They were good for maintaining health but completely inadequate for reaching one's full potential. Especially for gaining the kind of strength Bill had seen his father possess.
He didn't know what the physical limit in this world would be, but judging by how his father lifted the vice admiral, Bill suspected that he could easily lift fifty tons, if not more.
Walking through the large doorway clearly designed for giants, Bill looked around. He heard the sound of gunshots in the distance but saw nothing that could be making them, so he assumed there was a firing range in the building.
The ceiling formed a huge dome, and in the center of the hall was a very large boxing ring. On both sides of the hall were various benches with weights, ropes, sleds, and other equipment.
Estimating the size of the hall, Bill guessed that its area was about two acres. Considering it was the second level of the base, this seemed logical to him. After all, this was only the entrance hall; there were probably other rooms.
"Stop!"
Turning to the voice shouting across the hall, Bill saw a man of medium height with a bit of extra weight jogging toward him.
Thinking that this might not be a good sign, Bill nonetheless replied in a soft voice, "Yes, sir?"
Panting
"Young man, what are you doing here? This is not a place for games."
Bill: "Uh... no, sir, I didn't come to play. This is the MCT building, right? I came here to start training."
Looking momentarily concerned, the slightly overweight man looked directly at Bill and said, "This building is intended only for Marine personnel. Sorry, young man, but you're not allowed here unless you're signed up at least as an errand boy."
From his experience at his father's office, Bill understood that errand boys were part of a sort of charitable program in this world.
Essentially, the Marines "hired" children, mostly orphans, to perform various tasks. The children were fed, educated, and cared for. In return, the child signed an eight-year service contract that took effect when they turned sixteen.
The work for such children was not easy. Depending on the child's age, they could be assigned to work in kitchens, clean toilets, and other places. As the children grew older, they were sent onto patrol ships to swab decks and perform other similar tasks.
A child with living parents could also become an errand boy, but this required the parents' signature on the contract.
Shaking his head in response to the man's statement, Bill replied, "My mom and dad wouldn't sign me up as an errand boy, but don't worry, I'm not planning to disturb you. It's just that this is the only place with weights that I know of."
?: "It's not about whether you'll disturb us or not.Pausing for a moment, he continued, "I suspect you would manage, but rules are rules. This is a Marines building, and it's not open to the public. Besides, young man, at your age, you shouldn't be lifting weights. If you want to become strong, just run outside. Maybe do push-ups in the evenings."
Looking at the man with a steady gaze, Bill replied, "Well, yeah, I don't think running and push-ups will make me as strong as my dad."
Hearing this, the stout man burst out laughing, as if it was the most confident statement he'd ever heard. He smiled and said, "No, no amount of push-ups will make you as strong as the Commodore. Such strength requires sheer willpower and dedication to never stop."
"You know what? While push-ups may not make you as strong as your father, they will make you much stronger, and running might help you become as fast as him. Moreover, given who your mom is, if you swim every day, you have a good chance of at least coming close to his endurance."
Pointing his finger toward the ceiling, the man continued, "And don't underestimate this advice, young man. Whether you train here or not depends on your willpower. How old are you now? Nine or ten? For heaven's sake, run as fast as you can every day, do push-ups and swim as often as possible, maybe even squat. "Then you will naturally become stronger."
Disappointed but not angry at the stout Sailor, Bill understood that this was most likely an order from his father or, at least, after the incident with the rear admiral, other officers wanted to avoid trouble.
Bill: "Got it, thanks anyway."
As he turned to leave, the Sailor grabbed Bill by the shoulder and turned him back around.
"Listen, don't ignore this advice. How about following what I told you for six months? Every day after class, you need to run as fast as you can. Swim as hard as you can every day. And then do as many push-ups as you can every evening. You live on the third level, so you can run to the beach, swim for a couple of hours, and then run back. If after six months of this every day like clockwork, you don't notice significant progress, maybe then I just won't see you coming in here to use the weights."