Felix leered at Lieutenant Elizabeth Blackwell, who was defiantly ignoring him now, getting her slop from the bearded cafeteria server. Infuriated further by the select items that he passed back to her. A perfectly baked chicken leg sat next to a clean scoop of macaroni and cheese and steamed vegetables. He looked at his Pollock painting of a meal, then at the cafeteria worker, who had already turned and walked away. Felix drew a long-frustrated breath through his nose, turned and began walking back towards his cot.
Obviously, Blackwell followed: seeming chipper. Felix plopped down on his cot, thinking Blackwell would continue on to her own area, but was only partially surprised when she sat down on the cot next to his own. He gaped at her. “Is this where you’re sleeping?”.
“Of course, battle buddy!” She mocked. “Besides,” She swept a butter knife slowly across the room, pointing at the other people that were walking about. “Not sure I’d have a lot to chat about with them. You seem much more entertaining.” She gave him a wink.
Felix could feel his irritation rising. He took a slow breath and eyed her flatly. “Would you mind if I eat, Ma’am?”
“Z” She corrected.
“Ma’am?” Felix questioned, puzzled.
“Z” She repeated.
Felix maintained eye contact, and slowly brought a forkful of the green-leafy goop to his mouth. It was delicious, but he was starving, so that wasn’t saying much.
Z… Blackwell… Fine, ‘Z’ maintained her own level gaze, as she lifted the chicken leg to her mouth, and unceremoniously took a monster bite from the thigh. Her eyes did a momentary roll in delight, as she chewed. Felix could feel his defenses both mount and melt at the same time. She was toying with him again. But there was something feral about her that he liked. She seemed untethered in a way that unsettled him.
He rotated to sit fully on the cot, his back to the wall. The previous day pushed its way into his thoughts. So fast. So far. What was he doing? He glanced over at Z. She was still eating, studying the others in the room. Her expression was one of calm curiosity. Occasionally, someone would notice her and smile timidly. She would smile back with an almost knowing grin. Felix watched their smiles become familiar.
“Can I have your attention, please!” A voice cut through the room. Bold and commanding. Felix almost jumped to attention, Looking towards the kitchen. A tall well-built uniformed Army Major stood, waiting for the crowd to settle in. It was several moments, but everyone found their respective cots and set to listen. The Major neither moved nor spoke as the room prepared to receive him; a patient blankness held his expression.
“My name is Army Major Marcus Sender. I thank you all for your dedication and selflessness in coming. It is a sacrifice and a gift that each of you would contribute to the goals of this mission, and that contribution is deeply appreciated. It is my personal objective to ensure the health and safety of you all, but also to aid you in achieving the most out of our brief time here. Some of you are familiar with the objectives of this program, being programmers and engineers. That said, there is another aspect of the implementation of what we are working on that requires an element of teamwork, collaboration, and endurance. That is why we are here.”
He held up a small remote and pressed a button. The white wall above the serving line illuminated with a projection. A single shape of a torch slowly spun. Felix watched as the flames spread open like a flower, with the staff serving as the flower’s branch. Then the blooming petals morphed into a series of triangles as the torch continued to spin, settling into what looked like an umbrella. The acronym “TORCH” appeared above it, as it came to a rest.
“I’d like to welcome you all to the TORCH program. Over the next several days, we will be focused on isolating the team..” Major Sender slowly paced towards one side of the room, intentionally making eye contact with each of the attendees. “members that exhibit qualities needed for a complete training population. We have traveled all of this way to start answering the types of questions that drive an understanding of what makes a societal foundation. This room” he pointed over the heads of everyone “is a collection of different disciplines and trades, from all backgrounds. Take a moment, if you would look around.”
Felix scanned the other faces, now visible outside of their cold-weather gear. It seemed like no two people were of the same sex, age, skin tone, or ethnic facial construction. The one thing they all had in common was age. It seemed like everyone was in their early 20’s, Felix included.
“We are Class 17. There have been classes before you, and there will be many more. We are on the island of Adak, in Alaska. Some of the other classes are in the jungles of Costa Rica, the atolls of the Marshall Islands, on the island of Isla Mona Puerto Rico. Each was chosen for not only the isolation of the location, but also the uniqueness of the ecology.” Felix heard a few of the participants gasp.
“I understand that this place is a bit of a unicorn but trust me when I say that it will test, and amaze you. I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my team leaders. Airman Cassion, and Lieutenant Blackwell, could you both come to the front?”
Felix froze. Blackwell rose. She turned to him, extending her hand. He instinctively took it without thinking. She smiled and helped him to his feet. Felix sat his mostly empty plat of food on his cot, stood, and brushed himself off. All eyes were on them as they made their way to the front of the room. Felix felt sheepish but held a professional expression. When they reached Major Sender, he motioned for Blackwell to stand on his left, and Felix to stand on his right.
“I’d like to introduce you to the individuals that will be suporting you through the field phase.” Sender motioned towards Z first. “Lieutenant Elizabeth Blackwell is an accomplished Intelligence officer who has accolades in foreign intelligence, languages, and a background in psychology. She has been chosen for this team as a liaison for you all.”
He motioned towards Felix with a sweeping right hand. “This is Senior Airman Felix Cassian. He has experience in survival methodologies, land navigation, and recognizance; specializing in traversing landscapes that humans were not built for.”
Sender returned his attention to the room. “This is not a military mission, but the support that you will receive is. These two will be able to help you navigate your time here. There is no rank or hierarchy here. We are cooperative. If there is anything that you need, please let them know, and I will do my very best to accommodate. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I recommend you rest, explore, and converse. Get to know each other and get to bed early. We will be departing at 06.. 6am.”
He took a step backwards, as the murmuring swelled through the room. “You two come with me.”
Artavus Quill 