Celio's military academy

Brigham and Curro entered the school premises. Celio’s Military academy, the most elite and prestigious school in the colony. A school whose mission was to train the most gifted children, to prepare and educate them to serve in the Nova Occasio space military.

The school’s curriculum starts at age 14. The kids who become students are mandated to live in single-bedroom apartments, away from their parents. Not in dormitories, but in regular apartments rented by the school for them. The academy had strict policies regarding forming independence and the students are regularly graded based on how they keep their living spaces. Instructors inspect their apartments unannounced, without warning, and score them.

Alongside social and natural sciences the academy also has intense physical and metal training required for space travel.

The curriculum also included hand-to-hand and firearm training, as well as necessary skills needed to survive on inhospitable planets and zero gravity. The school also includes lessons on citizenship and patriotism. Nova Occasio is a young nation, as old as Brigham and Curro for that matter. Founded 16 years ago in 1973. It needed to instill a sense of belonging and patriotism into the youth.

Once the students turn 16 they have reached the age of majority according to the laws of Nova Occasio. This is Curro’s and Brigham's last year with the academy. They will graduate this year and will be integrated into the Grand Army of the Galactic Dominion Nova Occasio as petty officers. With experience and age graduates of Celio’s military academy will become the top of the military once they gain the proper experience.

Some of the citizens of Nova Occasio feel that this arrangement is too harsh on the youth. They are forcing these kids into adulthood too quickly. They don’t have ample space to be kids. Especially those who attend Celio’s military academy. However, it is the opinion of the government that in the year 1989. with the galactic cold war still in full swing, it is necessary.

Nova Occasio is a neutral planet, it doesn’t want to be part of NATO or the Warsaw Pact. Both of these alliances stretch across the stars and a full-blown galactic war seems imminent at any moment. Nova Occasio could also face invasion at any time from either side, hence it needs a strong military to defend itself. A notion that has been drilled into the students at Celio’s Military Academy. Brigham shakes the heavy thoughts from his head, instead focusing on the task at hand.

Brigham and Curro made their way to their class. The main building resembled a glass cube, enforced with metal rods on the edges. The structure stood out from the landscape, standing tall at three stories tall. The minimalistic exterior, was decorated with numerous giant flags of Nova Occasio. Windows and glass outer shell of the building were meant to symbolize an openness to new ideas.

Inside the classroom, Curro and Brigham met with the rest of their classmates. Class Lupus, with all nine soon to be cadets present. They sat in their seats waiting for their head instructor to arrive.

“Why do we have to have lectures on a day like this?!” Brigham bemoaned.

“C’mon it’s only this one lecture, you will survive it.” Curro patted his friend on the back.

„And why is instructor Mok late today out of all days?“ Brigham whined bouncing his leg. Curro’s comforting can go only so far with this amount of anticipation.

“You guys are actually excited about today?” Emidio jumped in. A white-haired scrawny classmate sitting behind them. “I don’t know why you are so happy it's going to be so lame. It’s going to be torture too. Get ready for cold temperatures, no TV or video games, no sunlight, and terrible food.”

“You were depressed all day yesterday even though we spent the entire afternoon in the arcades. You’ve got to come to terms with it. That’s the life you signed up for. The life of the military.” Brigham said.

“This school sucks,” Emidio dragged his hands over his eyes. “Life sucks in general but now it's going to suck even more. I hate this school. I wish today was canceled.”

“C’mon grow some balls and stop whining like a little girl!” Ana shouted annoyed. A tough no-nonsense blonde girl. Her desk was to the left of Emidio. She wasn’t someone Brigham got to talk to that much, given that she looked perpetually pissed off. Very unapproachable. “This is a great opportunity to see once and for all who the best of this class is. All of our skills will be tested.”

This isn’t a competition, Emidio murmured to himself while throwing a side eye at Ana. Spending the next week with her will be unbearable. An obsessive perfectionist who will 24/7 chastise anyone who doesn’t do things that are set by her impossible standards. I am not excited to be bombarded by her competitive attitude. I don’t get why she tries so hard. We will all die anyway what’s the point. I hate people like her.

Ana sized up Emidio and thought to herself, this little twerp won’t survive the next week no way. He passed the physical tests by a slither. I wouldn’t be surprised if instructor Mok added him a few pity points so he wouldn’t have to kick him out of the academy. He probably has some political connection that’s keeping him in this academy. He pisses me off, he doesn’t even try. He just whines and moans about everything. I hate people like him.

“Well, today is off to a good start,” Brigham said sarcastically to Curro prompting a chuckle from him.

The classroom was getting more rowdy when instructor Mok finally entered the room. He was an older man, his body evidently ravaged by war. His skin was littered with scars, with an missing eye and leg to match. The missing eye was covered with an eyepatch and his leg replaced with a metal prosthetic. He exuded authority with his presence. The moment he entered the room there was complete silence.

Mok was a favorite of class Lupus, he even garnered respect from Emidio who viewed the rest of the instructors with resentment and distrust. He was this class’s main instructor.

As such he took an almost parental role for these kids. They were away from their parents and they were at the age where they needed guidance. Instructor Mok was always a source of wisdom and understanding. He was their safety net, someone they truly counted on.

“I know today is a big day for all of you and I imagine none of you are particularly excited for today’s lecture so I will keep it as brief as I can. Some of you already know modern history but we have to cover it regardless.” Mok cleared his throat while the class got out its notebooks.

“After the defeat of the Axis in World War II, the world entered an era that is still ongoing which we call the Cold War. During the 1950s a space race was started between the United States and the Soviet Union. Massive technological breakthroughs were made during this period. By the 1960s humanity had already visited the moon and the entire solar system.”

Instructor Mok took a sip of the cup of tea he brought in with him and continued: “Warp speed was soon discovered allowing quick travel across our galaxy. By the end of the 1960s, the first space colonies were formed. The East and West went into a scramble to colonize as much of the galaxy as possible. Claiming that their ideological battle extended across the galaxy between capitalist democracies and communist dictatorships.

“There was a massive push for countries on earth to join NATO or the Warsaw Pact, which was intended originally just as alliances for Europe, extended towards most of East and West aligned countries. All countries donated massive parts of their budgets to this space race but that resulted in a new crisis.”

Instructor Mok walked across the classroom continuing his lecture: “This overzealous overextension caused the great economic crash of 1970. The colonies became too expensive to manage and they were granted self-governance but they needed to promise allegiance to either the Warsaw Pact or NATO, if not they risked an invasion from Earth.”

Mok raised his finger: “Remember, the Soviets and the Americans had nuclear weapons, they could wipe out a disloyal colony. The 1970. economic crash encouraged massive migration from Earth to these new space colonies. The number of people living in space went from 800 thousand in the late 60s to 150 million in the early 70s. During this time many new space colonies were formed. One such colony was our very own, Nova Occasio.

“In 1972. a group we call the pioneers came to this planet and created the first settlements. In January of 1973. the Pioneers formally declared the Dominion of Nova Occasio in a session of the Congress of Nova Occasio. It was the intention of this new nation to remain non-aligned in the Galactic Cold War. A commitment it has kept to today.”

Mok went to sip a bit more of his tea and continued: “You can’t have peace by just declaring your intention for it. We fought a war of independence that was won that same year. Many colonies and new nations perished either by declaring independence or through proxy wars waged by the US and the USSR. It takes strength to have peace. One more important event happened in 1973.

“As humanity got comfortable with living in space and outside of Earth it became comfortable with the idea of making babies outside of Earth too. The first generation. All across the galaxy, the first children in space were born. The year all of you were born. Much like the pioneers who formed our country all of you are pioneers too. We are a nation comprised of immigrants from Earth from various nation states but you are the first who could truly call the cosmos your own.”

Mok clapped his hands and said: “That about wraps up today's lecture. Time to start today’s big event. It’s time for your initiation day!”