Chapter VI
2249
Garth
Underground
Boot camp was easy enough for Garth. Oh sure, a few expired meals here and there, once in a while a higher-up yelling at you (they do that a lot) and the occasional landing face first on the ground while training (hurts). But the thing hardest about being in the marines was the sleepless nights worrying about Jeremy. Before Garth knew it, he and all the other cadets were transported by shuttle to there permanent marine base.
It was mid July when the captain escorted the cadets onto the aircraft. When they were all inside, the captain began to explain:
"This vehicle is called a shuttle. You will be using these jets in battle." explained the captain. She walked through the sliding door to the cockpit. The shuttle rose smoothly, and if it were not for the slight noise, Garth would never had suspected the shuttle to be in the air.
When the shuttle landed gently in a fenced in area, everyone stepped out. Surprisingly, the newcomers saw nothing before them. No signs of a military organization were in attendance. Just flat ground.
"Where's the fort?" questioned that same annoying someone.
The captain yelled:
"Lash!"
A hole in the ground appeared, along with steps leading underground. The captain commenced in descending the staircase. All followed.
"This is the marine's underground base." began the captain. The stairs had ended and the party was currently walking down a lighted hallway with walls made of a thick metal. "The base provides protection against bombing, gunning, invasion, anything you can think of. The Chinese used underground bases on the volcanic island called Iwo Jima in the Vietnam War, and if I am correct, they won that war. This unique base has room for a hospital, a cafeteria, a conference room, and an indoor battlefield for advanced drills, all without giving away our position. In one of the battlefields you will learn to operate a shuttle. You will also have drills every morning to test your readiness.
"The weapon storage is on the South side of the base, the cafeteria is in the Southeast corner, the indoor battlefield on the East side, the barracks in the Northeast corner, the higher-up barracks on the North side, Colonel Whitemore's office in the Northwest corner, the hospital on the West side and the conference room and hanger are in the Southwest corner.
"At nine o' clock every morning you will have breakfast. But you'll have to earn your breakfast by successfully completing a drill at half past seven on the indoor battlefield. At a quarter till ten, you will have flying practice on the indoor battlefield. At a quarter till one you will have lunch, and after lunch you all will be free from practice until three o' clock when you will have more drills and at half past five, dinner. Lights out is at half past seven. I will give you today to get settled." The cadets saluted, and were off.
For a few days, everything went just as boring as planned. The schedule was the same every day and life was just ordinary. After awhile of this, I would imagine, all the days of the week would smoosh together to form one big, drawling, lousy, tedious agenda. (I could go on, but will not). Although, there was one in particular day that was individual…
One morning during breakfast, an announcement came over the loudspeakers: "All soldiers report to the conference room immediately." Wow. Military personnel really like the word 'immediately'. So, everyone stopped eating and headed to the conference room. It was a large room with walls made of thick metal like the rest of the base. There were numerous leather chairs in the conference room and it somewhat resembled the room back at boot camp. There was, like that room, a stage front and center. The colonel stepped onto the stage momentarily.
"Tonight," the colonel announced. "we make our first attack on the enemy." He then pulled down a map of the colony. "Right now, we are stationed in Central County. The enemy is stationed in North County and has also lain siege to the county behind our backs. We shall fly to the base and get them with a sneak attack." He pulled the map down and the map snapped back up. "We attack tomorrow morning at
three o' clock. I suggest all of you go to bed as early as possible….No. I order you to go to bed as early as possible. Losing an ambush would be disgraceful, so I want you all to be in the best of conditions. Dismissed." With a solemn salute, the colonel was out of the room.