Day 11

The gym doors slid open for me and the space transformed as I stepped inside. What? How did it do that?

<<Macro-field emitters, Captain,>> Doli deadpanned.

Holographic training stations materialized across the floor, each occupied by a spectral figure moving through combat forms that would have been impossible for human anatomy. Sylvk stood at the center, his muscular frame outlined by a glowing diagnostic mesh that tracked every muscle group's efficiency in real time.

He greeted me with a nod. "You were here at what time?" I yawned, blinking away sleep.

"An hour ago," he replied, dismissing his personal biometric display with a gesture. The ghostly figures continued their impossible routines around us.

"You have a special access protocol? The system said it only just opened to cadets."

He nodded and tapped the neural port at his temple. "Custom training regimen. Benefits of being top-ranked in tactical specialization."

"Good to know."

The floor beneath us shifted subtly as Sylvk stepped onto a designated area, motioning for me to join him. The material transformed from a standard impact-absorbing polymer to a reactive surface that adjusted resistance with each movement.

"Stand here," he instructed, guiding me to a circular platform that immediately illuminated with a soft blue glow. A wireframe outline of my body appeared in the air before me, displaying muscle activation in real-time. The system looked disappointingly like a Christmas tree, far more red than green showing 62% of muscle groups below target activation thresholds.

"The adaptive platform will push back proportionally to your strength," Sylvk explained, demonstrating a simple squat that caused the floor to pulse beneath him. "It builds resistance exactly where you need it, based on your real-time biometrics."

I attempted the same movement, feeling the strange sensation of the floor simultaneously supporting and challenging my muscles. "You're stretching a lot further already," he grinned as the platform's diagnostics showed a 1.5% improvement from my baseline. "Feeling different?"

"I am," I said, watching my wireframe adjust in real-time as my form improved. "I didn't think I'd see results in this short of a timeframe."

"The adaptive tech speeds your muscle memory formation," he explained, manipulating a floating control panel to adjust my settings. "Imagine where you'll be in a few months. You're flying already."

As I moved through the exercises, my HUD displayed performance metrics compared to academy averages. The gap was significant but narrowing. While my body worked, Sylvk activated a neural training simulation that projected combat scenarios directly to my visual cortex, forcing my brain to solve tactical problems while my muscles struggled against the adaptive resistance.

"Multi-level conditioning," he explained, noting my surprise. "The academy doesn't just want strong bodies. They want integrated systems. Brain and muscle working in harmony."

Kerry joined us thirty minutes later. Her biometric mesh activated as she crossed the threshold, academy tech recognizing her signature and preparing her customized regimen. Her wireframe showed advanced muscular development with optimizations I didn't yet have access to.

"You've got him on the neuromuscular integration already?" she asked Sylvk, raising an eyebrow as she slid into a stretching station that adjusted perfectly to her flexibility metrics.

"He needs the accelerated protocol if he's going to catch up," Sylvk replied, his eyes flicking to my performance metrics. "His cognitive adaptation is off the charts, but the physical integration is lagging."

I pushed myself even harder, driving against the adaptive platform until my body ached and warnings flashed across my HUD.

Warning: Myofibril strain at 84%

Auto-down-regulating resistance.

The system automatically adjusted, preventing an injury while it maximized gains. I realized this was far more sophisticated than the crude weight training I'd tried back at Mart's and Sparks.

The two hours passed in a blur of physical exertion and neural challenges, lifting weights while solving spatial puzzles projected directly into my visual field, running on platforms that simulated different planetary gravities, and reaction drills that tested my reflexes against holographic opponents.

By the time we finished, my performance metrics showed a surprising fifteen percent improvement across all domains. The system logged everything, updating my academy profile in real-time. As we headed to our next class, I noticed the slight tremor in my fingers—not just from physical fatigue, but from the neural training that had pushed my entire system to its limits.

"Your integration curve is steeper than I expected," Sylvk noted as we stretched out. "Most recruits take weeks to adapt to simultaneous physical and neural training."

"Maybe fixing broken machines for years trained my brain to multitask," I suggested, secretly pleased at the modest success.

"Or maybe," Kerry added with a sly smile, "there's more to you than meets the eye."

If only they knew.

As we headed to our next class, I noticed the slight shift in the way my team regarded me—less like a fragile outsider, and more like someone who might actually belong.

The feeling didn't last long.

The sprawling obstacle course lay before us, a brutal maze of walls, tunnels, and agility challenges designed to simulate the chaos of combat. My stomach clenched at the sight of cadets already preparing themselves mentally and physically—some stretching, others bouncing on their toes to loosen tight muscles.

Andri stepped up beside me, a confident smirk spreading across his face. "Try not to embarrass yourself, tech boy," he jeered, flexing ostentatiously.

Embarrass myself? Yeah, I was going to do that… and worse… embarrass my team.

Sylvk flexed his muscles, and I had to do a double take. I knew he was big, but damn, his muscles bulged in places I didn't know you could get muscles. He wasn't at all bothered by the size of the course ahead. Kerry jogged on the spot, brimming with nervous energy. Rob stood silently, gaze unwavering, determination etched into his features.

I squared my shoulders, attempting to project a confidence I didn't yet feel. Whatever ground I'd gained this morning was about to be put to the test—and I had no illusions about what would happen if I failed now.

"The aim is finishing the course," Sergeant Major Cotah barked his orders, his voice cutting through the morning fog, as cadets stretched and sized up their competition.

"As fast as possible." Professor Zhal added. "Do not hang around. You hang around, you're dead. Understood?"

"Understood," everyone fired back. "Sir!"

My stomach churned. My chunkier frame and lack of physical conditioning were evident compared to the muscular cadets surrounding me. I clenched my fists, trying to ignore the snide remarks from Andri. He moved to talk with Devin, and I caught their laughter, the not so shy glares.

The whistle blew, and the cadets surged forward. I lagged behind almost immediately, my arms and legs protesting with every strained movement. By the time I reached the towering wall climb, my chest heaved, sweat dripping into my eyes.

The wall stood as an impossible barrier. Several cadets leapt up with ease, their strength carrying them to the top. I studied the structure, my mind racing.

<<Do you see it, Captain.>> Doli asked.

I stared a while longer. A pattern emerged: the placement of grips and supports wasn't random but formed a hidden sequence.

There was no way I was going up with my limited strength, not today. Maybe not for a while—my training was not good enough to be around these fitness fanatics.

<<I think I do.>>

A maintenance crate had spilled its kit earlier—nobody had bothered to tidy it. Grabbing a frayed rope and a loose carabiner, I fashioned a makeshift grappling tool.

With a desperate throw, I latched onto a high beam and hoisted myself upward. My ascent was clumsy but effective. By the time I reached the top, gasps rippled through the watching crowd.

"That's cheating!" Andri shouted, pointing accusingly.

"Wrong," Sergeant Major Cotah interjected. "That's resourcefulness."

It was however not enough for me to keep up, the others in my team were way ahead. Kerry had glanced back the once, but I'd waved her on. I did not want them losing anything because of me.

Five minutes after the others had all finished, I stumbled across the finish line, collapsing in a heap. My muscles screamed in protest, but I couldn't suppress the grin. I'd still made it. Last, but I'd made it. I'd still finished.

My team surrounded me. Sylvk held his fist out, and I bumped it. "Nice job," he said. "I wasn't sure you were anywhere near fit enough for it."

"I'm not," I replied. "But I finished."

"You did," Rob said. "Respectably too."

Kerry's shoulders slumped as a weary sigh escaped her lips, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. Yet, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, betraying the quiet relief that settled within her. "Every point still adds up."

"I know," I replied. "I know."

"Glad you didn't ditch it," she smiled and also held her fist out.

I bumped hers with a little more vigor now that I was recovering.

From the other side, Andri's glare burned into the side of my face, and I ignored him.

"Creative move," Devin remarked, handing me a water bottle. "Not everyone would've thought of that."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Yeah, but it wasn't exactly by the book," Andri sneered, his tone dripping with contempt. "If you can't climb a wall properly, what good are you in a real fight?"

"Someone who can overcome any obstacle." I retorted. "Put something in front of me, no matter what. I am going to finish."

At the back of my mind, though, I was worried. So far, I'd managed to work around almost everything they'd thrown at me. I knew it was a matter of time before something really knocked me on my ass.

<<You really think that?>>

I didn't answer her.

"Take a short break for some food before the next test," one of the instructors ordered.

Kerry bumped me. "Come on, food. All that exercise this morning, I'm starving."

My stomach growled again on cue, and I rubbed it, nodding.

"Seems Piotr is too." Rob laughed.

***

The mess hall buzzed with chatter and laughter as trays clattered and food was doled out. I found a seat next to Rob and Kerry, who were mid-debate about Andri's dramatic leap during the obstacle course.

"He looked like a damn superhero," Rob said with a grin. "Shame he missed the landing."

Kerry chuckled. "You're bitter he finished ahead of you."

I smiled, but my attention drifted to my tray of food. My arms still ached, and my mind churned with thoughts of the next test.

<<You'll be fine,>> Doli tried to reassure me. <<You're growing rapidly.>>

<<Such a cliché after that last test.>> I paused. Humor? <<You totally said that on purpose didn't you?>>

No answer.

No answer.

"Hey, Piotr," Rob said, nudging me. "Still scheming? Or are you mentally redecorating the mess hall?"

"Both," I replied dryly, earning a laugh from the group. "Checking my stats, actually."

"Oh," Sylvk brightened immediately, looking up from crunching his massive pile of food. "What's the difference?"

"Physical mostly."

He held his wrist out for me, and I put mine to his allowing him to see my stats.

"No fair," Kerry whined.

"Who is looking after his physical wellbeing?" Sylvk growled and then after his eyes glazed a moment he was nodding. "Excellent progress."

"Thanks," I beamed. "It's good to see the changes."

Sylvk noted Kerry still frowning. "He's down 6lb and up in muscle. BMI reflects it."

<<Mental integration at 80 % synergy with my subroutines. Stats show Perception increased too.>> Doli praised.

Of course I had to look then too.

Name: Piotr Argassa

Age: 23

Species: Human

Bonus: None

Height: 6'2

Weight: 184lbs

BMI: 22%

Fitness: 75%

IQ: 155 CAR: 9.7

Education: None

Stat

Level of 10

Description

Mods

Endoskeleton

1

Load tolerance / impact shock

C4 Port Upgrade

Mental Energy

6 ↑

Swiftness of the mind.

DOLI - nano chip *not public*

Perception

7

Senses and connection to the system.

DOLI - CI Assistant *not public*

Dexterity

3 ↑

 

Also governs agility and movement.

 

Toughness

5 ↑

Body and internal fortitude.

 

TRAITS

Active Traits:

Recursive Debugger Effect: Logic Trace +5% Triggered through repeated systems troubleshooting under pressure. Enhances ability to isolate code faults, exploit debug pathways, and override error loops.

Spatial Systems Intuition Effect: Navigation Aptitude +5% Displayed during high-stress structural navigation and architectural adaptation. Enables environmental mapping and route prediction under shifting conditions.

Adaptive Problem Solver Effect: Non-linear Systems Logic Evident in field simulations and crisis improv. Allows for abstract bypass of conventional fail states, including hybrid patching and hardware override tactics.

Situational Strategist Effect: Strategic Foresight +5% Unlocked through decision-making under high consequence scenarios. Prioritizes macro-level outcome survival over personal or procedural bias. Enables predictive HUD overlays during field planning.

Traits in Progress:

Pattern Intrusion Response (Progress: 16%) Function: Detects complex threat signatures, sabotage vectors, and irregular system behavior. Progress indicators include anomaly review, logic-bomb aftermath analysis, and autonomous recon of embedded security data.

Watchlist Traits:

Empathic Synchronization (Warning – inactive) Seeded by Piotr's unique emotional influence on adaptive AI systems. Potential activation if behavioral convergence occurs between him and an AI entity under stress. Indicators include: Emotional divergence between Doli-1 and Doli-2 Emergent affective feedback patterns under mission failure

<<Your mental integration is now at 80 % synergy with my subroutines.>> Doli praised.

Neural Integration: 80 %

NOS-Pathway Adaptation Index: 67 %

Cognitive-Motor Latency: –14ms

"Well, Mr. Shortcut," Kerry said, smirking. "What's your brilliant plan for beating the next test?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out," I said, my tone light but my determination burning beneath the surface. Sylvk sat with a tray of snacks, shoving them in his face.

"Any ideas what the next test might be? What kind of simulations?"

"Could be anything," Rob said. "They change it all the time. Nothing is predictable here."

I groaned. I hoped it would be easier than the flight simulations, at least.

Break was over way too fast, and we made our way back to the auditorium.

"Follow me." Sergeant Major Cotah turned quickly and led us away.

The next room was breathtaking, a vast space illuminated with sharp overhead lights that made me flinch until my eyes adjusted. I grinned. There before me stretched row after row of state-of-the-art simulation pods. Each pod was sleek and futuristic, with a seamless blend of matte black surfaces and softly pulsing lights in hues of blue and green. Their curved, egg-like design suggested both comfort and sophistication. This was better than anything I'd ever dreamed of.

I rubbed my hands together. I'd played all the video games I could, been in prototype pods back in the old arcades, but this... this was what I wanted more than anything. I'd loved to have gotten my hands on one of the pods to play with instead of the games.

Doli chuckled inside my head. <<Why are you laughing?>>

<<Typical Engineer,>> she replied.

She wasn't wrong, though. My hands twitched with excitement, and I forced them to my sides while I waited for further instruction. Above, a vaulted ceiling shimmered with embedded displays projecting holographic images of virtual worlds in vivid, almost lifelike detail.

Sergeant Major Cotah gestured proudly to the nearest pod as we drew closer, its door sliding open soundlessly to reveal a plush interior lined with ergonomic cushioning and an array of tactile controls at the perfect hand height. "These pods," he began, "are equipped with the academy's state-of-the-art neural interface technology, capable of immersing users in simulations so real, they rival the waking world. The civilian sector won't see tech like this for decades."

Around us, the others picked a pod. Some stepping into them with practiced ease while other instructors monitored data on large, glowing consoles.

<<Each of you will be isolated, your senses immersed in a hyper-realistic virtual reality. Tasks: solve escalating problems, from codebreaking to rerouting power grids, all under relentless time pressure.>>

<<No pressure at all then?>>

<<I believe in you,>> Doli said.

I was glad, because with every test I did, I was losing belief in myself.

"These puzzles are designed to push your cognitive limits to the maximum," Sergeant Major Cotah said. "You'll need logic, creativity, and calm under extreme pressure. Good luck."

I steadied my nerves as I slipped into the pod. Here, in the realm of puzzles and systems, I was much more at home. Physical tests, nope. Ship maneuvering, nope. But here….

<<You're excited?>> Doli asked. <<I'm confused.>>

<<This is me,>> I replied. <<Everything I love to do, in one spot.>>

<<Like fixing me?>>

<<Or any other machine, yes.>>

The first challenges were straightforward.

Like the flight testing, or the Zero-G I navigated digital mazes, I decrypted encoded messages and repaired failing circuits with relative ease.

The maze though, it required me to adapt quickly, too quickly, and though it wasn't hard, it was making me think. I noted patterns in pathways that reset dynamically, and then when they sprung up, I found efficient ways to bypass traps by rerouting energy to disable barriers and other moving parts.

The encoded messages demanded a sharp eye for linguistic nuances, and my knack for spotting inconsistencies proved invaluable.

Repairing circuits tested my technical skills, requiring me to work under simulated pressure as sparks flew from failing panels.

But as the levels advanced and the problems grew more abstract—I found I still wasn't struggling.

<<Is this too easy?>>

<<Yes.>> I sighed. <<You think I'm doing them too fast?>>

<<I can't say for sure. But you are fast.>>

That made me smile.

The next stage required me to reconstruct an incomplete schematic of an alien device, piecing together functions based on trial and error combined with deductive reasoning.

It felt like I was slower here, but Doli didn't agree.

Another demanded simultaneous multitasking: solving a logic grid puzzle while managing a simulated team of bots to prevent an artificial reactor meltdown.

<<You have an amazing technical mind,>> Doli complimented.

<<To work with you, and Ashley, I have to have.>>

<<Am I a challenge?>>

That surprised me. <<Yes,>> I replied honestly. <<But so far, something we're working through.>>

<<She's quite brilliant too, is she not?>>

<Stop digging,>> I chided.

<<You won't admit you like her? I am trying to figure out why you won't tell me.>>

The final puzzle kicked in—a seemingly unsolvable system lock.

<<Everyone else has stopped,>> Doli informed me.

<<They've completed it?>>

<<I'm not sure, there's a lot of frustrated talking.>>

It presented an encrypted system with layers of overlapping defenses that reset with every failed attempt. Conventional logic wouldn't work here. I had to think deeper.

With my mind firing on all cylinders, I studied it as it reset. There were several resets I could try, but this... no, it followed a pattern, resetting only partially under certain conditions. So, exploiting this, I forced the system to reset in a controlled manner, gradually stripping away its defenses layer by layer. For the final lock, I used an elegant shortcut: rewriting a segment of the system's code to trick it into opening.

The simulation acknowledged my solution with a soft chime.

TEST COMPLETE

90 minutes

I emerged from the pod to find the instructors exchanging impressed glances, and almost the entire class was slow clapping.

Even Andri couldn't hide his surprise. Devin elbowing him to at least attempt to join in.

Rob slapped me on the back. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

Sergeant Major Cotah and Professor Zhal walked toward me, pulling me aside from the others.

"You think differently," Professor Zhal said, her tone serious. "That makes you dangerous, for better or worse. Keep honing it."

"Did no one else complete the last task?" I asked.

"No one," Sergeant Major Cotah replied.

Pride swelled, tempered by the weight of Zhal's words.

"Congratulations," Professor Zhal announced and with a wave of her hand pulled up the leaderboard.

There were again no names for anyone else to see. But that top spot read –

1- 8 tasks complete

2- 7 tasks complete

3- 7 tasks complete

4- 7 tasks complete

5- 7 tasks complete

6- 6 tasks complete

7- 6 tasks complete

8- 6 tasks complete

9- 5 tasks complete

10- 5 tasks complete

"Take your lunch break, we'll convene again in three hours, let it settle."

When people started to move away, Rob and Kerry moved in. Sylvk went to the instructors.

"That was outstanding." Kerry said.

"When everyone gave up, you were the only one missing."

"It was clear you weren't giving up. Devin persuaded the instructors to let us see exactly what you were doing."

"They let you watch me?" Heat flushed up my neck.

"Don't be embarrassed," Kerry said. "That was amazing. I never thought like that, I just didn't see it."

My HUD caught her elevated heart rate as she spoke.

Doli murmured in my mind, <<Her response pattern just changed.>>

<<Emotionally?>>

<<Yes. She respects you now. Real data.>>

I smiled at her.

"You got the top spot," Rob congratulated.

"Only because the last task was built for someone like me," I said, downplaying it. But deep down, I knew that wasn't the whole truth. I'd solved it because I couldn't not solve it. "No one knows the rankings of anyone else, though, right?"

He shook his head. "Not at all, but I'd imagine it's a pretty even split. I struggled with only one other task."

"Same," Kerry admitted.

"So top three?" I asked.

"Maybe!" Kerry said.

Sylvk came over a moment later—his face told us something wasn't right. He was pale, and sweaty.

"What is it?" Rob asked.

"I'm feeling sick," he said.

Kerry's face changed from teasing me to sheer concern in a flash. "What kind of sick?"

Sylvk wobbled slightly. "I can't put my finger on it, Professor Zhal told me to go to the infirmary."

Something in his posture didn't sit right—more than fatigue. His pupils were dilated, skin tone off.

<<Captain, I am monitoring his biometric output. Something is not normal.>>

Kerry linked arms with him, "Come on then."

"I can't leave you," he said. "The next test is in a few hours."

"You think you're hungry?" Rob asked, hopeful.

"No, this isn't hunger," he clutched his stomach.

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