“How many of you are familiar with Fuchsian plant?” he asked.
No one responded for several minutes. Lt. Co. Adame intimidatingly peered at each individual cadet. Savoi knew all about the subject, but she wrestled with her emotions over the state of her squad members and their quarrel. Farouk, still flushed in the face and teary-eyed, squirmed in his seat. Yoshida and Roudan stared at each other, hoping there would be salvation somewhere between them. Shevchenko anxiously shuffled through her notebooks to find the answer. Savoi took it upon herself to take charge. She raised her hand and waited for Lt. Co. Adame’s nod to permit her to speak.
She sprung from her chair and blurted, “Sir, the Fuchsian plant is a flower native to all the islands within the kingdom. Intagua Island, to be more specific.” She paused for a moment to regroup her train of thoughts, as her mind drifted back to Roudan and Yoshida.
“Well, of course she would know this information as it pertains to her neck of the woods,” Shevchenko accidentally whispered out loud. She buried her head inside her notebook once she realized she had done so.
“Yes, it is. Go on,” Lt. Co. Adame commanded.
Savoi searched his eyes to decipher what more he wanted her to reveal.
“Tell us about the properties of this plant, and what it is used for,” he prompted.
Savoi’s focus went back to the task at hand. Her concentration intensified as she continued. “Yes, Sir. There are thirty-five different colors known to man. The petals have been researched and categorized by their potency. Most of the flowers contain enzymes and proteins that are beneficial health-wise to our society. However, the yellow flower is deemed the highest in potent flower among them all. There are unknown chemical elements that can cause illusions, hallucinations, and even death if abused.”
Lt. Co. beamed a quick grin of approval at Savoi as she took her seat.
“She is absolutely correct in her summary. Calvary Academy has exhausted every resource available to get the yellow plant to use for training,” he said.
Farouk slowly raised his hand, and asked, “Sir, permission to speak?”
Lt. Co. Adame nodded with irritation at the interruption.
Farouk gulped and stood up to speak.
“May I be so bold as to ask why the academy would elect to use this flower for training?”
Lt. Co. lightly chuckled. He could practically smell the fear evoked from each of the cadets.
“That is an excellent question. cadet Farouk. C.A. is not above the use of the same chemical agents our enemies have attacked us with over the years. My team of 3rd year cadets extract strains from each plant and compose potions like whatever is used on the battlefield.” He watched all the Alpha squad fidget with discomfort in their seats, which made him rather giddy. “Today, you will experience exposure to the chemical elements extracted from the yellow Fuchsian plant.” The entire room erupted in disapproving groans. “Not to worry. One of the foundational pillars of this institution is to do no harm,” he chuckled.
Murmurs between each cadet left a sense of panic. Lt. Co. called them back to attention and continued. “Though cadet Savoi gave an excellent summary, she left out a very important detail.” He looked at Savoi, who by then looked dejected. “You correctly identified this plant. What is little known about the yellow flower is top secret information. Over the course of the years, one hundred seventy-five case studies were performed. All the participants reported having experienced extremely surreal illusions and hallucinations that reflected memories from their past. Almost like out-of-body experiences, where you witness your former self in action.”
The room fell deathly silent as the cadets tried to process the information they were given. It seemed implausible to them that being exposed to a chemical agent that would conjure up the painful truths which brought them to Calvary Academy would have any positive bearings on their status. The gossip and whispers throughout the academy were enough to make anyone want to hide from reality. To Alpha squad, this was a dangerous experiment that could yield disastrous results.
Lt. Co. Adame quietly exited the lab before anyone had lifted from their pondering. Within two seconds, several fluid-filled bulbs were released from the ceiling. The bulbs were detonated and released a gas-like smoke through the entire room. Each cadet fell asleep one by one. Savoi grinned, as she knew they were in for a wild ride.
~The Waring Robins~
Living Works of D.K. Fair 