“All right recruits! Step in the line! One by one each of one of you maggots, first of your group MOVE!” instruct the officer that accompany each group.
The lines have yet to make a move. Each first person on the groups have to be the first one to go, the screen also flashed again the word “BATCH 1”, the tension increase in the air, many whispers and murmurs can be heard in the surrounding, few seconds have passed, the first one to make move towards the medic team is a person from the line three, and not long after, each one of all the first line move forward, some seems as if their legs are made of noodles that can’t barely hold their body to stand, some move like your everyday clinic visit to doctor, some reluctant and some even looking back at their line only to get confused reaction from the other people.
“GOD DAMN IT RECRUIT! WHEN I SAID MOVE! YOU MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE DAMN PLACE!” shout the officer from the line the person that look back.
“Y-Y-Yes..” said the recruit nervously and stuttered, while moving quickly forward with their legs crossing each other and then fell. You can feel some people hold their laugher because of the tension. The officer looking at the fell recruit and shout.
“DAMN IT, FOR GOD’S SAKE WAKE UP AND GO!!“ the officer quickly facepalming himself and sigh as he shout.
“Y-Y-Y-Yes!..” said the recruit and then quickly standing up and move to the medic team.
There are 10 lines of the group for this phase, first batch of recruits who stepped forward, their faces are mix of dread, hopeful and some even nonchalant. Each by one of them step in to the vicinity where the machine and the medic team standing, the medics in their tactical suits stood ready to give the instruction. The priestesses, with their visor hiding half-up of their faces, concealing the eyes and their emotions, but the exposed lips give glimpse of gentle smile to seems comforting and reassuring the recruit that all is going to be fine and all right, both of the priestesses and the medics in each group presence both comforting and unnerving. The screen then switched out to Negi-chan’s holographic avatar, her ears twitching as she give the encouragement to the first batch of recruits.
“Hiiii, Batch One!! Let’s us begin the phasing! Remember, this is but a beginning to reach your dream!, but with one step more will follows! Every steps is going make you closer, Nyaa~!”.
Every single batch 1 recruits facing the medics, and then the medic would ask each one of them question before administrating the serum.
From the farthest right there’s a burly man with a shaved head and a permanent scowl appearance. The medic begins asking him some questions.
“State your name and where are you from” utters the medic with crisp voice towards the man with their hands holding a tablet like device that seems to be a validation device to validate and cross check the recruits’ data.
“Darius, and why where I’m from matter?” replied the man, his voice a low snarl, as if daring to challenges the medic officer.
“I said once again, where are you from?” repeat the medic still ignoring the Darius.
“Tsk, i come from nowhere!” the man replied again but this time his tone vibrate in the air to signify his annoyance.
“I will repeat this one last time, where are you from?” replied the medic still nonchalant and ignoring the man’s reaction.
“I SAID WHY DOES IT MATTER!! JUST INJECT THE SERUM ALREADY!!” shout the man fiercely, his voice echoes throughout the room.
“The rules are stated in your contract when you’re signing up to this and become an enlistment, one of them is to answer what question you’ve been given to by your superior” said the medic still not stutter or have any meaningful reaction to the man’s anger.
“WELL I SAY FUCK EM’ RULES, MY NAME IS ENOUGH TO TESTIFY MY IDENTITY RIGHT??!!” shout the man again this time louder than before.
The medic officer sigh and then placing the tablet to their vest, immediately after that grabbing the man’s arm, the sudden motion followed by her arm swinging the man’s body, the swing made it seems so easy as if she was flipping a cloth out of the bed, and that said cloth was being forcefully thrown with out of the bed with blink of an eye. The man flew out to the sides and then recoil by the impact to the ground, leaving him scream with agonizing pain while lying down paralyzed. There was no room for reaction to the carried motion by the medic, by the time the man reacted, he was already felt the result of his action and the consequences.
“Agghhh!… ugh…!” said Darius lied down paralyzed, the impact would’ve been move devastated if he has smiler build.
The medic officer then walks straight up to the Darius, they firmly utter the same words as before again.
“Where are you from?” while looking down on Darius, as if nothing just happened.
The voice tone coming from the medic hasn’t changed, it’s still crisp and firm without any anger emotion mixed in, as if this is regular occurrence. The officers that accompany the groups also doesn’t budge a bit, as if this also not the first time they’ve seen something like this. Meanwhile the lined up recruits all in disbelief and utterly shock about what just happened.
Eric himself wonder how can medic be that strong? Lifting someone that massive clearly doesn’t seems viable if you’re a regular human, this echoing thought of his is not unique to him, everyone in the lines mutters words and whispers echoing the same thought after seeing this.
Darius, trying to get back on his knees struggle to keep his composure, while the medic just standing in front of him with no gesture of showing to help him.
“That was… Ugh!, unexpected.. Ugh…” as Darrius utter his words while waking up and begin to stand back again.
“Heh.. Heh… HAHAHAHA… THAT WAS REAL PAIN! This is it!” said the man while laughing and muttering his words while breathing heavily and out of rhythm
Darius look at the medic that standing in front of him, he had to tilt his head down to see the medic eye to eye, staring at each other. While the medic googles and the mask hides their expression, Darius let out smiles while looking at the medic and then he let out his word.
“I’m from Westcrust!” shout him confidently now.
The medic pull out their device again from the vest and then write something on it.
“Proceed” the medic replied to Darius while pointing at the injection stage where Darius supposed be before.
“Got it!” Darius obeys the medic instruction and then walk confidently to the stage. The medic followed after Darius. While this happening, voices could be heard from the crowd again.
“Did that man just said Westcrust??!”
“Hell nah they even invited criminal in here??! What the hell? I thought this is supposed to be for a clean and responsible citizen”
“Well, since when do you think someone in debt and cannot pay their own debt a responsible citizen?”
“Now when you said it like that, it seems that everyone who got here are all just want someway out of the mess that happened in our life… Well I guess criminal is one way or another just the same…”
“Yeah… For real..”
Eric heard this and also wonder himself.
“Westcrust? I think I remember it somewhere? Well whatever is not that it matters where everyone from anyway at this point” mutter him in his thought.
The priestess glance and let out a gentle smiles toward Darius while he tries to lay down on the bed.
The priestess then ask Darius with soft voice, “Is there anything you would like to pray for Mr. Kroll? I would gladly offer my help to ease the tension and pray for you”.
Darius rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, spare me prayers. I don’t believe in any of that crap.”
The nurse shot him a sharp look. “Show some respect. This isn’t a joke.”
Darius let out sigh, he hesitated, then muttered, “My kid. Just… I hope… No… Make sure that she’s taken care of if this goes south.”
The priestess smiles and then puts her hands together to pray.
“By the breath of Aztoim, whose form is beyond our knowing, with this prayer I offer nothing but my faith. Darius, May your daughter and your family be blessed. May they find hope in the face of the unknown and conquer it. May our plea be heard, O Aztoim.”
The machine begin moving, then wrapped Darius’s left arm with its ring like part, it rotate and then stops, the medic soon followed by pressing the something on their tablet device. Then the sounds of something got released from high pressure air coming from the machine. Darius’s body tensed, his muscles bulging, pupils dilating, he face expression froze. For a moment, it looked like he might resist, but then his body relaxed. The screen above flashed:
“PASSED, CONGRATULATIONS, Darius Kroll!”
Negi-chan appears in the screen and then clapped her hands. “Yay! Another hero for humanity! Nyaa~! Remember everyone!, Keep up your spirit! Don’t give up, because we counting on you!”
While Darius was causing ruckus the other stage in line had a faster process. A young woman with small posture and blonde hair stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her eyes filled with hope yet she was trembling but determined.
The medic in front of her ask her the same question as the one Darius’ received. “Name?“.
“My name is Lena Rynalla” she said to the medic while, her tone was soft you can sense her voice filled with bravery.
“Where are you from?” continues the medic asking.
“Endrosia River Coast” she replied the question immediately.
“Lay down and we shall proceed” the medic writes on their tablet and then instruct her to lay down on the injection machine’s bed.
“O-Okay!” she obeys the instruction.
The priestess besides the nurses then get closer and tilt her head down to Lena and then talk to Lena with the same soft voice as with Darius before, “Is there anything you would like to pray for Ms. Rynalla? I would gladly offer my help to ease the tension and pray for you”.
“U-Uh.. Yes! I hope I can provide my brother by working here and deepen my faith to Our Lord Aztoim!” he said nervously while facing the priestess.
The priestess smiles and then let out the prayer, and Lena closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. “Please, God, watch over my little brother. He’s all I have left.”
“By the breath of Aztoim, with this prayer I offer nothing but my faith. May her wishes comes true may the light shines upon her way and may her plea be heard, O Aztoim.”
The nurse nodded sympathetically as the priestess begin her prayer and activated the machine. Lena’s body twitching and moving quite a bit for seconds as the serum flowed through her veins. For a moment, it seemed like she might not make it, but then her breathing steadied. The screen flashed:
“PASSED, CONGRATULATIONS, , LENA RAYNALLA!”
Negi-chan cheered on the screen. “Yay! A Brave soul joins the mission! Nyaa~! See, everyone? The path to better future is paved with courage! Don’t forget to keep your spirits high!”.
In the furthest left stage there’s a man that went ahead and cut the line, Jaxon Pryde, he stepped forward. The officer tried to hold him down but it seems he was too fast for the officer to catch, the medics seems to make a gesture to let the man take first turn.
“I’m going first I don’t have time for this queuing for your death ticket bullshit” said Jaxon.
“Fair enough, you managed to passed our officer, go ahead I will allow this once” replied the medic.
“Does anyone want to to protest over this?” the medic asked Jaxon’s line.
They swing their head to sides in harmony
“Alright then” mutters the medic.
But in the lines there seems to be whispers.
“Dude just cutting in line to his own death ticket, what a weirdo, even the first place was like, alright go ahead hahahaha” laugh one of the man in Jaxon’s line.
“Yeah if he wants to be the first nobody is going to be protesting in the first place!” said another one in the front line.
Jaxon then approach the medic and then as per protocol the medic ask for his information.
“Name?” asked the medic
“Jaxon Pryde” his reply.
“Where are you from?”
“Proxia”
“Ah great another criminal, I’m glad he went first” mutter one of the woman from Jaxon line.
None of their mumbles bother him in any way, he seems to be focusing on the injecting phase, the medic soon write something on their tablet device.
“Alright lay down” the medic instruct Jaxon to lay down on the injection machine.
His response is much of taking action rather than uttering words, as he immediately walks to the machine as instructed. The priestess that standing nearby also take her turn and approach Jaxon.
“Mr. Pryde is there any-” the priestess voice was cut short, interrupted by his immediate respond.
“To the people who are burden and to justice upon the sinners, Milady” as he interrupt the priestess.
“Very well Mr. Pryde” replied the sister while giving her gentle smile towards Jaxon.
The medics begin pressing the button to proceed with the injection, and simultaneously the priestess also say her prayer.
“By the breath of Aztoim, by thy mercy Lord, please answer to our call, our prayers. May the people be freed from the shackles of their burden, may you guide us to bring justice to the sinners! And may you prevail us through upcoming trials!, O Aztoim”.
The prayers and the injection phase carried in the same motion, as this happening Jaxon started to remembering his past again once more, his eyes widen, his hands trembling and his fear and trauma come back at him, his past life flashing before his eyes. The shacking keep continues.
“Wait what’s wrong with that dude?? Why he’s shaking that much??!” a panicked recruit mutter from the line.
Many more same sounding like panicked and surprised reaction are coming from the crowd, this goes noticeable enough to each line officers started to issue warning and instruction to the recruit to keep their mouth closed.
Back to Jaxon, his position still unchanged, he still shaking but more heavily now, his pupils are gone, and now his eyes are pure white. In his mind while in this state, appear a nostalgic figure again, a figure that haunts him to this day.
“Julius… You ruin me” said a woman figure in Jaxon’s mind.
“No… No… Annyla”
“NOOOOOO!!” as he shout he begin frantically shaking violently.
“AGhhhhh!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” he is now trying to break free from the machine.
The priestess and the medic remained collected, seeming to know what to do. The priestess pulled something from her right sleeve—a necklace with a diamond-shaped pendant bound by silver chains. At its center was a sapphire crystal, the color of a midnight sky. The pendant shone dimly, faint outlines of a symbol visible within it. The edges of the pendant, which held the crystal in place, were silver. Her fingers curled around the pendant, and then she clasped her hands together as she began her incantation.
”_█ █████ █████ us ████ █████ ██ protect us from███ █████ ███ ██ ███████ ███ Bring████ █████████ ██ ██████ ███ ███████ and bring your mercy to heal ███ ████████ █████████”
As the priestess spoke the incantation, her sapphire pendant glowed brightly. The light shone outward from her closed hands. The medic then pinned Jaxon back directly against his chest to the machine. This action stopped Jaxon’s sudden movements and calmed him down.
“Calm down recruit” said the medic to Jaxon.
His gasping more than he could utter his words, while breathing heavily he looks at the celling of the facility. While the medic release her hand from his chest and the priest stops her chanting and then goes straight to see Jaxon.
“Are you okay Mr. Pryde?” the medic tone was directed to him her voice was soft with sense of comfort.
“I-uh… Did I passed??” still looking at the celling, and seems to be purposefully ignoring the priestess.
The priestess then smiles and look at medic, they give a nodded gesture to each other. And then the priestess utter her response.
“Yes, but you need some time to adjust and rest first, you will be taking a break from-” her words get interrupted again.
“Please, no break, I have to pass and go to the next phase” said Jaxon, with his still out of breath tone.
“He might be able to take the post serum treatment” said the medic to the priestess.
When the priestess hear this words, she seems worried and also undecided. While also hearing this Jaxon, once again insist on keep going.
“I don’t know what is your post serum treatment, but if that could speed things up, please do so, this is one way ticket I cannot go back now” his response to both the medic and the priestess.
But before they could respond, another batch not far from Jaxon, there was loud noises, sounds like a siren, seems like an alert has triggered.
In the big screen behind all the stages, a warning sign appears. “OVEREXCEEDER DETECTED. INITIATING CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL.”