Codename: Freedom - Book 4 - Chapter 8

I took my family vehicle to a local private airport where I got on a shuttle. The seating was little more than steel chairs bolted to the polished floor with five point harnesses for seatbelts. Despite the austere design, the shuttle was filled with twenty celebrity passengers heading for the same place, Homeland Air Force Base.

From what Destiny had informed me, the base had been renamed a few years ago in the ramp up phase for Codename: Genesis. It would be my physical home over the next year, and also the departure point for when we had to travel to neutral space and enter our official Jinhwa cubes. Our departure would happen after Vanguard and our destination was a planet in a solar system that had been hotly contested for decades. It was there that both the human and Ekseliksi participants would find millions of cubes built by the Jinhwa for the purpose of entering the Prime Simulation.

There were a few faces familiar to me, but I kept to myself as our shuttle took off and made the trip from Florida to Texas and the largest military base in the western world.

I had a single duffle bag filled with a few days of clothing and a metallic handheld cooler which held a few pre-prepared nutrition shakes. Most of my stuff was being shipped to the base separately and had likely already arrived.

Destiny had talked me into wearing my old bugeye headset because it was easier for her to disguise my appearance through the metaverse. Though she was good at deciphering virtual camouflage, not all AIs were as well. The size and invasiveness of my headset made methods, such as trying to identify me from my real world appearance, more difficult. It was for the best. I had been told to expect Vanguard to begin the moment I stepped on Homeland’s campus, and I was preparing myself for just that.

My headset was not the only hardware Destiny had command of. She was mainly using my headset as a second set of sensors, while her purple flying sphere hovered at my side. Her drone had superior processing power, and having her offloaded into a separate entity was going to become her main mode, so we were going all in on this setup. Whether for personal use, military, or in the Prime Simulation, she would now be a drone based AI.

When the shuttle touched down, the chatter of the passengers around me picked up as their nerves got the better of them.

There was a high pitched squeal from one of the girls in front of me. Seeing where I was looking, Destiny rendered a more accurate image of what the girl looked like without her headset, and her information appeared above her head.

She went by Miss Rain and was a popstar that I’d seen in a few commercials before. She was a twenty year old Korean American and was known for having an energetic personality and high range as a singer. The personality was spot on.

Her hands shot up into the air and she screamed as if she were on a rollercoaster. Everyone else was beginning to unstrap their belts, but the stewardess asked us to remain seated.

A well built man named Chin Obrien who had short curly blonde hair and a perfect chiseled jaw leaned forward from a few seats away and addressed Miss Rain. “My father’s an officer so I’m a VIP. If you want to skip some of the lines, follow my lead.”

Another guy, shorter than the first but just as well built, snickered in response. He was a black guy with a veiny bald head. I wasn’t sure who the first guy was, but Mr. Veins was an actual movie star. His name was Urick J. Turner, and admittedly a good looking guy who could pull off one of the best enraged expressions ever. Only Kline could compete with him. He’d even starred in one of Gravel’s many in-game miniseries. Though he hadn’t been a part of Freedom, the guy had real acting chops.

The stewardess gave us directions to gather all of our stuff, because if anything was left it would be thrown out. Then we were instructed to leave the shuttle and line up on the white line in the field just beyond the runway.

I waited until I was close to last before I filed in. As I neared the exit, I heard directions being called. We were being asked to remove our headsets.

With my cooler and bag in one hand, I removed my bugeyes and packed them away.

I reached the exit to see the stewardess in a white Space Force formal uniform. She was smiling at each person as they left the shuttle, but I didn’t miss a hint of mocking to it. Since not many of the passengers had been participants in Genesis or Freedom, I suspected she knew they were about to have a rude awakening. Though I was sure many of these celebrities knew how to put in a full day’s work otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to get where they were, I had to admit it would be interesting to watch their reactions. I wasn’t even sure what was about to happen, but I didn’t blame her for enjoying the show.

Seeing her turn to me to offer the same sarcastic grin, I watched as realization of who I was dawned on her, and she froze in a half grin half startled state.

I responded with a half grin of my own, before facing the stairs that led down to the runway. It was nice to know that she didn’t exactly lump me in with the other passengers, but I needed to stay focused.

The white line was drawn on the turf less than an eighth of a mile from where our shuttle touched down. I found a place at the very end of the line and stood slightly behind the others to keep as low of a profile as possible. Urick J. Turner stood beside me, and he didn’t make any effort to look in my direction. I was happy to take advantage of his arrogance and remained mostly anonymous.

Then, we waited.

Destiny’s drone flew up and perched right beside me. “They are likely making everyone wait on purpose to test their nerves,” she said where only I could hear. “It’s not very exciting, but very effective.”

Glancing down the row, I watched as many of the people squirmed. Some were looking around, and some had already left the line after only a few minutes. To Chin Obrien’s credit, he was still standing in place and Miss Rain was following suit. It seems he had expected this.

Our stint of waiting lasted little more than an hour. By the time an armored transport that was completely void of any windows to see out of pulled up, half the people had joined huddles to converse during their wait.

Before everyone could get back in line, a door slid back and out jumped a man in the same white uniform the stewardess had been wearing except his was seamless from collar to toe. The only difference was the four stripes on the wings of his insignia indicating he was a sergeant. Destiny whispered to me a confirmation of his rank. His rank in this context could only mean one thing.

The man’s screaming began and those sitting, or huddling, scrambled to get back to their place in line. One or two people forgot items they’d sat down and had to hurry back to retrieve them before retaking their place in the line.

Urick snickered in response, which the sergeant instructor seemed to be drawn to like a hungry Kline to a plate of ribs. The sergeant appeared in front of my neighbor a second later, asking him what he was laughing at.

“Nothing, Instructor Sergeant,” Urick yelled in response. It seemed he’d prepared just as Destiny had help me. Most of the others didn’t have drones, so with their headsets off, they were cut off from outside help.

The instructor, a tall white guy a head taller than Urick and a few inches taller than myself grinned wildly at Victor’s response. The man had excessive wrinkles on his forehead. The expression disappeared from his face a moment later. The man stepped over to give me a look before prowling down the rest of the line and he wasn’t shy about getting in people’s space. He yelled instructions, and called out every giggle, but soon stepped back from the line to stand by the armored transport when another man stepped out.

A full bird colonel placed a cap on his head with a smooth motion and stepped forward, scanning us without a word. He started speaking a moment later. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am Colonel Edmond. Most of you are joining us today, the United States Space Force and the greatest military in the world, as over ranked, undertrained, wastes of space and resources.” He paused, letting what he said seep in, before he started to pace and continued where he left off. “Some of you might make yourself useful and earn your room and board, while a few of you might even be worthy of your rank one day. You will all be enlisted as officers, though I doubt any of you will ever lead someone with more than directions to the latrine, let alone a group of soldiers.”

He held up his hand as if to stop any objections even though no one had dared to say any out loud. “You are celebrities. While here, we will not pamper you. However, neither will you undergo the same treatment and training as new officer recruits, as much as that galls me. If you want pampering, you can use your own personal funds to purchase points and buy such nonsense for yourself from the exchange. You’re only here because you’ve been deemed naturally talented enough with psionics for the United States military, by the command of congress and our Commander in Chief, to take a chance on you. Now, let’s hope you can follow simple directions, though I have my doubts after seeing your failure when asked to wait in line. When your name is called, step forward and you will be sorted. Sergeant Sanders.”

As the sergeant stepped forward, a few lower rank specialist stepped up to stand beside him. They both had on extremely basic headgear with olive green trim and blocky eye pieces that didn’t fit their faces. They began to call out our names with rank included.

Most of the first few recruits came in as Second Lieutenants, or the lowest officer rank. After we’d killed the final boss in Freedom. The general who was waiting for us had mentioned we’d start at this rank and be able to move up from there, but thanks to Victoria’s negotiations, the participants in Freedom were offered different packages depending on their performance and desired positions in the next phase.

When Chin Obrien’s name was called and he was designated the position First Lieutenant, there was a sudden murmur that rose up amongst those in line, which was quickly squelched with a firm word from Sergeant Sanders. He was led to the same group as the others but was positioned at the front of the line. Miss Rain was called a moment later, and also announced as a First Lieutenant. As she marched forward, she had a hop to her step and happily took a position behind Obrien.

Another group started to form that was made up of mostly Second Lieutenants. There were no more surprises until the man beside me was called.

“Captain Urick J. Turner,” the specialist announced.

Seeing that the actor was given an even higher rank than Obrien, everyone in line who’d already been called turned back to look.

As Urick snorted in response, I groaned inwardly. The colonel had already said that our rankings were artificial at best, yet of course people would still view it as a competition.

Urick reached the instructor sergeant, who immediately saluted the actor. It took him a moment to catch on, but Urick saluted him in return. He was then led to the side to stand alone, and a specialist found him a moment later.

When my time had come, I was the last name to be called. “Major Lucius Edwards.”

I cringed internally as the other celebrity recruits gawked at me. Even Urick gave me a solemn look.

Walking forward, the Sergeant made a point to place himself in front of me and saluted. Technically, I didn’t have to return the salute since I was expected to be carrying my bags, but this was likely a test. Thankfully, what I was carrying was easy enough to shift into one hand, and I returned his salute. It was a little blocky, but Destiny and I had practiced.

“You are to report directly to Colonel Edmond,” he said, then left me where I stood. I continued on, ignoring the whispers, and placed myself before the Colonel, saluting him as a lower ranking officer.

He squinted his already narrow gaze further before returning my salute. “Major,” he said. “Get in.”

With that he removed his hat and stepped into the armored transport. Unlike the outside of the vehicle, the inside had two sleek rows of seats facing each other. The colonel sat on one side and directed me to sit opposite him.

I found my seat was smack dab between two other men. Destiny had to float above my head to find room. They didn’t wear traditional uniforms, but tank tops and form fitting athletic shorts. I was under no illusion that they were there by chance. Sitting between them, I used Othisi to extend out my psionics ever so slightly so that I’d feel any movements they made.

“Major Lucius Edwards,” the Colonel said, drawing my attention.

“How can I help you Colonel Edmond?” I replied.

He let loose a lighthearted laugh. “Sorry about the theatrics, but this whole operation is one big mass of absurdity. Much of it is a publicity stunt, and a shameless one at that. The whole line about not pampering them was a lie. I don’t like it, but I do understand it. We’ll probably get a few good men and women out of this mess, and it will undoubtedly help fund things for a time. With that said, I rightly view you and the participants of Codename: Freedom in a different light. That’s why I came to meet you in person. There is something you could give me a hand with.”

I nodded that I understood but didn’t respond. He looked like he was going to continue whether I wanted him to or not.

“One of the first issues we need to address is any rivalry and elitism between the Genesis and Freedom participants. Those in Genesis were mostly soldiers. They’ve had an extra year of training with psionics than you have and, no offense, are used to taking orders.”

“None taken,” I replied.

“This here is Staff Sergeant Xavier, a marine and one of the Genesis participants.” He directed my attention to the man on my left.

I turned and gave the man a nod.

He had intense eyes, even if his expression was kindly enough. His face was long and his ears stuck out. The buzz cut didn’t help. Seeing the well-developed muscle of his tall neck and traps, I wasn’t surprised to learn he was in Genesis.

The colonel then introduced me to the other man beside me, Staff Sergeant Brice. He was a lengthy black man with a wide face and brows that made him look like he was always smiling. He had also been a participant in Genesis.

“Are you up for a little sparring, Major?” The Colonel asked.

So that’s why I was here. I’d just arrived, and he wanted me to fight. Victoria had been right. They weren’t wasting any time. “I’m ready.”

“Good. Xavier will be your opponent.”

Glancing at the man with the mind to shake his hand, I found him giving me a smug look. So much for a friendly bout. Not that it made much a difference to me.

Our Trip wasn’t a long one. We arrived a few minutes later. When we did, Staff Sergeant Brice was the first to exit and would be our escort. The colonel wouldn’t follow us in. As I stepped out, I found that it wasn’t just a small building we were heading to, but an actual stadium.

The entire building had a light gray surface like that of smooth concrete. It looked common enough, except for its enormous size. Its shape was a giant square with rounded corners and a domed roof. Brice was leading us toward a side entrance of the mostly seamless building.

Before we made it inside, Staff Sergeant Xavier addressed me. “Don’t take this personal kid, but today I’m going to give you a beating. I got nothing but respect for you Freedom guys, but you’re still a year late to the show.”

Brice let out a gaudy laugh, making it clear where he stood.

Instead of responding with words, I began rolling my neck before moving on to my shoulders. Destiny flew down to project her voice into my ear. “You can expect him to probably have rank E psionics.”

I nodded instead of replying verbally, and Xavier, anticipating what she had said, let his ethereal silver, rank E aura billow out for a moment before cutting it off and stepping in through the building’s entrance. It was Brice that waited for me holding the door that jeered this time.

We were led to separate rooms to wait. Mine was a bathroom with two dozen urinals, and I was left there alone without any information. I even still had my stuff, so I sipped on some water to make sure I was hydrated for what was coming.

Rank E psionics was an entire rank above my own, though my psionic power was at 296, only 4 points away from reaching the next rank. Even then, I didn’t consider the match over before it began.

Destiny and I discussed what I might expect from Xavier. She was surprisingly insightful about what psionic abilities he might have unlocked. According to her, he had most likely only unlocked Fotia and Petra, or psionic strength and internal defense. If that was the case, then I had a lot more tools to work with than he did. I’d also trained tirelessly against rank E opponents in the bandit simulator Achilles had given me charge over.

Also, psionics wasn’t everything. There were Combat Masters, the best martial weapon specialists on the planet, that competed constantly and could stand toe to toe with someone with rank F psionics without any psionics of their own. What happened if they unlocked their own psionics as Cornelius had, or if a monster like Chewme did. No, psionics wasn’t the end all to winning a fight, but this was also a man who had unlocked his a year before I did, and no doubt he was good at what he did if they were sending him to fight me. I wouldn’t go out of my way to brag, but there were only a handful of participants from Freedom that could compete with me. I highly doubted they’d just throw some random guy at me even if he was a participant in Codename: Genesis. I expected some surprises. If he could really defeat me, then so be it, but I’d make him earn every inch. Besides, this was the perfect time for me to make a statemen of my own.

It was more than an hour later when someone finally came to fetch me. This time it wasn’t Staff Sergeant Brice, but a Space Force Specialist. He took my bags and gave me a tank top and shorts to change into. I kept on my own shoes, and made a point to use the restroom before we left even though he was trying to hurry me along.

We exited the bathroom and he led me down the hall. Taking a turn, we ended up in an even wider hall that had a metallic sheen to its walls and ceiling. At the far end, about a hundred feet away, were two double doors that were closed and manned by two separate soldiers. As we neared, there was a low rumble that only grew the closer we got. Then the doors opened, and a wave of sound produced by countless voices bombarded me.

The specialist waved me forward and requested to have my drone wait here.

“See you in a minute,” I said.

Destiny giggled. “Have fun.”

Stepping out onto the blue-gray floor, I noticed it had a bit of a bounce to it like rubber might. Then I took in my surroundings to find myself in a long rectangular room with transparent walls that were approximately twenty five yards to either side, and a ceiling at least that high. The room was twice that in length and a familiar face, Staff Sergeant Xavier was at the opposite end waiting.

If that was all, it would’ve been enough to impress me, but outside the see-through walls I could see stands all around and multilayered balconies— Many with private rooms. There were thousands of people already seated.

An amplified female voice cut through the noise. “Welcome everyone joining us in person, and those of you porting in virtually. This will be the first live event to kick off the opening ceremony of Codename: Vanguard. On the blue side, Marine Staff Sergeant and one thousandth ranked Genesis participant, Xavier.”

As she said it, the floor beneath his feet glowed in blue light. The crowd, which were mostly other participants, went crazy. The light dimmed a moment later.

“On the red side, Space Force Major and number one ranked Freedom participant, Lucius Edwards.”

Predictably, the roar of the crowd grew even louder. There was no way the unknown Genesis participants could compete against the popularity of those of us from Freedom who’d had the last year of our lives accessible to the entire world like one big reality show. I didn’t care much one way or the other, but the grimace on Xavier’s face proved that he did.

Part of me wanted to look through the stands to find my friends who were probably there someplace if they weren’t cooped up in some bathroom waiting their turn to be made a spectacle of. But as the red light glowed beneath my feet, I stepped forward to face my opponent.

There was another voice that came in a more control tone, that began explaining the rules of the bout. There would be no weapons, and if someone was injured, lost consciousness, or gave up, then we were to stop and the remaining fighter would be considered the winner. Psionic bolts, or Voli to the head was also not allowed. After the instructions were given, a countdown began.

I jumped up and down a few times, bringing my knees to my chest. As the countdown reached ten, I took a few steps forward before taking a shielded stance.

Xavier cackled at what he saw. “Not sure how to fight now that you don’t have a sword and shield, eh Bolo?”

I immediately recognized the term from the list of military slang that Destiny had been trying to pound into my head as a derogatory word used for someone that has to resort to melee weapons because they don’t have the proficiency with anything else. I didn’t respond to his taunt, and instead began cycling through my different psionic notes.

As the countdown reached zero, I pushed energy out from my body in Xavier’s direction, creating a psionic field between us. I’d feel anything that neared within ten yards.

Not to disappoint, Xavier rushed forward with his silver aura radiating angrily from his body. His speed matched the fastest I had ever faced, and he was looking to end it quickly

He lunged to the side, taking aim at my flank.

As I felt his fist drill toward my temple, Othisi was already pushing back against his right cross. As it neared, my hand waved outward, turning his strike with a little help from Apotho’s shielding, and I slipped in closer so that he’d have difficulty building much power with his other hand.

Othisi pushed against his rear foot, making his balance unsure. Even as he tried to throw a cross with his other fist, I simply continued my forward momentum and slammed my forehead into his face.

It didn’t catch him in the nose, sadly, but it likely did a job on his mouth.

He scurried back to gain some distance, and I retook my stance, keeping a close eye on him with Othisi reaching out from me like human radar. He was faster than me, likely stronger, and my normal shielding and pushing abilities wouldn’t be as powerful because he wasn’t wearing any armor. Still, if he thought he was just going to be able to rush forward and have his way with me, I was going to make this very painful for him.

In the next moment, he gave me a bloody smirk and the aura around his body began to draw itself in, but it didn’t all completely disappear. The silver light over his fists intensified and extended outward further than it had before by close to half a foot. I realized then what he was doing. It was like Barrell’s weapon bolstering ability where he could extend his blade with condensed energy. It wasn’t as pure and focused as Barrell’s use and it was through his fists, but it seemed Xavier wasn’t just limited to his aura and walls like Destiny and I had suspected.

Instead of groveling, I turned as he circled me returned his smirk.