Chapter 23: Next Stop; Geras
Elias scanned his surroundings, his eyes darting from one group of recruits to another as they sparred, jogged, and hauled equipment across the grounds. The clanging of weights and the sharp bark of commands filled the air. Despite the modernized look of the facility—the advanced equipment and sleek structures—the atmosphere was familiar, almost hauntingly so.
"This looks a bit different than I remember," Elias thought, his gaze lingering on a line of soldiers practicing formations in perfect sync. "But the atmosphere is much the same."
Dot's voice piped up from within, curious as always. "Are these good memories or bad memories?"
Elias sighed, his irritation slipping out in a low mutter. "It'd be nice if you'd just stay out of my head. They're called thoughts for a reason."
The recruits filing off the bus didn't seem to notice his small outburst as they formed ranks under the stern commands of an officer standing nearby. Draped in the usual crisp uniform wearing the sharply angled campaign hat, the officer barked orders, his voice cutting through the background noise with precision.
Elias lingered at the back of the bus, observing as Marcus was placed at the front of the formation. The bus driver, noticing his hesitation, closed the door behind the last recruit and addressed him. "I'll drop you off at the officers' training deck."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Officer training deck? What about what we just passed?"
The driver glanced at him briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "That was the general rank training deck. You know the difference, don't you? Officers and enlisted—entirely different levels of training and responsibility."
Elias nodded. "Makes sense. It's just been... a while."