16
Boot Camp
The night before Peter left for boot camp he was in a melancholy mood over Luci’s departure. He had hoped she would profess her love for him, but she hadn't. They'd had sex, but love seemed to be a scarce commodity on Tarizon. Peter wondered if Luci even understood the concept. Fear also lingered in his mind–fear and dread of what lay ahead for him in boot camp.
In the morning he was to report to the air transport station to be flown to the Island of Pogo where his military training was to take place. Pogo was to the southwest, some 1800 kylods from Shisk. For hundreds of cycles it had been a strategic military installation between the two continents of Lamaine Shane and Ock Mezan. Before unification Lamaine Shane and Ock Mezan were bitter enemies and were constantly fighting over the two big Islands between them, Pogo and Muhl. Pogo and Muhl were two of the few places where the air was clean enough to breathe. The prevailing westerly winds in these regions were so strong there that they kept most of the bad air away, making it a logical place for the TGA Training Center.
The depression that gripped Peter ever since Luci had left, he decided, was due to the fact that, for the first time since his arrival on Tarizon, he would be completely on his own. There would be no one whom he could confide in or turn to for help if things went wrong. At dawn's first light he was up and ready to go. After eating a quick breakfast, Lorin, Jake and Rhin escorted him to the subtram and gave him some last minute advice and encouragement.
"Don't worry, Peter," Jake said, "you'll do fine. The key to success in boot camp is to blend in and not to be conspicuous. Just pay attention and do what you are told. They don't expect you to know anything when you get there. They'll teach you everything you'll need to know to make it through."
Peter nodded appreciatively. "Right. Thanks."
Lorin said, "Keep your ears open while you're there too. Many of the officers at Pogo are friends of the Vice-Chancellor. You may overhear some things that could be useful to us later."
"And make friends," Jake advised. "The more friends you have the easier time you'll have getting through."
"Yes," Lorin said, "The friendships you develop on Pogo may also prove helpful when the war breaks out."
"Yeah, but won't that be a little difficult? How will I know who to trust? If I make it known I'm a Loyalist, Videl's spies will know it as well."
"True. You'll have to be very careful. Don't tell anyone your true colors until they’ve disclosed theirs."
It was obvious to Peter that Jake and Lorin were as worried about boot camp as he was. They both had great expectations about how much he'd learn there. Peter just prayed he wouldn't disappoint them. His gear was stashed in a small backpack that he carried with him. The orders he had received indicated he would need nothing on Pogo Island other than personal hygiene items and any medicines that had been prescribed for him.
Lorin gave him a hug and Jake shook his hand as the light above the subtram entrance indicated the subtram had arrived. Peter knelt down and hugged Rhin. She barked as he got up and climbed aboard the subtram.
"Take good care of my rhutz," Peter said to them as the door began to close.
"Don't worry. We will," Jake replied.
It wasn't long before the doors opened again and Peter stepped into the transport station. He recognized it as the place where he'd first landed on Tarizon on Earth Shuttle 21. He noticed one of the big Earth shuttles being unloaded and many disoriented Earth-children wandering around probably wondering who slipped them the LSD. He looked at his papers and saw that he was to go to Gate 33b. As he walked toward the gate, he noticed many different types of aircraft. He wondered what kind would be taking him to Pogo. When he got to the gate he was surprised to see a large transport plane being loaded. At the rear of the plane there was a table, manned by two men in miliary attire. Several recruits were talking to the soldiers at the table. He took a long breath and then made his way over to them.
"Sorri lanei," Peter said. "I'm Leek Lanzia."
The soldier in charge looked him over and then said, "Where are your orders?"
Peter pulled them out of his pocket and handed them to the soldier. The big man took them, gave them a once over and then looked up at Peter with a hint of recognition. "Welcome, soldier. I'm sergeant Xorn Baig. Get you gear and climb aboard."
Looking up the ramp that led into the transport plane, Peter saw a group of recruits milling around. He picked up his bag and started up the ramp. A sudden chill made him shudder as he realized his military career had just begun. He thought of his father and the day he had reported for duty with the United States Marine Corps. In less than 24 hours after reporting for duty, his father had already been singled out as being a troublemaker and beaten up by his drill sergeant. Peter wondered if his luck would be any different.
A tall blond boy about Peter's age was standing at the top of the ramp, looking as scared as Peter was feeling. Peter said, "Hey, how is it going?"
He nodded and replied, "Okay, I guess. At least for now."
"I'm Leek," Peter said. "Leek Lanzia from Lower Azallo— Luva to be exact—have you ever heard of it?"
"The Underland, huh?" he said with a smile.
"I'm afraid so. How about you?"
"Syril Johs from Tributon, Lamaine Shane," he replied, "a little town called Lurka. It's on the east coast along the straits. You can call me Sy."
Peter nodded pretending to know where that was. "So, have you always wanted to be a soldier?"
Sy nodded and said, "Yes, of course. I must do my duty for the sake of Sandee and the people of Tarizon."
Peter looked into Sy’s eyes to see if he was serious or just trying to impress anyone who might be listening.
"Right. What would you be doing if you weren't joining the army?"
He thought for a moment and said, "When my service is complete, I plan to be a second tier teacher."
"Really? I don’t think I’d have the patience to be a teacher."
"What then?"
Peter thought a moment and replied, "Well, I was thinking about becoming an advocate."
"Ah, very good. You must be smart then."
Peter frowned, "I don’t know about that. I just like to debate. I got it from my father; he was an advocate as well."
Sy and Peter talked for quite awhile as recruit after recruit appeared and made their way aboard. Eventually Sergeant Baig stood up and started packing up his paperwork. When he had everything stowed into a briefcase, he started up the ramp. At the top of the ramp he said. "Find a seat and fasten your seat belts. Takeoff will be at 0830."
Everyone began scrambling to find a seat and get buckled in. Baig was a tall, intense-looking man with wide shoulders and a muscular physique—not a man you wanted to mess with, Peter reckoned. Sy found an empty seat and waved for Peter to take the one next to him. After everyone was buckled in, the big ramp began to close. Soon it snapped into place and Baig went forward out of view. A few loons later the big ship lurched and began to vibrate. Syril looked at Peter and he smiled. Then suddenly the ship thrust forward with a tremendous jolt. Had they not been buckled in, they'd of been flung into the bulkhead and severely injured. Peter's ears began to ache as they gained altitude. He yawned and felt his ears pop and then settled back for the flight to Pogo Island.
It seemed like a very long flight. There weren't any windows to look out, so he just closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He'd never been able to sleep very well sitting up but for some reason he had no trouble on this day. When he awoke, he could feel the plane descending. He looked over at Sy and raised his eyebrows.
"I think we're about to land," Sy said.
Peter leaned back, took a deep breath, and rotated his neck back and forth trying to relax. "I'm not looking forward to this," Peter said.
"Then why did you join?" Sy asked.
That was a good question, unfortunately Peter couldn't give Sy a straight answer. He started to say his father was in the Army but then realized he'd have to come up
with a story about his father's military career. That wouldn't work, so he said, "I want to go into politics someday, so I figured a military background would be good."
Sy nodded, "That makes sense. . . . I joined because I've always loved guns and weaponry and wanted to make a career of it."
"Really? How did you get interested in that?"
"Oh, I don't know. My father used to take me hunting and he usually had one gun or another around the house. He taught me to love and respect them."
"Hmm. I've had virtually no experience with guns. My dad owned a gun but didn't really like having it around. It was a good thing he had it though. A man attacked him with a knife one time and he had to shoot the guy to stop him."
"Did he kill him?" Sy asked.
"No. Just wounded him. My dad wouldn't kill someone unless he had to."
There was a bump and a lurch as the big transport made its landing. Sergeant Baig came forward and told them to remain seated until the plane stopped. A few loons later the plane came to a halt and everyone got up and gathered their things together. After the rear ramp had descended, Sergeant Baig led them down and onto a transport tram that looked like a giant silver bullet. Once inside they were whisked to their barracks at the Argot Army Training Center.
It was late afternoon when they marched into a large processing center where their papers were checked and they were assigned to their barracks. Fortunately, Sy and Peter were assigned to the same barracks and managed to get bunks near each other. After everyone had put their gear away, Sergeant Baig advised them on dining protocol and then led them to the nutrition center.
The nutrition center wasn't anything like what Peter expected. He had envisioned a large cafeteria style dining hall, serving barely edible food and manned by soldiers assigned to KP duty. But that wasn't the case at all. The nutrition center was very modern, clean, and staffed by robots. Soldiers, it appeared, were afforded a high standing on Tarizon. Instead of the long picnic tables with bench seats as he'd expected, there were individual tables of four like in a typical restaurant back on Earth. Sy and Peter went through the line and loaded up their trays with food and drink. When they started looking for a table a candidate got up from his chair and approached them.
“We’ve got room over here,” the green-eyed boy said.
Peter was a little surprised by the invitation but grateful nevertheless, as he didn’t see many open chairs. “Oh, great. Thanks,” he said and followed the boy to the table.
“I’m Tam and this is Red,” Tam said, giving Peter a hard look that made him uncomfortable.
Peter turned to the red-headed boy at the table. “I'm Pe. . .ah. . .Leek Lanzia and this is Syril Johs."
Fear shot through Peter. He’d almost given away his true name. He swallowed hard hoping no one had noticed his mistake. They all shook hands. Peter looked intently at the candidate who’d invited him to the table hoping for an explanation for his goodwill.
"I’m glad we found you," Tam said.
Peter frowned. "You were looking for me?"
Tam didn’t answer, his eyes seeming to be transfixed on Peter. Red laughed nervously. “My real name is Loonas Levitur from Merria. But, you can call me Red. Everybody does."
Peter looked away from Tam hoping he’d quit staring at him. Noticing this, Tam sighed and said, "Sorry about that but I'm a bit unnerved by all of this.” He extended his hand. “I'm Tamurus Lavendar from Serie. My friends, what few I have, call me Tam."
Peter smiled and looked into Tam’s green eyes. Tam stared back and Peter felt a strange sensation in his head. He blinked and looked away. It was a weird, disturbing sensation that scared him. It was the same feeling he’d had when he first encountered the rhutz and later Threebeard.
Dinner conversation centered around their fears and expectations for the upcoming weeks. When that topic had been worn out, they started to talk about their homes and families. Peter gave them his imaginary story of his childhood in Lower Azallo trying to sound as convincing as possible. He had always been good at story telling, so he didn't think anyone doubted any of his words except Tam, whose eyes seemed to slice through him like a hot knife through butter. Red was next.
"I live in a city called Gult on the coast of Merria which is on the western end of Turvin. It's a domed city and we have a nice compartment near the ocean. My father is a dentist and I have an older brother and two younger sisters. I someday want to be a dentist like my father, but first I want to serve Sandee and defend the Supreme Mandate."
Tam rolled his eyes and said, "You think joining the TGA is serving Sandee and defending the Supreme Mandate?"
Red winced, then asked, "Isn't it?"
Tam leaned forward and whispered. "The rumor is that the Vice-Chancellor will soon take power and not by election or legal succession."
Red squinted, "Where did you hear that?"
"I . . . well . . . let's just say I have it from good authority. And, I guarantee you Vice-Chancellor Lai cares little for Sandee Brahn or the Supreme Mandate."
“We shouldn’t be talking about this.” Sy said. “They listen to everything we say.”
Tam shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I picked this table because it’s in a blind spot. The camera can’t see us.”
“What about the audio receivers?” Sy protested.
“Relax. I’ve disabled them.”
“Disabled them? How did you do that?”
Tam shrugged. “It’s too complicated to explain right now.”
“What if one of us is a Purist?” Sy retorted.
Tam laughed. “There are no Purists at this table.”
They all just looked at Tam in disbelief.
Tam shrugged. “Okay? I’ll admit it. We’re not all siting here by chance. I made sure we’d sit together and I know none of you have any love for Videl Lai.”
“And how did you figure that out?” Sy asked.
He shrugged. “I could just tell.”
Peter gave Tam a hard look and then laughed. “I wish I could see into a man’s mind like that.”
“You can,” Tam replied and met Peter’s eyes again. Peter's body suddenly became numb as Tam's gaze pierced through him. He realized Tam could read his mind and probably knew his secret. Peter looked away trying to break the connection. Red and Sy looked at them curiously.
Peter shook his head trying to get rid of the strange feeling. "Okay," Peter said forcing a laugh, "So, Mr. Omniscient One, why have you gathered us here together?"
Tam didn't hesitate. "When I gave my oath to defend the Supreme Mandate, I meant it. I was looking for others who felt the same way.”
“I meant it,” Red said.
“So did I,” Sy added.
Peter said nothing. Tam continued, “After this day we’ll all be too busy for socializing, so I had to find you today.”
“Why? What do you want from us?” Peter asked.
“If Videl Lai becomes Chancellor and stomps on the Supreme Mandate, I say we cut his heart out and feed it to the rhutz."
Peter was taken aback by the reference to the rhutz. He gave Tam a hard look again, wondering who he was and if he could be trusted. He didn’t want to step into a trap on his first day, but Tam’s feelings seemed genuine. He decided to go with his gut feeling.
"My sentiments exactly," Peter said smiling. Red and Sy nodded in agreement.
Tam raised his glass and gave a toast to their new oath. Peter said, "But let's not feed his heart to the rhutz. I keep one back home and I wouldn't want to feed her something so vile."
Red’s mouth dropped. Sy's eyes widened, "You keep a rhutz at your home?"
Peter nodded. "She sleeps next to my bed."
Red began to laugh. "Boy I heard about the people of the Underland, but that takes the cake. You have a rhutz for a pet. Sandee, bless me."
Tam looked at him and Peter could see tears welling in his eyes. "I was right,” he said. “You are the one. Oh, praise Sandee! You're the—"
"Don't say it
," Peter said forcefully. "Not here."
Red and Sy stared at them. Tam looked away with a smile so broad on his face that he looked like he'd just heard the joke of the century. Peter started to laugh as well, acting like he'd just got the joke. Red and Sy joined in but only out of sheer spontaneity. They were still clueless as to what was going on between their two new-found friends.
After dinner they were assembled in their barracks and were being addressed by their commanding officer. He was a tall, lean man, with a thin somber face. He wore a combat uniform with a green cap. Only three silver bars on his shoulder distinguished him from the other officers they’d had seen since they arrived at camp.
He was introduced by Sergeant Baig as Commandant Bak Lithrum. He began, "Welcome to Pogo Island. I trust you have found your accommodations satisfactory—perhaps better than you expected, yes?. . .Well, let me explain. When each of you signed up for service in Tarizon's Global Forces you gave us the right to utilize your services as we thought best. As you will recall after you enlisted, each of you were given extensive physical, psychological, and intellectual testing. Based on the results of those tests you were assigned to one of the thirteen TGA global training facilities. Twelve of these training facilities are for regular ground units and the thirteenth is for officers and special operations personnel. If you haven't guessed already, Pogo Island is the thirteenth training facility. That means you have been assessed either to be officer material or have special abilities that suit you for special operations.
"Don't let me lead you astray, however. Just because we will be taking great pains to make your stay at Pogo Island as pleasant and productive as possible doesn't mean you have it made. On the contrary, we know that testing is only an indication of the probability of your success as an officer or a member of a special operations unit. We will be watching your actual performance very carefully to make sure the tests were right.
"Most of you know little or nothing about military operations, so a large portion of your time here will be spent learning tactics, weaponry, intelligence, meteorology, geography, and navigation. We'll also be spending a lot of time getting you mentally and physically conditioned for combat. So your days here will be long and hard and we will expect no less than your full attention and dedication to achieving these objectives.
"Like I said, you will be watched at all times; and if we determine that you are either unfit to be at Pogo Island or unwilling to give the attention and devotion necessary to be successful, you will shipped off to the TGA training facility at Muhl where you will find your accommodations much less pleasant.
"So, take the rest of the evening off tonight. Rest and get to know one another, for tomorrow at 0630 your training will begin and it will be an experience you will never forget."
The Commandant saluted and made his exit. Sergeant Baig said, "At ease. . . . Now do as the Commandant has asked. Get acquainted until the night bell sounds at 2200 and the lights go out at 2250. Then there will be absolute silence until the morning alarm sounds at 0430. At that time you will immediately get dressed, take care of your personal needs, make your beds, and be standing at your bunks at 0500 for transport to the nutrition center. After breakfast at 0600 you will be transported to the quartermaster for issuance of outerwear and basic essentials. From 0700to 0830 you'll attend your first class in personal armaments. Lunch is at 1300. I'll fill you in the remainder of the day then. Dismissed!"
Just as soon as Sergeant Baig left the barracks, the room erupted in excited chatter. Sergeant Baig's news had everyone feeling good. Peter shook Sy's hand and said, "Congratulations!"
Sy shook his head and replied, "I thought I did terrible on all those tests. I can't believe I'm going to be an officer. My parents will be so happy."
Peter thought about his parents. They wouldn't be very happy to find out he was in the army and preparing to go to war. He wondered if he'd ever see them again. Red interrupted his thoughts.
"My parents will have a durk bird," Red said. "They thought I'd be lucky to even get selected for the TGA."
Tam put his hand on Peter’s shoulders and whispered, "We need to talk."
Peter nodded and began scanning the room for a safe place. There was a door at the end of the room that was slightly ajar. He pointed to the door and then started toward it with Tam close behind. When they got to the door they slipped outside.
There didn't appear to be anyone around but Tam put his finger in front of his lips indicating he didn't want him to speak. He whispered, "Everything we say can be heard."
Peter nodded. He pointed to his head and looked him in the eyes. He felt Tam's eyes penetrate his mind and he could hear him in his mind's eye.
"Everything we do or say is observed so we must communicate with our thoughts."
Peter blinked and stepped back. He had felt their minds touch earlier, but hadn't realized they could actually communicate without speaking.
Tam's thoughts popped into his head again, "I know you can understand me. I can see it in your eyes. Look me in the eye and concentrate. I will listen."
Peter shook his head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Tam frowned. Peter took a deep breath, looked him in the eyes and concentrated, "Who do you think I am?"
Tam smiled and replied, "The Liberator. When you said you had a rhutz for a pet, I knew."
"You mustn’t ever mention this to anyone."
"Obviously. If the Vice-Chancellor knew you were here he'd send an assassin to kill you and all your friends."
The fact that Tam had so quickly identified him made Peter worry. How long would it take for others to learn his true identity? "Then why be my friend?"
"It is my destiny. Since the first day I heard the Prophecy of the Liberator, I knew I would somehow be involved in his struggle. For awhile I thought I might be the Liberator myself, then one night I had a dream. I was at the Liberator's side in battle helping to destroy our enemies. The dream came often after that—almost every night for weeks. So then I knew I was not to be the Liberator, but to be his protector. In my dreams we both wore the uniform of the TGA, so I knew when my age was right I must join it and let destiny be done."
Peter shook his head and smiled enthusiastically. "I first learned that I was the Liberator from a mutant named Threebeard. It was a total surprise and shock. Then a rhutz saved me from being killed by a street gang. I'm still not used to the idea of being the Liberator."
"Threebeard. Yes. I know of him. He talks to me through his mind as we are doing now, but I have never met him. He told me that he had seen you and the time of the Liberator had come."
Before Peter could send another thought an alarm sounded and the lights flashed two times. He shrugged and said out loud, “I guess it's time to crash."
"Crash?" Tam said.
"Sleep. Go to bed. We should hurry too. If we're not in bed when the lights go out, we'll get in trouble, and you don't want to get in trouble your first day of boot camp. Trust me."
Tam frowned but didn't question Peter further. They went quickly to their bunks, undressed, and jumped under the covers. Peter's head felt heavy and was throbbing a bit from the telepathic exchange with Tam. He couldn't believe that he was telepathic. It was totally amazing. As he was basking in the delight of this newly discovered gift, Tam's words came back to him. "If the Vice-Chancellor knew your were here he'd send an assassin to kill you and all your friends."
Peter's joy suddenly evaporated and a dull pain settled in the pit of his stomach. Did Videl Lai already know he was here? If he was telepathic he might have heard Threebeard just like Tam had heard him. Suddenly, he wasn't very sleepy.