Specimen(30)

“Nothing for you to worry about,” she says again.

I nod and relax.

We’re loaded into the helicopter, and I take in the view as we rise into the air and over the city. Though there is information about the city of Milton and its layout already in my head, seeing it is completely different. I can see the destruction of outlying areas. There’s data in my head regarding the attacks by the Carson Alliance against the city of Milton, and I can identify those areas that have never been restored.

Everything is very…grey.

The sky is grey. The buildings are grey. There’s no green area at all—just building after building after building surrounded by cement and steel. A single flag appears on top of some of the buildings, and it is also primarily grey. I know the flag. It represents the Mills Conglomerate and displays a black-and-white image of a circuit board across the back and a bright red medical symbol in the center. Aside from that small splash of red, everything else is dull and nondescript.

The helicopter flight is a short one, and soon we are descending into the center of Mills Sanctuary Four, the primary military establishment in a five-hundred-mile radius. As we lower into the compound, I watch several dozen uniformed troops head to the edge of the city and fan out along the nearby streets.

We exit the helicopter and head straight for a small platform set up like a stage. Captain Mills and the uniformed men join a few other military-types on the stage as the doctors gather with their specimens.

“All right,” Riley says as she steps in front of me. “This is going to be a little different for you, but think of it as being in the virtual center. Instead of having images and sounds created in your head, this will give you the tactical information you’ll need for the training exercise.”

I nod and turn my head to the side so she can reach me better. I brace myself as Riley pulls a small disk out and places her fingers against the side of my head. To my right and left, I can see the other doctors and other specimens doing the same thing.

“Ready?” Riley asks, and I nod. She places the disk up behind my right ear. She holds it there for a few seconds and then takes it away.

Inside my head, there is a brief surge of information. I understand that I have been given command of the mission. Isaac will cover tactical, and Pike will be responsible for defense. I close my eyes for a moment to process it all and then look to the other men. Isaac nods at me, but Pike doesn’t look my way.

“You’ll be on your own during this,” Riley says. “You’ll be able to communicate with me every step of the way, just like in the simulator, but it will just be the three of you.”

Captain Mills steps up to the lectern at the center of the stage, and the rest of us gather around. A vibration runs through my arms and legs; I’m anxious to get started.

“Gentlemen,” Mills says, “this is nothing more than a glorified version of capture the flag. The map is already loaded, and you should have no trouble locating your objective, but there will be some challenges along the way.”

She opens a file on top of the lectern and continues.

“Our military has been stationed between here and your objective. You will have to get around them either by stealth or by elimination. The method is up to you.”

One of the men in uniform approaches us, and each specimen is handed a long rifle. At the tip of the barrel, there is a glowing green light.

“The weapons you have been given are designed to shoot a low-intensity laser. If you hit a target, or if you are hit, there is no true damage. However, you will feel the impact as if you had been wounded. If you take out a target, the mark will be considered incapacitated and no longer a threat to the completion of your assignment. You, of course, are expected to go on. Your implants will send pain impulses through your system, mimicking the sensations you would experience as if you had actually been hit.”

“Sounds like fun,” Isaac mumbles. His voice is so low and his words are so quick, I doubt anyone is able to hear him other than Pike and me. I glance at Dr. Rahul, but she doesn’t look at her specimen.

“How else would they be able to evaluate our performance?” I keep my voice at the same frequency as his, and Riley doesn’t seem to notice.

Interesting.

“I guess we better do well,” Pike says. “First one hit buys the drinks.”

I grin, and Riley glances at me, her eyes narrowed. I keep looking at Captain Mills, feigning ignorance, but Riley looks between Pike, Isaac, and me before muttering herself.

“Stop it.”

I look at her sideways and see her suppressing her own grin. I know she hasn’t heard our words, but she’s well aware of what we’re doing. I shuffle my feet back and forth and focus once again on Captain Mills’ words.