“You asked to see me?” I approached Professor Zhal carefully. “It’s a little unusual meeting out of office quarters.” I waved around the deck she stood looking over. Gardens. They were of course beautiful to see from up here.
“I thought you’d appreciate it more, seeing something else of the station.
She wasn’t wrong. The walk here had been enlightening. Though the stations’ observation deck felt particularly quiet today, barely a sound echoing around us.
“Can you tell me what this is about?”
She held out her datapad for me to see. I read over my stat sheet:-
I stood silently, staring at the datapad in Professor Zhal’s hands. My reflection wavered slightly in the sleek glass window, stars stretching endlessly before me.
Professor Zhal adjusted her glasses, also clearly scanning through my latest results.
She brought up my health stat sheet for us to see between us.
“Are you feeling well?”
“Tired,” I admitted. “This weeks been a lot of work.”
Zhal nodded. “That’s understandable. I want a full medical check when you return to Earth.”
I nodded, looking over the medical results. Something was indeed off.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Your growth metrics have improved remarkably,” she said, a rare smile curving her lips. “Your cognitive aptitude is now 9.7, Dexterity has risen to 6 from 2, and your teamwork index is among the highest in your class. Frankly, it’s extraordinary.”
My cheeks warmed slightly. I cleared my throat. “Thank you, Professor.”
She glanced up, her eyes softened by the quiet light. “You’re surpassing every expectation we had for you. But there’s something else—” Her voice grew thoughtful. “You’ve become a leader. Your team relies on you.”
“I don’t feel like a leader,” I admitted, eyes dropping to the reflective floor. “I’m just doing what I can.”
“That humility is precisely why you’re effective,” Zhal replied gently. “But tell me, what do you want out of this? Where do you see yourself once this chapter closes?”
I hesitated, my thoughts immediately turning to Rob, Kerry, and Sylvk. The thought of leaving them tightened my chest in a way I hadn’t expected. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Initially, it was just about getting away, fixing something broken—my life, maybe. But now…” I trailed off, turning again to the stars outside. “Now I’m not sure leaving is what I want.”
Zhal studied me carefully, her gaze deeper than usual, almost maternal. “Sometimes, the best plans are those we never expected to make.”
A quiet curiosity tugged at me. “Professor, may I ask you something?”
“Of course,” she replied.
“This meeting wasn’t about me, was it, it’s about Major Kuba—Ashley. She mentioned once her mother worked at the academy. But never said anything more.”
Zhal smiled, setting the datapad down carefully. “Her mother did indeed work there. In fact, she still does.”
Surprise rippled through me, realization dawning slowly. “You mean…”
“Yes,” Zhal said gently, a deep warmth in her eyes. “And you’ve caught my attention in more ways than one. I’ve watched how you’ve impacted Ashley, how you’ve awakened something in her she hasn’t felt in years.”
I swallowed. “I never meant to…”
“I know,” Zhal said softly, stepping closer. “But it matters. You matter. Not just to her, but to your team, to Doli. Remember that.”
“I will,” I said.
“Now, go and get some rest before your next simulations.” Professor Zhal picked up the datapad and I watched her walking away.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked Doli.
<
I stayed behind, the quiet of the deck almost overwhelming. “But did you hear all of that, Doli?” I asked softly.
<> Doli’s voice came warmly in my mind. <
I sighed, leaning against the cold glass. “It’s not supposed to be this difficult, is it? Leaving?”
<
“Why does it feel wrong now?” I whispered, almost to myself. “I never thought I’d find somewhere I wanted to stay.”
<
I closed my eyes, drawing a deep, steadying breath. “Will it always hurt this much? Choosing to move forward, knowing what I’m leaving behind?”
<
I opened my eyes slowly, the starlight washing over me. “Then I guess I’ll just have to live with it,” I whispered, more determined than ever. “No matter how much it hurts.”
<
“Slave driver,” I teased.
Back in my quarters, I lay on the bunk, immersing myself in what was to come.
<
“I’m sure, hit me,” I replied. “Besides, this is something I know we’ll all benefit from in the near future. I need to get up to the same speed as the team, and they’re not just cadets. They’ve years of training beyond this here.”
<
“Loading times still an issue?”
<
I was okay with time, while my mind worked, my body rested, and so we dived right in at the deep end,
- Psychological Warfare and Influence
This advanced course explores the art of persuasion, manipulation, and destabilization in high-stakes environments. Cadets learn to influence adversaries and allies alike, emphasizing both psychological insight and strategic finesse.
Lesson Outline:
Week 1: Foundations of Influence
- Introduction to psychological principles of persuasion and manipulation.
- Analyzing historical examples of psychological warfare.
- Exercise: Identifying key vulnerabilities in a mock negotiation.
Week 2-4: Techniques of Psychological Warfare
- Methods of undermining morale and cohesion in enemy ranks.
- Propaganda creation and deployment strategies.
- Group Project: Designing a psychological operations campaign for a simulated scenario.
Week 5-6: Defensive Strategies
- Recognizing and countering manipulation tactics.
- Strengthening group cohesion to resist psychological attacks.
- Simulation: A crisis scenario requiring cadets to maintain morale under pressure.
Week 7-8: Practical Application
- Role-playing exercises where cadets attempt to sway or destabilize opponents.
- Multi-layered simulations incorporating persuasion, deception, and analysis.
- Final Assessment: Conducting a psychological operation during a complex scenario.
Core Activities:
- Role-playing to practice negotiation and persuasion tactics.
- Creating propaganda campaigns to influence simulated populations.
- Analyzing real-world case studies of psychological warfare.
Key Lesson:
“Winning a war without firing a shot is the ultimate victory.”
The chime of my comm startled me from my course. <
I checked my display to see who it was: Kerry.
“Piotr, you coming? Simulation test briefings in ten,” she said.
“Yeah,” I replied, shaking off the haze of emotion. “Be right there.”
As the comm went silent, I took a deep breath and stood. Stepping toward the door, I forced down lingering thoughts of Ashley. There was no space for personal distractions now—too many lives depended on me keeping my head clear. Whatever was happening between Ashley and me—whatever it could be—would have to wait.
The atmosphere in the room was thick with anticipation. The team was already gathered, their usual banter subdued as they reviewed the mission parameters one last time. Kerry sat with her arms crossed, her focus sharp. Rob was fidgeting with a stylus, his nervous energy barely contained. Sylvk was as steady as ever, his expression unreadable.
I took my seat, nodding to each of them in turn. “Everyone ready?”
“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Kerry bounced back.
Rob’s voice edged toward frustration. “If being ready means ignoring that every system we trust could be sabotaged, then no—I’m not feeling very ready right now.”
Sylvk shot him a look. “It’s a simulation, not a field trip. Save your worries for later.”
“Easy for you to say,” Rob shot back. “You’re not the one who has to monitor the shields.”
“Enough,” I ordered them. “We’ve got this. Focus on what you can control.”
Ashley—no—Major Kuba entered the room then, her presence commanding instant attention. Sergeant Major Cotah and Professor Zhal were with her. The Major carried herself with the same strength as always, any trace of the woman I’d shared breakfast with carefully concealed behind her professional demeanor. When her eyes briefly met mine, I caught a flicker of something else—worry, perhaps, or determination.
“Alright, listen up,” the Sergeant Major began, all business. “This is it. Your final simulation test before your first actual mission deployment next week. High stakes, high risks, and no margin for error. You’ve trained for this, and I have every confidence you’ll succeed. But make no mistake—this isn’t about proving yourselves. It’s about proving that we can’t be intimidated.”
Major Kuba stepped closer to the holomap, highlighting the simulated debris field and the target vessel. “The objective is clear: in this final test scenario, you’ll recover critical data and several virtual crew members and get out before things go south. The simulation will include deliberately sabotaged systems to prepare you for potential interference during your real mission. Consider this your final exam.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the team, “Piotr will lead this simulation. Listen to him. Trust him. He’s earned it.”
I straightened in my seat. “We’ll get it done.”
“Good,” Ashley said, her eyes meeting mine briefly before she turned back to the team. “You simulation pods launch in thirty. Dismissed.”
As the team filed out, I lingered for a moment, catching Ashley’s eye.
“Argassa,” she said, nodding for me to stay. When the others were gone, she stepped closer, her professional mask slipping just slightly. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I said. “We’ll nail it, I know we will.”
Her hand brushed my arm briefly, a gesture so subtle I might have missed it if I hadn’t been paying attention. “I need you to,” she whispered. “I can’t afford to lose someone I—someone we—rely on so heavily.”
I nodded, feeling something more, settling over me. “See you on the other side, Ashley.”
Her smile was fleeting but genuine. “You’d better.”
***
Our launch into the simulation was smooth, the neural interfaces connecting us seamlessly to the virtual environment. Despite knowing it wasn’t real, my body responded with genuine tension as we approached the debris field. The view outside the windows turned chaotic. Broken pieces of satellites and old spacecraft drifted like deadly confetti, glinting in the harsh light of the distant sun.
“Sylvk, take us in slow,” I said, my eyes glued to the scanner. “This simulated field’s tighter than expected.”
“Copy that,” Sylvk replied.
The shuttle weaved through the debris with painstaking precision. Kerry sat beside me, her jaw clenched as she monitored the instruments. Rob and Sylvk were strapped in behind us, uncharacteristically quiet.
“Derelict in sight,” Kerry said, pointing to a hulking shadow ahead.
The ship was battered, its hull scarred and punctured. Docking wasn’t going to be easy.
“Alright,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
The shuttle jolted as the docking clamps engaged, and a low hiss signaled the pressurization of the airlock.
“Suit up,” I said, grabbing my helmet. “The simulation might throw anything at us.”
As we stepped into the derelict ship, the eerie silence was suffocating. The emergency lights flickered, casting long shadows across the narrow corridors.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Rob said.
“Stay focused,” Sylvk prompted. “We’ve got a job to do.”
“Split into pairs,” I said. “Kerry, you’re with me. Rob and Sylvk, check the aft section for survivors.”
As we moved deeper into the ship, a faint sound made me freeze.
“Did you hear that?” Kerry whispered.
I nodded, my hand tightening on the scanner. Whatever it was, this simulation had gotten a lot more dangerous.
The sound was faint but unmistakable—a low, metallic groan, like something shifting under strain. I held up a hand, signaling Kerry to stop. The narrow corridor ahead was lined with exposed wiring and bulkheads covered in scorch marks.
<
<
The seconds felt like hours as I gripped my scanner tighter. Kerry shifted beside me, her helmet’s visor reflecting the flickering emergency lights.
<
I relayed the information to Rob and Sylvk. “You’ve got company in the aft section. Proceed with caution.”
“Roger that,” Sylvk replied.
Kerry glanced at me. “What about us?”
“We keep moving,” I said. “If something’s alive in here, we need to find out what it is—and fast.”
We moved deeper into the ship, the atmosphere growing heavier with each step. The groaning sound returned, louder this time, followed by a sudden jolt that sent a shiver through the deck. The corridor shuddered violently beneath our boots, the eerie groan escalating to a deafening shriek as metal buckled around us. Sparks cascaded overhead, illuminating widening fractures in the hull.
“Structural integrity’s failing,” I muttered, heart pounding. “We need to move—now.”
In my HUD I watched as Rob and Sylvk floated cautiously through the dimly lit corridor. The scanner in Sylvk’s hand pinged softly, guiding them toward the life signs.
“Two meters ahead,” Sylvk said. “Behind that bulkhead.”
Rob reached for the access panel, his movements slow and deliberate. The door hissed open, revealing a small compartment filled with debris—and three figures huddled in the corner.
The survivors huddled together, faces pale behind scratched visors, their hands shaking as they reached toward our team. “Thank god—please,” one rasped.. “Don’t leave us here.”
“They’re alive,” Rob said, he let out a breath.
“We’ve got you,” Sylvk said. “Stay calm.”
As Rob and Sylvk began assisting the survivors, the ship jolted violently, throwing them against the bulkhead.
“Status?” I called through the comms.
Sylvk’s voice was tense. “We’ve got them, but the ship’s coming apart. We need to move—now.”
“We need the intel first,” Kerry reminded me.
“Get the survivors to our ship,” I ordered. “We’re on our way soon as the intel is downloaded.”
Kerry and I reached the central control room, a mess of shattered consoles and dangling cables. The air felt charged, like the ship itself was holding its breath.
“This place is a deathtrap,” Kerry muttered.
I scanned the room, my eyes landing on a terminal that still had power. “If there’s anything useful left, it’ll be here. Cover me.”
Kerry nodded, keeping her weapon ready as I worked quickly to access the terminal. The screen flickered to life, displaying corrupted logs and scrambled data.
<
<
The screen stabilized as Doli’s systems worked their magic. Logs began scrolling across the display. Scrambled files flashed urgently: references to covert communications, sabotage methods matching what we’d experienced. My heart sped up—this was no random disaster. This data might be our only chance to uncover who was targeting us and why.
Before I could dig deeper, an alarm blared, echoing through the ship.
“Warning: Structural collapse imminent. Evacuate immediately.”
“Time’s up,” I said, grabbing the data drive. “Let’s move.”
The corridors were chaos as we regrouped with Rob, Sylvk, and the survivors. The ship groaned like a wounded animal, bulkheads buckling as debris rained down around us. A support beam crashed down inches from where we stood, the floor beneath us visibly warping with each passing second.
“Shuttle’s docked!” Kerry shouted. “Go, go, go!”