"Another new recruit?" Sergeant Sims turned toward the female recruit who had just reported in.
The recruit, identified as Frost, handed her documents to Sergeant Sims. As Sims reviewed the papers, Frost cast a glance toward Ryan's direction.
Specifically, her gaze landed on the young man standing next to Ryan.
Noticing this, Ryan shifted his peripheral attention to the recruit beside him. The young man wasn't particularly tall or muscular but had a well-built physique, a determined expression, and strikingly handsome features that rivaled Ryan's own.
With his extensive experience in reading people and his exceptional intuition, Ryan quickly determined that this young recruit, Johnny Rico, was full of potential. If subjected to the investigator training regimen for just four months, Rico might emerge as a highly capable investigator in his own right.
However, Rico himself seemed perplexed by Frost's gaze. Already a veteran of the battlefield and the heart, Ryan immediately sensed the subtle chemistry between the two young recruits.
Smiling inwardly, he saw an opportunity to leverage this budding connection to forge a closer bond with Rico and perhaps build a trusted team around him.
"Did you specifically request to join this unit?" Sims asked Frost after verifying her documents.
"Sir! I heard this is the toughest and most elite unit, sir!" Frost replied loudly and confidently.
"This is the best, but…" Sims' tone shifted sharply, his voice rising, "Do you think you're good enough?!"
The statement was clearly meant to intimidate, but Frost was not one to back down.
She tossed her backpack aside, removed her stiff formal uniform, and assumed a combat stance, signaling her readiness to spar.
The confrontation began immediately. Frost opened aggressively, alternating between straight punches and hooks, which allowed her to gain an early advantage.
But Sims, a seasoned veteran and instructor, quickly countered. A well-placed side kick threw Frost off balance, sending her sprawling to the ground.
In an instant, Sims followed up, pinning her to the floor with his knee pressed against her neck. Frost struggled briefly before succumbing to unconsciousness due to lack of air.
Standing up, Sims scanned the recruits, raising his voice once more.
"Anyone else think they can beat me? Step up! Whoever wins becomes the squad leader!"
"Sir! I think I can!"
A towering recruit nearly two meters tall stepped forward. Sims gestured for him to attack whenever ready.
The result was no surprise. The giant recruit barely landed a blow before Sims dislocated his right arm, leaving him writhing in pain. The camp's medics carried him off.
At this point, the remaining recruits seemed completely awed by Sergeant Sims' dominance.
"You're all cowards! Apes! If there are no more challengers, you'll—"
"Sir!"
Before Sims could finish, Ryan raised his right hand and called out loudly, "Recruit Scott requests a challenge, sir!"
"Step forward!" Sims barked.
"Sir, yes, sir!" Ryan replied, stepping through the crowd to stand three meters away from Sims.
"Kid, interrupting an instructor carries heavy consequences. If you lose, your punishment will make that gorilla's fate look like a vacation."
As Sims adopted a defensive stance rooted in military combat techniques, Ryan offered no verbal response. Instead, he dashed forward, feinting with a punch that forced Sims to dodge to his left.
In that split second, Ryan's right hook closed in on Sims' chin.
Victory seemed imminent, but Ryan had no intention of winning. His goal was to gain respect among the recruits while maintaining Sims' authority.
Just as his fist was about to connect, Ryan deliberately softened the blow, giving Sims enough time to counter.
Thud—Thud!
Both fighters landed glancing blows to each other's jaws and stumbled backward.
Despite the dizziness clouding his thoughts, Sims instinctively performed a backward roll to create distance. Ryan mirrored the move, maintaining composure.
From then on, Ryan "acted" the part, pretending to struggle as Sims fought with all his might. By carefully orchestrating a draw, Ryan ensured he gained prestige among the recruits while preserving Sims' authority.
---
While this staged duel unfolded in Universe 14, another theater of operations, Universe 15 (Aliens), faced far graver challenges.
### Lethe Moon: A Grim Reality
The front-line base on Lethe Moon grappled with a dire "insect infestation"—a xenomorph outbreak. Though the xenomorphs were fewer in number compared to the Arachnids of Universe 14, their superior intelligence and agility made them an equally dangerous foe.
Unlike the Arachnids, who relied on overwhelming numbers in direct assaults, xenomorphs waged guerrilla warfare. They prowled the rainforests and struck small villages with precision, leaving the colonial militia and marines stationed on the moon utterly helpless.
Every report of an outbreak in a village inevitably signified its complete destruction. Residents were abducted to serve as hosts for xenomorph eggs and biomass for the newborn creatures. Attempts to respond were invariably too late.
When the colonial marines launched proactive offensives, the xenomorphs vanished into the jungle, leaving no trace.
Faced with mounting losses, the colony governor issued a public announcement urging all residents to relocate to fortified towns or the capital city. High-voltage electric fences and steel walls protected these areas, offering some measure of security against xenomorph incursions.
Those who ignored the warnings were left to their fate.
The colonial marines, already reduced to half strength after a recent campaign against insurgents, numbered just over a hundred men. Their mothership was heavily damaged and stationed on Lethe Moon for repairs and resupply when the xenomorph outbreak began.
Requests for reinforcements from higher command were met with indifference:
"Hold your position. Once repairs are complete, rejoin the fleet for continued counter-insurgency operations. The xenomorph situation will be handled by Weyland-Yutani's private security forces."
Thus, the marines were ordered to remain defensive unless the situation spiraled entirely out of control.
---
### The Capital: Argos City
The capital city of Lethe Moon, Argos, stood on the equatorial coastline. It was one of the few hospitable plains suitable for settlement, with the nearest rainforest over ten kilometers away.
Argos bore a striking resemblance to the major cities of Halo's Reach or Harvest. Towering, densely packed skyscrapers loomed over meticulously organized streets. Officially sanctioned air vehicles zipped between buildings, performing various tasks.
However, unlike the refined designs of Halo's colonies, Argos exuded an unmistakable "heavy industrial" aesthetic. Its outskirts housed "legal" red-light districts filled with bars, nightclubs, and strip joints catering to the colony's workers.
Due to severe network delays with Earth, ranging from days to weeks, entertainment options on Lethe Moon were limited. For the working-class residents, unwinding in these establishments was the only viable escape from their grueling routines.
Yet recent xenomorph activity had cast a shadow over Argos. Videos and images of the creatures circulated rapidly online, fueling speculation that the city's sewer system might already house hundreds of xenomorphs.
Amid the growing panic, wealthier residents secured tickets and permits to evacuate to other colonies. Ordinary families, meanwhile, retreated to their homes, seeking refuge from the encroaching menace.
Though Argos boasted formidable defenses—including high-voltage electric fences, steel walls, and constant patrols by Weyland-Yutani's private military—the xenomorphs posed a unique threat. If the aliens infiltrated through the city's underground systems, chaos was inevitable.
Adding to the tension were troubling signs of cult activity. Posts on local networks proclaimed:
"Bow to the Great Creation!"
"They are not monsters but gods from higher dimensions, messengers of our evolution!"
Authorities suspected that such cults might willingly host xenomorph embryos to spread the infestation, further destabilizing the situation.
---
Despite appearing detached, the Human Empire had already covertly deployed over a thousand elite operatives to Argos days earlier under the command of Colonel Gary "Cockroach" Sanderson, preparing for a decisive strike. As Argos residents carried on their anxious routines, the Empire moved unseen, ready to bring the chaos to order.
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