Sorry about the really late update guys. I've been extremely busy with school, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
"As of now, we are heading back to Mar Sara. We will be joining Charlie and Delta Companies to prepare for a mass assault of Zerg on Mar Sara. The civilians are being transported to another colony for now. There will be a fully operational base camp and everyone is going to be having bunkers around the base. Since we we're preparing for this mass assault, there are trenches to get from place to place, so you must be careful when walking around." said Admiral DuGalle.
"Not only this…" Vice Admiral Stucov added. "This means CQB (close quarters battle), and I know the SR team is highly trained for this. You are all promoted to commissioned officers once we reach Mar Sara. You all will be the leading the Alpha company, and you will receive about another 300 troops, in addition to the assault team of 700 on-board this fleet. Each one of you will be leading a squad of your own. The SR team will stick together, but you are now all Commanding officers."
'Wow…' Ninja thought, 'I'm a CO now…holy shit….that's nuts…I got promoted already…and now…this crazy ass promotion to squad CO and have a squad to my full discretion…this is nuts…what the hell is going on at Mar Sara?'
"Also, the survivors we have retrieved earlier today will be interrogated. Mr. Weber is on his way now from another Battleship to begin the interrogation and start to teach these little maggots on how to speak English." Admiral DuGalle said.
The admiral dismissed them and everyone headed for their bunks. As Ninja was leaving, he felt another shiver down his spine and something talking in his head. It was Shinji, but Ninja couldn't understand a word he said.
'Damn, I'm gonna have to get Weber to make me a fucking Japanese VR program…I need to know what the hell this kid's saying…' Ninja thought.
1630 hours in the Interrogation Room
"Well Ninja, the girl doesn't remember anything that happened and the boy won't say shit. We'll just have to rely on that laptop you found back there." Weber said.
"Yea…I hope the techs found something…how the hell does everyone vanish off the face of the earth with no trace of them left behind…" Ninja said.
"I don't know…" Weber replied.
"Oh yea, I forgot to ask you before…is it possible for you to make me a Japanese language VR program so I can learn this shit?"
"What do you need it for?" Weber asked.
"I can hear what the hell this kid is thinking, and its weird how none of the other Ghosts hear it. I'm just guessing its some type of mental shielding and its just picking me to hear the conversations. The point is, I can't understand what he's saying, so I want to learn Japanese in order to understand him better." Ninja said.
"That's no problem, I'll have it done by the time the kids start their English VR. Just sit in the empty seat next to them and ill just specifically program yours for Japanese."
"Thanks Weber…you're a big help. By the way, before we start training, stop by the armory before War Pig and I train these brats. I've got something for you." Ninja said.
The medics put Shinji and Asuka on stretchers and took them over to the VR room to prepare them for their VR program. As they we're being moved, Shinji's mind stirred amidst many questions.
'Where the hell are they taking me?…Where's Asuka going…please….don't separate me from her…' Shinji thought as he reached out to touch Asuka.
Asuka was still out cold. The truth serum that they injected her with had caused her to fall asleep right after the interrogation was completed. The medics injected another shot and she woke up from her slumber. She woke up with a weird looking visor on and wires connected to different parts of her body. As she looked at her surroundings, she noticed she was in a seat, and it was shut with a see-through outer-shell.
'Where the hell am I?! These Americans are weird. I understand some of their English, but not all of it. Where's Shinji?' Asuka questioned herself.
Asuka looked over to her left and Shinji was there in a same looking device with the same things attached to him. The seat to her right was empty…
1900 Hours VR Room
Computer: Emotional levels on Shinji Ikari are dangerously high. Injecting sedatives and commencing therapy.
The sedatives are instantly injected into Shinji and they begin to slow down his neural impulses…
Computer: There's nothing to be afraid of. Virtual Reality will re-habilitate your mind and eventually your body. You'll be alright, I promise. Just concentrate and try some music…
(Deep bass begins to flow and Ambient Trance begins to play.)
Shinji is soothed by the music and begins to return to his normal state and is finishing up his English routine. Pretty soon Shinji and Asuka are going to finish their VR English Program and head onto Basic Training with Ninja and War Pig. The SR team just looks onto these kids they saved just thinking, how are they going to perform under stress, they're just kids…
2030 Hours Admiral DuGalle's Conference Room.
"Alexi…" DuGalle called out. "I just got word that the Tech crew just cracked the laptop that 1st Lt. Kim (Ninja) had found back at the NERV headquarters in Tokyo."
"What is it about?" Vice Admiral Stucov replied.
"It's about the Eva Project a.k.a. The Human Instrumentality Project." DuGalle said softly. "The President was supposed to brief us on this, but all the information is here in this laptop."
"Well…we'll have to analyze the information. I'm going to call up the Tech Lab." Stucov said. "Computer…connect a secure line to Sergeant Moore."
Computer: Yes Vice Admiral. Connecting to Sergeant Moore in Technology Department 385...
Meanwhile in the Tech Department
Computer: Sergeant Moore, Vice Admiral Stucov wishes to speak to you.
Sergeant Moore: This is Sergeant Moore reporting.
Vice Admiral: Sergeant Moore, this is the Vice Admiral. I am requesting that the laptop you have successfully cracked be put into Article Section 299909 and that you make 2 hard copies of the information. You will have these transported personally to the Admiral's Conference Room by 1300 hours tomorrow. This information very vital and make sure you get all of it. This conversation will stay in Admiral DuGalle's private files and mine. This will not be leaked to anyone…understood? I also am requesting that you join the S&R team to become their communications and technology specialist.
Sergeant Moore: Sir, yes Sir.
Vice Admiral: You will report to the VR Training room at 2230 hours and meet up with the team CO and Staff Sergeant Weber. You will be part of this operation on Mar Sara and you will aid in training their new recruits. You also have now been promoted to Gunnery Sergeant. You will receive your chevrons tomorrow at 0600 hours. That is all.
Computer cuts the line to Sergeant Moore
"Well, that handles our problem of keeping this information secret and we both have a hard copy my good Admiral." Stucov said.
"Alexi…without you I don't know what I could get done here." Admiral DuGalle claimed.
The Vice Admiral went back to smoking his cigar and drinking his usual Vodka. They both had no idea what the "Human Instrumentality Project" was about, but they were bound to find out soon enough.
2100 hours S&R Team Armory
"Wolf, over here." Ninja called and motioned to him. "Take a look…"
Ninja pointed out to what seemed like Wolf's old power suit.
"What about my suit?" Wolf asked.
"I swapped out the armor plates for harder but lighter plates. So you have level 4 armor plating but you still have a lot of mobility. These are the same type of alloy we use for the Ghost armor. It's just a way of saying thanks. Also, on your belt I added more pouches to hold mags, but we're probably using the 8mm spikes in the gauss rifles. Doesn't matter though, I'm pretty sure we're going to be issued bullets and spikes so the pouches will work either way." Ninja explained to him.
"Thanks Ninja." Wolf said.
"No problem. Your suit has a appointment for a new paintjob and your callsign will be on your shoulders. Also some lights will be added on your right shoulder and you're going to get a rifle holster installed on the back behind the lights. Also, your suit is going to be integrated with stim packs. Come see me if you need more ok? Alright then, I'm off to get ready for the training course of the kids. See you there." Ninja said and he walked out of the armory.
2230 hours The VR Training Room.
"Alright Maggots Listen Up!" War Pig yelled out. "This is the beginning of your combat training. You will learn how to become an efficient killer. You will learn self-discipline. You will learn to shoot with accuracy. First you will learn your weapon and your power suit. Now pay attention to your new CO."
"Konichiwa. Nihongo wa arimasu?" Ninja asked (means hello. Do you speak Japanese?)
"Hai! Arimasen." Shinji and Asuka said simultaneously. (Yes we can.)
"Well, I just learned some Japanese off of the VR machines you kids were in yesterday. So, it may be a little rusty, but if you feel like speaking in Japanese to me, feel free to do so." Ninja stated.
'Great…' Asuka thought 'There's another American speaking Japanese. Do anyone even speak German around here?'
"Yes Asuka, there are people who speak German. His name is Gunnery Sergeant Weber. He is the one who created the English Language VR Program for you kids. Also, I am a Korean American just to let you know." Ninja said.
"WHAT THE HELL? HOW DID U KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING?" Asuka exclaimed.
"Asuka, I am a Ghost. I have psychic abilities that enable me to read hear the thoughts of others around me. I also have some small psychic abilities. Don't underestimate people you don't know. I will be your squad CO. War Pig here is under my command, but he is also a CO and has a squad of his own. You two are to be placed in his Marine squad and will receive orders from him and follow them unless I tell you otherwise. You got that?" Ninja said.
"SIR! Yes, Sir!" Asuka and Shinji exclaimed.
Over his radio, Ninja told Weber to open up the small armory. There was a sudden release of air and a door open to their left and reveled 4 suits of armor, 3 of which were Marine armor and the other was Ninja's ghost armor. There were also 3 gauss rifles and 1 canister rifle. They were all on a rack and that rack extended out so that everything was now in the middle of the VR room. War Pig walked over to his suit and Ninja went to his. War Pig began to explain about the rifles and their suits to Asuka and Shinji.
"Alright listen up. These power suits are brand new. They have been heavily reinforced with new armor plates. It is very combat efficient, but you do lose some mobility. Your mobility will be cut down to approximately 70-80 percent. The extra armor will make up for it because you have more protection. Ninja's suit is different from ours. His armor is made of a different alloy which makes it extremely light but it offers level 4 protection while ours only gives us level 3 protection. Either way, the armor is capable of stopping several different types of armor piercing rounds and it can resist the claws of a zergling to a certain extent. Unlike our armor, the medics have a tougher armor much like the Ghosts and they are about the same weight as Ghost armor. This is because they need the extra mobility to maneuver and help any injured soldiers. Asuka, you have been chosen to become a combat medic which is entirely different from the other medics. It is a recruiting process, so you will be evaluated for it. For now, you will learn standard Marine Corps training." War Pig stated.
"Alright then, on to the weapons. The weapons you will be using is called a gauss rifle. They fire different types of ammunition. They are either the standard NATO rounds or the 8mm "spikes". The spikes use depleted uranium shells, so you have the penetrating power and the range. If you are using spikes, the rifle will be loaded with 4 internal magazines which will hold 999 rounds each. You can also obtain more magazines with the 8mm spikes at the armory. The thing you have to remember is, even without stim packs, you will go through 100 rounds in about 4-5 seconds. So the gauss rifles have been retrofitted to fire in bursts. With stim packs, you will be able to fire bursts much faster, making it seem like you are going full auto. Only those who are a non-commissioned officer or higher are allowed to switch out these burst mechanisms to full automatic." Ninja explained.
"Computer…" War Pig said. "Bring up Zerg unit visuals."
Computer: Commencing…List is acquired. Now displaying Zerg Units.
"This is your enemy." War Pig explained while point to the virtual pictures in front of them. "We just mostly concentrate on the grounds units, but there are air units. The major of the ground forces is the zerglings and the hydralisks."
Two images enlarged to their full size. It was the picture of a zergling and a hydralisk. Each one look menacing and evil as they were known as. The virtual models looked very realistic and seem to be actually alive.
"Alright. This room will be a virtual reality simulation to help you with your training. First it will be just obstacle practice. We will move on to more later on. Hurry up and get your gear on." War Pig said.
War Pig pressed a button next to his suit and the upper torso of his armor came apart and lifted up. Then with a hiss, the lower part of the armor opened up to reveal the inside. War Pig stepped inside and it shut with a hiss and locked. Then the upper part of his armor began to lower. As the armor was being put into place, War Pig momentarily moved his arms to the openings of the armor for the arms so that it would fit perfectly. The top locked with another hiss and he was detached from the rack. Next he grabbed his rifle and checked to make sure it was fully loaded and flipped on the switch for the bullet counter.
"Another thing, the gauss rifles have a lower unit on it to launch grenades. You start off with 2 already inside the barrel. To fire just cock the grip and pull the trigger. You can get more grenades for it at the armory. There is also a lower shotgun unit for the gauss rifle which can also be swapped out for at the armory. Now get into your suits pronto!" War Pig exclaimed.
Shinji and Asuka did the same at War Pig did and got on their power suits. When Shinji took his first step, the armor weighted him down. It looked like he was doing a slight slouch because his knees were bent. Asuka seemed fine, she was able to stand almost straight and walk perfectly with ease. After they got their suits on, Ninja was putting his on. His armor was different than theirs. It almost seemed skin tight and it was coated with shiny black paint. His armor was made in plates and he was putting them on piece by piece. The rifle was different than the standard Marine's rifle and looked extremely large. Once Ninja put on his suit and goggles, his goggles seemed to light up a bright neon green and a laser seemed to be coming out of it once it was activated.
"Computer.." Ninja called out. "Commence VR training simulation 0020."
Computer: Now commencing…VR training simulation 0020 activating in 5...4...3...
"Alright…listen up." War Pig shouted. "The training simulation will not be real, but very realistic in every way. You will feel pain and a sense of urgency. We will teach you how to hand the combat high you encounter and other basic training issues. Get ready!"
Computer: 2...1...Now commencing…
The VR simulation loaded and the white room changed to a large field with obstacle courses. To the right was something that looked like a shooting range, and on the left was a large field with different terrain. Ninja and War Pig were talking to the kids when the Vice Admiral walked into the computer room.
"How are they doing?" Stucov asked Wolf.
"They're doing well…It seems like Ninja and War Pig have already shown them how to get their suits on for a start. I guess he's jumping ahead to battle training instead of running the obstacle courses with just their jumpsuits." Wolf responded.
"Hmmm…he's starting early with these kids. I guess he thinks they are battle ready." Stucov replied.
As the Vice admiral and Wolf watched, Ninja was starting to lecture the kids.
"Alright, we are going to start on battle simulation instead of training with you're jumpsuit first." Ninja said.
"Uhh…Sir?" Shinji called out. "why is the jumpsuit so tight on my chest?"
"The suits apply pressure to major parts of the body that need it." Ninja replied. "They are also integrated with diapers incase of restroom emergencies. You will always wear these for combat situations. You have another pair of these in you're room and a standard jumpsuit for normal wear."
War Pig explained the obstacle course to them and began to run the training. Ninja wanted the kids to adjust to the weight of the armor quicker than to just train with jumpsuits. After all, the Admiral wanted the kids to be combat effective by the time they reached Mar Sara. Asuka and Shinji seemed to know each other very well and were running the obstacle course at the same pace.
"Ninja…" War Pig called out. "how many times do you want them to run the course?"
"Make them do 10 laps. After that we're going to start running the training on the different types of terrain." Ninja responded.
0030 Hours inside VR training room.
"Ok, that's it for today. We will start on live ammunition training tomorrow." Ninja said. "You room is located in Section D of this battleship. Everything is there. You two will have the same room. That is all. Dismissed!"
Ninja handed both Shinji and Asuka a map of the area and sent them off. Wolf then exited the computer room and walked over to Ninja and War Pig.
"So…live ammo tomorrow ehe?" Wolf asked.
"Yea…I need to get these kids up to speed. I think they have great potential. The girl will be extremely combat effective. The boy seems to have the abilities of a Ghost, but he can't control them." Ninja replied.
"Hmm…did you request him to the Ghost program to CO?" Wolf asked.
"Yes I did…well, we're done here. If you want I'll show you the new options on your suit after we hit the showers." Ninja said.
"No, I'm fine. You can show me tomorrow. Thanks anyways, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Wolf replied as he walked off.
