C293 - Train
The flat was immense. Khan didn't even know what to do with all that space. The habitation featured a large bedroom, a laundry area with multiple spare uniforms, a reinforced room with a series of tools meant for physical exercises, a living room, and a dining room with a small fridge and a microwave.
Luckily for Khan, he could find instructions for all the machines. Otherwise, he would have had a hard time understanding what some of them did. Still, his first night inside his new flat allowed him to learn how everything worked, so it didn't take him long to hit the bed.
The alarm rang at dawn, and a few messages arrived on his phone while he was in the bathroom. Amber had contacted Khan about the meeting with the other professors tasked with the new subjects, and Cora had also sent him something that his device didn't immediately accept.
Khan was a professor now. The recruits could contact him through the network, but he still needed to accept those requests. Of course, most soldiers would avoid bothering him, but Cora was different.
Khan didn't hesitate to accept Cora's request. He actually felt surprised that she had been bold enough to send him something, but the message turned out to be a simple "good morning".
A short conversation followed that message. Cora and Khan told each other their plans for the day, and she wished him good luck when she heard about the meeting.
Amber scheduled the meeting a few hours after breakfast, so Khan had the time to handle a few things before that appointment. He reached the canteen, enjoyed a large meal, and purchased a few snacks and drinks to bring back to his flat.
The menus in the canteen had many items that required Credits, but Khan went for the free stuff that he happily carried back to his flat. His fridge became full of cans and bottles that morning, but he soon disregarded them.
Khan had been too early to meet other professors or recruits, and he had finished his meal a couple of hours before the meeting. He could spend that time doing some of his regular exercises and showering before leaving his flat to head toward the appointed location.
The streets of the training camp were full of life at that hour. It was a free day, so many recruits had decided to hang out on the many benches and lawns that filled the area.
The scene was beyond peaceful, and Khan found himself staring at the various happy and innocent faces that he met on his path. He had to admit that he had failed to enjoy those moments during his time in Ylaco's training camp. His training with Lieutenant Dyester didn't know breaks, and his state as a poor recruit had pushed him to work harder than his peers.
'I really missed a lot,' Khan couldn't help but think as those peaceful moments unfolded in his view.
The Global Army could force the soldiers to face difficult moments, and the many lessons usually filled everyone's schedule. However, the recruits were simple boys and girls at their core. They wanted to have a good time, socialize, and hang out whenever they had the chance. Khan and Martha had been exceptions back then.
The recruits froze whenever they noticed Khan staring at them, but he promptly diverted his gaze every time. He didn't want to add more rumors to his figure, but the peaceful scenes still captured his attention often.
Amber had scheduled the meeting in a type of building that Khan never had the chance to visit in Ylaco's training camp. The place wasn't big, but it featured a series of shops where recruits and professors could spend time enjoying warm drinks, booze, desserts, and other expensive meals.
Khan found Amber inside a café featuring a series of comfortable armchairs and a few tables. Large windows acted as walls and made the environment bright. The clean grey floor and the other surfaces shone by reflecting the sunlight, and everything felt incredibly cozy due to the lingering warmth that filled the area.
Khan found the café a bit too hot for his tastes, but he didn't let that feeling appear on his face. His full attention soon went on the other two figures sitting at Amber's table.
One of the figures belonged to an elderly bald man with a long white beard. The soldier had a black cane laying on his armchair, and both his shoulders featured three stars. The many wrinkles on his face hinted at his old age, but his lively azure eyes gave a far different impression.
The other figure belonged to a middle-aged woman with long brown hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. She was pretty stunning, and her slow but elegant gestures carried deep confidence. Her uniform also featured three stars on both shoulders, but she felt weaker than the man.
"I thought I was on time," Khan commented while approaching the table.
"Lieutenant Khan!" Amber exclaimed while standing up and pointing at her two companions. "Let me handle the presentations. Captain Aaron Goldmon teaches war tactics, while Lieutenant Lydia Abaze is an expert in survival techniques."
"Please, Khan is more than enough," Khan said before nodding at the two soldiers. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"We finally meet," Lieutenant Abaze exclaimed while sizing Khan from head to toe. "You are more well-behaved than I expected."
"He is just a good liar," Captain Goldmon scoffed. "I can smell the beast inside him from here."
"Let him be, Captain," Lieutenant Abaze complained. "Insulting him out of rumors doesn't suit your experience."
"I wasn't insulting him," Captain Goldmon laughed.
Khan ignored that eccentric interaction and took his place between Amber and Lieutenant Abaze. The armchair was comfortable, but Captain Goldmon's intense stare prevented him from appreciating that sensation.
"You don't falter easily, do you?" Captain Goldmon asked.
"Captain," Lieutenant Abaze sighed.
"I'm just evaluating him," Captain Goldmon sneered while rolling his eyes. "Our recruits will have to learn how to fight from someone not much older than them. I need to be sure that he is the right man for the job."
"And?" Lieutenant Abaze asked.
"He looks good," Captain Goldmon stated.
"Thank you, Captain," Khan said in the politest tone he could muster.
Captain Goldmon snorted, and Lieutenant Abaze heaved a helpless sigh. Amber tried her best to hide her awkwardness, and Khan found himself inspecting the situation without a clear idea of what to do or say.
"I guess it's time to start this meeting," Captain Goldmon exclaimed.
"Let's order something first," Lieutenant Abaze replied.
"They don't serve what I want here," Captain Goldmon chuckled.
"It's far too early to drink," Lieutenant Abaze complained.
"Lieutenant Khan doesn't agree, am I right?" Captain Goldmon commented, and three pairs of eyes fell on Khan.
"I'm completely new at this," Khan declared while wearing a fake smile. "I'll follow your lead and learn what I can."
"Boring," Captain Goldmon snorted.
"Very well, let's start the meeting," Lieutenant Abaze exclaimed. "The three of us have already introduced our respective subjects to the recruits since the second semester has started. I believe we all have different approaches, so imitating us won't work. What did you have in mind?"
Khan wanted to hear the different approaches before voicing his idea, but Lieutenant Abaze didn't give him that chance. He felt forced to speak since the three soldiers had moved their attention on him again. "I was thinking about using Tainted animals."
"For what?" Captain Goldmon asked.
"Battle experience," Khan explained. "Most recruits use training halls, which pose virtually no threat. I want them to face fear."
"We are still talking about recruits in their second semester," Lieutenant Abaze pointed out. "Mere Tainted animals won't be a threat for many of them."
"I was wondering whether I could handpick the Tainted animals to use in my lessons," Khan revealed. "I know that they aren't worthy opponents, but a big beast might scare the recruits a bit. The army uses them in the entrance tests, so finding a suitable creature shouldn't be a problem."
"I actually don't know where the Global Army keeps the Tainted animals," Amber commented.
"I know," Captain Goldmon stated while caressing his beard. "Your idea isn't bad, but you'll be in charge of your students' safety. Are you sure you can take care of that?"
"I do plan to make them suffer a bit," Khan honestly admitted. "Isn't that the point of our subjects?"
Captain Goldmon exploded into a laugh, and Lieutenant Abaze nodded. Amber limited herself to smile, but she understood that Khan's statement had been on point.
"There is only one problem with that," Captain Goldmon announced. "Most of the Tainted animals that the Global Army keeps near the training camp are rather harmless. You won't find what you need here."
"That's easy to fix," Lieutenant Abaze responded while looking at her phone. "It's still early. Let's see a few shops in Reebfell. I also need to buy some provisions for my classes."
"A trip to the city sounds nice," Amber smiled while standing up.
"Wait, what?" Khan exclaimed as he watched Lieutenant Abaze and Captain Goldmon standing up.
"Hurry up," Amber stated as her sweet smile broadened. "We should have enough time to hit a few shops before they close for lunch."
Khan couldn't help but feel a bit excited. He had lived in Ylaco, but he carried no memories of that period. The Second Impact had erased everything from back then, and only vague images that held no meaning had remained in his mind. Reebfell wasn't Ylaco, but it remained one of the big cities on Earth.
Captain Goldmon didn't give Khan the time to think about the matter. The soldier's cane hit the floor rhythmically as he hurried outside the shop, and Lieutenant Abaze followed him. Only Amber remained a bit behind to wait for Khan, but it was clear that she was pretty restless about the imminent trip.
Khan could only put his doubts aside and follow the soldiers. He didn't know how he would purchase the Tainted animals without Credits, but that problem fell in the back of his mind for now.
Captain Goldmon's cane appeared useless. The soldier was oddly agile, but he still tapped the floor with his metal stick to set the pace of the march. The group soon left the building and moved toward an area of the camp that Khan had yet to visit, which turned out to hold an underground parking hall featuring multiple vehicles.
The parking area was as simple as possible. A series of artificial lights shone on the ceiling and filled the vast hall with a bright white glow that made the many dark cars shine. A series of tunnels also stretched from the four walls, and some clearly led to the surface.
"Are we going to drive to Reebfell?" Khan asked as he inspected the various cars.
"I wish," Captain Goldmon sneered, "But I believe the ladies prefer to take the train."
"Train?" Khan exclaimed, and the answer to his question arrived when the group moved to a lower floor.
The parking hall was connected to a relatively small platform that featured a few benches and interactive walls. The area also featured a dark tunnel that stretched left and right, and Khan couldn't help but peek inside it to inspect the structure.
The bottom of the tunnel had two metal slabs that seemed to stretch along with the whole structure. Synthetic mana also ran between them without ever expanding upward. Waves of energy flowed behind the circular wall of the channel, and Khan remained stunned in front of their sheer quantity.
"Is this your first time seeing the train?" Amber asked while pulling Khan by his uniform.
Khan nodded and retreated at the center of the platform before inspecting Lieutenant Abaze tinkering with the interactive walls. A countdown appeared on the menus after she tapped a few labels, and the mana inside the tunnels also started moving oddly.
'Something is coming,' Khan quickly realized, and his gaze instinctively went on the right side of the tunnel.
"Ooh," Captain Goldmon voiced when he saw that gesture. "The reports must be true. Your senses are on point."
Khan glanced at the old soldier, but the latter had already lost interest in him. Instead, Amber and Lieutenant Abaze inspected him with curious eyes. It was clear that Captain Goldmon's seemingly casual comment had improved Khan's image in the women's minds.
A small cylindrical vehicle with a pointy front arrived before the platform when the countdown was about to reach zero. Its speed was so high that winds blew in the area while it stopped. A whooshing noise then followed as its metal doors slid open and revealed a small room with six comfortable seats.
Khan inspected everything thoroughly as he followed his three companions. The insides of the train appeared strangely large, even if the actual vehicle was relatively small. Bright lights and multiple menus also filled the ceiling and various surfaces. There was the chance to have drinks and meals, but no one chose to eat.
The train set off after everyone sat. Belts even came out of the seats and fastened on their own. Khan experienced the sudden pressure caused by the incredible acceleration, but everything became quiet and still relatively soon.
The train made no noise, and it was hard to understand that it was moving. Khan tried to keep track of the synthetic mana in the tunnel outside, but the vehicle was too fast for his senses. His focus soon went on the menus and holograms that his seat created, and he eventually found a map that described the path.
The vehicle would take less than half an hour to reach its destination, and the professors didn't bother to spend that time talking. Captain Goldmon took a nap. Lieutenant Abaze inspected videos covering random topics while Amber read some of the news connected to the shops that she wanted to visit.
Khan followed Amber's example and inspected the list of shops on the train's menus. It didn't take him long to find something connected to the Tainted animals, and a few ads immediately claimed his interest.
It turned out that Khan's knowledge of Tainted animals was far poorer than he expected. The Global Army had long since become able to replicate the same living beings that he had seen on Nitis. Khan could see artificially mutated beasts that featured various enhancements, both genetic and bionic.
The enhancements had different purposes. Most of them were battle-related since the wealthy families wanted to create good training fields for their descendants. Instead, others could even affect the animals' behavior, with some ads claiming that their beasts were utterly docile.
'Where did I even live until now?' Khan wondered as he inspected the menus.
The number of possibilities was immense. Khan even found shops that performed custom-made enhancements. There was simply too much, and he barely had the time to absorb everything during the short trip.
The train eventually stopped, and its metal doors opened to reveal a small platform similar to the one in the camp. Khan felt slightly disappointed when he saw that desolation, but the scenery that unfolded when the group climbed to the upper floor surpassed his expectations.
A large staircase led to an immense hall full of people, lights, vehicles. Khan was sure that he wasn't on the surface, but he still saw an incredible quantity of life and oddities.
A cozy yellow light illuminated the whole area, but the glows coming from the banners of the many shops that filled both sides of the hall created a colorful spectacle. Stands and other stores occupied specific spots where the people were forced to pass. Most of those men and women walked, but some used hoverboards, rollerblades, or small motorcycles to move around.
The scene almost overwhelmed Khan. There was simply too much that he had never seen in that sole hall. The clothes that Reebfell's citizens wore were enough to fill his mind with curiosity and confusion. He managed to spot only a few military uniforms while everyone else was donning something else, which could be eccentric at times.
"Khan, focus," Lieutenant Abaze called while looking left and right to find less crowded paths. "Let's go there. I'm sure that shop will be able to satisfy Captain Goldmon's taste."
"That's a bit expensive for my pay," Amber admitted without hiding her faint shyness.
"Don't worry," Lieutenant Abaze responded. "The Captain might sound grumpy, but he is a gentleman. He never lets underlings pay."
"And you made sure to use that to your advantage every time," Captain Goldmon snorted.
"The place also has an updated list of the best offers if you want to buy something," Lieutenant Abaze continued, ignoring the Captain's comment.
Amber nodded happily, but Khan lost interest in that conversation. Marvel still filled his mind due to the incredible sight that the immense hall was providing. He didn't expect a city to be so lively.
"What is it, Khan?" Amber asked when she noticed Khan's lack of excitement. "I'm sure you must want something."
"I don't have Credits," Khan revealed. "The first pays have yet to arrive."
"How did you spend everything earned in the last year?" Amber exclaimed.
"Earned?" Khan frowned. "I've never earned anything."
Lieutenant Abaze had listened to the conversation, and her elegant expression froze when she heard Khan's words. A heavy sigh eventually escaped her mouth when she realized what had happened, and an order soon followed. "Professor Teldom, please escort Lieutenant Khan to a console. We'll meet at the shop."
Amber nodded before taking Khan's arm and pulling him among the crowd of people to reach a different side of the underground hall. Everyone moved quickly, so it didn't take the two long to arrive before a room with a series of consoles. The place was empty, and Amber didn't hesitate to push Khan inside it and place his hand on one of the devices.
The screen immediately recognized Khan through his genetic signature, and it even welcomed him by mentioning his rank. A series of menus then appeared, and Amber pointed at a label that said: "withdraw".
"Press it," Amber ordered. "It won't work unless it's you doing it."
Khan didn't know what was happening, but he followed the orders. After pressing the label, a series of lines that described Khan's various achievements went by. The console was basically listing the merits accumulated during his past missions, and a big number with five digits appeared when everything ended.
'Please, place your phone on the console to withdraw thirty-two thousand one hundred fifty-seven Credits,' Khan read on the screen when a new line appeared under the big number.
To be continued