Annihilation Prequel - Psychic Beginnings (12 page)

“He broke Don’s ribs and Rory’s arm. He called for more to step into his sadistic demonstration, and though I never fight one weaker than myself, I had to stop him from depriving my teammates of the training they are going to need to survive when they enter combat. Now Don and Rory are on light duty and are missing the opportunity to learn the skills they’ll need.”

Frank said, “Your Lieutenant injured twenty two boots during his training exercises. Five of them required hospitalization.”

Miller looked at Stenson and said, “Is this true?”

Stenson looked around and said nothing.

Miller looked back at AG and said, “We are weaker than you but you chose to fight us.”

“For the same reason I fought the Lieutenant.”

Miller looked puzzled, “I’m not sure I understand.”

AG looked at the four that had attacked him and said, “This is not the first time the four of you have done this.” Miller didn’t say anything and AG knew from his expression that he was right. “If anyone beats one of your instructors, you go to deliver a lesson that it is not acceptable to do so. That stupidity astounds me.”

“We have a reputation to uphold.”

“Then go fight school children. You only weaken yourself always fighting those weaker than yourself. You should reward and learn from those that can make you stronger. Instead you punish them by ganging up on them. Your actions disgust me.”

“Why didn’t you injure us?”

“Well, I did injure two of you. However, you are going to fight for my country and I just couldn’t make myself do it.”

Major Miller stared at AG and said, “I give you my word that we will never do this again.” He turned and said, “Lt. Stenson, you will return directly to FT. Bragg and be confined to your quarters until a Board of Inquiry can be assembled. You will then have the opportunity to explain your actions in injuring twenty two soldiers. Now get out of this building.”

Stenson’s fear showed on his face and he remained in his chair. “But, Sir…”

“Sgt. McAfee, please assist the Lieutenant.” Stenson stood and ran from the building.

Miller turned to Frank, “We will select our instructors more carefully in the future. If anything like this happens again, please contact my Commanding Officer at Bragg and let him know. I’ll fill him in when we return.” Miller turned back to AG and saw him stick out his hand, “Thank you, Sir.”

Miller shook his hand, “Why should you thank me?”

“I have misjudged the ones that wear the Green Beret. You are not the cowards I thought you were.”

Miller nodded and said, “Private, could you have taken all of us?” AG just stared at Miller and he knew the answer. “You would look good in a Beret.”

“My destiny is elsewhere, Sir; however, thank you for the compliment.”

AG went to attention and saluted. Major Miller returned his salute, turned, and took his men out of the building and back to their aircraft.

Frank looked at AG and said, “What are you doing wasting valuable training time. Double time it to the range!”

AG snapped to attention, “Sir, yes Sir.”

He turned to run and Frank said, “Good job, Gardner.”

AG smiled and made it back to the range in half the normal time.

C
ynthia pulled the bulky skirt up and fastened it. She put on the vest-shirt on and it came down below the beltline, leaving several inches too much around her waist. She looked in the mirror and saw she looked like a frumpy hippie. Good, this was a good combination to wear. She took the outfit off and put on a big flowing dress that went straight to the floor from her armpits to her ankles. She put a loose fitting tee-shirt on under it and once more she appeared to be about twenty pounds overweight. Voila, another selection.

Her mother came in and did a double take, “Are you going to a Halloween party?”

Cynthia sighed and said, “Mom, sit down just a minute.” April sat down and Cynthia took her hand, “You know that I’m waiting on AG to come home and I will not be seeing anyone else while he’s gone.”

“Cyn, you’re going to miss out on so much.”

“I don’t think so, Mom. Harvard is going to be hard enough to make the grades I’ll need to get into medical school and being chased by every boy looking for pretty legs will be a distraction. I’ve endured that all through high school and I want to head this problem off before it starts.”

April looked at the outfits laid out on the bed and said, “Well, you’ll still be chased even if you try to hide your body; you’re just too beautiful.”

“Thanks, Mom, but you’re slightly prejudiced.”

“No, I’m not. Your face is perfect. You certainly didn’t get it from me.”

Cynthia smiled and hugged her mother, “Now whose being dishonest?” Cynthia straightened up and walked over and looked in the mirror. She took a breath and blew it out, “I think you’re right; I need something to change my appearance.”

April stood and said, “Wait here just a minute.” She left the room and came back with a small bag. She opened it and took out a pair of huge black rimmed glasses. She put them on Cyn and then took out an artist’s beret and put it on after she pushed Cynthia’s blonde hair up under it. “What do you think?”

Cynthia looked at herself in the mirror and saw a stranger looking back at her. She laughed and said, “I look like a real geek. Where did you get these?”

“They were part of a costume I wore back in high school. We had a day where everyone dressed up like a geek. You do look like a bookworm librarian.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ve got to find some more outfits. These two just won’t be enough.”

“If you’re trying to go unnoticed, you don’t want a lot of different outfits.”

“I don’t?”

“No, you want several outfits that are all the same. If you wear the same thing every day, you’ll just disappear in the crowd. People notice when you look difference.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because one of the very plain girls in school always wore the same outfit and no one ever noticed her. One day she wore something different and every girl in the school immediately saw it. The boys didn’t but the girls did.” April paused, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Mom, you met him. What do you think?”

April smiled, “You’re just so young and you will change as you mature, Cynthia. How can you be so certain about this?”

Cynthia touched her heart with her right hand, “Because he fills me up here.” Then she touched her head, “And he amazes me here. He is so much smarter than I am and I look forward to learning so much from him over the years.”

April wrapped her arms around her daughter and said, “That’s good enough for me.” She stepped back and said, “Let’s do this the right way. Let’s go down town and find the right outfit to make this happen.”

Cynthia squealed and said, “Shopping is my life. Let’s go.”

Cynthia kept the outfit on and April furrowed her brow, “I might as well get used to it.”

“Cynthia, you know your cover will be blown if anyone decided to look at your year book. They’ll see how beautiful you are.”

“Welllll…I’ve kinda taken care of that.”

“How?”

“Robert is the president of the photography club and he removed every picture of me before it was sent out. Even my class picture is blank.”

“Cynthia, you just destroyed everything that you’ve accomplished.”

“Mom, it’s high school. What I do with the rest of my life is what is going to really matter.”

April smiled and said, “Let’s go shopping.”

• • •

Basic Training was rapidly coming to an end. Frank’s platoon was in the barracks getting ready for lights out and De la Toree said, “What is this thing we’re doing tomorrow?”

Chen said, “It’s called the Hell from Run.”

“Don’t you mean Run from Hell?”

“Nope, the recruits named it years ago and the name fits.”

Johnson said, “Have any of you wondered why we are always the last one in on everything?”

Several voices answered, “I wondered about that? So have I? Why is that?”

“The platoons used to almost come to blows on who went first, second, and so on. This little run was developed to determine what the platoon’s position would be for the next class.”

“What do you mean, Johnson?”

“My brother went through basic two years ago and he told me that whatever platoon wins, will always go first. The one that comes in second will always go second.”

“Are you saying that Sgt. Weber’s platoon came in last?”

“They did.”

“How do they make that determination?”

“Which ever platoon completes the run with the most boots, wins.”

“What if two tie?”

“The one with the best time wins.”

Silence ruled the room until Clarke said, “Fourteen miles with a full backpack is more than I can do.”

AG said, “Then you won’t do it tomorrow.”

Clarke looked sharply over at AG and said, “Gardner, I have trouble with the five mile runs; fourteen is unimaginable to me.”

“And that is why you’ll fail tomorrow, Clarke.”

Clarke stared at AG and the room was silent. Finally Clarke said, “You told me after you kicked my butt that I was only a mere fighter and would never be a warrior. I’ve really wondered what you meant by that? Is this part of being a mere fighter?”

AG sat up on his bed and said, “Clarke, you’re not the same person that came here, little more than a bully. You’ve changed and I think all of us have seen it.” Several voices agreed with AG. Chen said, “You’re a better man now, Clarke.”

Clarke said, “So tell me what you meant by a mere fighter and why I’ll fail.”

AG looked around the room and saw everyone looking at him. “How many of you enlisted instead of being drafted?” Half of the platoon raised their hands. AG looked around and said, “You have chosen the occupation of a soldier. You’ve deliberately made the decision to fight. Some of you elected to fight because you are warriors. For you, there was no other choice you could have made.”

Stuart asked, “What’s the difference between a soldier and a warrior?”

AG smiled and said, “Intent.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

AG smiled, “A warrior’s quest in life is to make the world a better place than he found it. They will defend those that are unable to defend themselves. They will not fight anyone weaker than them because fighting weaker opponents will only weaken a warrior. Only in self-defense or having no other choice will the true warrior fight a weaker opponent.”

Rory said, “You’d let some punk push you around?”

“If he was no match for me, I would. When you allow your ego to direct your actions you are headed toward trouble. A warrior is directed by his principles and doesn’t need outside affirmation for him to excel. Following those principles is what will strengthen him.” AG paused, “The other thing a warrior does that a soldier doesn’t is that he will work his entire life to perfect the skills necessary to make him highly proficient in his chosen occupation. Soldiers want to avoid runs; warriors embrace them. Clarke, why would a warrior do that?”

Clarke stared at AG and finally said, “Because if he can run further, he will be stronger.”

AG smiled, “Exactly right. A warrior will push himself to the absolute limit of his endurance and limits because he knows the effort will make him stronger. There is no off time for a warrior; he is always working to improve his skills.”

“So why will I fail tomorrow, Gardner?”

“Because you refuse to see yourself succeeding.” Clarke stared at AG and remained silent. The entire room thought about what Gardner was saying. AG finally said, “Clarke, if no one ever completed the run, a warrior would do their utmost to be the first. But that’s not the case here. Johnson, how many completed the run in the winning platoon?”

“My brother said sixteen were able to cross the line.”

AG looked back at Clarke, “You’re basically saying that every one of those sixteen are stronger than you. I just couldn’t allow myself to think that way. If the run is doable, I intend to do it faster. I will not accept anything less from myself.”

Everyone in the room had no doubt that Gardner could, and was, going to do it. AG fell back on his bunk and the lights went out. The normal chit-chat was absent that night as the forty men thought about the concepts they had just heard.

• • •

The next day Weber’s platoon was in ranks at the starting line on the last track. Six half mile tracks were laid out and six platoons would all start together. The sun was high and the temperature was up. Chen said, “It would have been nice to have done this in the morning.”

Johnson yelled, “That comes with being first. These six are the worst from last year.”

Thomason said, “Look at all of those in the infield.” Hundreds of boots were being tended to by medics in the infields. There were hundreds struggling to get up.

AG said, “You’re looking at the wrong group. Look behind you.” Everyone turned and saw the boots being congratulated on completing the run. They were being served ice water and fruit. “You can only do it if you see yourself doing it.”

Sgt. Weber came up and said, “Give me your best. First place so far is a new record of twenty completing the run. That’s never been done before. I believe you can do it.”

Major Hamlin yelled, “Platoons!”

Six platoon leaders echoed him, “Platoon!”

“At the double time, March!”

Weber’s platoon moved forward, following AG. The full backpacks were a heavy load but the first mile went by uneventfully. At three miles, they made the turn and saw numerous soldiers that had fallen out of ranks in the platoons running next to them. AG said, “Look straight ahead and see what success looks like in your teammate.”

The other five platoons had all lost runners at the five mile mark but AG saw that the platoon was holding up. More and more fell out of the platoons next to them but at the half way point, Weber’s platoon had not lost a member. At the nine mile mark, most of the other five platoons were down to half their numbers. AG saw that several were starting to struggle. He moved from the front of the platoon and went back to where Rory was struggling, “You can do this. Forget your body, it’s a nuisance; concentrate on the man in front of you and move your shoulders with his. Forget everything else, concentrate on his shoulders.”