"To train the mind is to train the storm. Every cadet must learn that discipline is not the absence of chaos, but the art of surviving it."
— Instructor Jet, Cadet Academy Doctrine
Cadet Academy,
VFP,
New Facility.
Steam curled from dozens of metal bowls in the cadet cafeteria, carrying the unmistakable smell of cheap synth-meat and scorched broth. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, flickering like they were tired of watching the same sorry souls shuffle in every morning. Among those souls was a slightly hunched boy with a lithe figure, his onyx hair sticking out in odd directions, holding his tray like it was the weight of the galaxy.
"Don't sit near me if you're eating that stuff again," said Tora, a fellow cadet and his self-appointed friend, pointing her fork accusingly.
"It's soup," Bale said defensively, lowering his tray onto the table. "Nutri-soup. Technically balanced, officially edible."
"Technically sewage," she shot back. "You've been eating that every morning for a month. You're going to evolve into a salt crystal before you ever unbound."
Bale shrugged and poked at the grayish liquid. "I can't afford the cafeteria's deluxe package. Besides..." he leaned closer, lowering his voice dramatically.
"...this is destiny's flavor."
Tora blinked. "Huh,destiny's… flavor?"
He nodded with solemn conviction. "The day this soup changes taste, the world will change too."
After a short pause,Tora laughed, loud enough to make a few cadets at the next table glance over. "You sound like one of those delusional preachers in holo-feeds. What are you, some kind of Prophet of Soup now?"
And just as she said that, the name stuck.
Someone at the next table repeated it under their breath.
"Prophet of Soup"
Before Bale could defend himself, it rolled across the cafeteria like wildfire. Snickers, whispers, and one loud mock-cheer from across the hall sealed his new identity.
"See?" Bale muttered. "The universe has a cruel sense of humor."
Tora grinned. "No, the universe just has good timing."
The hum of voices around them built as the morning announcement system crackled to life. A sharp, tired voice echoed through the cafeteria speakers.
"Attention Cadet Corps!All first-division trainees report to the lower assembly wing in ten minutes. Repeat, ten minutes. Failure to appear will result in demotion."
Tora groaned. "That's us."
Bale was still staring at his soup. "Ten minutes is enough to finish destiny."
"You'll be finishing detention if you don't move." She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to his feet.
They joined the dispersing cadets,jogging through the metal corridor as they headed for the assembly wing.
-----
Far beyond the cafeteria walls, the world that Bale lived in was held together by three powers, all together known as the Triarch Council. It was the established government that ruled what's left of the human race. The Triarch Council comprised of three powerful factions, of which were twelve before the Regression. Wolf Faction which oversees fleet operations, Eve Faction which controls biological and scientific operations and the Rithm Faction, which was in charge of technology and system integrations across New Facility. The Triarch Council meetings were often held by contingents of each faction, each contingent headed by a Master.
After years of harrowing survival, the Vortex Frontier Program (VFP) was then created by the three factions to uphold human strength against the unnatural odds of the universe. The VFP consists of four Frontier Divisions, each of which were situated in different planets. The most populated of the four, the Defense Division, also known as Cerberus, was very vast, its headquarters situated in two planets, Tirn and Merr planets, one of the strongest territories in VFP. Cerberus was headed by a Patriarch from Wolf Faction, since Wolf majored in defense and weaponry. The rest of the Frontier Divisions were the Survey Divisions, also known as Argos, the Recovery Divisions, also known as Scythe, and Evolution Divisions, also known as Prometheus. Prometheus controlled human exposure to vortices for ascension experiments, Scythe retrieved materials, corpses and energy cores from unstable zones, and Argos focused on initial mapping, data relay, and anomaly identification.
The Cadet Education was the gateway into the four Divisions, as every member of VFP was expected to undergo special training, in preparation for unforeseen circumstances. However, volunteers which were usually recruited into the system undergo their training under the Vortex Compatibility Index (VCI), which determines how well one's mind and body could handle vortex exposure. It also decides the rank and title of cadets in the Academy, shaping everything from food rations to dorm placements. The rankings and title bearing of cadets in the Academy were based on one's VCI Range.
Among the thousands of cadets in the Academy, about two thousand were Unfits. Those with the Unfit Rank had a VCI range of 0 - 5, designated VC-0. The Explorer Rank had a VCI range of 6 - 15, designated VC -1. Same ranking went for Scouts, Divers, Navigators, and Pilots with their VCI ranges: 16-25, 26-40, 41-60, and 61-95 respectively. Similarly, their ranks were designated VC-2, VC-3, VC-4, and VC-5 respectively.
Unfits were mundane humans. They were the ground staff and are all engineers. This was because intricate knowledge of engineering was an important factor for all cadets at their basic level. The Explorers were simply observers whenever they were made to accompany their seniors on missions. At this rank level, cadets possessed enough knowledge to understand the system of vortex behaviours and related engineering tools. The Scouts were allowed shallow entry into vortex proximities during mission exploration. They were made to put on very protective neural gears which were immune enough against vortex threats, in retrospect to previous incidents. Divers, with protective neural gears, could accompany larger and stronger teams into exploration sites. At Navigator level, cadets were strong enough to lead mid-level missions with enhanced neural-interface gears. Finally, Pilots were capable of direct synchronization and must have synced totally with their neural bands. Finishing this level by total syncing with their neural bands, cadets could proceed on to any of the four Divisions of the Vortex Frontier Program, where their initial statistics would determine where they would be assigned.
The neural band was a thin, adaptive interface worn on the wrist, with two nodes glued to the temples. It served as a bridge between thought and machine, translating human cognition into pure command.
VC-0 (Unfits) have a maximum neural band synchronization limit of 10%. Unfits only get promoted by reaching the maximum neural synchronization only.
VC-1 (Explorers) have a maximum neural band synchronization limit of 30%, and must have successfully completed 5 training modules. These two determine whether they can be promoted or not.
VC-2 (Scouts) have a maximum neural band synchronization limit of 60%, and must have completed 9 successful training modules.
VC-3 (Divers) have a maximum neural band synchronization limit of 90%, and must have completed 14 successful training modules.
VC-4 (Navigators) have a maximum neural band synchronization limit of 95%, and must have completed 20 successful training modules.
VC-5 (Pilots) have a maximum neural band synchronization limit of 100%, and must have completed 27 successful training modules.
For Explorers and above, a cadet's VCI was determined by combining their synchronization limit with their number of completed training modules. It was a precise equation that decided whether they rose or remained in their rank.
Meanwhile, Bale...
...was having a problem. It seemed too strange to ignore.