[color=0072bc][b]NEMO ALTARE[/b][/color] [i]... ... ... ...an internal alarm flickered throughout the boy's mind, sending an electric wave pulsating through the various channels until it reached Nemo's sanctuary. A place without consciousness, sight, sound, smell, or touch; completely free of the attachments of the senses. Beyond this wall, there lay various, organized clusters of subconscious systems, all bustling to keep the body regulating oxygen through his lungs and heart, throughout the circulation of his body, and out on a multitude of return trips. An entire network of eye-sore causing, microscopic little cells and servers, processing a trade-route of information at a rate innumerably faster than that of any mob fleeing the deadly clutches of humanity's conquerors. In perfect silence, these mindless little drones moved about, fluctuating from sector to sector, command to command, idea to idea... ...and then, with just one, astoundingly fast pulse, the host was aroused from his restful slumber, eyes blinking open behind to the dark ceiling above. The boy inhaled peacefully, a current of cool morning air swiftly coursing through his body and--as fast as it had entered--back out again in the form of a semi-warm fog, before being once more assimilated among the amassed blanket of drifting damp that hung over the dorm. His hearing amplified by the sharp contrast of whispers screaming through the dull quiet, the young cadet could make out the voices of a number of comrades...a number of them alien to him, mostly due to his principles on the matter of "socialization." One couldn't really expect to see many of this lot again after they'd all chosen their respective paths in life...so why get to know too many of them? With a heavy exhale and the crack of his back, he leaned up in his bed, arms seemingly stretching themselves forward as his body attempted to pull itself into shape. A few minor grunts later, and the goal had been achieved, resulting in the exit of the youth from the warmth of his covers and into the welcoming embrace of the cold early-morning weather. Fix the bed, hit the showers, dress anew, exit, nod to the other cadets as was customary; Nemo took his time, going through the usual motions of the dawn-hours, before the "dreaded" exercise routines. Well, those [b]usually[/b] dreaded, anyway. He'd heard tell of their gear-exercises today, a series of tests meant to get each shy recruit passed first base with their shiny blind-date. The boy chuckled, combing down his black hair into a keen looking position as his boots quietly creaked along the aged wooden planks, heading for the door. He stopped just a meter short of the wooden barrier holding him back from the outside grounds, reaching into his jacket pocke-- He coughed, reminding himself that he already had the glasses on his face. Nemo sighed...there was still some more work to do on that reflex...but later, later, he must not tarry. His right grasped the shaky wooden handle, pulling it open to release a shivering two-pronged invasion of cold blue light and even colder waves of outside air into the building...much to the dismay of several late-risers. [color=0072bc]"Bonjour mon amis..."[/color], the boy chuckled, slamming the door shut behind him...[b]juuust[/b] to make [b]sure[/b] the effect set in. He sighed as his boots crunched along the freezing cold, hard, dusty grounds below him; there weren't many [color=0072bc]"Amis"[/color] left now...what with the various de-weeding sessions that had occurred of late. The boy chuckled lowly to himself again. It had been a truly fortunate fate, that those he convinced into each gaining a set of favors--upon his "honor"--all happened to fail their tests, flunking the academy, and taking that little "incident" with them. Of course, if they hadn't flunked...well...he preferred not to think of it that way. [color=0072bc]"Let sleeping dogs lay."[/color], he muttered, the words steaming out of the tan-skinned soldier's mouth, before dissipating into the morning that encompassed the entirety of the grounds. A calm, observant gaze rotated around the courtyard, searching for any semblance of a line. Well...it looked like he was just a bit early...again... ...how many times did that make now? He'd honestly lost count... With a slight grunt, the youth slumped down onto the frozen earth underneath him, the cold quickly shoot up through his rear and the column of his spine. It took a few minutes of this uncomfortable acclimation, but--with tried patience--he was able to finally regain "most" of the body-heat lost to him with the initial action. He inhaled and exhaled calmly, closing his eyes and beginning to shut out the world around him. A few minutes of extra sleep could always do...and he'd rather not ruin his bed after he'd taken such pain-staking measures to ensure it sat looking the fittest a bed [b]could[/b] look. The young, tan-skinned soldier-to-be smiled... [color=0072bc]Oh...vanity...what would I do without you.[/color][/i]