by K. A. Kerr
Tarik woke up on his stomach, a bit of drool coming out of the corner of his lip. He felt warmth on his check, opening his eyes he was greeted with a view of a red giant. Tarik turned over and sat up. He was just a bit too fast; he bumped his head on the overhang which had been camouflaged with the view of a floating asteroid. As he lay back rubbing his head he received an alert that he was due for assessment in an hour. He swung his feet out onto the floor and stood up, greeted by a lighter than average gravity, he had slept in his assessment jumpsuit but still felt funky from yesterday. He pulled up his map to the showers and made his way there.
When Tarik entered the showers Mange was walking out, looking no more wet than normal he gave Tarik a sneer, wrapping his hairless tail around his waist. Tarik undressed and folded his jumpsuit laying it on an empty shelf. He grabbed a towel, wrapped it around himself and walked to an open stall. As he was about to enter the stall Goddess walked out of the stall next to him. Treated to a full view of her perfect body, he came to the conclusion that she deserved the nickname. Tarik froze in place; the full view of Goddess's body holding him there, his eyes locked onto her full and perfect breasts and refused to move no matter how much he willed them to. He knew he was being impolite and immature but his eyes refused to look away, her hourglass figure, full breasts with small purple nipples were just too much for him, much to his own embarrassment he felt himself becoming aroused.
“You should do better at hiding your emotions.” Goddess said in a sultry voice. She turned and walked towards the shelves covering herself with a towel. “There is no such thing as a free look, be prepared to pay for it later.” She said as she walked around the corner.
“Join a corp, meet new people; it won’t be strange at all.” Tarik said to another empty room.
Tarik showered and dressed, his hair still dyed in places but not smelling nearly as bad. As Tarik made his way to the gymnasium; he wondered what Goddess meant by paying for it later. He had hoped she meant with sexual favors but he seriously doubted that was the case, so he started to think about what his role may be on the ship. Every time he started to imagine what punishment would await him the thoughts of what pleasures her body could hold took control. He entered the gym an excited and confused boy, completely unprepared for an assessment.
The gym took up an entire level on the ship. His first assignment was in medical which took up the same dimensions of the Dome; indeed it was directly above the dome and in the center of the ship. The room had the cold metal feeling of the Dome with strength equipment on the outer edges, an examination pod and vacuum pod in the center. Arriving a few minutes early Tarik stood next to the examination pod waiting for someone to come in and give him instructions. After ten minutes past his scheduled start time the Doctor finally walked in with Tilla in tow.
“Ah. You're here already that’s good. Go ahead and strip.” The doctor said. ”Ha, I’m just kidding, I’m going to feed instructions to your implant and you follow along with the exercise as best you can.”
Tarik saw a series of stretches overlaid to his retinal implants. As he began each stretch a countdown began for how long he was to hold the stretch. When he completed the instructions Tilla entered a series of numbers which the doctor reviewed.
“Very good, your flexibility is average for your bulk; we are going to start bodyweight exercises now.” The doctor grabbed a clipboard from Tilla and began sending instructions to Tarik’s implants. “The exercises are simple enough, just follow the instruction, remember form is keep and completed as many repetitions as possible before the timer expires.”
Tarik completed a series of pushups, then jumping jacks, more pushups and more jumping jacks. Tilla stepped over and held his feet as he did a series of sit ups. This repeated four times before the doctor called a halt.
The doctor ordered Tarik to a run timer; Tilla fitted him with a breathing mask and set the machine to start. As Tarik ran the machine changed pace, gravitational pull and inclination frequently. Being a miner, Tarik rarely ran and felt like he was going to be sick after the first ten minutes. After fifteen minutes Tarik did need to take off the mask to vomit, he stood panting with his eyes watering and snot running from his nose.
“You have not been told to stop yet. Continue with the run.” The doctor ordered.
Tarik spit out the thick saliva in his mouth and refitted the breathing mask. Starting his run again he felt a little better with a completely empty stomach. The doctor ordered Tilla to clean up the vomit and Tarik felt bad. He couldn’t help that he was going to be sick but he would have cleaned it himself when he had finished. It seemed no matter how much he wanted to be nice to Tilla all he brought her was misery, even if it was unintentional. After what seemed like an eternity had passed the doctor finally told Tarik to stop. Glancing at the time he had only been running for a total of twenty five minutes.
“So we are going to have to work on that. We’ll finish up with some strength training. Go to station one.” The doctor didn’t give him any time to rest.
Tarik didn’t mind strength training, being a former miner strength was one thing he felt he had in abundance. Ten years of busting and shoveling rocks had given him a bulky frame despite the beanpole figure he had when he started. The first station was a just a set of dumbbells with instructions to flex his wrist with different grips. Tarik felt the dumbbells change weight has he performed the exercises. The next station had him perform forearm curls, then concentrated bicep curls, and triceps extensions. Tarik completed each station designed to test his strength, from his wrists to his arms, shoulders, chest, core, legs and calves. Tarik thought he had performed well but if he had the doctor thought the same he gave no indication that he did.
“Now move to the vacuum pod. Quickly please, we are nearing the end of our scheduled timeframe.” The doctor said.
Tarik sat in the chair and felt it rise up; it tilted him to an upright position as the gravity bled away. As glass case enclosed him and the doctor sent him breathing exercise instructions. On the last exercise he was to expel all his breath and hold it. When he did so all the atmosphere was removed from the case. Tarik started to panic, his arms flailing about trying to get to the sides of the case to break himself free; the doctor and Tilla simply staring at him while he struggled for air. Tarik still reaching for the glass casing saw black start to enter his vision, his eyes tunneling. As the black took over he cursed the doctor and submitted himself to death.
When Tarik regained consciousness he was in the chair of the examination pod, Tilla looked over him. Tarik had a terrible headache following his oxygen deprivation test. Tilla gave him a shot and the headache quickly subsided. The doctor was nowhere in sight, which was probably a good thing because Tarik wanted to choke the life from him.
“You did well on your assessment.” Tilla commented. “I have seen many species do much worse, you are very strong.”
“Where is the doctor?” Tarik said wanting to find the man and deprive him of air for a while.
“He has other duties to attend to. Do not be angry with him, it was only part of the testing.”
“Listen, I’m sorry about the vomit and really sorry about the undressing thing yesterday.” Tarik showed his genuine concern. “Do you need help? Does he make you do stuff like that against your will?” Slavery was legal in certain parts of the galaxy but never on a human corporation owned ship.
“I am no slave if that is what you are thinking. I do as I am told to make myself a better doctor. I'm different from most Flarr; I know I am not a superior healer. That is why I am in my role. As far as the duties I have performed for you it is I who should apologize. I should have completed my instructions without showing emotion.” Tilla hit the release button on the examination pod. “Your results will be available shortly. From there your log will be updated with the times and places to meet your instructors. You should go to first meal now, I have a feeling you will have a long day.” Tilla stood up and walked out the door without a look back.<
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Tarik made his way down to the Dome. The room was empty when he got in; he grabbed a tray from the nutrition unit and went to his assigned seat at the kiddie table. Half way through his meal an alert came though that his assessment results were available. He shoved in the last few bites of the meal then pulled up his results in full immersion.
Subject: Tarik
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Traits: Northern European lineage
Chronological age: 35
Biological age: 28
Life expectancy without combat: 160
Height: 73 inches
Weight: 206.43 lbs.
Body fat: 17.2%
Water weight: 63.8%
Alterations: retinal implants, repaired right leg, replaced femoral artery, surgically repaired right shoulder, and surgically repaired left hand.
A video showed a nude Tarik and highlighted each mentioned point. He could select each point or move on to the next section. Since he was well aware of his medical history he moved on.
All scores based on a maximum score of 100 for human males
Flexibility: 29
Endurance: 32
Strength: 71
Tactics: 17
Intelligence: 63
Recall: 60
Oxygen Retention: 46
Social Skills: 43
Life expectancy with combat at current scores: 36.5
He had an option to get more detail on each score but thought it would only upset him more. As it stood he was an inflexible, surgically repaired, non-running, super strength, smart ass, which most people didn’t like. On top of that, couldn't plan his way out of an airlock but at least he was smart enough to remember it.
Tarik exited the assessment seething with anger. “I'm going to kill that asshole” he said referring to the doctor. He glanced over and noticed one of the tables had filled with pilots while he was in immersion. All eight of them looked at him wondering what he was talking about.
4 - Hard lessons
* * *
Tarik placed his tray back into the nutrition unit and walked to his next appointment he knew he'd be early but wanted to get to work before he could focus his anger on the doctor anymore.
Tarik’s map took him to a doorway off of the corkscrew. He entered the room nearly twenty minutes before his scheduled start time and saw an obstacle course with different sized walls, some with windows some without, and a series of targets all shaped like different species. Goddess was out in the range firing a training weapon at several different targets while trying to avoid being hit. She was a masterpiece in action. She dove for cover moments before a simulated human launched a volley of projectile rounds at her, sweeping to the other side of the wall in motions that were too graceful for a battlefield. She gunned down three targets on that side of the course timing her return to the other target just as the volley subsided. She finished off the last target and a buzzer went off overhead. Goddess stood up and looked to the ceiling where a set of fifteen stars only twelve of them illuminated. Goddess looked down clearly disappointed in her score. The walls sank down into the floor and additional targets were revealed. The targets stayed for a moment then disappeared no longer a threat. If Goddess scored only twelve stars with movements like that Tarik thought he would never get even ten.
A man came out of the corner of the room, previously hidden in the shadows. An older human male by the look of him, short and stocky his muscles rippled beneath his tight fitting jumpsuit.
“You failed to secure the last objective. You need to plot out your moves better. I also want you to time your recharge better, don't focus only on the threats. Your objective was not completed because of your aggressive forward charge.” The man instructed in a gruff voice. “I will see you tomorrow.”
Goddess placed her training rifle in a rack closest to the doorway. She casually turned her head sideways towards Tarik.
“I will see you soon Jimmy. I hope you are ready to submit payment.” Goddess said as she moved past Tarik heading to the exit.
When she left the room the man walked to Tarik. He said nothing as he walked around Tarik, circling him twice.
“Why did you not follow me with your eyes?” The man asked.
“I assumed you wanted to appraise me.” Tarik answered.
“You assumed.” The man sounded exasperated. “Assumptions like that will bring you a quick death. You do not know me, you only knew I was here on this ship and assumed I was supposed to be here. You don't know what my role is here. For all you know I could be the ship executioner.” The man removed a stone from his pocket and threw it.
Tarik followed the stone as it bounced and rolled out on the open range. When he turned back to the man had moved further to Tarik’s blind side, now pointing a blaster at his face.
“We have many mistakes to correct. I am your threat not a stone you knew was no threat.” The man took a few steps back and lowered the blaster.
“You can call me Instructor Lamb while we are in here. Outside of here they call me Drang. You have a ways to go before you earn those honors.”
Instructor Lamb activated the range controls. Two long walls rose from the ground creating a straight lane all the way to the end of the range. An orange glowing orb pulsed at the end of the lane. No enemies appear on either side of the walls.
“I want you to run all the way to the end of the lane and touch the glowing orb and then run back. Begin whenever you ready.”
Tarik ran as fast as he could to the end of the lane watching for any obstacles as he ran. He touched the orb then ran back encountering no resistance.
“Why did you do that?” Lamb asked.
“Because you told me to.” Was the only answer Tarik could think to say.
“I see. Tell me, how did you know how fast I wanted you to run and do that?” Lamb asked.
“I uh… I didn't.”
“So you assumed I wanted you to run that fast? Tell me how did you know there would be normal gravity?”
“I guessed there would be.”
“Oh so you guessed.” Lamb looked down. “Did you think to ask me before you galloped off?”
“No, I figured you would have just told me.”
“Tarik, as your instructor your performance is a reflection of my teaching. I want you to do well. Your first lesson, ask ‘what else?’ You would be surprised to find out what people are willing to volunteer.” Lamb looked Tarik in the eye. “We don't just run and gun here. We see our objectives, we perform a situational analysis, we develop a plan and only then do we execute. My job is going to be to teach you how to first ask the correct questions to make the correct combat decisions.”
Lamb activated the controls and the walls dropped into the floor. Several large rocks then rose up scattered throughout the range. Each rock had held multiple threats firing at the point where Tarik would enter the range. The glowing orange orb appeared in the thick of the threats.
“Run out there and touch the orb.” Lamb ordered.
“Won't I be shot?”
“I'm sure of it.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Oh yes, you will more than likely die.”
“You want me to die just to touch some orb?”
“No. I want you to ask me questions.”
“So, you ordered me to go in there knowing I would die but you don't actually want me to do it?”
“Correct. Are you still going to go out there?”
“Hell no I'm not going out there!”
Lamb let out a healthy laugh. “Very good Tarik! Your second lesson and maybe the most important one, you are a free man. You can choose not to do something. It may mean you get fired, it may mean you go to some prison colony, it could have any number of consequences but it is always going to be your choice in the end. I want you to use lesson number one to make that choice, ask the questions, get the details and decide on your course of actions. Completing your objective is obviously preferred but if you
die today who will be left to complete the objective tomorrow?” Lamb deactivated the range. “Our time is almost up for the day. I want you to think about the first two lessons throughout the day. See how they apply to your life. Find situations where doing one or other could have changed your life.”
“Yes sir.”
“Very good. You are dismissed.”
“Instructor Lamb, just one question, if I may.”
“I welcome it Tarik, what do you wish to know?”
“Why do you call me by my real name when everyone else calls me Jimmy?”
“Because I believe in you Tarik. You're not a mindless drone, you're not a glory hunter, and I believe you can do this with proper instruction.” Lamb walked away and disappeared back into the shadows.
As Tarik left he thought about the small mechanic who kissed him yesterday. She seemed like she believed in him, giving him the benefit of the doubt as she put it. He wondered why those were the only two people who acted that way.
Tarik went to his first assigned bathroom to clean. As he mopped the floor he thought about when his leg was crushed and the mistakes he’d made then. He was free floating and had a hook into a rock about the size of himself, using his pack to propel himself backwards to the rig. The rig boss stood on top to the rig selecting other rocks for his crewmates to grab. As Tarik reached the lip of the rig the rock started to break apart. Tarik cut his propulsion, to adjust his hook and save the haul, as he did so his momentum carried him towards the crusher. The heat of the rig must have caused some of the ice in the rock to break apart. The rock split in the middle, Tarik realized how close he was getting to the crusher and pushed the rock off to his left side. Then he turned on his propulsion to stop him just before he got to the machinery. The rock broke in half as he was a foot away from the crusher. The top half of the rock floated harmlessly to the rig wall, the bottom half continued its push forward smashing Tarik’s leg into the opening of the rock crusher.
