As the training continues in intensity, more and more cadets are washed out at the end of each section, and many chose to quit too.
Shooting drills, tactical drills, magic utilisation, military theory lessons, PT, sparring, wilderness survival, maritime operations, parachuting, in space operations. These torturous courses went on in cycles after cycles as the instructors worked their way through in weeding out those they deemed undesirable.
To Sean, the entire selection course can be seen as an example of a complex chemistry process, the instructors are the scientists, the cadets are the reactants.
What is the end goal of the instructors? To create the perfect solution to solve the ever-evolving problem of special operations, and how will they achieve that? By subjecting the reactants to heinous processes that fundamentally alter them and meld them into something new and better- boiling, distilling, filtering and more.
As for Sean, he perceives himself as that impurity stubbornly staying on and latching with all of its might onto the desired atoms in the solution, trying to avoid the judgement that will be rained down on him eventually by the cold hand of purifying processes, a result which half of him secretly desired.
In a what can only be described as the sentient self's inherent self-destructive statement of mind, he desired to fail and wash out, seeing it as a just punishment for his screw ups.
Yet the other half of his mind shouted with all of its strength, urging him to fulfil his obligation to Earth, and fulfil the obligation to himself, by being honest with his real desires.
Sean feels like a worn rope being used in a tug of war, being pulled back and forth violently. The end result is not a absolute victory for either side, all there will be is a split and tattered rope on the floor, painfully grimacing in pain as it is severed into 2, waiting to be chucked into the dustbin of dreams, just another poor soul claimed by the cruelty of this hard universe.
And what is equally belonging to the dustbin is his trash of shooting skills.
Sean sat on a speeding jeep, feebly aiming at the targets that popped up. He pulled the trigger, missing his shots.
He grunted, readjusting his aim and shooting, managing to get some on target, though most bullets still whizzed past the targets like nothing, hitting into the dirt piles beside, sending up clouds of dust that appears to be cruel jeers and laughs at Sean's incompetence.
Ariel and Clara are in front of him on the jeep, hitting the targets quickly, not missing a single shot, being as precise as ever without the use of Exo-suits' fire control AI. The 2 swiftly reloaded their guns and aimed down the optics, acting as if it is as easy as breathing for them.
The jeep came to a halt, and the 3 fall in.
"Next!" yelled Herbert.
The training went on, passing through a few more segments. After all final Mecha flight test, 2 cadets are eliminated, bringing down the total number of cadets left in this batch to 52.
Depends on which persona of Sean's you ask, it is both a misfortune and a fortune as he headed back into the dormitories after washing up, passing by Clara on the way, who is heading to the simulation rooms with Ariel, intending to do a bit more training before light's out.
During one of the courses on CQB clearing, it was Clara's timely intervention that ensured that Sean got a passing grade, though Sean knew that Clara did it to save her own skin as it was a group component.
Nonetheless, Sean wants to thank her.
He called out to her. Clara reluctantly stopped, her face sour, a huge contrast with Ariel's warm smile.
Sean tried to convey his words of thanks, only for Clara to interrupt him.
"Anything that matters with the course?" she asked, impatient.
"No," replied Sean.
"Then don't waste my time! Can't you see we are busy?!" snapped Clara. She's furious at being constantly grouped with Sean in the group components and having to cover up for him and constantly worry about being washed out due to factors out of her control, namely Sean, a sentiment shared with Karl and Erika. She sincerely suspects that the instructors were deliberately doing it in their grouping to increase their tensions and screw them over.
"A soldier who cannot even shoot properly without the use of an Exo-suit?! You call yourself Special Forces? I—" she raged.
"Clara, stop," said Ariel, cutting her off. Clara stared incredulously at her, as if berating her for her stupidity, then storming off into the simulation room, slamming the door shut.
"Sean," Ariel smiled, trying to ease the mood. "Clara is just stressed, she did not mean—"
Sean smiled. "Sorry for wasting your time," he smiled, "see you tomorrow morning," he said, keeping his head bowed and walking away.
(Close to light's out, Girl's dorm)
"Did the 2 of you get your heads smacked when you were born?!" chided Clara, sitting down on her bunk. Erika, who had moved in with the 3 of them when the dormitories were readjusted concurred, folding her arms at Vera and Ariel.
"My brain is fine, thank you," replied Vera.
"THEN?" screamed Erika. "Did Sean pay you to be his friend? Why are you still speaking up for him?"
"Because it's unfair to give him the cold shoulder and bully him out," replied Vera firmly.
Erika rolled her eyes. "Yes, I understand that it is unfair and he does not intend to pull us down intentionally. But remember, group components are taking an increasing share in our ranking, if we don't do something about him, he is going to cause us to be eliminated, and remember, instructor Maia also appears to have a feud with him. It's a win-win for everyone! We get to maintain our scores and remove competition!"
Vera snickered condescendingly, "Karl's idea, isn't it?"
"So what then?" asked Erika.
Vera shook her head, "I don't want to be part of some shabby actions."
Erika sneered. "Real easy of you to stay morally upright when you're not placed with incompetent people."
Vera chuckled, "even if Sean is grouped with me I still maintain my stand, because some people do care about being fair."
"I don't agree it is fair either, but I think that it is more unfair for people of talent and skill like you 2 to be washed out because of him," added Clara.
Ariel laughed. "I owe Sean, I won't be part of it."
The truth is she is also fed up, but having pieced together snippets of Sean's past from Phineas made her more sympathetic, not to mention the role he had in saving her beloved.
She and Vera got to bed. "This is the last time we want to hear about this scheme."
(Boy's dorm)
"Look, Sean I have an idea to keep your hands from shaking. Do 100 push-ups first, then try sewing, it works! This is how I trained!" said Albert, handing Sean his "secret weapon" which he has built in secret by amassing random things around him.
Sean thanked him for his goodwill, though he chose to go to bed.
Louis and Eddie shook his head at Albert. They both know that Sean's issues are psychological and physical training will not do much.
(Office)
Maia confronted Xiao Tian who is working with Bryan; he had come down from the Moon to check on things.
Xiao Tian smiled seeing her. "Regarding number 9?"
Maia cut to the chase.
"I suggest we just wash him out, you can see his performance, his shooting is a complete mess, his physical and space stuff are barely holding him on, it's only a matter of time before—"
"Well, is he washed out?" asked Xiao Tian.
"No, but—" replied Maia.
"Then that settles it," replied Xiao Tian. Bryan eyed Maia, trying to get her to stop, as she had previously complained to him too.
Maia rolled her eyes. "It's not just my idea, sir, the other instructors have also come the same conclusion as I—"
"Tell me, how much of a role did the incident play in your judgement?" asked Xiao Tian.
Maia looked down, avoiding eye contact. "All I am trying to do is to remind you, as the one who re-enlisted him in, we don't have an obligation towards him."
"I have an obligation towards him," replied Xiao Tian firmly.
Maia stared at him, speechless. "Is this Big Sis—"
"I assure you, no," smiled Xiao Tian.
He sighed, "but you have my word, if Sean needs to be washed out as decided by the rules of the course, I will not show mercy. Old Soong here is our witness," he said, addressing Bryan in a more close salutation, a nod to their shared time in the Chinese military, with Bryan being the first Taiwan SAR-born and the first Sellardraxian to make it into a command post in the PLAN Jiaolong Commandos.