"Alex to anybody left on the Red team. Do you read me?"
A figure in a red body suit (with three large black blobs on both legs and a left arm) and helmet with a yellow visor ducked behind a tree to stay out of view and answered her radio. "This is Lunamaria. Go ahead."
"I located the Objective. Coordinates are 35, 14 and 28. I'll go in and try to disable the security system to get to the goal but I can use some back up."
"It'll take me approximately 13 minutes to get there from my position. I don't know about Shinn and Rey. Do you have anyone else with you?"
"Negative. I was the only survivor of my group's last skirmish. Good news is that's three less enemies from the Blue Team to worry about. I'm going to move in and... shit!! Enemy spotted!!"
Luna could hear the sounds of paintball guns firing at each other. "Alex, get out of there!!" When the only response on her radio was static, Luna swore under her breath before raising her black paintball rifle. She would have to move fast through the Academy wilderness training grounds and get to the cabin before the enemy won the race first. As soon as she took a step, she heard a twig snap on the ground on her right. Acting entirely on instinct, she rolled to the left side and fired a paintball as soon as she came out of the roll.
The ball splattered against a tree with the blank ink inches away from another red figure's head. "I'm so glad you don't know how to aim properly, Luna," said her teammate in a deadpan tone. His own red body suit had two black spots on it.
"DON'T SCARE THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME NEXT TIME, SHINN!!!!"
A third figure in red with one black spot on his body came up from behind Shinn. "We don't have time to waste. If Alex's report is accurate, then we are running out of time for this simulation," said Rey Za Burrel in a calm tone.
**********
It had been 12 minutes since the last surviving trio of the Blue team ambushed the Red team soldier and entered the cabin which housed the safe that had the final buzzer inside. "How much longer, Meyrin?" asked a tall figure wearing a blue body suit and helmet with four black spots. If he was hit one more time, he would be eliminated from the simulation (and would have to pretend to play dead until it was over).
"You can't rush these things, Shou. I'm almost there..." She continued to work on cracking the security system that is blocking them from reaching the goal and ending the simulation in their favour.
"Dale... you camp over by that end. This way, you can tag any enemies that get by me." The cabin itself looked like a bungalow with only one floor and a basement, which had the safe. Dale moved into position and held his paintball gun ready.
The tense moment was broken when the computer console that Meyrin had been working on beeped. "I'm in!" Just as the safe unlocked itself, an object was thrown down the basement entrance from the first story and blinded the three participants.
"Meyrin, forget about us and get to the buzzer!!" The smaller figure could barely make out what was in front of her through her visor. As she began to stumble forward, the players on the Red team stormed down with paintball guns blazing. Shinn eliminated Shou and Dale while Luna's shots missed by inches. Rey saw Meyrin in close proximity to the buzzer and fired a paintball which directly hit Meyrin's helmet and eliminated her from the simulation as well since headshots were pretty much instant kills.
As soon as she fell to the ground, a voice on the radio spoke to every cadet on the simulation grounds. "This simulation is now over. Please report back to campus to receive your Individual and your Group grades for the simulation at 1900 hours."
"Nice shot, Rey," said Dale as he was helped to his feet by Luna. "I thought that you had used up all your flashbangs."
Remembering his meeting with Councilman Dullindal earlier, Rey found an opportunity to lay a small piece of the foundation for Gilbert's long-term plan. "I had wanted to save one flashbang for the cabin just in case. It seemed my patience paid off. But even with the flashbang and the element of surprise, had Shinn not efficiently dealt with you and Shou, Meyrin would have won it for your team."
"What about me?" pouted Luna.
"You missed all your shots, Luna," said Shinn in an amused tone, pointing to the splashes of black paint on the walls. "I suggest you go hit the firing range again when you get a chance."
Luna could just feel the smugness in the other cadet's voice. "Oh, be quiet!!"
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(Posted Sat, 03 Dec 2005 00:59)
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