HORIZON: The Fall

Chapter Four - The Ups and Downs (Literally) (1)

" – Murus Summers."

Shit.

They stepped up to face me. Murus's expression was a mask of fury.

"Alright, people, as I said, this ain't gonna be easy," Ford said. "Let's start with some laps."

He led us to a track in the corner of the massive room. It was odd – laps? Too easy. I decided to play it cautious, and stay in the back of the pack. I noticed Callia had the same idea as me and stuck to the back; I knew without a doubt that she could probably outrun all of them. Everyone started off pretty slow, some still getting used to their new abilities. It didn't take long for them to catch on, though, and most were flying around the track. Callia, a few others, and I stayed back, getting lapped multiple times by the others. Murus was in front of everyone, running faster than most would consider possible. It was especially funny when he got slammed in the face with a metal wall.

Oh, yeah – after several laps, the Sergeant pressed a button, and obstacles began to pop out of the floor and walls. The people in the lead were going way too quick to dodge, and fell flat on their faces. My group in the back was able to hop around the obstacles without much difficulty. That is, of course, until the Sergeant increased the difficulty.

The obstacles got quicker, some turning deadly. My group was spread out now, only Callia staying with me. Murus drifted closer to us, charging through the obstacles by our sides. Suddenly, I heard the spin of a machine gun warming up. I cast a cursory glance around for it. The weapon appeared to be locked onto Callia, and without hesitation I jumped right in front of her.

This is how I die, I thought to myself, closing my eyes for the end. It never came – to the disappointment of some. I heard the gun going off, but I was still alive. I slowly opened my eyes to a blue wall of energy - actually more of a shield. I looked behind me, Callia wore an expression of surprise, though I don't know if that was from the shield or the gun. Murus looked equally surprised, but he swiftly masked it. I got up, the shield following suit as if it was attached to my arm. Oh, wait – it was attached to my arm! What the heck? It hovered a centimeter in front of my forearm and was shaped in way so that it was able to cover my whole body. Murus and Callia muttered the same curse under their breath.

However, as I looked around, I could see I was not the only one to have unlocked a new ability. Now that the track had settled, I could see people with electricity sparking from their hands, metal shards floating around them as they sat in awe amongst the ruins of a structure, and much, much more.

"What the f – " Callia started, her voice filled with awe, before she was interrupted by the Sergeant.

"Congratulations." He applauded. "You've discovered another part of the Horizon Project – the cybernetic abilities. Each one of you has a unique ability fitted to your combat style. If you would follow me, each of you will demonstrate this ability for me."

* * *

"As all of you know, an essential part to any battle is fighter superiority. However, it is not just the number of fighters in a battle that matters, but truly the pilots who matter. It is quality over quantity, people," a young pilot told us. "The point of all of this is to teach you how to be an amazing pilot."

The young pilot was Maria Arnot, and she was a bit of a legend in the U.R.E. I never thought I would see her in person, nevermind have her as a teacher. She was recognized as one of our best pilots, and I had heard the stories of her during my service. And I could've sworn I had seen her flying during the Darlbak Rebellion, nothing like I had ever seen before.

Our group was standing on the massive landing platform, the wind whipping at our backs. Ships periodically landed and took off, strengthening the wind blowing in our direction. The beautiful ocean around us gleamed from Regal's reflection. Regal, of course, was the red star in the sky above. Even from the other side of the island, I could still see the shining towers of Prometheus.