The simulation room vibrated faintly under the mechanical rumbles that ran through the station. The air was cold, saturated with metallic odors and ozone. The overhead fluorescent lights cast a harsh white light, accentuating the tense features of the recruits lined up in front of Asmara.
No. 2, as he was officially known, stood motionless, arms crossed behind his back. His dark eyes scanned the faces one by one. Each newcomer looked wise, almost too wise. Not a drop of sweat dared to appear, not a sideways glance. An unusual, disturbing docility.
-Simulation, show me if you are soldiers or burdens, she whispered. Power on.
The walls of the room vibrated, and the space was transformed: holograms projected a scene of ruins, the carcasses of gutted buildings, a blackish sky. The pit, in miniature
"Simple test. Locate, secure, neutralize. Three objectives, three minutes," Asmara announced in a neutral voice. "Begin."
-yes chief
-yes chief
-yes chief
-at your command
Sang the 4 new ones
The recruits moved, perfectly coordinated, as if they had rehearsed a thousand times. Not a moment's hesitation, not a moment's straying. One covered the left corner, another swept the ground, the other two advanced in tandem, in impeccable formation.
Asmara frowned slightly, a little irritated by their efficiency.
She expected mistakes, raw reactions, instinct. But she saw only mechanical, smooth, almost robotic gestures.
-Do it, Asmara whispered.
BAM
A roar made the ground shake, something normal in the pit... But suddenly the individual threw himself on the duo
CLAK, with a gesture he dispelled it into a thousand pieces.
Shit, she wasn't going to let her win that easily.
Three minutes later, they lined up in front of her again. Mission accomplished. Silence.
Asmara watched them for a long time, without moving.
-You still need a lot to reach the omega level, she breathed sternly.
The recruits didn't flinch, rather "joy" didn't flinch, but the others sometimes had a hesitant look as if they wanted to say something but were too afraid of reprisals.
A faint buzzing over the intercom interrupted his thoughts. The metallic voice echoed throughout the room:
[Discontinuation of all sessions or training. All personnel are required immediately in the main hall.]
Asmara closed her eyes for a second, then ordered:
-End of simulation. You can go.
The decor faded, leaving room for bare metal walls, and transparent glass.
-omega… we're going back, ordered Asmara, who immediately left the new
-Let's go, whispered Sadness
As usual, as a leader, I didn't really have a say in the matter, I didn't even want to say it.
Asmara and the rest of the team returned to our quarters, I watched these new people for a few seconds and left the room for the main hall
The main hall buzzed. The screen in the center was already active as usual. On the walls, large holographic screens waited to light up. Officers circulated, their voices deep, repeating:
- Silence. Start of the selection test, first phase
There was a sharp click. The main screen lit up. A station logo appeared, and then the old man's voice rang out:
- Recruits. Tonight marks the beginning of your evaluations. The first mission is being launched.
A murmur ran through the room. The younger ones exchanged excited glances, others clenched their jaws. I wondered where Ela was.
The screen then showed a fully equipped squad, helmets fitted, cameras mounted. The video feed came from their own perspectives.
"Yellow test," the voice continued. "Patrol in the pit. Objective: reconnaissance and area security. Low to medium risk."
At least he wasn't suicidal, a guarantee of staying here and not dying even if it will take time before we hope to one day see the domes
The shaky footage revealed the soldiers descending a metal wall, then their boots touching the black dust floor. The air seemed heavy, saturated with particles. The recruits in the hall collectively held their breath.
On one side of the screen, heart rate and blood pressure gauges were displayed for each team member on the mission. The observer could follow everything live.
-What do you think? asked a low voice.
I turned my head slowly.
-"joy"?
A thin smile stretched his lips.
-yes, it's an easy access test
-yes yes…, I replied nervously, I felt the same thing in the presence of alpha 1, an icy and strange aura
She didn't speak again, just looked away at the screen.
The mission was unfolding: methodical exploration, sweeping of areas, communication reduced to the essentials. The integrated cameras projected maps in real time onto a second screen. Nothing seemed abnormal.
And yet. I felt the tension growing in the hall. She observed the recruits in the other compartments, this "joy"
I didn't even know where she came from or what she wanted.
The old man's voice continued, sharp:
- Observe carefully. Your future will depend on your ability to analyze what you see.
The recruits exchanged nervous glances. Whispers arose. Joy, however, remained focused on the screen.
Suddenly, an alert appeared overlaid: Unstable signal. Motion detected.
The overhead camera swiveled abruptly: between two metal carcasses, a moving silhouette. Humanoid, but too dark. An icy silence fell over the hall.
I felt my heart beat faster. This was the truth of the pit. This was what "medium risk" meant.
- false alarm, it's a local RESIDENT
-It was a close call, Joy whispered.
[command center to team.., report]
[team… At the command center, nothing to report, it's just an inhabitant-
BOOM