Forgotten Heroes

Chapter Seven

1430 Hours, Tuesday, October 15, 2388 (Military Calendar)/ Europa Military Base in orbit around Jupiter

Duscha, Frankie and Keith were all assigned to his six man team. It was his to command. He called the shots. Luis Miguel Caballero, the fast boy, and Jenny Alba were also assigned to him. This was, as Officer Tarantino told them, their group for the rest of their training. There would be no changing teams. Soon, everyone would end up hating Trahaearn's team; they were winners and couldn't help it. Luis and Johana, nicknamed Jo, both took a bunker close to the bathrooms, further down the line from their old beds. Although they were only six, they bullied other children and took eight bunks for themselves. Duscha and Keith took the beds closest to the bathrooms, on opposite sides; the upper beds of each side were used as storage for them. Trahaearn took an upper bunker down the line from Duscha, and under him slept Jo, across were Frankie and Luis.

The tournament had already started, but Trahaearn's team had not yet played anyone. The last week, Trahaearn's team had gotten up to a bad start, but he pulled it together and they came in second. He was determined to win this time around, and his team could not have been better. Teams had been assigned on Saturday, so they had time to practice on Sunday and Monday.

As the clock signaled 1430 hours a bell rang, signaling the start of the next match. His team, consisting of members F-01 through F-06, was matched up against team K. While they went down, Trahaearn recognized Kenny, one of the youngest around, and Tyler, who had been with him on training day, and as Trahaearn would later confirm, was a good player.

When both teams were ready, inside their respective bases, the match begun. Trahaearn led Luis and Jo through the middle, Keith and Duscha took the left; all the while Frankie, great at sneaking around, snaked his way around the left. It was not long before his team took the lead as Trahaearn himself shot an opponent.

A couple of minutes later it became clear that the match was going nowhere. They needed a drastic change it tactics. Frankie was still making his way unseen, while Luis, Jo, Keith and Duscha met with Trahaearn behind a bunker. "Jo, Luis and Duscha, you cover; but be sure to keep listening to what I say." He turned to Keith. "You command the group. I'll go ahead shooting everything in my path. They'll take me down, but I'll take as many of them as I can. This will cause confusion among them, probably enough for you to see where everyone is, and act upon it. Frankie should get a break too."

"You are crazy, but it should work. Just get as many of them as you can."

"I will."

Just then Trahaearn got up and ran towards the left wall. As he took cover he heard the paintballs splatter against nearby object. Breathing deeply he sprinted out of cover and down parallel to the wall. More shots directed at his position. When he found cover, he took it. Just then he heard another opponent go down. He took his chances and looked above his cover. Reacting on an instant he opened fire at the other team, who quickly took notice of him and followed suit. He was out, but so where three others from the other team. His team had four players and a tactical advantage, not only with Frankie, but because his actions had forced the other team to reveal their position. The opposing team had another disadvantage, in numbers.

Trahaearn, following instructions ran to the nearest exit, there he climbed up a set of stairs and into the room with the glass floor. Officer Tarantino looked at him as he took seat behind a desk with what appeared to be a look of approval.

The desk had a touch screen that allowed him to see through the cameras that had been placed around the maze, it allowed him to watch all the action, and it got him thinking. What if they could train themselves to pass on information about the battle field and the enemies to position between the 'dead' and the 'active' members? His mind blocked of the game, and shortly afterwards the match was over; they had won their first one of many. It would be a long streak of victories for them before anyone beat them.