by Adam Sampson
“But could we, if we wanted to, could we go hunting today? Is there any reason why not?”
“Sure, if we wanted to, we could go hunting on any day we want. But we have to check a current report on the monsters in the area. It is kind of like a weather forecast they put together for us. The monsters breed and grow so fast, if you aren't paying attention you could walk into a nest of lurkers and you are all dead. There are hundreds of us on base, but we never run out of monsters to hunt because they reproduce and grow so fast. I haven’t had to run more than twenty kilometers from the base the whole time I have been here.
“Since I haven’t had a chance to check the report recently, we can’t go today. But maybe I will arrange to go out an extra time next week. Interesting that you asked, I haven’t heard of too many freshies that want to go out more than they have to. My training methods must be working,” Rex said.
After Rex walked away, Frank walked over to Jonas with a stern look on his face. With one swift move, Frank grabbed Jonas’ ear and yanked it down to his ear and said, “Listen numb-nuts, don’t give him more ideas on how to kill us. It is bad enough to be saddled with a psychotic trainer, you don’t have to give him ideas on how to make it easier.”
Many from both groups walked to the two men and urged them to break up. Frank let go of his ear right away and walked back a few steps.
Jonas put a hand to his ear and said, “Hey old fart, all I did was suggest we go hunting sometime, I didn’t give him any ideas on how to kill us. What is wrong with you?”
“How many times have you almost died on base? Zero? And how often do we get attacked by murderous monsters when we leave the base? Every flipping time?” Frank said with a quiet, angry voice, “Out there is death, and we need to limit our time out there.”
Peter felt like he should come to Jonas’ defense, so he said, “The orbs are out there too. Every time we go out we get stronger and harder to kill. We are going to war soon, I want to get stronger before then. I bet Rex did the same thing, going out on extra hunts to get strong.”
“Maybe you are right, but have you ever thought that Rex started out sane?” Frank replied.
Peter and Frank glared at each other, saying nothing. Each was sure they were right, but no longer inclined to convince the other of it.
That evening they had a short meeting in the conference center, led by Thor. He introduced them to an important concept about cuff powers.
“You can upgrade just about every skill imaginable, whether it is speed or stealth, fireballs or basket weaving. Each time you upgrade a skill, it goes up a level. So if you upgrade your strength skill three times, your strength skill is level three. Pretty simple. Over the next few weeks, we will be upgrading your basic three stats, speed, strength, and constitution. The higher you get, the more orbs it takes to upgrade. For example, although it took just two orbs to upgrade your strength the first time, to up it to level four it will take eight orbs.
“Right now we call you guys level one. Once you upgrade any one of your skills to level two, then we call you level two soldiers. In case you are wondering, I am level fifteen, and most of your trainers are level fifteen.
“Once all of your squad has upgraded their stats to level four, you will get a choice to upgrade skills in one of four major skill classes. The official skill class names are Trooper, Scout, Arcanic, and Defender. But no one calls them that. Anyone who has played a lot of video games will recognize the skill classes real names. They are Warrior, Ranger, Mage and Tank.
“Warrior skills start with strike, parry and pierce. Soldiers with the warrior class are the backbone of the group, almost always delivering the killing blow in monster hunts. Squads need at least two warriors, most squads have three.
“The ranger class gets to use crossbows and get the skills sharpshooter, sight, and stealth. Rangers help track down monsters to kill, and then provide ranged support. Most groups have one or two. As useful as their skill sets are, they don’t help as much killing the baddies, so groups don’t load up on them.
“Mages get to use magic, fireballs, healing and shields. They are a support class, filling in as needs arise. Most teams have just one mage, if that. Their skills are super awesome fun, but magic and the human mind don’t play well together. Mages have the highest incidence of insanity. We do what we can to minimize the crazy, but it still happens.
“Tanks get special blocking and dodging skills, plus stone skin. They usually work in pairs to hold the attention of the monsters and control the fight. Tanks are super tough and nearly impossible to kill, but they don’t have many offensive skills, so they need their team to kill the baddie for them.
“Over the next few weeks, we want you to think about who you want to be, what class you want to choose. Then discuss that with your squad and come to a group decision. Squad leaders will break any deadlock, so try to work together and don’t piss each other off,” Thor said.
They fell into a training rhythm. Every morning started with a run, then Kobudo, then a random exercise. Once a day they also had a short class in the conference center, how to salute a troll, how to pick the next upgrade on the cuff, etc. Just over a week since they got here, they were already falling into a routine. Even the hunts got into a rhythm, the same eight squads, killing the same type of prey. And with every routine, comes boredom. Which is why when Rex suggested that they do something new, they all jumped at the chance. Anything was worth the break from the tedium.
“Excellent, glad to see you are so eager, particularly since you have no idea what we are going to do,” Rex said with a smile, “Go ahead and drop off your weapons and harness, keep your shields, and grab your helmets. Then meet me at the shooting range in ten.
Despite now knowing that they had made a terrible mistake, they ran off and met at the shooting range without complaint.
Chris was the last one in, he had lingered at the door for a moment before walking in. Bad memories from the last time here, and he certainly didn’t want to run afoul of the range master again. It looked like another two squads were already here, standing at the counter with slingshots laying in front of them. He guessed that they were just finishing their time and that they would be next. Slingshots looked like a silly weapon, but it could be fun.
Rex was already talking as Chris moved closer “... and the best squad of you four gets two stans off tomorrow. Free time and a little prize too. Now hop to it, and may the best squad win.”
Peter and Frank’s squads were then herded back into the shooting range. Not in front with the counter and the slingshots, but in the back with the targets.
Chris turned to the closest person and asked, “Wait, what are we doing?”
Peter heard and turned to him, “We are the targets. These level fours need moving targets and Rex said we volunteered. They are going to shoot at us, and we will try to catch the shots on our shields, or duck out of the way. Hurry, get into position,” he said and waved him to stand in front of a target near Frank.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Chris said, mostly to himself.
“Don’t we get eye protection?” Peter asked.
“Just squint,” Rex said and laughed.
They all just groaned at him. They knew him too well to expect a better answer. They also knew that they wouldn’t get time to prepare themselves, so all twelve had their shields at the ready when the ranger suddenly said, “Fire at will!”
Eight shots left their slingshots all at once, zipping down the range almost instantaneously. Four shots hit four bodies, painful shots that felt like buckshot from a shotgun but didn’t break the surface of their uniforms. Two shots were deflected by shields, and two shots went wide.
Looking down after the shot, Peter deduced the ammo, it was hard packed dirt. They were firing dirt clods at them. Better than rocks, but still hurt quite a bit.
“Ow, ow, ow,” Chris said as he hopped around in a circle, “Timeout, give me a second.”
Chris was promptly hit by two more shots.
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The target soldiers danced around for a bit as they were shot at. They were hit more often than not, the shots traveling too fast to avoid, even when they used their speed powers. Grunts of pain and showers of dirt followed most shots at first.
After they had a chance to get used to what they were doing, Peter’s group got better, only letting half the shots hit them. They started dancing unpredictably and hiding behind their shield. Yoon was the best in the group, good at predicting where the shots would land. Still, it was hard to keep going, bruises and welts were accumulating, slowing their reactions down.
“Focus on one shooter at a time, watch their eyes, watch where they are pointing the slingshots,” Peter said.
This suggestion helped some too. It was easier to intercept one shot instead of eight. The next five shots were all blocked, and it seemed like the tides were turning. But then the shooters adapted and started randomly switching their targets.
It was a battle, hard fought, and Rex’s trainees were just glad to still be standing at the end of the battle.
The range master walked up to the people holding slingshots and gave them a lecture. The soldiers standing back with the targets were ignored. It seems like they had served their purpose and were dismissed. They limped out of the building. Rex was nowhere to be seen, so they just sat down outside to lick their wounds.
Dima groaned as he slowly dropped his huge frame to the ground. He said, “I miss my husband. He always knows how to cheer me up after a bad day. The trolls won’t let us go of course, but I wish we could at least send emails home.”
“Why don’t they let us send emails home? The transports make regular trips for food and supplies, how come emails are not part of that?” Yoon asked.
Peter shrugged, “Maybe the trolls won’t allow it. They seem weird about a lot of those kinds of things.”
“I wonder if it is also the troll’s fault we are not learning group tactics,” Dima said.
“What do you mean?” Emma said from her spot on the ground nearby.
“It is strange that we are being trained to fight in a war, but we are only being taught to act on our own as a small squad. A soldier should be taught how to fight as part of a much larger force on a battlefield, squad tactics are very different from large group tactics. But we are only taught how to work as a group of six. It is strange.”
“Yeah, it is weird,” Jonas said, “And another weird thing is how we still know nothing about the enemy we will be fighting, the Klaxon. Why do I know eight ways to kill a zergling, but nothing about the Klaxon?”
No one had an answer to that, so they sat in silence till Rex appeared shortly after, coming out of the shooting range.
“Good job folks. Those level fours had been bullseyeing their targets and thought they were hot stuff. It is nice to remind them that in the real world, their targets move. Although, I kinda expected you to move a lot more. I never said you had to stay put,” Rex said to their collective groans, “But you did good. Both squads get free time after lunch tomorrow, and a pleasant surprise.”
“What is the surprise?” Dima asked.
“It. is. a. surprise,” Rex said with narrowed eyes, “Now come on, off to the obstacle course. This is a perfect time to practice your agility. I want to have you run it while you are still injured, this is excellent training for hunting.”
The next day seemed to drag on. Now that they knew a relaxing break was coming up, it made the tedium of their day that much worse. Burdened with nervous energy, they made mistakes they wouldn’t normally. Rex threatened to take away their free time, which only made things worse. But thankfully time didn’t actually stand still and soon enough their free time was here and they were sent back to their rooms for the surprise.
To their amazement, the surprise really was good. On each bed was a pair of smart glasses. Everyone rushed to claim their glasses and reconnect with their virtual lives. It was like rediscovering a favorite childhood toy or pet. They were on cloud nine as they flipped through menus and connected to the wireless network. Some even caressed their glasses as they used the technological ambrosia. Sadly they couldn't connect to the internet on Earth, but luckily there was a robust wireless network on base, chock full of entertainment. Peter was giddy with the huge selection of free movies, tv, books, music, and video games. They must not care about copyright on Omicron.
“Oh sweet, sweet technology, how I have missed you so,” said Frank with affection.
“I am never taking these off,” Simon said dreamily.
Peter relaxed into the bed. Like a warm blanket on a cold day, the glasses were a connection back home when they needed it most. He immediately pulled up his favorite show, The Workplace. He had watched the whole series at least four times, and it was comforting each time.
“Y’all get two stans, make the most of it,” Rex said from the doorway, “These glasses stay in your room, don’t take them out for any reason. Unlike food, we don’t get new shipments of technology.”
Peter wondered where they got these glasses if they didn’t come in with the shipments, but then he realized where they must have gotten the technology. He was suddenly less giddy. He had lost a pair just like these ones his first day, and ... that line of thought was simply depressing.
When the two stans were up, they reluctantly put their glasses away in their footlockers. It was bittersweet, putting it away felt like they were leaving home again. The glasses and their entertainment were like a connection to life back home. They couldn't send or receive messages off planet but this still felt like a letter from home.
Most of their free time after this was spent using their glasses. It was comforting, like a snuggly blanket from home. A few of the glasses had projection capabilities, so some nights they would get a group together and watch a movie on the couches in the front of their room. They had realized this is probably why each room had the couches and curtains, for watching things together and not bothering the rest of the room.
Any evening that Lola wanted to watch a movie, Peter found himself joining the group on the couches. The regulars that found themselves together were Peter, Lola, Jonas, Dima, and Chris. They watched mostly newer movies that they hadn’t seen before, but occasionally they watched classics from ten years ago, movies still in 2D.
Simon never joined them though, he always seemed to find himself in the room across the hallway. It was the room for two squads that had been there a month longer than they had They were all newly level three, which according to Simon, meant that they were all cool and fun to hang out with. Their room spent most of their time playing the latest video games. Chris teased his brother that he was only going over there to be with a girl.
It was odd how insular their team was. Every day they had about two stans of free time and they usually didn’t socialize with other groups. Some of that time was spent with dinner, but the rest of the time was spent relaxing in their room or going on walks around the base. Frank called them crazy, but Rex praised their team unity. Which only proved Frank’s point.
Three weeks after the gift of the smart glasses, they all hit level four in constitution. That Saturday, Rex gave them an extra stan to relax and said to them, “Use this time to think about what skill class you want to take. It is rather important, so take your time and get it right.”
“Do we have to pick one of those four, could we mix and match skills?” Peter said.
“No, and there are a couple reasons why. First off, no one can read these stupid menus, and the class teachers don’t like to help others outside their class. Second off, these classes have been researched and tested for years. Years, Peter. These are the classes that are going to keep you alive, and the Klaxon dead,” Rex replied.
“That brings up a good point though Rex, we have been preparing for war for over a month now, but we know nothing about our enemy. Why not?” asked Peter.
“You have plenty of time to learn about those evil buggers, no need to rush into it. They haven’t even taug
ht me much about them yet. People spend eight to ten months in boot camp before they get to level twenty and are shipped off to war. That’s actually pretty quick by galactic standards. The trolls that run this place are all over level ninety, but they took over a hundred years to get there. The oldest one is over two hundred years old, and he is still level ninety-six. Anyway, make sure your squad has a good mix of classes, we probably only have one more hunt before you have to choose,” Rex said.
Peter turned back to his group. That didn’t really answer his question, but they had to discuss their class choices. They wandered over to the couches in their room and sat down. Peter started by saying, “I have been thinking about it, and I think I can’t pass up the chance to be a mage. I know there is that whole crazy thing with mages, but I really, really want to learn magic. Plus, 12 year old me would have done anything to wield magic.”
“Better you than me, I have no desire to go crazy. I just want the power to kill the monsters before they kill me. I am going to be a warrior,” said Jonas.
“I would like to be a ranger. I have that slingshot already that Rex said he would give back to me. Plus, I am already good at tracking, I used to hunt with my dad back in Germany. And...” Lola hesitated as if unsure how they would react, “I don’t want to be in the middle of things, I want to be in the back.”
“Don’t worry about it, we need a ranger and you can be it,” Peter said.
“I will be a tank,” Yoon said in a way that brooked no further discussion.
“Me too,” Emma said, much more hesitantly.
“Wait, no, Emma. Aren’t you a little small to be a tank? Those are the ones up front holding the monster’s attention,” Jonas said.
“I wanna be a tank, I want to be tough, super tough,” Emma said and looked away.
“You can be tough as a ranger or a warrior,” Jonas said.
Peter held up his hand and said, “No, Jonas, I think she can be a tank. She may be small, but she isn’t weak. These cuffs have already made all of us stronger than any human back on Earth. Her size will just make it easier to dodge when she is tanking for us.”
