06: Testing Their Limits

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch,
a smile, a kind word, a listening ear,
an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Leo Buscaglia

“Really, it isn’t so difficult if you barter. You’re trading time spent in ration lines for other items you need. It’s all about making and maintaining contacts.”

“Well, thanks,” Al said, finally backing away. “We’ll see you around.”

“Seriously,” Siluzz clucked, shaking her head and marching away from the people in the hallway. “I don’t understand why you feel obligated to encourage everyone to prattle on about the unimportant details of their lives. You don’t have enough time, or will even be around long enough to get to know them. Besides, you’re not in their position. You’re in the warrior class!”

“Hey, we’re new here. How else will we learn about Tandorian culture if we don’t ask questions?”

They’d just stashed their equipment in their assigned apartments—little more than bare rooms with peeling paint, scratched walls and floors and wonky windows. Through the entire trip, Al stopped a variety of individuals, trying to get them to open up and reveal what life on Tandor was really like for the average person. And they were more than forthcoming. It was like no one had ever asked their opinions before. They were desperate to confide in someone, even if they didn’t know them from Adam. What Al and his team learned was eye opening, as Tandor wasn’t the dream galactic civilization they’d hoped. It was certainly a massive empire, only one in a sustained and prolonged decay. Everyone seemed to know it, yet no one dared admit it.

“You’re not here to learn how the unproductive wile away their time. You’re here to do a job, and you can’t do that job until you’re trained. You need to quit this lollygagging and concentrate on the tasks at hand.”

“There’s just so much we don’t know,” Eli said, coming to Al’s defense. “So much has changed, and we aren’t prepared for the situation we’re in now.”

“That’s why we need to focus on your training. The facility is only a little further, so if you can stop chatting with every loser we pass, we may achieve something.”

“I don’t know,” Kaci said, “we’ve already learned a lot!”

“Trust me, things will be quite different once you’re in space and heading for the front.”

“Yet, if we venture on board a starship uninformed, we’ll stand out like Bozzledrogs with respiratory troubles.” Al had no clue what it meant, but Siluzz accepted it, so apparently he hadn’t screwed up the unfamiliar analogy. “What’s more, the same social schisms which exist here on the streets will also occur onboard the ships, since the Tandorian forces come from a variety of species, cultures and planetary systems.”

“Still, you can’t get caught up in how unhappy unsuccessful people are. Otherwise you’ll never be able to fly out of the nest every morning.”

‘I think you struck a nerve, Al,’ Betty told him via their link. ‘No one talks to anyone else, because they’re terrified of discovering no one is succeeding, no matter how hard they work or their vaunted positions.’

“We’re here,” Siluzz announced, the relief in her voice apparent as she ushered them inside yet another nondescript, decrepit building. Many of the windows were blacked out or boarded up with a strange substance, which did little to improve its appearance.

“Ah, there’s who I was looking for. Sgt. Tillthilf, I’ve got your new team.”

The individual turned. He was a large creature with broad shoulders. He shuffled over to them with a noticeable limp. Even without knowing how these creatures traditionally looked, it was obvious he was extremely thin, borderline starving. His cheeks were hollow, his five eyes bugged out, and his clothes draped over his form as if he was wearing the suit of a creature at least double his size.

“‘Bout time you gots ‘ere,” he mumbled, sizing their team up. “Doesn’t say much for warriors who don’t shows up in time for battle!”

“I’m sorry,” Siluzz rushed to appease him. “I couldn’t get them to stick to their schedule.”

“Sorry,” Lamar said, stepping forward, wanting to shield their host from any fallout over their behavior. “We were ... collecting intelligence.”

“Be that so?” Tillthilf asked, tilting his head and tasting the air with his forked tongue, making them wonder whether he could taste the truth with it. “What dangerous invasions did you uncover on the empty Tandor streets?”

Tillthilf’s accent was strange. While they heard the foreign sounds of the alien tongue, their translators substituted one from their own background, perhaps making assumptions based on similarities between Earth’s and Tandor’s racial divides.

“We assumed we knew Tandorian culture,” Theo said, stepping forward and offering his hand, which the Sergeant ignored. “However, our information was incredibly out of date, so we were trying to compile a more comprehensive picture of the state of the empire.”

“Your sniffin’ round won’t improve the strength of the Emperor’s Fleet, none! What’s more, you’re keeping honest men from productive work.”

“You don’t say?” Al said, glancing around the empty, threadbare gymnasium. “I don’t see many sweating bodies. I’m guessing you weren’t busy with anything else.”

“Yous gotcha a smart mouth,” he snarled, finally extending his hand. When Al took it in his and the Sergeant’s fingers wrapping around his like little snakes, he was struck by how weak his grip was for such an otherwise intimidating figure. Clearly, he’d seen better days. One of his five eyes seemed to stare off into the distance, obviously nonfunctional.

“So, what’s keeping you from the front?”

He snatched his hand back, his fingers coiling back, retreating behind his palm. “That mouth o’ yours is gonna git you kilt someday,” he warned.

“Maybe so, but not today,” Al said, motioning his people forward. “Let’s quit wasting time measuring each other’s dicks and get to work.”

Tillthilf followed him, the others behind the two men. Siluzz simply departed without as much as a goodbye, having accomplished her task. “You mighty soft, like a comfy cushion,” he said, poking the side of Al’s belly. “Your flesh is like the cushy padding we rest our asses on.”

“We’ve found it useful for a variety of situations. While soft, it provides surprisingly good balance for long-distance running, rapid cooling, and the ability to adapt to various surfaces and conditions.”

“I’ll believe it when I sees it,” he scoffed. “How much weight you lift?”

“Thirty-two tigs,” Al answered, providing the local equivalent.

“That’s all? Sheeit, that’s even less than I assumed. You be a particularly weak species. You ain’t gonna be much use to nobody!”

“How many tigs does a typical plasma rifle weigh?”

“It not the gun, it the spacesuit, oxygen, opening sealed compartments only partially blasted open. You gots ta bend thick bands of metal!”

“I’m assuming you’ve got a few creatures on board most ships who could accomplish that task. We don’t profess to be masters of all tasks, but we’re quick, resourceful, and adaptable.”

He looked Al up and down. “You don’t look to be built for no speed. You no things for thrusting, only two measly legs, meaning they can’t work in tandem. What more,” he paused to push Al with his tentacled hand, causing him to stumble, “you no look terribly stable, either.”

“We make do,” Al said, regaining his footing. “We’ve outlived and outperformed millions of years of much larger, faster and fiercer creatures. Now, everything knows to avoid us. We use our wits, not our brute strength. We don’t butt heads with our enemies. We outwit them.”

“Let’s see how you outwit laser. You gotta move pretty fast to do that!” He turned, studying the rest of Al’s team. “Yo’ people no seem any better. You sure you leader? You smaller than most,” he said, poking him in the side again.

“You’re one to speak of being thin. At least I’ve got some skin on me. You just don’t recognize fat enough to appreciate its survival value.”

He didn’t respond, instead walking faster. “Let’s see how you do with a variety of tasks. If you survive the first few, I’ll eat my Zzolhoff!”

“Hol’ on,” Sergeant Tillthilf said, doubling over and waving his hand. “Tha’s e’nough fer now.”

Al, Gary and Delilah all pulled up, approaching him to ensure he was okay.

“Shouldn’t we continue training?” Delilah asked. “After all, we don’t really need you tagging along.”

Tillthilf collapsed onto his ass, waving them off. “You’ve completed the entire program. There’s nothing else to do.”

“Honestly, we don’t mind putting in a little extra work,” Del said. “We’ve spent the last several months training for our arrival, and spent most of our time before leaving running from the authorities, who wanted to know what we were up to.”

“You’re not the fastest or strongest I’ve ever had train here, but you each bested my best times. Normally, the trainees race to finish an objective and then sit around ‘til they’re ready for the next. You,” he waved to indicate the group, “just go from one task to the next, never waitin’.”

“In a combat situation, the enemy doesn’t stop,” Al reminded him. “If you halt as soon as you gain ground, you’ll never gain any more.”

“That’s not always applicable in space,” he protested.

“Maybe, but if they stop after securing a single chamber, the rest of the ship is lost. The key isn’t being the fastest, it’s to keep going, no matter how tough the opposition.”

“For such meek lookin’ little buggers, you an odd lot. No one else is this dedicated.”

Xi came up with her ball and held it against the sergeant’s chest, as Al and the others began their cooling-down exercises.

“That’s what happens when the authorities are watching to see if you accidentally say or think the wrong thing, or don’t respond to key phrases the right way. People become more focused on avoiding trouble than getting ahead. Need I remind you, it won’t help them survive during combat when fractions of a second are the difference between life and death? Constantly watching how you respond isn’t what wins wars, continuing once you’ve reached your limit is. You shouldn’t reward the fastest, since that’s simply a fact of nature rather than a show of personal strength. Instead, you should focus on individual growth and the ability to go the extra yard needed to persevere.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” he answered, still gasping, although his color was returning thanks to Xi’s efforts. “You may have somethin’ there.” He paused to glance at Xi. “Say, doll, you do well with that antique.”

Al put his hands on his hips, scowling down at the sergeant. “Perhaps that’s because the first thing every other medic checks is whether someone is lying, or not sincere in their political views. If you focus on healing, rather than testing someone’s beliefs, you help them recover faster, which is also helpful in an emergency.”

“Stop! You made yer point. I be too old to learn new ways.”

“You’re never too old to learn, especially since your aids remove the normal aging issues. Instead, you’re merely too beaten down, like everyone else we’ve encountered. You represent an empire with no clue how to rule anymore. As long as you continue doing your superior’s bidding, you’ll never advance. However, even if you don’t toe the official line, if you produce superior results, those same superiors will take notice. People make allowances for success. It’s your best survival tactic in a military environment where everyone marches in lockstep.”

“You seriously do such things? We can hardly keep the different creatures in the same zones.”

“You need to learn to use everyone’s strength. You don’t expect them all to achieve the same results, because only the strongest will survive. Instead, you should emphasize what each is best at. Some may be strong or fast, but others make better healers, while others encourage everyone to continue, often lagging behind to keep them all on target.”

“That no sound like best survival strategy,” Tillthilf argued.

“It’s not how you win a single race, but it’s how the group as a whole survives. For each individual who continues, there’s another person to rescue anyone who’s injured, or cover you as you advance. Not everyone needs to be a Grrestoph,” Al concluded, referring to a species known for being the fastest runners—at least they were when The One’s ship first left Tandor.

“Apparently you’ve studied these things. Unfortunately, we lost most of our intellectuals early on in the war.”

Al shook his head, no one else wanting to jump in. “Again, you’ve forgotten how to recognize everyone’s strength. Instead, you measure them all by the same standard, so the same winners will continue winning, no matter how badly they perform.”

“‘K, you’ve made your point. You’re already in better shape than anyone else I’ve trained. You’ve officially completed training, though I’ll have to note you’re not ‘traditional’ soldiers.”

“Trust me, I think the authorities are aware of that,” Lamar laughed, stripping off his sweaty shirt and wiping himself down with it. “We’ve never played by the rules.”

“You’re back?” Siluzz asked, standing up quickly, dropping everything in her hands. They found her rooting around in Al, Xi and Betty’s room, digging through their possessions.

Betty marched forward, slamming her bag closed as Xi began picking up their scattered clothes. “We’ve completed training. We’re among the highest qualified candidates.”

“You’re ... kidding, surely?”

“Nope,” Al said, glaring at her from the door. “It’s absolutely true, though I’m sure you’ll hear the details soon enough, even if you’re not qualified to read the actual ratings. What were you hoping to find?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said, glancing around, looking for a believable explanation. “I ... lost something and thought it may have fallen somewhere here.”

“Inside our locked luggage?” Xi demanded.

“Surely you’ve had someone search your possessions before,” Siluzz huffed, her feathers expanding, making her appear both larger and more inefficient, like an avian blowfish.

“Sadly, we have, though we’re constantly on the alert for sneaks,” Betty said, removing a single strand of her hair from the open edge of her bag. “But we have a history of respect for individual rights. We don’t stand for abuses of power. We’ve been known to strike back ... and hurt people when it’s called for!

“You should have seen Al, Gary and Del take down an entire security team on our world. Not only that, but we broadcast their abysmal failures, so their supervisors knew how inefficient they were ... and not to fuck with us again!”

“Why would they want to have sex with you if you don’t obey orders?” Siluzz asked, despite being almost out the door.

“Get the hell out, and tell your superiors we’ll cripple you if you come near us again,” Al warned in an even tone, barely louder than a whisper. “And tell them to send someone who knows something about the real world. If no one does, then tell them to expect to learn a few things.”

“You won’t get away with this for long!” Siluzz yelled.

“We stood up to Quichoq, and not only survived, but were rewarded for it,” Xi called after her, following to toss some of her tools down the hall at her. They had no clue what any of them were, and had no desire to learn either. “You should try standing up for yourself sometime. It’s not always easy, but you’ll be stronger for the attempt, however it works out.”

“Can you believe her?” Betty asked, examining their possessions as her footsteps echoed down the hallway. “She wasn’t even embarrassed at being caught!”

“It was hardly unexpected, though,” Al reminded them. “I expect they’ll be a bit more cautious the next time.”

Xi began circling the room with her ball.

“You’re unlikely to discover any bugs,” Eli cautioned, “I’m sure their stealth technology has advanced substantially since...”

Xi silently pointed to one, followed by another two, before turning to Al, making a cutting motion across her throat. He shook his head, cupping his hand behind his ear and then imitating a microphone with his hands. She nodded, turning to Eli and Zita. “Let me help you with your stuff,” Xi offered, still holding her ball aloft. Everyone made room for her as they left Al and Betty alone to put their possessions back together and determine whether anything was damaged.

“You think these workouts will continue?” Betty asked, arching her brow.

“Undoubtedly, though they’ll get tougher in the future. They always take it easy on you the first day on a new job ... or on a new world.”

As they both worked at straightening up, Al asked Zita about her progress, including Xi and Betty in the conversation. ‘How are your rooms?‘

‘Better than yours. It seems she finished with ours early and even attempted to clean up a bit, though she made no attempt to fold anything. It’s like she wanted to make it obvious they’d been searched.‘

‘That may be either a message for us to watch our backs, or just that Tandorians are used to it and no longer question it.‘

‘Still, it looks like she searched everyone else’s room first, saving yours for last. As our supposed leader, you’d think they’d start with you.‘

‘Not necessarily. We’re dealing with a different culture. Here, the biggest bully wins. Thus leaders are more likely to push the risky activities off on their underlings, letting them suffer any flak if discovered. They probably assumed we’d do the same, considering searching our room unlikely to bear fruit. When they didn’t discover anything, they only tried ours out of desperation.‘