SpaceAce - October Prep Month

October 21st, 2017 - The Pilot Fighter Training Center

“The Pilot Fighter Training Center”

A Short Story

Written By

PureSciFi aka
SpaceFaction

Pilot Fighter Bay

     A laser ball shot out of a long pole sticking out the front of a Pilot Fighter. That ball was aimed at the two thousand Trainers seated in rows of chairs in front of it. But it stopped just before hitting the first row, and disappeared. The first five rows cringed back into their seats as the ball got closer to them. Some closed their eyes, and some clinched their fist.

     “That was just a sample of what you are going to be facing out in Space, and in battle.” Instructor Zorriv stepped out from beside that Pilot Fighter to stand between it and the Trainers. He pointed up at the roof of the Pilot Fighter Bay they were in as he said, ‘Space then battle.’

     “This laser ball wasn’t real. But they will be out there in Space. Especially, when you are in battle.”

     Zorriv started pacing in front of the Trainers. Each one keeping their eye(s) on him, if they had eye(s), as he did it. “That is why I am here. I am your Instructor for this part of your training here at the Pilot Fighter Training Center.”

     “There are several other Instructors that you will be meeting in a little bit. They will learn you how to fly a Pilot Fighter. I’m here to learn you how to survive during battle.”

     “In a few minutes I am going to show you around this center. When they asked who wanted to do it, I said that I would. But they didn’t really need to ask. They knew I would be wanting to do it. I have been doing it for almost fifty years. And I’m not going to stop until I die.”

     “My fellow Instructors might disagree, but I think that my learning is the most important. They can learn you how to fly. But I learn you how not to die during battle.”

     Zorriv stopped about halfway down the first row of Trainers. Then he turned to face them. “That’s why you are in the Pilot Fighter Bay. Your show will begin and end here.” Zorriv smiled. “Besides, this is the only place big enough for our First Meeting.”


The Learning Center

     After Zorriv stepped out of the sliding entrance, he stepped to the side to let the Trainer started coming out. “Please continue to that building over there.” Zorriv continuously pointed at the building in the center of three other building. He kept repeating that every few seconds, loud enough for them all to hear.

     When he wasn’t repeating that he was said, “That is our first showing. The learning centers is where you will be spending most of your time.”

     As the last of the Trainers exited the Pilot Fighter Bay Zorriv stepped back inside for a second. No one was there. He turned and left it again. Only that time he didn’t stop. Zorriv sort of ran through the cluttered Pilot Fighters littering randomly around the landing/take off area to catch up to the others.

     Zorriv was about halfway among the Trainers when he caught up to them. They were almost to the entrance to one of the The Learning Centers. The other Trainers were already inside it. As Zorriv entered he maneuvered his way through the Trainers standing around a large hallway to an entrance almost right across from the main entrance. When he got to within a few inches of it the entrance slid open. A few seconds later the walls on both sides of that entrance disappeared to reveal a learning room within beyond.

     It looked like a normal learning room with several rows of desk and chairs with a single desk and chair in front of them. Only there were no legs on the desk or chairs. The chairs floated about ten inches above the floor while the desk tops hovered around fifteen inches. On each desk sat a data monitor. Three width-wide oblong squares lay just under each desk.

     “These are the learning rooms. There are ten per level, and there are five level per building. Each one hold fifty Trainers.”

     “There are two open learning rooms per level too. The ones on the first level are across from the entrance behind you. Then they spread out one learning room at a time to the other four levels.”

     Zorriv took a deep breath before he continued. “Each learning room will learn you a different part about you Pilot Fighters, how to use them, what the controls mean, etc. There are two other buildings like this one on both sides of it. And they are the same as this one.”


The Sleeper Rooms

     Only five Trainers followed Zorriv into that sleeper room. They all appeared to be from the same race/planet. Zorriv pointed to two of the Trainers. “This are your sleeper room. We tried to make it as much as your home planet as we could. And we think that we got it right. But if we didn’t, just let us know, and we will correct it.”

     The two alien Trainers looked at each other, and nodded yes. Then they looked at Zorriv and nodded too. “Good.” Zorriv pointed to two other Trainers. “Your sleeper room is right across from this one.” Then he pointed at the fifth one. “And yours is the one next to this one.”

     “All the sleep rooms are the same. Each one has one sleeper per Trainer, a desk with a chair, a data monitor on top of the desk, an oblong storage container for your clothing and stuff, a walk-in oblong storage room for your hanging clothing, and a personal care center.”

     Zorriv pointed to each thing as he said it. “The only difference between them is that each one is created with the Trainers home planet in mind. That, and they hold one, two, or three Trainers.”

     “As you saw coming in there are five levels for the Trainers. Each level contains ten sleeper rooms on each side in the front and back of the level. The first level is where the only entrances are to these three buildings. You get to them with the floating steps located next to each sleeper room.”

     “The first level is where the Recreation/Relaxation/Eating areas are. It’s also where we live when we aren’t instructing you.”

     “We will be meeting in the RRE in a few hours. That give me plenty of time to show the rest of your fellow Trainers to their sleeper rooms. And you some time to get acquainted with it.”

     Zorriv pointed to the three aliens for the other rooms, and gestured them to follow him. He left that room into a large hallway. Where he then showed the other three to their rooms. After he did that he turned to face about fifty Trainers hanging around that hallway. Zorriv pointed to four lookalike aliens, and they took them into the sleeper room across from the single alien he just gave a room to. Once inside that room he gave the same words as he did the other five aliens.


The Recreation/Relaxation/Eating Room

     Looking around the RRE, Zorriv mumbled as he nodded his head at each Trainer there. “Good. It looks like everyone is here. That’s another reason they wanted me to show you around. I remember everyone I encounter.”

     After the chattering died down, and the Trainers all turned to face Zorriv, Zorriv continued. “This is your RRE. Also known as your Recreation/Relaxation/Eating room. And if you’re not in learning or your sleeper, then you will probably be here. Especially during your eating periods. For those of us who do eat.”

     Zorriv started looking around again. he saw that most of the Trainers were seated at oblong floating table and chairs. Each oblong table held six to ten Trainers. There were also a few round tables and chairs. And they held hovering chairs for four to six Trainers. Zorriv also saw a lot of Trainers in small entertainment see-through rooms that only became wall-less after Zorriv started speaking. They were on opposite walls. On the other two walls Zorriv saw several Trainers at The Games of Chance. There were also several oblong multiple individual long chairs that had some Trainers relaxing in.

      “Most of your day you will be spend in learning to become Pilot Fighters. But There will be plenty of time each day between learning and sleeping for you to spend some time here too. You don’t have to do it, but we encourage to give it a try. It’s a good way to get to know others than your own races and planets.”

      “Your Instructors are in single sleeper rooms that surround these RREs. You can come to see us at any time. If you have a problem, don’t be afraid to come to us for help.”


The Landing/Take Off Area

     Zorriv exits the building next to the Pilot Fighter bays. Once again, he steps to the side of the entrance to let the Trainers pass by him. Only this time he wasn’t directing them to go anywhere. He also didn’t look back into that building after the last one exited it. No, instead he faced the Trainers as they mingled in small groups in the landing/take off area.

     “This is our landing/take off area.” Zorriv thumbed behind him. It was now a big empty large cement looking area. There were no Pilot Fighters there now. They could all see that. “This is where you will be taking off in your Pilot Fighters and landing them.”

     “Each one of you will be getting your own Pilot Fighters. They are as real as any that you will be using in Space and battles. What I am trying to tell if you will listen to me is that if you’re not careful you can get killed by them.”

     “In the Pilot Fighter Bay, I showed you what can happen to you during a battle. It can also happen here just like it can in Space. You need to understand this. And if something does happen, don’t panic. Each building has a health room.”

      “You also don’t need to panic like some of you are right now. You’re not going to be getting into them until toward the end of your learning. And by then you’re going to be prepared for the actual flying of them.”

     Zorriv started walking among the Trainers. “You will also be responsible for keeping your Pilot Fighters ready for battle because you never know when you will need them. Once again, don’t panic. You’ll be learning how to do that too.”


Pilot Fighter Bay

     After the last Trainer entered the Pilot Fighter Bay the entrance slid shut. The trainers were just hanging around there now too. That because it was a big empty room. There were no Pilot Fighters, and no desk with chairs behind them. Even the Pilot Fighter that tried to kill them wasn’t there.

     Standing in front of the Trainers, Zorriv pointed to the empty room behind them. “This is where your Pilot Fighters will be kept when you’re not using them. It’s also where they will be repaired. If you can get them back here. Otherwise, you will need to fix them yourself. It doesn’t happen a lot. But it can happen. And it does.”

     Zorriv took a deep breath before he continued. “Before anyone asks, and there is always one of you that do, what happened to the Pilot Fighters that were on the landing/take off area earlier today?”

     “The answer to that question is that they were here for repair. But since I needed this area for our First Meeting they put them in the landing/take off area.”

     “Those Pilot Fighters where returned her after we left. And they were repaired. After that they were returned to their cube holes.”

     Zorriv walked over and took a Pilot Fighter out of a small cube opening. He placed in on the floor in front of the Trainers. “Everyone, step back a little.”

     The Trainers did was they were told. Once back, Zorriv tapped the top of the small Pilot Fighter. And it instantly grew into a full-size Pilot Fighter. “Normally, I wouldn’t be doing this in here. it only happens in here if they are need of repair. Otherwise, they are grown out there on the landing/take off area. But because this is your first day here I wanted to show you where they were kept, and how they became full-sized.”

     “There is a button next to you entrance into them that you push to shrink them back down to their cube size. You will learn that during your learning too.”

     Zorriv sighed. “That’s it for your showing today. Tomorrow is your first day to becoming Pilot Fighters. Are you all ready to become a Pilot Fighter?”

Word Count = 2,120