C85 Hell's Indoctrination

She looked like she might pass out from fear alone.

Suddenly, Yin's voice broke the silence.

"09:42!"

She called out, her voice shaky but loud enough to cut through the tension.

Dracula's eyes snapped to her, locking onto her with an intensity that made Yin's blood run cold. He studied her for a moment before giving a curt nod.

"Good,"

He said, his voice steady but dangerous.

"At least someone's paying attention to my words."

Yin felt a small wave of relief, but it didn't last long as Dracula's gaze turned back to the rest of the female recruits, his voice booming through the room like a clap of thunder.

"You sh*ts better start paying attention! The Terranum Imperium has no need for Iron Fenrirs that drag others down. If you can't take it, by all means, step into an airlock and space yourself!"

The force of his words hit like a hammer, the recruits trembling under his gaze. There was no sympathy, no kindness in his tone only cold, brutal reality.

If they couldn't handle the pressure, they would be deadweight, and deadweight didn't survive in the Iron Fenrirs.

"Lesson's over,"

Dracula barked, stepping back.

"Get her on a stretcher. You have to transport her to the medbay. NOW!"

Four female recruits, including Yin and Yang, rushed forward, their bodies still shaking from the ordeal.

They quickly lifted Catherine onto a tactical stretcher from the medkit, trying their best not to jostle her injured leg. Catherine winced in pain but didn't cry out.

"Move it!"

Dracula barked again, his voice a whip driving them forward.

The recruits scrambled out of the room, carrying the stretcher as quickly and carefully as they could.

Yin and Yang were at the front, their arms burning from the weight of the stretcher as they maneuvered through the corridors of Invicta.

The ship's cold metal walls felt even more suffocating now, the echoes of their combat boots clanging as they tried to hurry through the winding corridors.

Each step felt like a thousand. Every second ticking by weighed heavily on their minds.

The first set of recruits, already breathless, passed the stretcher to another group of four after placing it on the ground and getting rebuked once again by Dracula for basically throwing the wounded Catherine to the ground who continued the journey.

"You stupid f*cks what the f*ck are you doing do you want her to become a vegetable? Thats youre f*cking battle sister that youre carrying!"

But the pace was grueling, and everyone was running on empty after the intense drills earlier in the day.

Yin wiped the sweat from her brow, her hands trembling from the strain as they finally arrived at the medbay.

Breathless, the recruits this time gently laid the injured Catherine onto an operating table in the sterile, cold room.

Above the table, robotic arms equipped with surgical tools and medical instruments hung from the ceiling, waiting to be activated.

Catherine groaned in pain as she was set down, her face pale and sweaty.

Before the recruits could even catch their breath, Draculas voice rang out like a cannon.

"You f*cking lazy f*cks!"

His voice thundered.

"You took an entire g*ddamn hour to transport your battle sister to the medbay! She's got less than an hour left before that leg is good as gone!"

The recruits recoiled at his words, their exhaustion plain on their faces, but Dracula didn't let up.

"How the f*ck are you going to evacuate someone in combat gear? On a battlefield? With your own combat gear weighing you down? You think this was hard? You haven't seen anything yet!"

The weight of his words hung over them like a storm cloud. Yin and Yang were both breathing heavily, their arms and legs trembling from the effort, but they knew Dracula was right. If this had been a real combat situation, they would've failed miserably.

After a long, heavy silence, Dracula finally turned his back to them, giving one last order.

"Dismissed. Get back to your quarters and get ready for the next lesson"

The recruits didn't need to be told twice. They hurried out of the medbay, their faces pale and their bodies aching.

As they left, the doors slid shut behind them with a hiss, and the sound of Dracula's voice still echoed in their minds.

They had survived, but they knew that was only the beginning. The real trials were still ahead, and there would be no room for weakness.

As they trudged back toward their quarters, the reality of their situation set in.

This wasn't just training. This was survival.

...

Yin and Yang were already exhausted from the day's punishing lesson, but there was no time to catch their breath.

As the group filed into a mission briefing room, the atmosphere grew even more tense. The stark lighting cast harsh shadows across the rows of combat armor lining the walls.

Each piece gleamed, a symbol of protection and power, but also of the weight they were about to shoulder.

Julian stood at the front of the room, his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was calm but laced with a sharpness that warned the recruits they were in for another grueling challenge.

"Today,"

Julian began, his voice cold and authoritative.

"you're going to learn how to properly wear and operate full-body combat armor. This isn't like wearing a jacket, and if you get it wrong out there, you'll be dead before you know it."

He walked over to one of the suits of armor, lifting the chest plate and displaying it to the group.

"This is nano-composite armor. It's lightweight but strong enough to stop light-caliber rounds and energy-based attacks from a level 1 tech, the plates are reinforced with smart materials that absorb and dissipate kinetic energy. In short, it can save youre live. But only if you know how to wear it."

The recruits watched, eyes wide, as Julian held up the helmet next. It gleamed under the bright lights, its visor reflecting the faces of the recruits staring back at it.

"This helmet is more than just protection for your head. It's equipped with a heads-up display, giving you tactical information, communication feeds, and real-time situational awareness. Night vision, thermal vision it's all built in. But remember, you don't just wear the helmet. You rely on it. If you can't get it on in time, or if you don't know how to use it, you're dead weight."

Julian began to demonstrate how to properly wear the armor, moving with a practiced efficiency that made it look deceptively simple.

He first attached the chest and back plate, securing it with a series of straps and locks, then moved on to the shoulder, arm, leg plates, and finally the helmet.

"Every piece of this armor has a function,"

Julian explained as he locked the helmet into place.

"It's not just about protection; it's about mobility, endurance, and communication. Your armor will keep you in the fight, but only if you're fast enough to get it on before the bullets start flying."

Once he finished the demonstration, Julian turned to face the recruits, his eyes cold and unforgiving.

"Now it's your turn."

A few of the recruits, including Yin and Yang, shifted nervously in their seats. They had seen how quickly Julian had donned the armor, but they knew it wouldn't be that easy for them.

"You'll have exactly sixty seconds to put on the full suit, no more. If you're slower than that, you'll be punished. Simple as that."

Julian's eyes swept over the recruits, his expression hard.

"This isn't a game. If you can't suit up in time, you'll be dead in the field."