CHAPTER 3:

Tomorrow had not been any different. It had all been the same with the morning calisthenics, running across the Naval academy until afternoon.Margaret took her seat next to John in the classroom. It was Wolves, the classroom became a meadow, it was see-through, but still real. A small rabbit had been scouring across the grounds, until a wolf, bearing its massive fangs, snapped down on the rabbit, the small animal screeching, "Wolves, children, are fierce hunters, and while any wolf can kill a rabbit..." Deja narrated, as the scene changed to a moose.

"One wolf against larger prey, can meet a grisly end." They all watched a grazing moose who had dipped its tongue in water, and out came from the shadows of the bushes and tall grass, seven more wolves. They all worked in sync coordination, striking where it could not see, it both horrified and caught her attention as the pack tore apart the beast animal many times the size of the wolves. "But when wolves hunt in packs, they take down larger prey with ease". The words rang in Margaret's head. It was a key lesson to teamwork.John had stolen a few extra crackers from her desk, but she didn't care. She watched on in awe.

When Class had finished, Chief Mendez had entered and ran the children back to the playground.

"Same Teams as yesterday, trainees!"Margaret fell in with the team of other children she had banded with yesterday, she found Otto, Victor and Roma gathering up.The trio began to mutter amongst themselves, as Margaret stared up to the top of the course. there were less bridges and rope and pulley systems, the turning bridge space between platforms was greater, with the addition of more obstacles which wold require them to directly mantle over the blockage."Hey, guys! Look!" she pointed towards a suspended rope opposite a rope and pulley casket, while the rope was several meters upwards to the top, they would be able to get up on top if they had made a knot ladder out of the rope, that would have taken time, not before several dozens were ahead, they would have to work fast."

"We'll put some knots in that rope and climb our way to the top!"The three others looked at each other and nodded, they made their way to the rope and began to pinch and tie, forming footsteps into the rope, they carefully eased slowly upwards, Otto grabbed the wooden platform first and gingerly pulled himself up.

He groaned as he pulled Roma up, They got Margaret up as Roma ran ahead, She and Otto took Victor's hands and pulled him up, Victor scrambled up from the floor. Before Roma could rush off far ahead, they broke into a panting sprint. Rushing towards the first bridge. secured only by ropes, and hard to move on without falling off, a unsecure rope bridge stretched across the gap between the first platform and the second, with a body of ice cold water beneath the drop. They each sidestepped slowly across the bridge, Margaret nervously gripped the sides of the rope bridge, she herself was afraid of hieghts, as she moved, she couldnt help but wonder if anyone else was as she closed her eyes. a few more children showed up behind and shook the bridge as they moved to catch up to her, she found it harder to move and suddenly screamed as she slipped off her feet and tilting the bridge.

the shifting bridge sent two boys down into the water, the three others had came back for her as they fought the ropes to steady and reach for her. Otto had reached out and stepped onto the bridge holding out his hand for her.

"take my hand, Mag!" She was scared, she hated this and a rising part of her wanted her mommy. Otto caught her hand, and her fear suddenly slipped, "gotcha!" he called out. Otto tried pulling her up, she must have bee too heavy, the bridge tilted and shook with their combined wieght, and they fell into the stretch of water below.The water was not as cold when Margaret made contact with a splash. Then the cold came in a streaking wave of shivers, as she fought them to get out of the pool.

Otto shivered uncontrollably, they rushed to the side of the course and started again. It had been too late, Roma and Victor had arrived near-last, Mendez raised an eyebrow as Margaret crouched from the cold, eager to warm herself."Good work, Trainees, I like the iniative." Mendez said, almost smiling, her tossed Margaret and Otto each a towel from one of the racks. "53 and 31, Get cleaned up.""Yes sir" Margaret and Otto both stuttered

She walked aside him as she brushed into her scalp with the towel, "Mag?"

the boy laughed and said, "yeah? what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, I never liked "Margaret" anyway, too formal."

"Enter, please" Doctor Halsey spoke, Mendez complied and entered the Doctor's office, she pushed her glasses further up her nose as she turned a display to four candidates."I have been reading your report on these four trainees, Chief. "Trainees 31, 53, 101 and 143"Mendez nodded "they're some of the few starting to embrace teamwork here, 117 did better on the playground this time around. He's seemed to have befriended trainees, 34 and 87. The ones he left behind during yesterday's training excerise."

Halsey smiled, "good, I believe your training is beginning to work on these children, Chief."

Mendez stiffened as he spoke, "the training will only get harder for them from here, Doctor. Are you sure these kids are ready?"

Halsey turned to Mendez and waited a full second before she spoke, "remember Chief, these children are no ordinary children, they have all the potential to be on the level of some of humanity's greatest philsophers and scientists. These children have adapted well to the boot camp and the teaching sessions, I believe that they are ready for what comes next."