"If this is real, please pinch me." I breathed out the words in amazement. I was lifting! I was lifting a whooping 130 lbs barbell - at least from what the holographic numbers are telling me. The barbell that I was raising over my head felt like a small sack of flour. I was still gasping in delight at the absurdity of it all, but it was real.
"You think you can handle more, Mr Mithun?" Seela asked. She was standing in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest. There was a smile on her lips that I could only assume was a reflection of mine. That or she finds my reaction amusing.
"I think so?"
"General." A petite lemurian girl called out to her running frantically. "Guna and Kiran are fighting again." She said to him. Seela gave her a nod before turning towards Tarun. "Watch over them while I'm gone." She told her before moving to follow the girl out of the gym - I called it that because this portion of the room reminds me of an actual gym.
Geeta suddenly leaned in and whispered. "Want me to increase the weight?" she giggled. I joined her too and nodded my head excitedly. We were both acting foolishly but the adrenaline of my newfound strength was like a drug to me making me ignore the logical thing to do. Geeta started to turn the knob that adjust the weight of the barbel. It increased by 10 lbs, and I laughed at the added weight. "Do more do more." I insisted. Geeta snickered and added another 10 lbs. I could feel it getting heavy, but I can still take it.
"More? "Geeta laughed. I nodded my head eagerly. But just as she was about to turn the knob, we heard someone clearing their throat. We both turned to see Tarun with his arms crossed over his chest and fixing us a disapproving look. I pursed my lips in embarrassment while Geeta started looking at the ground and playing with her fingers.
"Can I turn the knob?" Geeta and I both raised our heads to Tarun in surprise. A playful smile appearing on the corner of his lips. Geeta and I grinned and nodded out heads like one of those bob dolls from a car.
"Yes! "Geeta said and clapped her hands excitedly at the same time as I said, "Of course!"
Tarun chuckled as he made his way towards us. He read the holographic digital scale his look became skeptical. "It's already 150 lbs." He looked surprised. "I don't think-"
"Boohoo!" Geeta and I chorused in disappointment at his hesitation. Tarun's forehead creased under our gazes. He seemed offended.
"I was gonna say that I don't think 150 is heavy enough." He grinned in satisfaction the moment that Rachel and I cheered. Geeta moved in front of me and adjusted the knob.
160
170
180
190....
We were still laughing like idiots. I was too, even though the weight kept increasing. I was too excited. But all our fun and games ended when we heard a familiar and displeased voice to our side.
"What exactly are you guys doing?" It was general Seela. The moment we saw her, the three of us panicked. I dropped the barbell and we all scrambled on our feet to avoid getting our toes crushed. There was a loud bang as soon as the equipment touched the floor. I chewed on my bottom lip and watched as Tarun lowered his head and stepped forward to face Seela.
"How'd it goes?" Tarun started to ask. His voice trembled a little as he talks and he kept rubbing the back of his neck to hide his trembling hands.
Seela's lips moved as she shrugged. "Oh, you know. The usual beating them up until they know their place. Enough for them not to get too cocky about their newfound ability." Then she crossed her arms and gazed at Tarun. "What about you? I see you guys are having fun. Care to tell me what exactly where you guys doing?"
"Um..." Tarun looked back to us for help and Geeta, and I immediately dodged his pleading gaze. I feel bad for Tarun, but I don't want to be on Seela' bad side either. I met Geeta's gaze and we made a silent agreement to pretend to be ignorant.
"We were only doing what we were told to do, general." I said, making sure that my voice was steady. Then we both went back to our respective training circuit. Me with the weights and Geeta jumping on a low stool to practice her leaps. I briefly saw Tarun's eyes going wide with disbelief and betrayal before we focused on our training.
"I see our new recruits are very diligent with their training." Seela' words might sound like she was impressed but we all could hear the venom in her tone. We were screwed. "Mr Mithun." I flinched as I did a few dead lifts with the weights. I saw Seela circling me like a shark. I tried to focus on my task in hopes that he would let it slide. "Since you like lifting weights so much, you will be cleaning up and rearranging the gym after your workout. You will carry the equipment's and place them back to their respective racks." I sighed and fought the urge to click my tongue from irritation.
I saw Seela coming at Geeta next. She almost feels from the stool when he appeared on her line of sight. "Mr Mithun, since you are so eager to help miss Nathalia, I guess you wouldn't mind helping me. Am I right?"
"No, sir." Geeta whimpered.
"And" Seela continued and I have this image in my head of strangling her. Can she stop now? "As for one of the squad leaders, Tarun, I will leave him in charge for the both of you again. To monitor and help our newbies so they can put everything back on the right track. That is, after he does 100 leaps over a 10-meter platform." The horrified looks on our faces seemed to please him and it somehow makes me wonder if he. Then he started to leave the room. The glass door beeped and it opens and then he was gone."Make sure to finish your workout before dinner so you'll have time to clean up." I heard him whistling before the door slid close behind him.
***
A few arguments and grunting's later and we were finally done cleaning up the gym. Tarun wasn't very happy about our betrayal earlier that he kept sulking while giving us directions. He would often leave a sarcastic remark that soon tickled Geeta off. It lead to a loft of bickering and fighting that ended up in me doing most of the work. My arms, even though I have the superior gene, felt like they were going to fall. I actually felt like a normal person again - thanks to all the heavy lifting that I did.
By the time we were out of the gym, I have my hands over my ears to drown out their annoying bickering. I have to give it to Geeta though; she has guts to talk back to a squad leader. Lucky for us that Tarun wasn't using his authority on us like another certain lemurian that we know of.
The place was almost deserted. It was because it was almost time for dinner. I guess everyone was strict in following the schedule. I threw the door of the cafeteria open. Eager to eat because I was hungry. The workout plus the added chore that Seela gave us burned all of my lunch. I probably should have eaten more.
I was already falling in line when Tarun's communicator beeped. I saw a few people looking at their bracelet as well when it is giving off a sound similar to Tarun'. Then we saw Seela running towards us - or more like headed towards Tarun. There was a look of urgency on his face. "Tarun, we have a code red. The government are targeting a school this time."