Chapter Four: Basic Training

Fortune and I finally made into the Resistance Military. The girls were brought together with the guys only to ship us all off to basic training on the colony of L3. After that, we would only be separated from the guys only when we showered and slept. Anything else, we did as equals.
The colony of L3 was totally evacuated for use as a military training base. The skies here were beautiful by night, clear and dark with millions of twinkling white stars. By day, it bore the full brunt of the sun, making training brutal, therefore weeding out the weak from the strong.
Fortune and I made it our mission to stay together, and we succeeded. By the time we started basic training, we had our civilian clothes taken away, and were both clad in the basic black form fitting space training suits with black boots that were so long, they stopped just below the knee. Lacing them every morning was a pain. Tight black gloves covered our hands. The only thing adorning the somber black was the thigh holsters every cadet had carrying a shiny black pistol. Our hair was also conformed to military standard: Fortune's hair, which was very long brown and full of spiral curls, was parted down the middle and tied to a severe bun at the nape of her neck. My hair, though I am and African American was red and gold. It often looks like my head had caught fire. It was cut short, but was spiked. It bent toward my face on occasion, but was manageable and slightly good looking.
Our routines were grueling. We were up at the crack of dawn doing basic training until midnight. We were constantly moving, working, exercising, training, and the like. The squads dwindled down a bit as more and more people decided that they couldn't take it. Finally, after three months of training, there were only twenty-five of the original five hundred of us. One day, the general came to see us.
We assembled in the Yard, where we did most of our training.
"You young people, are very strong, and very special. The training you have been through these past three months was a special kind. It was one hundred times harder than anything the normal soldiers are going through. The ones who left us during the training are being trained also. . .but as normal soldiers. For you, we have a special mission for you. . .You will be shipped form here to the Lunar base. From there, all will be explained further."
I looked at Fortune, who was standing beside me. She looked tired, but proud. I felt cold. . .very cold.