The Cupel Recruits Read Online Free PDF Page A

no one, and fell to the ground, knocking several chairs around her over as her legs gave out beneath her. She didn’t register the arms around her shoulders, or Captain Willingham running by with a batch of soldiers, or the media outside the barricades who had caught all this on camera because of their better angle from the distance, as they pushed forward and ran up the hill to not miss a moment of the tragedy recorded on film, or even her own hysterical sobs. Lela registered none of this. She was in shock.

Chapter 3
    Wood and Stone happily ended their surveillance shift, handing off to Kennedy and King. After executing handoff procedures precisely and double checking the status list as per protocol, they practically ran from the room.
    “I like surveillance because we get to learn so much, but I’m also glad when it’s over,” Wood said, rubbing the back of his neck. Stone nodded in assent as they walked down the long corridor. Halfway down the hallway, they passed a display screen about 3 feet high by 5 feet long, set at eye level, embedded in the wall and bordered in a steel-colored material. Usually, the hall display board would contain a list of briefing locations for the day, any bullet points authorized for mass distribution and major upcoming project milestone dates. As they passed, they noticed it listed only one item in giant characters that filled the screen : “95.3%” and the border was ringed in amber light. Both shot each other a glance and faint attempt at a smile.
    “So that’s what an alert looks like,” Stone mumbled under his breath.
    “Guess so,” responded Wood. Since neither of them had seen a live one before, their gaze lingered a few moments longer than necessary, as if absorbing the image. “We must’ve passed 95% just after we started our shift.” They turned into the common eating area, pausing for only a few moments to refuel before continuing on to the training room. As it would be a long day, both should have been eating extra heavy since they may not have another opportunity for 8 hours or more, but this turned out to be a challenge for Wood, who grabbed a small muffin, a banana and a juice, hardly a meal for a long day. Stone observed his friend’s light meal and banged with a fist dramatically on his own abdominals.
    “Steel, I tell you,” he smiled, trying to alleviate his friends anxiety, “I even ate on day 1 here!” he boasted.
    “You were the only one in your training team who did,” Wood affirmed.
    At that moment, Saraceni walked in, falling in behind Wood and Stone at the food area. He was well advanced in rank from them, Circle 13, and a quiet, contemplative man by nature. Most would think someone with a more open nature might have been a natural choice to receive the assignment as trainer to “the critical class” as the junior staff had started referring to that day’s arrivals, but Saraceni’s outstanding knowledge, dogmatic execution and legendary stoicism had won out. A few senior leaders in Circles 16-20 questioned the choice, but in the end they agreed that though he wasn’t as advanced as the higher circle staff, or as adept at the long-range planning and development associated with those circles, he was a better trainer for a short-term assignment such as this. Saraceni had a way of making things equally clear to an audience of varied backgrounds and education levels. Senior leaders did not usually have to encounter brand new recruits, but for an occasional few moments. They were used to a much more advanced team by the time a team member would advance enough to be trained by a level 16-20. They could do it, but not as well as Saraceni, who frequently indoctrinated new recruits. Of course, certain subjects were taught by the masters of each subject area. No one, not even Saraceni with his rapid learning, could know every topic of the complex infrastructure well enough to be the best choice to teach it.
    “Good morning, gentlemen,” Saraceni