Chapter summary
CHAPTER FIVE
Gabriel Brahe opens the first day of Special Forces training by questioning the new recruits, “What makes you different than other human beings?” Jared Dirac raises his hand and claims they are smarter, stronger, faster. Brahe corrects him, stating they are designed that way because they are born with a purpose: to protect humanity. He contrasts “born‑grown” Special Forces with “realborn” humans, noting the former are adult‑sized at birth, can integrate knowledge instantly, and complete in two weeks what the Colonial Defense Forces take three months to teach.
Steve Seaborg asks why realborn training is longer; Brahe demonstrates the squad’s lack of basic drill knowledge and then floods their brains with parade‑drill instructions via BrainPal. Within seconds the squad forms perfect rows, executes “parade rest” and “at ease,” impressing Brahe. He explains that realborn soldiers cannot handle such rapid data transfer because their brains are “old” and lack integration capability.
The recruits discuss distrust between Special Forces and realborn, with Brahe noting that realborn fear the Special Forces because they seem like “emotional children.” He emphasizes that Special Forces are still human, serving a ten‑year term before they may retire or blend into civilian colonies.
During lunch, Jared and Sarah Pauling joke about eating speed; Jared’s mouth‑spoken joke is heard by everyone, embarrassing him. Seaborg mocks him, leading to a brief argument. Brahe intervenes, assigning Seaborg an etiquette research task and Jared a reading of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (the 1831 edition). Later, the squad is introduced to the MP‑35A “Empee” rifle, a BrainPal‑authenticated weapon capable of firing bullets, grenades, missiles, flamethrower, particle beam, and of fabricating ammunition on the fly from nanobot blocks. Jared’s BrainPal unpacks the physics of the weapon, causing a cascade of technical information that spreads to the whole squad.
Jared and recruit Joshua Lederman experiment with custom bullet designs; they share findings instantly via integration. Seaborg volunteers as a flamethrower operator. After dinner, Jared downloads Frankenstein, reads it in eight minutes, and reflects on the parallel between the monster and the Special Forces—both created beings feared and misunderstood by their creators. He then consumes other creator‑monster media (Friday, Data, Terminators, etc.) and realizes that humanity’s depictions of such beings are often reductive.
The squad later studies humor and profanity. Andrea Gell‑Mann introduces Arabic swearing; Brahe eventually curtails the profanity. The trainees watch and critique various speculative‑fiction works (War of the Worlds, Starship Troopers, The Forever War, Star Wars, Ender’s Game, Charlie’s Homecoming), forming opinions on their relevance.
On day six they finally grasp sexual behavior, which leads to a brief intimate moment between Jared and Pauling; they discuss “being human” and the value of non‑functional knowledge.
Brahe then teaches a unique combat exercise: an obstacle course completed with eyes closed by sharing perspectives through neural integration. Luke Gullstrand volunteers; the squad links their senses, allowing him to run blindfolded while others see through his eyes. After several successful runs, Jared attempts the course, briefly loses footing due to mismatched visual input, falls in mud, and is teased by Seaborg. The squad practices knife combat with integration, leading to a heated, realistic melee between Jared and Pauling where she demonstrates lethal precision and warns him to stay focused in real combat.
A simulated war game later pits the 8th Training Squad against the 13th. The 8th suffers heavy casualties when Pauling and Andrea Gell‑Mann are “shot” and their integration collapses. The remaining members, including Jared, Seaborg, Yukawa, and Berkeley, navigate a forested arena, using tree canopies for movement, sharing tactical data, and employing the MP‑35A’s various modes (automatic fire, guided missiles) to eliminate the opposing squad. Jared and Seaborg rescue each other after near‑falls, coordinate fire, and eventually win the war game after a brutal exchange of fire, knives, and missiles. Brahe announces the next match.
Finally, as the training ends, Lieutenant Cloud greets the graduates, jokes about their sense of humor, and assigns Jared, Pauling, and Seaborg to the ship Kite for their first deployment. The chapter closes with Cloud asking Jared about Frankenstein, confirming the recruits all read it, and exchanging a brief philosophical chat before the shuttle departs.