“Attention campers! How are we feeling today?” The over enthusiastic counselors shout, to a mix of groans and cheers. “I can’t hear too well, you're gonna have to speak up. I said, ‘How we feeling today?’” The cheers began to outweigh the groans as more of us felt compelled to join in.
I still sat obstinate, missing my home and not wanting to be at Varkh Camp, knowing I’d be stuck here for the next deca-cycle with almost every other kid my age at one of the twelve noble house run camps. The counselor continued to try and get the entire room up to his impossibly high level of excitement with another “I can't hear you!”
When I spy a girl, about my age, similarly refusing to participate, a smile crept across my face as I looked at her. She looked back as if she felt my eyes on her, we made eye contact for a moment before I realized to turn away. However, I turn too quickly and accidentally elbow the boy sitting next to me in the stomach. I quickly apologize as he makes a sour face at me. I look back over to see that she is now laughing.
The counselor continued with another “I still can't hear you!” It became apparent that he would not stop until he heard everyone participate. Tired of it, I submitted and gave an unenthused ‘wooh’ and watched as the girl did the same, both of us now smiling.
“Yeah! That's what I like to hear! I want to welcome all of you wonderful colonial kids to the eleven thousand and ninety seventh annual Kar Seravia Camp Tarnak. A ten cycle-long experience gifted to each colonial between fourteen and seventeen by the Imperarch and run by the Ministry of Reflection. Here we will have activities, instruction, and most importantly fun! You are each separated not by Noble, Technocrat, or Military. However, to prevent distractions we will be separating you by gender.”
With this a female counselor stepped forward, matching the other counselor in almost every way and began speaking with a gentle giggle after each sentence. “Now girls! You will be learning how to properly take care of things, we have mandatory instruction on repairing and maintaining common objects, brought to us by the Praxis School.”
“And for the boys we have weapons training and survival preparedness, brought to you by the Grand Stellar Legions!” I rolled my eyes--I get enough weapons training at home. I catch sight of the girl again, now appearing to be just as bored as myself. The counselors now began speaking in perfect sync “We know you’ll have a great time! Can I get a Varkh Etern?!”
The entire room erupted with a thunderous “Varkh Etern!” The response kicked in like a reflex for each of us.
At that, a legion of counselors filed out from behind the stage and each stood before a section of the audience. “These are your guides for the summer! Each of them is here to make sure you are comfortable here at Camp Tarnak. We will now dismiss each of you to go to your cabins, and we will reconvene for a friendly game of capture the flag.” We began to stand up and his tone shifted to anger. “Remain seated, until you are dismissed! Sit back down! Each of you!” It took what felt like 3 metrics as he shouted for everyone to listen to him. When the final kid sat down he then said “Dismissed!”
I stood up and grabbed my pack waiting in line to follow the rest of the kids in my group as we followed our guide to the cabin. On the way out the girl handed me a piece of paper and rushed back to her group before anyone could notice her amidst the shuffle of kids. The page just said “That guy needs to relax.” I blurted out a very loud laugh that drew the looks of the other campers, I quickly covered my mouth and attempted to hide my shame. I could see her laughing to herself out of the corner of my eye–I wonder who she is.
We make the walk to one of the twenty cabins, ours is not far from the mess hall, with each cabin able to hold around 100 kids. This camp is exclusive for first years, the rest of the kids are my age and I decide to begin a conversation. I turn to the kid next to me and introduce myself. “Hey, I’m Ulth! Nice to meet you.”
“Kruz.” He was very quiet. His hair was shorn close to the scalp, the Varkh way, except for one glaring outer world style: a long, thin rope of hair that fell from the nape of his neck, snaking down past his collar. It was more than unique; in a place like this, it was a liability. A defiant mark that practically dared someone to grab it.
We both set our bags on the frames closest to the washroom, and I sit on the end of the bed and twiddle my thumbs waiting for something interesting to happen. Our cabin guide speaks up “Alright Cabin G! Hang out here for a little bit and get to know each other better, I will just be setting up for the Capture the Flag game.” He smiled like he knew something we did not.
I looked around at the ninety or so other kids that all looked like carbon copies of each other, with each with their own singular feature that set them apart, whether it was eye color or skin tone. They all had the same look in their eyes, hunger, to belong, or maybe for something other than nutrient paste. We had all heard about the lavish feasts that would happen each week, my parents even told me about how wonderful some of the foods were. Then a flash of steel was seen as a kid at the other end pulled out a small folding knife and began flicking it open and closed on his bunk as a small group of boys turned and suddenly became fascinated.
This was the difference between the military kids as none of us were intrigued by a simple blade, we all had large families as is the standard in the Varkh, and blades were something we had trained with since we could hold one. Kruz sat back in his bunk and pulled out his survival kit and began inspecting it. I just laid back in my frame and closed my eyes trying to think of home to comfort me, but then I smell the sweet fragrance of the grass and my mind brings me instead to the recent smile I had, and the girl that brought it on. Then I heard some of the other kids talking, each trying to sound tougher than the one before.
Eventually our guide came back and signalled for us to follow him outside, we made our way to the mess hall and had an amazing feast, roast animals and spiced vegetables. Significantly better than the nutrient paste we got at home. As I took my tray from the line and walked into the larger hall, I looked across the room trying to find the girl from earlier, when I eventually spotted her she was across the entire hall. I decided to pick a seat nearer to the center so I could see her when she got up. I found myself fascinated with her and couldn't stop myself from staring. But what would I even say, then I realized she has noticed me, I freeze during my attempt to look away as I see her give a soft smile. I point at myself to confirm and she just giggles and nods her head.
I frantically look around for something to write on, or even with–no luck–speaking would have to suffice. I wait for her to finish her food and as she stands up to put her tray away I stand up and walk over to her trash can, trying to recall the lines my brothers taught me. Instead all I say is, “Come here often?” red in the face embarrassed with myself I walk off before she can even give a response.
As the sun began to set into the horizon, we were filed out of the mess hall by our guides and brought to an enormous field with each cabin taking a different position along the edge. The main counselors walked to the center and began shouting the rules, like we did not know. Once the sun went dark and the field was illuminated only by the twin moons. We were each set loose like a horde of wild animals. There were screams and hollers as everyone struggled to see anything further than six feet in front of themselves.
I ran alongside Kruz when suddenly he was yanked back by the hair on his head. The force pulled him to the ground as he shouted for help, three other boys came over and held him down while one took out his knife and said “You could use a haircut, fringe boy!”
As he crouched down I felt the words escape my mouth before I could stop them “Leave him alone!” with this the one with the knife stood up and walked closer to me.
“You want one too? I suppose I could take a little off the top, might take some skin with it, but if that's what you want!” as he pulled his arm with the knife out wide as if preparing to strike reflexively I backed up and ran off away from them and I heard Kruz cry out for help.
I tried to find somewhere else I could be away from all this, instead I decided to go into the nearby forest where I saw the girl also sitting on a branch. Before I could walk away she spoke. “I’m Kora. And no, I don't come here often. Although I do feel more comfortable in this tree than I would on that field. How about you? Do you come here often?” she smiles at me and I go red with embarrassment again.
“Ulth, this is my first time, at camp and at this tree.” I try to joke amid the screams and shouts emanating from behind me. She laughs and waves me up into the tree. “Is everyone on your side of the camp weird or crazy too?”
“Hyeah, there are certainly some special kids here. But mother and father always say. ‘Everyone in the Varkh has a place.’” She rolls her eyes.
“Feels like some of those places would be better at the bottom of an ocean.” I said very seriously and she laughed.
I felt an unfamiliar smile creep across my face. “So, Kora, where are you when you're… not here?” I say trying to figure out the sentence as I formed it, still unsure how she speaks so comfortably.
“I’m usually in Elystra. Mother has me in training for my future. It's so awful, just being forced into this one place whether you want to go or not.” She speaks like she's been holding onto this feeling for a long period of time. “Once you're born into something you don't have any say in whether you want to follow or not. How about you? You got a military attitude.”
“Yeah, I'm military, kind of bored of it, but everyone else in my family seems to think it's an honor. I don't get it.” I say back, mirroring her energy. “But the other Military kids are certainly something.” it gets quiet between us and the sounds of screams continue into a sound of scattered laughter. “Can’t imagine the fun they're having now. So, what do you really want to do?”
“Make my own decisions I guess.” She spoke, wistful for a goal she knew she couldn't reach. Eventually the sounds of laughter began to rise up like a chorus as it seemed everyone realized how they were supposed to play. “I guess the hunt has concluded. Even here. Where it’s only colonials.”
“Like my dad always says, ‘someone needs to be the target. Don’t stand out enough to make it you.’” I rub my head and feel the bristles scratching my hand. “Are you excited to learn how to repair stuff?”
“It’s not what you think, the common household objects we are repairing are clothes and appliances. Boys get to fire rifles!” She shot back, sounding jealous.
“Yeah,” I say back now, just bored from all of this. “Even that gets old if you do it enough.”
We just both got quiet and enjoyed the sounds of play happening from the field. Still too dark to see anything, I feel something grab my hand and look over to see Kora is holding it gently like I am the only life raft in an uncaring ocean. The rest of the night passed by with no more shouts or screams, we just descended the tree and went back to our cabins to end the night.
As I approached my bunk I heard Kruz muttering to himself, a red stain on his neck, they were not gentle. I go to sleep listening to the sound of automated wilderness.
