As he stood, their bodies all around him, he felt a strange tugging at the back of his mind. He felt his memories being tugged out through his skull. He was swirling through his past, his life flashing before it, him watching, unable to move.
Then he heard a loud voice, "Janor! Janor!"
His brain jerked. Janor was in a bed, his roommate, Arren standing beside him.
"You were tossing in your sleep. What were you dreaming?"
"I... don't remember," Janor said. "It was like a... a creature stealing my thoughts."
"Well, you'd better be getting ready to go to the academy. Today's test day!"
"I know, I know, don't remind me."
Arren left as Janor got dressed in his uniform.
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Janor was rushing through the battlefield, taunting death, weaving through the enemy fire and artillery, before he reached his goal and got into the enemy base. He thought he was safe when he went to sabotage the enemy defenses before he was shot in the back. Janor turned around and fell at the feet of... his instructor?
"Good job," Instructor Amarelle said, " Most of my students can't even get past the VR troopers and reach the base. You may turn out a SEAM soldier after all."
" Do you always have to do that to people who get into the base?" Janor asked.
"No," the instructor said, "Sometimes it's worse."
"So, what's my grade, anyway?" Janor asked.
"Hmm, you got past the Auto turrets, the defense soldiers, and got well into the base. I'd say... 28."
"28!? That's enough to start out as a commander, maybe even a corporal in the Strike Force! I'm definitely going to get into SEAM!" Janor said, borderline ecstatic.
"Don't be so sure, you still have to take their entry test. Good luck, cadet. You will most definitely need it."
So, what do you think?
