The Madman's Clock

Chapter 1

They could control every square inch of the training room, including walls and other obstacles which could be moved about remotely. I had seen training areas like this set up as everything from a swamp, flooded with water and other goo, to a dense urban environment with multi-floored buildings. I had once seen it as a ship's interior, with labyrinthine corridors designed to confuse us, which worked all too well when they shifted the walls around us as we moved. This time in, we were not told what we were walking into, though a dense rat maze was the usual setup for this sort of session. Hence the low-powered rifles. A high-powered shot would really, really hurt if you walked around the corner and found a barrel in your face.

"Captain Mallory, weapons ready." The voice of Colonel Freeman echoed in the massive, domed room. "Weapons free, upon entry. Wait for the signal."

We turned toward the massive metal double doors. They were painted with a large yellow and black hazard sign, reminding us that beyond the doors, predators hunted. Actual details were also listed, like wearing protective eye-wear, body armor, and avoiding entry while the area was in use. All of that blew past me. I had my head in the game, and all I saw was the gateway to my next objective.

"Hey, Jack," one of the instructors, Major Jonas, called out to me as she leaned against the far bulkhead. Her sneer reeked of contempt. "Don't be too rough on them. They're still new and shiny."

I shook my head. "No promises. We don't play gentle."

"Isn't that why you're stuck here to begin with?" she asked with a biting tone.

"Fuck you," I heard David mutter under his breath. Not quite enough, as it turned out.

Major Jonas pushed off the bulkhead, and took a step forward. "Say again?"

"Stack up!" I barked, cutting through the brewing argument.

We lined up at the double doors, two by two. A two-by-two stack allowed us to enter quickly and establish a full cover spread, watching for enemies from four vantage points. We knew our opponents were to our left, but you never could tell what the instructors had waiting for us inside. I took the front left, with David behind me. Kyle was to my right, with Raj behind him. We set our feet in position, one in front of the other, knees bent, ready to push forward at a good pace. We leaned into our rifles, looking down the barrels. I aimed directly at the seam between the doors, as did the others.

I briefly looked to the ready-light over the doors. After a moment, it went from red to green, and the doors slid open so fast, I felt the brief vacuum of it.

"Go go go!" I barked quietly.

We pushed in, our weapons finding their proper fields of fire. Ninety degrees each, allowing a full circle of fire. One step, two steps, down to one knee. I heard the doors shut behind us.

I blinked in surprise at the sight of the arena. No dense rat maze, no swamp, no multi-floored urban environment. It was open ground, with small, waist-high barricades scattered about. The ground was nothing but bare metal deck. The lights were bright, leaving the area free of shadows and ambush points. I could see straight through to the far wall. There was nothing overhead except the reinforced dome that protected us from the vacuum of space. That, and the control room. I could actually see two instructors watching us through binoculars, all the way at the other end of the arena, and high above us.

More to the point, I could see the other squad. Their entry door was one hundred meters downrange, and they had barely moved from it at all. They were looking about, clearly as surprised as we were. They stood there, unsure of what to do.

I looked for the nearest cover. Two barricades, simple gray metal things like those used to block traffic, presented themselves as a likely first step. I didn't even have to point. All four of us saw it. Besides, if I pointed, I might as well yell out my plan to the other squad.