Nemesis by Emma L. Adams Read Free Book Online Page B

translucent glass doors to the training complex, I couldn’t make out a whole lot. “This place is for Alliance members only, right?”
    “Yes, it’s essentially a gymnasium with free entry for Alliance members only, with a few enhancements. We’ll be testing you in the simulation chambers.” Amanda swiped her key card in the door to gain entry.
    “Simulations?”
    Amanda nodded. “Klathican technology, custom-made, and it costs the Alliance a small fortune to maintain. Come with me.”
    She led me through the reception area into a corridor, turning left to descend down a set of stairs. Muffled shouts and crashes came from below, but when we reached the lower corridor, nothing but doors lay on either side.
    “Here’s a free booth.” She pushed open one of the doors. A windowless room greeted me, and claustrophobia kicked in without warning as the image of an empty warehouse flashed before my eyes. I swallowed back the panic clawing my throat. You’re not there. You’re safe.
    I followed Amanda into the room. The walls were made of an odd reflective material, as was the floor, which was soft under my feet. I poked it with a foot, experimentally.
    “That’s so you don’t injure yourself when you’re caught in the simulation. Try to keep the room’s dimensions in mind. I can’t count the number of times someone’s run right into one of those walls and freaked themselves out. It won’t hurt, especially with your guard uniform on, but it can be a little jarring. The simulation’s meant to be all-encompassing. The technology’s sensitive to the material of your uniform, so you just need to clip this over your head to get the full experience. If you want to fight with weapons, wear these gloves.”
    She handed me a pair of gloves made of a thin material, and the smallest, most lightweight helmet I’d ever seen. I took it hesitantly, flipping it over to examine the shiny panelling on the back. Jeth would have a field day here. Holy hell, this is legit. “Wow. So this is used for training?”
    She nodded. “I’m told you have extensive hand-to-hand combat training already? You can fight non-humans as well as human opponents, right?”
    “Yeah, I took martial art classes, but I learned most of it from my guardian in practise. She taught me how to take down most of the monsters in the Passages. And I can kill a person with my bare hands,” I added. “But I’ve not actually done that…” No. Magic took care of it for me.
    “Well, you’re far ahead of most new recruits, aside from the Academy graduates, of course. Though the lesson even people with training often fail to grasp is that as an Alliance guard, the majority of your opponents are going to be much bigger and stronger than you are and have external protection. The best way to win is to outwit them rather than relying on brute force alone, though this is a case where your size and speed is also an advantage. You’re small and fast, and the larger monsters would have no chance of catching you, as long as you don’t let them drive you into a corner. Use the enclosed space to your advantage.”
    “Okay. So it’s the same in simulation as it’d be in real life? The monsters seem… real?”
    “Crude Earth terminology would call them holograms, except they’re solid and mimic the behaviour of their real-life counterparts. Essentially, it works like an advanced version of a touch-sensitive video game, except it also mimics sensations as well as sight. The room itself is made of an extra-sensitive material that adds to the realism of the experience. Pretty impressive, am I right?”
    “Yeah, absolutely,” I said, and meant it.
    “Want to give it a go, then? I should warn you, it might feel a little uncomfortable if you get hit, but it isn’t real, however it might seem. If you’re killed in a simulation, it’ll restart itself. Happens to everyone at some point. It’s important not to panic.”
    “I’m good,” I said, with more certainty