 |  |  |  |  |  |
Training Program Log of Riley Shaw
Day 1: Welcome to the Furnace
They told us it would be hard. They didn’t say it would start from the moment we stepped off the shuttle. The sun blazed over Alaric Base as the drill sergeant greeted us with a barrage of insults and orders. It wasn’t personal—just their way of turning raw recruits into elite pilots.
The first day was all about orientation. The “Furnace,” they call it, is the heart of the base. It’s where dreams of flying are forged—or crushed. My flight group, callsign Echo Five, consists of eight cadets. We were issued standard uniforms, neural interfaces for simulator training, and a thick manual titled *Survival in the Void*. The dorms are spartan. No personal touches allowed except for one item. I chose a holo of Earth’s sky at sunset. I’ll need that reminder of home when things get rough.
Week 2: The Gauntlet
If I thought the first week was tough, this week was a wake-up call. The instructors threw us into “The Gauntlet,” a brutal regimen of physical endurance tests, spatial awareness drills, and survival scenarios. Today’s highlight—or lowlight—was the zero-g combat exercise. The training module simulated an emergency ejection from a fighter craft. We had to navigate a debris field while avoiding collision with drones designed to “hunt” us. I came out with a few simulated bruises, but I didn’t let myself get tagged. By evening, my body was screaming, but there was no rest. Neural synchronization sessions followed. These are meant to calibrate our brains to interface with the fighter's AI. The process leaves your head buzzing like an old comm unit.
Week 4: First Simulator Mission
After weeks of classroom instruction and cockpit drills, we finally hit the simulators. Sitting in the cockpit for the first time, I felt a mix of terror and excitement. The neural link hummed to life as the system synced with my thoughts. For the first time, I was connected to my “fighter”—a simulated Goshawk Mk. III. The mission was straightforward: navigate an asteroid field while evading enemy fire. It wasn’t real, but it felt real. My hands shook on the throttle, and my mind raced to keep up with the targeting system. I clipped an asteroid during the final stretch, earning a stern rebuke from the instructor. But I wasn’t the only one. Only two cadets finished the course unscathed.
Week 6: First Loss
We lost Cadet Larsen today. Not physically—he walked out of the Furnace on his own two feet—but he won’t be back. The pressure broke him. The instructors always said, “This program isn’t for everyone.” Seeing someone from Echo Five pack their things was a stark reminder of what’s at stake. It rattled all of us. At dinner, no one spoke. I caught myself wondering if I’d be next.
Week 8: Advanced Maneuvers
The instructors introduced us to formation flying today. In the simulator, Echo Five was tasked with defending a convoy from enemy raiders. It was our first real taste of squad-based tactics, and it showed how much we still have to learn. I got reprimanded for breaking formation when I tried to pursue a flanking enemy. The instructor’s voice boomed in my neural feed: “Stay in position or lose the mission!” Lesson learned.
Week 10: Live Flight
Finally, we took to the skies. The Goshawk Mk. III feels alive when you’re in the pilot’s seat. Every move, every thought, translates into action. I could feel the hum of the engine and the pull of the atmosphere as we broke through the clouds of Terra Secundus. The mission was simple: fly in formation, execute a series of maneuvers, and return to base. Simple doesn’t mean easy. The instructors shadowed us in their fighters, monitoring every move. One mistake, and they’d force you to land early. I managed to stay in the air until the end, but just barely.
Week 12: Combat Exercise Alpha
Today was the culmination of everything we’ve learned. Combat Exercise Alpha is the final test before cadets are assigned to active squadrons. The simulation was intense: defending a colony transport against waves of enemy fighters while navigating an asteroid field. We started strong, but by the midpoint, Echo Five was down to three pilots. I had to take command when our lead, Cadet Vega, was “shot down.” The pressure was suffocating. Every decision felt like life or death. When the mission ended, the silence in the simulator bay was deafening. The instructors debriefed us immediately, pointing out every flaw, every missed opportunity. But they also said something unexpected: “You’re ready.”
Reflection: Graduation Day
Twelve weeks ago, I was a hopeful cadet. Today, I’m a certified fighter pilot, assigned to the 3rd Aerospace Wing. The Furnace didn’t just train us—it transformed us. I look back at the holo of Earth’s sunset in my locker and realize I’ve become someone new, someone who’s ready for whatever the void throws at me.
For Echo Five, this is just the beginning.
Training Program Log of Riley Shaw Cadet Journal – Twilight Run Universe Location: Alaric Training Base, Terra Secundus Cadet Name: Riley Shaw Training Program: Fighter Pilot Initiation Course Log Period: Week 1 through Week 12