Maddie had confided in Saylan, and she had proven herself to be trustworthy. It was the beginning of a friendship that would last a lifetime.
She hadn’t spoken with Saylan since her return earlier. She wanted to tell her personally about what happened in the Unforgiving Forest. Maddie pulled Saylan aside and told her of her mission.
“Darn, Maddie, that was bad luck with Ondine being there. Of all the trainees, why did it have to be her?”
“Saylan, I’ve warned you about my bad luck; this is just an example of that. I’m going to have to be extra diligent, because she is totally out to get me now.”
“Yes, she and her little band of followers could be a problem for you. I will keep my eyes and ears open for any kind of news, but congratulations! You are awesome!” Saylan said, hugging Maddie.
“Thanks! Oh, and you won’t believe what else happened. Rayn tried to contact me when I was off the grid!”
Saylan couldn’t believe it. She was beginning to believe Maddie was right about her lack of good luck! Trouble seemed to follow her around. She would be watching her back. She knew the trainees that Ondine hung out with, and they were the backstabbing type. Saylan was hoping they would get expelled from the Academy, but so far it hadn’t happened.
They finished their dinner together, and Maddie went off to her quarters to get some badly needed sleep.
* * * * *
The morning arrived quickly, and it was a free day for Maddie. She decided to head to the training center and work out. She had lifted weights and completed her virtual cardio. She loved the exercise equipment on Vesturon; it was ingenious.
They had all sorts of contraptions for any kind of exercise you could imagine—muscle stimulators, breathing exercises, etc.—but Maddie still liked good, old fashioned free weights and cardio.
The cardio machines were set up as booths with screens that surrounded you. Once inside, you placed a device over your eyes, similar to goggles but more streamlined. Then you entered a program of your choice. The screens turned into reality, so you could workout anywhere you chose. You could mountain climb, rock climb, cycle or hike; the choices were endless. Maddie loved these booths. She would usually program hers to the area surrounding the Guardian compound on Earth and run for miles and miles. With her Vesturion strength and speed, she could easily put in twenty or more miles per session in very little time.
She had completed a run and exited the booth. She gulped downed a good dose of liquid to rehydrate and was cooling off when a group of four entered the facility. Maddie turned to see Ondine and her henchmen heading her way. This spelled big trouble; Ondine had impeccable timing. They were alone, and it was a day most of the trainees were catching up on rest or visiting family members. The training facility was eerily quiet.
Ondine had been waiting for this moment for a long time. After her initial confrontation with Maddie, she decided she would have to arrange for Maddie to fail or to be ousted from the Academy. If that didn’t work, then she would resort to bodily harm. She wanted to be number one, and Maddie was her biggest obstacle. That did not please Ondine at all.
Ondine had tried several different tactics, but all had failed. Maddie remained the favorite of the trainers and Commanders. Then, after yesterday’s disastrous mission, Ondine made her decision. She didn’t care if she had to beat Maddie senseless; she was determined to get rid of her somehow.
Ondine was still disgusted with her team and the results they had posted. How could one slip of a female without any weapons or gear overcome three males and herself? It didn’t make sense. Ondine had never known anyone that good. She had prepared her whole life to become a Guardian. It was all her father expected from her; it was all she heard growing up. He hounded her daily about this, and Ondine was
not
going to take second place to anyone.
“I’ve come to offer you a chance to resign and leave the Academy,” said Ondine.
“Not interested in anything you have to offer.” Maddie turned to leave, but she was pushed back by one of Ondine’s puppets.
“This is your last chance. I would suggest you take it now or suffer the consequences.”
Maddie turned and looked Ondine in the eye and replied, “Bring it on, you witch.” And that’s when the party started.
Ondine launched herself at Maddie, but Maddie was faster and expected the movement. She stepped out of the way, then feinted toward Ondine, but suddenly, she dropped to the floor, kicking two of her opponents in their knees, temporarily incapacitating them. Maddie turned to prepare herself for Ondine’s next attack, but was surprised when she felt a dagger slice the length of her arm.
The fourth puppet, a male named Dirkley, held the offending weapon. Maddie’s anger spouted forth like an erupting volcano, fortifying her strength. She felt this surge of power electrify her. Without much thought, her Power of Telekinesis jerked the dagger out of Dirkley’s hand and lifted him twenty feet in the air, pinning him to a wall. The other two male assailants charged her, intending to knock her down, but Maddie had anticipated their movements. She slid under one and came up behind the other and landed a kidney punch. Her leg shot out with a damaging kick, and he ended up helpless, writhing on the floor.
Two down, two to go. Ondine watched the scene unfolding, her mouth forming a huge O. Maddie heard her indecision, but she wasn’t going to allow her to escape. They would finish this today, once and for all.
The third male took a swing at Maddie, but Maddie wanted to immobilize him so that she could have a go at Ondine. Maddie ducked and then used her Power of Telekinesis to pin him to the ceiling.
Now, it was Ondine’s turn. Maddie stalked her, intending to end it quickly, but Ondine pulled out a dagger and launched it at Maddie. Maddie was quick, but not quick enough. It embedded in her deltoid. Not a serious injury, but a stab nonetheless. That gave Ondine the break she needed. She snarled and went at Maddie with everything she had.
Under normal circumstances, Maddie would have taken her out in a flash, but she had two injured arms. She dropped to the ground, but Ondine anticipated the move. She grabbed Maddie’s leg and put her in a stronghold. Maddie flipped on her stomach and threw Ondine off. She was quickly on her feet driving a punch into Ondine’s face. It addled her, which set the pace for Maddie. Maddie continued to pummel Ondine with her hands and feet, until she lost consciousness.
Maddie sat there, sucking in air, incredulous at what just transpired. They were out to kill her, or at the very least, severely injure her. She had no doubt Ondine and Dirkley would end up in the infirmary. Ondine was a mess, and Dirkley most likely had a bruised kidney.
Maddie trudged over to the communicator on the wall, tapped it and said, “This is Trainee Pearce calling from the training center. I need some robomedics here. There has been an incident. I also need a Commander and a trainer here as well.”
“On the way, trainee.”
Minutes later, the robomedics came, followed by the Commander and trainer.
“What happened?” the Commander asked.
“Commander Charden, I had just completed my workout when I was attacked by these trainees. They stabbed me and slashed my arm and then tried to beat me. I fought back,” Maddie explained.
“I would say so. What started this fight?” he wanted to know.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you will have to ask Ondine that. She said something about not taking second place to me, but that’s all I know.”
“Very well. Go to the infirmary and have your wounds attended. Be sure to fill out a report, and I will contact you after I interview these four.”
“Yes, sir.”
Maddie ended up with a stab wound and a laceration that was immediately repaired. She headed for her quarters, but Saylan interrupted her. She had heard about what happened and asked Maddie if she needed help.
Maddie explained that she was fine, but she asked her to stop by later. Maddie wanted to take a leisurely shower and wash her hair. Since it was their day off, she could afford the luxury. After her shower, she threw herself on her bed and promptly fell asleep.
It took two weeks for Ondine’s verdict to be posted. She was to be suspended for two weeks, and then she would remain on probation for the duration of her training. One more infraction and she would be expelled.
Maddie thought Ondine’s punishment had been too lenient for the offense. Maddie had hoped Ondine would have been expelled. If Maddie hadn’t been such an accomplished master of telekinesis and such an excellent fighter, she could have been seriously injured or worse. She would be on the lookout for further trouble. Maddie had the feeling this wasn’t over for Ondine.
The trainees were entering a new phase of their curriculum. This was the section that everyone fretted about. It involved espionage and covert operations. They would have a combination of classroom training and field maneuvers.
The classroom education centered on Vesturon’s stance on political issues as well as the covenants of the universe. Since the Guardians could be called upon to protect Vesturon and its allies, they had to be well versed in its laws and regulations. They were also expected to be knowledgeable regarding the covenants of Vesturon’s allies in order to enforce them if the situation required it.
Maddie was underwater in everything she had to learn. Most of the trainees had a rudimentary understanding of the situation other planets faced, but Maddie was absurdly ignorant here. She had to put in an inordinate amount of time to learn all of her requirements, which left her with little time to do anything else.
Saylan was a blessing. She helped explain things to Maddie and quizzed her constantly. Maddie was getting a great education through her, and if it hadn’t been for Saylan’s help, Maddie would have been at a huge disadvantage.
The two of them were often paired together for their training missions, and they worked well as a pair in the field. Maddie knew she could trust Saylan to have her back, and Saylan felt the same in return.
During their recent classroom session, they were given information concerning secret Vesturion bases and rendezvous points for the strategists in thwarting the Xanthians. They were tested on the accuracy of their information and told it was top secret. They were also given locations for flight armadas and were told where the next phases of the war would be fought.
This phase of their training was to last six weeks. About midway into it, they came for Maddie in the middle of the night. Luckily for her, she slept prepared. They slipped into her quarters and placed a covering, much like a pillowcase, over her head. They spun her around to disorient her and carried her out.
They threw her in a cell and began complete sensory deprivation. She was kept in absolute darkness and silence. She felt her way around her cell using her hands. She guessed she was in a ten by ten foot room with no windows and one door. There was no space under or around the door, as no light could be seen at all.
Maddie had no concept of time. There were no indications of it as the darkness was oppressive. The silence was deafening. She remained fairly calm at the beginning, but hours later, when she had to use the restroom, her control began to shatter.
She started pounding on the door, asking to be released. Eventually, she became hoarse from screaming. She finally deduced that she would have to go in her cell, so she found the corner farthest from the door and relieved herself.
She counted the steps from that corner around the cell to the other corner. She didn’t want to make the mistake of sitting in her own waste. After she sat back down, she felt her anxiety levels decrease. It was then that she realized how thirsty she was. She wondered how long they would keep her here.
Ironically, a short time later, they came for her again. She heard the door whoosh open, and they grabbed her after covering her head. They carried her to a different place and sat her in a chair. Hours later, she would be praying for reprieve from the torture.
They began with questioning her about her knowledge. She knew she was being tested, so she refused to answer. They sprayed her with ice-cold water. Initially, it was a relief because of her extreme thirst. She tried to swallow as much as she could until she was satiated. Then, they turned on the blowers and kept them on until her teeth were shattering and her body was frozen and racked with shivers. They then questioned her again…and again…and again.
She remained stoically silent and refused to give them the slightest hint of the information they sought. They alternately sprayed her and froze her with the blowers until she lost count of how many times they repeated the action.
Eventually, they switched from spraying her with water to giving her short pulses of charges from a
shadar
. When the first one hit Maddie, all her muscles seized up and then began violently convulsing. They continued this process, increasing the strength of the pulses until she blacked out.
When she regained consciousness, they began the process all over again. She was delirious with pain and dehydration, and ultimately, she lost control of her body functions; time became meaningless.
She could no longer formulate words or thoughts. Her head hung down to her chest for she didn’t have the strength to hold it up, nor did she have the ability to open her eyes. That’s when the beatings began. When she would start to drift, they would slap and backhand her face. She prayed for it to end, and she finally drifted off to the welcoming comfort of unconsciousness.
Maddie awoke to find herself in the infirmary, being attended to by a robomedic. She had an IV line with clear fluid running into her arm. Her superior came into the room and congratulated her. She was the only trainee able to endure the torture session in its entirety. Most of the trainees cracked in the sensory deprived cell, and the rest of them went out after the water torture.
Maddie didn’t know if she should be proud of herself or not. When Rowan told her she would be tortured, she never imagined it would be this severe. She felt she had lost a part of herself in that room and another part of her had hardened and become somewhat lifeless. She thought of all the Yarristers and how they had completed this, and they were still happy, productive individuals. Maybe these feelings would dissipate, but right now, if becoming a Guardian weren’t so darned important to her, she thought she would walk away from this place and never look back.