It was 23:30 hours when the officer finally returned home from the capital and he was eager to take stock of his platoon. The weather had turned sour rather abruptly that night as a historic storm system began to bear down on the surrounding area. Pulling up to the house, the Officer made a quick detour around the property to inspect the Cadets' progress on their assigned construction project. The fog lights of the Officer's Jeep shone an obtuse cone of visibility through the heavy rain casting an uncanny glow over the trench which was already beginning to collect water; but in spite of the pooling liquid, it was clear the task had been completed with marked attention to detail and care in craftsmanship. "Seems my plan worked perfectly." The officer said brimming with pride knowing the cadets must have pulled together as a single unit to accomplish the task so well. After parking his Jeep the Officer lumbered upstairs to the barracks.
It was plainly evident the Officer had no concern about waking the sleeping youths as he flagrantly switched on the lights and carelessly stomped his way into the barracks. The blinding illumination immediately ripped away any semblance of privacy the cadets may have expected to have while they slept, exposing each boy's motionless body uniquely spread out upon their individual, scratchy cots.
Cadet Stone was lying on his back with his right knee propped up against the wall, his right hand on his crotch and his left hand draped gently over the bridge of his nose. The Officer placed his hand on the boy's shoulder gaining knowledge of the Cadet's development and progress.
"Incredible!" The Officer exclaimed "I had to put all my effort into your progress Cadet, to the exclusion of some of your platoon mates, but the result speak for itself!"
The Officer had plotted to drive a wedge between Cadet Stone and his platoon mates; to punish them all cruelly and relentlessly for his every infraction. He knew it would build a strongly negative relationship between the Cadets that the Sargent would be able to effectively manipulate, invert, and exploit in order to build the Cadet up rapidly on a deep and profound level into a model Cadet. He had learned from the stone that the Sargent's magic worked best when the subjects had deep brotherly ties and when the subject chose to accept the changes willingly. Unwilling changes were possible of course, his Son's initial alterations had been forced upon him, but those changes required careful nurturing and tending to take hold and solidify and time to grow. Cadet Stone's changes had been instantaneous and immaculate. The Officer couldn't be happier.
Cadet Stevens was lying on his side rolled partly over onto his stomach with this right arm stretch out toward the top of the cot acting as a pillow. The officer placed his hand on his shoulder and absorbed a knowledge of his progress as well. The Officer was deeply pleased to find the boy had grown immensely in character and drive. He could see that he would need to re-evaluate his goals for his platoon; they were clearly capable of much more than he had originally set out to cultivate them to achieve.
"And then there's the middle child." The Officer said with a sigh as he approached Cadet Carter's cot "I've been neglecting you all week Cadet Carter, but that's all going to change. Now you're my number one priority."
Cadet Carter had fallen asleep face down with his left arm hanging over the side of his cot and his right arm pressed under his body. The Officer absorbed his progress too, meager though it was... "I see you're still doing the bare minimum Cadet... That is unacceptable. And you're frightened by your platoon mates' progress... but you've been wrestling!" The officer exclaimed punching Cadet Carter in the back of his shoulder in a celebratory way "Atta boy. The Sargent will be able to use that.."
The Cadet's produced special foul smelling pheromone-like compounds in their sweat that had natural properties to aid their development and that would cause them to become more physically similar to one another and more co-dependent with time. Exposure to the odor of another cadet would inevitably build a strong brotherly bond, and physical contact with a sweaty cadet yielded the same reaction, but amplified. The quick wrestling play the cadets had engaged in before showering had been enough to make Cadet Carter accept his altered companions as brothers to a degree. He was still frightened by the prospect of growing to be like them, but he loved them fraternally and that was definitely something the Sargent could exploit...
The Officer proceeded to inspect the rest of the barracks, turning visibly angry as he observed the contents of Cadet Carter's locker. The Cadet's PT clothes were missing and he couldn't see them anywhere in the room. He soon found them outside the window sitting on the roof getting soaked in the rain and brought them inside.
"Oh, Cadet Carter..." The Officer said disappointedly "Always scheming and plotting... You were trying to escape but you never had a chance..."
The Officer could appreciate the Cadet's resolve and his strategic mind. He saw a lot of himself in the Cadet. After all, his own machinations had successfully born a pair of fully compliant and dedicated Cadets today, but he couldn't allow this kind of free thinking to continue. Thought REQUIRES boundaries. It cannot be allowed to supersede or even challenge obedience.
"You think you can win this game, but you don't even know the rules..." The Officer said shaking his head in disgust and disappointment. "I guess I'll need to make your helpless, hopeless position in this facility more clear to you."
The Officer fetched the stone from his office and proceeded to use it to remove the window from the wall, leaving the room completely denuded of aesthetic feature and natural light. Then he got in his Jeep and drove out from the compound to the abandoned train yard where a tattered hovel of discarded boxes and news paper remnants sat resolutely guarding a poor homeless man from the raging storm.
"Benny!" The Officer shouted into the improvised shelter "Benny! It's Officer Stevens. We need to get you out of here. The storm is only going to get worse! It's not safe out here!"
An old man immediately dashed out from the shelter holding a well worn panhandler's sign over his head to keep from the rain, though it was clear he had already been soaked to the bone.
"God bless you, Officer for thinking of me tonight." The man said as he mounted the Officer's Jeep "Will you take me to the shelter on 5th? They have the best breakfast and I could use a good meal after tonight."
"I had another place in mind Benny..." The Officer said with a hint of malice... "Have you ever considered a career in the military?"
"Military?" Benny exclaimed indignantly "I'm a Vet!" He added with a hint of pride
"You served, eh?" The Officer offered with pleasure
"Sure did, damn fool government threw me straight into their giant perpetual war machine. I hated every second of it!..." Benny proceeded to rant about his personal deep and abiding distaste for military order and government overreach... after 10 minutes sitting parked on the side of the road listening to Benny's non-stop vitriol, the Officer decided he had heard enough. He had found his new security guard.
"Say Benny? What's your name? I mean your full first and last?" The Officer interjected, catching Benny off guard.
"Norman..." Benny said confused "Is this for paperwork or something?... My name's Norman Benniford but everyone at the precinct knows me as Benny. You know that."
"No paperwork Benny, I just needed to know." The Officer said producing the magic stone from his pocket "Norman Benniford, I deem you worthy to serve in my at home boot-camp"
"Look, can we get going -"
"Be seated at attention soldier!" The Officer commanded
Benny immediately grew rigid, pulling his body away from the slightly reclined passenger seat to an upright sitting position; not slouching forward nor leaning back. He placed his hands about midway down his thighs, palms down, fingers extended and joined. His heels snapped together with his feet spread at a forty-five degree angle. His head pointed dead forward and his chin rose up slightly in a dignified pose.
"You've wasted your potential, you know? The military handed you the world on a silver platter and you spat in its face. You're a lucky man; I'm giving you a second chance."
Benny's beard fell out dramatically as the skin on his face began to tighten and clear. The skin on his hands was becoming plump and smooth as healthy flesh regrew around his bony extremities. His teeth and gums were restored to a past state of substance and integrity that subtly pushed his sunken countenance outward to a more youthful cast. His vision brightened, the skin around his sunken eye sockets puffed up with a healthy glow while his eyeballs themselves, darting wildly with fear, cleared of the yellowness and bloodshot milky haze that had encrusted them for decades. His muscles began to swell and crumple with smooth soft texture beneath his tattered clothing. Through the holes in the worn fabric you could see his gaunt, sickly frame give way to plump, taught sinew generously padding every inch of his skeleton. His hairline marched forward returning complete coverage to his dome. His hair lost its grey pallor and became black as pitch once again before falling out around the sides and sheering away from the top of his head becoming a classic high and tight style cut. His face then shifted slightly, morphing oddly with random variations that seemed to jumble away his old appearance. A deep crevice grew into his chin, his cheekbones were softened, his nose grew slightly wider and the bridge of his nose became much straighter. His forehead rounded gently and his ears became thinner and smaller but turned out slightly. His appearance was sufficiently new as to establish him as a completely new man, distinct from any man he had ever been before.
Benny couldn't see what had happened to his body while he was stuck at attention, but he could feel the relief of pain and the surge of energy that came with the change. He was now a handsome 26 year old man. Young enough to enlist in any military branch of his choosing after serving as a security guard for the Officer for a few years.
"At Ease!" The Officer said nodding slightly
Benny looked himself over with amazement and excitement and confusion. He grabbed for the visor to inspect himself in the mirror while the Officer put the car into drive heading back to the boot camp compound.
"What did you do to me?" Benny said in awe and wonder after fully absorbing the extent of his physical changes
"I made you young again. I gave you back your youth so you can try again at life and not make the same mistakes again." The Officer explained.
"This is incredible officer..." Benny began with tears forming in his eyes as he was overwhelmed by the momentous gift "I can't tell you what this means to me. I have so many regrets in my life. I allowed myself to enlist in the army as a young man and it destroyed my future. I promise you I'll make the best use of the years you've given me. I'll go back to school, I'll educate myself and support myself, be independent again, start a family. It's fantastic!"
"Here we are." The Officer said with a sigh as they pulled into the front gate of the boot camp
"What's this? Where are we?" Benny probed delicately, beginning to wonder what more could be going on
"This is where you'll be working for me for the next few years as a security guard." The Officer said wrapping himself in his rain gear and hopping out of the car.
The officer drew out the magical stone again and turning toward the property line caused the fence to grow to 20 feet tall and to become capped with multiple coils of razor wire and security cameras. He then caused a second shorter interior fence to grow into existence just inside the property line with a similar razor wire dressing to serve as a redundant impassible barrier to ensure that no cadet ever escaped or even considered the option of escape ever again. A small guardhouse and military style ATV manifested next to the gate which itself thickened and intensified to bring it into accordance with the rest of the improvements The facility now seemed inescapable.
The Officer beckoned for Benny to join him in the guard house and as he ducked through the entrance to escape the rain and hopefully try to get some answers to explain the magical wonders he had witnessed, the officer welcomed him to his new home.
"You want me to work here officer? I can't tell you how much I appreciate this gift you've given me, and if the price is to work for you here for a few years, it's well worth it... I just don't see the value in spending these precious years stuck in a box watching the road. I've been doing that for years in one way or another, and you yourself said it was a waste of life..."
"I'm afraid you've misread the situation here Benny. You're not in any position to dictate the course of your life anymore. You wasted your one and only chance to live a fulfilling life your own way and on your terms, now your life is mine. And I'll lay it out for you like this. You will work as my security guard in this guardhouse for two years. You will conduct random security sweeps of the facility at all hours. You will not sleep EVER. You will remain alert and at your post or about your duties at all times. If any of my cadets try to leave through that gate or are found outside the property limits without prior arrangement, you will detain them and contact me immediately. Introductions are not necessary, you will recognize them by their distinctive smell which you will find yourself oddly sensitive to. You will do these things without question or complaint and at the completion of your service here you will enlist proudly in the military branch of my choosing. You will remain in that branch until your potential for advancement is exhausted and you are respectfully retired from service. You will then return to me here for further guidance. Is that understood?"
"Sir, Yes Sir!" Benny shouted to his great surprise, and though he tried to follow up his uncharacteristic reply with a long winded dispute, he found himself incapable of doing so.
"Very good Soldier. Now, lets equip you for your duties. Ten-hut!" The officer said, causing Benny to snap to attention
The dirt and grime that had accumulated over the years fell from his body. The tattered remains of his clothing crumbled to dust and fell to the ground leaving Benny looking clean and hygienic, wearing nothing but a green pair of new boxer briefs. A pair of thick, heavy, crisp, jet black, wool, dress pants materialized onto his legs the waist flared open to receive the shirt tails of the light grey, long sleeve, button-up, security guard shirt that formed around his torso. The buttons of the shirt fastened themselves causing the shirt to conform tightly to Benny's 'V' shaped figure with very little excess material. The Pants fastened themselves around the security guard's shirt cinching tightly around Benny's hip bones as a stiff black belt with a shiny metal buckle constricted his midsection even more securely. His collar was met with a black polyester tie that would stand up to the harsh weather and relentless hours Benny was about to spend actively patrolling the yard. It tied itself into a solid knot and unceremoniously wrenched itself up against Benny's throat. The collar folded over along its well defined crease and fastened itself at the corners with buttons to the front of the shirt. Benny's feet were wrapped in thin, unprotective, dress socks and met with a pair of cheap, tight, plastic, shiny, corfam dress shoes that were stiff and unyielding and that would be a perpetual source of physical and mental discomfort for the guard and that would force him to remain awake at all times and relive his years of military service during every idle moment he wore them. A small utility pack of tools materialized on the guard's belt that contained pepper spray, zip-tie cuffs, and a high power flashlight among other things. A stiff plastic guard's hat popped into existence on his head and a name tag appeared six inches below his right shoulder that said "Benniford" and rank insignia appeared on his shoulders and above his breast pocket to indicate his new guard status as 'Watch Commander'.
"Do you understand your duties as I have laid them out Watch Commander Benniford?" The Officer probed
"Sir, Yes Sir!" Watch Commander Benniford replied in spite of his struggles to regain control of himself. He couldn't move and he couldn't shake the intrusive security guard mindset that was already causing him to plan security measure, rounds, and protocol randomizations to keep his facility secure and maintain containment at all times. He wanted to go back to his cardboard box, back into the rain back into his simple life as an old homeless man, he didn't care if he had to face the storm anymore, he didn't want any of this. His freedom was worth all that cost and more... but he was trapped, doomed to serve as the officer's unwilling guard.
"Very good Watch Commander Benniford. I'll leave you to your duties."
"Yes, Sir." Watch Commander Benniford exclaimed spreading his legs apart and clasping his hands behind him as he stood with unyielding, erect posture. He turned his back to the guardhouse door and began to vigilantly scan the perimeter and security monitors for signs of activity, while internally he was tormented by his entrapment and by sudden vivid flashes of intrusive memories from his first day of boot camp, forcing him to relive the events as though he were really back there again.
The Officer returned to his Jeep and throttled back toward the house secure in the knowledge that his boot camp was now completely inescapable and eager to share that fact with with the person who was now the soul focus of all of his time and energies... Cadet Carter.