"No Corwin, no combat training here.. practicing and learning tis all, with a sword even, I think we need to rely on guns for a while yet."
Wow!.. Ummm I vote a campus tour now, save us getting lost later when we need to be somewhere and the timing will matter."
Mei nods. "The sooner we learn our way around, the better."
Corwin retakes his seat and quickly resumes eating. After listening to Mei, Bas, and Bruce he comments wryly "Well it seems that a third of my squad mates clearly have some kind of combat training."
"Wouldn't exactly call it combat. Boxing is a sport. A kickass sport, but I doubt I'll be punching people on the battlefield."
"Though that would be cool..." he says with a faraway look.
To the question of what to do: "I agree with Walker and Cartwright."
"Me too."
After quickly finishing the last of his dinner, Corwin stands up with his tray and gathers the empty (of food) trays of the other cadets at the table, organizing the utensils for carrying. Those who object in anyway have their trays left undisturbed. Once he has made a single pass, he takes all the items he has gathered to the dish returns.
Arriving back at the table Corwin replies in a matter of fact voice, "Boxing, Kendo, and the like are defined as Combat Sports or Martial Arts because of their origins as disciplines used in combat. While they might be directly useless against the Thunder, they have other benefits that are useful."
In a more conversational voice he adds, "If there are no other options, I vote for the campus tour."
Kreis and Costas exchange another long glance after Corwin's obvious remark, and again Costas gives a slight shake of her head. "We could take them over the Course," suggests Kreis with a slight smirk.
"We could," admits Costas, "But they're supposed to come at it cold on the first day."
"True. But campus tour now, then boring Monday."
"Uch." Costas rolls her eyes, then thinks for a minute. "Not if we ..." She hesitates, then stops.
"Submit a request on their behalf for an early first Course, because they've already gotten oriented?" Kreis's eyes are twinkling a little; guy's got a bit of sly to him.
"Which would get them there on Monday ..." Costas again trails off, then grins. "Right, campus tour it is. Not that y'all are going to have the place memorized after one go-about, or that we'll be able to get into all the places, but after six months running all over campus with each other and somebody or three senior to you all the time, you'll know it just fine. Anyone say nay?"
All this talk of a 'Course' piques Mei's curiosity. The Cadet-Sergeants sound like kids talking about raiding the cooking jar when they talk about showing it to us."You mentioned a Course. Could you elaborate on that?"
"The Course." She repeats, eyebrows raised high.
She lets Corwin seize upon her finished (and empty) plate, looking a touch bemused. This was an aspect of his personality she wouldn't have guessed. Her attention was on this byplay between Kreis and Costas.
"This... sounds messy." Still not upset by the idea. "Sure." What was this going to be...?
Physical Training
Movement Training Course Kilo (K)
1:45 PM
"Someone got clever, I see. Hello, Costas. And - yes, I thought so, your partner in crime Kreis. Which one of you two thought this up? Do not answer that, it was of a rhetorical nature."
The female adult wearing Warrant Officer (W-5) tabs, speaking in a distinct French-influenced accent, is a petite, slimly-elegant late-forties or early-fifties female who isn't much taller than any of you. She has, however, a self-confidence that undoubtedly keeps her in good standing outside of classroom environments. And make no mistake, despite standing beneath hundred-and-fifty-foot old-growth trees, amongst scattered buildings that make the above-ground part of the campus to appear to be an abandoned hundred-plus-year-old camp of the 'summer' variety, you are definitely in a classroom environment.
Her hands on her hips, she regards the nine of you - Oscar Company, First of the First - and says, "Welcome to the Movement Training Course, commonly just referred to as 'the Course'. My name is Agrippina Foucaut. I come from Montreal, Quebec, and before the war I was first a ballerina, then the dance master at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal." The French, as can be expected, rolls liquidly off her tongue. "Although the arts are still supported, six years ago I was asked to teach first-year students at this school how to move."
She looks each of you in the eye for a moment, one after the other, before saying bluntly, "And you all move like swine. No, even pigs have grace, because they have not learned to ignore their own bodies the way you have. Over the next many weeks, you will relearn how to walk. How to crawl. How to climb. How to jump. How to swim, and how to properly learn to use any other fantastic abilities you have been given. The Course is a little over two miles long; for now, that is very far for you, but ask them," and here she gestures to two of the seven Cadet Privates (CPvt) who have, like the Cadets Sergeant and Corporal, been assigned to help supervise and assist your squad, "and they will tell you that in only nine months they will do this course three, four times in the three hours of Physical Training the two times a week I have them.
"Of the Course," and you can hear her pronounce the capital letter in just the same way as Costas and Kreis did on Saturday, "some of it you will have to swim, and some you will have to run or fly or whatever it is you do best. Some you will have to climb. There are obstacles you have to get around, or past, or over; tunnels to crawl through, mazes to solve, levers to pull, many such things. Like most of the school here on the surface, we have minimized the use of electricals, so such levers and flags are mechanical in function. The Course we are on today is one of twelve such; your course assignment is randomly determined any morning you have Movement Training, to make it so you do not get used to any single one. The Maze in particular is easily shifted - today you do not have to worry about solving it, as it is made to be simply one very long corridor for you to have to hurry through, pulling levers as you go - but the specific arrangements of three courses are changed every week, so that each course is changed once per month.
Today, and again on Thursday, your task is to get through the course as quickly as possible. The suits you are now wearing are your interim combat jumpsuits; they are like old-fashioned motion capture suits, but much better, and more importantly self-contained. They will be recording how you move through the course, so that we can analyze what you can do, and help you learn how to move better, use your abilities better. It is now an hour and a half after lunch, so you should not be too overburdened by it, but if you do puke, try to do it to the side."
With her hands on her hips, she looks at the lot of you, including the two each of Cadets Sergeants, Corporals, and Privates. "Questions."
Bill raises his hand and speaks when called upon.
"You mention that we will use our Abilities on this course. Will we be able to start flying, or running, or teleporting or whatever at the start, or will there be... I don't know... signs or something telling us when to use them?
"Good question," replies the warrant officer. "When on the Course under supervision of one of your Movement Training instructors, you may use at any time any movement ability you possess. While this may not matter right now, that means moving yourself, not moving something else; the goal is for you to learn how to move, not use telekinesis should you develop it."
"Questions."
"Is there a time limit and/or are we expected to compete against one another in completing the Course?"Corwin asked.
Mei watches and waits to hear the questions of the others. She is apprehensive about taking the Course. I must not shame myself with a poor showing.
Foucaut nods again. "Good question. So long as you're wearing your interim combat jumpsuits, which means for about the next two weeks, there is not a time limit; you are expected to get through the course as quickly and effectively as you know how. It is from this movement that I and the other instructors will know how to best teach you to move better. Questions."
Wow. Well. How many surprises did this school have? Mulling over her thoughts briefly, she stole a look at the 'partners in crime'... then back to Foucaut. "Do these jumpsuits catch and tear easily? And how big is the Maze?" A swimming course? That could be interesting in itself.
Foucaut eyes Jackie thoughtfully. "Interesting question. Never got that first one before. Not easily - they're made out of the same materiel as the personalized jumpsuits, but they're not fitted to you quite as well, so there's some resistance degradation - or so I'm told, but I make it a point of not getting into the sorts of extremely dangerous situations where that would be taken into account. As for the Maze --" She looks at Costas and Kreis. "Cadet Sergeants?"
"For today, because it's a straight run, about two hundred meters, ma'am," replies Costas. "Depending on configuration and required travel, well ..." she hesitates, frowns, and looks over at Kreis.
The self-described 'New York Yid' gives that tell-tale crooked grin again. "Twenty-seven levers. At its nastiest configuration, almost five kilometers."
Foucaut smiles, a thin ballet mistress sort of thing, where her approval has been earned, but only barely. "Questions."
Bruce considers something for a second then asks "I presume that winning is a good thing for a cadet, but what if that winning is gained via heavy use of powers rather than figuring the way through the course? Is it looked down upon, will we be advised that we are using powers too much and that we need to go through the course without?"
Foucaut looks at Bruce for a long moment, as if he were something nasty found on the floor of her studio. "Not a good question. To answer it anyway, the student who was able to use an enhanced ability throughout the entire Course is a very rare duck indeed." Addressing the class generally, she states a bit more loudly, "The Course exists for you to improve your skill in movement. If you have multiple enhanced abilities, you should use them all, whichever one is appropriate at the moment. If they overlap, then you should make an effort to alternate between their development, to learn which is better at any particular moment. As I stated to this cadet," and she gestures at Corwin, "at the current time there is no time limit; learn yourself first before adding concerns of time and competition.
"Are there any other questions??"
"Who goes first?" Mei asks.
"Hah!" Jacq leans forwards, looking over at Mei with a grin. That was a good question! A fun one. Jackie's eyes go to Seb, Dakota, and Jodie.
'I wonder what we all can do...' Jackie thought, straightening and looking towards Foucaut...
Warrant Officer Foucaut smiles at Mei. "You do. The Course is run sequentially, with a two-minute interval between each person's start. Everyone makes the run alone, but because the course in general favors running, those of you who are quick on your feet may well pass another up - it IS thirty-five-hundred meters long. If you catch up to one of your squadmates, that's fine, but don't keep pace with them unless their pace is your current pace.
"The Course uses standard cross-country directional colors. Some of them will be flags, many will be paint marking on trees. This early in the quarter, there will be flags at the tree markings as well, so rest your minds on that account. Keep red flags or marks on your left, yellow ones on your right; sometimes that will mean a turn, sometimes it'll indicate a gate when paired with one or multiple other markings. Blue marks indicate center-of-course, and can also mean keep going straight forward.
"As I said before, there are levers to pull. You are required to flip every lever you encounter; they are numbered, and have bright orange handles, so they're tough to miss. If you're with a squadmate when you reach a lever, each of you flips it, which means it'll be back in its original position when you leave.
"If you can see a lever nearby - especially if you can see its number, and it is the next one in sequence - you should proceed to it as swiftly as possible, using your movement powers and learned skills. Using gymnastics to get around an obstacle is allowable, and part of the intent; breaking an obstacle is not.
"Don't go above the walls of the maze. Three of your noncoms will be switching live ammo out for Simunition, which I am told stings a hell of a lot even for you kids, and they will shoot you if you try to jump a wall or fly above them.
"There are duplicates of certain especially difficult obstacles; pick one, and go through it. There is one section of this course where you have to go through water; that section is underneath a walkway. Go into the water; the course does not go over the water, but through it.
"The final obstacle is typically a multiple-person obstacle; it is a mass plug, a heavy object that is movable with sufficient strength or a particular rare ability, described as 'tunnelling'. It is this obstacle that typically reveals the presence of such an ability; please note that punching is not tunnelling. The plug will be re-set after every successful shifting. If you reach the plug first, attempt to move it; if you cannot, when the next individual arrives, please allow them fifteen seconds to attempt to move it before joining in. If the two of you cannot move it, wait for a third person, and again allow them fifteen seconds in which to attempt to move the plug alone. Continue until the plug is successfully moved.
"You should complete the course as quickly as you can; since your endurance plays a part in your mobility, that is measured as well. While we don't expect a great change over just two weeks, every little bit of information helps."
Foucaut looks you all over. "Speaking as your instructor, I expect you to put forth your maximum effort this time and every time you run the course under my supervision. I have a rightfully-earned reputation as one of the top five issuers of black marks to first-quarter students; despite having been through Candidate Boot Camp, none of you ever truly understand what it means to work your body to its limit. Black marks are a negative encouragement for you to put forth effort, both physical and mental, to learn your body. The only positive encouragement I offer you is my approval. You will rarely earn it, but when you do, you will know it. In my class - in the class of any Movement Training Instructor - you will not only learn precisely where your body's limitations are, you will learn how to push it past those limitations, why not to push it past those limitations and the cost of doing so, how to keep your body performing at its very limits for as long as physically possible, and how to over time expand your limitations. If you do not, I will give you black marks and you will spend most of your free time doing scutwork and makework for the Academy until you learn that Warrant Officer Foucaut is a harridan you are better off cooperating with. You will, in brief, train like ballet dancers.
"Any final questions? Is there any amongst you who does not know how to swim?"
Presuming the answer to both is either a dead silence or a general negative, Foucaut will step up to the white-painted starting line and wave Mei forward. "To your mark, then, Cadet Private Junior-Grade Cartwright. Set? Go!"
And she sends Mei off, selecting her next victim from among the eight remaining.
1) First Run: 250m, 3 equally-spaced turns.
. . . Levers: 3, at knee height on the inside of each turn.
Total Distance: 250m.
2) The Walls: 5 wooden pallisades, approx 4m tall, with a meter-wide and 3/4-meter deep slot in top of them. The logs are set horizontally, and have ladderlike steps carved into them so that people can relatively easily climb up to the 'scoop'. Each wall is approximately 10m from the next; unless specified, the slots are in the middle of the top of the wall.
. . . Levers: All walls have levers in the middle of the slot; lever rests almost parallel to the slot, so it doesn't get in your way.
. . . Wall #1: Straight-on to course.
. . . Space #1: Proceed straight, lever on left side, knee height.
. . . Wall #2: On right edge of course; slot is to the left of center.
. . . Space #2: Gentle curve right, then hard turn left.
. . . Wall #3: Straight-on to course (hard turn into it). First lever at the right-base of the wall; slot is to the right of center. Third lever is on the opposite side of the first lever, at the base of the wall. One of the cadet-privates will be there to point it out to you.
. . . Space #3: Wide curve left. Besides the third lever on Wall #3, there is a lever 2/3 of the way along to wall #4, right side, again knee height.
. . . Wall #4: Straight on to course.
. . . Space #4: Hard right turn; lever at hip-height at tip of turn's inside corner.
. . . Wall #5: Canted slightly away from course, slot to left of center.
Obstacle Distance: 50m.
Total Distance: 300m.
3) Second Run: 300m, various turns.
. . . Levers: 2, early on.
Total Distance: 600m.
4) The Woodpile (Doubled): A 5m high, 3m wide, 15m long stack of logs in the middle of the Course. There are 12 rebar-cage tunnels 1m in diameter through the stack at various heights and placement. Proceed through each tunnel in turn, front to back, top to bottom (which means the ones closer to the start of the course first, but if two are horizontally equal, pick the top one first).
. . . Levers: Each tunnel contains between one and three levers.
Approx. Obstacle Distance: 50m.
Total Distance: 650m.
5) The Maze: A square 25m on a size, with a single entrance and exit 1.5m wide. Passage inside is 1.5m wide as well; the wall panels are, likewise, 1.5m across, and can clearly be moved to any one of two or three positions. Several portions are roofed, some portions with wood, some with originally-clear plastic panels.
. . . Levers: 24 currently accessible, at various heights (floor to ceiling).
. . . Special Rules: Stay within the walls of the Maze. Anyone who goes above their 3m height will be shot (with Simunition, i.e. a paintball fired from the 10mm Sabordo carbine which will bloody well sting even y'all). Anyone who has been shot will automatically receive three black marks.
Obstacle Distance: 220m.
Total Distance: 870m.
6) Third Run: 150m, a couple of easy curves down to the water.
. . . Levers: One, just before the water.
Total Distance: 1020m.
7) The Pier: Along a portion of a pond, a 125m long, 3m wide wooden walkway has been built. One of many popular 'swimming hole' spots for off-duty cadets, the Course itself goes under the pier, which has fenced-in sides along most of its length. There is about 0.3m air space beneath the pier, and there are fences breaking up the length into many turnings. While flight is theoretically possible, the breast stroke is a better bet. If you cannot swim, it is not difficult to use the fencing to move under the Pier.
. . . Levers: 35, on pilings, many underwater. Those underwater have a bright orange buoy attached, indicating its surface location.
Obstacle Distance: 300m.
Total Distance: 1320m.
8) The Raft/The Race: Options split for 300m of high-speed movement. In the pond (The Raft), there are 5 pilings painted red or yellow, curving along the shoreline, but deep enough for a swimmer to be able to move freely. The last piling is yellow to indicate the cadet needs to turn right, into the lake; the cadet then goes out to the red-painted raft, keeping it on their left, before returning to shore at a 6th piling painted blue, meeting back up with the land-based course. On the land-based course, after emerging from the Pier, the cadet follows a long arc around the far end of the pond.
. . . Levers: None.
Obstacle Distance: 1000m.
Total Distance: 2320m.
9) The Fourth Run: 150m, many quick turns.
. . . Levers: 3, erratically placed.
Total Distance: 2470m.
10) The Booths: In a 'field' of 7m-high 2m-thick tree trunks which are roughly 4-5m apart are 6 entirely-enclosed wood-and-chickenwire constructs standing 3 levels tall, about 9m. The constructs are 5m long, with doorways at one side of the bottom level and with ladders up to the next level at the opposite end of that level's entrance. The field's entrance and exit are marked with blue-painted poles; currently the 'booths' stand in a loose row 10m apart between the entrance and the exit.
. . . Levers: On the top level of each booth, opposite the ladder, is 1 lever.
Obstacle Distance: 300m.
Total Distance: 2770m.
11) The Fifth Run: 100m, two easy curves.
. . . Levers: None.
Total Distance: 2870m.
[b]12) The Racks (Quadrupled): Probably the most technically-complicated objective in the course, the four Racks appear to be a ruined building - a corner of a concrete building, roughly two stories tall, with a massive tangle of rebar both inside and outside. The rebar is embedded into the wall every 0.3 to 0.5m; in some places it is flat against the wall, but in most others it sticks out over a meter before twisting in a right-angle to block direct access. There is a distinct and clear path through the twisting rebar, but the whole is like a kid's jungle-gym. In some places you can try to twist between the rebar in order to shorten your path to the next lever.
. . . Levers: 5 at various places along the rebar path.
Obstacle Distance: 15m + 15m ground.
Total Distance: 2900m.
13) The Sixth Run: 100m, three sharp turns.
. . . Levers: 2, at the outside of each corner.
Total Distance: 3000m.
14) The Trees: Numbered flags at the bases of several large pine trees indicate the order which they are to be climbed; there are boards bolted into place up to the first of the thick branches if such is necessary.
. . . Levers: 8, bolted onto the trees at various heights.
Obstacle Distance:[/b] 90m climbing, 160m ground, 250m total.
Total Distance: 3250m.
15) The Seventh Run: 250m, straight shot.
. . . Levers: One, halfway through.
Total Distance, 3500m.
16) The Plug: In a 2m across steel circle 'doorway' rests a concrete panel 'plug'. It weighs a lot, and unless one of you has tunnelling - which one of you actually will discover they do - it will take three of you to move back on its railing.
. . . Levers: 2, one as you reach it, one on the other side.
Obstacle Distance: For all practical purposes, 0m.
Total Distance: 2400m.
Except for swimming, you can presume that you will be able to take each 'Run' at your fastest noncombat speed, except for the sharp/quick turns. (If you have Running, unless you're still going in roughly the same direction, i.e. 'forward', non-combat running effectively has a turn mode equivalent to combat flight - 1 free hex-face turn at start, then 2 equally-spaced turns during your movement.) If it says it has those, you can choose to try to take those at full speed, but that'll result in you going off-course and probably earning a black mark each time you do. Slow down to combat speeds to take those.
You should also slow down to flip switches. Attempting to do so at non-combat speeds will require Noncombat-speed attack rolls as if performing a non-combat move-by, which includes potential damage taken. Flipping a switch as you pass at full combat speeds requires a move-by attack, including the potential damage generated. While this will be generally hand-waved, some places (switches in the slots in the Walls, for example) require slowing down significantly to flip the switch. To safely do so, or to be certain of doing so, will mean a half-move for that phase.
If you think your movement(s) is appropriate for the obstacle, describe how you're using that movement to 'attack' the obstacle. Since I may ask for a roll, feel free to make one or three DEX rolls if that's what you're going to do. As always, put all rolling in a Spoiler - beginning of the post, end of the post, at each place, whatever.
As a note, climbing speed is 1/4 (round down) your running movement speed, unless you have Clinging. This will typically mean 1" (2m) per phase, or action. (You get your SPD in actions per Turn.) If you HAVE Clinging, then you probably know what your movement speed is. ;)
Feel free to describe your entire run all at once, or in bits and pieces as you think maybe you catch up to someone else. This is important - with the exception of Mei, you start in the order in which you post. And 2 minutes is actually a pretty long time when it comes to superheroic movement.
Remember that everything but swimming and leaping costs 1 END per 5" combat movement; those two cost 1 END per 10" combat movement. Check your END, and though you have high RECs (Recoveries) which you get back at the end of every Turn, recognize that 4 END x 5 actions = 20 END, only 15 of which you get back. 30 or so END means you'll have to rest for a bit at least once a minute if you go full-bore all the time, and maybe twice or three times.
Particular Advice:
Dakota: Doesn't know yet she can fly. Let her take off at the very first obstacle, which is particularly suited for flight. If it's on the climb, or if she falls off the other side, let her discover she can. (She still runs noncombat faster than she flies, though, so keep that in mind.) She won't be able to go through the Pier at non-combat speeds, but she gets combat speed there, and noncombat through the water during the 'Raft' portion.
Bruce: Non-combat movement for teleportation takes an extra phase for each x2 multiplier. (Since you have only x2, that means 2 phases to complete.) Since Bruce's non-combat running (8" per phase) is faster than his non-combat teleport (10" per 2 phases, or 5" per phase) he'll be better off running for the most part.
Sebastian: Like with Bruce, non-combat movement for leaping takes an extra phase for each x2 multiplier, so 2 phases. You can leap very far indeed, but remember that once you take off, you can't turn. Best used on the 'Race' portion of the course, and on any straight run. (32" = 64m.)
Run it!!
Bill steps up to the Warrant Officer, eager to go next.
Sebastian has been quiet so far, but he didn't have any good questions to ask anyway. Kind of pumped to be doing something, he stretches a bit at the starting line behind Bill.
But don't otherwise wait on each other to post - write yourself through two or more parts of the course (because the 'Runs' are just that), write about how you approach each obstacle. For instance, if you're a flier, you can write about how you fly up to the slot, pause to flip the switch, then zoom on to the next one, trying to get a rhythm going so that you don't have to actually stop before flying through the slot. If you're a leaper (obviously these examples aren't random), you could post about how you gauge the distance, and then try to leap straight to the slot instead of running/leaping to the base of the wall and then climbing up. Unless you have the Accurate adder (Bas does, Mei doesn't) you make an Attack roll against DCV 3 + Range Modifiers (-1 at 4", -2 at 8", etc.) to see if you hit your target, or are off in one direction or another.
Then I can give you the results, and you can post your success/failure, and galumph off to the next place you're going to take a risk.
Regarding leaping from tree to tree, a boxing ninja - yes, you can short-hop, but the numbers indicate your maximum speed/distance per phase. You can half-move (move half your max distance or less), and ALWAYS move less than the full amount. With Leaping, you can make as your target ANY hex location within your range - including one in midair. So leaping from tree to tree isn't a problem, IF you can manage to grab a hold when you get there. (Got Acrobatics? This is the trade-off between you and Mei - you've got the distance and the leaping accuracy, but she is GUARANTEED to grab a hold when she lands.)
Mei steps up to the mark and takes off running. She starts a full sprint and slows when spots the first set of markers indicating a course change. Stay on course. Don't miss the switches. She spots the first switch and carefully flips it, not taking any chances.
The first part is easy with simple directions and well-placed switches. After flipping the last switch she sees the first Wall rise up before her. She slows her pace to catch her breath and consider how to tackle the obstacle. I think I can make the top of that wall with one leap. The purpose of this course is to test our limits, so let's see what I can do. I'm gonna to make this obstacle my b~$+&!
When she gets to within 10 meters of the first wall she increases to full speed and then launches herself towards the top of the wall just before reaching the first step. She hadn't really gone all out like this in a while so the sensation of flying through the air was exhilarating. She landed in the slot in the top of the wall and took a moment to look around. She spotted a level in the slot near the middle of the wall and made her way over to flip it.
She couldn't help but smile. So far, so good. She looked out to see what was next and found that the next wall was only about 10 meters away. She paused to consider her options. I can jump down the other side and approach this the next wall the same way I did this one. On the other hand, I might be able to leap directly from the top of this wall to the top of the next one. She was just getting ready to decide when she noticed a switch at ground level between this wall and then next. Oh well, I guess I'm not leaping straight to the next wall. I am Jack's disappointment.
Mei steadied herself on top of the wall and leapt down to the ground on the other side. She made her way to the switch at ground level, flipped it, then ran straight to next wall and leapt to the top, confident now in her ability to make it. She repeated the process for the rest of the walls, then continued on to the next straight-away.
If those leaps require DEX rolls, those first 2 are problematic.
The levers, being bright orange (or at least they were painted that a couple seasons ago), are pretty easy to spot; the only weird one is the one at the foot of Wall #3. Mei has a bit of a tough time hitting her target of the slot the first two times, winding up a good couple meters to the side each time, but when the third comes around, perhaps a bit of care helps her hit the target.
With her 'perching'-style Clinging, though, so long as there's something to grab onto (top of the wall, the lever, a branch, etc.) where-ever she hits, she at least won't fall.
Mei continues her run through the Course, finding herself tiring if she tries to sprint through the long runs between obstacles. I need to work on my stamina. She works on finding a consistent rhythm on the runs between obstacles so that she doesn't have to actually stop to rest. She finds that she can maintain a quick jog without tiring, allowing her to preserve her energy for the major obstacles.
She approaches the next major obstacle, which appears to be large piles of logs with rebar tunnels through them that are too small for her to move through upright. The first tunnel she needs to negotiate is about 4 meters off the ground so she leaps up and grabs the upper lip of that tunnel by the rebar and flips herself inside.
There are switches to flip inside the tunnels and she decides to move through them in a spider-crawl, using her exceptional grip to climb through the tunnels using the rebar rather than crawling through them. This is somewhat fatiguing but seems like the best option available at the moment. She makes her way to the end of the first tunnel and leaps to the next.
She finishes the 12 tunnels and drops to the ground on the other side. She pauses for a few seconds to stretch out her back, then starts jogging to the next obstacle, hitting whatever switches she comes across on the way.
I'll make some rolls in case you think they might come into play.
Bill steps up to the starting line and takes a runner's crouch. When the WO blows her whistle, he flies forward at top speed with a swirl of dust and a faint whooshing sound.
He covers the first 80 meters in a flash, then slows to land in front of the first switch, flipping it. He repeats this process for the rest of the First Run. It is inefficient, but he is not comfortable enough with his flying to try to take a turn at top speed and flip a switch.
He moves through The Walls in a fairly conventional fashion, quickly (but not supernaturally) climbing the ladders and flipping the switches. He only uses his power to cushion his fall when dropping from the obstacles to keep from rolling his ankle or suffering a similar injury.
Bill then flies at combat speed though the beginning of the Second Run, flipping both switches, and then kicks his speed into high dear for the rest of the run, speeding through the softer turns and trying his hand at the sharper ones.
Somewhat winded, and facing the challenge of the rebar tunnels, Bill pauses for a minute to catch his breath.
Corwin starts flying at the beginning of the course, once he reaches non-combat speed, he slows back down to combat speed. Throughout the entire course, he keeps his head on a swivel and his eves moving as if he is expecting to be attacked at any moment.
First Run:
Corwin will fly combat speed until he reaches each turn. At each of the three turns he will land, locate and flip each lever, note their placement and the course to that point in his notebook (also taking two Recoveries) until he reaches the end.
Walls
Corwin will fly combat speed then hover in and around each one until he finds the lever. At space 2, he will land and take notes and two Recoveries before walking around the curve and turn. He will fly at combat speed to wall 3 and then land and locate the slots and levers. He then records their locations before continuing towards space 3 which he overshoots at first, then returns to land there record its location and flip the switch. He continues flying at combat speed to wall 4, once there he repeats his landing, locating, recording and flipping the switch at space 4. When he arrives at wall 5, he remains airborne to locate space 5 and the lever inside the slot.
Second Run:
Corwin will fly combat speed until he reaches each turn. At each of the three turns he will land, locate and flip each lever, note their placement and the course to that point in his notebook (also taking two Recoveries) until he reaches the end.
Woodpile
He crawls through the tunnels, only stopping long enough to record lever placement. Corwin will not attempt to keep an upright orientation, rather he will twist his body and/or crawl on his back if that proves to be more efficient in getting through the tunnels.
Maze
He will fly half combat speed until he reaches a corner. At each lever he will land, locate and flip each lever, note their placement and the course to that point in his notebook. After each six levers, he will stop to take a Recovery.
Bill will move through the Woodpile in a conventional fashion, noting potential shortcuts to be exploited later as he goes.
He will fly at combat speed and at low altitude through the Maze, hovering in place to flip the switches.
Emerging from the maze, he will proceed through the Third Run at top speed, landing to flip the switch before heading into the water under the Pier. His flight is no help here, so he will swim through, pausing for a few moments periodically to recover before diving to flip switches.
Coming to the Race, Bill smiles at the wide open space before him, crouches, and takes off at a breakneck pace, his arms stretched in front of his face, his hands balled into fists. He is somewhat winded when he comes to the Fourth Run, which he flies through at combat speed in order to not actually break his neck making the sharp turns. He then pauses for a minute to recover, stretching his hands over his head like he was taught in Recruit Training to help train his lungs. The fatigue brought on by sustained flight is a strange sensation: palpably physical, but unaccompanied by muscle fatigue.
Mei discovers that while crawling quickly through the Woodpile's rebar-frame 'tunnels' takes a bit out of her, she can indeed do it very quickly.
Bill, while finding that the wide turns are easy, the tightest ones are not so much. The path is a good four or so meters wide, but even that doubled means that unless he slows to about two-thirds his 'jogging' flight speed, starts early, and swings wide, he'll go outside the path on hairpin turns, and still has to slow to his combat speed on the 'standard-tight' ones. There doesn't look to be anyone watching, though ...
For Corwin to overshoot the mid-curve switch will require him to do so deliberately, as the distance to the lever is only six meters (about 20'), it's bright orange, and it's within view of the switch before it. The helpful cadet-private there ('CPvt Rousseau, M', a black-skinned young woman with signs of severe privation in her youth) stares after him in amazement as he takes his sweet time, pausing after almost every switch to get out his waterproof notebook and pencil and make notes.
Mei will indeed require END for her clinging, but she'll be able to move at her full ground SPD (9") through the Woodpile. She can also climb straight from one tunnel exit to the next tunnel entrance, if she wishes, or leap to the ground and then to the next entrance.
Bill will (as written ICly) have some trouble with the sharpest turns; at 10" flight speed he has a 5" radius for a 180-degree turn, which would put him (on a hairpin-doubled 2" course) just outside the course, by 1"; anything less sharp than that that he'll be able fine. That 1" (2m) could be 1m on either side; since there doesn't seem to be anyone watching, is he going to push the boundaries on subsequent hairpin turns? Or try noncombat speed on the other tight ones?
Corwin, as you no doubt expected, you will be going very slowly indeed. I'll give specifics depending on 'who' and depending on how Corwin approaches the rest of the course, but at least the next three people (and probably the next four, and maybe all the rest) who come after Corwin will pass him. With slowdowns taken into account for 1"-speed crawling, 2"-speed swimming, and 2"-speed climbing, and with Corwin taking a full Phase (required) at almost every switch to note its location, the first 5"-combat-movement person will pass him in the Maze, the second in the Pier, the third in the Booths, and the fourth in the Trees.
Mei continues through the Course, conserving her energy in the long stretches of running between the obstacles. She reaches the Maze and works her way through it methodically. They are going to make this hard someday. I wonder what that will look like?
Moving on after the Maze, Mei came upon the pond with the Pier obstacle. This seems like a nice peaceful place for a swim. Not today, though. She evaluates the obstacle itself as she approaches it at a jog. Apparently, the switches are underneath the Pier. She enters the water under the Pier for a closer look.
Seeing the orange buoys floating up to denote underwater switches, and seeing the fencing that surrounds the perimeter of the obstacle, Mei formulates a plan for tackling it. I can use the fencing to climb through the water faster than I can swim through it, though there isn't enough room to avoid the water entirely. Water resistance will slow me and fatigue me more quickly than otherwise. I will have to be careful not to tire myself out.
With her plan set, she begins moving through the Pier obstacle accordingly. She will climb along the underside of the Pier when feasible and then use the fence to pull herself toward the underwater switches that need to be pulled. She pauses for rest regularly so that she doesn't put herself in distress when she needs to go after an underwater switch. Eventually, she throws the last switch and pulls herself out of the water at the end of the Pier. She pauses for a short rest afterward to gather herself, making her best effort to stand up straight as she gulps for air. That was the hardest one yet. I hope it gets easier from here.
Racing along the ground, Jacq laughed once to herself as she made the initial sprint. Behind Bill and Corwin, they had a good lead on her. So how to close that distance? This much was like riding a horse... you had to know how to vary your run, and to do so right. Only a 'thrice bastard' - which book was I reading with that anyway? she thought - would run a horse hard, right at the start. And people were no different. Running herself hard meant not burning herself out, not at this stage.
'Never thought about it before... but horses don't just run at different paces... I guess they run in different ways, based on the speed they got to go?' So if humans were the same... she experimented quickly at her initial pace, moving as quick as she can, preserving what endurance that she can... the start was the time to do it, because soon she'd need to be burning so much more. Still... Foucaut had said she wanted them to work themselves to the limit... how fast could she go, and still preserve her strength? She began to run faster, trying to find the pace she wanted.
A fast, firm glide... burning the least, pushing the furthest. 'Wow, we are fast...'
Her pace speeds up, more and more, as she goes. Learning how to run like this, a cantor, all get out, and because she guessed was nearing the end of the first stretch.
The walls were next. Breathing for a moment, gasping and regaining her breath, Jackie looked over The Walls. 'There, switch one.' She moves for the first, ascending to hit the switch by climbing up the dern wall. This was not what she expected to find, even after Foucaut's description. Seeing was so much different than hearing.
'Great, so much climbing...' Hup. Hup. And up, using what she had on her and what there was around (probably not much) to help scale the palisade to reach the switch...
Maneuvering through the wall-area as necessary to cut and shorten turns and corners...
Maneuvering wasn't going so well, the walls seemed to be her irritation. 'These damn corners and these double-amned walls-acg!' And she fell, bringing her arms up to protect her head, though she didn't have the tumbling training to deal with it...
Something scuffs her head, and she winces, but she doesn't fall far. She doesn't even see stars. '#*&#$. Damn, I was being dumb. Going up too quick?' But she checked herself, and then she went up again. Grrr. Time to finish this.
Taking longer than she would like, she was past the walls, on her feet, on the course... not as much climbing as she thought to reach the levers, the ladders weren't bad. The maneuvering though, back and forth and forward again. Annoying, almost as much as her slip. Still, she broke through the Walls and continued on.
It was time to do more of what Foucaut talked about. Jacq begins to take the Second Run harder, maneuvering around the turns. She was already chewing on how to tackle this in her head.
'Gentle maneuvers save almost as much time as hard maneuvers, and there's less a chance of screwing your ankles. Tag a wall with your palm if you gotta, but get a good idea where stuff is and how you want to curve your run. C'mon, what's next?'
What's next... The Woodpile! And with this 'what's next'... another surprise.
"Corwin!" She let out a shout and a short, shrill whistle. She didn't think she'd overtake someone at the start of here... maybe at the pier? "How you handling?" Jacq grins, breathing hard, using short words. Easier to speak that way, easier to catch her breath as she moved into the labyrinth... Jackie was smudged with dirt on her face and clothes, maybe bleeding a little? Just a little, she had double checked that.
Then she was past him, working through the woodpile. Clambering and finding the next set of switches before the maze. As she leaves the pile, she glances back over her shoulder once.
'Was that a notebook?' "CORWIN! SPEED IT UP!" She shouted, loudly, and then was moving on. The Maze...
The Maze was going to be hell. That much she got from Costas and Foucaut. But not today. And so she had to adjust again. Even though the Maze was just a single, long corridor, it was unlikely straight. Turns and corners, and she moves slower to get through. But they were told about it beforehand, and she was able to use some of the time as she slowed for switches to regain her breath. So she would run, picking up her pace at times, remembering - for the third time - Foucaut really emphasized pushing themselves to their limit.
'I'm still getting a feel for how much better I can "canter"...' Once she passed the Maze, she worked herself closer towards a gallop.
"Holy... hells... nose..." She says aloud.. how long has it been now? A kilometer? How much more can she run? This kind of varied, uncertain experience, burned energy a lot more. She knew how things changed out in the countryside, she didn't have to adapt nearly so hard and fast. This was different, though... exhausting, constantly.
Then, the Third Run and the Pier. She hit the first at that hard pace... keeping limber, running easily and closing distance. She was getting used to this, running faster than she did on the other runs. It was a surprisingly simple run, too. 'What now...' "Whew. How much more?"
Climbing over the edge, she began to slip in under. She didn't dive, just testing the depth. They were supposed to go under, anyway. She kicked off a post, starting at a fast swim. Very fast. 'I can really do this...!' A basic breaststroke, that much she knew... and so she shot along the water. 'Corwin shoulda been this far, or at least the Maze.' This, again... someone should talk to that guy. 'Maybe after. Maybe.'
But she had to stop. Many times, catching levers as she went. Working her way, she finally hit The Raft. Here! And here she really took off, swimming through the water like a blade, regaining her strength even as she began to hit high speed. 'Can I really go like this? This fast, this long?' Would marvels never cease.
It wasn't all easy. The Fourth Run. High maneuvering, and she could only go so fast here. She should push further... faster. She broke through though, reaching The Booths. 'I can't even imagine how this'll be rarranged.' And then, The Fifth Run.
'Getting... damn... tired... going to...' But the push... that was also why they were doing this, right? Redoubling her run, pushing for a second wind, she ran for The Racks...
The Racks. She had to stare as she approached the ruins. She thought she had seen the worst in the Maze, but this place... this place seemed just as dangerous. She worked her way through, a hair gunshy of the rebar. Still, she would begin to push through and take more risks in it as she made her way.
"We...well... how bad... could this be?" She was talking aloud, she must be tired. The Sixth Run. Running harder, forcing herself to go quicker, slower, back and forth to make it through as fast as she could. And then, ahead... The Trees.
'Holy...' Up, and up. This was definitely climbing. This made her shiver once, the spill from before on the ladder scared her. But she was going to see worse. She was sure she would. And so she climbed, but carefully. She might be off-time, off-tempo maybe? Best not to push her luck...
What else? Everything was becoming a haze. She had to be almost there... and yet, another run? She ran fast, the speed was the only thing keeping her going at this pace. Se had to be nearing someone else, because she barely stopped on this mad pace. Not really stopped...
'What's that, up ahead...?' 'The Plug'?! That's right, she had just went through the Seventh Run. And as she was finishing, The Plug was ahead... was anyone there? Or maybe the last group had already pushed through somehow...
'Who's... ahead...?' She was even pruning down the words in her head, the most basic. Mei started. Then... had Sebastian gone? Or had it been Younger? Then after them, it was Corwin right? Jackie had started... fourth, fifth? The group ahead might have gone through, or might be stuck at the plug...
And 'Bas' would be on Jacq's side of the plug, waiting? From what TWO's said of the order... so feel free to use this post after you finish your runs.
She wasn't sure why she was so relieved to see others there. But Mei and Bill? 'Oh, they were sticking around for the aftershow.' Sebastian too? He didn't look done, like the others.
"Heey~... I'm... not... doing too... bad..." Was she bleeding again? She put a hand on the side of her head, slowly jogging up...
When Corwin is greeted by Jacqueline, he smiles and waves to her, then returns to his own taking of the course. He seems to ignore her when she yells at him to hurry.
Third Run:
Corwin will fly combat speed until he reaches the lever before the water. There he will land, locate and flip the lever, note its placement in his notebook (also taking two Recoveries).
The Pier:
Corwin will fly at combat speed until he is forced to go into the water to flip a lever. After that, he will swim as fast as the course and levers will let him pausing for two Recoveries after every five levers. He takes no notes at any point during this part of the course.
The Raft/Race:
In the water, he will continue swimming at non-combat speeds whenever possible but never going underwater. At the red raft he will take three Recoveries, then finish the water part of the course. Once back on land, he will fly at non-combat speed throughout the remainder of this part of the course. Again, he takes no notes.
The Fourth Run:
Corwin will fly combat speed until he reaches each turn. At each of the turn he will land, locate and flip each lever, note their placement and the course to that point in his notebook (also taking one Recovery) until he reaches the end.
The Booths:
Corwin will continue using his flight to navigate throughout the booths. He only flies in straight lines, up, down, left, right, and hovering to flip levers when needed. Getting a better idea of his new levels of endurance, he will continue flying through until he is almost too tired or finishes. Its at the end of this section, he takes a few moment to take notes.
Mei was just getting used to running in a waterlogged combat suit when she came up to the Raft. I guess I'll actually have to swim this time. She dives in and swims the water part of the course as quickly as she can, which is relatively slow compared to everything else. She finishes that as quickly as she can and then continues the land portion of the Course. I'm tired of being wet!
The next part of the run had the most erratic turns so far; erratic enough to actually be interesting. At the end of that run she came to the Booths. These seemed to be simple ladder climbs, which she excels at. She took to the ladders like a monkey on a jungle gym, sometimes simply leaping up to grab the top rung of the ladder and swinging onto the next level up. This part is fun! I never realized how useful the ability to simply latch onto things could be. She flipped her switches and moved on to the next part of the course.
When she came to the concrete building filled with a maze of rebar she paused for a moment to analyze the best path for reaching the switches.
Rolling to see if she can find an advantageous route.
Looks like I can get through that little gap there and save some time. She wends her way through the rebar constraints/climbing assists and flips the necessary switches. She leaves the Racks behind and makes her way forward.
A little more running and she comes up to the numbered Trees that require climbing. Stepping up to the first tree she leaps up to latch hold of one of the lower branches and then leaps and climbs her way to the various levers. Once she gets into the higher elevations of the trees, she takes fewer risks with her leaps. I need to learn how to better control my body in mid-leap. I could brachiate through these trees like a gibbon if I had some acrobatic skills. I wonder how many cadets have an ability like mine that makes climbing so easy? It's almost like cheating. The only thing holding me back from crushing most of these obstacles is my lack of stamina that prevents me from going full speed for longer stretches of time.
She finishes the Trees and runs as fast as she can during the final leg of the Course, only slowing when fatigue sets in, or when she comes upon the lever to be flipped. Finally, she sees the Plug in front of her and slows down to catch her breath and consider how to approach it. [i]I can't budge this through brute strength alone. This is about activating a new power...if I have it.[\i]
She stops in front of the plug and centers herself, pushing all other concerns from her mind and focusing on the Plug.
With her mind clear she steps up to the plug and visualizes herself moving through it. She doesn't know what the Tunneling ability that WO Foucaut described would look like, but she imagines herself moving through the Plug. She places her hands on the surface of the Plug and gradually applies her strength against it, eventually pushing with all her might.
The Fifth Run:
Corwin will fly at non-combat speeds, making sure to stay close to the ground until he completes the section.
The Racks (Quadrupled):
Corwin crawls through the distinct path through the rebar, only pausing to note where the short cuts are and the locations and positions of the levers.
The Sixth Run:
Corwin will fly combat speed until he reaches each turn. At each of the turn he will land, locate and flip each lever, note their placement and the course to that point in his notebook.
The Trees:
Statrting at the base, Corwin will non-combat fly up each tree. He will fly up to the highest lever of each tree and then activate the levers as he decends to the base.
The Seventh Run:
Corwin will fly non-combat speed until he reaches the middle, where he will land and flip the lever, and then resume flying non-combat to the end.
The Plug:
By this point, Corwin will rejoin the remaining cadets and will assist them pushing through the plug to the far side.
The First Group:
Mei is fast on the course, and while her 14:25 time is by no means a course record (though considering it's 3500m worth of distance, levers, and obstacles, it's sure to be a personal best!!), it's very, very impressive from a first-time run-through. The key point was undoubtedly when she turned on its head the spot that would be expected to slow her down - the Pier.
While Bill's 16:45 time to the Plug is respectable, and will prove to be in the top half of the squad, the real surprise comes when he puts his palms against the Plug and tries to push through it.
For a second, two seconds, nothing happens.
And then he can feel the thing's mass, its makeup of cement, stone, and steel. And for a flicker of an instant that lasts the lifespan of the universe and no time at all, he can grasp how it is held together ...
... and takes it apart.
Under the pressure of Bill's hands, the Plug shivers and collapses into fist-sized rubble, no doubt to Mei's amazement. After a moment, he can step through the steel frame, to flip the switch there, and Mei can follow him through and flip it herself.
On the other side - it IS just a frame, which you can see behind as you approach, and even as you're standing there waiting, stands CSgt Kreis, CPvt Rousseau (Marie, she'd prefer, but hey, when in the field), and Warrant Officer Foucaut, all of them clapping with various shades of amusement and congratulations. "Great. Congrats," Kreis adds, reaching out to thump Bill on the shoulder. "Now grab a shovel, let's get this thing reset for the next poor sod."
As a reward for discovering your new power, you (and Mei, yes, don't think you're getting out of work) get to clean up after yourself, shoveling rubble (most of it, anyhow) clear of the top-and-bottom rail tracks that the Plug is designed to be pushed along. Once it's clear enough, Kreis decouples the top and bottom clamps of the one Bill destroyed, steps to the back end of the rail, and pushes one of the five remaining ten-centimeter-thick panels carefully forward until it clangs (loudly!!) against the steel frame.
Looking at it for a moment, he nods, then looks sideways at Bill. "Guess what? You're gonna get some hands-on experience making these things. And probably get dropped into that search-and-rescue course a bit earlier than expected."
He nods at the rubble still on the ground. "For now, let's work on finishing the clean-up, huh?" He doesn't make you do it alone, though, grabbing his shovel and helping out right next to you.
As the two of you are shoveling, Sebastian shows up looking a little shamefaced and with a few paint blotches on his combat suit; pushing at the Plug, he fails to do anything quite so spectacular as Bill, and so waits for the next person.
For her part, WO Foucaut is sitting on one of the two nearby picnic tables (there's a water cooler nearby, for your hydration needs) using a TriPIT to examine the goings-on on the course. While there was some gunfire behind Bill (and ahead of Corwin), that was amply explained by Bas's paint spatters - the leaper must have failed to keep himself under the level of the walls at some point, and got shot with Simuniton paint-loads for his trouble.
"Do a quick field-strip," CPvt Rousseau suggests of your ever-present Sabordo 10mm carbines. "Don't have drying gear, but you can shake t'em out pretty good anyhow."
The Second Group:
As said before, Jackie passes Corwin while both of them are going through the Woodpiles. On the back end, Jackie's time is good - right around 15:15 by the time she reaches the Plug, about a minute or so after Bas's arrival. But she can't move it, and neither can she and Bas together. They have to wait for Bruce, who passed Corwin in the Maze, but when he can't move it (or take it apart) on his own, the three of them together can slide the most-of-a-ton Plug back on the rails.
Once again, Kreis slides it back into place, and gestures the new arrivals (not Bruce, at least not yet) to brooms and shovels to help finish cleaning up; CPvt Rousseau again recommends to the new arrivals a quick field-strip of their weapons.
Jer catches quickly up to Jodie, passing her soon after they both reach the Pier; Jer passes Corwin about two-thirds of the way through. It's when Corwin decides to swim the kilometer of the Raft course, instead of selecting the faster (for him) Race, that Jodie and Dakota leave Corwin well behind - Jodie taking to the air with such speed she nearly catches up to Jer, and Dakota proving that when it comes to flat-out speed to cover the eighth section of the course, she's in the running for the top spot.
Between the three of them, there are no new concrete-shattering surprises, only three thirteen-year-olds pushing eight hundred kilos of concrete slowly out of their way.
Corwin shows up a little after the 38-minute mark, thirty-two minutes after he'd started, and three minutes after Dakota arrived to help Jodie and Jer with the Plug. The entire squad (the latter three putting their Sabordos back together), the assistants, and the Warrant Officer get to watch Corwin zip up to the plug, flip the lever, then strive to push the plug out of his way. Alone, and lacking the peculiar ability Bill has demonstrated, he fails, but at least he puts an end to the mess.
Not more than a minute after Corwin arrives, CSgt Kreis calls everyone to order. Sitting 'correctly' at the middle of the three picnic tables, facing inwards, the Warrant Officer Movement Training Instructor looks like a judge at a court-martial; the rest of the squad is spread out over the other two tables, with the squad 'noncoms' sitting at both the side and the middle table, and Costas perched on the Plug's upper rail.
"Finally. Chippie Talmadge, dry your weapon. Chippie Stein, front and center." WO Foucaut places her TriPIT on the table in front of her and taps a few things in; the primitive holoprojector draws a schematic of the Course in the dust motes floating through the air, then zooms in on the Maze, where a figure is hopping through the early stages.
Bas stands and steps out from behind the picnic table at which he was sitting, moving forward to a spot a proper three steps from the warrant Officer, and comes to attention. "Ma'am."
"I believe I spot paint on you."
Sebastian looks kind of hang-dog. "Yes, ma'am."
Foucaut taps the TriPIT, freezing the holo at the relevant moment, where Bas went above the top of the maze walls. "In the field, that would have meant you either exposed yourself to the enemy, or smashed your head against a ceiling - not comfortable either way. Turn around." She makes a '360' gesture with her hand, which Bas obediently obeys. "Three hits. Do you know who shot you?"
Bas looks a little uncertain, but finally admits, "No, ma'am."
Foucaut sniffs. "You are lucky I am not training you for situational awareness yet, or I would issue you another black mark for not knowing. One black mark per hit," she states, making a notation in Bas's file. "You learned quickly, however, and did not make that mistake again through the rest of the Maze; one black mark rescinded, total of two. You may return to your seat."
Bas salutes, turns, and hurries back to his seat next to Bruce, who elbows him when he thinks WO Foucaut isn't looking.
Apparently Foucaut has eyes in the back of her head or something, because Bruce is the next one she calls to the carpet. "You can teleport, yet you ran the entire way down the Race," she states, bringing up a holographic replay of Bruce's kilometer-long run. "Explain."
Nervous, Bruce says how he found it took him more time to make a long teleport than it did to just run it, so since he was trying to make a good time ...
Foucaut nods, accepting the explanation, and sends him to sit back down. She does the same for everyone else, isolating a failure or a point of interest, and demanding an explanation. Specifically:
Bill:
"Younger. You could have flown over the Walls - flown from switch to switch - and yet you didn't. You also could have flown through the Woodpile tunnels instead of climbing around on it. Explain."
Mei:
"Very clever climbing along the bottom of the Pier; good lateral thinking. In the future, or unless otherwise authorized, swim it; you won't always be able to use that ability, and we want to improve your facility in the water as well. However, your first jump at the Walls," and she indicates that very first way-off-target one. "Explain."
Jackie:
"You smacked your face against the Walls. Damaging yourself is not a wise decision; explain."
It must be her favorite word.
With Corwin, whom she leaves for last, she taps in a command, and the TriPIT shows the entire course, everyone who's on it from the moment Corwin is set off. His miniature holo-self, walking, soon shines an angry crimson among the otherwise-amber course and miniature-others. Running at a ten-to-one compression, it takes the last-sent, Dakota, two minutes to go through the course - but over three minutes to run the simulation, because of the length of Corwin's run.
She lets it sit where it stops for a good ten or fifteen seconds, then says that dreaded word: "Explain."
Bill has been distracted since he crumbled the plug. During much of the time waiting, he held pieces of rubble in his hand, exploring his new sense of the arrangement of matter. He wondered about his new ability. Could he reshape matter? Could he break it down in a controlled fashion? Could he make it explode? He could sense "flaws" in the arrangement of the stones he held, and if he concentrated a bit he could break the fist sized stones in his hands down to... smaller stones.
He looks up when given the order to field strip his weapon, dusts off his hands on his utility pants, and gets to work.
WO Foucoat: "Younger. You could have flown over the Walls - flown from switch to switch - and yet you didn't. You also could have flown through the Woodpile tunnels instead of climbing around on it. Explain."
He clambers to his feet to address the Warrant Officer.
"For the walls, I thought part of the point was to climb them. I didn't want to solve all my problems with flying, but if it's all about speed and flipping switches, I'll remember that for next time.
"As for the woodpile..." Bill clears his throat. "I haven't had much practice maneuvering through tight spaces, and I didn't know the way through. I wanted to find some of the shortcuts you mentioned too."
The cadet nods, jutting his jaw out and clenching his dusty fists. "I'll take the course at top speed next time, Ma'am."
And he thought of a way to do just that, though it wasn't going to be easy.
The sense Bill had was brief, fleeting - a miniscule fraction of a moment, the amount of time it took his Threading to awaken, grasp the structure of the Plug, and sunder it. Whether handling the concrete, his weapon, or the wood of the table, it's no longer within reach - or at least, not within his conscious grasp. Perhaps, should he have a need to burrow into something else, it will awaken once again.
Foucault replies, "For now, it's about using your abilities as best you can. If it's necessary, you'll receive restrictions later on, in order to hone other capabilities, but for now, we want you to find, and use, your Threaded movement capabilities until you're as comfortable with them as you were with walking and running before you Threaded. There are no shortcuts in the Woodpile, or anywhere else, really, except for those your movement abilities allow. One black mark for the Walls. Good job otherwise; we'll work on your confidence with maneuvering in tight spaces."
It doesn't take long for Mei to figure out that she won't be Tunneling through the Plug. she backs away and waits for her next squad-mate to arrive and make the attempt. That happens to be Bill, and she watches in awe as the Plug comes apart in front off him when he lays his hand upon it and pushes.
So THAT is what Tunneling looks like.
Mei takes up her shovel and works with Bill to clean up the rubble that he's made of the initial Plug. Once they are done with the cleanup she works on cleaning her Sabordo, as instructed. She finds the act of taking apart the weapon to be calming and meditative. She finishes before the last team of her squad-mates completes the Plug. It was time for evaluations.
"Very clever climbing along the bottom of the Pier; good lateral thinking. In the future, or unless otherwise authorized, swim it; you won't always be able to use that ability, and we want to improve your facility in the water as well. However, your first jump at the Walls," and she indicates that very first way-off-target one. "Explain."
Mei comes to attention. "Sir, I misjudged the first leap because I wasn't sure if I could make it or not. This caused me to land off-target on the first leap. After that, I was more confident in my abilities and focused on hitting my spots."
"Yes, WO Foucaut, Ma'am!" Corwin began, "At all points that it seemed that I could fly through the course I did so at a speed so that I could react defensively should I need to. Being that I was unfamiliar with the course in front of me and given that there was no time limit, I took the opportunity to study the course and as many aspects as I could record for further study later. Since part of the course was underwater and there were levers that I would have to get wet to reach, I chose to swim during all the water sections so that I can be familiar with such obstacles in the future. Near the end of the course I took the opportunity to test myself for increases in my top flight speed. Currently it remains constant."
Almost seeming to smile, Corwin concludes. "I look forward to any additional challenges you see fit to give me. Thank you for your patience, Ma'am!"
Foucaut - who is, please remember, a petite female - regards Mei for a long moment, then nods. "Good. I'd have to wait for analysis on it, but it also looked like that first jump was perhaps at your maximum distance. We'll need to work you on accurate leaping at range. But like I said, good job on the Pier, just start swimming next time, or else we'll have to figure out how to do it on piles in the water."
Listening to Corwin's response, and looking at what certainly appears to be a smirk on his face, she replies in a calm voice, "Why in the world should I offer you any additional challenges when you cannot, for thirty seconds, recall the single challenge you were given?" She looks at the rest of the cadet privates junior grade in the squad, i.e. the actual First of the First, Oscar Company, and asks, "Can anyone remember the task you were assigned?" If Corwin even starts to open his mouth, she spears him with a cold glance. "You don't get to answer, Cadet Talmadge, since you clearly forgot."
"We're supposed to get through the course as quickly as possible. The goal of this is to improve our ability to move... as we do this a lot, you want us to be pushing our physical ability, though improving enhanced abilities is probably a plus."
Her attention was on Corwin, a kind of dismayed disbelief on her face. She was too honest to hide it, really. Too straightforward. "Corwin, the course is rigged to change, and anyway recall's better for this stuff isn't it?"
"I tried to pace it but I really didn't know how the gradient's were going to go. When I saw the ladders, I figured I could save myself some flow with a short jump up to grab a few rungs higher..." She looked down at her own hands and grimaced. "Dumb idea. Should have just climbed..."
Her head tilted towards Mei again. 'She was using the fence!' That's a damn brilliant idea. She had to appreciate that.
Corwin remained silent, his face becoming expressionless. His eyes remained locked on WO Foucaut, only moving while listening to Jackie's response.