Brave, New World (III)

Days later, at the infirmary, the doctor approached Mary while holding an x-ray sheet. Her nametag read: Dr. Stephanie Krill.

"Good news," said Dr. Krill, "Your leg's mostly healed. You should be ready to resume your training tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Mary said, seated at the edge of the doctor's examination table, "Doc, look at it! It's still purple for God's sake!"

"I know. The professional in me agrees that you're not ready, but the Major wants you back in fighting shape by tomorrow, so just take a couple of these and bear through the pain for next while, alright?"

Dr. Krill handed Mary a bottle of Ibuprofen, to which Mary rolled her eyes in response.

"What's her deal, anyways?" she asked.

"Who?" Krill asked, "You mean Ida?"

"Why is she so bent on trying to break me, huh? Just what am I to her?"

"I learned to stop asking questions the day they hired me. All I know is she's under a lot of stress lately. She's planning on throwing you guys into the shit the moment you graduate, so you had best be ready. She probably thinks she's doing you a favour by toughening you up."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, doc."

Mary pushed herself off of the bed and limped to the exit.

"Good luck," said Dr. Krill, "You're seriously gonna need it..."

-

The next few months saw Mary adapting to military life, and growing both physically and mentally stronger. The number of recruits had fallen considerably since the beginning of the program, yet Mary refused to give up.

Having initially joined ShadowCell out of necessity, she now possessed a new motivation to succeed: Ida. The old bitch did not believe in Mary's abilities and she now sought to prove her wrong by becoming ShadowCell's greatest operative.

-

While Mary and the other recruits trained, Col. Chang met with Ida in her office to review their progress.

"This is all that is left of them?" she asked, glancing at a form.

"Yes," Chang replied, "But they are the strongest of the strong. I promised General Tobias warriors, and here they are."

"What of River?"

"She is remarkable...Despite all that we have thrown at her, she just doesn't quit."

"Good."

Ida placed the paper down on her desk and glanced through other reports.

"Still," Chang confided, "I feel at times she is too, er, 'empathetic'. I don't trust she will be fully ready to make tough decisions when necessary."

"Then continue to push her," Ida said, "The simulation is tomorrow and her performance in it will determine just how ready she is."

"Of course. You know, if years ago you had told me a mere civilian could be molded into a ShadowCell operative in a year's time, I'd have called you crazy."

"Heh, you still sometimes do."

With that, Ida took a seat behind her desk and sipped a glass of wine.

"With all due respect, ma'am," Chang said, "Even if they pass tomorrow's simulation, do you believe that the recruits will be ready in time for their first mission?"

"We don't have a choice," Ida replied, "MedTek grows stronger by the day, and their experiments more brazen. Tobias needs both the tech and the manpower to deal with them once and for all."

"I understand," said Victor, "It's just, I don't think we can afford to lose more men."

"We won't," Ida assured, "This is the best team you have produced thus far. I can see it."

"And I promise you, they are looking forward to seeing action. You can at least count on that."

"Good. Keep me posted."

With that, Victor nodded, then left Ida's office. Ida picked up a photo ID of Mary.

"We are not done with you yet, River," she muttered, "I will make you a killer, soon enough."

-

The following day, the recruits were sent off to undergo their simulation. Two helicopters charged over the Fairweather Mountain Range of Southeastern Alaska. Mary shared one with Larsen, Grillo, and another recruit, Shaun Fray. Colonel Chang was present as well, as he was the one overseeing the exercise. To correspond with the terrain and climate, the recruits sported battle uniforms resembling parkas, complete with fur-lined hoods, spiked boots and ski goggles.

"Your mission," Chang began, "Is to rendez-vous with the second team, who will be dropped opposite that hill there, then make your way to the goal, all the while avoiding detection from the outposts we have set up. It is due to strong winds and mountainous terrain that parachuting directly to the LZ is not an option, hence the trek. Are we clear on the objectives?"

"SIR," the recruits said, "YES, SIR!"

"Good."

As Chang turned to speak to the pilot, Leslie blew a kiss to Mary.

"It's cold out here, River," she taunted, "Gonna need someone to keep you warm."

"Don't worry," Larsen said, "I can always carry her around if her feet get cold, heheh."

Mary stared the pair down, but said nothing.

"Knock it off, guys," Chang said, "Approaching the drop zone. Be ready."

"Let's do this!" Shaun said.

As the helicopter hovered in place over flat terrain, the four recruits rappelled, one-by-one, down onto the icy ground. They were surrounded on all sides by tall hills.

"Alright," Larsen said, "These hills ain't gonna climb themselves, let's go!"

Larsen led the group up the long trail, their trek made more difficult by deep snow and blowing wind. Each recruit was equipped with climbing gear, bags filled with emergency supplies and an ersatz assault rifle that closely mimicked the mass of a real one.

As the group approached the first outpost, they climbed up onto a nearby ridge to avoid detection.

"Stay low," Larsen instructed.

The group crouched along the ridge, keeping out of sight of a tall watchtower that had been equipped with scanners and cameras. As the group passed the tower, they paused periodically to observe and report their findings, then proceeded onward.

It was another hour before the group encountered a second outpost, this time, in the heart of a dense forest. The group used the tall pine trees as a way to avoid detection by both guards and drones. There was a shorter watchtower blending in with the trees.

"We gotta stay close to it," Mary suggested.

"You fucking crazy, River?" Larsen demanded.

"Nah," Shaun said, "She's right. Thing's got good range, but it won't spot us if we're directly underneath."

Larsen begrudgingly accepted Mary's recommendation and led the group to to the tower. The group slipped by, undetected. Further ahead, the path was blocked by a tall ridge.

"No choice but to climb," Larsen said, "Everyone ready?"

The group took out their ropes and ice picks and commenced the daunting climb up the rocky cliff face. Their spiked boots in combination with their picks gave them excellent grip, though the risk of falling remained a threat.

The four climbed in single file, with Larsen ahead followed by Grillo, then Shaun, and lastly, Mary. They were all connected to the same rope.

"Come on," Larsen said, "Almost to the top!"

"You're slowin' us down, River," Grillo taunted, "Hope you ain't tired already!"

"We should cut her rope," Shaun chuckled, "Leave her ass behind!"

Mary sneered at the group. Having missed a step, she found herself sliding rapidly down.

"Shit," she muttered.

She plunged her left-hand pick into a nearby rock, stopping herself from falling any further. She glanced down as her feet dangled several metres above the ground.

"Hey, River!" Larsen called out, "Try not to die, yeah?"

Mary gnashed her teeth, then plunged her right hand pick into the cliff wall once more. Her footing regained, she resumed her climb, eventually reaching the top along with everyone else.

"Can't climb no more," Larsen noted, while removing his rope, "Gotta jump over to that ridge over there."

"I can handle that," Shaun said.

"I'm sure you can," Grillo said, "But I say we let River go first. Eh, sweetheart? What do you think?"

"Good idea," Larsen replied, "River? You're up."

Mary took a deep breath and backed away from the cliff's edge. She took a running leap and landed successfully on the other side.

"Damn," Shaun said, "Like a fuckin' lemur. Think you can fly like that, Fred?"

Larsen sneered, then sprinted toward the edge, just as Mary did. Unfortunately, he jumped a foot too early and barely made the jump. With his feet left hanging over the edge, Larsen could feel the top half of his body sliding backwards.

"Aw, shit!" he cried, "Fuuuck..."

Mary threw herself to the ground and held out her pick, allowing Larsen to grab hold and regain his footing.

"Try not to die," Mary said with a wink, "Yeah?"

Larsen stared Mary down while climbing up. Shaun and Grillo completed the jump shortly after.

"Alright, guys," Shaun said, "Let's not waste anymore time."

As the group proceeded onward, Larsen stepped in front of River and shoved her aside.

"They put me in charge of this exercise," he warned her, "So you had better show some goddamned respect."

"They put you in charge to test you," Mary retorted, "If you want respect, this is where you earn it."

"Guys?" Shaun called out, "We good?"

"Gotta keep movin'," Grillo added.

"We're coming," Mary said, then rejoined the others.

The next outpost was not far ahead and was relatively easy to evade in comparison to the first two, as it was surrounded by both hills and trees that offered considerable cover.

The last outpost, however, proved more challenging, as it was positioned in the centre of an interlocking spur and contained many towers and patrol drones. The group observed from afar through binoculars.

"If we climb that ridge over there," Mary suggested, "We might be able to avoid the drones."

"Fuck that," Larsen said, "We already wasted too much time climbing the last one. We're cuttin' right through."

"What are you, crazy?"

"What happened to stickin' close to the tower?"

"That was when we had the cover of trees. Here, we're out in the open!"

Without warning, Larsen grabbed Mary by the collar and slammed her against an ice wall.

"I've had it just about up to here with your shit," he warned, "I'm in charge, River, not you! We're doing this my way, end of story."

Larsen let go of Mary, then turned back towards the others.

"The fuck y'all lookin' at?" he asked them, "Let's move!"

Mary stared Larsen down, but decided that it was better to follow him than to dispute the matter. The group cut through the camp, seeking cover behind every structure they came across while waiting for the patrols to pass.

"Just a bit more," Shaun said, "And we're home-free."

"Need y'all to keep focus," Larsen said, "We can't screw this up now."

However, while turning one corner, Mary noticed a drone hovering behind her.

"Jesus!" she cried.

"What?" Shaun asked, "Oh, shit!"

Shaun broke formation to seek cover elsewhere. By the time Larsen realized what was going on, an alarm was blaring across the outpost.

"Fuck that," Larsen said, "I ain't failin' now!"

Larsen and Grillo ran from cover, but were immediately apprehended by soldiers, who forced them to the ground while pointing assault rifles at them. Shaun was caught soon after. Mary, meanwhile, turned back, hoping to escape the camp altogether and proceed alone.

Unfortunately, the drone kept watch over Mary, following her every step. In the hopes of losing it, she took cover behind some rocks. After about one minute, armed guards converged on her position.

"DOWN ON THE GROUND!" they yelled, "NOW!"

Mary complied and was immediately restrained.

"Sir?" one of the guards spoke into a radio, "We have Team 1 at Outpost 4."

"Copy that," Chang spoke over radio, "Have them brought to me."

-

Mary, Larsen, Grillo and Shaun were returned to Gamma facility via helicopter . Following that, they were stripped of their uniforms and weapons, leaving them with only white t-shirts and cargo pants. Afterwards, they were seated in a classroom and disciplined for their failure. 

"I hope each one of you know what went wrong today," Chang said to them.

"Yeah," Larsen said, "It was all fuckin' River's fault."

"HEY!" Mary snapped, "We lost because you..."

"Enough," Chang intervened, "There will be no fighting among recruits. River, explain."

Mary stood up and cleared her throat.

"Crewman Larsen proved a competent and capable leader," she began, "That is, until the final outpost where he issued a bad call that directly led to our capture."

"Interesting," Chang said, "And did you challenge him in any way on that call?"

"Sir, I did. However..."

"Not hard enough, River. At ShadowCell, we don't just expect our soldiers follow orders, we expect them to work as a team. Today, Larsen failed to prove himself a capable leader. You, however, failed to step up."

"Understood, sir."

With that, Mary sat back down.

"I hope you all learnt a valuable lesson here today," Chang said, "Dismissed."

As Mary stepped outside of the classroom, Larsen brushed past her, sneering at her along the way.

-

Later, at the locker rooms, Mary vented her frustration to Jed.

"It's alright," Jed assured her, "Shit happens. That's why they're training you; so you don't make mistakes like that on the field."

"Doesn't make it sting any less," Mary quipped, "This was my chance to prove myself to that bitch, Ida, and I blew it."

"But Mary, you did prove yourself – Considering your lack of military experience, you made it further than anyone would have ever expected."

"Not that it matters to our superiors."

"It does, to yourself, at least. Never forget how far you've come."

"Thanks, Jed. I appreciate it."

Jed smiled.

"Gotta jet," he said, "Talk later?"

Mary smiled as Jed stepped out of the locker room. As she removed her combat uniform and placed it into her locker, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"What's wrong, Jed?" she said, "Forget something?"

However, upon turning around, Mary saw Larsen and Grillo storming toward her. Without saying a word, Larsen shoved her into the lockers.

"OW!" she yelped, "The fuck?"

"You bitch," Larsen grumbled, "Think you were being smart back there, huh?"

"Smarter than you," Mary quipped.

Larsen responded by shoving Mary into the lockers once more.

"Do that one more time," Mary warned.

"Honey," Grillo said, while placing her hands on Mary's shoulders, "I wouldn't piss him and I off anymore than you already have. Right now, it's just the three of us in here – No one coming to help you – So you had best listen."

"You're gonna go back," Larsen began, "And you're gonna tell 'em that you were the one who fucked up this operation!"

"Me?" Mary demanded, "No way! You were the one in charge. Our failure is entirely on you!"

Larsen growled.

"What's wrong?" Mary taunted, "Did I threaten your manhood one too many times, hm? Listen, the only thing I'm guilty of here is not challenging you enough!"

"That does it," Larsen said.

He then unleashed a blow to Mary's gut that left her winded. While falling to her knees, Larsen grabbed her by the hair to hold her head up.

"What do you think, Grillo?" he asked, "Wanna go first?"

"Been dyin' to have some 'fun' with River since Day 1," Grillo replied while flexing her knuckles.

Suddenly, Mary landed a heavy blow to Larsen's genitals that left him keeling over in pain. She then grabbed her locker door and slammed it into Grillo's face twice, knocking her down.

"Goddamn bitch," Larsen said, "You're dead!"

As Larsen charged for Mary, she kicked him twice – Once in the gut, then in the face – Before standing up. She raised both fists and landed a combination of jabs and hooks to his face, knocking him to the ground.

"RAAAGH!"

Grillo grabbed Mary from behind and tried to hold her down, but Mary fought and squirmed. She slammed the back of her head into Grillo's face, bloodying both her nose and mouth. She then turned around and landed a big right hook that sent Grillo crashing into the lockers and knocking her out.

"Oh my god!" said a voice.

Mary looked up and saw Jed running into the locker room. He stared at the bloodied, injured recruits lying on the ground in a panic.

"Mary," he began, "What did you do?"