About four years ago…
Ocean Bridger (8 years old)
"Children, do you want to become storm cadets?" Commander Jameson said, her medals gleaming valiantly on her chest.
"Sir, yes, sir!" I said in unison with the 9 other kids from my legion.
"Do you want to serve your Empire?" She said, louder than before. She was definitely trying to gain enthusiasm. I rolled my eyes in my helmet, glad she can't see me.
"Sir, yes, sir!" I said, sticking to the script. I've been working for this for 6 years, and I'm not going to lose it now.
"Then find a partner and we'll begin your last 2 years of training. Be careful; this partner will stick with you for the rest of your training."
I looked around frantically. Everyone was pairing up rapidly. I was afraid I was going to get stuck with an imbecile, when a spotted a girl standing off to the side. She was the kind of girl that was always there, but never noticed. Seeing as how everyone else was already paired up, I walked over to her.
"Hey, do you want to be my partner?" I asked, but was surprised when she flinched, as if I'd done something wrong.
How did she see me? No one sees me if I don't want to be seen.
I looked around in confusion. It wasn't her that was talking, but there was no one else here.
"You're standing right there. Of course I can see you." I said. Maybe I wasn't paying attention.
She looked at me again, alarm, not surprise, showing on her face. "You can read my thoughts?"
That would explain it! She must have thought it! "Um, yes, I guess. What did you mean about not seeing you?"
She chuckled. She pressed a button on her belt, and suddenly, to everyone else, a girl had just appeared out of thin air. "Friend of mine made it for me. Yes, I'll be your partner."
I was intrigued. I'd thought that she would be a dud, not wanting to work with anyone, but that was not the case at all.
"Okay. Everyone paired up? Alright. Your first challenge together is to get out."
"Get out of where?" I asked, and mentally put my hand over my mouth. "Sir?"
"This." Commander said, pressing a button on her control panel. The ground beneath us began to slide open, and a few very high-pitched screams could be heard. Wow, the guys are scaredy-cats.
""This is the well. You'll use the hand-holds on the side to get out. First four to get out can be messengers for the storm troopers."
I grinned with anticipation. These walls were just like rock climbing walls, with irregularities everywhere. I put my hand on one, and saw that my partner was already a quarter of the way done.
"How'd you do that?" I said, putting my foot on a shallow ledge.
"Gotta practice." She said, scrambling up even further.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
"Via Shadow. Ocean Bridger, I know all about you."
We were two of the first. When I finally got a moment alone, I asked her what she meant by knowing all about me.
"I hacked into the Imperial databases." She said nonchalantly.
"You what?" I said, almost yelling. Luckily, no one was around to notice.
"What? I thought everyone does it."
"No, they don't."
"Well then I do it."
I threw my arms up in exasperation. "What else do you know?"
"Everything about everyone. Why do you think I never talk to anyone? It's because I might let something slip that they haven't told me. I have a very glitchy short-term memory."
"Hmm." I thought. "Guess I made a good choice in partners."
"Guess you did."
"Storm cadet trainees, squadron one, two and three, today your challenge is to destroy everyone else. There are no rules. There are no limits. The last twenty-four to survive will continue. The rest, twelve of you, will be dead. We have no use for weaklings." Commander Jameson announced. I gulped. What if I die?
I took a look at Via, but she seemed perfectly at ease. What was she thinking?
The control room is on the second floor. Fifth one on the right, third row is the one that controls training room obstacles. Or is it the sixth? No, it's the fifth.
Now that came in handy. It's been a week or so since we became friends, and I must admit, reading her thoughts are cool.
"Go!"
There were no weapons. Hand on hand battle, not bad.
I didn't need another signal. I zipped around the room, my super-human speed propelling me forward. I nabbed one in my arms, and with a mighty push, I sent him across the room. Out of nowhere, spikes protruded from the wall, and skewered him. His scream was cut short rather violently, and I looked away. Sure I'm sympathetic towards dead animals, but I believe that animals know something we don't. I stand by my decision.
With renewed vigour, and raced through the room, and I threw another cadet through a chasm that had just appeared out of, well, the ground. I gave a thumbs up in the general direction of where Via was, hacking our way to victory. I retract my former statement; Via was smarter than animals.
"That's done!" Commander Jameson yells, and I halted my step. I look around at the carnage around us, and I felt sick. But there was nothing I could do. What's done is done, and I'm alive. That's what matters. Via bounded down from the command room, her eyes slightly cross-eyed.
"I need glasses if I'm gonna hack another database in that time. I'll be trying to zoom in books for weeks."
"Well done. You are all well on your way to storm cadet levels. Dismissed."
"Sir, yes, sir!" We shouted. "We need to escape." I whispered to Via.
"Agreed." She said, matter-of-factly, giving me a light salute.
I think every other chapter is going to be a recount of their past. The B&B girls are shaping up to be quite the pair, aren't they? And I don't see a lot of reviews recommending books. I would love to get in touch with my readers, so please comment! Don't be shy!