TRAINING CAMP, DIVISION-135

Ellie asked a good question. Are we going to the Emerald nation or not! Old Seth misunderstood the whole situation. It will be good if the whole thing is explained in detail to me. 

"Hmm, you are not going to the Emerald nation as War aid. The war has been resolved the only thing which hinders normal functioning of Emerald nation for now is absence of peace. Natives of Emerald nation are having a hard time settling in the flattened and barren land. The space patrol will be going there to maintain peace only during their settling!" Leonard James said it with a constant smile on his face. 

Another cadet rose from his seat to ask a question, it was a girl. 

"Does the War aid department consist solely of War orphans?" The girl asked in shrill voice. 

"A good question indeed! Initially it was planned that War aid department would consist solely of War orphans, but soon it was realized that it might be against the basic human rights. So, that plan was dropped." The smile he had on his face all this time started to disappear ever so slightly. 

"Could you please tell us about calibers?" Hoover asked and I added, "and about vital force too!" When I said that, the teacher standing on the left side of the stage glared at me as if rebuking me for interrupting. 

"Cadets of this division are asking me the basic questions, I am doubting the future of space patrol! Well, there are three types of calibers. You can also rank them according to their names, first one is 'prosaic' type. As the name suggests it is the most basic type of caliber. The reason for its low rank can either be the fact that it does not provide a good ability or is very hard to use. 

Second type of caliber is 'prodigious', as the name implies it is more useful and more powerful as it gives its users good abilities. The officers standing at the top of space patrol has this caliber. It is the most widely distributed caliber in the above ranks. 

Third and most powerful form of caliber is 'royal' caliber. It is present only in the royalty of the world. It can be inherited from predecessor to successor but there should be some kind of blood relation between them. Royal calibers have Holy arms specified for them."  

That explains it, but what about vital force? 

"And to answer the question of that boy above in the seats, vital force is a force found in living things and life, it is used as a fuel to use the caliber. Humans first obtained vital force and late they acquired calibers through it. Vital force is widely used by the humans because not everyone possesses a caliber in this andromeda era, so an immense number of soldiers rely on vital force!" The smile on his face faded completely and this time he didn't even ask if anybody else has any questions. 

 "So, then I will take leave!" He declared and after bowing he strutted away. 

Hell, I still had a lot of questions, but it seemed I will not get any chance to ask them, he was acting all cool in the beginning but lost his cool after cadets started to ask him questions. 

............... 

 What I have managed to learn about the event that landed me, Ellie and Hoover or our identities of this world was only this that there is a training camp that lasts for three days and start in the middle of every year which every cadet attends, and a cadet gets his training at Heinsberg academy for 3 years. but this year in 'Old Seth's' training camp there was an incident, that resulted in majority of cadets from his group injured, and they were taken to the medical wing in Heinsberg, including mine, Ellie and Hoover's original identities of this world. It took me almost an hour to drag this information out of Gil. Now, Gil sharp tooth boy and I were sitting in Gil's and my room. Old Seth did not write anything about this sharp tooth boy in his diary. 

"Hey, Rich! Where were you in the training camp?" Gil asked sharp tooth boy with scrunched eyes. Thanks to Gil, now I know how to address sharp tooth boy. 

"I was in the training camp-133!" . 

"What? Why were you in a different camp than Locke? Even though your results were mostly the same in the tests before camp." Gil exclaimed in surprised tone. 

"I heard that he was required in the training camp-135!! They even said that he along with those two wretches was the core of the mission.!" Rich shrugged and looked at me. 

"But man, that camp really had the worst luck. I mean just look at Locke's condition. He still seems to not remember about me, his first love." Rich said, with fake tears in his eyes. 

"Yeah!! Really!!" I looked at Rich with narrowed eyes. Even I knew that he was joking this time. I still did not know Rich's full name, so I asked him to show me his ID. 

"Rich, you are right about one thing, I cannot seem to remember IDs of some people could you please show me your ID!" I asked him with a mocking smile on my face. 

"You really want to see my ID or is it just for making fun of me?" He said that in serious tone. Dammit, it looks I stepped on some nerve. 

"You know that I don't have a caliber!!" He said that with his closed eyes in a tone that seemed liked he was complaining. Thank God! he was not upset or angry. 

"No, no it was just..because I forgot your name." I appealed. 

"Huhh!!!" Rich gasped loudly. 

"What I meant by that is I forgot your full name." 

"Richard Sullivan! This is my full name; my dead mother gave it to me!" He exclaimed in an angry tone. 

"Oh, oh, right I forgot the Sullivan part, my bad." I scratched the back of my head with my palm, with a sheepish look on my face. 

"Rich! Shouldn't you go to your room now it's 3 in the evening; we have to attend the basic training class. You should also go and change into your exercise uniform." Gil suggested. 

"Tch." Rich stood up from his spot and before he went outside the room, he looked at me then opened the door before saying, "Don't forget my name now and also take care of yourself, we were really worried about you, and don't slack off in the training classes." 

I could only see his back, looks like he was hiding his embarrassed face. It seems that he really cared for 'Seth'. 

..................... 

Ellie came to her room with her friend Charlotte. She adjusted in this world amazingly fast. She manipulated Charlotte into saying the names of all the people Elizabeth, the new identity of Ellie knew. 

Ellie found that the identity given to her friend Auri, 'Seth Locke' was a rival and mortal enemy of old Elizabeth. Charlotte also told her about this other named 'Norde McClark' and she had not seen this 'Norde McClark' yet, so she was not sure about who he might be but deep down she had a hunch that identity given to her friend Hoover would be of 'Norde McClark'. 

"Elizabeth!! What are you spacing out for? Pay attention I will not tell you everything again!" Charlotte declared. 

"No, it's just..I am worried!" Ellie exclaimed. 

"Worried about what? You are the best cadet in this whole branch of Heisenberg. Not even those creatures can compete with you in terms of power and intelligence." Charlotte exclaimed happily. 

"I know that, but..don't you find this strange? Only the training camp 135 faced casualty that brutal. No other other camp faced any casualty!" Ellie said in inquiring tone. 

"You know due to sheer population of cadets in Heisenberg, camps are divided into 135 groups. Each group stays in the assigned area for three days, tries to resolve as many casualties as they can to pass the test." Charlotte lectured with curling all the fingers of her right hand except for her index finger. 

Ellie knew that the best way to gain information is to keep silence when a veteran is talking. So, she kept her mouth shut. 

"So. If you look at it logically something could happen to one group out of 135 groups and it will not be strange." Charlotte gave her logical remarks. 

................... 

Hoover after coming to this new world was alone and had no one he could talk to. His roommate did not talk to him even once. Hoover guessed that this 'Norde McClark' would be some dickhead, that is why no none is talking to him. 

Hoover tried to talk to his roommate but could not as the roommate never said anything in return. 

The one who wanted to meet his transmigrated friends the most was Hoover, he wouldn't have known anything about this world if Leonard James had not shared the information. He was sitting alone on his bed when a guy who appeared to be his senior entered his room and told him that he should change into his exercise uniform as cadets were being summoned for their exercise class. 

.................. 

I went to the training hall in the basement of second building of Heisenberg with Gil. I heard that the training hall is enormous so every cadet could train at the same time. Same as auditorium, the gate of training hall was also giant, made of iron. It's floor was made from wood. 

It was open as some students were already inside before us. After entering the hall, a small robot with cube shaped face which had tyres instead of feet came rolling towards us. 

"Please swipe your IDs here!" 

It said as it came in front of us. There was indication made by arrows in his head. On top of his head was swiping place. 

First Gil swiped his card I also did the same copying him. Seeing this robot again reminded me that we are in the future now where interstellar travel and planets other than earths are inhabited. 

I looked around desperately to see if Hoover or Ellie were here. But I could not find them. Seeing me desperately shaking my head Gil asked me, "Are you looking for those wretches? They would be here soon." 

There is something bothering me from some time, who is he referring to as wretches? Why is he so against them. To answer my unasked question Gil said, 

"Both of them asked stupid questions in the auditorium, it was you who asked a good question!" Gil declared in anger. His anger was not directed towards me, instead it was directed at those whom he called wretches. 

All I can remember for now is that there were five people including me who asked questions in the auditorium. Is he talking about the Ellie and Hoover, I mean their new identities? This thought came to mind and refused to leave. 

To confirm my doubts, I said, "But you know what Gil, I spend time with them yesterday on the bed and they are not as bad as you think." 

"It really looks like you got hit hard on the head. How can you forget their insults?" 

Shit, now what do I do? I don't even know what they said to me!! But it confirms one thing, that is those wretches are indeed Hoover and Ellie's this world's identity. 

It was at this moment that while rolling my eyes to avoid gaze with Gil, I saw Ellie coming in the room. She was coming with a girl who was slightly taller than her and had blond hair. The girl looked at me with disgust in her eyes. The brown colour of her eyes was visible in her disgust. Ellie also looked at me but turned her eyes away in an instant. 

Oh, so she also knows that we have some matters to solve. It's good that I am not the only one. 

Ellie walked to the opposite of the iron gate where students were standing. I persuaded Gil to do the same. I was hoping that I could meet Hoover here, but he was nowhere to be found so I kept my eyes open to see if he came or not. 

Eventually, Hoover also came, and he was alone unlike Ellie and me, well I think I know why that might be not everyone can be lucky like Ellie and me to get transmigrated in a new world or sent in into the future and have friends! Somebody can have the worst luck. 

I wanted to talk to Hoover but chose not to since I could clearly see the hatred for Hoover in Gil's eyes. To be exact, hatred for his identity. If I could get a chance to meet with them in private it would be great but judging the situation I hardly think I will get that chance. 

"Come on! Stop looking at him like that!" I said to Gil. 

Hearing my voice Hoover turned his head towards the direction voice came from and a smile could be seen on his face. He started to walk towards me but after seeing the hatred in Gil's eyes he changed his direction and stood at the area where cadets were waiting for the trainer. 

................... 

After the hall was filled with cadets, small door vertical to giant iron door opened and a male trainer wearing an old British style robe came forward. 

"Today you will be training with your fellow partners-" 

Well, he wants no one to hinder him and is just doing the bare minimum by telling the students to train with their fellow partners. 

"With your fellow partners that were with you in the training camp!" 

What does that mean? Will I finally be able to talk to my friends!! I thought inwardly with a shred of hope. 

...............

Soon different groups were aligned at some distance from each other. I could still sense the gazes of hatred towards three of us from our friends and our camp fellows. 

There was total 16 cadets in our camp-135. 

There were 9 boys and 7 girls. 

I was looking around when the guy standing at my right side elbowed me and said, "How does it feel to be the cause of causality for everyone?!!"