Chapter 35:
Dim lights and Despair: Humanity 2
Bible 2: The Sequel to the Bible
I was born for this.
This is what Vorelando thought when he pulled on the leather boots of his new uniform, that of the cadets. Shortly making that promise to each other, Vorelando and Harold had enlisted in the army. It was something Vorelando had always wanted to do, and had planned on doing so this year as it was the first year he would be old enough to do so. But he was glad that his best friend had joined up with him.
Miyuki had followed his path too, as expected. She had followed Vorelando around like a lost dog since they were children, perhaps unsurprising give their history. Somewhere along the way Vorelando had grown to resent it, though even he didn’t realize that.
Lacing up his boots, Vorelando was filled with immense pride and more than a hint of nostalgia. It reminded him of when he was a kid watching the military’s scout division return from their expeditions beyond the dome. As they rolled back into the city on horseback, Vorelando had only been all enough to see their boots, never failing to be covered in blood.
He would follow them down the street until they dismounted to get a glimpse of their faces. Invariably they were some combination of wounded or hollow. One might wonder why a young Vorelando found this inspiring but it was simply really. Battered, bruised and beaten, these brave men and women were alive. They had faced the enemy head on and lived to tell the tale.
That’s what had always made the scouts the most admirable section of the military to Vorelando. Unlike the lethargic garrison regiment who patrolled the domes and maintained them or the outright cowards in the elite military police regiment, the scouts put their lives on the line each and every day to strike back at the kiwi menace.
“Do you feel that Harold?”
“Feel what?”
“The inspiration.”
“No, I just feel cold.”
Currently, the two of them were changing out of their street clothes into their new uniforms in freezing conditions while they were exhausted. Cadet training was held in a camp situated far away from the domed city’s residential district and the two had hiked all the way from their homes over several days to reach it. That was the first part of being accepted as a soldier of his majesty Leon D. Valor, proving your strength of body and character before you even started.
As for why it was freezing, :B:uenos Aires had always been a naturally cold city and training started in the middle of winter. The few heat lamps provided could do very little about that.
The two of them left the room they had been assigned and headed towards the courtyard. They had been informed by the soldier that registered them that there was to be an initial briefing there at noon.
As they exited their room, they found Miyuki waiting outside.
“Vorelando…” she yearned.
“Come on, we’re going to be late” Vorelando said dismissively.
As they exited their building, Vorelando couldn’t help but notice something odd about Miyuki’s attire.
“You’re still wearing that thing?” he said, pointing at the red beanie she wore over her long black hair.
“Of course.” She replied.
It was an odd question to ask in her mind. How could she ever take off something that meant so much to her?
“Take it off, it’s a disgrace to the uniform.” Vorelando scathed.
Miyuki said nothing, hoping that he would forgot about it if she did so.
“What do you think this initial briefing will be all about?” Harold, an empath, had sensed the situation brewing and acted fast, cutting through the tension with trademark ease.
“Who can say?” Vorelando said.
As the trio approached the courtyard, they were struck by the eerie silence. People were split up into their cliques but they were whispering amongst themselves. It struck silence into the three of them as well.
“I have half a mind to cut you all right now!”
From behind Vorelando and co, a booming voice emerged. A tall, slim man in immaculate military regalia. It was Felipe Sadies, head of the cadet corps, the man responsible for training fresh recruits.
“You were told to expect a briefing, and no one decided to corral you all into formation? Are you another group of recruits with no natural born leaders?!”
“No sir!” Vorelando shouted. “Everyone, form lines of 10 behind me!”
Many of the other cadets clicked their tongues at Vorelando or otherwise scowled at him but after a couple of moments, they all did as he said.
“Don’t think that means anything, a real leader doesn’t have to be told to lead.”
Felipe got right up in Vorelando’s grill, trying to shake him but Vorelando stood strong.
“Cadet! State your name!”
“Vorelando Jones, sir!”
“Why did you join the cadets Jones?”
“To fight back against the Kiwis, sir!”
“You’re one of the madmen that fancies themselves a scout are you?”
“Yes sir!”
Without breaking eye contact, Felipe revved up his right leg and kicked Vorelando in the shin with earth shattering force. Vorelando fell to the ground clutching his leg in pain.
“What’s wrong cadet? I thought you wanted to be a scout! When I was the regiment leader, I wouldn’t have taken someone with such weak shins! Get to your damn feet!”
Struggling against his body, Vorelando managed to stand back up straight, hand over his heart in the military salute.
“Hmph!” Sadies scoffed before moving onto his next target. “You! Name and ambition!”
“John Kirkstein, I want to join the military ploice and bring my family to the inner dome…”
A chorus of nods rang around. For every person who had signed up for revenge’s sake, there was another who had signed up for opportunity’s.
“Military police, huh?” Sadies said before swiftly kneeing John in the balls. “Guess you won’t be needing those then.”
As John writhed in pain on the dusty ground, people were beginning to shake in their military boots.
“Cadet!”
“Sir! Donnie Singer, sir!”
Donnie, and the rest of the cadets didn’t need to be told what to do by this stage, state your name, state your ambition and state the truth.
“I don’t know why I’m here, sir!”
Sadies’ eyes went wide.
“You don’t know?”
“No sir!”
Sadies grabbed Donnie’s head by both hands and stared into his eyes.
“You don’t know?!”
“No sir!”
“YOU DON’T KNOW?!”
“NO SIR!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”
Sadies snapped Donnie’s neck violently, letting his body slump to the ground.
“IF ANYONE ELSE DOESN’T KNOW WHY THEY’RE HERE, LEAVE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR FATE. YOU CANNOT FIGHT WITHOUT REASON. BE A MADMAN, BE A COWARD BUT NEVER BE WITHOUT CAUSE.”
That warning caused a dozen would be cadets to break formation and run for the hills.
“Good, we don’t the likes of them in this institution.”
“SLURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP.”
A slurping sound punctuated Sadies’ words. The atmosphere, which had already been heavy became outright dark. In the middle of all the cadets standing perfectly in military salute, was a single girl, drinking from a plastic cup.
Even though Sadies was looking directly at her, she acted as if she were invisible and soundless, taking another very loud slurp from her cup. Sadies strolled up to her slowly, every step of the way expecting her to try and hastily hide her subordinance. But she didn’t, even face to face with death, she was invisible.
Finally, with Sadies looming over her, something clicked in the girl.
“Natasha Haus, sir! I’m here to join the garrison regiment to stop being a burden on my family!”
Natasha punctuated herself with another loud slurp.
“What is that.” Sadies stated not asked.
“It’s lean, sir.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Oh, sorry. It’s a mixture of sprite and cough syrup. It’s really good.”
Sadies smacked the cup out of Natasha’s hand sending the contents splattering over her fellow cadets. Immediately Natasha got out another cup and started pouring another serving from her flask.
“I MEANT WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO DRINK DURING MY BRIEFING????”
“Oh… I’m sorry, did you want some? You can have a cup… I guess..”
Natasha took out another cup and poured sadies what was, at most, half a cup of lean.
That day, Natasha became the first cadet of the 69th recruiting class to be sentenced to the BDSM punishment dungeon for an entire day.
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