Chương 37: A SLICE OF LIFE
(Roadside)
Eddie and the machine gunners sat on speeding jeeps, firing on moving targets that appear in the distance.
Eddie fired in controlled bursts. Once a huge number of targets appeared, he switched to suppressive shooting, raining down bullets.
(Thick grass)
Albert and Vera are hidden in the grass, dressed in woodlands camouflage and ghillie suits, inching forward while keeping their guns raised. They are in a sniper course; objective is to move forward by 30m within 2 hours. The reason why they are moving so slowly is because that in order to avoid detection, snipers have to minimise movement as much as possible, so as not to alert the enemy to their presence.
Thus, they are required to only use the force of their fingers and feet to move slowly, ensuring that the instructors standing in the grass do not notice any changes in the surroundings which may expose them.
For snipers on this kind of operations, patience is the most important quality.
Reza walked past Vera and Albert's area, looking around with his pair of binoculars. In the distance, Maia pulled out 2 cadets she found from the grass.
"Clear," whispered Vera. Albert nodded, inching forward together.
A snake had slithered onto the 2 of them. Both froze, holding their breaths, waiting for the snake to go away.
While Vera is extremely chill about the whole thing, Albert is close to exploding. Having been bitten by snakes when he was little left a life-time fear of snakes on him.
Vera noticed that he is all tensed up. "Hey," she whispered. "You have to relax you know?"
Albert turned to Vera, his teeth gritted tightly, barely containing his fear. Seeing her partner's face, Vera would have burst out laughing had she not need to hide.
"Relax," she smiled.
(3 hours later)
The cadets gathered back at the front gate of the dormitories. They have all finished their courses, struggling to stay awake.
Herbert and Nanami tallied the scores, while Bryan looked at the time.
Once Herbert and Nanami finished tallying, they put down their tablets.
"At ease!" yelled Bryan.
The cadets relaxed, still standing in formation.
Bryan gave a toothy grin.
"Time now is 9am in the morning. Today's training is over!" he announced.
"From now till 11pm tonight, you are free to do whatever you want!" he smiled. "Of course, you cannot leave camp."
All of the cadets are stunned that they are essentially given a holiday, unable to fathom why the instructors are so nice towards them suddenly.
"Is it a trap?" thought Sean.
Bryan frowned, puzzled. "You sure you all don't want a break?"
The cadets remained silent; their brains still fried by this development.
Herbert chuckled. "We are serious."
Nanami crossed her arms. "Alright then, how about we do a 10km sprint—"
Before she can finish, the cadets immediately dashed to the armoury to put back their gear, then charging back to the dormitories.
Seeing the cadets running about happily like farmers harvesting crops, the 3 instructors laughed.
"These guys…" commented Nanami.
Sean, Louis, Albert and Eddie dashed into their dormitory, flopping down back on bed and slept.
(4pm)
Sean woke up, groggy.
"What time is it?" asked Sean.
Louis looked at the time. "4pm."
Sean nodded, sitting up. He still feels unreal, considering that they actually got a holiday.
"Is this our "slice of life" arc?" he joked to Louis, referring to the trope in stories. Louis laughed.
He noticed that Albert and Eddie are gone.
"Where did they go?" he asked.
"They went to get food. We agreed to meet at the gym at 7pm," replied Louis.
Sean suggested that they also eat. Louis agreed, and they left.
After eating at the canteen, Louis suggested that they split up to do their things. Sean agreed.
He headed over to the instructors' office, looking for Xiao Tian.
(40 minutes later)
"Bloody try-hard…" joked Xiao Tian in the indoor range, guiding Sean in shooting drills. "You're interesting, spending break time getting extra training," he mused.
"Sir," said Sean.
"Xiao Tian," corrected Xiao Tian with a grin. Sean still called him "sir" nonetheless.
"I don't intend to sleep through today," he replied.
Xiao Tian laughed. "Keep your hand steady, pull the trigger subconsciously. You can use your mind to guide your action, but the pulling of the trigger itself must happen when you are not thinking," he guided.
Sean did as he said, hitting many targets accurately.
"Good!" he commended.
"What happened to: "I will do my best"?" asked Xiao Tian.
"What do you mean?" asked Sean as he reloaded, pretending to be ignorant.
"Your mindset changed. It is because you want to be together with your new friends, right?" he asked.
Sean nodded, smiling embarrassingly. Xiao Tian is always spot on in guessing things about people.
(7pm)
Sean headed into the gym, surprised at the sight that behold him.
Karl, Louis and Eddie, together with other cadets, are all crouched down beside a treadmill, vomiting. Clara is running on the treadmill beside, as if nothing is wrong.
Puzzled, Sean helped Louis and Eddie up, asking them what happened.
It turns out that Clara had challenged the cadets in the gym to a competition, and she had outrun all of her competitors.
"Who's next?" yelled Erika beside Clara, taking bets in the form of snacks from the mini-mart in the base. "WHO WANTS TO CHALLENGE CLARA?" she gloated.
Clara turned off the treadmill, wiping her sweat and gulping down a can of energy drink. She turned to the cadets, finding Sean among them.
"SEAN!" she yelled, pointing at him. "Do you dare to run with me?" she asked. She knows that Sean's physical capabilities are extremely good.
And she wants a challenge.
"Alright then," Sean said after some thought, wanting to "avenge" his friends.
He got onto the treadmill. The rule is that Erika will gradually increase the speed using a remote until they hit 25km/h, the highest speed. Sean and Clara need to keep running for as long as possible, the loser being the one that stops running first.
The treadmill started, and soon Sean and Clara are running at 18.2km/h.
"How is it going?" taunted Clara.
Sean looked forward, focusing on the run. "I suggest you stay focus!" he replied.
Clara laughed. She suddenly turned around, running backwards, shocking Sean and the other cadets.
"RUNNING BACKWARDS AT 20.7KM/H?!" exclaimed the cadets.
Clara then returned to running normally.
"What do you think?" she taunted.
"She's good..." muttered Sean under his breath.
"You realise you can run more easily without your jacket, right? There is less drag. Show us your ab— OW!" taunted Sean in return, only for a flustered Clara to throw an ice cube at his head.
The treadmills got faster as Erika gradually increased the speed.
"23km/h!" yelled Clara. "Don't falter yet, Sean!"
"23.2km/h!"
Sean panted, running. He can feel the machine under him getting faster and faster.
"23.4km/h!"
"I CAN READ THE SPEED METER GOD DAMN IT!" yelled Sean.
Clara laughed, keeping quiet.
They ran furiously, teeth gritted, pumping out all of their energy.
"25km/h!" announced Erika after some time.
"AHHHH!" the 2 yelled, their legs moving furiously on the speeding treadmill underneath them. Their perspiration no longer dripping down onto the treadmill, but rather drifting in the air behind them like contrails thanks to the sheer scale of their movement.
They started absorbing Cosmic Energy from the surroundings to help improve their stability.
Soon 10 minutes passed, and the cadets all have their jaws wide-opened. This already broke the time record for the duration a cadet lasted at 25km/h.
Both Sean and Clara are panting heavily, their faces on fire and their legs sore.
"Never thought that 2 people running on a treadmill will be so intense," commented Karl, shocked at Clara and Sean's perverted levels of physique.
"I know right…" muttered Louis.
Eddie generated 2 giant bubbles behind Sean and Clara's treadmills, worried that an accident may happen should the 2 keep going.
Their legs have become a blur by now, moving so fast that had they wore anything else beside military boots, their footwear would have broken under this kind of stress.
Clara can feel her energy wavering, her legs are becoming unable to keep up.
Suddenly, she tripped herself, losing her balance.
"AH!" she screamed, falling. In the split second that followed, Sean's body moved automatically, diving over to catch Clara before she fell onto the treadmill, just as he had done in Kiev 5 years ago when he raced to push a child out of the way of an incoming 120mm mortar. His lightning quick reflexes proving his abilities as a member of Squad Artemis.
Cushioning her fall using his body, he landed on the treadmill. Even though Erika had quickly turned off both treadmills remotely when Clara tripped, the treadmill is still moving quickly with inertia.
It launched them out like a catapult. Fortunately, they landed on Eddie's giant bubble, absorbing all of the impact.
"YOU 2 ALRIGHT?" yelled a worried Louis as the cadets all rushed over to check on them.
Clara is breaking out in cold sweat, still horrified by what just happened.
Sean tapped her in the shoulder rapidly. "Your…arm…" he choked.
That snapped Clara back to reality, realising that she is pressing down on Sean's neck, quickly withdrawing her left arm, allowing Sean to breathe. Her face turned red upon noticing that she is lying on Sean in an awkward position, instantly jumping off Sean like a compressed spring being released.
"Sorry…" she apologised, flustered. "Thanks…"
Sean painfully gave a thumbs up, panting heavily. "I…guess…I…win…right?" he gasped.
Clara nodded weakly.
At Louis' insistence, they went to the med bay. Of course, all of the cadets kept their mouths shut regarding the competition, praying that the doctors will not check the security footage.
Sean and Clara smiled sheepishly at Phineas. He is looking at their X-ray scans after patching up their abrasions. Sean whistled apprehensively, hoping that his friend will not suspect anything.
"Doctor," smiled Clara, "are we good?"
Phineas pushed up his spectacles, giving an expression that can best be described as a disappointed teacher marking a F-grade exam script.
"What happened to doing things in moderation?" reprimanded Phineas.
Both Clara and Sean bowed their heads.
"I hope this is the last time," he said. Sean and Clara nodded profusely.
Phineas grinned. "Alright. No injuries save for abrasions. Go enjoy the rest of your off day!"
Just as Sean and Clara stepped out of Phineas' office, Ariel ran inside, surprising them.
"Doctor," she smiled. "You free now?"
Phineas put the files aside. "Yeah?"
He noticed that Ariel is holding onto something behind her. "What's that?" he asked.
Ariel winked, putting down a transparent coffee tumbler on the table. "Ta-da!" she exclaimed.
Phineas is confused. "Lemonade?"
"Have a sip," said Ariel proudly.
A puzzled Phineas took a sip. His eyes widened in shock, recognising the taste he had loved ever since he was a child.
"WE HAVE A MIXUE STORE IN THE BASE NOW??" exclaimed Phineas, referring to his favourite tea drink brand.
"I made it!" smiled Ariel proudly. "Managed to bribe a canteen chef with 2 packs of cigarettes."
"Cigarettes are expensive..." said Phineas.
Ariel blushed, sitting down in front of Phineas, resting her face on her hand, enjoying her beloved's visible joy at being able to drink his favourite drink in a military base.
"Worth it," she grinned.
"Aww…" muttered Sean with a mischievous grin. He, Clara, Eddie, Louis, Erika and Karl are peeking out from behind the door, observing them.
"Too mushy…" groaned Eddie.
"But I like it," replied Clara, trying not to chuckle.
"How do you intend to repay me?" asked Ariel, smiling coquettishly.
Phineas opened his drawer, grabbing a bank chip from his wallet, doing so as their phones had been confiscated for security concerns.
"This should be enough to cover the costs," he smiled.
Ariel froze, taking the bank chip from Phineas. A brief expression of disappointment flashed over her face.
The cadets outside collectively face pumped themselves, disappointed.
"This motherf***er is as dense as lead," sighed Karl.
Ariel maintained her smile nonetheless, pocketing the chip. She bid Phineas goodbye.
The cadets immediately moved out of the way, pretending to have walked past.
Ariel greeted them, not suspecting that they were spying on her.
She looked at them, frowning.
"Is Albert and Vera not with you all?" she asked.
At Ariel's reminder, the cadets realised that the pair are indeed missing.
"Strange, we were supposed to meet Albert at the gym about an hour ago…" muttered Sean.
Clara then recounted that Vera had left for the mini-mart. Eddie then remembered that Vera had pulled Albert to the lounge when he and Albert were eating, and Vera was holding a filled plastic bag with the label of the mini-mart.
The cadets then headed to the lounge, greeted by a sight that shocked them:
2 bottles of 700ml Vodka lay haphazardly on a table, both empty.
Albert had passed out, evidently drunk. Vera is drinking from the third bottle in her hand. Her cheeks flushed, and her body swayed slightly, wriggling her serpent tail as well.
She hugged Albert. "Heh, Albert, done after a few shots? How lame…"
Albert's unconscious body swayed as Vera drunkenly hugged her partner.
"What are you dreaming of? Does it involve me?" she asked, burping. "Excuse me…"
Albert flailed his arms. Vera laughed, "Having a nightmare? Snakes? Don't worry, let me scare them out of your dream…"
She started singing in Russian.
"The White Army and the Black Baron are trying to restore the Tsar's throne, but from the taiga to the British seas,The Red Army is the strongest of all!"
She paused when she saw her comrades staring at her, stunned. "Hi," she greeted, offering them vodka.
Sean declined, checking on Albert, who is out cold. "They sell alcohol?" he asked, surprised.
Vera nodded. "Lots of vodka, pretty cool right?"
"And not just Vodka. Beer, Baijiu, Whiskey, Tequila, Soju, Sake, Wine," said a familiar voice behind them. The cadets snapped around, seeing Franz and the rest of the instructors.
Vera instantly went back to her senses. Drinking alcohol without prior permission is a serious breach of discipline.
Franz stormed up to them. "How dare you all drink here?!" he roared.
The cadets kept quiet, only for Franz's subsequent words to fry their brains.
"WITHOUT INVITING US?" laughed Franz, gesturing for the instructors to bring in more drinks.
In the confusion of the cadets, the instructors opened up crates of alcohol and soda.
(9.20pm)
Franz is holding a microphone, addressing the entirety of the cadets, instructors and base personnel in the lounge.
"TONIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE FUN!" he announced. The entire crowd cheered.
"HELL YEAH!"
"DJ Xu Qing, drop the beat!" grinned Nanami.
Xu Qing started blasting music that one will find in a nightclub.
"WOO-HOO!" Sean cheered, holding onto Louis' and Reza's shoulders, clinking his can of beer with Reza's can of orange soda…
(2 days later)
The jolt of the cargo plane landing startled Sean awake. After having a party at Mexico, the cadets are then ushered onto a plane the next day, flying for an entire day straight.
On the plane ride, they are returned their personal items and rank plates. Among the 9 cadets, Karl and Clara are ranked highest, at Lieutenant, Ariel followed behind with Second Lieutenant.
Sean, Albert and Vera are Master Sergeant First Class, Eddie and Erika are ranked Staff Sergeant. Louis is the lowest ranked among them, just a mere Corporal, which surprised the others when they found out, it is simply unheard of for Corporals to be able to make it for Tier 1 selection course.
Sean wiped the window, finding to his surprise that they are in a winter wasteland. The entire sky is dark, without a bit of sunlight, forming a stark contrast with the white ice caps.
His eyes darted to the sign at the airbase.
"Antarctica 1," he read, shocked. This is UNSSD's main staging base on Earth.
The cadets marched forward on the ice upon disembarking, turning on their night vision equipment in their Exo-suits.
Karl noticed tanks and artillery being transported into the base. He recognised their unit insignia.
"THE 38TH GROUP ARMY?!" he exclaimed. The 38th Group Army is part of UNSSD's strongest sector army. It is deployed in the Neptune defence ring, Earth's first line of defense facing the Veo Empire.
"What are they doing on Earth?" asked Eddie, shocked.
Nanami ignored their questions, leading them to a clearing, where the commanders of the brigades under the 38th Group Army are waiting.
Nanami left, leaving the cadets to Herbert and Reza.
A giant holographic screen popped up in front of the cadets, revealing Franz, Bryan and Xiao Tian.
"Ladies and gentlemen, congrats on making it so far in the course!" announced Franz.
"Welcome to the final test! Your mission is to complete your objective within a time limit, while being hunted by the entirety of the 38th Group Army, the 814th Fighter Brigade, as well as operators from the Tier 1 special operation units!"
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