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Kaunakakai Elementary School, Molokai, Hawaii, Earth
September 17th, 2035
Terry turned in his tablet computer with the completed test. His teacher, Mrs. Teel, smiled as Terry slid it into the data slot on her desk, then he went out into the busy hallway. He rather enjoyed being a 5th grader, the biggest kids in the school. Though he was right in the middle percentile for height as a 10-year-old boy, he towered over the little kids, and he loved it.
After math, they usually had social studies, one of his least favorite classes. However, today there was something different going on. An assembly was called for all the 5th grade kids. No description was provided; the only thing they were told was that a new program would be rolled out. Scuttlebutt was they were going to build a new middle school, but Terry doubted they’d call an assembly just to tell them about it. Besides, he’d have heard about it from his parents long before it was talked about at school.
When he got to the school’s auditorium, a huge room under a plexiglass dome that allowed in Molokai’s natural sunlight, he saw he was one of the first kids to arrive. Of course, Yui was there already. She’d finished her math test 10 minutes before Terry. It was her favorite subject, while history was his.
As he moved over to where his friend was sitting, Terry looked up on stage. The school principal, Ms. Kalani, was standing there talking to several teachers. A man he didn’t recognize was standing toward the back, with one of the transparent computers the aliens sold on Earth, called a slate. Next to him was a woman in a US military uniform. Now that’s weird, he thought. Yui was gesturing wildly for his attention.
“What’s up?” he asked when he was close enough.
“Don’t you see who’s up there?”
“The military lady?” Terry asked.
“No, stupid, next to her!”
Terry looked again. The man was wearing a casual suit but didn’t look comfortable in it. He chatted confidently with the military woman. He was built like a football player, with a shaved head. Holy crap! “Doc?!”
“Yeah,” she said. “In the flesh.”
They hadn’t seen him in quite some time. He’d left them both messages the week after they dove on the Dixie Maru to explain that he’d been busy, then nothing. Now he’d suddenly shown up at some strange school assembly? And who was the military woman he seemed to know so well?
Terry waved when Doc looked their way. Doc saw Yui and him and gave them a subdued wave in return. Terry narrowed his eyes. What’s up? he silently wondered.
The rest of their fellow 5th graders came in slowly until the period was over, then the remainder showed up in a small flood, until they were all there. The 5th grade teachers closed the auditorium doors and took seats to the side, not on the stage. Principal Kalani walked over to the podium and picked up the mic.
“Good afternoon, students.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Kalani,” they chorused.
“I know you’re all wondering why you’re here. Well, it’s to announce a new program that you’ll be participating in, beginning next year in middle school. The United States’ government has been working on this program for more than a year, and funding has finally been approved.” She tapped the computer built into her podium, and the screen behind her came to life showing a shield-shaped logo. Along the bottom was, “United States of America District,” and just above it, “Republic of Earth.” In the center of the shield were the initials, “M.S.T.”
“M.S.T.,” Ms. Kalani said. The display showed words under the initials. “As you can see, it stands for Mercenary Service Track. Currently, Humans working as mercenaries for off-world employers are bringing in vast sums of money. As you may or may not have noticed, the government recently passed a modest tax on that income. These funds will help keep our government, and the planet, running.”
“Now this isn’t going to be a political discussion, and many of you wouldn’t want to hear it anyway. Mercs, as mercenaries are often called for short, are soldiers. But many of them don’t actually fight. Some are technicians, some are medics, and some do logistics. Being a merc is a complicated job which pays well. With the introduction of the MST, all US schools, from grade six up, are being given a budget to teach certain classes and provide knowledge which will help you decide if you want to pursue a mercenary career or not. Upon reaching junior year in high school, each of you will also be required to take a test, the Voluntary Off-World Assessment Test.”
“If it’s voluntary, why do we have to take it?” Yui asked, and Terry snorted. Several others in their class were wondering the same thing.
“I’m sure you are curious why it’s called, ‘voluntary’ if it’s compulsory. Apparently the test was labeled prior to the decision to make it mandatory.” Ms. Kalani shrugged, then grinned. “You can all consult your social studies for a reminder in how government works, and doesn’t.”
She looked down at her notes, then turned to the military lady and Doc. “Behind me here is Captain LeEllen McCartney. She’s been assigned by the US Military as your pre-6th grade liaison. Next to her is Lieutenant Commander Vincent Abercrombie, a US Navy SEAL, retired. He’ll be the MST instructor for the Molokai General School district.”
“Navy SEAL?” Terry whispered.
“Holy cow,” Yui said, “I didn’t know he was a SEAL! How cool is that?”
Explains why he’s so good at diving and stuff, Terry thought.
Captain McCartney came forward and took the mic. “Good afternoon, boys and girls. I’m excited to be here today. The opportunities you’ll be offered next year, and every year going forward, are multifold. Besides being given specialized instruction on how to maximize learning to possibly begin a very rewarding career as a mercenary, you’ll have the chance to give future generations on our own planet an incredibly brighter future!”
Terry looked around as Captain McCartney spoke, noticing the various reactions. Some of his fellow students were listening with rapt attention, while others were indifferent. Yui was listening intently, though she seemed to be staring at Doc more than anything. The teachers’ reactions were much more interesting. Most of them looked, for lack of a better word, pissed.
“So, I think it’s time to meet your new MST instructor, Lieutenant Commander Abercrombie.”
There was polite applause from the teachers; a few seemed to be pretending to applaud. Terry and Yui, like a few other of their classmates, knew Doc, and they applauded enthusiastically. He took the microphone and cleared his throat. “Some of you know me as Doc. After leaving the service, I became a charter boat captain and part time teacher at Hawaii Community College. When Principal Kalani asked me to be the MST instructor, I accepted.
“You see, I’m a former SEAL. I was injured and had to retire. Ten years ago, my former team went off on the Alpha Contracts, and none of them came back alive.” He looked down for a second and shook his head. “They were cock-sure and convinced they were the best. And they might have been the best—on Earth. In the stars, they were ill-prepared. We know a lot of you might decide to be mercs someday. Who doesn’t want to be rich and famous, right?”
From the looks on the faces of the teachers, nobody would. Terry didn’t notice Yui grinning.
Doc went on, “We’re going to teach some of the lessons learned out in those stars and, thanks to information provided by the Horsemen, we think we can help. Now, I know a lot of the teachers aren’t happy with this plan.” He looked at the aforementioned men and women, many of whom were openly glaring at him. “Unfortunately, this idea wasn’t mine, and we don’t really have a choice. You don’t believe it’s proper to give what amounts to military instruction in a public school.” He smiled, then shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe not. Either way, I’m here, so I hope we can all make the best of this. Thank you.”
Terry thought a few of the teachers’ applause was less grudging than before. Doc was easy to listen to, and what he said made sense. Terry wondered what it had felt like to have all your friends die a million lightyears away. Not good, he guessed.
A pair of teacher’s aides began to move among the students, handing each of them a green folder with a red, white, and blue stripe around it, and the same logo that had been up on the display. Terry and Yui got theirs and opened them to find pages describing a lot of what they’d just been told, and a description of the assessment test to be administered in seven years.
“It’s a lot of work to do for something nobody really wants,” Terry said to Yui. She made a noncommittal noise. As they walked out of the hall, Doc was there talking with the principal and Captain McCartney. “Hey, Doc!”
“Hi, kids,” Doc said.
“Or should we call you Lieutenant Commander Abercrombie?” Yui asked, a twinkle in her eye.
“Knock it off,” he said. “LeEllen, I’d like you to meet a couple of the kids I teach diving.” He gestured toward them. “This is Terry Clark and Yui Tanaka.”
“Oh, well, nice to meet you two. Did you have any questions?”
“Not really,” Terry said.
“Yui?” Doc asked, looking at her.
Terry glanced at Yui, who cast a furtive look back at him, then shook her head. “No,” she said.
“Well, don’t be late for your next class,” Doc said.
“Will you have time to go diving soon?” Terry blurted out.
“Yeah, in about a week, I think. I’ll send you a message.”
“Excellent,” Terry and Yui said at the same time. Terry waved goodbye, as did Yui, and they headed off.
“The whole thing is so strange,” Terry said a minute later as they walked toward the science building.
“What do you mean?” Yui wondered.
“Well, mercenaries. You watch old 20th century movies and stuff, and mercenaries are the bad guys. Everyone hates them. Now, they’re heroes?”
“Yeah,” Yui said.
Terry glanced at her as they walked. He wasn’t sure in what way she agreed with him.
* * * * *
