Chapter 3 a quick introduction

John slowly regained consciousness, feeling incredibly drowsy and disoriented. He realized he was inside some kind of vehicle, although the details were hazy. General Gallagher was seated in front of him, and upon noticing that John had awoken, he advised, "Go back to sleep; it's going to be a long journey."

Obliging, John drifted back into unconsciousness. However, hours later, he was roused by a sudden jolt and a pain in his back. As he snapped awake, he found himself surrounded by General Gallagher and six other individuals he didn't recognize.

General Gallagher barked,  get on your feet, soldier."

Confused, John asked, "What do you mean?"

General Gallagher's tone grew stern as he began to explain, "John, you no longer have any rights. You won't be considered human anymore. You are now a weapon, a soldier to be used in war, to fight, to kill, and to do whatever is necessary for the survival of those who are innocent, regardless of whether you chose this path or not. What you've become is irreversible. The survival of our galaxy depends on what's attached to you."

He pointed to John's robotic arm.

"This is the special squad Zeda. You will be joining the squad, where you will learn how to survive, how to fight, how to kill, and, most importantly, how to emerge victorious."

The weight of this new reality bore down on John as he grappled with the gravity of his transformed existence General Gallagher walked away, leaving the room. One of the five unknown individuals stepped forward and introduced themselves, "I am Yuri Black. I'm the leader of the Zeta squad. You can refer to me as Commander. I'll be in charge of your training and that of the other recruit. Now, get up and follow me."

John slowly rose from the floor and began to follow the Commander as he left the room. During the walk, an uncomfortable silence hung in the air, with neither party uttering a word. The Commander seemed to have nothing to say, and John's fear kept him from speaking as well.

Finally, they reached a small door. The Commander informed John, "This will be your dorm." He opened the door to reveal an incredibly compact living space. It consisted of just enough room for a bed, a small closet that could fit a couple of outfits, and a small desk with a specialized communicator on it.

The Commander continued, "You have 5 minutes to equip your uniform, activate the communicator on the desk, and be at the training field. If you're late, there will be consequences. The location of the training area is already on the communicator. Your time started 30 seconds ago. Hurry up."

With that, the Commander walked away, leaving John no time to waste. John immediately stripped into the training uniform and grabbed the communicator, which was different from the one he used to have on his wrist. This one attached to the side of his head and produced a holographic screen that only he could see.

John ran as if his life depended on it because, in this new environment, it very well might. He didn't know what the Commander meant by "punished" - whether it was torture or mundane tasks like toilet scrubbing. He didn't want to find out, and he certainly didn't want to discover the consequences of showing up late.

Sprinting in the direction indicated by the communicator, he made it to his destination in record time.