Max Meets The Cadets

Posted on Mon Oct 31st, 2011 @ 6:53am by Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi & Major Maxim Kamarov
Edited on on Mon Oct 31st, 2011 @ 7:06am

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Satellite Academy

PROFESSOR KAMAROV'S OFFICE
SATELLITE ACADEMY

First day of class was a snap! Now, to plan a quiz and see which of my little darlings are actually studying and which ones are just screwing around, wasting time! Maxim smiled as he looked at the data in the first chapter. Most of the kids would be expecting to be asked what the acronym SURVIVAL meant:
S(ize up situation)
U(se all your senses)
R(emember where you are)
V(anquish Fear and Panic)
I(mprovise)
V(alue Living)
A(ct Like Natives)
L(ive By Your Wits and Skills)

This acronym had been drilled into Maxim's being since his training as a Marine officer, especially at the War College.

In addition to having the cadets define the SURVIVAL acronym; Max slyly demanded a few examples. This would show him who was talking the course seriously, thus influencing that cadet's selection as squad leader.

NEXT DAY, 0900 HOURS
SURVIVAL 101 CLASSROOM

Maxim had uploaded the quiz to each student's padd and the kids were hard at work answering the questions. Little did the students know that after the quiz would be their first holo-simulation. Nothing too heavy, just classic situations in history where the student could use SURVIVAL to document what went wrong and what else could have been done.

Maxim began to fine tune the holodeck programs when he was aware of a cadet at his desk, one Eli Ziyad. The cadet turned his padd over to the former Marine.

"All done sir." Eli left the padd, still wondering how Ashley had managed to finish so much faster than he and Chance had.

Next Cadet Conradi handed in his padd. Maxim nodded to both cadets. "Gentlemen, I will call a break in the next fifteen minutes. I would like you to remain in the room, if you would."

Both cadets nodded and took their seats. Chance tossed an eye roll in Eli's direction.

BREAK TIME
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER

Eli watched with a bit of envy as Ashley escaped the classroom. Lucky stiff, he telegraphed to Chance, who acknowledged the comment with the slightest of nods.

Kamarov came over to where the young people were seated and handed back their padds. "Not bad work, gentlemen. You both managed to quote the textbook ver batim."

"Well, we studied the textbook. Was there some other source you'd rather have us learn from?" Chance replied.

"I don't want the text parroted back at me! I want to hear your interpretation of what the text is saying to you." Kamarov put his hands behind his back and paced behind the lectern.

"With all due respect, sir, some of those things are checklists and shouldn't be varied from. Re-interpreting them could change standard procedure." Eli spoke up now, a hint of confusion in his tone.

Kamarov smiled at Eli's confusion. "Young man, everything is open to intepretation. There are no set rules for surviving except one, come out of it alive! To show you what I mean, Mr. Ziyad, I am naming you squad leader for our first holodeck simulation. Mr Konradi, you will be squad leader in the second holodeck simulation. You will both have the same identical situations given to you, but I guarantee each individual approach will be different. The cadet who leads his team to victory will be afforded an opportunity to observe the department of his choice for 48 hours."

He's splitting us up? But..., Chance sent over to Eli, That'll suck. "Sir, perhaps we could start as one team; maybe have Ashley as our squad leader?"

Maxim's eyes widened and a smile lit his face. "I see you are not happy with my orders. Perhaps a 10,000-word essay on the merits of obeying oders given by a superior officer would reinfoce in your mind the existence and reasons for a chain of command? Or would you like to lead your own team?"

"He'll be happy to, sir." Eli jumped in before Chance could answer. Just nod and smile, I'll make it up to you later. The thought was passed to Chance with a wink.

Chance nodded, though he didn't quite smile. You bet your ...replicator creds, you will.

"I'm glad you see things my way, Mr Conradi. Let us proceed to the holodecks."

HOLODECK 47

The gathered cadets looked a little pensive as they waited outside the training holodeck. Kamarov had programmed a few notable survival incidents from Terran History, plus the Destruction of Praxis and the Romulan Senate assassinations by Shinzon. "Cadets, you will observe, evaluate, and apply the acronym 'SURVIVAL' to the following scenarios. There should be emphasis on leadership, critical errors, environmental hazards and chance."

"What does chance have to do with anything, sir?" a cadet asked nervously.

Kamarov drew his hand phaser and aimed it at the cadet. "Are you willing to bet your life on the chance that I didn't have the safety engaged?" Maxim asked quietly, his voice even.

"No, sir!"

Kamarov holstered his weapon. "Good lad! Now, into the holodecks with you. Mr Ziyad and Mr Conradi, please make sure that all members of your squad are accounted for at all times.

"All present, sir," Eli informed Max. Once Chance entered his own holodeck, Eli led his team in, and the doors closed behind them.

After the last cadet had entered the holodeck, Kamarov sealed the room shut. The cadets had to correctly identify the errors that had killed the original victims of the aforementioned disasters to unlock the next phase of the exercise and also reveal the release code for the holodeck door. Hopefully, Ziyad and Conradi paid close attention to the clues provided in the simulations.



*********

Eli Ziyad
Cadet 4th Class & Nexus Club Employee

Chance Conradi
Cadet 4th Class & General Pain in the Ass

Professor Maxim Kamarov
Survival Instructor and Whip Cracker Extraordinaire