Chapter Five: Black Zone Simulation

Starsea Main gave Leon very little time to enjoy the victory. At five the next morning, the dormitory lights snapped on and a red notice appeared across the wall projection: "Freshman Comprehensive Tactical Assessment. Difficulty: A." "Participants: all Mech Command freshmen." "Location: Seventh Simulation War Zone." "Late arrivals receive zero." Leon was dressed in three minutes. The Main Campus uniform was far lighter than the prep suit on Helios-9. Its black combat fiber tightened automatically according to body temperature, and the shoulders aligned with neural interface points. The face in the mirror was still that of a mining-zone boy, but a silver Starsea badge now marked his chest.