The Rebel Within by Lance Erlick

Author:Lance Erlick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, scifi, dystopia, teen, action adventure, dystopian, strong female lead, women warriors, young adult science fiction, strong female protagonist
Publisher: Lance Erlick

EIGHTEEN

By the time Renee lets me out of the simulator, I’ve zoned out like I do in basketball practice when I know the moves and don’t have to think. With every muscle burning, I collapse into a chair by the monitoring equipment.

Sam barges in. “On your feet, grunts. You’re not on holiday. Double-time to the gym.”

Sister recruits slump onto the floor. We all reek of sweat. It’s 2 p.m., and we’ve been in the simulator two hours. It seems like 20, and I’m famished.

Renee hustles me and the rest of her recruits out toward the gym.

“When do we break for lunch?” I rub my stomach.

When we reach the gym, Renee gathers us around. “Listen up. This is intensive training. We don’t have time to waste. While your stomachs won’t agree, we injected you with nutritional supplements after your fights to last you until dinner. You need to push your limits. Now give me 30 pushups and 30 sit-ups, and meet me by the weights.”

This is crazy. But I can’t disappoint my team: little Brandy, wiry Margarite, freckle-faced Hannah, tough-blonde Vivian, or Tara, with her crooked nose. It’s amazing how I feel part of this unit after only a few hours. Is it because we’ve all been through shocking fights and grueling training?

I finish first and linger with Brandy, who struggles to get the last of her sit-ups. If we’re a team, then we stick together and help each other. Yet in the tournament I’ll have to fight these girls, and I don’t want to.

On the weights I’m too weary to press 50 pounds before Renee sends us out for a 10-mile run. I don’t have it in me to sprint, even though Renee runs alongside, prodding us. At least I don’t have Dara to contend with. Tough-looking Vivian is the weakest runner. I run next to her, give her encouragement and with it, urge myself on. It gives me an excuse not to burn myself out.

By the time I stumble back toward the gym, my stomach’s in knots. I’m ready to eat anything in sight. With my muscles in full rebellion, I collapse by the door. Brandy helps me to my feet before my muscles cramp and freeze up. We look like survivors of the Bataan Death March helping each other back inside. It’s only four. When is dinner?

“Let’s see some hustle.” Renee sounds like Sam. “Get into mech gear and show me what you learned in simulation.”

I’m in a daze floating into the big gym, as if I’m in the simulator watching a whole other Annabelle. I can barely lift the pieces of the mech suit off the rack. I step into the leg units and need Brandy’s help to heft the front and back plates up and snap them into place. I hope hydraulics will offset this weariness. I’d hate to pass out in all this gear.

When I get the helmet on and take my first steps, I feel spastic. My muscles move to their own sagging will.

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