INT – DAY – cargo bay
Harbin watches as a group of two dozen recruits run a simple obstacle course around the ship. They are jogging forward the mid-level passageway on one side, down the stairs, across the cargo bay, up the stairs on the other, then jogging aft through the other mid-level passageway. They are evenly spaced, and doing OK.Harbin: Look’n GOOD! (then to himself) Let’s see what we can do about that. (Loudly, again) CORPORAL Kaminski, next time you get to that cargo bay window in the end, go THROUGH it, drop to the deck, cross, and go up the other side the same way. Everyone else follow.
Kaminski hops through the open window more-or-less smoothly, carefully drops to the cargo deck, trots across, then stares up at the opposite window, not sure how to get up, as there are no obvious safe footholds or handholds, though there are some wall-mounted pipes and equipment.
CPL Kaminski: Uh, Sarge? THIS window?
The next couple of guys show up next to him. They quickly, but clumsily, organize a simple human pyramid, with Kaminski on top, He’s just barely able to get his hands on the window, and scramble up and through. He leans back out.
CPL Kaminski: OK, Horkle, you’re next. Snipe, take his place, keep rotating through.
Kaminski watches as a growing number of recruits pile up behind the pyramid as the climbing up is slow and awkward going.
Stenson walks into view, watching the progress, and stands next to Harbin.
Stenson: Like herd’n a flock a’ tuna up a rainbow some days, isn’t it?
Harbin: Some are as useless as hired relatives. But the first phase is always the frustrating part; it’s depressing to see how low “average” is. But, we see which ones are teachable, which one are able and willing to think things through on their own. They’ll get better fast after we cut most of them for attitude. The good ones learn to learn and figure things out, and listen to what we DO teach them. Or they get dead. COME ON, TOSS THE SHORT ONES UP THERE IF YOU HAVE TO!
Stenson: … Maybe you need to tell them to catch them if they miss, too?
Harbin: WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE READY!… (to Stenson) They’ll catch on to that… eventually. (Louder, to the recruits) Oh, stop your sniviling! It can’t be more than a sprain! You two hustle him up the sick bay, and get back here!
Stenson walks away shaking his head, Harbin goes to help sort out the pile of troops.
EXT – DAY – Firing Range
A simple 3m berm of pushed up dirt in a large, level-bottomed, 3-sided box, about 30m on a side at the bottom of the berm. A line of silhouette targets 2m apart line the foot of the berm.
SGT Kaushik stands behind a line of a dozen recruits, standing at attention with a slug rifle at their shoulders. He walks to one end, and looks down the line of them.
SGT Kaushik: Secure your magazines!
There is a general shuffling in the line as soldiers unsling their rifles and remove the magazines, placing them in a side magazine pouch.
SGT Kaushik: Present, ARMS!
The troops snap to the position of “present arms,” though not very smoothly or well. Sgt Kaushik steps just behind and to the side of the first soldier, so he can clearly look at the rifle in front of him, without being in front of the soldier.
SGT Kaushik: Port arms and show clear!
The first soldier moves his rifle to port arms, works the action, looks in the chamber.
Range Recruit 1: All Clear SERGEANT!
Kaushik steps to the next soldier, Horkle.
Sgt Kaushik: Port arms and show clear!
Horkle goes to port arms, works the action, and a round flies out of the chamber!
SGT Kaushik: WHAT’N’HELL IS THAT!
Horkle stands at mortified attention, and start to tremble.
Horkle: I-I-I don’t know sir!
Sgt Kaushik: I’m NOT AN OFFICER, AND THAT IS AMMUNITION THAT WAS IN YOUR CHAMBER!
Suddenly Kaushik notices a stifled giggle from the next soldier, Dartch.
SGT Kaushik: Any idea HOW it got in there?
Horkle: N-n-no sir, I mean Sergeant. It wasn’t there earlier, I’m sure!
Sgt Kaushik: It sure as HELL was in there just NOW!
More stifled giggles from Darch.
Sgt Kaushik:(with a side-long glance, then a knowing tone)… Who is your battle buddy?
Horkle: Darch, sir-I-mean-Sergeant, Sir. I mean, Sergeant.
Sgt Kaushik: Did you, at ANY TIME, leave your rifle unattended?
Horkle: No. NO.
Sgt Kaushik: At ANY time?
Horkle:… Only when I was in the head, sergeant.
Sgt Kaushik: And did you leave your rifle with your battle buddy at that time?
Horkle: (realizing what must have happened, and starting to look angry) … YES, SERGENT!
Sgt Kaushik: (cold and quiet) … Ground you weapons… Now, the two of you are going to double-time back to the First Sergeant and explain to him PRECISELY what happened. And, if you are still alive when we get back, you’ll be pulling extra duty for a week, as well as doing fifty extra deck laps before every meal. If you are not back before we are, you’ll be holding targets for us here on the range. Clear?
Horkle and Darch, simultaneously: Clear, sergeant.
SGT Kaushik: CLEAR?!
Horkle and Darch, simultaneously, at rigid attention: CLEAR SERGEANT!
Sgt Kaushik: MOVE-MOVE-MOVE!
The two of them turn and run and full speed back for the ship. Kaushik glares back down the line.
Sgt Kaushik: (to himself, shaking head) That screw-off could manage to fuck up sex.