Post by Ranth on Apr 19, 2018 21:31:18 GMT -5
Ranth emerged from the first obstacle covered in sand that clung to him like an itchy second skin that brought a soft hiss to every move he made as it sent a cascade of the fine white substance flying off him. He wasn't winded yet, but as he tackled one obstacle after another, it wasn't long before several of his group-mates overtook him.
Racing over balance beams, hauling himself up walls, leaping over hurdles, ducking, weaving, jumping, crouching... Ranth's world soon became a blur of exhaustion the likes of which he had quite literally never experienced before. He'd always been an academic, an accountant, a shut-in. He'd rarely had an opportunity to partake in sports or even simply childrens games like tag or even wrestling.
As a result, Ranth wasn't in great physical shape. Sure, he looked slim and healthy but that was a grossly inaccurate indication of how well he could endure strenuous or prolonged physical activity and around three quarters of the way through the course, when his lungs were on fire and his legs felt like they were attached to lead weights something jabbed him in the rib.
Startled, but too exhausted to react as he normally might have, Ranth looked to see Inara jogging casually beside him. Ranth braced himself for what he felt must surely have been a jeer or a taunt or perhaps a look of pity or disappointment from the woman, but instead he got... encouragement?
He couldn't find words to describe whatever emotion he saw flicker in her eyes as she regarded him- it was gone too quickly, replaced once again by the ice that usually seemed to surround her- but her words remained even after she turned and powered on ahead, no doubt soon to overtake the dozen or so candidates that were ahead of him
Two in... three out, he pondered the advice for a moment before putting it into practice. In truth, he had no idea if it helped him or not in retrospect. In the moment however, there was something akin to a fire lit within him. It wasn't a roaring inferno by any means, but rather a smoldering coal that refused to go out.
Much like that smoldering coal, Ranth fell into a rhythm of breathing just like Inara had instructed him. The obstacle course passed in a collage of black and white memories from that point onwards. A collage of exhaustion, pain and determination such that he hadn't known that he could focus on anything with such single-mindedness. Plenty of other contestants overtook him from the groups that had started after him, but there were plenty who didn't as well.
Eventually, he was broken from his exhausted stupor by one of the attendants seizing him by the shoulder and shook him. The man's words were loud, but in Ranth's state he couldn't discern their meaning. Had he failed then? Was he being halted because time had expired and he hadn't reached the end yet?
His vision swam with tears that mingled with the sweat that covered his face and he swayed dangerously on his feet. Dimly, he became aware that the attendant was pressing something into his hand and gently escorting him in the opposite direction to where he'd been running. To Ranth, he thought this had to mean he was being removed from the testing grounds. To anyone else who had cared enough to watch, they would have known that the attendant had stopped Ranth because he'd been about to start a second lap of the course.
As it was, Ranth was taken to a series of white tents set a little apart from the obstacle course. Once inside, Ranth could see that these tents were some sort of medical station and was bustling with unseated members of squad 4 who had been assigned to the care of any people who- like Ranth- had pushed themselves too hard during the physical exam.
If nothing else, it gave Ranth heart to see how many other people had failed the test alongside him. The tents were packed with beds with only enough space for one person to move between them at a time. Still only barely aware of his surroundings or anything other than his personal certainty that he'd failed the test, Ranth allowed himself to be herded into one of the beds closer to the entrance- still clutching whatever it was he'd been handed earlier.
Someone in black soon handed him a cup of liquid, which he drank and slowly the aches and pains faded away and whatever medicine had been infused with the drink combined with his exhaustion sent him off to sleep. As for the thing in his hand, it was a ticket with four numbers stamped on them. It was the time it had taken him to complete the course.
56:28
Racing over balance beams, hauling himself up walls, leaping over hurdles, ducking, weaving, jumping, crouching... Ranth's world soon became a blur of exhaustion the likes of which he had quite literally never experienced before. He'd always been an academic, an accountant, a shut-in. He'd rarely had an opportunity to partake in sports or even simply childrens games like tag or even wrestling.
As a result, Ranth wasn't in great physical shape. Sure, he looked slim and healthy but that was a grossly inaccurate indication of how well he could endure strenuous or prolonged physical activity and around three quarters of the way through the course, when his lungs were on fire and his legs felt like they were attached to lead weights something jabbed him in the rib.
Startled, but too exhausted to react as he normally might have, Ranth looked to see Inara jogging casually beside him. Ranth braced himself for what he felt must surely have been a jeer or a taunt or perhaps a look of pity or disappointment from the woman, but instead he got... encouragement?
He couldn't find words to describe whatever emotion he saw flicker in her eyes as she regarded him- it was gone too quickly, replaced once again by the ice that usually seemed to surround her- but her words remained even after she turned and powered on ahead, no doubt soon to overtake the dozen or so candidates that were ahead of him
Two in... three out, he pondered the advice for a moment before putting it into practice. In truth, he had no idea if it helped him or not in retrospect. In the moment however, there was something akin to a fire lit within him. It wasn't a roaring inferno by any means, but rather a smoldering coal that refused to go out.
Much like that smoldering coal, Ranth fell into a rhythm of breathing just like Inara had instructed him. The obstacle course passed in a collage of black and white memories from that point onwards. A collage of exhaustion, pain and determination such that he hadn't known that he could focus on anything with such single-mindedness. Plenty of other contestants overtook him from the groups that had started after him, but there were plenty who didn't as well.
Eventually, he was broken from his exhausted stupor by one of the attendants seizing him by the shoulder and shook him. The man's words were loud, but in Ranth's state he couldn't discern their meaning. Had he failed then? Was he being halted because time had expired and he hadn't reached the end yet?
His vision swam with tears that mingled with the sweat that covered his face and he swayed dangerously on his feet. Dimly, he became aware that the attendant was pressing something into his hand and gently escorting him in the opposite direction to where he'd been running. To Ranth, he thought this had to mean he was being removed from the testing grounds. To anyone else who had cared enough to watch, they would have known that the attendant had stopped Ranth because he'd been about to start a second lap of the course.
As it was, Ranth was taken to a series of white tents set a little apart from the obstacle course. Once inside, Ranth could see that these tents were some sort of medical station and was bustling with unseated members of squad 4 who had been assigned to the care of any people who- like Ranth- had pushed themselves too hard during the physical exam.
If nothing else, it gave Ranth heart to see how many other people had failed the test alongside him. The tents were packed with beds with only enough space for one person to move between them at a time. Still only barely aware of his surroundings or anything other than his personal certainty that he'd failed the test, Ranth allowed himself to be herded into one of the beds closer to the entrance- still clutching whatever it was he'd been handed earlier.
Someone in black soon handed him a cup of liquid, which he drank and slowly the aches and pains faded away and whatever medicine had been infused with the drink combined with his exhaustion sent him off to sleep. As for the thing in his hand, it was a ticket with four numbers stamped on them. It was the time it had taken him to complete the course.
56:28