The whirs of spinning helicopter blades echoed in Jon Johnson's mind, as the voyage to Isle Monroe, the location in which the special training programme he had signed up for some two months ago was set to commence, was nearing its completion.
In the same small helicopter cabin were two other men; Jon's best friend Bryce Hansen, the excitable lad who had roped him into this whole situation, and another dapper gentleman, who had earlier introduced himself as Dexter Tuscan, son of Tony Tuscan, owner of the Little Fish Casino Lounge.
As the helicopter approached its destination, a young man in military attire made his way to the cabin from the cockpit. He straightened his glasses and his cap, then coughed to get the trio's attention.
"Hello guys, my name is Liam Mason, and I'll be one of your senior officers at the facility. There was a rambling of introduction from Minister O'Lop I was supposed to read to you, but I seem to have misplaced it. Yeah, let's go with that." Liam said, scratching the back of his head.
"We're almost at the island, so I suggest you guys get to know each other, seeing as you'll be roommates for the next couple months. I'll let you know when we're landing!" Liam returned to his seat in the cockpit.
"Well, I just knew we'd be staying together. You owe me 20, Jon." Bryce commented, smugly smiling at his friend. Jon just shook his head.
"You made that bet on your own, Bryce, because you knew you'd win it. As if there was any question, with my dad being who he is." Jon pointed out.
"No fair." Bryce pouted, "How come both of your dads are big deals and I'm just 'Johnson's kid's friend'?" He complained, earning an eyeroll from Jon.
"I wouldn't complain if I were you. I think my dad's in the mafia." Dex shrugged, and blew some smoke from his cigarette.
"Yeah, okay, maybe, but, counterpoint; you have a butler, dude." Bryce crossed his arms.
"I hope you won't be smoking in our living quarters, dude." Jon told Dex, staring at the cigarette smoke that was slowly creeping out of the window. Dex mumbled something, and then hurled his cigarette holder out the window and into the sea. The other two looked on in shock.
"What? I have like 50 identical cigarette holders in my luggage, it's no big deal." Dex responded to the two's bewildered faces.
"Hey fellas! It's me Liam... again. Buckle up, cause we're beginning to descend!" Liam was heard through the intercom.
As the helicopter descended, the three men looked out of the window, looking upon the environment of the island. Two large buildings were on the west and east sides of the island, with a makeshift stage near the centre. A small dock with an emergency raft was north, right behind a wooden entrance gate. The helicopter landed on a helipad on the southside of the island.
"Looks like this is the real deal, gentlemen!" Bryce excitedly exclaimed, hauling his duffel bag outside of the helicopter as they landed.
"Yes, the point of no return." Dex snarked, as he rolled his two suitcases out of the helicopter.
"Come on, bro, don't be like that." Bryce scolded him, making him roll his eyes.
"I agree with Bryce, really. We should have positive attitude about this, Dex." Jon added, carrying a large backpack on his back, as he too stepped off the helicopter, which soon afterwards left, presumably to pick up the remaining recruits.
"Jetpacks, jetpacks, jetpacks!" Bryce started chanting, as Dex whipped out a new cigarette holder from his luggage, and lit another cigarette.
The three noticed a small crowd forming around the makeshift stage in the middle. A chubby guy with an uncanny resemblance to Liam had lounged on a lawn chair on top of the stage, telling people to clear off while munching on a packet of chips.
"Don't make me get up on my lunch break, guys." He said, but the chewing of crisps made it difficult to understand him. Bryce and Jon exchanged a look, and then began pushing through the crowd to get to him. Dex tried to follow them, but gave up the moment someone accidentally stepped on his foot, and just stayed back.
"Hey, get lost, new blood. Didn't you get the memo?" He told them when they made it through to him.
"Excuse me, but what are you doing here exactly?" Jon asked the chubby fellow, ignoring his request to leave.
"What's it look like, chump? I'm waiting for the VIPs! I've got a high rank around here, see? Corporal Larry Mason. Says so on my blazer." Larry said, proudly puffing his chest.
"That's not a very high rank, bro." Bryce snickered, upsetting Larry.
"Well, it's higher than yours, cowgirl." Larry said, and flicked Bryce's hat off his head. "Now scram. I have to eat all these chips before the Prime Minister arrives."
Unfortunately for Larry, the Prime Minister arrived sooner than he had anticipated. A bright light appeared right behind him, slowly expanding and forming into a circular portal.
"What the deuce!?" Larry exclaimed, recoiling in shock, as the chair gave away under his weight, dropping him off the stage.
Out of the portal came Leo, two gentlemen in military attire, with shining medals on their chests, the Minister of Defence, O'Lop, and Geowar, dressed in his Guardian Uniform, who closed the portal behind them.
"Mason!" Leo yelled.
"Yes, sir!" Said Liam, who had also made it to the stage by that point.
"Lawrence Mason. Are you eating chips while on duty?" He spat, his eye twitching at the chubby corporal.
"Uh... no?" Larry smiled innocently, hiding the chips behind his back. Leo rubbed temples.
"Take Mason's chips. Now." Leo ordered, waving his hand.
"Liam! Why do you have chips!?" Larry asked, faking being shocked, Liam only shook his head in response.
"Larry's a riot." Bryce whispered to Jon. He snickered.
"Anyway, now that we're done with that, I'd like to formally welcome the 50 brave Soweians who volunteered for this here program." Leo spoke, and some applause rang out. "As you may know, this island is named after former Minister of Civilian Protection, Jacob Monroe, who despite being morally questionable at best truly strived for truth, justice and democracy. It's my firm belief that with such promising youth, his dream of a Soweiland no longer under threat from criminals and foreign foes alike will be realised. May God rest his soul, as he was truly not completely reprehensible if you take his broad criminal record into account."
Some people clapped for the former Minister, despite how uncouth Leo made him sound.
"Moving on, in charge of operations here in Isle Monroe will be High General Hubert Starman and General Chet Douglas, two highly respected associates of mine, who've made their mark on the history of our nation. They will be training one of the two groups of this program. I hope you will learn a thing or two from these truly great men. Assisting them will be Corporals Lawrence and Liam Mason. That's all from me, for now. I wish you all the best, for you are the future of Soweiland."
The soldiers began clapping as Leo and Geowar opened another portal and left the island, and the Minister of Defence took the stage to give a few words of his own. As that was happening, Jon and Bryce went to the back of the crowd and linked up with Dex again.
"What did you think Dex?" Bryce asked once they met.
"That was about as accurate a description of Jacob Monroe as any. I've read on these generals though, and we should be in good hands." Dex said, taking another whiff of his cigarette afterwards.
"I've met them personally, me. They're good. I hope we're in Starman's group, though. Douglas is kinda scary when he's mad." Jon added.
After O'Lop concluded his pretty short speech, the crowd dispersed, and they headed to their dormitories.
"Alright, let's see. This poster should say where we have to go." Jon said, as the three walked up to the dormitory building. "Says here we're on Group A, whatever that means, and that our room is on the second floor."
The men climbed the stairs to the second floor, and found their room, No. 221. Surprisingly, the door to the room was unlocked already, and no keys were hanging by the door, like all the previous rooms. Upon entering the room, the trio discovered another guy, lying on the bottom bunk of one of the two beds, reading a book.
"Ah, you must be my roommates." He said once he noticed them. He set his book down and walked up to them. "My name is Thomas Gardner. I hope you don't mind me making myself comfortable."
"Uh, nice to meet you, Tom. How come you're here already? Didn't you hear the speeches?" Jon asked, and set his backpack aside.
"I saw no purpose to them. My time is better off spent preparing my living space than listening to some politician's ramblings." Thomas said. "In fact, since I got here of my own accord, I've had enough time to read about half of this novel. I'll go back to doing that, if you wouldn't mind."
"Weird guy alert." Bryce whispered to Dex, who chuckled. Jon gave the both of them a disapproving stare.
"Come on, guys, he could just be a little shy. Sorry about them, Thomas." Jon scolded the two. Thomas had been absorbed by his novel, and paid them no mind.
"Eh, whatever man. Dibs on top bunk!" Bryce exclaimed, and tossed his duffel at the bunk opposite of the one Tomas was on.
"So, there an ashtray in here?" Dex asked, while kicking his suitcases underneath the bed, marking the bunk under Bryce's as his own.
"So, I guess I'm bunking with you, Thomas." Jon pointed out. Thomas gestured to the top bunk, as if telling him to go ahead, without even looking away from his book. Jon shrugged, and climbed up to the top bunk.
"I think I've seen this guy hang around my old man." Dex muttered to Bryce.
"Yeah, his face is kinda familiar, to be honest." Bryce added in agreement. After that, the two caught a glimpse of Jon's disapproving expression, and stopped talking.
The guys spent the next half hour getting accustomed to their spaces. Bryce kept trying to find the perfect spot to hang his hat, which Thomas dubbed ridiculous, while Dex left the room in search of an ashtray, which he ended up 'borrowing' from the generals' quarters in the west building. Jon was fruitlessly attempting to make conversation with Thomas, and ended up wondering what the dude was even doing there. After a while, though, there was a knock on the door, that made Thomas finally let go of the book.
"Everything alright in here, fellas?" Walked in General Starman, and asked. Bryce immediately stood in attention and saluted the General, stomping his foot on the ground.
"Yes, sir!" He yelled and Starman laughed.
"At ease, son. We haven't even begun yet." Starman dismissed him. "And good afternoon to you too, Jonas. Your father didn't let me know you'd be here as well."
"Nice to see you again, sir. I hope you've been well." Jon greeted the General, and shook his hand.
"Anything out of the ordinary, men?" Starman asked the four soldiers.
"Your corporal didn't mention we'd be having a fourth roommate, sir." Dex pointed out, raising an eyebrow at the General.
"Ah, you must mean Mr. Gardner here. He's a veteran, and we gave him a little more leeway in exchange for his cooperation. If he chose to remain hidden, that was all on him." The General explained.
"This dude has gone to war? Seriously?" Dex questioned the general, but before he could get an answer, Bryce interrupted them.
"Sir! Permission to ask a question, sir!" Bryce yelled. Starman nodded at him to carry on.
"When do we get to go on the jetpacks, sir?" Bryce asked, catching the General off guard. Dex also could help but look upon his comrade in shock.
"Well, all in due time, my boy. Now, I must be going, I am to check some other rooms, also." Starman said.
"Wait, is General Douglas also doing rounds like these?" Jon asked. The answer came on its own.
"BOY, WHAT ARE YOUR FRILLY FLIP-FLOPS DOING ON MY FLOOR? THIS IS A MILITARY OPERATION, PRIVATE! GET THESE OUTTA MY SIGHT! AND PICK UP THAT DAMN SNOTTY TISSUE OFF THE BED, STICKLER! THAT'S DISGUSTING!" General Douglas' voice echoed throughout the entire Island.
"But sir, it's my condishawn!" Stickler whimpered.
"I DON'T CARE, BOY! YOU BETTER GET YO ACT TOGETHER, BEFORE YOU CATCH ANOTHER CASE!" Douglas threatened him. Bryce and Dex burst out laughing, and even Thomas tried to hide a snicker.
"That answers that, then." Starman chuckled. "Oh, and Mr. Tuscan? I'll have that ashtray back now."
"Ah, shit. You knew?" Dex asked, handing the ashtray to the General.
"Good day, gentlemen. See you tomorrow morning for some training." The General left, shutting the door behind him.
"I think I see why you wanted Starman and not Douglas, Johnny. That Stickler kid will never live that down." Bryce said after recovering from the laughs.
"We should rest up, guys. It's getting late." Jon said to the others.
"I hope you won't mind me reading this book until late." Thomas said, taking a flashlight from his briefcase
"Whatever. I'm going out for a smoke." Dex said, leaving the room.
"I'm going out, too." Bryce said. "There's ladies in this island, and they're waiting for me to come find them. Ciao!" Bryce ran out of the room, taking the keys with him.
"So much for that, ey Thomas?" Jon said to his roommate. Thomas just groaned and continued reading his book.