"WE ARE GOING TO SPACE!!!" Negi shouts
"Buuuut- before that we still have to assign each one of our precious recruits!, YES!! You guys!! To which Unit you will serves later!, and of course we going to dress you guys up with the proper outfit before we assign you! So don't worry! We got everything covered here!" Negi making cute gesture and winking her eyes as she made the announcement.
Eric started seeing the bottom floor as the lift approaching to it, mutters in the crowd still could be heard, many were anxious and some excited.
"Damn, units? What kind of units do they mean? Like we have choice to make or?" said one voice from the crowd
"Is this where they would dispose us if we weren't fit to any units…."
"Whichever has the lowest effort one i'm in"
The lift has stopped, and then in front of the recruits they see a enormous facility, in which many machineries like aircraft, armored vehicles and giant mechanical robots all arranged and lines up in perfectly parked manners all across the view, not just that but they also sees huge crowd scatter across the facility, like it was a busy work day hour moving boxes and items from one place to another, fixing the machines, and some operating it.
"Taraaa!!!, this is our basement facility in here!! Big isn't it??!! But this is relatively small compared to what we have in the moon!, so don't worry you will see wonders! After this our Commander in charge here, Mr. Gonz will guide you guys to the next phase, and you will also have chance to call your families or your loved one!"
Marching sound of steps could be heard approaching the recruits group, they could see few dozen soldiers were marching behind a vehicle, this vehicle is has open cabin and there's someone standing tall beside the driver, dressed with a firm and decorated with badges, it seems this is the commander of this base, Mr. Gonz that Negi just said before.
The marching soldiers stopped with the vehicle in the front of the recruits, the man that stands tall in the vehicle looks at the recruits, his gaze was sharp and bounces from left to right, his expression were stern and cold, his posture signify that the recruits were just a small fry for him.
"ANNNNDD HERE IT IS MR. GONZZ!!! THE COMMANDER OF BASEMENT FACILITY!!, hey Mr. Gonz! These are our new recruits! Be nice with them okay?! Now that Mr. Gonz is here, you guys will be in his care from now until the departure so be sure to follow the instruction okay?! And-" Mr. Gonz just let out a sigh when Negi make pointing hologram graphic that directed at him
"prepare yourself, don't forget to call your families or friends or dear one before we go, make sure do to so before the depart time! Because once we departed it's going to be busy for us for the next couple of months, Okay??!!"
"Alright! I'm Negi Himeragi signing out! I will see you guys at the moon later! Cya cyaaa!" as she said this, the hologram were turned off and she blip out, leaving only the recruits all by themselves.
The crowd goes silent and just quiet after Negi disappears, all recruits seems to be focus on the man that in the vehicle and the soldiers behind him, the silent stays for about like 3 minutes, until Mr. Gonz breaks it.
"I'll cut the chase and tell all of this, back off if while you still have chance. All of you will be assign to unit which you suited, let me emphasized with the "Suited" part, from here and out this will determine your fate, be prepared just like Negi said. Now maintain your line up and Follow the Soldiers behind me" the Vehicle started to move and turn 180 degree to to the back and then all the soldiers behind him following it, the recruits who were completely blank to what they should to just do as the man said follows the marching soldiers behind him.
The marching continues until the vehicle stops at the metal door, the doors open and then the vehicles enters, as it enter the soldiers and the recruits lines also followed, not long after it stops and then the Commander Gonz held a device that seems to amplify his voice.
"Alright recruits! All of you will be wearing the uniform first! Each of the lines will be accompanied by the soldiers in front of you! Now make it quick and change fast, because I don't want any of you still wearing that crap clothes hanging to your body! MOVE!"
As Gonz shouted, the soldiers lined up horizontally.
"ALRIGHT RECRUITS!! FOLLOW YOUR DESIGNATED LINES!"
The recruits followed the soldiers to the changing room. As Eric's group shuffled into the facility, the air immediately changed. Eric had imagined the changing room would be like the humid, sweat-stained locker rooms he was used to at the academy or public gyms. But that couldn't be further from the truth.
Rows of vertical, hexagonal alcoves lined the walls, stretching as far as the eye could see. The design was mechanical, structured, and intricate.
"One per pod! Step in, suit up, and get back here!" a soldier shouted.
The recruits scattered to choose their own pods. Eric stood still for a moment looking at the other recruits, until everyone has gone to their own pods, he then moves and found an empty pod at the end of the room and stepped inside. As soon as he entered the pod, the hexagon door slid shut behind him, cutting off the noise of the outside, then a sound echoing in the room.
"Initiating. Please insert your left arm into the designated input for device administration," a synthetic voice echoed inside the pod.
Eric seems to be surprised a bit with the room interior and the sound that just echoed, the room looks like he was in the futuristic chamber instead of changing room, he looked at the clean reflective wall panel in front of him, a dark, hexagonal hole slowly opened up, then above it, a holographic arrow blinked, pointing downward at the opening.
He hesitated for a split second, with all the things happening so fast he wondered should he really be putting his limb into a this hole, he sure about the situation that he didn't have a choice in the first place but his hesitation still showing it, despite of all the things eric still has some doubt in himself, as the hologram keep blinking waiting for his decision. He then shoved his left arm in.
Thunk.
He felt a freezing cold, like a metallic ring just snapped around his wrist. There was a sharp, brief pinch sensation, just like a needle piercing his skin, it was then followed by a soothing, cooling sensation.
The hologram text shifted rapidly.
"Device Administered. Subject Identified. Rank Assigned: Recruit. Name: Eric Rossvolt. Registration... Complete. Please Eject and Proceed."
Eric pulled his arm back. The device is securely to his wrapped around his wrist, looking almost embedded into his skin, was a black metallic bracelet with a crystal at its center. He then flip his hand up, and as he did this, the crystal shines bright, and then a holographic screen appear floated just above his forearm.
Eric Rossvolt
Rank: Recruit
Unit: Unassigned
0 L-Credits
Health Status: Optimal - 100%
Sanity Level: Stable
"Wait what? What is this? Damn this is super cool, this like a status screen?" "Sanity level? What? How is this thing able to measure that?" Eric wondered, staring at the bracelet, he just got. "Do this thing read your brainwaves or something? Huh? You've got to be kidding me this little thing?"
A sudden movement caught eric by surprised, a compartment popped out of the pod's wall, revealing a folded bundle of clothing pieces. As Eric examine it, he figures that It was a standard-issue set of fatigues: a slate-grey military jacket, matching cargo trousers, and a black moisture-wicking undershirt, this must be the uniform that the commander was talking about.
Eric stripped off his old clothes and with hanging it over the disposal bin in the pot, he keeps them hanging for a solid 30 second before let them go down in the disposal bin. He pulled on the black undershirt, which felt surprisingly cool against his skin, then the trousers and the jacket.
He notices that the fabric was heavy, sturdy, and clearly this a high-quality clothing, as he pulled the jacket on, the magnetic buttons snapped together automatically with a satisfying click.
"Damn this is far better than the cheap thrift-store threads i was used to bought, well yeah that's out of questions, but still giving these things for just a recruits at the start"
He paused, looking his reflection in the pod's glass door.
He stared at himself blankly for a moment.
The compartment snapped back into the wall, and the pod door behind it open back.
"All recruits CLEAR!!! NOW FALL IN!" a shout could be heard from the outside of the pod
Eric stepped out, adjusting his jacket. The other recruits also came out of their pods, lining up the same in their newly given uniform, then the recruits form a line, joining the soldiers back, Eric he joined them at the back.
The soldiers signaled, they need to move to another place called "Administrative Point" this is where they would be assign to their units and be regroup, Eric and all other recruits in his line then follows the soldiers and began marching toward the designated point.
All the recruits arrived at the Administrative Point, the place was a vast, circular hall with one thing stands out, it's a towering archway, it was sleek and have almost smooth surface texture, the surface clean like it was made of finest obsidian like stone with wires wrapped around it.
Standing on the left side of the archway is Commander Gonz, he's standing tall scanning all the recruits that just arrived, beside him a familiar figure that Eric had seen before, decorated with the beautiful tailored outfit befitting of a sister, it was the High Priestess, the one he had saw before in the injection room when someone went berserk and become monster, She stood there tall with elegancy, radiating calmness aura the pressure around the hall seemed have calm down with just her presence, She smiled warmly at all the recruits, then clasping her hands together.
"Welcome, everyone," as she greets the recruits, her voice sounds soft and like a beautiful melody if Eric would have describe it, it was eating a good marshmallow, you can literary "Feel" it, the voice also echos gently throughout the room, and everyone hears it, and this was done without the need for a microphone.
"I would like to express my gratitude for Commander Gonz for this opportunity" she smiles and bow her head to Commander Gonz, while Commander Gonz also did the same for her.
"My name is Elara, i'm High-Priestess in charge of handling the assignment of the new recruits, it's a pleasure to meet all of you''
"But before we begin, i would like to present you with an alternative route"
"All of you could choose to stay in the base military and serves here, instead of risking your live and going to the moon, if you so wishes to do that then please come to Commander Gonz, and if you wishes to continues then you shall remain here in the hall" she smiles towards the recruits
"Please don't be afraid about staying in the base, and it's not the end of the world if you stays here, so please don't get discourage, and if you still want to depart, i would express my gratitude for you to serve humanity mission"
"I know this would be hard decision to make so Commander Gonz said he will give us 15 minutes to decided, and in the meantime Commander Gonz would be on be on the back with all the soldiers, should you have decided to stays please to go the back, to which entrance of the hall you came in"
The fifteen minutes began, at first, few steps could be heard from the crowd and moving towards the back, a few recruits could be seen leaving their lines, same goes for the Eric's line, few people in front of him also leave the lines, going towards the back, Eric just stares at the front notice that some of their faces are pale and some anxious, some just normal and some really eager to go toward the back.
Some of the faces he remembered from the injection phase have their courage already gone at that point, and some have their resolve crumbling under the weight of reality when they see that you could transform into a monster by the serum injection, those people, they already stepped out of line the moment they're allowed to. While leaving some keep their heads down, maybe out of shame or just don't want to see anyone that still standing, avoiding eye contact as they walked toward Commander Gonz at the back of the hall.
The small steps get louder and then it became a stream, few dozens of recruits have moved toward the back, is like they are realizing that a safe, paid job on the base was infinitely better than facing whatever monstrosities awaited them in the Void, so many turned their backs on the priestess and headed toward the commander. The once a vast crowd turned to thin to only hundred, leaving wide gaps of empty floor space in the hall.
Eric watched as the others go. A part of him, the told himself, the old, "Eric", the old Eric would have join them. He would have walk away. Go file paperwork. Live a quiet life.
But his feet still froze where he stand, like it was anchored to the floor. After all he's been through, this is the only way, the one way, he said to convince himself, remembering all that has happened, in his life, this probably just an excuse for him, especially after that night with Ilsa. There was no "quiet life" for him anymore. Not with what he had done.
Nearby, there is a burly recruit hesitated, looking back toward the exit.
"Out of my way! Move it or lose it!"
Darius shoved past the recruit, sneering. He stood with his arms crossed, his posture is tall and looking down on him, the recruit then scared and run towards the back, then he turns and says
"Look at 'em run," his voice echoed and loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Less fodders to have good!" "Go on! HAHAHAHA, Run back to your mommies!"
The hesitating recruit before move his way toward Gonz. Darius spat on the floor.
"Cowards," he grunted.
Meanwhile Jin stretched his arms over his head, grinning like he was at a theme park line in a field trip rather than a dire situation like everyone else that has gone to the back.
"Well not everyone is going to have the guts to go"
Then he clenches his hand tightly and then said . "I'll make sure to not stray from the path!"
Darius hears jean and looked at him from a far, in his mind Jin looks like an idiot. "Optimistic idiot"
Further back, a girl with long purple hair stands still nonchalantly , Her name is Violet, she her eyes looks lifeless and yet sharp. She twirled a small pen around her fingers, this is a habit of her. She seems not interested at the people around her that started leaving toward the back. Her gaze was moving quickly scanning those who stayed, as if she was preparing for something. Her eyes stop and focus on where Jaxon standing for a moment, and focusing her gaze toward him, but breaks it not long after to see to see Darius, it seems she lost interest in him just after a second she glance, dismissing him, she sigh as she averted her gaze back to the front.
Among them who were stayed, there are the oddballs.
"Hehe... Gotta go to space... Gotta go..." said a figure in the crowd who stayed.
A very short young man, he barely stands five feet tall (152 cm) the man shaking with excitement. His name is Tusk.
"Negi-chan said she's on the Moon. Hehehehe I can't meet her if I stay in this basement! I NEED TO SEE HER WITH MY OWN EYES AGAIN! THIS IS PURE LOVEEE!!!"
"Shut up, short stack. You creeps making my head hurts with the noise." said a man responding to Tusk monologue.
Not too far beside Tusk there was a man who stayed, his name is Gion, a man with dark circles under his eyes, his posture was lean and relax but seems unstable.
"Shut up, i'm not taking any complain from some criminal" Tusk shot back.
Gion shrugged, "Fuck off ahahahahaha"
Not far from them, there also voiced responding to the banter
"Hmph! To think that I must endure such boorish conversation. How utterly unfitting" with a high-pitched, haughty voice.
Standing perfectly straight, hold her head high and smoothing out her standard-issue grey jacket as if it were a ballgown, was a woman with long slick red elegant hair, seems like she was out of place to be in here, her name is Vedra.
She flipped her hair back dramatically, let out a sigh and then said.
"Father had assured me that the trip to the Moon would be grand" she declared, she bows her head down and place her palm hand over her face.
"This... This a basement... It is hardly fitting for the Crown Princess of the Lunaris Empire!!" she shout as she she sees straight again to the front.
"But I suppose, a ruler must walk among the commoners to understand their plight, hmph!"
Tusk stared at her and blinked, he was flabbergasted and said
"Uh... Lunaris Empire? Is that from a game? Are you Role Playing right now?"
Vedra glared at him with furious and annoyed face, and then shut him down with
"Oh! What do we have here? A poor, uneducated, ill-mannered commoner. To not know the history of The Lunaris Empire such a tragic failure"
Eric also couldn't help but take a look at the commotion himself, he just baffled to see that the one left here are either crazy or just insane, but as he glanced to his side. A so called normal looking anxious girl was still there it's Lena. She was trembling, her hands clasped praying, her gaze was directed to the floor as she watched the others leave. She seems afraid of what will happened but despite all of that she still not move an inch of her feet. She stood her ground, her resolve drove her to this point, and what else does she have beside the courage to keep moving.
Not long after the sounds of steps from the recruits that headed towards the back slowed and then it comes to halt.
The hall, once packed with so much recruits, shoulder to shoulder, now felt cavernous.
Commander Gonz checked his watch. He looked at the remaining group—a fraction of the original number. He nodded to his soldiers, and then sees the priestess and then he nodded to her, when the high priestess nodded back to him, then he shout
"TIME'S UP!"
"CLOSE THE DOOR!"
The massive door behind the hall slammed shut with a deafening
THOOM,
Sealing the remaining recruits inside.
The High Priestess Elara stepped forward again. Her smile was brighter now, tinged with a genuine respect.
"One hundred and forty two," she said gently, her voice echoing in the sudden silence.
"Those who remain..., you have made your choice, and whatever reasons you have for you decided to stays, i just want to say Thank you for all of you, you have chosen to help further humanity, to seek and conquer the unknown"
A veil of energy began to fill the archway, thickening until it obscured everything beyond. As the last gap sealed, the high priestess takes a step moving towards it, the recruits watched as she walks through, her silhouette blurred and then disappeared entirely. She was gone, a moment later, her voice echoed from the other side.
"This is the Mirror of Destiny. Don't worry It will not hurt you. It just simply going to gaze upon the light of your soul, this will determine your potential, so we may find the where you belong, or as the Commander Gonz says this is where you will be assign to your unit"
A Hologram display shows up atop of the archway, there she is the High priestess, waving her hands looked over the crowd with a gaze that felt like a warm hug.
"Now," she said, her smile is warm giving comfort yet also filled with hope at the same time. "Who will be the first? Do not be shy. Destiny is waiting."