a/n: You guys enjoying the story? For the next couple of chapters Rae's going to be in boot. I've done a lot of research, as I've never experience boot myself, and hope it comes out good. I recently redid my board with a lot of facts. Want to see a picture of my legendary white board? If I get enough reviews I'll snap a pic and put it up for you guys. Good day Sirs.
-brittsis
The recruiter had warned her to take little to nothing with her to Paris Island, saying that everything would be provided for her. Anderson had agreed to store her things at his flat, so she sent them by postal the day before her bus ride. With only the clothes on her back, she boarded the large bus and took a seat half way back. She settled in for the ride and didn't give much thought to the journey, barely watching the scenery pass. It was late or early morning when the bus stopped. She looked forward to watch a man board and lean against the front to seats. His head bowed for a moment and there was silence among them.
He lifted his head, a smile ghosting his lips for a brief moment. He straightened and took a step forward. "Okay you worthless maggots!" He spoke in a raised voice, just barely above a shout. "You're going to leave everyone behind on this bus. Not one bag, not one memento, not one memory shall leave this vehicle. From the moment you leave this bus you are trash. You are nothing. Do you understand me?"
"Sir yes sir." Rae with a few others called out.
"Am I speaking French? Are you're translator's not working? I said do you understand me!"
"Sir yes sir." The entire bus answered this time. The instructor walked down the asile, taking time to examine each and everyone of them.
"You're going to go out there and stand on the yellow foot prints. You're going to stand with your faces to the sun, hands at your side, and chest out. We're going to start on the right, three per line, and work our way left. You're not to move from that spot until told so. Do you understand?"
"Sir yes sir."
He paused for a moment at the front of the bus, standing next to the driver. "Get moving. Get off my bus, I said get off my bus!"
There was a flurry of movement as they vacated their seats. Rae hurried into her spot and stood at attention. There was other instructors, pointing and yelling at the ones to slow and sloppy. When everyone was standing on the foot prints the one from the bus stood on top of the podium and looked them over.
"Welcome to Paris Island, you're new home. Here you maggots will be trained into the best the Alliance has to offer. Here you will be molded into an Alliance Marine. Until that time, you are trash. The words me, I, or we are out of your vocabulary. You are not to even think of yourselves in that fashion until said other wise! From this moment on you are to say "this recruit" or "that recruit." Do you understand me?"
"Sir yes sir!"
"I can't hear you! I want you to wake up the hole base. Do you understand me?"
"SIR YES SIR!"
"Now when I tell you, you're going to turn face up and line up real close against the wall behind you. Now move, move, move!"
Rae hurried and found one shoulder brushing against the wall, the other rubbing against the person next to her. They were crowded tight, leaving no room between them. Some of the instructors were moving up and down the line yelling at the other recruits. Once they were in line, the instructor started yelling again.
"You're going to get inside and claim a bunk. You're then going to climb into said bunk and go to bed. Lights will go out and you will sleep. Now move."
"Sir yes sir." They called out again and ran into the room. They grabbed a bunk, one at a time until everyone was tucked firmly in their beds. The small limp mattresses provided little to no comfort, the pillows were limp, and the wool blankets scratched their skin. The lights went out then turned right back on again.
"Get out of my bunks. Get up, get up! Stand on the line, stand on the mother fucking line!"
Rae jumped from her bunk, quickly made the bed back up, and stood at attention on the black line that ran down the corridor. The instructors filed in and inspected the bunks, hers being the first that was made. "Whose bunk is this?"
"This recruit slept in that bunk sir!" Rae shouted but didn't move.
The instructors all converged upon her, one getting close enough to brush noses. "Why did you make the bunk?"
"This recruit made the bunk because the bunk doesn't belong to this recruit, Sir."
"What did you say?" The instructor yelled again.
"This recruit made the bunk because the bunk doesn't belong to this recruit, Sir. The bunk belongs to the Alliance and this recruit will treat it with respect, sir."
"We got a mother fucking genius!" The instructor yelled and backed away from her. Rae let out her breath and thanked her stars that she'd been thinking correctly.
"Nothing belongs to you. Everything provided for you belongs to the Alliance! You will treat it with respect. Now make your bunks! Make them now!"
The other recruit scrambled to do as instructed. Rae took the moment to glance around and found only four other's that already had their bunks made. She wondered if they too had academy training or some previous service within the military.
After the bunk had been made, the instructors had filed them out of the room and into another room with stations. They were divided into groups of five and handed paperwork, told to make the rounds. Rae was now being instructed on how to keep her hair by the military beautician. She could grow it out, if she chose, but it would have to be kept in a tight bun at the back of her head. Her hair was with in regulation, as long as she kept it from touching her collar. She was dismissed and moved to the next area.
"Strip down to your skivvies," the doctor instructed and held out his hand for her paperwork. She handed it over and did as she was told. The woman gave her a brief glance before inspecting the paperwork. "It says here that until recently you were paralyzed from the waist down."
"Ma'am yes ma'am" Rae answered and stood at attention.
"Volunteered to get your biotic amp put it. Very risky for your age but according to your records you avoided any permanent damage. A doctor already cleared you for service, so no need for a physical." The woman handed back her paperwork and went to a box, pulling out a pack which she began to fill with miscellaneous clothing. She then handed it to Rae as well as a set of fatigues, undershirt, belt, and boots. "These are your clothes for your stay on Paris Island. You can change into these now." The woman grabbed a clear plastic bag, labeled it with her name and id number, and placed her clothes into it.
Rae dressed quickly and hitched the pack onto her shoulder. Grabbing her paperwork, she headed for the next station to get her vision officially checked by the military optometrist.
The sun had risen and set again before she was done with all the stations and sitting cross legged on the floor with her fellow recruits. Exhaustion was a mild tug as they hadn't slept for two days, unless they caught a few winks on the bus. It didn't bother Rae as she only had to remember Mindoir. There was very little they could do to her to match that exhaustion. Some were nodding off around her though, evidently not use to the abuse. The man from the buss entered the room and stood in front of them.
"Now that you've been appropriately dress its time to meet your Drill Sergeants." One woman followed by two men marched into the room and stood at attention. They saluted them quickly before the man spoke up again. "This is Senior Drill Instructor Marie Holland. She will be your commanding officer. Below her is Master Drill Instructor Landon Pickard and Drill Instructor Jesse Gonzales." At their names they each took one step forward, still standing at attention.
"Now they will give the Drill Instructor creed." The man went to stand in front of Holland and help up his right hand, the other three mirroring him. "Senior Drill Instructor Holland, what is your pledge?"
The three opened their mouths for the first time and spoke in unison. "These recruits are entrusted to my care. I will train them to the best of my ability. I will develop them into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Marines, thoroughly indoctrinated in love of the Corps and the country. I will demand of them, and demonstrate by my own example, the highest standards of personal conduct, morality and professional skill."
"Master Drill Instructor Holland I now pass these recruits to your care." The man saluted one last time before leaving the room.
Holland stood at ease, looking them over for a brief moment before speaking again. "Pickard, Gonzales."
"Sir yes sir!" The other two called out.
"I want these recruits on their feet and on the field. It's time for IST's." Holland replied and turned, marching from the room.
"Attention, on your feet. Get up," The two started shouting, moving through the ranks. The group stood up, packs gripped in their hands tightly. "Recruits get into formation. Three per row, shoulder to shoulder. Do it now!"
"Heal to toe now, forward march! Left… left… left…" Gonzales yelled out leading the group out of the room. Pickard moved through the formation, correcting the march when needed. They moved out onto a field just as the sun began to set.
Pickard moved down the group, making groups of three by fives. "Take a step back," he yelled as he cut the groups up. "You are now in your platoons. Look to your left and your right. These are your comrades for your duration on Parris Island. You will eat, sleep, and work with them. Platoon one," he pointed to the first fifteen in the front. "Go to Master Drill instructor Holland for your instructions. Move out! Platoon two," he pointed to the second group. "Go to Drill Instructor Gonzales. Platoon Three you are with me. Get to the pull up bars, form a single line. Now move it!"
Rae was at the front of Platoon three. She ran over and got second in line. Pickard ran over with them and opened his Omni tool. He clicked a few buttons before nodding to the guy in front of him. "Name and id number?"
"Christopher Lambert, Sir. Id number 6549 gulf sierra 8979."
Pickard nodded, inputting the data. "This is your initial strength test, other wise IST. For this section you need to do two dead hang pull ups. Do it now recruit."
Christopher nodded and stepped under the bar. He jumped and grabbed the pole, waiting until he stopped swinging before he pulled himself up twice. He dropped to the ground.
"Good job Lambert. Now stand over here at ease. That means feet apart, hands behind your back." Pickard instructed, correcting the guy's stance where needed.
"Next, name and id."
Rae stepped forward, "Raegan Shepard Sir. Id number 5923 alpha charlie 2826"
"You have two choices recruit." Pickard looked up from his Omni tool. "You can go the male route or the female. But once you pick, you will always be judge to that standard. What's your choice recruit?"
"This recruit will pick the make route sir."
"Then give me two pull ups, dead hang." Pickard put more information down as Rae jumped onto the bar. She waited until she hung motionless before doing two pull ups with no effort. After depending on her upper body for several months a few pull ups were nothing. Afterward she got into line behind Christopher and stood at ease.
'Is this what you expected?' Bodie asked, finally appearing after several weeks of being MIA. He stood at ease besides her, a smile on his lips. 'Oh that's right, can't talk.' He chuckled and looked around them. 'These next couple of weeks are going to be interesting.'
Rae closed her eyes, counting to ten in her head before reopening them. Her ghost was gone, for now. He always came back to taunt her. Her platoon finished their pull ups and moved to the side to allow Holland's group access to the bars. They then gave Pickard forty-four crunches in under two minutes, only a few unable to complete the task. From there, they moved to the track.
"Males you have thirteen point five minutes to run one point five miles. One full lap around the track. Females, you have fourteen point five minutes. Lambert your up.. Go." He took off and Rae got into position. "Shepard, go."