The Optimum Project

Chapter 13

The ultimatum

He nodded with approval and turned towards a gunmetal desk, tapping the built in screen and a holographic projection of two space stations appeared. The general pointed to one, it was pyramidal in shape, and each corner was chopped off and replaced with massive docking bay chambers. "This is the Tetrad, it's a military training center for new recruits."

He glanced pointedly at me, I think I knew where this was going. He then brushed the image aside and gestured to the other station, which was a simple cube, "and this is the cube, an escape proof military prison."

I raised my eyebrows, yup know where this is going. He sighed, "listen kid, you gained access to tech Mars has never even heard of, so either we train you to use it, or we put you in the cube where we can guarantee its safety, even if it means trapping you with it."

I was surprised by the last part, Mars was one of the oldest alliance colonies in the solar system, they were years ahead of anyone else's tech, word was they're even developing gear to fix earth. I started pacing, "so it's either training or prison?"

The general snorted, "got that right kid, I've got my hands tied by the higher ups, pick one."

I rubbed my face, prison wouldn't be so bad, would it? I suddenly flashed back to how bored I was in that medical room, I couldn't live there for a week, let alone the rest of my life. I sighed again, "I guess I'll do training, but I have some requests."

The general nodded the go ahead and I continued, "I want to know where my father is, I want to know if he's okay, and I want him to know where I am."

The general nodded for a moment and said, "I'm okay with the first two, but the last one won't fly."

I groaned, "why?"

The general leaned over the desk in a way that demanded attention, "because the Tetrad is classified information and then I'd have to put him in the cube, good enough reason for you?"

I nodded.

He nodded back, "good, from this moment on you will refer to me as 'sir', or General Quade, is that under stood?"

I nodded and he raised his eyebrows at me again, I quickly corrected, "I mean, yes sir!"

Just saying the term 'sir' made me stand up straighter. He turned away from me and faced the window which I now noticed was plasma glass, an expensive yet effective field that was generated through (as the name implies) plasma; "You'll go to the Tetrad for your training and activation."

I cocked my head to the side "activation?"

He replied with a "mmhm."

That's when I felt the needle in my neck. "That interesting tattoo of yours is far more powerful than you can imagine," by now the drug that had been injected in me was making my vision blur and his words echo. "And we need you to use it." The only response I could give was my head hitting the floor.