The response to R-328's proposition was ferocious.
KUMIKO
Are you kidding me?!
MARINA
You're crazy!!!
LWAZI
NO WAY! Absolutely no way!
R-328 listened patiently to their increasingly abusive remarks.
MEKDEM
...and you should be left there to die!
The clone chuckled while addressing them again.
R-328
You really are an interesting species, humans! So stubborn! You still think you have a say in all this...
Still chuckling, he turned around.
R-328
Be in building F in one Earth hour.
And without another word to them, he left.
NANDA
Those guys are just overrated tyrants!
MEKDEM
Hmph. You'd better do as they say, kid.
NANDA
Hey! Who do you think YOU are?!
Junior had no interest in these quarrels, so he quickly finished breakfast and left. He went back to his room and took a long, reinvigorating, hot shower.
Building F wasn't part of their complex, so Junior got dressed in his warmest clothes to walk across the yard.
Once inside, Junior found yet another unwelcome surprise.
JUNIOR
What are these?
He said, pointing at the instruments lined up in front of him.
JUNIOR
Are they really what I think they are, or am I living a nightmare?
Right on cue to answer Junior's rhetorical question came the clone. The rude one.
X-466
They are exactly what you think they are, young Space, and you are indeed living a nightmare.
For a moment, Junior was too dumbstruck to reply.
JUNIOR
Treadmills? Are we running again?! Why the hell are you so obsessed with running?
R-328
Isn't it obvious?
In came the other clone, intervening in his typical know-it-all fashion.
R-328
Your species -just like ours- evolved to become great runners. Early humans in particular couldn't run faster than their preys but became successful hunters because they could run for longer.
JUNIOR
Well, that's a good excuse!
Protested Junior.
R-328
Endurance running is exactly what you have evolved to do. Why are you complaining?
JUNIOR
It really doesn't seem fair!
The clone brought his hand up to his chin.
R-328
Our selection method does seem to have had an impact on the candidates selected...
He looked around, circumspect.
R-328
But I believe the months you are going to spend here should even things out...
And he left, as suddenly as he had come.
They ended up running for hours. Junior, of course, was among those who fared worst. He frequently needed to take breaks, whereas Mekdem looked like he could have gone on running for days.
After an ample meal, they got familiar with the suits they would be wearing for the jump. Helping them out was one of Junior's least favorite people in the base.
NICK
Your jump will not be easy. You will be jumping from the stratosphere, which means that you are going to need these suits...
He took out a suit from under the counter.
NICK
This is an example of the full pressure suits you will be using.
"Cool! Just like astronauts!" thought Junior to himself.
NICK
The oxygen tank is located in this backpack. This tube connects the tank to the helmet, allowing you to breath the oxygen coming from the tank.
Everyone was attentively listening to Nick.
NICK
Once you get to altitude, rotate this valve counterclockwise to get the flow of oxygen started. Just remember to breathe and you will be fine. To open the parachute...
"Remember to breath. What a stupid suggestion!" wrongly thought Junior.
