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watched Ryan fall so tantalizing close to the pylon,
which contained the red victory button. “No one beats Charring on their first
attempt.”
    Wade nodded.
Charring Mountain wasn’t so much about victory as learning tactics and how to
use the weapons the suits were equipped with. It also demonstrated very plainly
that a battlesuit wasn’t invincible. Ryan’s platoon would be sore in the
morning, but today they'd learned a valuable lesson. Even so, Wade had been
very impressed by his younger brother. There was little doubt in Wade’s mind
that Ryan and most of his platoon would qualify for the special project they
had signed up for. He just hoped Ryan was ready for what waited in his future.

Chapter Three
     
    Colonel Wade
Nelson stepped aboard the five hundred-meter battlecruiser Constellation. He
was met by Commander Adamson as soon as he exited the small shuttle. Over the
last few years, the rank structure in the fleet had been changed and simplified
since on many operations there were both fleet personnel and marines involved
as well as individuals from nearly every branch of the military services that
had existed on Earth. For the fleet, the rank structure ran Fleet Admiral,
Admiral, Commander, Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign, Petty Officer (first and second
class), and Spaceman (first and second class). For the marines, the rank structure
ran General, Lieutenant General, Colonel, Major, Captain, First Lieutenant,
Second Lieutenant, Sergeant, Corporal, and Private.
    “How was the
drill?” asked Adamson, knowing that Wade had gone on board Centerpoint to watch
his brother attempt Charring Mountain.
    “As expected,”
Wade responded as the two began walking toward the ship’s Command Center. “Ryan actually made it to the top but was taken out by the stunners guarding the reset
pedestal. He did surprisingly well for his first attempt.”
    “I’ve never
had to go through that drill,” Adamson spoke as they took a turbo lift to the
level where the Command Center was located. “Has anyone ever made it on their
first try?”
    “No,” answered
Wade, shaking his head. “The drill is set up to make it impossible to make it
to the reset pedestal on the first or second attempt.”
    “A no win
scenario,” mused Adamson. “Do the marines participating in the drill know
that?”
    “No,” Wade
admitted. “The battlesuits are an awesome weapon for a marine to use. It makes
you feel invulnerable and capable of achieving almost anything. What we want
our recruits to understand is that while the suit greatly augments a marine’s
abilities, we’re going up against enemies who have the ability to neutralize or
destroy a battlesuit. Charring Mountain teaches them that.”
    Commander
Adamson well understood that point. It was the same in the fleet; being in a
powerful warship made you feel invincible until the Kleese show up with one six
to ten times larger. Once that happens, your feeling of invincibility vanishes
very quickly and a sense of reality sets in.
    The door of
the turbo lift opened and the two stepped out into the short corridor that led
to the Command Center. As they approached the hatch, two heavily armed marines
stepped forward to confirm their identities. After verifying who they were, one
of the marines stepped over to the heavy metal hatch and opened it. If this had
been a wartime situation, two marines in Type Two battlesuits would have been
guarding the hatch. The Constellation had numerous corridors wide and tall
enough to accommodate the battlesuits. All battlecruisers and light cruisers
did now, though it had meant some major modifications in their designs. It had
ensured boarders could be dispatched with a vengeance if it became necessary.
    Once inside,
the two went to the central command console. Wade looked up at the main
viewscreen showing a view of space. Hundreds of unblinking stars were visible,
reminding him just how small the solar system was in the overall scheme of
things. On the main