The Frieden Chronicles: Reckoning

Airborne

Mason Lopez

We arrived at the tarmac where nine cargo planes were lined up ready to start rolling out. We were all seated shoulder to shoulder crammed in like canned food thanks to our parachutes and backpacks laying in front of us. It was needless to say that the cadets were awfully chatty for such a situation.

"Okay...serious question, why a static line jump?" Uma asked concerned.

 "We all have airborne training, it kind of makes sense in case we were needed to rapidly redeploy as an airborne unit."

  "Now that I think about it, it kind of does make sense... wait, are you afraid of heights?" Diana asked, as the plane rattled from the turbulence

"It's not that I don't like heights. I've been on planes before, the thing is... I'm not used to parachuting..." Uma said nervously.

   "Alright, listen up little chicks!" an old man called out getting everyone's attention. One would have confused the man with being one of the aircrew given his jumpsuit and aviators, but I knew all too well that it was the commanding officer of the battalion.

   "Today you will commence your initiation by para dropping into middle of black river forest!"

"Wait what?!" Uma asked shocked.

   "The area were you will be dropping will be closed off from the rest of the forest due to training purposes so if you encounter a perimeter fence, turn around. Now the creatures will not kill you, but will give you an unbearable pain to the point of passing out, now if you blackout you will be evacuated to a aid station but this will mean you failed the initiation and will be sent back to the reserves and will have to try again next year. Do remember that if this is your second time attempting it, you will be transferred to the border guards before you can attempt your final chance..." He said as some seemed to have felt the weight of his words.

 "Well best not to black out there..." I murmured

   "Two more things, take a look at your holobands, these babies can locate were your battle buddy at any time, anywhere. The person who is marked as your battle buddy can not be allowed to fall, if he falls you will also be disqualified unless there is a valid reason. You better pray that you didn't piss your buddy off yesterday!" the lieutenant colonel said as I noticed Diana staring at the information surprised.

I made sure I double checked mine, it contained a few details of Uma that were necessary. His full name, a picture and heart rate was shown when the image was expanded. I was curious as to see who was paired with my sister, but the colonel continued with the impromptu briefing.

   "... What about you captain, any questions?" the lieutenant colonel asked before the attention was drawn to me with some surprised faces.

 "Yes sir, what's the objective and where is our exfil?" I asked as he looked at me, he may have had aviators on but I could tell he was looking at me like a disappointed father.

   "Good question... You will all will need to at the very least work with your battlebuddy and at most with a squad. You are tasked to find a dilapidated building where there will be a small hand held statue in order to show us as evidence you made it to the objective. You are only allowed to have one per team and if you lose the one you took, you must find at all cost! Take note that there is not only one but there are a few of these said buildings scattered through out the forest. So if one is empty, head to the next one..." The lieutenant colonel said as some looked at each other. Some murmured when he said that, I could actually her several people already formulating plans. But then there were others like Diana seemed overwhelmed with so much information.