Chapter 5
The next morning Princess and Jason were awoken by the polite beeping of their computer terminal. Sleepily Princess went over to the terminal and pressed a flashing key.
Mala's image came over the screen. "You are to begin your training immediately. Report to the guards outside of your quarters. They will escort you." Without waiting for acknowledgement the image disappeared.
Princess walked over to Jason and gave him a soft kick in the side. "Wake up Jase!"
Jason groaned. "Damn Spectra! Sure knows how to make our lives miserable! I can't even get more than a few hours of sleep around here."
"It was your idea to play along. Remember?" Princess goaded him.
Jason glared at her, but in two minutes they were both standing at the door.
"Good morning." said the guards deferentially. They had been changed sometime during the night. "You are to be escorted to training room B."
Training Room B turned out to be a slightly different conference room with a large viewscreen at one end.
"Awesome!" exclaimed Jason, elbowing Princess out of the way. "Breakfast!" He quickly made his way over to a small table with pastries and juice. "Too bad there's no coffee!" he mused.
"The caffeine would only interfere with your training." stated a Spectran officer who had just entered the room. "Your minds need to be clear to comprehend the information you are about to be given."
Princess sighed as she grabbed the last donut from under Jason's greedy hands. This didn't sound like it was going to be fun.
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It certainly wasn't fun. They had been injected with something they couldn't identify and Princess was pretty sure that the food had been drugged too. Her mind had been hazy and open. It had taken all of her control, not to mention her implant, not to just start babbling randomly in front of the officer.
After a brief lecture about the glories of Spectra they had been shown some films on the viewscreen. While most of it had been along the nature of a travelogue extolling the virtues of the planet and its people, there had been scenes of children and animals interspersed throughout. Everything looked cuddly, warm, and charming.
"I'm going to throw up!" groaned Jason when they had returned to their quarters at the end of the day. "I don't think I can stand to see another picture of puppies playing with those green-suited goons!"
"The worst for me was that shot of Zoltar kissing babies." muttered Princess. "I nearly lost it right then and there. I don't think I could ever find a better form of birth control!"
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
After their laughter had subsided Jason grew serious.
"I'm pretty sure they're trying to brainwash us." he said quietly.
"I agree." said Princess. "The combination of the drugs and the talks and those films… talk about subliminal messaging! If it weren't for my implant I think I'd be one seriously confused Swan right now."
"I had my cerebonics on overdrive too." admitted Jason. "It was pretty hard to resist what they were saying."
"I guess we'll just have to pretend that it worked." said Princess, "So that we can avoid any more 'training' like this."
Jason agreed wholeheartedly.
But they weren't done. For the following two days they were subjected to more of the mind-controlling films and drugs. At the end of the third day they were addressed by their Training Officer.
"You have completed your initial course of training." he stated. "You no longer require guards at your quarters."
Princess sighed gratefully.
"We are approaching Spectra now. You will wait here until we are ready to disembark." With that the officer turned on his heel and left.
"I hope this means that those injections are over." growled Jason. "I'm ready to snap the neck of any goon who approaches me with another syringe."
"I can't believe how tired I feel." groaned Princess. "This is taking a lot out of me physically."
"It should all be worth it in the end." promised Jason.
"I hope so!" muttered Princess.
When the transport ship landed they were brought outside. Jason could see that they were in the middle of Spectra's foremost military installation: their primary planetary headquarters. He gave a low whistle.
"It is well that you should be impressed." came Mala's voice from behind them. "Only our best personnel are brought here." They turned to look at her.
"Now that your initial training is complete," Mala said, "You will begin individual training on general mecha operational techniques. Your schedules will be transmitted to your new quarters."
With that she walked down the gangway, leaving them gaping after her.
"Well at least that sounds promising." grinned Jason.