Chapter 10- Fresh Meat
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"That is how it all came to be."
Serasta had completed her account of the fate of Team 1. The administrator sat back in his chair, an expression of thought on his face.
"Serasta," he said, "The people of Pioneer 2 are quite anxious about this whole Ragol situation. I am sure you understand that we cannot worry them further. Therefore, I ask of you not to let what you told me just now to leave this room. You...do understand, right?"
"Of course."
"You've been through a lot. Take some time off."
"Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed."
Serasta bowed, then turned around and heading back out from where she came in. The door slid closed behind her.
The administrator rocked back and forth in his seat a moment, concerned. He then leaned forward and pressed a button attached to a device sitting on the desk.
"Dia?" he asked, speaking out loud.
"Yes, sir?" the device replied, but not without a hint of static.
"Ready the newcomers. They're heading for Ragol."
"Yes, sir."
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Within the hour a Team had assembled neatly in one of the training facilities situated within the administrative buildings. Three of the members stood in a line facing the fourth, who seemed to be the leader. The three members waited patiently and quietly to begin.
The leader held a clipboard with some various sheets of paper on it. Glancing through them, she finished by looking up at the other three people. She adjusted her gown so that it was more centered, then cleared her throat.
"Good to see you all healthy," she said, nonchalantly, walking up and down the line, examining the others.
"I am Elsine," she continued, "and you are Rookies. I wish you could have completed your training, but unfortunately we were called on short notice. Hopefully you've all paid attention this whole time, cause we are going to need everything you can give to the success of our mission. I will call roll. You can all get to know each other once I'm done."
The three rookies remained still, waiting for their name to be read off the roster.
"Fenron! HUmar!"
A hunter with a light blue set of armor and blonde hair stepped forward and acknowledged.
"Jill! RA...now that's unusual... RAnewearl!"
Likewise, a newman stepped forward and bowed. She wore a hat that resembled a beret, yet also wore something resembling a short, pointed cape out the back of her clothes.
"Sigolfitz! FOmar!"
A force in flowing robes complied, stepping forward with head down. He then quickly retreated to his original position, head watching the floor.
"Well, now," said Elsine, putting the clipboard away, 'For those that care too much, my classification is set as a FOmarl. It may sound unfavorable for you all to be part of a Team consisting of people you never met before, but you are all the most capable of the rookies in your class. I trust you will do well."
Elsine walked to her three teammates, patting them on the back.
"Just a suggestion, but you might want to get to know someone if they are going to help prevent you from becoming a corpse."
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The new group, donned the "Rookie Team" by certain someones in the administration, readied itself for the mission ahead. In no time at all they were through the teleporter and on the other side, down on the surface of Ragol.
Fenron looked around the area they appeared in. It appeared to be a Forest of sorts. Not surprising, considering most of the surface of the planet has not been colonized yet. However, Elsine spoke up, suggesting something amiss.
"How unusual," she said, almost to herself.
"What is it?" Jill asked, loading up her rifle, "Trouble?"
"It's just curious," Elsine said, speaking so she could be heard more by the other members of the Team, "This is near the central dome. There was a vast majority of the citizens of Pioneer 1 residing in this area. There is no evidence of a residential area within the perimeter."
The other Force caught something in those words as she said them. Daring to inquire, he asked cautiously, "What do you mean, 'There was'?"
Fenron and Jill took in this question, turning it over in their own heads. Soon they also realized the unusual phrasing of Elsine's statement.
Elsine thought for a moment, yet made sure to think aloud for the benefit of the other members of the team.
"Hmm," she muttered, "there was an explosion...yet no physical scarring...something..."
Suddenly her face filled with some sort of emotion, mixed with realization of an arising suspicion.
"Quick! Back to the teleporter!"
The other members of the Team, although initially confused, sought to scramble back to the teleporter as they had been ordered to. Jill was ahead, but by the time she reached the teleporter back to Pioneer 2, the blue energy waves had faded away, leaving only the shell of the only way back to Pioneer 2...back to the administration.
There was nothing but silence for a moment, as each person created their own account concerning the reasons why the teleporter was deactivated. Almost all their assumptions were wrong...almost all...
The leader, Elsine shook her head at the forest floor in disbelief. Nothing moved for a few minutes or so. That is, until the FOmar, Sigolfitz broke the deafening silence.
"What should be do now, ma'am?"
She looked up from her contemplation. Here, regardless of the situation, one of the Team members, a rookie, seemed willing to do what it took. He was still willing to accept orders, regardless of the circumstances. She smiled.
"Jill...Sigolfitz...Fenron..." she said, turning to face each one as she addressed them, "We still have a mission, regardless of who did this. We must do what we have set out to do...and even then," she continued with a wink, "We may just decide to do things on our own, and figure everything out for ourselves. What do you think of that?"
Sigolfitz spoke again. "However you order, ma'am."
Elsine chuckled, trying her best to ease the tension, "'Ma'am'? I'm not that old...call me Elsine. That goes for you two as well."
All three under her command nodded in response.
Elsine nodded back. "Alright then. Just be careful. Even though the term 'fresh meat' is oftentimes used for Rookies, if you fail, it'll take on a whole new meaning for you."
Fenron smiled to himself. "Same for whatever gets in our way."
And deeper into the Forest they travelled, unaware of the previous missions attempted by the first four Teams.