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Dr. Halsey took a tentative step forward. “You have been called upon to serve,” she explained. “Youwill be trained . . . and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earthand all her colonies.”
A handful of the children sat up straighter, no longer entirely frightened, but now interested.
Dr. Halsey spotted John, subject Number 117, the first boy she had confirmed as a viable candidate. Hewrinkled his forehead, confused, but he listened with rapt attention.
“This will be hard to understand, but you cannot return to your parents.”
The children stirred. Their handlers kept a firm grip on their shoulders.
“This place will become your home,” Dr. Halsey said in as soothing a voice as she could muster. “Yourfellow trainees will be your family now. The training will be difficult. There will be a great deal ofhardship on the road ahead, but I know you will all make it.”
Patriotic words, but they rang hollow in her ears. She had wanted to tell them the truth—but how couldshe?
Not all of them would make it. “Acceptable losses,” the Office of Naval Intelligence representative hadassured her. None of it was acceptable.
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“Rest now,” Dr. Halsey said to them. “We begin tomorrow.”
She turned to Mendez. “Have the children . . . the trainees escorted to their barracks. Feed them and putthem to bed.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mendez said. “Fall out!” he shouted.
The children rose—at the urging of their handlers. John 117 stood, but he kept his gaze on Dr. Halseyand remained stoic. Many of the subjects seemed stunned, a few had trembling lips—but none of themcried.
These were indeed the right children for the project. Dr. Halsey only hoped that she had half theircourage when the time came.
“Keep them busy tomorrow,” she told Mendez and Déjà. “Keep them from thinking about what we’vejust done to them.”
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SECTION II
BOOT
CHAPTER FOUR
0530 Hours, September 24, 2517 (Military Calendar) / Epsilon Eridani System, Reach MilitaryComplex,planet Reach
“Wake up, trainee!”
John rolled over in his cot and went back to sleep. He was dimly aware that this wasn’t his room, andthat there were other people here.
A shock jolted him—from his bare feet to the base of his spine. He yelled in surprise and fell off the cot.He shook off the disorientation from being nearly asleep and got up.
“I saidup , boot! You know which wayup is?”
A man in a camouflage uniform stood over John. His hair was shorn and gray at his temples. His darkeyes didn’t look human—too big and black and they didn’t blink. He held a silver baton in one hand; heflicked it toward John and it sparked.
John backed away. He wasn’t afraid of anything. Only little kids were afraid . . . but his bodyinstinctively moved as far away from the instrument as possible.
Dozens of other men roused the rest of the children. Seventy-four boys and girls screamed and jumpedout of their cots.