Martian Operations Agency Training Facility, Somewhere in the South Pacific, Earth
Daniel awoke with a headache again. He hoped it had all been a dream and he would find himself back in his dorm at MIT. Instead he found himself in a strange hospital bed alone. The bad UV lighting and dull white surface hurting his eyes at first. After blinking for a few times, he came to and realised where he was. He was in the exact same place he had been for the past three days. Although that had felt like a dream and his dreams felt like reality. The door burst open and a doctor walked into the room.
“Good you’re awake. How are you feeling?” The doctor said, not really waiting for any form of response. “Good news, your free to walk out of here today, you’ll be taken to orientation shortly. Good luck.” Then the doctor was gone. Daniel didn’t notice the door opening or the doctor walking away. He just had become aware that the doctor was no longer in the room. Eventually after several hours some nurses came by and helped Daniel to get up and dressed. He was given a white and grey jump suit to wear and told someone would be along to get him in a minute. Another few hours past. There was a knock at the door and a tall brunet woman in her late twenties entered. Her long hair both stylish and cut for a professional look. She was not unattractive but had wasn’t beautiful either. She obviously worked out but for sport and not just to look good.
“You Daniel, the kid from MIT?” She asked in a British accent.
“Yes.” Daniel replied. Grateful that she was looking for him and not some other guy.
“Good your dressed. Ready to go.”
“Sure.” Daniel said, jumping from the bed he had been sitting on. He walked out and joined her in the corridor.
“My name is Rachel, I’m to be your liaison officer.”
“Hi Rachel.” Daniel said, starting to feel nervous.
“Do you know where you are?” Rachel asked.
“Not exactly.” Daniel replied. “Last thing I remember clearly I was being thrown into a van at MIT.” Daniel struggled to think of what happened. “Oh my god my parents.” Daniel suddenly realised that he hadn’t spoken to them in a few days. “Can I call them? They will be worried.” Daniel stopped walking.
“Daniel, you can’t call them.” Rachel said, slightly shocked that he hadn’t been told this. “You’re here now that’s it.”
“What do you mean?”
“They have been told a cover story that you have been selected to work with the government. They will receive a few fake letters from you and then in about two months they will be told you died in an accident.” Rachel waited for a moment. “Oh good it’s lunch time, you hungry?”
“What? What about my sister?”
“She can’t come to lunch with us.”
“I mean I was told she would receive treatment if I co-operated, was that true?”
“Probably.” Rachel shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know it’s possible. We will never know. I hope it’s salad today, I’m in the mood for Salad.”
“I have to know. I will find out.”
“Try too hard and they will kill you.” Rachel said with a serious tone. “Now come on let’s get some lunch.” The pair walked in silence down the corridor and left the building. Daniel was struck by the day light for a moment. The bright glowing sun hitting his face for the first time in a few days. The heat and humidity striking a contrast against the cold winter of Massachusetts. “You know where you are right?” Rachel asked again, concerned by the shock Daniel was going through.
“I remember someone saying something about an Island in the South Pacific but I don’t recall exactly where.”
“That’s all any of us know really. No one is allowed to know the exact location.”
“Why?”
“Daniel, you must realise this is a military installation, a highly secret one at that.”
“But you’re not military.”
“Sure I am. I’m an officer in the Royal Air Force specialising in electronic warfare.”
“But you’re not in uniform.”
“No need for military uniform here.” Rachel said. She walked over towards another much larger building and walked in. The walked straight into a massive cafeteria filled with people. “Sit down, I’ll get you some food.” Daniel sat down at a nearby table by himself. He couldn’t help like feeling he was back at high school, sitting by himself in the lunch hall the new kid in school. A moment or two of looking around feeling nervous passed by before a small man with glasses slammed his tray down on the table opposite Daniel.
“You must be the MIT kid hey.” The man said with a thick Texan accent, spit flying from his face as he spoke his beard catching some of it. “Nice to meet you my name is Doctor Lomax.”
“Hey I guess.”
“You’re part of Rachel’s team hey, me too.” Lomax offered his hand out for Daniel to shake. Daniel did so and Lomax sat down. “I specialise in radio wave technology particularly receivers. You?”
“I was at MIT studying radio astrophysics.”
“Fascinating stuff.”
“It can be, mostly it’s boring and routine.”
“Physics is never routine.” Lomax said as he started to eat his lunch. Rachel came over carrying two plastic trays. Both with salad bowls and bottles of water.
“I see you’ve met Lomax. He’s a character, isn’t he?”
“Hello Rachel, my dear.” Lomax said with a mouth full of food.
“Don’t call me that Lomax or I’ll have to throw you onto the floor again like I did last time.”
“Yes Rachel.” Lomax said shamefully, his face sinking to stare at his food.
“Eat up Daniel, this afternoon you have your physical assessment and they will then put together your training programme.”
“Why?” Daniel asked.
“You’ll see.”
Later that evening Daniel was feeling sore. He had been pocked and prodded by a score of doctors. Then forced to do every kind of stretch and exercise known to man. All he wanted to do was collapse on his bunk, which he still hadn’t seen, and fall asleep. But instead he was sitting in a small office waiting for Rachel. Lomax was sitting next to him with a large sandwich he had smuggled out of the canteen. Rachel walked in and wait straight to the front of the room.
“Sorry I’m late guys, I had a conference call with the Martian base, it took longer than I expected.” Rachel said. Throwing the pile of folders she was carrying down onto the table. “We have been moved up in the timeline.” Rachel said smiling. “Good news is we now have all of the details of the mission.”
“Mission?” Daniel asked. “What mission?”
“Beats me.” Lomax said with food coming out of his mouth on every syllable.
“You still don’t know?” Rachel asked. “Of course you don’t I haven’t explained it to you yet.” Rachel said, almost muttering to herself as if it was meant for only her. “We are going to form a special team of Anglo-American’s working on Mars.” Rachel said proudly. “Our main task will be in intercepting and de-coding Weona Napl transmissions.” Rachel felt excited saying it out loud. She waited for a response from the pair sitting in front of her. “Nothing. Really?” Rachel said disappointed. “We are going to go to Mars to spy on aliens, isn’t that exciting.”
“To be honest.” Daniel started. “It’s a little mundane after finding out that there is life on mars.”
“Maybe.” Rachel said, opening up one of the folders. “We have four weeks to get ourselves ready. Four weeks and we will join the team at the US base to begin work. Daniel we are going to have to work hard to get you up to speed in time. I’ve had a word with some of the instructors here on the Island, they are up to the challenge we will give you every support we can. Lomax, try and lose some weight.”
“I’m working on it.” Lomax said,
he sounded convincing if it wasn’t for the big dollop of mustard which came out of his sandwich as he spoke.