging on the cloth stuffed into her mouth.
"Sleep tight, bitch." Sara's hand rested on the light switch as she looked her up and down. Sigrid turned her body away from her, as if to shield herself from the girl's stare, but it only made Sara laugh. Then, with a satisfied sneer, Sara flipped off the lights, leaving Sigrid alone and shivering in the dark.
Sigrid yanked on the ropes, but the thin twine only dug deeper into her wrists. Worse, the knots seemed to slip and bind tighter as the ropes got wet. As hard as she pulled, there was no escape. Within minutes her fingers and hands were numb and pruned—the water was so cold it hurt. She cried out and stamped her feet on the tiles, begging desperately, but of course, no one came back to free her.
Where was Suko? She worried now what they were doing to her. If they hurt her, when she got out she was going to…to…what? Kill them? Beat them up? There were more of them and they were bigger. What could she do against all of them? Nothing. Bound, as she was, and shaking horribly from the cold, despair filled her; Sigrid couldn't hold back the tears that came, and she wept.
She cursed herself—cursed herself for crying and for being a fool. To think she'd actually imagined the bullying was behind her. Her shoulders ached, her hands were numb and her wrists felt like they were on fire. She was freezing. Sigrid could no longer move her fingers. She strained to arch her back, stretching, to relieve her wrists, but the girls had done a thorough job. The gag in her mouth was soaked through and Sigrid choked again on the ice-cold water and her own tears.
She had no idea how long the girls left her there, and when the bathroom lights finally flicked on she was too exhausted look up. Suko ran to her and shut off the water. She tore the gag from her face and covered her with all the towels she could grab from the laundry. Sigrid shook uncontrollably as Suko held them around her, rubbing her shoulders furiously.
"It's okay," Suko whispered.
She saw that Suko's right eye was swollen and her lip was cut. Her arms were bruised where the girls had grabbed her and held her down. "F-Fuckers…" Sigrid managed through her chattering.
"Don't worry about me. I took care of them." Suko pulled at the knots with her fingernails and her teeth, but it was no use—the knots were stuck tight, the thin twine had shrunk in the cold water. "Don't go anywhere," she said with a wink.
"I'll w-wait h-here," Sigrid said, somehow managing a smile.
Suko returned, carrying a butterfly knife, clearly stolen from the gym.
"W-we're not supposed to have those—Rosa will k-kill you if he finds that!" Sigrid said, suddenly worried Suko would get in trouble.
"I thought it might come in handy," Suko said as she sawed at the twine, taking care not to cut Sigrid.
Finally freed, the pain Sigrid felt in her hands became overwhelming as the blood surged back into them; she clung to Suko, shivering, and wept openly.
"I'm sorry," Sigrid, said, embarrassed at her outburst. "I'm acting like a child."
Suko scoffed. "They're the children—bloody animals. Don't worry, they'll get their comeuppance."
Suko half-carried her back to her bed, putting her own blanket over her as well. Sigrid couldn't stop shivering, nor would she let go of Suko's hand. Suko crawled in next to her, huddling close. She placed the knife next to her under the pillow. "Tomorrow I'm teaching you little red fist," she said, referring to one of Rosa's favorite Kung Fu moves.
Sigrid laughed, but her shivering turned it into a series of choking coughs. She somehow managed a smile, though. She was safe now.
* * *
Sara felt something on her face, a pressure, and she awoke with a start. Something was on her chest. No, someone was on her chest. She looked up and realized that Sigrid was on her bunk. The tiny girl was kneeling on her arms. Something flashed in the dark—the little bitch had a knife.
Sara's eyes bulged wide as she saw the knife come toward her face and Sigrid pressed the blade to her cheek.
"If you ever touch Suko again…" Sigrid hissed. There was a chill in her voice, but her hand was calm and steady where it held the knife to her.
Sara did her best to sound defiant. "What? You're going to cut me?" Both girls were breathing hard, their eyes fixed fiercely on each other. "You don't have the guts."
Sigrid's wrist flicked out and Sara felt the blade nick the soft skin under her eye. She screamed and shoved as hard as she could, sending Sigrid tumbling off the bed.
"You little bitch!"
The lights came on, and they all saw Sara standing there—blood oozing from between her fingers where she clutched her hand to her face. "You bitch!"
"Next time it'll be your eye," Sigrid blurted. She instantly regretted it; she couldn’t quite believe she’d said it. But it was done.
Sara ran out, screaming in rage, leaving Sigrid sitting on her rear holding Suko's knife in her hand, traces of blood on the small blade.
Suko rushed to Sigrid's side, grabbing up the knife. "Oh, my God—are you okay?"
Sigrid nodded, still a little stunned, not quite believing herself what she'd done. But Sara deserved it, and Sigrid wasn't going to let her bully her or hurt Suko again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Survivor
Felix Rosa stood at the large picture window in Dr. Garrett's office. Outside, the girls worked at their exercises. One of his instructors worked with a group wielding Naginatas, the long Japanese bladed-staffs, while another group of girls ran a short obstacle course.
Dr. Lisa Garrett sat at her desk looking over Rosa's report on the girls' activities from the night before. Things had almost gotten out of hand. No. Things had, and now she had to figure out what to do. Her goals may have been purely scientific when she'd started the program, but the reality remained that she was responsible for raising thirty-two teenage girls—thirty-two genetically enhanced teenage girls, whom Kimura was currently training in some very deadly arts.
Lisa rubbed tiredly at her temples. "You must wish sometimes I'd supplied you with a group of boys."
Rosa dismissed the suggestion. "Actually, I find them remarkably focused. They apply themselves to all their tasks with a great deal of veracity, and they demonstrate a tremendous aptitude and willingness for learning. They are dedicated and hard-working. Frankly, I've found the experience most satisfying."
Lisa sighed. "Just think, if we were at Stage Four I might be able to program out bad behavior."
Rosa chuckled. "You might want to consider starting at that stage with the next lot."
Lisa sat back in her chair, examining the report on her pad. "In my old school, we would have expelled the lot of them. Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury." She needed all the girls—they were too rare a commodity. "But we can't have them killing each other either…"
"If this were a military academy, I might consider corporal punishment."
Lisa considered that briefly before dismissing it outright. "We'll hold off on the lashings for the moment."
"Do you want me to cancel their survival training?"
"No, that's fine. It might be good to get them all out of here for a while. A change of pace might be just what we need right now."
Rosa nodded. "I'll make the arrangements."
As he headed for the door, Lisa stopped him. "One thing, Felix…Novak—the little one…"
The grin that came over Rosa's face was all the answer Lisa really needed. "She's an interesting one. She doesn't have the easiest time of it, not quite so big or fast as the others, but…she never quits."
Lisa smiled. "Good."
* * *
August 17, 2343
Sigrid and Suko stood together and watched as three Kingfisher transports zoomed out of the summer sky toward them. One at a time, they came in low, hovering briefly before coming to rest side-by-side in the center of the compound. The whine of their four dual-mounted thrusters only fed the girls' anticipation. Today's trip would be their first outside the Academy walls since they'd been brought there over four years before.
For a group of girls who had grown up in the crowded and dirty streets of Earth, Alcyone presented a completely alien environment; one of lush trees, mountains and flowing rivers. It was nothing like any of them were used to. The planet was sparsely populated, with only a few mining and manufacturing centers. The total population didn't even top one million. The fact that today they'd get to ride in the Kingfishers presented a new attraction and Sigrid couldn't wait.
The flight didn't disappoint either. The pilots were more than happy to show off. They seemed to make an extra effort in climbing steeply and pulling up hard at the last moment as they cleared the last of the towering peaks that surrounded the Academy. Sigrid's heart was in her throat, and she held tight to Suko's hand as they swooped down, skimming a few feet above the ground, as they dived into the river-valley beyond.
The short flight was over all too quickly, and the transports deposited the girls in a clearing by a river that widened into a large pool. The girls took to it instantly, running screaming and splashing into the cool green water. A few of the instructors tried to get the girls out and back in parade rest, but Rosa let them go. He'd brought them here to blow off some steam—best to let them get to it.
Sigrid loved to swim, but swimming was prohibitively expensive back home. Eager to dive in, she couldn't get her boots and shorts off fast enough. She grabbed Suko by the hand. "Come on!"
Suko held fast, digging in her heels. She'd never been to a swimming pool, let alone seen a river. "Wait. What if there's…things in it?"
"Things? What things? There are probably fish—"
"I—I can't swim."
Sigrid was surprised—she'd never seen Suko frightened of anything. She pulled her hand again, but more gently this time. "It's easy. I'll show you. It's okay."
Keeping one apprehensive eye on the water, Suko pulled off her boots and shorts
and let Sigrid lead her in. The day was warm, it had to be at least thirty-two degrees, but the water felt like ice on her ankles, and she squealed, hopping from foot to foot. "No way—it's bloody freezing!"
"Come on, you big weenie." Sigrid wasn't having any of it and she pulled Suko deeper into the river.
When the water got up to her thighs, Suko screamed, flapping her arms. "You're crazy!" But Sigrid kept walking backwards, dragging her in. The river deepened quickly and Sigrid began treading water—Suko was doing her best to keep her toes on the rocks as the water lapped at her chin. When the ground disappeared from under her, she panicked and thrashed and swallowed a mouthful of water, but Sigrid didn't let go. She swam backwards calmly, holding both of Suko's hands, guiding her along. Suko kicked and splashed wildly with her feet, but Sigrid barely seemed to move her legs at all.
"I love it! Isn't it great?" Sigrid declared with delight.
"Gr-b-b-great," Suko managed, spitting up more water.
"See! It's easy."
Sigrid let go of Suko's hands, but Suko began to sink instantly and she kicked out, grabbing onto Sigrid. "Don't…!"
"It's all right. I got you."
Back in Sigrid's arms, Suko relaxed and let herself be guided along. The water felt lovely against her skin, even if a bit cool.
A half hour later, things were much more calm and quiet at the riverside. Most of the girls lay sunning themselves on the rocky beach. Rosa and the other instructors were relaxing up on a big rock where they could keep an eye on all of them.
Suko had long given up on the concept of swimming as recreation by the time Sigrid pulled herself out of the water.
"That was soooo good," she said as she flopped down, wet, beside Suko. Sigrid shook out her hair, playfully spraying Suko in the process.
Suko squealed in protest. "No! It's cold."
"Landlubber," Sigrid teased.