Simulation

Three months had passed like a blur. The training had started to shift from physical and mental exhaustion to combat-related instructions, both against humans and Katsar. Ten years had already passed since humanity's first contact event. It cannot be said that it was unimaginable, but rather unexpected in the way it happened. Halley's comet was expected to reach its perihelion in 2061. However, in 2043, its trajectory was slightly altered, and it was supposed to pass closer to Earth, but not close enough to cause any alarm. Also, a small delay in its passage to 2064 was predicted.

While the national scientific community tried to reverse the catastrophes caused by WW3, few resources were allocated to discovering why the comet had changed after confirming that it would not pose an immediate danger. Thus, when the comet was closest to Earth, something was detected in its "shadow". It was theorized that it would be what changed the comet trajectory until one of these pieces, the smallest of them, changed its own trajectory towards a collision course with the planet. The images showed an object of almost organic shape, several attempts to make contact were made, radio waves, light, and even physical attempts, without success. The object simply collided with smaller ships, and anything big enough was immediately attacked with huge spikes that looked like spears that no one saw how it was shot.

The object slowed down a bit and had a direct collision in early 2065, in the former territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, now the territory of the African Community. In a week, Congo was destroyed, and a month later, part of Central Africa was already lost. Creatures similar to ankylosaurs, dark as the night, but thinner and with insectoid exoskeletons, with mouths similar to those of spiders and a tail that folded like a scorpion's abdomen and ended in a spear tip, spread throughout Africa. Emergency meetings were held worldwide, and it was decided to send an international expeditionary force. However, the scars of the last war were too deep, and the IEF was divided into several blocks acting separately and continued to be pushed. That was when a country that had remained neutral for over more than a century decided to take the lead. The Pact had interests to maintain in southern Africa, and with the Katsar threat increasing, it decided to double its own contingent in the IEF and through political maneuvers and lack of interest from other nations took the operational command.

For over four years, African territory was stained with blood, and in 2069, the Battle of the Last Line occurred. The improvised alliance was out of options, with extremely scarce resources and no trade in African territory, where most of the natural resources were extracted. It was decided to bet everything on a last offensive. Under the command of the then Army General Andrada, everything went well for a while. The FEI managed to push the Katsar to within a few kilometers of the ship. Then everything went downhill. Dozens of new species of these insects emerged from the ship and pushed the lines at once. It was a massacre, and so the posthumously Marshal made the decision to contain the threat at all costs.

Turning off the taclink, Rafael stood up and began to get ready. The lunch break was almost over. Today, combat instructions would begin, and as much as he didn't want to be a part of the Armed Forces, he still wanted to learn about weapons and how to use them. Pierre was already almost ready, just waiting for the others in the group to get dressed. After the first simulation on the day they arrived, those in the bunks around them started to gather more.

"Let's go, Kobayashi, you are the last one" Schmidt accelerated. Despite Japan having been almost decimated in the war, Kobayashi was not a refugee. Her family already lived in SAP when it was still Brazilian territory. Even so, much of her features were still Asian, with 1.60m height, black hair that was spiked due to the mandatory cut. She was the most energetic of the group, except when it ended free time and she had to return to instructions. "They could at least give us another half hour, right?"

"You're asking for too much. I thought we wouldn't even have this time after lunch. Eat and fall in right away... It's better to hurry," Andrada said, already leaving with the others.

"Hold on, I'm coming... Damn it, I forgot the cover!" Kobayashi ran back while the rest laughed.

...........

"Ok, Second squad, continue through the center and be careful with that corner on your left," Andrada said while standing in the doorway of a building, his IA9 ready.

"Understood, advancing," Vasiliev said with a strong accent.

He was a descendant of Russian refugees and joined the army to obtain citizenship more easily, but he still had some difficulty with Portuguese. At almost 1.90m, he was the tallest in the company, with blond hair and a square face, the Slavic stereotype.

"Leader, movement to the right, engage?"

"Negative, First squad will deal with them. You continue as bait."

"Ok, throwing smoke."

As soon as the granade smoked, shots rang out. 10mm flechettes at over 1,500m/s launching pieces of concrete into the air. On the map on his HUD, Andrada saw two points of the second squad turn dark blue.

"GO, GO, GO!"

The door of the three-story building was nowhere to be seen, and they just went in. With the sounds of their footsteps hidden by gunfire, Davies, who was at the front, quickly climbed up followed by the rest of the squad, and they came face to face with four enemies with their backs to them. With a simple shot from each of one, all of them fell.

"Two on the stairs, the others cover the Second... Bravo-1, Sitrep?"

"We lost two down there, but we cleared the building. There was nothing there," Vasiliev replied after a brief pause.

"Understood. The First will cover. Do you see the red building at the end of the avenue? The five-story one? It has an excellent view of the entire area and is perfect for holding it."

"Yes, should we go there?"

"Negative, they're there. I want you to reach the red one from the blind spot of the green one on the side. Do you still have the explosive charges?"

"Half of them. The other part stayed with one of ours down there."

"It's enough. You can start." When the Second squad left on the other side of the building, Andrada led the First to descend from the building they were in. "Throw smoke and suppression fire at the red building..."

A loud crack cut off his words, and Davies fell motionless.

"FUCK! SNIPER!" One of Rafael's squadmates shouted before falling as well. The three remaining quickly dove for cover as their lightweight exoskeletons calculated the possible source of the shot and showed the possible location of the sniper on their helmet map. The link of their armor automatically sharing the information, indicating a small two-story structure that was still under construction.

"Leader, can we use the 40MM and hit it from here?"

"No, the sniper's standard operating procedure specifies that after firing, you should change position. Schmidt."

"Here."

"Take the ALAC5 and load it with high explosive, destroy the entire second floor!"

"Okay... Attention! clear backlash!" He told those around him before firing to make sure no one was behind him. With a sharp sound, the rocket launched from the equipment and soon activated, reaching the building in a few milliseconds and exploding the second floor of the small building.

"Andrada, in position," the leader of the second squad called, bringing attention back to him.

The map showed the two survivors of the second squad already far from the green and red buildings. Vasiliev continued,

"You haven't moved, change of plans?"

"No, same thing. Have you planted the charge?"

"Da" he said in the language of his parents. "

Good, you can detonate it, let's see the fireworks." Andrada looked around the corner just in time for the explosion at the base of the larger building.

It was small and unimpressive, nothing like the explosions in the holovideos and movies he watched, but it didn't end there. The building began to tilt imperceptibly at first, but gradually more until it collapsed on top of the smaller building. Immediately after, everything went dark and they were back in the training field. The field was a giant area that, together with the armor helmets, could simulate any scenario loaded into it. The two combat groups removed their helmets and approached each other, boasting and teasing. Pierre and Kobayashi, that were in the other combat group, approached Andrada, as did Vasiliev from his own group.

"Good good sniper positioning there, and he was also very good, if he had moved on the first shot, he might have caught my entire squad," Rafael praised Pierre.

"Actually, it was my mistake, Yuriko wanted to move on the first shot, but I forced her to stay there as a distraction. 3 to 2 for you, Rafael," Pierre said as he avoided Kobayashi's angry gaze.

"I should have figured it was you, Riko. Getting better at shooting, huh. Want to join the Hunters?" Rafael asked Kobayashi.

"I do, but you know we don't get to choose our specialization. They choose for us, and then we receive our upgrades" she replied, rolling her eyes. "And I would be even better if I could train with moving targets like you guys, instead of static ones."

The other three involuntarily took a step back, then the instructors arrived and Rafael thanked them for being able to ignore the subject.

"ATTENTION FIELD!" one of those closest to them shouted. "

At ease. Eyes on me."

With that, the recruits rested, and eighteen heads turned to look at the lieutenant. It's amazing how a few months of training can change a person.

"The Second GC won this time, but it was a Pyrrhic victory. Both leaders need to write a report on what and how they would change. In addition, next week the group leaders will be Vasiliev and Kobayashi." After a brief pause to see if there were any questions from the recruits, he continued, "So gentlemen, as there are still more than two hours until lunch... Get in formation! Andrada will be the guide, and if I see you slacking off, I'll make you run two more laps around the Fort alone!

And with that, the formation started to run with all systems turned off. The armor was just extra weight. Of course, the lieutenant knew that and didn't care. However, he was also wearing the armor.

"Nothing has changed, gentlemen! You still have three months with me!"