The Moon's Elite

Chapter 7

When I was 14-only months after the conscripting-there was a girl in my platoon who would pick on and abuse the smallest of us making several go as far as kill themselves. One night I woke to the sounds of screams of pain and terror, I ran to the source to find a small girl in bed so small no one would guess she was 14. She was clawing at her skin until there were bloody claw marks. Moonworms were a common threat in the outer sectors, they were tiny worms with a hundred rows of drilling teeth. They used their teeth to burrow into any flesh they could find. I remembered a neighbor who woke the same way years prior and recalled what Mama had done.

I grabbed the flailing girl in my arms ignoring the scratches she inflicted on my arms and shoulders and ran as fast as I could to the kitchen used for the whole battalion. It's off-limits but I ignore it and throw open the door, rushing to the sink, grabbing cup after cup of water, and pouring it all over the girl. After several minutes a shrill screeching echoed off the walls and I had to drop the cup to clutch my ears. A moment later a dozen of the worms crawled out of her skin and started to slither away.

The girl had been traumatized but lived. The bully knew I had done it and put the green drug in my mush porridge the next day. I had been stumbling down a hall after breakfast when she and her group of crooks pulled me into a closet and beat me within an inch of death before leaving me there. I had laid in that closet for hours before an adult I didn't recognize found me and carried me away. I had thanked them profusely thinking them my savior until they carried me into the whipping square and I received my first whipping for entering an unauthorized space. My only regret was I hadn't gotten to the little girl faster. A week later she killed herself. supposably she cracked under the pressure of the training. The crooks and I were the only ones who knew the truth.

After that, I learned all I could about every poison and drug so I wouldn't be unaware the next time something was to happen. That knowledge is also another factor as to why I was promoted to an Elite. I became the first female Elite in a decade and the youngest female ever, if it weren't for Koa being the same age as me I would be the youngest Elite ever.

...

I can't stop myself from jumping and letting out a small squeak at the gunshot. When his head falls to the side I run to Prince Adkin and start checking for where the wound is. I realize he's staring at me the whole time I do but ignore him and keep looking. There's no blood and no wound. I fall back on my butt and stare into Adkins's eyes for a moment trying to slow my racing heart and not thinking about why it was beating so hard. It was just the drug kicking in at the same time as the gunshot. I curse under my breath and stand then grab Prince Adkin's hand and pull him to his feet.

We continue slower now because of his drug-slowed feet but eventually make it to the large doors of the hanger. I press my ear to the door listening for any sounds of fighting but hear nothing. I push the prince to the side so if there's someone hiding he won't get shot when I open the door. I lean against the right door and slowly open the left door while staying out of sight. No shots are fired so I hold my gun out ready to fire and sweep inside not leaving myself exposed more than necessary. All clear. I go back and drag the prince with me, gun still out.

If the Elite aren't here then they're either dead, dying, or they left me. Considering the circumstances all are viable. I freeze mid-step. There's a trap here somewhere. It's been too easy this is supposed to be the most secure kingdom on earth and I haven't seen a single guard. I duck behind cargo crates pulling the prince with me. Covered on my left and right we start forward in a duck walk. When we get to a gap between crates I reach out a hand stopping him. The gap is about 3 feet wide. I have my gun in hand and take a deep breath calming my nerves and entering what my commander called "the killing calm". With that done I aim my NSPS and swing my body around the corner pushing out my left leg to brace me and shoot at the first flash of skin I see also hiding behind crates about seven and a half meters away. There's a small gasp and a thud of a body falling. Man, I love this gun. In perfect harmony, three people poke out from behind various crates and start shooting but I'm back behind my crate before they pull the trigger. In that second between exposing themselves and shooting I had all their locations memorized.