Sergeant steps in with the rest of the trainers in tow. He sends a warning to us, but I hiss. The group comes forward, but instead of going straight for us they circle around to the back of the room.
Something isn't right. They're directing us somewhere.
I jump over the bed then brush against Anna. Catching our exit wide open I direct Eddie first before going myself. Leaving the room I spot Marines on one end of the hall.
I turn to run the other way, but pause long enough to wait for the rest of them. I feel more confident with them around.
A cage. No way out.
I halt abruptly about halfway. Some of the Marines came outside to close off the woods. They're also holding weapons.
I imagine the woods years ago when the Innies wanted us to run. Then if we were last they beat us, and I begin to panic again.
No! No more touching me! No more! Leave me alone.
I watch Sergeant Mèndez follow us outside of the base. He's angry, and his face is as red as a raw steak.
Without stopping Sergeant whistles pointing to the barracks. Fear takes over, and I obey. I don't want to relive the memories.
Once inside the Sergeants round us up. They make us run laps longer than we've ever done before except this time they're more forceful.
They chase us all around the barracks. I used a tactic I used years ago. If you can't out run them then learn to dodge them.
They use the baton more often, and seem more aggressive.
"I know you aren't tired keep moving!"
They won't allow us to rest.
Sergeant keeps yelling at us to keep going.
In a panic I tried to jump over one of them, but couldn't get high enough. I ended up knocking one over. I roll to my feet, and the momentum causes me to roll a second time.
"Get up Dylan! You're not tired!" Mèndez yells in my ear. He grabs me by the collar to yank me up. I don't take a step before collapsing.
Until everyone is down the Sergeants harrass us.
Instead of taking us they let us rest for half an hour then do it again.
By this hour we were supposed to be in bed. I was worried because Creature isn't talking to me at the moment. He might be mad.
We had to form up afterwards, but they didn't say anything. Not a word. It concerns me because Mèndez isn't one for silence.
It was utter silence, and the barracks became empty. I was waiting for something, and I'm not sure what it was.
Yelling, anger, or news. Just something as if I expected it. Really I shouldn't have, but I was worried.
I look to the door, but out of the corner of my eye I see Mèndez. He's watching, just watching. I face the other way seeing the same thing.
Growing restless I begin to wonder.
Are they waiting for a pelican? Is it going to bring us elsewhere. Where are they going to augment us?
I turn again to see no change, but if there was a pelican wouldn't Sergeant ask for an ETA? Turning back I pause to notice something.
Kaleb is asleep. Eddie is asleep. Ian is almost asleep.
They shouldn't be alseep in formation.
Unless...
I feel a little relieved to hear Creature speak. It reminds me that I'm not alone in my head. When I think about things too much I feel down, and my energy just dies.
I made up something in my head that I want to tell you. The time when I was in the Infirmary I learned about cells.
I learned that there are millions of them inside of each human. The reason this is special is because all of those cells only care about their human. There are a million tiny frisbees that only car about me.
Unless what?
Creature demands, and pushes away my thoughts.
Think about it
Don't want to. Want to sleep.
Fine. I warned you though.
I do fall asleep soon enough.
I don't know what happened while I slept, but I'm pretty sure I can guess. They got us in our sleep. They must have knocked us out while we slept, and transported us elsewhere.
We got augmented. I hated it, but I can't tell you what they did. I can tell you how it felt. I can't describe it in simple words, So I'll tell you what I remember.
I felt like I woke up, and found myself outside. Lying in the grass I get up, and smile a little. I feel like I could stay here forever, like I want to put my sleep on hold.
I'm in the place that I am safe.
In my dream there's the wind blowing softly causing the blades of grass to sway, so I brush my hands against them. It all feels real, and I rip the very tip of a leaf.
I can hear water splashing, and follow it. The noises all sound familiar then I turn in circles. The water, the sand, the grass. I remember it all.
A female voice beckons, and I pause. I begin to cry, and ache. I've been searching every night for the voice. I've tried, and tried to get closer before it just escapes me.
What is that? No who is that?
I can't remember. I'm not sure, but we've met her before.
I know
I run to the water then touch the sand. It feels like I remember it, so I get up to walk along the water.
I run to follow the female voice almost desperate. The voice I've been searching for gets farther, and farther away. I reach out in a panic.
Creature! Stop it!
I stumble in the sand then scream. I just scream until I can't anymore. I feel like I tripped, but it's like my bones are breaking. Not just my legs; All of them.
Creature!
I can feel the pain, and hear his cries. I don't like to see him like this. My friend is in pain.
I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!
I scream hoping that it would be okay, that it would go away. I try to find him. The voice echoes in my head.
No please! Don't go!
I open my eyes to find the beach is gone, and replaced by darkness. Creature is angry now, and he paces. Suddenly I feel like my arms, and legs are torn off.
They get put back on then taken again.
I curl into a ball hoping the pain would go away. Creature is angry at something, but he won't talk to me. This pain doesn't usually happen in my dreams.
Instead they get blurry, and I pray that the lady finds what she's looking for except each time she returns. I wish I knew what she was calling for.
When I try to cry I can see blood instead of tears, so I close my eyes tightly, but it doesn't stop the burning.
The pain switches to my back, and my eyes start to feel better.
The problem is that by now I would have waken up. Creature is angry because of that. He can't seem wake me.
I can see the outline of a person above me, and I don't know whether to be concerned, or scared.
I open my eyes to see a light above me. Not sure where I am I throw myself onto the floor. My tears mix with the same blood from my sleep.
My hands are trembling, and I turn them to see small black scars. I try to rest, but Creature won't allow it.
No sleep
I'm tired
No
I look around the room. It's bleak with UNSC printed. There are metal tables lining the wall. The others must have been on them.
I lay on my side to locate the door, but i can't get up. I'm too tired, so J just lay my head on the corner of the table.
Knew it. They did this to us Dylan. Can't even trust doctors anymore.
I sit up again when I can hear something. No someone coming closer. I still struggle to sit all the way up, but don't feel as weak.
To my surprise Mèndez enters, and moves closer. I can read his expression, but I curl a little tighter.
I haven't forgotten what you did to us.
"About time you got up" he says tossing a bottle to me. Like a snap of one's fingers I duck down, and I remain silent. I don't remember being this fast.
"I'm only giving this to you once, and after that you have to get it yourself. Take one every meal." He adds setting an MRE on the edge of the table.
Sitting on top is a medicine container filled with small white capsules. I look at it then back up at him, but he was already leaving.
I didn't eat the food right away. I didn't want to. Didn't want it either. I was just being paranoid. When Sergeant brought the food I thought that he was trying to slip me something.
Creature told me that. Said the medicine would make me sick. After what Sergeant did to us I don't want anything from him.
After a period of sleeling, and waking up I look at the food again. I'm tempted. I decide to take a closer look at the container.
There aren't any words on it, or the cap. I glance sideways to see the water bottle.
Can I have that?
Creature moves around to get a better look.
It looks like regular water. I'd smell it first
I crawl over to it then roll it back to where I had been laying. I look at the medicine one more time then grab it.
I try to take the cap off, but crush it instead.
Strange
It must be the augmentations Déjà talked about
Yeah I am faster than I remember
It'll take some getting used to
I pick up the spilled capsules, and put them back into the container. I smell the pills to find a foul scent.
Concerned I grab the bottle.
Will this break too?
Probably. Try bitting the cap instead
I curl my hands to keep it from falling over, and I bend the cap on one side then pull it off. I hold the bottle with my teeth to drink. With a little pressure on the sides I'm successful.
I take another drink, but include a pill. I eat the MRE.
Almost six hours after I've woken up, and I'm not quite strong enough to move around. Kaleb came to see me, and he filled me in.
"You've been out for two days, and the nurses didn't know if you would make it. Everyone else is awake."
"And well?" I question.
Kaleb nods sitting down beside me. He sits quietly for a moment, and stares at the floor.
"Everyone is worried about you. Mèndez is gone too, but I did speak to him" he says.
I remain quiet unsure how to respond. I hate him anyways.
"Um Sylvia was able to learn some things from him. She said ONI wants cheaper Spartans, so our augmentations were exactly like the IIs, and at the end they included drugs too."
I looked at him for more information because I was curious to learn. I motion for Kaleb to continue.
"The drugs in furture years would replace the surgery" he says.
"So was ours half, and half?"
Kaleb shook his head, "no they wanted to see if they worked. We got all of the surgical, and then they waited an hour for our bodies to relax then gave us the drugs"
I grab his shoulder then Kaleb gets up. He puts his arm around mine to give support. I lean entirely on him when I start to tremble.
We take a couple steps before switching to a slow walk. Kaleb is patient enough to wait on me to regain energy.
He takes away from the room where I discover that we're in space. Seeing Reach for the first time causes me to pause.
I hate heights. Hate them with a passion, but this is crazy. I'm pretty sure it was the first time that I've seen a planet. Déjà told us that Reach is a UNSC Stronghold.
Kind of like a fortress.
Kaleb pulls me away from the window, and we keep walking. He takes me into the mess hall where the others are eating.
We spend about three weeks recovering, but then the Sergeants returned. Well very few of them. Alexander, and Spencer didn't. Mèndez did. I don't know the other two.
He said he has one last training session for us. They take us back down to Reach, and to Titanium mine. Sergeant says that ONI wants to observe our abilities.
Must be for the "improved" augmentations
Perhaps, and they want to observe to ensure nothing jas gone wrong
Probably
When we arrive Mèndez is wearing some sort of power armor, but he's not alone. There are two people is black armor with ONI printed on a shoulder.
ONI personnel?
Agents probably
Dylan, I suppose they're observing, but then why is Sergeant back?
Maybe because we might not listen to them
Creature goes quiet again as we exit the pelicans. There are several ODST standing around, and they don't seem happy to see us.
"What's with the ODST?" I ask Sophie.
She shrugs, "I heard that John killed two, and injured another after they jumped him."
"I'm surprised."
Sergeant stops at the entrance, and motions to go ahead. We run into the caves. Splitting up at an intersection I go up then follow the tunnel.
In a bigger area I find several targets, and a crate with weapons. Standing next to the targets is one of the ONI people.
I grab the first weapon I can find, reload it, and fire at the targets. I drop the weapon then move on. Running some more I jump over obstacles placed along the trail.
I run pass a cadet then round a corner. We basically run circles around the caves, and occasionally fight, or shoot. Halfway through Eddie started a game of tag.
It was fun. I felt like a kid again because at the end we were laughing, and joking around. Everyone was dusty, and sweating.
At the end the ONI people wanted to take a picture. It's going to be added to the file of my platoon as whole.
The beat part was that we found the water system, and it was cool. I remember slashing around in it then I rolled around. We ran the caves again, but soaked.
The ONI people would send the recorded data to the head of ONI. I think Kaleb said that she, and a team of scientists would observe, and try to adjust the augmentations.
I'm not sure how that would help, but it's whatever.
Sergeant let us have our fun because the real missions would begin, and he said there will be casualties.