Free The Armor of God by Diego Valenzuela

pilot.”
    “Excuse me, sir,” Jena interrupted, raising her hand. “I counted nine.”
    “Eight are marked as vacant, not nine,” he said. “Milos Ravana indeed does not have an assigned pilot but that particular Creux has been discontinued, as the sheet says. Though it appears to be the most powerful Creux we have found, it has taken the lives of four people who have tried to pilot it, despite appearing as matches, and has never launched successfully. We keep it for studying purposes, but it cannot be piloted.”
    Ezra looked down at his sheet again. Milos Ravana was the second one to be found. It was also known as The Armor of God . He looked at the name and imagined what the Creux itself would look like to get such a name.
    After Dr. Yuri finished talking about the Creux, he began to explain what their lives in Zenith would look like. Ezra wondered when it would be a good moment to make the request to have Susan transferred.
    “Piloting the Creux is both a physical and mental effort, but as I explained, it is also a very technical business and you need to know the machines as much as they can be known. To that end, education on the engineering and biology of the Creux will be a focal point of your learning career in Zenith. As support, you will also be studying advanced mathematics and physics. I understand one of you failed the Moreau test.”
    “Well, not failed ,” Ezra said.
    “ Failed . You will be taking remedial lessons out of your recreation time, until you pass the Moreau. You will need a tutor.”
    Ezra looked at Jena, then at Akiva.
    “Corporal Higgins recommended Privates First Class Davenport and Crescent, who both got excellent results in the Moreau, correct?”
    “Yes, sir,” Ezra said.
    “Davenport, Crescent?” the man said; Jena and Akiva were paying attention. “Tutoring him would come out of your recreation time as well, and there are no rewards to speak of. Do you accept these terms?”
    “Sure. Why not?” Akiva said, and Jena echoed his words.
    Good. That solved itself.
    “Done. Your companions will tutor you in basic math, physics, biology and chemistry, as well as the advanced courses that will be part of your curriculum. You will take the test again in two weeks, and I expect an excellent grade this time. Once you pass the Moreau with a grade no lower than 85 percent, you will be promoted to Private First Class.”
    “Yes, sir,” Ezra said, and couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed.
    “As you know, you’re assets: assets that are too valuable for Roue and sadly irreplaceable. This means that you can’t be expelled because of poor performance or discipline. You need to be aware, however, that that doesn’t mean you can get away with poor behavior. You can and will be severely punished if you fail to meet our standards, so read the entire rulebook you will find in your welcome package. In there you will also find your schedules, which will mainly consist of lessons in the lecture halls, physical training, Creux pilot simulation, three meals, private study hall, recreation, and rest. You will take the first round of Advancement Tests in a month, and depending on your performance, you might be awarded with more free time, as well as regular visits to Roue.”
    “When do we get to pilot the Creux?” Poole said too eagerly, considering the information given.
    “You will probably be deployed on your first real Creux mission in four to six weeks, depending on how well you do in the Advancement Tests. Piloting a Creux is not a joke. You see the ‘D’ next to several names in your roster? Do you know what it stands for?”
    “Deceased,” Jena whispered.
    “Deceased. Even though you’re not on board the Creux, both your mind and body are at risk. We have lost dozens of precious lives, so we take your training very seriously. I suggest you do the same.”
    Hooh boy, Ezra thought, and wondered if there would ever be a D next to his name in future printings of the