The Academy - Remembrance
#12 of The Academy
We weren't allowed to go back to campus. The story that was being put out was that we had died in a helicopter accident during the training mission and it would raise suspicion if we were seen around the barracks. Instead, we were being confined to a luxurious condominium, usually reserved for visiting heads of state.
We sat in the living room around the large fireplace. Jessica and Tank were in the middle of a heated chess game. I watched passively as they maneuvered pieces across the board. Trestan was playing on a handheld gaming system. Teague was lounging in a recliner, reading the paper.
"Hey guys!" he called. "We made the headlines."
I walked over to see what he was talking about. It didn't take long to find out. On the bottom of the front page was an image of smoldering aircraft wreckage accompanied by the title "Five Academy Cadets Die in Training Accident." I read the story quickly. It talked about the weather conditions which caused the pilot to lose visibility. Bla, bla, bla... Finally, at the end of the article, it listed the names of the cadets who had died. They were ours of course.
"Well, it's official. We're dead."
"It's kind of strange reading about your own death."
"It's kind of sad thinking of who else is reading about it."
I sat back down. The article had brought home the realization of what I had chosen to undertake more than anything else. I knew my parents had already been notified before the article came out. Who knew what they were thinking right now. Traci however, probably wouldn't know until she read this. Unless my parents had told her. When I had said I wouldn't know what to do if I lost her, I had meant it. Now I had, because as far as she knew, she had lost me. What was she thinking right now? I couldn't bear the thought of Traci believing me to be dead. Somehow, I had to let her know that I wasn't.
"When's the funeral."
"Wednesday, why?"
Wednesday. That was in two days.
"Because I'm going."
"But we can't leave the house."
"I don't care. I'm going to my funeral and that's final. I'll wear mourner's robes so no one can recognize me. Feel free to join me if you want."
"How are we going to get passed the guards?"
"Come on, if we can break into a bunker full of armed men, we can sneak out of here past two guards."
Wednesday brought clear skies and the warm dry air that came at the end of summer. It felt good to be outside, the first time in over a week. The heavy black robes were hot and uncomfortable, but a necessary precaution. We would already be getting in trouble for breaking out, even more if we were seen. The folds of the cloth would cover our figures, and the hoods came down to hide our faces in shadow.
We stood, side by side as the ceremony took place. Unfortunately, our bodies could not be recovered from the wreckage. Instead, five national flags lay folded on a table draped in black. It was a surreal moment standing there amongst people who I had known, listening to a priest talk about my life.
It broke my heart to see Traci. She stood in the front row, tears silently rolling down her beautiful face. If I had known I would ever see this, I would never have volunteered for the assignment. My parents were there as well, my father's arm around my mom. I spotted Teague's parents standing next to two bears who must be Tank's family. There was also a fearsome looking falcon who shared Trestan's features, but I couldn't find anyone who looked like Jessica's relatives. I'd have to ask her about it sometime.
The sermon drew to an end. An honor guard of seven soldiers dressed in class A uniforms marched out. At the command of the leader, they each fired three shots into the air. I heard a soft rumbling which quickly grew into a loud roar. I looked up to see a formation of jets. As they passed over head, one flew off and the rest continued on their original path.
Some members of the audience shuffled forward to pay their final respects while others drifted off back to their cars. I watched Traci silently as she stared at the table. Finally she moved away. I raised my hood just enough so the sun would reflect off my eyes. I walked towards her and as we passed I brushed against her arm gently. I then quickly disappeared into the dispersing crowd.
***
I can't believe he's dead. How could god do such a thing. I just read a report in the paper about a serial killer getting off on a technicality. How is scum like that allowed to walk free and my Kirian, who wanted nothing more than to protect the people of his country, is taken away?
I couldn't hold back the tears, and I didn't try. His parents were standing next to me. I didn't even want to try and imagine how they must feel. Eighteen years was too soon to be taken. Parents should never have to go to their children's funerals.
I didn't even know it had ended, but people were leaving, so it must have. I walked up to the table. There were five folded flags sitting on it. One for each of the squad members who had died. I had eyes for only one. There was a small placard below it.
C/PFC Kirian Harper
It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. I loved him, and now he was gone. Could I ever love again? Probably, but it would never be the same.
Finally, when I could stand the sight no longer, I turned away. I would come back, but right now I had to get away from this place. Someone in heavy black mourner's robes was walking towards me. I looked quickly into the shadowed face to see... two golden eyes. The figure brushed me gently as it passed. It couldn't be. I turned, but they had gone. I hadn't imagined it had I? No, I knew those eyes too well, and the fur on my arm was still on end from where he had touched me. This didn't seem possible. I must have imagined it.
I climbed in my car and started the drive home. I flipped the dial to my favorite radio station.
"We just had a young man call in and request this song. He said he hope it would give a little comfort to those mourning the tragic loss of five academy cadets."
I didn't pay much attention to the song until it reached the chorus.
"And it's breaking my heart, I know what I must do. I hear my country calling but I want to be with you. I'm taking my side, one of us will lose. Don't let go, I want to know that you wait for me until the day..."
This couldn't be. It was all just a random series of coincidences. Kirian couldn't be the only person with eyes that color. And some random friend of one of the cadets called in because he actually thought the song would help everyone. Kirian couldn't be alive.
I got home and ran to my room. I didn't know what to think. I opened the door and was about t throw myself on to my bed when I saw something on my pillow. There was a single black celestial sitting on it. Only one person could have put that there.
***
"What were you doing?"
"I had to take care of some unfinished business."
I climbed into the cab with the rest of the squad. The driver, somewhat distraught from the five black clad figures crammed into his car, took off. I felt better now that I had ensured Traci knew I was alive. The brass would be pissed when they found out what we had done but, like Teague had said, "No one's keeping me out of my own god dammed funeral!"
We reached the condominium. I paid the driver and we extricated ourselves from the cramped interior. Getting out was the hard part. Getting back in was fun. We walked up the two guards and laughed at the expression on their faces as we walked through the front door.
"Every entrance and exit to the building had an alarm on it. Quite impressive that you were able to escape without setting a single one off."
I turned to see who was talking. Shit. It was the general.
"We go through all the trouble of this and you nearly blow it by making a public appearance!"
"Sir, respectively speaking, if you're going to kill my squad, I would at least like the privilege of paying my final respects."
"True, that's why I didn't send a team after you. At least you took the precaution of disguising yourselves. But that's not why I'm here. You're all shipping out tomorrow to begin training. A vehicle will meet you out front at 0500. You will then take a jet to a secure facility. I look forward to seeing what you will become."
He rose from his seat. I snapped a quick salute which he promptly returned. As he walked out the door, I got the strange feeling that I would never see the fox again.
The next morning we were picked up by the same white van which had taken us to the last challenge. It drove us to an airfield on the base where we had been staying. We unloaded and were met by a tall, powerful looking cat. He was a first lieutenant and said that he would be our pilot.
We were led out to the tarmac to find a strange looking aircraft waiting for us. It resembled the Lancer supersonic bomber, crossed with some millionaire's private plane. It had a strange elegance once you got over its shocking appearance. The pilot explained that "his baby" was capable of sustained speeds above mach 2 with a max velocity of mach 3.15. It had the maneuverability of a large fighter and, for the protection of its passengers, was equipped with a 20mm cannon, and two wingtip mounted fire and forget air to air missiles.
I wondered as I climbed aboard why we were traveling in such a heavily armed transport. I donned the provided helmet and mask, and strapped into my seat. Soon we were taxiing out. I heard the engines increase in volume as the pilot pushed the throttle forward. Then, with a lurch, the breaks were released and we shot forward and lifted off the ground at an alarming rate. I could feel the G forces push on by body. Tank's voice came over the line.
"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick!"
"Going supersonic."
The cabin shuddered as it was buffeted by the shockwave and we broke the sound barrier.
"Yup."
I heard the muffled sound of Tank using the barf bag. Personally, I found the experience to be rather exiting. Never in my life had I dreamed that I would be traveling faster that the speed of sound on my way to be trained at a secret government facility.
Not half an hour later the pilot announced that we would soon be arriving. I looked out my window as the view lightened and I could begin to make out the landscape. We seemed to be over a large dessert. There was a mountain range in the distance that we were heading for. I watched as we descended lower and lower. Then I started to worry. We were extremely close to the ground, the mountains approaching fast, and I couldn't see any sign of a landing strip.
I gasped as the air craft quickly decelerated and we touched down inside of a mountain. The plane came to a halt. Someone opened the side hatch and I climbed out. I looked behind us to see two huge doors closing. I took in the rest of my surroundings. The hanger was massive, there were a few people moving about but for the most part it was empty. A computerized female voice came over the speakers.
"Venting exhaust."
The whir of enormous fans silently filled the room. The rest of the squad joined me. Tank handed a bag to the pilot.
"Thanks bud."
I saw someone walk out of a door and make a b line for us. It was a tall female mink wearing civilian cloths and glasses.
"Welcome to training center seventeen."
[b][url=http://www.sofurry.com/page/127980/user]To be continued...[/url][/b]