Chương 6

By the time my alarm went off at 0630, I was already out of bed and in the shower. The cold water helped cut through the fog of exhaustion. I put on the dark gray fitted shirt with silver trimmed cuffs I found in my room's storage unit. It fit perfectly, tailored to my specific frame via my biometric data. The commissary -no, that is a ridiculous name, the cafeteria- was a five-minute walk from the North Tower according to the map I saved yesterday.

Thankfully, I didn't even need to consult it twice, I just followed other students who looked like they knew where they were going. Vera was already there, calmly eating her meal. She looked up as I approached, and her expression shifted to something that might have been concern.

"You didn't sleep," she stated.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes. You're also a bit late. I already got your food." She gestured to the seat across from her, a lone tray sitting in front of it full of something that looked like eggs, bread, and something that defied categorization entirely. Even the top academies can't afford unsynthesized food all the time, huh.

"Sit and eat. You're going to need the energy today." I started with the biomass that tried its best to convince me it was a fried egg. Not… half bad? Damn, even their synthfood is tasty.

"Today we're doing physical conditioning," Vera started, not wasting any more time.

"The Strategos Program operates differently from standard coursework. Each day has a single focus which is essentially one extended class that runs from eight in the morning to whenever the instructor decides you're done." That isn't… as bad as I expected.

"One class per day? That sounds pretty nice."

"It's more intense than it sounds. By the end of each session, you'll understand why we don't stack multiple subjects." Vera paused.

"The first week is kind of a long test. Instructors are mostly making sure that everyone who is in the program actually deserves to be there. There's a bit of evaluation as well."

"And after this week?"

"Then the real work begins. You'll be sorted into study groups based on your results. The groups train together, compete against each other, and are evaluated collectively as well as individually. Your performance affects your groupmates' scores. If you fail, they suffer. If they fail, you suffer. It's designed to build unit cohesion and teach you that leadership isn't just about individual excellence." I thought about Grant and Finn and the years we had spent supporting each other through the junior schools.

Seems like the empire has implemented this system from the moment we were old enough to socialize. At least that dynamic was familiar.

"Got it. Do I get a choice in forming the group?"

"Not really. There's a bit more to it, but for now, just know that it's based on scores, and they pair the best performers together. One more thing." Vera leaned forward.

"I'll be providing additional training outside of class hours. You're starting from a deficit compared to students who grew up with military tutors." She reached into her jacket and pulled out a blank key card.

"I'll need access to your quarters. Tap this against your room key and it'll duplicate your key." Well. One girl now has given me her number and another can now barge into my room at any time. You're sure living an interesting life, aren't you Jax. I filed away the information on keycard cloning for later use, and did what she asked. I was about to give it back to her when a familiar voice cut in.

"I'll be taking that~" Charlotte slid into the seat next to me, her training uniform suiting her figure far more than mine did for me. She plucked the key from my fingers before I could react. My fingers twitched, unconsciously trying to hold an object that wasn't there anymore. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Charlotte." Vera's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't realize you'd be joining us."

"We're all going to the same class, and Jax looked like he could use a friendly face." Charlotte turned to me with a smile that made my sleep-deprived brain short-circuit momentarily. Dangerous, that one.

"You look terrible."

"Thanks. I feel terrible."

"If you guys are done, Charlotte, please give me Jax's room key," Vera cut in.

"Jax and I are in the same tower." Charlotte pocketed the key with a smile.

"It makes more sense for me to have this."

"We're all in the same tower. That's the whole point of that tower. And you're not his mentor."

"Well we're only one floor apart, and you're, what, 8 floors up? Also I'm his friend. Unless that's a disqualifying factor?" The tension crackled between them. I had the distinct sense this wasn't really about me at all. Noble politics. Yippeeee.

"Fine," Vera said finally.

"But if his performance suffers…"

"Then blame me. I'll accept the consequences." Charlotte's tone was light, but her eyes were serious.

"I know the stakes, Vera. Better than most." Vera looked into Charlotte's eyes and finally nodded.

"Class starts in forty minutes. Don't be late." She walked away without looking back.

"I'll see you tonight at 1700, Jax." I turned to Charlotte.

"What was that about? You guys looked like you were ready to rip into each other. I thought you were friendly since you got along on the shuttle."

"Ancient history." She started eating nonchalantly.

"Ask me again in a few weeks."

"That's not an answer."

"No, it isn't." She smiled.

"Ready for physical conditioning?"

"Define ready."

"Able to run without immediately collapsing."

"Then yes… Probably."

"That's the spirit." — As it turned out, the Strategos Program had fewer students than I had expected. Or at least our year did, since Vera wasn't with us. What do the upper years in this program get up to? By the time Charlotte and I arrived at the training facility, only about thirty students were there along with the instructor.

"Get on the track. Don't talk." an extremely fit and muscular woman gestured towards the running track. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The instructor's uniform bore no rank insignia, with only a single silver bar across her collar that I didn't recognize. I wonder how many hidden meanings in plain sight everything here has.

Near the back, I noticed a bored-looking staff member leaning against the wall, a mop, bucket, and some cleaning supplies by their feet, watching something on their slate. I positioned myself near the middle of the group, Charlotte a meter or so to my left. Around us, the other students were a mix of body types and demeanors. Some looked like they had been training for this their entire lives. Others looked like me, reasonably fit but clearly not specialists.

Most of the students were girls, but there were also two other guys in the group; one athletically built, the other having indulged in one too many deserts over the years. I internally winced in sympathy for him. I gave them The Nod. They returned it. I looked around at the huge converted cargo bay, with rubberized flooring and equipment racks along the walls. When I say huge, I mean about the size of a football field. I wonder what it once held that required so much space.

The running track went around the whole perimeter. Fun.

"I am Instructor Zoe." The woman began walking among us.

"Today's session is pretty simple. 400 meter laps. Two minutes to complete each lap. Two minutes of rest between laps. Continue until I say stop." That did sound pretty simple. Simply hellish. I started regretting neglecting my body in favor of books.

"If you fail to complete a lap in the required time, you forfeit your rest period and continue running for another lap or until you physically cannot continue." Instructor Zoe paused in front of a student who looked particularly nervous.

"If you cannot complete two laps in each eight-minute time period, you will be asked to leave this program." The nervous student swallowed visibly. I'm sorry Grant, Finn, I'm probably only gonna see you guys again in the afterlife…

"Questions?" No one had any. One student looked like she was just barely holding back a panic attack.

"Begin on my mark." Instructor Zoe raised her hand.

"Go." I ran. The first lap was easy. My body felt light and strong, and I completed the circuit in a minute and fifty seconds. Plenty of margin for safety. I bent over with my hands on my knees and watched the other students finish. Charlotte crossed the line three seconds after me. She caught my eye and mouthed something that might have been "Show-off." I grinned despite myself. Most made it within the time limit. A few cut it close, crossing the line at a minute-fifty-five or fifty-nine.

One student, the heavyset young man who looked completely unused to physical exertion, stumbled across at two minutes two seconds. Instructor Zoe noted it with a small gesture, and the student kept running while the rest of us caught our breath.

"Lap two. Go." The second lap felt identical to the first. Minute and forty eight seconds. The pattern was easy to maintain, and I started to wonder what all the fuss was about. Physical conditioning was important, sure, but this was just running. This wasn't too bad. Even the chubby guy made it to the rest period this time, given his headstart.

"Lap three. Go." One minute and fifty-five seconds. Still comfortable. Charlotte pulled up beside me during the rest period.

"Feeling confident?" she asked.

"Should I not be?"

"Just wait." She smiled in a way that suggested she knew something I didn't.

"Don't push yourself too hard right now." The chubby student was still running, his face red and his breathing ragged. He had missed the lap deadline for the first, and now also third lap, so far, so could not rest as much as he needed to, but he still kept going, making the most of the last rest period. I admired his determination.

"Lap four. Go." A minute and fifty-six seconds. A little slower, but still in control. The two minutes of rest were enough to recover my wind, and I felt confident going into the fifth lap. That was when Instructor Zoe changed the rules.

"Weighted vests. Rack three. You have thirty seconds to equip." Well… shit. The vests were laid out along the wall. I grabbed one and pulled it on, feeling the immediate drag on my shoulders and core. They had to be at least twenty kilograms heavy. Charlotte appeared beside me, already wearing her vest.

"First time with weights?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"You looked happier thirty seconds ago." She adjusted my shoulder straps.

"There. That'll distribute better."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet." She moved back to her position.

"From what I found out, the vest is just the beginning." Around me, other students were doing the same. Their expressions ranged from grim acceptance to poorly concealed alarm.

"Lap five. Go." The weight changed everything. What had been an easy stride became a labored trudge. My legs, which had felt fresh moments ago, suddenly burned with every step. I pushed harder, trying to maintain my previous pace, and crossed the line at one minute fifty-nine seconds. It's been, what, three kilometers total now? The rest period felt shorter now. Two minutes wasn't enough to fully recover with the extra weight dragging at my muscles.

I was still breathing hard when Instructor Zoe called the next lap.

"Lap six. Go." One minute and fifty-eight seconds. My lungs were on fire. The vest seemed to grow heavier with every step, and the straps digging into my shoulders felt like hot iron. Around me, students were starting to fall behind. Three more had missed the cutoff, joining the original student in the endless loop of running with little rest.

"Lap seven. Go." Charlotte ran slightly ahead of me during this lap and kept glancing back every so often.

"What are you doing?" I managed between breaths.

"Pacing you."

"I don't need a pacer."

"Just shut up and run. Match my stride and-" she rasped in a quick breath, "don't overthink it." I did as she said. I was too tired to argue anyways. We made it back to the line in fifty-nine seconds. The two minutes of rest passed in a blur. I tried to slow my heart rate with some deep breaths, but that did little to calm the hammering in my chest and the spike of pain i was developing in my side.

"Lap eight. Go." I ran. Everything hurt. The vest felt like a parasite, sapping my strength. My legs at this point were only moving through sheer stubbornness. That spike of pain from overexcretion didn't let itself be forgotten either. One minute, fifty-eight seconds. Barely. The next few laps blurred together in a haze of pain and determination. I think I saw someone throw up, but couldn't spare the mental energy to check. By lap twelve, I was operating on pure willpower.

My body had given up somewhere around lap ten. I was running on fumes and trying my best to hit the two-minute mark. The rest period was the only lifeline keeping me afloat at this point. Through it all, Charlotte stayed just in front of me, though she was showing serious signs of exhaustion as well.

I'm sure if my brain had oxygen to spare, there would have been plenty to appreciate, but unfortunately I was critically low on both oxygen and the capacity to think of anything other than putting one foot in front of the other.

"Lap fourteen. Go." I pushed my tired body forward, and for the first time, I started regretting the slivers of energy I had spent at the start of the session trying to get a larger margin of safety. I could have used those few seconds of effort right now. About halfway through the lap, a gun appeared in Instructor Zoe's hands. She began shooting without even a moment of hesitation. A spray of rubber pellets showered over the group.

One rubber bullet caught me in the thigh mid-stride, and the sudden pain made me stumble. My stomach decided it would be a great idea to vacate its contents, but I managed to just barely hold it down.

"Come on," Charlotte said as she slowed down to wait for me.

"Coming," I said through gritted teeth, tasting iron in my mouth. I pushed myself further than I thought was possible and crossed the line at one fifty-eight with my heart threatening to burst through my chest. I did throw up then. A bucket had almost magically appeared just before I did, and I gratefully used it. I looked up, wiping my mouth, and saw the employee I saw earlier take the bucket and empty it into their cart. Efficient, I guess.

I bent double as I tried to force air into lungs that felt like they had been filled with concrete. The student next to me, a tall girl with a crest on her sleeve, was barely breathing hard.

"First time with weighted runs?" she asked, not unkindly. I nodded, unable to spare breath for words.

"It gets easier. Just make sure to keep your knees pointed forward and pick your feet up."

"But only if you keep doing them," Charlotte spoke up beside her.

"You can push through this Jax." She paused for a second, taking a few deep breaths.

"Try this. Listen." She breathed loudly. In. Out. Double In. Out. In. Double out. In. Out.

"My family's tutor taught me this, maybe it will help." I nodded weakly, trying my best to commit it to memory and promptly forgetting most of it.

"Lap fifteen. Go." I ran forward. My gait had devolved into something barely recognizable as running, more of a controlled fall forward repeated hundreds of times. My legs were columns of fire and the weighted vest had become part of my body, an extension of my suffering that I couldn't remember existing without. I was way too out of it to focus enough and regulate my breathing. Despite Charlotte's pacing, I missed the two-minute time for the lap. In that moment, I wanted to quit.

I wanted to go back to the dean and say that there had been some sort of mistake and that I no longer wanted to be part of this tortuous program. Charlotte appeared beside me, with words of encouragement my brain did not have the capacity to comprehend as my heart hammered in my ears, and my side felt like it was getting a delectable treatment with a hot poker. All I could see was her blurry form and the swishing of her hair just in front of me as she kept pace with me.

That was enough for me to pick up my legs, gather myself, and keep running.