Governor Anderson’s mood lightened a little as he took a moment to look at all the faces in the audience. He continued with more levity. “You are the best we have. You don’t need physical conditioning, you know enough to become an asset in the field already, and you all have something that’s very important to us: ambition. We are going to give you the tools you need to become the best officers in the fleet, and all you have to do is keep working, thinking and learning one day at a time. Over the next thirty days you will not have duty shifts unless they are punitive. Instead, you will be assigned educational tasks that help you in areas that you weren’t as high as you could have been in on your qualifier exams. You will learn things about the galaxy you live in that will open your mind and astound you. Our best commanders know when to follow procedure, and when to improvise with an open mind. If you don’t demonstrate the skill level we need after this thirty day period you will be held back, and you’ll join the next class coming up in one month. We don’t expect that to be necessary for any of you.”
Governor Anderson got up from where he was sitting on the edge of the stage and regarded the group as though he was suppressing his excitement. “While you’re fulfilling that requirement, you will maintain your physical fitness, take courses in hand to hand combat, basic survival – the five former Rangers here are exempt from that – take an introductory medical course on emergency survival technology and learn about the new officer’s kit. You are wearing the first part of it now, a next generation adaptive containment suit, or advanced vacsuit, as we’ve come to call it. Those are the tasks you will undertake while you carry the main course load. You will also monitor seven soldiers who are in the parallel combat and technical training program. Their physical and mental health, their success in their programs and their success in several important challenges will be yours to observe. How involved you become is entirely up to you. We are giving you an opportunity to develop a command style while you have assistance and are learning how Haven Fleet wants it done. This is a fantastic opportunity for every one of you.”
There was another chorus of groaning, but it was quieter. Alice leaned forward in her seat, getting a little excited. There was something in Governor Anderson’s expression that suggested he was saving the best for last.
“Apex is a training program for excellent officers who travel across the galaxy, fight for our freedom, render assistance in the name of Haven Fleet, and explore,” Governor Anderson said. An image of the Icarus appeared behind him, stretching the width of the entire wall. “So, we want to get you aboard one of our new ships as quickly as possible. The primary course matter over the next thirty days will take you through everything you need to know to serve aboard our new Runner Class Corvettes, and you will receive critical training in one primary specialty of your choice, and a secondary specialty of our choice. Your trainees will fit with your specialties. You must be excellent at both in order to serve aboard that ship by the time your thirty days are up. Here are examples of the practical training you’re about to engage in. In three days you will begin participating in the emergency procedure tests. You, your classmates, and a number of cadets will master the most important survival procedures aboard ship by day five. We’re talking about saving people trapped in compartments, surviving sudden decompression without getting yourself and your crewmembers maimed or killed. You will learn how to direct your crews to the right places at the right times during an emergency, and how to monitor them properly. Once you are all certified in critical emergency operations, you will move on to study the rest of the ship and learn your specialties. Some of you will be called on to brief your classmates and the cadets on experiences you had before joining this program. You will have two days to prepare your briefing and then you will present it. At the end of your thirty-day term here, you will have earned your certification in both your specialties, passed five qualifications that cover the essentials of the ships you will be serving on as well and you will pass three general knowledge qualification exams.”
“Oh my God, this is mad,” Yawen said. “They’re piling so much work on us.”
“Drills with your cadets will continue throughout your training as they finish their basic qualifications to serve. Again, you can monitor their overall welfare and offer light assistance, or get more involved, it’s your choice.”
A group of people began coming through the door to the left of the stage, all in Haven Fleet Captain uniforms. Alice recognized Captain McFadden, from the Morrigan and Captain Ruby Sima from the Lord Neptune immediately. The first was the captain who brought the Hell Shrike to the Rega Gain system after fighting through the thickest parts of Order of Eden held territory. The second was a famous wealthy Captain who Alice heard more rumours about than fact. She was a raider, a rebel who struck Regent Galactic storehouses and manufacturing centres and sold supplies to Haven Shore, but it was rumoured that she also captured many cargo ships and even assassinated a Regent Galactic Commodore. There were two more women in Triton Fleet captain uniforms and two men behind them. They all took to the stage, lining up against the wall behind Governor Anderson.
“When you’ve successfully completed the first phase of your training, you will have one day to rest while you await your Captain’s call. During that day you will have to make yourself available for any questions the Captains behind me have for you as they select you for their crew. On day thirty-two you will transfer aboard your new ship and accept the assignment you are given by your new Captain. On day thirty-three the next phase of Apex begins – your service in the fleet aboard these Corvettes. All of these Captains will command from the bridge of their ships, most of them will have other ships of their own to bring on the assignments. The missions they will be sent on will be diverse, and you will all continue your training during your service. I’m not going to go into details, but suffice it to say that the following months will be the busiest of your lives, and you will be doing important work. At the end of the three-month training period, the certifications you’ve earned and the points you have left will determine how many options you have, and what rank you will begin the next phase of your career at when you choose from the posts we present you with. I hope you all take some time tonight to think about that. You will this program as proven, elite officers who will help determine the direction of Haven Fleet and the outcome of the most important war of our time. Cadets will bring dinner in for you now, please be patient as they set up the tables and wheel the food in. They have had a hard day of physical testing. Our Captains will be eating with you tonight. Welcome to Apex, and good luck.”
Governor Anderson stepped down from the stage, he was followed closely behind by the rest of the Captains. To Alice’s surprise, Ruby Sima looked directly at her, her brown long coat flipping up dramatically as she dropped down from the stage. She wore the light armour version of their vacsuit with a survival belt, a long particle pistol strapped to her thigh, and a Haven Fleet emblem printed on the chest of her jacket so she could wear it over her uniform. “Excuse me,” she said to Gambin as she guided him onto his feet and moved him aside so his seat was empty. “I’d like to meet this young lady.” Ruby pushed the seats between her and Alice out of the way. “I’m glad you made it through, Alice, welcome to the program,” she said, offering her hand.
In shock, Alice stood and shook it. “Thank you, Captain, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All true, unless you’ve been talking to the Salustri Mafia, then it’s all lies,” Ruby said. “Well, at least one third lies.”
“I thought Salustri was a corporation,” Gambin said from behind Ruby.
“Only in the database,” Ruby said, barely turning her head towards him. Her attention was focused on Alice. “I can’t stay for dinner, but I’d like you to know that I’ll be watching your progress closely. I think the Raider is the ship for you, I know you can bring a lot to my crew. Just pass everything they throw at you like you did in the Quals, make sure your cadets get the help they need and
I’ll see you there.”
“Not if I outbid you,” a blonde woman with an Irish accent said. “I’m Captain Hogan, from the Harrier.” She said, offering her hand to Ute, then to Iruuk, Alice and finally Yawen, who grinned at her in return. “I’ll take these four right now, if you’ll put their training in my hands.”
“You know that’s not how it works, Eily,” Governor Anderson said as he approached the growing group.
“See you in a month, then,” she said, winking at Yawen.
“Twenty-eight officers,” Ruby said. “It’s going to be a bidding war.”
“Captains are paying for trainee officers?” Ute asked, her voice squeaking.
“In a way,” Captain Eily said. “We get a certain amount of points, I’m not allowed to tell you how many, and we get to spend them on different officers. I get the feeling that Iruuk here is going to cost me at least a hundred points. I see you coming through these thirty days with honours.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Iruuk replied, pleased with himself. “I’m sure the workload will keep me out of trouble.”
“Well, I have to get back to my ship, some of us are already flying missions for the fleet,” Captain Sima said to Captain Hogan.
“See you, Ruby,” she nodded in return.
“It was good meeting you, Alice, I’ll be seeing you soon,” Captain Sima said with a smirk before walking off.
“Now I can’t wait for day thirty-one,” Yawen said. “I hope we get to see the bidding live.”
“It’s a round robin picking system,” Governor Anderson said. “And you won’t get to see anything until you graduate in three months. Then you get access to your whole file. Alice, would you mind walking me out?”
“Sure,” Alice said, falling in step beside him as he slowly started across the multipurpose room.
“I’m proud of how you performed in the qualifications, I’m sorry I couldn’t be around much for the last two weeks,” he said quietly.
“Don’t worry, I think we were both busy. Me trying to get into Apex, and you putting the roof up.”
“True,” her grandfather said. “Are you happy you got in?”
“Now that I know we’ll be out there in a month? Hell yes,” Alice said with a grin. She was concerned about the workload the next thirty days would bring, but she was also excited. Travelling on the Clever Dream in her earliest human life, from what she could remember, was amazing, but lonely and she often didn’t know how much of the equipment she was using worked. Connecting directly to the computer using a neural link was often the solution, she could read the instructions as she made use of the technology, but she never felt truly competent. If she didn’t have a link to a computer, she would have to muddle her way through, and that didn’t always work out. Fighting was something she knew well, and she never had to look up the instructions. The thought of feeling that kind of confidence about a warship she was an officer on was intoxicating. Meeting one of the most important fighting Captains in the sector and being told that she wanted her on her crew brought things up to a whole new level. “I couldn’t be happier to be here,” Alice said. “I’m curious though, are there really only twenty-eight of us in the first group?”
“Yes,” her grandfather said as they continued their slow walk to the door. “We knew the testing was hard, but we didn’t think it would eliminate so many. We also discovered forty-nine Order spies who were trying to join up. This program is already paying off. We are eager to get more officers in though.”
“So the next crop won’t be tested as hard?” Alice asked in a whisper.
“No, we’re keeping the testing the way it is with a few very minor tweaks that won’t change the difficulty. A lot of people who failed to get in will be sharing what they know about the qualification tests, so we’ll have recruits that are more prepared in advance. We expect the next class to be a little larger, but for now you have the advantage of not having to share your instructors with so many people. Use that as much as you can.”
“I will,” Alice said. “Any parting advice?” she asked as they reached the door. Her stomach rumbled as a pair of cadets rolled a long cart with large lidded containers through the door and past them.
“When it comes to staying in shape, do it with your cadets,” her grandfather said seriously, quietly. She didn’t expect him to offer her actual advice, so she listened intently. “You’re an Officer,” he continued, “so take that opportunity to put yourself in charge of at least one physical drill a day. Help them out, give them encouragement, and don’t go against the drill instructor’s direction if they decide to remain involved, go along with whatever they want to drive the cadets through. One more thing: if a cadet asks you something you don’t know the answer to, go learn about it as quickly as you can and then teach them. Handing a cadet who has questions up to a senior officer looks worse than you might think, even though your instructors are telling you that it’s fine. There’s one more thing, and I don’t want you to concentrate on it, but you can gain points in this system. There are twenty low ranking officer slots available for cadets who excel past a high bar we’ve set. You can gain points depending on what you’ve done to get your cadets to that point, that and there will be a lot of prestige that comes with being an Officer Trainee who can help their cadet gain an officer rank. Command doesn’t actually expect any cadet to become officers during this thirty-day window, so if you can maintain the quality of your cadet’s training while elevating them to higher than required proficiency, do it. Just don’t focus on one to the point that the rest suffer.”
“Of course, that’s just good command thinking,” Alice said with a smile.
Carl Anderson grinned at her for a moment. “You’re going to do fine. Just remember to keep up with the training, manage your time, and make sure your cadets do the same. You’ll rise to the top ten.”
“So this is a competitive training program,” Alice said.
“Absolutely. In everything you do you have an opportunity to differentiate yourself from all of them,” her grandfather said, nodding at the room behind her. “Even by helping them at the right time, you can make yourself look better and benefit the Fleet. Work as hard as you can in the next month, remind yourself that you have a whole day after to slow down and catch up on rest. As soon as you think you need help with anything, go find it. That’s better than losing points in testing or losing a cadet because you score too low the first time.”
“Thank you, I’ll make sure all the instructors are tired of me by the time I’m finished,” Alice said.
“Good, that’s what they’re for. Oh, and record something for Jake and Ayan when you have time. We’re trying to find a way to communicate with people inside the Iron Head Nebula on a regular basis, so I’ll make sure it’s in the first transmission.”
“Did they find Freeground?” Alice asked in an almost inaudible whisper.
Her grandfather smiled and gave her the slightest of nods. “The Triton just sent us a data packet yesterday, we don’t know when they’ll be coming in, it could be a long time from now, but they found it. It’s on its way here slowly. The Triton and Revenge are in good shape. It’s not public knowledge yet, so no sharing.”
“I know, don’t worry,” Alice said, giving her Grandfather a hug. “Thank you for telling me, I was worried. Distracted, but worried.”
“They can take care of themselves, just concentrate on your work here. Good luck, I have to get back to Tamber, there’s a lot going on. I’ll send you a message on your day off,” he replied.
He turned, waited for a group of cadets carrying folding tables to finish coming through the doorway and marched out.
The smell of hot food drew Alice back towards the middle of the room. A refreshment table where cadets in white served chilled fruit drinks had been set up at the other end of the room. She joined Iruuk, who was sipping from a pitcher of yellow and orange juice that was so cold it had condensation building on the outsides. “The Governor looked happy,” he told
her.
Alice nodded and accepted a tall, cold glass of the same stuff he was having and tasted it before answering. It was tangy and sweet with a rich texture. “What is this?” she asked.
“Opponulu juice, Ma’am,” the cadet said with a smile. He wasn’t much taller than her, had tanned skin and dark brown eyes. “Sort of like grapefruit and pear, but I’ve only ever tasted the synthetic versions of those fruits, so who really knows?”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling back at him. “Do you have a straw back there?”
He pulled a curly straw from behind the table and handed it to her. “Here you are, Ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s ‘thank you, Cadet,’” said one of the male Captains as he stepped up to the table. His broad head was shaved, and he had synthetic eyes with pupils that were slanted lines.
“Thank you, Cadet,” Alice said, nodding at the cadet behind the table.
“I’m Captain Nager,” he said, offering his hand. “From the Icarus.”
Ayan shook his hand. “It’s good to meet you, Sir,” Alice said. “I hear that was the first built in its class.”
“It is, and I’ve been testing her systems for weeks. The Runner Corvette class is the best ship type in the fleet. What did you and Iruuk think of the presentation?”
“Exciting, I’m looking forward to digging in,” she replied.
“We’re going to learn a lot,” Iruuk said.
“Good,” he replied. “If either of you have any questions about the ship systems, send me a message. I’ll make sure my senior staff gets back to you in minutes. Enjoy the dinner,” he said as he left them.
“Okay, that’s something I’ll take him up on,” Alice said.
“An advantage,” Iruuk said, nodding. “Unless he offers the same to every officer here.”
“Still, I’ll take him up on it,” Alice said as she wandered away from the serving table and away from the other officers. Iruuk followed her. “Speaking of advantages, my Grandfather told me a few things that could help us. Most of it’s common sense, but I’d bet platinum on most of our class not figuring it out.”
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10 Page 25
