"Where am..…. Ahhh right, We failed!"
Whispered Eyas as soon as he gained consciousness from his coma-like state. The first thing that came into his vision was the bluish-tinted unfamiliar room that was non-mistakenly a hospital room. Memories flowed back, from the field exam to the last thing he saw before fainting away. He moved his eyes around to observe his surroundings, slowly confusion melting away to realization.
Shortly, a setback struck him making him dejected as he closed his eyes again.
"Not completely! "
Eyas kind of flinched hearing a familiar voice as he thought himself to be alone. He quickly sat up on his hospital bed and to his surprise right near his headrest, Crey was reclining on the chair. Recognizing him here was shocking, not only because of unexpectedness but also because of the condition he was in.
Crey was wrapped in blue slimy scale-skin like tissue all over his upper naked body while looking down, his one leg was securely in a plaster. But despite such serious conditions, he was leisurely sitting on the attendant chair surfing the web on the monitor meant for entertainment for Patient visitors.
"Are you…."
Crey lightly slapped the monitor screen away with a casual movement to guide it away and glanced at the Eyas. He interrupted him before he could ask him anything, in his bored voice.
"Actually, we passed the entrance exam. So….welcome to Terra Academy, I guess! "
Eyas who was concerned with the condition of Crey got so surprised by his words as he promptly spoke up, unable to contain his astonishment and confusion. Entirely skipping over his initial concern about him,
"WHAT? What did…. - I mean how? The requirement was to secure two working power cells, no? "
Crey nodded as he stood up, he walked up to his bed while putting his plastered foot on the floor without showing any discomfort or pain. It appeared like he was wearing a plaster on a completely healthy leg.
"Well, I was surprised at first but then Acquaintance of mine visited to tell me about the reasons behind this anomaly.
First, as I think as you already have guessed, the Level A droid we fought had a superior Power cell. And for various circumstances, the Academy decided to consider 'that' one as both of our required objectives.
And second, which is just a rumor but also might be the main reason, is that we got lucky….extremely lucky. That level-A droid wasn't meant to take part in the exam. It was not incorporated at all - under 'level one' security of field examination. Because it was a sure death sentence for students. Therefore as we managed to survive for so long they agreed to let us pass."
"....."
There was abject silence in the room as Eyas couldn't believe what he was hearing.
'He has been accepted into the Terra Military Academy.'
The ambition he always dreamt of and the thing he always considered too distant…. to achieve due to his scholarly background as well as ability. But today, whether by luck or reliance, he was here at this moment. Only now he could consider himself truly on the path of becoming an Evolved Fighter.
Crey was about to interrupt his daydreams but restrained himself from interfering in the euphoria of the kid. Honestly, he was not very delighted with the result, either for himself or even for this child. Honestly, even now he thinks that Eyas isn't cut for the military. The deeper he would push himself in, the more he would find himself on the verge of remorse later.
But watching the pure hope and radiance in his starry eyes. The things he wanted to say got stuck in his throat as he once again found himself at complete odds with this situation. The passion, vigor…..endeavor, and charm of Youth - again he found himself brushed by these strange unfamil…foreign emotions unsettling him completely.
Crey inhaled deeply as he stood up to walk away. Eyas broke from his reverie seeing Crey standing up. He wanted to say something..but because of the emotional tears in his eyes and his heated breathing, he was not able to speak at all.
Therefore he struggled to first calm himself down, or else he would end up crying in joy to further embarrass himself.
'Calm down, Eyas! Damn it, calm down. You need to calm yourself down. Look at Senior Crey, he must be similarly delighted. We both have the same feeling of pleasure but he is soooo calm. He is so cool. I can't break into crying…. At least not in front of him. Or he would again see me as a mere child.'
Crey chided himself in his mental monologue but the happiness and ecstasy were boiling out in his chest, threatening to come out at any moment. Only the presence of Calm Crey was keeping him from screaming out right now.
Crey who was undergoing the complete opposite spectrum of emotions as well as uncomfortable sensations walked to the window of the room. He wasn't jealous of...OK! Maybe he was a little bit jealous of Eyas, seeing that happiness and yearning for the future were giving him a mixed rush of emotions. One was happiness for the kid, and the other was the grim reality of the situation that was clawing him from inside.
'You aren't meant to be here. It is not your world, …not your….'
"Senior!!… Th-THANK you!"
Crey forcefully drowned his sentiments as he turned back and smirked at the kid while leaning his back to the black opaque windows of the hospital room.
"No, it's your achievement. If not for your timely hacking of those drones and their powerful blast. I would have long been obliterated by that robot. You earned this….but don't be too cocky!
You are still unprepared to be in the Military. Droids and Robots alone aren't real enemies. No matter how many weapons or tech humankind ends up developing, real enemies will always be other humans, and unlike computer programs, they can't be defeated by any virus."
Eyas bottled up a little of his excitement as he nodded seriously. Suddenly, he remembered something as he inquired, nearly shouting out.
"Wait! For how long I have been unconscious. Don't tell me..... we didn't miss the Academy opening session, right?"
Crey raised his eyebrow as he answered while shaking his head,
"You were knocked out for a full week, of course, we missed that… Not only that right now we are missing our regular classes too."
"WHAT?"
A startled exclamation came from the mouth of Eyas.
"Or do you really believe we could heal so quickly from these wounds?" Crey pointed to his chest and upper body which was grafted by the scaly skin of marine organisms to promote the recovery of scorched skin.
"Also, I think you would be pleased to know we already are in the place you yearn to be….."
He extended his hand and waved in front of the small sensor of shut windows to turn them invisible to let outside scenery observable from inside. The majestic sight of thirty first-floor became visible from the window which took away the breath of Eyas. The near wonder of Human technology conjoined with the all-powerful nature - the City built around the Academy they were here in the prominent city.
"....We are already on the semi-artificial floating island of Terra City."