PROJECT SPARTA

CHAPTER 13

The Compound

2010

It had been six months and the program was carrying on. The winter had swept a chill through the recruits as the training grew harder. Throughout the Compound, snow was falling from the vents in the dome. The Simu-climate was reading thirty-eight degrees and the Spartans were bundled up throughout the day. The Compound was covered in white sheets of powdery snow. Xander walked with Ezra down the pathway, slipping here and there. They had grown close – best friends.

Weapons training had focused almost solely on hand to hand combat. They learned a variety of techniques of mixed martial arts, whether it be Jujutsu or Muay Thai. Intelligence training began to explore basic hacks of security systems and the rudiments of virus dissemination. Espionage class moved on to infiltration tactics and the proper way to tail someone. Physical training had picked up as each Spartan was putting more and more time in at the gym. Their workouts, just as everything else, took a variety of forms, Yoga, Cross Training or Free Weights. Bronson remained the most developed physically, but each Spartan could see slight improvement in their physique. Each muscle group had grown more defined as if their bodies had been chiseled by a wood pick and they were slowly forming into Greek statues.

Xander had finally settled in and for the first time in his foster-life felt like he belonged somewhere. His life had purpose and his friendships brought him happiness. The more intense phases of training had picked up. The other day Axle woke up the Spartans in the middle of the night and took them for a five mile run through the Compound. Another night they were forced through a simulated torture sequence that included water boarding and solitary confinement. All in an effort to familiarize them with what was in store for them if they were ever caught by the enemy.

Duke continued to offer the occasional intimidating tactic, but it was more to get into his head rather than to cause harm. Since, he still felt the need to assert himself as superior, Xander allowed him to think whatever they wanted, choosing the high road at each of their intersections. He decided to leave it to battle season, which was soon approaching, and ignore his incessant taunts.

Xander and Ezra had become best friends in the Compound. One night they snuck into Duke's house and planted a frog from the Thicket in his bed. When confronted about the prank by Colonel Hardy, Ezra quipped. "Just practicing stealth, sir!" Xander thought he could see a slight grin crack over Hardy's face.

In such a dark place as the Compound was, Xander and Ezra had found a friend in each other. They reminisced about home together; they enjoyed laughs together and hunted in the Thicket on a weekly basis.

All was going well for Xander and he was adjusting well to the Program. He carried with him a general happiness even when sitting and listening to another history lesson from Hardy. Xander liked Hardy more than the others but he understood why no one else liked his class. It was boring, genius or not. It was difficult for the group of sixteen year olds to go from ballistics training to the stratagems of the Spanish Armada.

Xander listened intently as Hardy lectured on the battle of Troy. Hardy explained the Greek's use of the Trojan Horse, which allowed them to infiltrate the walls and ultimately bring down the bastion that was Troy.

"Not only does this echo our motto, 'nothing is as it seems', but it also provides the most important lesson in warfare. The one thing above all else that can be the reason you are victorious in battle or defeated is trust," Hardy concluded with a point that resonated deep in Xander. He thought everyone was nice and couldn't help but trust them all. He naively believed that people were naturally good, mostly because he hadn't met many bad people. But in this line of work he knew he would, if he hadn't already, as his eyes scanned the room, looking over the other Spartans.