Zack met up with the rest of his squad in the middle of their history lesson. They had to learn about the world outside the fence if they were going to infiltrate it and survive under cover once they were sent on missions. After the three hour class there was the standard hour of conditioning slides and then they were sent off to the pool. Zane seemed to have gotten everything and everyone under control. Jondy had re-situated herself so that she was closer to Krit. Max was like a statue stone cold yet absorbent of everything around her. Zack knew he would have to speak to with Zane later to know exactly what had happened when he was away.
They were briefed on the exercise it was a new exercise in self control as well as their
abilities to hold their breaths for extended periods of time. They were then lead into a smaller pool then the usual, it was more of a tank really. It was a bone dry tank that they were lead into with extremely high walls and ceiling. They were ordered over an intercom to shackle in their own ankles and stand at attention. They followed the order and waited the top of the tank looming almost ten feet above Eva's head. Eva was the tallest of the X-5's. The general appeared standing at attention at the rim of the tank. There was a mirrored wall in front of the soldiers where they had no doubt that they were being observed by Lydecker and some others. The comity usually watched when they were given a new task.
Water began to rush into the tank at that moment. It was ice cold as it rose to cover their bare feet steadily rising. No one gasped. No one shrieked in surprise. Goose bumps rose on their flesh but no one complained. Not one of them shivered or even flinched. The level of the water rose painfully slow. Frigid water only meeting waist level on Syl who was the shortest. Water that was only about twenty degrees. Here the flow of water halted for what seemed like an eternity. The water was so cold Zack knew it was his job to do something about it.
"Soldiers forward march." Zack snapped through clenched teeth.
Moving helped keep them warm and wasn't against any of the orders they had gotten in the briefing before the drill. It showed to whoever was watching that they still had some sort of control even in unfamiliar situations. They knew how to master it and turn it back to their advantage. The water warmed a bit as it began to rise again now up to their necks. They knew what was coming now. Syl's head was now under water, Krit's too but they treaded water to keep up with everyone else. The slack in the chains allowed them enough play so that they only had to hold their breath once the last head (always Eva's) disappeared below the water. Then and only then they all came to a rest on the bottom of the tank. They stopped marching then and wrapped their arms around themselves to consume warmth and the oxygen in their blood. Zack began to count the time in his head his eyes open watching the others. Krit had closed his eyes to relax but that wasn't allowed. The speakers crackled, "Eyes forward." Everyone followed the order and
stared straight ahead at themselves in the mirror.
Three minuets went by without any further incident. Then there was a ripple in the
calmness that had settled over the water in the tank. Zack took two steps forward in order to see down the length of soldiers. Max had began to panic. Jondy moved over a step and took her hand. Max raised her head to meet Jondy's eyes with her own troubled ones. Krit moved over and took up Max's other hand. Max closed her eyes for a brief second and then dropped the others hands, giving them a small squeeze first. She was going to be okay. The crisis and the panic had been averted for now. The speaker remained silent, none of the observers seemed to have a problem with it. They were always told you that the group was only as strong as your weakest man. Another minuet went by and Ben began to shake from the cold. Violently. Max sensed it first. She caught his eye in the mirror and held it. She made the hand signal for him to be still. Ben clenched his teeth and relaxed all his muscles and became still. Ben stilled and more time passed.
A buzzer sounded and the chains were released from the bottom and the soldiers were allowed to breach the surface. When Zack reached the surface of the pool he took a deep breath and a head count. They were missing one soldier. Zack panicked and looked down there was Jondy still chained to the pool floor equally panicked and desperately fighting her bonds. Zack dove back down to where she was and `kissed' her giving her some much-needed air and then he went to the bottom of the pool to tug on the chain that held here there. The chain gave way six and a half minuets after the exercise had started. Zack head butted Jondy in the back who took the cue and fled to the surface gasping for air. Jondy had been okay and had been lucky that Zack had been there to give her some air even though Zack didn't believe in luck. Jondy had came out of the exercise extremely frightened but otherwise unsacred except for her developed persistent fear of the pool or almost any water.
Lydecker stood at the end of the pool watching the two a look of pride on his face at how Zack had handled the situation. "Is she all right?"
Zack was shaken up and Jondy looked near hysterics but Zack nodded and Jondy mumbled a feeble. "Yes, sir."
The sound of wet feet echoed on concrete until they all stood at attention in front of him. Jondy still was gulping in air as if she was starved and couldn't get enough.
"Soldiers you attained five minuets total down time X5-273 and X5-599 were down for almost fifteen extra minuets downtime. Good job." He looked pointedly at Jondy. "Now report to the showers. The you are to report to the barracks until dinner. Dismissed."
The group of soldiers saluted the commander and fled to the sanctuary of the showers where much to their delight the hot water was working. Jondy refused to take a shower, Max was the first done with the shower just under regulated time and Ben lingered the longest. They changed back into their gowns and returned to the barracks. This was a break from their normal routine and it made everyone anxious. They all turned expectant eyes to Zack the moment the barracks door was shut and locked behind them.
"Zack what's going on?" Zane was the first one to speak up.
"We're trying a new exercise tomorrow and I have to brief you all on it." Zack said simply and then he went and sat on the head of his cot, moving it so that it was touching the one next to his and motioned for everyone to join him. Zane moved a third cot next to Zack's on the opposite side and all of the others gathered around Zack.
Max lay on her stomach, her feet in the air, her head resting on Jondy's knee. Jondy sat Indian style with and arm draped around Max, leaning up against Krit who sat Indian style as well so that their knees were touching. Ben seemed interested in what Zack had to say his eyes sparkled yet he leaned against Tinga who seemed to need his contact as well. Syl sat next to Raven and slumped against Zane who sat very close to Zack. Even Brin seemed at ease as she leaned against Braden who was leaning against her for support with his head on her shoulder. Devon, Tully and Sydney lay next to each other on their stomachs so that their hands were touching. Locke kneeled on the bed an arm around Rayne and his other resting on Sylan's leg who was lying on her side.
The exercise had taken alot out of them all. In all honesty they huddled in small groups still trying to keep warm. Everyone had paired off or was in some sort of group except Zack. He cleared his throat and shook his head he was fine with issuing orders but Ben and Tinga were the best storytellers and right now Zack had to do both.
"Okay." Zack took a deep breath. "I've personally run this exercise over a dozen times flawlessly. You will all be engaged in an escape and evade exercise with X-4 squadron two as the enemy. I will be up above the yard in a helicopter. The name of the exercise is Extraction. It consists of a normal escape and evade with one important difference, a rope ladder starting at 5000ft in the air and I am supposed to get you out of the field area as quickly as possible. Just look for me and the copter and I'll do the rest. We have an official briefing at 0700 hours. Don't fail me, do you understand?"
Twenty-eight heads nodded in unison and in agreement but none of them really had any idea of exactly what they were getting themselves into. They all trusted Zack and if he thought they could do this then they knew they could. The confusion, the fear, and the loss they felt were inconsequential, right now they were just too tired and hungry to care or worry. Anything even a difficult new exercise was a welcomed distraction from facing their own mortality which the loss of Jack and Ash as well as Max's condition and the accident with Jondy made them do.
