Easy Company had been alternated to run six miles around the camp the first day and then running from the camp to the bottom of the mountain and vice-versa the next day. This was the legendary "Mountain Descent," a name that sounded far more graceful than the reality.
The 2nd Day was the most hellish. Recruits, while descending down the steep, jagged incline of the mountain road toward the valley floor, had to think about how they were going to run back up to the camp at the top. Gravity was a deceptive friend on the way down, pulling their heavy boots forward and rattling their knees. But as they turned around at the bottom, the mountain loomed like a wall of stone and judgment.
As they descended, Captain Snow, who still looked like he was just warming up, shouted at the whole company. "Come on! Let's go! No time to rest! Pick up the knees! Gravity is doing the work now, but you're going to pay interest on the way back up!"
"Oh shit," wheezed Frank Miller from 3rd platoon, watching the lead elements already reaching the turnaround point at the base. "He's actually smiling. Look at him. The man is a psychopath."
"Save your breath, Miller," Jack grunted, his own lungs already starting to burn from the thinning mountain air. "You're gonna need it for the climb."
As they watched the others begin ascending, the reality of the task set in. Halfway back up to the camp, most of the recruits were running out of breath. The air felt thin, like they were sucking through a straw. The platoon leaders were struggling too, their faces flushed a deep crimson, but they had to keep shouting to keep the men moving.
Lieutenant Chase saw two privates nearby whose strides were becoming erratic, their eyes glazing over. "You two! Thomas Grady! Peter De Marco! Grab and assist Olmec!" He pointed at the staggering recruit. The two, who still had enough strength and stamina to muster a run, grabbed Olmec's arms, hauling him along as they went together slowly, their boots scraping the gravel in a synchronized rhythm of desperation.
Lieutenant Murenn of 3rd Platoon was ahead of his platoon, drenched in sweat that made his fatigues cling to his lean frame. He turned back, his voice gravelly and thick. "Those who still have strength, help the others! Leave no man behind! If you finish alone, you finish a failure! Look to your left and right!"
Mary Poppings of the 2nd Platoon had to watch her platoon slowly walk up instead of run. The sight made her jaw tighten. She wasn't having it. "Start running, 2nd Platoon! In battle, you have no luxury to walk under enemy fire! You run or you risk your life and the lives of everyone next to you! Do you want to be the reason your brother catches a bullet?"
Jack heard the desperation and the edge in her voice. He looked over at Jay Rool, who was already stumbling, his head lolling. "Come on, bud," Jack said, reaching out to hook his thumb into Rool's webbing to steady him. "Let's get you up. We're nearly there. Don't let the Captain see you quit. You're a Marmello boy, remember?"
"Marmello... is... a long way... away," Rool gasped, but he found a second wind and straightened his back.
Nearby, Pollux had to assist the poor Kenlil who was already hitting a wall, his spectacles sliding down his sweat-slicked nose. A new recruit named Scott Manley moved to Kenlil's other side, and together they helped him as they slowly forced a run.
"I've got his arm," Manley panted. "Keep those legs moving, Ken. Just one more yard. Then another."
Captain Snow, still jogging and sweating bullets but never losing his rhythmic stride, shouted as he circled the back of the column like a sheepdog. He watched the rest of them on the brink of collapse, their faces masks of agony.
"If you fail halfway already, you do not deserve to get your jump wings!" Snow roared. "There's an ambulance waiting at the top of this mountain! You can choose to give it all up now! No more pain! No more mountain runs! Just a nice, soft ride back to civilian life!"
Most recruits were tempted. The sight of the white truck at the gates felt like salvation, a way out of the burning in their thighs and the stabbing in their chests. But the fear of disappointment held them. Most of their fathers and brothers had gone through the same trials; giving up halfway was considered the most disgraceful thing a Marmello boy could do. If they were to leave, they would wait for their bodies to physically give up and be evaluated by medical staff as unfit. Voluntarily quitting—the "Voluntary Withdrawal"—was socially costly. Back home, one would be branded as a coward or weak, a mark that would follow them to every pub and every job for the rest of their lives.
Then, at 0705 hours, the lead elements finally arrived at the top of the mountain at the gates of the camp. Most of them were so relieved they didn't care where they fell; they simply laid down on the dirt road, witnessing the sun rising on the horizon through blurred vision. The light was beautiful, but to them, it was just the signal that the day's's torture was over.
Snow stood there, breathing air heavily but with a terrifying steadiness. "Good work, men. It's past time five minutes for breakfast." He paused, looking over the sea of exhausted soldiers. "Take your chow. You earned your hard-earned rest. Barracks inspection at 0800 will be skipped for your one-hour rest. Report to the combat obstacle course at 0900 hours for the Gauntlet."
Satisfied murmurs and weak cheers broke out. Breakfast and an hour of sleep felt like a moment of divine justice after the mountain run.
Jack stood up, his legs trembling so hard he had to lock his knees to stay upright. He reached down to help Kenlil. "Come on, Ken. Another short walk to the battalion mess hall. Think about the eggs. Hot, salty eggs."
"My legs are shaking so much already," Kenlil whispered, his voice trembling. "I think my knees have turned into liquid. I don't think I can make it to the Mess Hall."
Tavros, who was also assisting Jack, grabbed Ken's other arm and hoisted him up with a grunt of effort. "I'm more hungry than tired, if anything," the beastfolk said, though his fur was matted with sweat. "If I don't eat, I might start eating the gravel."
The platoon leaders began barking again, trying to get the men off the road. "Come on, 1st Platoon! Get up if you don't want to miss your breakfast!" Chase shouted.
Murenn clapped his hands sharply, the sound like a gunshot. "3rd Platoon, fall in! Show some life!"
Emmanuel Hollister, the sergeant of 2nd squad in 2nd platoon, shouted toward the stragglers. "Come on, get up! Sterling, get these slackers up! We don't have all morning!"
Jack turned to Jay Rool. "Come on, bud. Help me here, will ya?" Rool stood up, using every ounce of remaining strength. Jack then moved to the others, checking on the squad before finally going to Natalia.
Natalia looked pale, her breathing shallow and her uniform drenched. "Can I climb on your back?" she asked quietly, her pride finally losing out to her exhaustion.
Without hesitation, Jack knelt down. "Come on. Get a grip." Natalia climbed onto Jack's back, her weight feeling like lead on his already screaming muscles, but he stood up anyway. She was too weak to walk the final stretch.
As Easy Company passed through the main parade grounds, recruits from other companies—some just heading to reveille—murmured as they watched the bedraggled line pass. "Now I know where they were," one whispered. "I didn't see them earlier at the field." "Did they just run to the bottom and back up? Look at their boots. That's mountain clay." "Their CO is a crazy one," another added, watching Snow lead the way with a stride that looked entirely too fresh.
Snow, taking the lead of his company, was intercepted near the mess hall by Captain Javier of Dog Company. Javier looked at the mud-caked recruits, the ones being carried, and the haunted looks in their eyes, then back at Snow. "What did you do with your guys, Snow? They look like they crawled back from the front."
Snow just said casually, "Oh, I just thought it was a good idea running to the bottom of the mountain and back. A little morning clarity."
Javier was taken aback, a look of genuine shock on his face. "You're crazy. You're going to break them before they even see an airship."
"Mehh... it's not that worse," Snow replied with a shrug. "I'm even surprised we made it without calling the ambulance. They're tougher than they look."
"Major Stanley's looking for you," Javier said, regaining his composure. "He wanted to know what you were doing with your men. He's already arrived at the command building."
Snow stopped, his eyes sharpening. "He's already arrived? He wasn't expected until tomorrow."
"Yeah. It turns out we received an order from the higher-ups. Things are moving faster than the schedule predicted."
"What's the difference?" Snow asked, wiping sweat from his neck with his undershirt.
Javier lowered his voice as they walked, glancing around to ensure no recruits were eavesdropping. "At 3rd Phase of training, the 98th, 99th, 100th, and 101st will continue training in Albiore to prepare for the early insertion."
"Albiore? That's in eight months, right?" Snow said, his brow furrowing.
Javier nodded, looking worried. "The invasion has been moved forward. High command thinks the window is closing."
"I guess the high command is getting impatient," Snow said. "Or they're scared."
"Well, in that time, that's when our new airships will be deployed," Javier added.
Snow snickered, a cynical sound. "New? All zeppelins look the same to me. Slow, expensive, and one big-ass target for a Grendheich flak battery."
"It's not exactly a zeppelin, Snow," Javier said lowly, a strange glint in his eye.
Snow looked intrigued, slowing his pace. "Really? That explains the rush. The higher-ups are excited to play with their new toys. They want to see if the gold they spent actually flies."
Javier chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah. That's the word. They're itching for a field test."
"And here I thought the new standard-issue rifle was the only reason we were being pushed," Snow said. "It turns out there's more. They must be really confident to win the next war if they're moving the timeline up by half a year."
Javier smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah. I bet they're not going to stop at liberating Aurelia. I bet they're going to push towards Batavia, Nordskold, and Suomi. Total continental liberation."
"If that's the case," Snow mused, "these new 'aircrafts' aren't the only secrets. There must be more. New armor? New runic artillery?"
"If there are, I haven't heard much about it," Javier said. "It must be a securely guarded information. I'll let you know if I hear anything else through the grapevine." He turned to walk back to his own company's barracks.
Snow just waved and walked toward the Battalion Mess Hall.
Inside the Battalion Mess Hall, Easy Company was given double the amount of food as per Snow's orders—double eggs, double bacon, and extra bread. Dog and Fox Companies watched in stunned, uncomfortable silence as the men of Easy ate ravagely, too exhausted for conversation or even the usual banter. They looked like their only purpose in life was the food on their trays. Because of the rumors of the mountain run—rumors that even reached the other Captains—the rest of the regiment soon realized their own peaceful mornings were about to come to a violent end. Snow had set the bar, and now, the rest of the 506th would have to jump over it.