Chapter 17 - Training the Pigs

 “Plug them in,” Tiberius stood in the viewing gallery as the crew worked on getting the new recruits hooked into the training modules. The training program they were going to run today was going to pitch the two of them against a small opposing force, but it was going to give them superior firepower. 

Tiberius knew he did not have much time to train the two new recruits, their next planetfall was coming soon and he was in need of extra hands. These two had shown some potential and he was damned if he was not going to use that potential to the best of their abilities. 

For now, the two recruits stood in the wide arena under the observation gallery like oblivious cows waiting for slaughter. Nysha was sitting next to Tiberius, handling the control program. She pressed a button and the helmets the two recruits wore activated with the slow thrum of energy. She remembered her own initiation like it was yesterday. The first string of confusion, the tickle of fear, a dash of paranoia and then the system would come online, vanishing all doubt. A potent cocktail of chemicals sub-dermally injected into their skin filled the recruits with pure will to follow the orders that were given. 

Nysha watched as both chose weapons from the inventory that was displayed in their helmets. These were constructs that were designed to help them in braving off the incoming tide of troubles that Nysha was going to throw at them. 

She was going to test them to make sure their reaction time and stamina were at least above average. The waves of their enemies were only going to get tougher as time passed and she was going to make the two earn every second they were plugged into the system. 

“Choose your weapons, boys. Here comes the pain. Fight to live. As long as you can.”

Through the command module’s screen that gave her a bird’s eye view of the whole field setup in front of her, she saw a spear of pure light materialize in Skiz’s hand and X2’s hands were filled with two menacing looking short swords. 

Nysha smiled. These two were going to need more than that if they were going to make it through only the initial waves. 

The doors of the training arena opened and the first wave poured through.