The other participants who received the disk before Mako didn't really ask about what it was since they assumed it would be explained to them like everything else that came before it. However, after hearing Mako shriek about "jumping", many participants started having concerns as to what the military was about to make them do.
Just then the speakers on the plane turned on and the voice of an unfamiliar man who was most likely in charge of the plane sounded throughout the cabin.
"Cadets please remain calm. Once the officers are finished handing out the disks, an instructional video will be played on the screens in front of you which will resolve any of your queries." The man said through the speaker.
The officers continued handing out the disks to the rest of the cadets and they all patiently waited for the video to play which was going to explain to them the purpose of these disks.
Well... Almost everyone.
Mako was not having any of it, he was shaking all over and looked like he was about to pee his pants. Bill who was sitting beside him had to hold him down and keep his mouth shut or else he would have thrown a tantrum like a toddler.
Soon all the disks were distributed and as promised the screens in front of them turned on and a video started playing.
In the video, an unknown man wearing the same military uniform as Brigadier Jones but with fewer medals started explaining some of the features of the plane. They didn't touch all the areas of the plane nor went into much depth, it just gave a general description of some of the parts of the plane, and in the end, the man mentioned something about an eject feature.
He went on to explain that the plane was a specially designed aircraft with one of the features being that it could manually eject each seat on the aircraft individually. This caused a lot of distress among the cadets as they didn't really understand what they meant by eject.
The video continued and the background transitioned to the map of the island they were going to. The man appeared again and said that there were a total of 8 aircraft that are headed toward the island; each carrying roughly the same amount of cadets. Mako and all the cadets he was present in the auditorium were on board plane number 3.
The video showed the animation of 8 different planes coming near the island at different angles and flying over it completely and then leaving without ever landing. The planes were highlighted in red and as soon as they came within the proximity of the island, they turned green. They soon turned red again as soon as they left the vicinity of the island.
The man in the video explained that during the time that the plane was highlighted as green, you are to eject yourself off the plane and using the glider, land safely on the island. He explained that there was a big red button under everyone's seat which was currently deactivated. Once it becomes active, they were to press the button in order to eject themselves from the plane.
The video continued by showing a demonstration of how a person was to eject themselves and successfully deploy the glider mid-air by through the disk in the air which extended into a life-size glider for the person to hold onto and glide safely on land.
The video concluded with the man wishing them good luck and giving them a warning. He warned the cadets that if they failed to eject themselves during the time that the plane would be green, they would be immediately disqualified from the test and won't even receive the alternative option to enter the military school.
An eerie silence settled on the cabin as everyone was still processing the new information. However, it was only the calm before the storm. Soon angry shouts and cries started to erupt everywhere as many of the cadets that were on board were scared of what the military was making them do.
Mako was no exception as he joined in on the crying and shouting thinking the noise would have an effect on the military personnel on board but it all fell on deaf ears; literally, the cabin was made soundproof so that no noise was able to escape outside.
The cadets were afraid to do what the military was asking them to do because this was not what they had expected. Most cadets only had basic combat training and decent ability, which was why they thought that they could apply for the test and skip the compulsory duty that others who had chosen the alternative option had to do.
They believed that it would be similar to the duels they held at school, where they would just have to fight against another opponent and prove to be strong enough to be admitted to the military school. They were already quite tense when they learned that they had to survive on a monster-infested island for 15 days and now the military was asking them to do such extreme stunts from the getgo.
The military had intentionally made it this way as this was part of the test. They were not interested in recruiting just muscle, they wanted soldiers who had great mental strength as well as other qualities that this test would find out about them. Facing one's fear head-on and conquering them was a sign of great mental strength.
This was why the military had used such a common fear that most people had; the fear of heights. If the cadets weren't able to bring themselves to eject, they would be disqualified and sent back home with a time penalty during which they won't be able to apply again. If they were successful in ejecting themselves and making it safely to the island, they would already receive a lot of points while those who failed to land will be rescued by the patrolling guards and will also be disqualified.
After about half an hour of useless crying and shouting, they realized that it won't matter. Either they fail the test before it even began or risk their lives at the very start of the test.
Mako was one of these cadets as he was having a full-on mental breakdown as he didn't like nor wanted to choose either option. Tears had actually started to form in his eyes as he was about to accept his fate that he won't make it in the military without even getting into the arena. It was beyond shameful for him but what could he do, there was no way he would eject from this height, right?
*SMACK!*
Mako was knocked down to the ground by a solid punch straight to the face. Mako held his cheek as he slowly started to get back up and see who had punched him.
"Bill? What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Mako shouted as he looked up to see that Bill was the one that had punched him.
"ME?! What do you think YOU are doing?! Look at yourself!" Bill replied.
"I can't believe you decided to quit after coming this far. Have you forgotten all that you went through just to be here and you're quitting already?" Bill said.
The cadets nearby had noticed what was going on and were starting to pile around to see what all the fuss was about.
"What do you expect me to do!? That's exactly the point. I can't gamble my life away after coming so far, You can't believe for certain that even if I eject that I will be able to make it on the ground safely." Mako argued his case.
Seeing the crowd of cadets gathering, Bill didn't want to expose anything to strangers and possibly come off to them as weak which would be a major liability if they were to become enemies in the arena.
Bill walked toward Mako and without any hesitation gave him a big hug. Everyone, including Mako, was confused as to what was going on. Bill finished his hug and pulled Mako to one corner of the cabin where they could talk in private.
Mako kept saying that he didn't want to risk his life and that it was better for him to just quit now. Bill had to think of something to convince Mako as they were about to reach the island and the time duration for ejecting would begin.
"Listen, Mako, I know you are scared. Everyone has fears, it is natural to be afraid. There is no shame in that, but are you really going to abandon me alone on that island? What about the promise you made to me? What about the promise you made to your grandmother? Do you think she would be proud of Mako Grey if she found out that he chickened out before the test even began? How are you going to bring peace when you can't even face your own fear?" Bill asked Mako in a very serious tone.
Guilt!
This was the only tactic that Bill could use if he wanted to convince Mako to eject with him and take part in the test.
Mako didn't say anything as he was in deep thought but his body language showed that Bill's questions definitely had an impact on him. Before Mako could make up his mind, the lights inside the cabin turned green and an announcement was made on the speakers.
"Cadets! the time has arrived. You have been given the green light to eject from the plan and start the test. Good luck to you all!" The man announced.
After hearing the announcement, Bill turned back to Mako and extended out his hand.
"Are you ready?" Bill asked.
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