Chapter 340

Landfall Space Academy

Twenty minutes before their alarms were set to go off, Diana nudged Selina. "Wake up and turn on your stomach, Sweetie. I need to run the ultrasound over your back and legs again."

"It is not necessary," Selina started before wincing as she sat up.

"I didn't get as much sleep as I needed, so my mood isn't the best. Now don't argue with me; just turn over."

Selina managed a weak grin before flopping down onto her belly, then let out a long sigh as Diana spread gel over the younger woman's back and legs before turning the ultrasound on.

They discovered there had been little need to set their alarms when reveille blared out through the speakers with a sound that seemed loud enough to wake the dead. After a quick potty break, they donned exercise clothing and met on the parade ground as per their schedule.

"Luck," Diana whispered in Selina's ear as they fell in for their first ass chewing of the day.

Eventually, everyone had managed to come to Attention well enough to satisfy the instructors. "Yesterday was a freebie," the drill instructor bellowed out. "But from now on, on the drill field, failure to come to Attention in the proper manner and spaced the correct distance from the persons beside you will result in extra push-ups – for you and the person on each side of you." Diana certainly didn't remind him that the people on the sides of the group only had one person beside each of them.

"I reiterate, we cut you some slack on calisthenics yesterday, because it was orientation day. You were shown the proper procedures and you have had time to read the descriptions and watch the vids in your manuals since then. From now on, when you screw up, it will hurt. Pain tends to help you to pay attention.

"Today, I have several upperclassmen who have volunteered to help my assistants and me with your training. This is in addition to their normal workload; therefore, they may be eager to make you suffer along with them. But... if you whine to me, I will double whatever the upperclassman or my assistants have assigned you. If you want to quit at any time, it's easy; just ring the bell," he said, motioning to the center of the drill field where a large bell hung on a pole. "I'll be glad to call the shuttle to pick you up. It's not as if I haven't done it numerous times in the past – and will do again in the future."

"Now drop to the deck and assume the position for push-ups."

As Selina waited in position, her body as rigid as she could make it, she saw a gleaming pair of boots stop beside her. The sinking feeling again hovering near, she heard the dreaded, but very quiet voice say, "You won't make it to lunch. You're too skinny. There isn't a muscle on you. Hell, you probably won't make it to breakfast."

Selina's spirits tumbled despite everything she could do to prevent it. My arms are already beginning to tremble and we have not yet completed the first push-up. Why does the drill instructor continue to delay?

Determined, she willed her body to stay absolutely straight as the session began – and so did the pain. She was very sore from the previous day despite Diana's efforts with the ultrasound.

Finally, Selina had reached the twenty-five push-ups required by the instructor, and was certain she had maintained perfect form, but she heard the upperclassman say instead, "The last three didn't count. Give me six more correct ones."

Determined, she forced her body into the proper plain and managed two more perfect push-ups, only to hear her tormentor snigger out, "I knew you couldn't do it."

She struggled through another push-up, fighting to maintain proper form.

"Barely," the upperclassman said, "but we both know you'll never do three more."

Despair flared through her. I shall be expelled from the Academy on my first full day. Why is he harassing me? My push-ups were in perfect form, but now I shall fail because he has required more than the drill instructor required of the others. Even if I do survive, there are sit-ups to accomplish, then the remaining calisthenics, and finally, the morning run. Why does my race cause my body to mature so slowly? she despaired.

"I'm waiting," her tormentor said, and she knew he was smiling while he waited for her to admit that she couldn't do it.

It is very fortunate that they have not yet issued weapons, she thought as her temper began to flare.

"Get up. Ring the bell and slink off the drill field," he said much louder.

She knew the DI was now looking, and that made her angrier. She wondered how she could hurt the upperclassman, but with his height and build, he would just laugh at her – laugh harder. Frustrated even more, her anger increased until all she could think about was wanting to show the ass that she could – wanted to see his face when she knocked out the remaining push-ups with the ease that she knew that prick, Carlyle, had probably already exemplified as he had snapped out his push-ups. Seconds ticked away as that anger became white hot while the upperclassman continued to harass and taunt her.

Then just as she was about to give up, her arms trembling to hold her in position, a memory struck so intensely she almost called out. In her mind's eye, she was on a range, equally frustrated as she tried to fire a pistol that was too big for her hands. With that memory came others, and then full knowledge of an ability she had somehow forgotten. "Asshole," she whispered as she felt a force against her chest. Slowly, she relaxed her arm muscles, allowing her body to drop smoothly toward the ground, but the force kept her from touching, then assisted her arms to push her smoothly upward to the beginning position.

"Sir. How many more, Sir?" she asked in a much stronger voice. "Sir. How many additional perfect push-ups do you require me to accomplish, Sir?"

"Two more left to do," he returned, but Selina could now detect a bit of doubt in his voice.

She gave him four perfect push-ups, albeit, push-ups assisted by her TK, but no one knew that but her. She had read the manual and could quote it. There was nothing in it that forbid using TK at all. No need to share this with them, she said to herself.

The drill instructor had heard the exchange, but had not observed the skinny kid's push-ups until now, so didn't know if the upperclassman was being fair or not. Even if he were not, the instructor could not discipline him in front of the plebes. While he was hoping the kid would not get up and ring the bell, she seemed to somehow find that extra amount of effort that divided the excellent student from the average.

When Selina finished, the upperclassman whirled and walked away, but somehow his right foot got pushed a little to the left just as he made a step. His feet tangled and he fell ignominiously in front of the plebes.

"What the fuck?" he growled out as he stared at the ground around him, then bounced back to his feet. He could have sworn that something caught his foot for a moment, but there was absolutely nothing on the smooth ground that could have tripped him, and no one was near enough to have done it.

The instructor's eyes locked on Selina, but she, like the others, was still holding position, eyes locked straight ahead.

Barely able to keep his face straight, the instructor bellowed out, "Sit-ups. Buddy up and assume the position."

Even with her TK to help, Selina's muscles screamed at her as she struggled through twenty-five sit-ups, using her TK only enough to ensure that she completed the assignment correctly.

The upperclassman stood watching her more than he did the others who were nearby, but Selina took care to never look him in the face, always keeping her eyes straight ahead. Even so, she knew that he sensed that she had somehow tripped him. As she reached twenty without hesitation, he whirled and stalked off to harass another plebe. He is necessary, she kept telling herself. The academy turns out only the best – only the people who refuse to quit, so this ass actually performs a necessary function, but if I should determine that he is treating anyone else as unfairly as he treated me, I shall make certain he regrets it... She forced her mind away from him as she did her best to complete her last five sit-ups as perfectly as she could.

After progressing through the rest of the calisthenics, their morning run was next, and it started at five miles. "For the first two weeks we will run without packs, but after that, you will be carrying sixty pounds on your backs," the DI bellowed out.

Selina knew that the upperclassman was nearby and staring at her, and she also knew that he was wondering if she could even pick up a full pack, let alone run with it on her back. You might just as well discard the bell, she thought as she stared straight ahead. Remembering the manual, she forced herself to not show any emotion at all. After a moment, he spun away to take his ire out on someone else.

After a further thirty minutes of calisthenics, they fell into a double column at what the DI called "Double Time," left the drill field and were soon following a well-worn path that started behind the last building of the quad. Although the path was smooth dirt, it was far from level, winding through the foothills of the mountains beyond. Selina had been running well before she received word that she had been accepted at the academy. This time, her small body and lack of fat helped her. Three miles into the slow run found the two columns breaking up as fatigue began to tell on the ones who were not in shape.

The upperclassman slipped into the vacated slot beside Selina. She refused to look at him, continuing to keep her eyes on the shoulders of the plebe in front of her.

"You do okay without a pack, but you won't make a mile with sixty pounds on your back."

Stonefaced, Selina refused to move her eyes.

"Enjoy it while you can. The pack will do you in, and I'll be here to laugh at you when you're forced to ring the bell. Got anything to say, Plebe?" he asked with a snarl.

"Sir! No Sir!" she responded.

"Good. I didn't think you did," he snapped back before finding someone else to torment.

He and the others like him are a necessary part of training, she told herself again, then reminded herself another half dozen times, but she still wanted to wring his neck, or at least trip him near a drop-off. Certainly it would be amusing to observe him tumbling down one of these slopes, she thought as she jogged past a narrow part of the path, an unconscious smile on her lips.

"Having a good time, plebe?" the drill instructor snarled as he jogged past.

"Sir! No, Sir!" Selina responded, her smile vanishing.

In an amplified voice so everyone could hear, "Just remember, plebes, I am 'Sir' during training or on the drill field, but do not insult me by calling me Sir at any other time. That title is reserved for officers, only."

"Sir! Yes, Sir!" they all responded.

As the drill instructor jogged up and began to pace her, Diana stared straight ahead.

"Few women survive the physical conditioning," he said to her. "You either make it or you don't. We don't go easy on you just because you're female. There are many jobs in the Space Navy, and not all of them are aboard ship. But even if stationed aboard ship, the vessel might receive damage that would require strength on your part – hatches buckled that have to be pried open, firefighting, maneuvering heavy equipment to restore the ship to combat effectiveness, even routine maintenance. Not having the necessary strength to get the job done could result in loss of the ship, so the academy doesn't graduate a plebe who can't cut it."

After a moment, "But all of you remember," his amplified voice suddenly bellowed out, "just because you can easily make the physical part of your training, doesn't mean you will so easily pass your other subjects. Some of you will soon realize what teamwork really is, if ... you are to pass all your subjects. Gloat now at the ones who are struggling, but you might need the weakest plebe's knowledge when you are studying for a chemistry, math or physics exam."