The Betrayal of Ka (The Transprophetics: Book One)

23. To Become a Killer

Kadamba looked at the list displayed on the monitor in the hallway of the Donovackia 2th Brigade Initial Military Training Facility, Zoranth Division, command building. He couldn't believe that he had been assigned to Elite Forces. He expected to be assigned to infantry or transportation. He knew that he had performed well in the initial training but didn't think that he had performed that well. Being named to Elite Forces would be a prestigious assignment; however, receiving this assignment felt absolutely impossible. Ka was sure that there were other soldiers, better soldiers, ones who didn't carry his scars that would be more likely to get this honor.

He took a deep breath. The last couple of months had been tough, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He hadn't made any friends, but as far as he knew, he hadn't made any enemies either. He continued to be an outcast because of the scar on his arm and what that scar told people. He looked at the screen again, expecting it to change at any second, assigning him to some horrible, menial fate. Then a terrible thought occurred to him. What if his assignment was simply a ruse? What if he was just going to be sent back to prison?

He looked up and down the hallway; he was still alone. He touched the screen just to make sure that it was real and stared at the list. All of the members of his unit that had completed training had their orders. Most of the assignments seemed to be somewhat aligned with the capabilities of the men with whom he had trained. However, there wasn't a single name on the list, other than his, that was assigned to Elite Forces. That was it. It was someone's idea of a sick joke. In his gut, he knew it. He was going back to prison or someplace far worse.

Kadamba's mind shifted into overdrive. This was a military training camp. It was not a prison. There were no fences with barbed wire, no guards wandering about with guns, and the truth was, that there was no one forcing him to stay. He made a quick inventory in his mind of the things that he would need. He would be heading into the woods tonight, going AWOL. A comfort swept across him. No prison. No military. It would just be him and a planet to discover. He would live off the land for a few years, not that he really knew how, but he was confident that he could figure it out. He took another deep breath and began considering how to secretly start gathering the supplies that he would need.

"Cadet Vorhoor," the voice broke his concentration.

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm sorry to startle you, son," Lieutenant Mittelwert Padda remarked. "I see you have been looking at the post-training camp assignments."

"Yes, sir," replied Kadamba, fearing that the look on his face would give away his plans of living a life on the run.

"It appears we have a common destination, cadet. I've been transferred to Elite Forces. I will be taking charge of their training program and facilities on Koranth. The shuttle leaves in two hours. I'll see you on the platform."

"Yes, sir," replied Kadamba.

Kadamba watched as the Lieutenant walked down the hallway. Two hours would not be enough time to gather what he needed to head into the woods. If he wasn't on that shuttle platform before the Lieutenant, he knew that a contingent of soldiers would begin looking for him. Even if he slipped away from the training camp, he would be captured before the end of the day. He wouldn't be sent to a military prison. No, he would be sent back to the containment facility with Jackos, where he was sure that he would die.

Then another thought crossed his mind, "What if the Lieutenant was simply escorting him back to prison?" He had been the one to pick Kadamba up and bring him to the military training camp. Kadamba realized that he was trapped. The only real option was to be on that platform and hope that he really was heading to Elite Forces training.