Chapter 32. First Day at the Awakened Camp
The bus came to a stop with a heavy pneumatic sigh, and in that same instant harsh, blinding floodlights flared outside the window. We had arrived.
The view fit perfectly into every Hollywood action cliché about army life. Before me stretched a closed military base: endless rows of gray concrete blocks, barracks for recruits that looked as functional and joyless as possible. A little farther away stood more respectable buildings with neat facades, presumably officers’ quarters. A massive parade ground, laced with pull-up bars and obstacle structures, disappeared into the darkness. Night had fully taken over, and it was impossible to see anything beyond the lit perimeter, which, frankly, I did not particularly want to do.
The door opened with a hiss. The driver, dressed in a perfectly pressed uniform, rose from his seat and stood in the aisle, blocking the way. His voice, loud, devoid of emotion, and deliberately neutral, filled the bus.
"Welcome to the Awakened Training Center. Here you will be forged into specialists. You will learn to control your abilities and be trained in basic military disciplines. From this moment until the end of the course, leaving the camp without written authorization from the commandant is strictly prohibited. My colleagues are waiting for you at the exit, they will provide initial instructions. Any questions? Is everything clear?"
"Yes, sir," I replied first. I could not sit in the stuffy bus any longer, my body had gone numb and demanded movement.
"Hey, where’re my powers?!" Ted suddenly shouted, panic in his voice as he clenched and unclenched his fists. "What the hell, nothing’s working!"
"Mine too..." Nick said, confused, extending his hand forward as if he was trying to push an invisible object, but the air remained still.
"Yo también," Luisa echoed, her voice trembling.
"A suppression field is active within the camp. Your abilities are blocked," the driver stated dryly without even looking at them. "Access will be restored exclusively during training sessions."
The teenagers froze in genuine shock. Apparently, their supervisors had preferred to omit this small detail so as not to frighten them ahead of time. Danny had not presented it to me outright either, but considering how many questions I had pressed him with, the information had surfaced eventually.
The only one who remained completely calm was Mary. She simply adjusted the strap of her backpack and headed for the exit first. It seemed her supervisor had been far more honest or talkative than the others.
We stepped out under the blinding lights. Two sergeants were already waiting for us: a tall man with a face carved from stone and a fit woman with a piercing gaze. Without unnecessary words, they divided us. The boys were led in one direction, the girls in another. To my surprise, no one started yelling, no one tried to grind us into the dirt or demand push-ups until collapse, as is usually shown in movies.
The barracks greeted us with military austerity. Rows of single beds, minimal windows, perfect cleanliness, and the distinct smell of chlorine. On each bed lay a neatly folded set of clothes: simple loose pants and a pristine white T-shirt. When I opened the package, that sharp, factory-new scent hit my nose. I tried on the shirt, it fit perfectly. Remarkable. I had undergone a medical examination just a few hours ago, and they had already selected clothing exactly to my measurements and delivered it to the barracks. That was logistics done right.
Next to each bed stood an individual locker with a code lock. The army clearly cared about preventing recruits from tearing each other apart over stolen socks. Remembering advice from a forum, take only what you can afford to lose, I casually tossed my two books inside. No one would steal them anyway, so I did not bother setting a code.
Ted and Nick, on the contrary, approached the matter with full seriousness. They stuffed their backpacks inside and spent a long time fiddling with the locks, glancing around suspiciously as if they were hiding gold bars. What could they possibly have brought that was so valuable? Their smartphones had been confiscated back at the enlistment office.
"The barracks are locked from the outside after lights out. This is purely for your safety," the sergeant said in a friendly tone, demonstrating a heavy key. His manner was more instructive than commanding. "Restrooms and showers are available around the clock. If you’re hungry, there’s bottled water and hardtack in the lockers. Breakfast in the mess hall is on schedule."
I listened to him and felt the template in my head beginning to crack. Danny had said the camp was not hell, but I had expected a catch. In my mind, the army had always been a place where you were broken down completely. And here... honestly, the conditions were far worse in the summer camp my mother once paid a fortune for, and the counselors had been meaner.
"Don’t stay up too late, guys," the sergeant added with a final nod. "Reveille’s at six sharp. Get some rest."
The door closed, and we heard the distinct click of the lock.
"Damn, it’s only eight," Ted flopped onto his bed, immediately tearing open a pack of cookies and crunching loudly. "This is so boring. I could die."
"And there’s nothing to read..." Nick sighed, gloomily adjusting his glasses. "I knew they’d take our phones. I brought an e-reader and a player without internet access, even printed out the manual to prove it’s useless. Didn’t matter. They still took them."
"You can take my books," I said, starting to remove my outer clothing, enjoying the feel of the fresh shirt. "They aren’t allergic to paper editions here. They’re in the locker."
"Oh, really? Thanks!" Nick perked up and immediately rushed to my shelf.
"No problem. Just don’t fold the pages or break the spine."
"Are you guys seriously gonna read right now?" Ted jumped up, scattering crumbs across the issued blanket, and pulled a deck of cards from his locker. "How about we play some poker? For cookies?"
"No," I cut him off. The mere thought of spending the evening gambling with a fifteen-year-old was enough to provoke a dull irritation. "I’m going to sleep."
I did not want to engage in discussion or explain why I was not interested in his company. I simply closed my eyes and activated [Special Command: Instant Sleep].
Perhaps I should have forced myself to socialize, as Danny had advised. But at that moment, the prospect of slipping into deep unconsciousness and bringing tomorrow closer was far more appealing than trying to fit into a group of teenagers.
The world went dark instantly.
***
I woke up exactly at four in the morning. No drowsiness, no heaviness in my eyelids, the instant sleep effect had worked flawlessly, pulling me from nothingness into a state of absolute alertness. The barracks lay in dim light, broken only by faint night illumination and the steady, not particularly melodic snoring of my classmates.
There were still two full hours before the official reveille, a luxury I decided to use with maximum efficiency. Ted and Nick were fast asleep. One was tangled in his blanket like in a cocoon, the other sprawled across his bed, having dropped my book onto the floor. Quietly, trying not to make the floorboards creak, I gathered my things and headed to the showers. Hot water in the army surprised me once again. Afterward, I took my time putting myself in order, had a small snack of the ration, that same hardtack, and immersed myself in reading, enjoying the silence.
At exactly six in the morning, the silence was shattered by the harsh scrape of a key in the lock. The door swung open with a heavy thud against the wall.
"Company, on your feet!" the sergeant’s booming voice cut across the bunks like a cannon shot. "You’ve got ten minutes to get ready! Time’s ticking!"
I was already fully dressed in a fresh uniform. After calmly locking my locker, I stepped outside first, greedily inhaling the cool morning air. A couple hundred yards away, near the door of the girls’ barracks, I noticed a familiar silhouette. Mary. She stood in the same impeccable readiness, hands clasped behind her back, staring somewhere into the distance. I gave her a short nod, a gesture of courtesy between colleagues, but she only brushed me with a cold glance and demonstratively turned away. Fine by me.
"You got ready damn fast, Cadet Ross," the sergeant said suddenly as he approached. He nervously adjusted his cap and glanced at his wristwatch, checking the seconds. "You even sleep? Or did you just stand by the door all night?"
"Of course I did, sir. Just used to valuing time. I feel great," I replied, keeping my expression neutral.
"You’ve got military experience," he said. It did not sound like a question but like a final verdict. The sergeant gave an approving grunt. "Good. Less basic stuff to drill into you."
I chose not to correct him. If he wanted to interpret my preparation and discipline as prior service, so be it.
A full fifteen minutes passed before Ted and Nick finally dragged themselves out of the barracks. They looked miserable: disheveled hair, sleepy eyes, clothes askew. They shuffled across the ground like lazy seals washed ashore. They lined up beside me awkwardly. Ted demonstratively shoved his hands into his pockets, while Nick kept yawning wide enough to nearly dislocate his jaw.
"I couldn’t fall asleep half the night..." Ted mumbled, completely ignoring the sergeant. "New place, not my pillow... I’m gonna pass out right here in formation."
"Attention!" the sergeant barked, and Ted actually jumped. "Hands out of your pockets! Move!"
Startled, the teenagers awkwardly tried to copy my posture, straightening their shoulders. The sergeant delivered a short but pointed lecture about how discipline was not a whim but a method of survival. For their sluggishness, he assigned a punishment: sweeping the barracks floor after breakfast. That was all. No shouting, no humiliation.
I stood there, quietly stunned by what was happening. Was this really the army? Where was the raging drill sergeant who was supposed to force them to do push-ups in a puddle until they collapsed for being late by a minute? This felt more like a regular school where the gym teacher was afraid to raise his voice in case students complained to their parents.
"Before we begin physical training, I’ve got an important announcement," the sergeant said, stepping forward and fixing his gaze on me. "Cadet Ross!"
"Yes, sir!" I responded instantly and clearly, recalling all those training videos about military etiquette I had watched back home.
"The military committee has carefully reviewed your personal file," he declared solemnly, straightening up. "Given your age, your unique skills, and your impressive list of certifications obtained in civilian life, you’re hereby awarded the rank of Staff Sergeant!"
Something inside me twitched. Damn... first day, and I had already skipped three steps of the hierarchy. Danny had been right, my paperwork turned out to be stronger than any superpower. I gave a short nod, accepting the appointment, and returned to formation. Glancing sideways, I caught the expressions on Ted’s and Nick’s faces. A volatile mix of awe and burning envy was frozen there. At that moment, I understood the sergeant’s plan. I had been turned into a living banner, a visual example of success. Look, kids: behave properly, study hard, and you can be as cool as this guy.
"While you’re at the camp, you formally remain my cadet," the sergeant added in a softer tone.
"Understood, sir!"
"On a run, follow me! Move!"
"Yes, sir!" the boys shouted in unison. The psychological trick worked perfectly. They took off after us with such zeal as if their lives depended on that run.
The training itself, however, was almost laughable. A light half-mile jog, a couple of weak pull-ups, a dozen push-ups. I did not even lose my breath, my muscles barely had time to warm up. Watching Ted and Nick, who were drenched in sweat and wheezing as if they had run a marathon through a desert, I became completely certain. The program was tailored to their teenage level. And I was here like a chaperone in a kindergarten. Moreover, the sergeant was clearly trying not to push me to my limits, so that I would not completely crush the already fragile self-esteem of the youth.
Only once, when the boys crawled toward the pull-up bars, the sergeant pulled me aside and asked me to run a hundred yards at maximum speed. I launched forward. The wind whistled in my ears, and the ground beneath my feet blurred into a gray streak.
"Damn..." the sergeant exhaled, looking at his stopwatch when I stopped. "You’re actually faster than Usain Bolt."
He had clearly been given the results of my medical evaluation. He understood that pushing me to exhaustion with standard exercises was like trying to fuel a racing car with lawnmower gas.
After an hour and a half, this beginner-level fitness session ended. At eight in the morning, the mess hall opened. There we met the girls’ unit, they had trained separately with their instructor. The mess hall was spacious, sterile, and functional. There was no menu, but the portions were well balanced: a heap of fresh vegetables, a solid piece of meat, porridge, and a small dessert. Real fuel for the body.
"That was pure hell," Ted croaked, nearly dropping his face into his bowl of porridge. "My hands are shaking, I can’t even hold a fork."
"That’s because you’re weak and a whiner," Mary cut in from across the table. She looked fresh, as if she had just stepped out of a spa. "At scout camp I used to do twice that distance every morning. By the way, for my achievements and all the badges I earned, I got the rank of Junior Sergeant!"
"Pff, big deal, badges..." Ted muttered, picking at his meat. "He got Staff Sergeant right away today!"
Silence fell. Everyone looked at me. I simply nodded without a word, continuing to methodically deal with my breakfast.
"Well, that makes sense, Tom’s an adult," Mary said, trying to save face, but I noticed the flicker of irritation in her eyes. Her self-satisfied look vanished instantly.
Mary, Mary... a very interesting girl. First the Spanish, now the scout training. She was clearly following the same pattern as I was. Someone had supplied her with information about the Corps, and she had spent time preparing with intent. Perhaps she also had a solid reason to remain in the ordinary world and enter the army as prepared as possible.
"Breakfast’s over," the sergeant’s voice sounded as he approached. "Finish up and form up on the parade ground. We’re starting superpower training."
"Finally!" Ted jumped up, forgetting his exhaustion and trembling hands. "Now you’ll all see what I can do! Real power!"
The teenagers instantly came alive, talking over each other, sparks of excitement dancing in their eyes. As for me, I felt uneasy. Physically, I dominated them without effort, but now... now their S-Power was coming into play. And I understood that in this domain, my advantage as an adult could vanish in a fraction of a second.
It seemed the easy walk was over.