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Dataset card Data Studio Files
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"Yep," Halloran nodded cheerfully. "But for Cobras cross-country's faster than all those hallways."
"Cross-country as in around?" Jonny asked, peering down the eight-story structure heading halfway to infinity in both directions.
"As in over," Halloran corrected. Facing the wall, he flexed his knees. "Last one to the top's a gum-bumbler-and any windows you break come out of your pay."...
* * *
The second week passed as the first had, with long days of Cobra exercises and equally long-or so it seemed-evenings of military theory. Every day or two the...
But through all the work, practice, and memorization-through the physical and mental fatigue-two unexpected observations managed to penetrate Jonny's conscio...
The latter bothered him more than he cared to admit. Viljo's suggestion that the Moreau family had somehow bribed the instructor was absurd, of course . . . ...
More to the point, why was Bai doing it?
He wasn't the best of the trainees, certainly-Deutsch alone proved that. Nor, he thought, was he the worst. The youngest? Oldest? Closest physically to some ...
But whatever the reason, there was no response he could think of except the one he was already using: to endure with as much outer stoicism and inner calm as...
And then the third week began; and all that had gone before paled to the relative significance of a quiet summer's stroll . . . because on the first day of t...
* * *
"It's dead simple," Bai told them, gesturing to the ceiling barely two meters above their heads. "You first key your targeting lock on the spot where you int...
One by one they all performed the ceiling jump that had been their first introduction to Cobra abilities those four long weeks ago. Jonny had thought himself...
They went through the exercise five times each, and with each flawless jump Jonny's anxiety and general feeling of weirdness eased, until he was feeling almo...
As he should have expected, though, he wasn't allowed to feel comfortable for long.
* * *
They stood atop a five-story building, looking over the edge at the ground below and the reinforced wall facing them about fifteen meters away. "He's got to ...
Jonny nodded wordlessly, his eyes shifting to Bai as the instructor finished his verbal description of the maneuver and stepped to the edge to demonstrate. "...
His legs straightened convulsively, and an instant later he was arcing toward the facing wall. He hit it feet first about five meters down, his shoes scrapin...
He disappeared inside. "I think I'd rather take my chances with a straight jump," Noffke said to no one in particular.
"That's fine for a five-story building, but you'd never make it with anything really tall," Deutsch shook his head. "We do have some real cities on Adirondac...
"I'll bet the Great Horizon Hope could give you a dozen more reasons why this is a good maneuver," Viljo put in, smiling sardonically at Jonny.
"Would you settle for two?" Jonny asked calmly. "One: you're never in free fall for very long this way, and besides making for a softer landing that'll play ...
He had the satisfaction of seeing some of the other trainees nodding in agreement, and of watching Viljo's smirk sour into a grimace.
* * *
There was more-much more-and for ten days Bai put them through their paces. Gradually, the daily computer modules began to remove the restraints set onto the...
Almost.
"There comes a time, Cobras," Bai told them that final afternoon, "when training reaches a saturation point; where drills and practice don't hone so much as ...
"So, starting tomorrow morning, combat is what you're going to get. Four days of it: two solitaire and two in units. You'll be up against the same remotes yo...
It was a somber group that gathered in Jonny's room that evening after dinner. "I wonder what it's going to be like," Noffke said, sitting at the table shuff...
"Not easy, that's for sure," Singh sighed. "We've already had minor injuries when everyone knew what he and his opponents were doing. We could very well lose...
"Or several someones," Halloran agreed. He was standing at the window, staring out. Past his shoulder Jonny could see a sprinkling of lights from other parts...
"They wouldn't make it dangerous enough to actually kill us, would they?" Noffke asked, though his tight expression indicated he already knew the answer.
"Why not?" Halloran retorted. "Sure, they've spent a lot on us-but there's no sense letting marginal ones go on to get killed the minute they land on Adirond...
"To save some money where possible," Jonny grunted. "Parr, stop shuffling those cards-either deal them or put them away."
"You know what we need?" Viljo spoke up abruptly. "A night out of this place. A few drinks, some music, a little conversation with real people-especially of ...
"And how exactly do you expect to persuade Mendro to let us out for this little sortie?" Deutsch snorted.
"Actually, I wasn't planning to ask him," Viljo said calmly.
"I think that qualifies as going A.W.O.L.," Halloran pointed out. "There are lots of easier ways to get ourselves crusked."
"Nonsense. Bai said we were off-duty, didn't he? Anyway, has anyone ever explicitly told us we were confined to Freyr Complex?"
There was a short silence. "Well, no, now that you mention it," Halloran admitted. "But-"
"But nothing. We can sneak out of here easily enough-this place isn't even guarded as well as a regular military base would be. Come on-none of us is going t...
Because tomorrow we might die. No one said those words aloud, but from the shifting of feet it was clear everyone was thinking variations of them . . . and a...
"I'm in," Noffke nodded quickly. "I hear there's good card games to be had in the pleasure centers in town."
"Along with lots of other stuff," Deutsch nodded. "Druma; Jonny? How about it?"
Jonny hesitated, his brother's words about decadence and holding onto his ethics flashing through his mind. Still, Viljo was right: nowhere in their verbal o...
"Come on, Jonny," Viljo said, using his first name for the first time in days. "If you can't justify it as relaxation, think of it as practice infiltrating a...
"All right," Jonny said. After all, he wouldn't have to do anything in town he didn't feel right about. "Just let me change into my other fatigues-"
"Phrij on that," Viljo interrupted. "Those look fine. Quit stalling and let's go. Druma?"