The Verum Trilogy - Survivor

Chapter 2

Sergeant Locke Fleming frowned over his list of names, looking over the four recruits on his team.

"Bailey Morgen?"

"Here, Sir!" Locke glanced over the paper at a freckled boy with curly brown hair and eager, energetic eyes.

"Do I look like an officer to you, Freckles?" he asked quietly. Bailey Morgen froze, mouth opening to speak and words utterly failing. Locke took a step toward the recruit, eyes narrowing. "I asked you a question, recruit. I said, do I look. Like some desk junkie. Who gives fancy speeches. To you?"

"N-no, Sir! I mean, no, uh—Mister Fleming—sir—"

"Oh!" Locke grabbed the front of the boy's shirt. "So now I've been demoted to civilian! Maybe I should just rip my flight patch off and let you take Aethos for a ride, how does that sound? Close your mouth, Freckles, you look like a fish in an airstream."

"I-I'm sorry!" Bailey Morgen stammered, then snapped his mouth shut so fast it sounded like it hurt, eyes filled with panic. Locke released his hold on the recruit and glanced over his list again, the anger in his voice dissipating like it was never there to begin with.

"Calm down, Freckles, I'm just screwing with you. Alia Bennett?"

"Here," a young woman raised her hand, and Locke glanced at her, unimpressed.

"Here...?" he prompted.

She bit her lip, then took a breath.

"Sergeant?" she tried.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Locke asked, total deadpan.

"T-telling, Sergeant."

Locke turned back to Bailey.

"Look at that Freckles, Braids here did her homework. It's always the ladies that study up before coming to Blackwell. And here you are just wasting society's air."

"Yes, Sergeant," Bailey agreed, a red flush creeping up his neck.

"Well. For the sake of simplicity, you four can address me as Top going forward. Gods know Freckles here needs it. Moving on. Luca Riddick?"

A broad-shouldered recruit with fair hair and a deep scowl silently raised his hand.

"A quiet one, huh? I like them quiet. Miss them less when they don't make the cut," Locke smiled, but the expression did not reach his eyes. "We'll see how you do, Blondie." He returned his attention to his roster.

"Last, we have... Breana Avery. I assume that's you."

Pale eyes flicked up to meet his.

"Bree," she corrected. Locke's eye twitched.

"Paper says Breana," he told her flatly. She watched him for a moment, as if debating whether or not the conversation was worth continuing.

"I go by Bree," she finally answered.

"Well. Paper says Breana, you say Bree. I won't remember either way, but it sounds to me like either you're lying, or my paper is lying. I don't think my paper is lying, recruit, because I received it from one of those fancy officers Freckles likes so much. So, which is it?"

She pushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"Two things can be true, Top."

He blinked. From beside her, Bailey's eyes bugged, and Alia held her breath.

Locke frowned at her.

"I'm going to call you Squint, because you keep looking at me like I'm a bug you want to scrape off the bottom of your shoe." Locke snapped the logbook closed with a content nod. "Great. You're all here. Welcome to Team One. Rooms are up the stairs, girls on the left, boys on the right. See you in the morning."