Chapter 1: Entrance
Ellie Johannes
Annapolis, Maryland
Beastmaster Expeditionary Academy
September 2026
Fall certainly had not yet come to Maryland in early September. Even in the wee hours of the morning, Ellie felt sweat drip down her brow as she crested the final hill before her destination. Shifting the weight of her rifle onto her left shoulder, she carried on. It had only been a few days since she'd entered the city, and despite the fact that classes didn't start for another three days, the Academy wanted its incoming class to report today. Ellie couldn't imagine why. You'd think a school would want its students to report on the first day of classes, not beforehand.
Yet she waved the thoughts out of her head. Approaching the gate guards, she popped the magazine out of her M21, and then cleared the chamber, catching the round that bounced out. In an exchange that looked like it had been practiced, the guards and Ellie simply exchanged gear back and forth until all of Ellie's weapons and equipment had been given a green light for entry. Neither wasted any time in the procedure, both knowing the exact steps that needed to be taken. It was a routine that was done at almost every town and important building up and down the New United States, at least since General had been synonymous with President.
Now nodding to the guard, Ellie stepped forward into the campus. It was a stark contrast to much of the rest of the city. Where Annapolis as a whole is made of low-lying brick buildings, many in a state of disrepair from the heavy fighting in the area, the Academy has an entirely different look. A tall, twelve-story building. It's sleek metal walls, glinting against the rising morning sun, struck an imposing image. It was the tallest building in the immediate radius, and was visible from the wilderness outside Annapolis. Ellie had seen it several miles out when she first entered the city, mainly from its obnoxious reflections.
Approaching the door, she took a deep breath before pushing it open. A rush of cold air came up to meet her. As did almost pitch black. She scoffed, unslinging her rifle and snapping the magazine back in. Now creeping forward, she kept her head on a swivel. While it was improbable an emergency was occurring, nothing was impossible. Suddenly, a trail of red lights illuminated the room slightly. They seemed to lead off into another area of the building, turning a corner back into darkness. Ellie followed, staying wary of her surroundings. The red lights seemed to lead her through an endless amount of twists and turns before she came upon another door. Pushing it open, she was once again greeted with daylight. Covering her face with her hand, she stepped outside. The scene reminded her of some old book she had read as a kid. Maze Runner, perhaps. Around a hundred kids, varying in shape, size, and age, stood in a large grass field. On the left it sloped downwards towards a small gathering of flats, whereas straight ahead the field gradually gave way to a small outcropping of trees, and on the right the ground sharply rose upwards into a rock outcropping and a metal tower. On all sides, the field was surrounded by high walls. Ellie could barely make out the silhouettes of people standing on the rightmost wall.
Suddenly, the crackle of a microphone activating echoed across the entire field. Ellie craned her neck to look around, resting her eyes on the four individuals atop the wall.
'Welcome to the Beastmaster Expeditionary Academy. Congratulations on being selected for this prestigious program. You should all be incredibly proud." Thundered the voice. Even without the microphone, it would have been a powerful voice. Deep, resounding, and somehow inspiring. It continued.
"I will waste none of your time by saying this Academy will not stretch you to the limits of your grit. You will be tried, tested, and pushed until you think you cannot continue. And then you will find a reason to keep on. It has been done before, by the First Cadets before you. You can, and you will, do the same."
The voice paused, and in this time a lump rose in Ellie's throat. What could possibly be so challenging that an already tried-and-true unit in the military would acknowledge its difficulty.
"Those trials start today. Only the strong survive the Academy. Your devotion to success and survival will be your saving grace. Good luck."
With that, the voice cut off, and all across the walls panels hissed and rose.
Ellie heard the howls before she saw them. Cursing, she bolted back to where she had entered this trap, only to find a featureless wall. A panel very close to her whisked open, and three Howlers came tearing from the opening. Raising her M21, she squeezed the trigger. Once, twice, three times. The infected rocked backwards from the impact of the shot and fell motionless on the floor. Now turning, she watched as the scene descended into violence all around her. Gunshots began to echo around the field, and the screams of the infected mixed with those of the healthy. Her eyes darted around before resting on the tower in the rightmost sector of the field.
"Run to the tower, now!" She bellowed to whatever classmate was in earshot before taking off.
She would not die here, not today.