“Atten-Hut Junior Cadets!” the one in the middle yelled. And without thinking Junior Cadets Walker and Smith had jumped to attention in full uniform, boots smartly clicking together, shoulders back, and arms straight. Neither could move an inch.
“Junior Cadet Walker and Junior Cadet Smith, I am Cadet Stevens and this is Cadet Stone and Cadet Carter,” the cadet in the middle said while gesturing to his right and left. “We will be your commanding officers here at Officer Steven’s Boot Camp Academy. But before we get started with your training, we need to start with some changes. How old are you, Junior Cadet Smith?”
“Sir, this Junior Cadet is 14, Sir!” He found himself replying back smartly.
“Just as we expected, too old to get started as a Junior Cadet.” For a half-second, Junior Cadet Smith felt hopeful, maybe that meant this was all a mistake and he could go home. “So we’ll have to change that”
All of a sudden, Junior Cadet Smith found himself getting shorter. He had just gone through a year of his growth spurt and thus was quite tall and gangly even for his 14 years. But now he was nearly a full head shorter than he was before, down to the 5’2” or so he was when he was 12 years old. His mind was confused by what was happening. He then felt the scruff that he had been so proud of being able to start growing disappear from his face, and not just like it was shaved off but like it was when he was unable to grow facial hair at all. Lastly, his feet shrunk from a size 13 to a size 11, he had always had quite big feet before he hit his growth spurt. To his left he saw that Junior Cadet Walker had also regressed to his 12-year-old stature, which was not that much shorter than he was to start with, he had yet to have started his growth spurt like Junior Cadet Smith had.
“Since you were too young to start the Junior Cadet program, we have regressed you back to how you both were at 12 years old. This allows you to have the full 4 years of Junior Cadet Training before you turn 16 and then are able to start your Cadet training properly, which lasts another 6 years. This allows you to receive the best training possible and become the best Cadet possible”
“Thank you, Sirs” the Junior Cadet found themselves responding in a military fashion without conscious thought. Junior Cadet Smith’s mind was whirling. What was going on! He can’t be a cadet for 10 years, he wasn’t even interested in the military. He didn’t even know what he wanted to do with his life, but he knew being a cadet was nowhere on that list.
“Next on the list, your hair. As Junior Cadet, you will not have hair privileges unless you receive all A+s in every class for a full 2 years, or until you become a Cadet and thus can earn a marine-regulation high-n-tight like we all do.”
And with that, the very short hair that the Junior Cadets had withdrawn into their heads and now their scalps gleamed like a Cueball. He would have reached up to touch his bald scalp, but he was unable to move a muscle in the position of attention. Junior Cadet Smith thought to himself: At least two more years of no hair at all… what the hell.”
“And now we can adapt your uniform for your Junior Cadet Status.” Cadet Stone said.
This time the changes were more gradual. His uniform instantly became tailored to his now smaller body, but that was not all that was done. His pants began to get shorter, slowly crawling up his leg until they were about 2 inches above his knee where they stopped and straightened out. They were now a pair of …. Uniform shorts with the exact same style as the pants the other cadets wore. The fabric thickened sightly and was starched to perfection. Next the knee-high boots he was wearing began to get shorter until they were about mid-calf height. The leather than began to get even thicker and more rigid somehow and then they were magically bulled to a brilliant shine. The bottom of the boot was now hobnailed, which would lead to an impressive clicking sound when on hard surfaces. They looked very much like the parade boots from the British military, only taller.
Next his black socks that were worn under the boots pulled themselves up all the way to the knee and changed colors so that they were the same blue as the shorts he was wearing. Besides that, the shirt and tie, and blazer remained unchanged, except for a metal “J” pin that appeared on the lapel of his blazer, to indicate his Junior Cadet status. Lastly, the hard metal cap of the uniform transformed itself into military-style beret, which slipped into the white belt that was belted over his blazer around his waist.
As soon as the changes were finished he stood at attention and inwardly groaned. Those boots were somehow even more uncomfortable than the knee-high ones even though these were shorter. He couldn’t even flex his feet the leather was so rigid. And he could tell that the hobnails on the bottoms of his boots made them very slippery.
Junior Cadet Smith saw himself in the mirror and looked back in horror. He saw a combination of a military cadet and a British schoolboy. Even with the military effect, he looked even younger than his now 12 years, which he supposed was the point. Junior Cadet Stevens now looked much more similar to him than they did before. They were now similar heights and with no hair at all, wearing the most schoolboy-like but also military-like uniforms that he would hate to be seen in public in.
Lastly, the uniforms that filled their wardrobes shifted to match what they wore now, as opposed to the old uniform.
“Now that your appearance is all sorted out, time to establish the rules.” Cadet Stone began, “You will wake up every day at 5 am on the dot where you will quickly make your beds with military precision, shower, shave your heads, and get into your full dress uniform, which you see here. You will wear this uniform properly and with pride from reveille to TAPs. If we deem it appropriate we will provide you with other uniforms, but you will only wear uniforms during your entire stay as a Junior Cadet, even if you earn leave. After you are in uniform, you will prepare your room for room inspection which will begin at 0530. Breakfast will be from 0545 to 0600 after which there will be 1 hr of PT and 2 hours of precision military drill. From 0900 to 1200 you will have morning classes. 1200 to 1230 will be lunch. 1230 to 1600 will be afternoon classes. 1600-1900 will be evening military drill. 1900 to 1930 will be dinner. 1930 to 2200 you will then clean the barracks and prepare your uniforms for the next day. This schedule will be 7 days a week, with few exceptions, such as 4th of July where the entire day we will perform military drill in full dress uniform to celebrate the independence of our great nation.”
After that long monologue, Cadet Peters picked up where Cadet Stone left off, “As we stated early you will be a Junior Cadet for 4 years, but that is the absolute minimum. On your 16th birthday, you will have the opportunity to become a Cadet, but that is no guarantee of success. Severe disciplinary infractions, such as attempting to run away or repeatedly failing to maintain your military appearance can result in extended your Junior Cadetship up until the age of 21. If the problems are not rectified by the age of 21 then you will be regressed back to the age of 12 but with much more restrictions than before and you will not age, or graduate to become a Cadet until you have truly changed. The purpose of the Junior Cadet program is to engrain the basics into your bones: military drill, physical training, and education. The classes will be rigorous, much more so than you were used to at your previous schools, but you will leave the Junior Cadet program as Cadets, and once you are past the cadet program, you will be MEN. As Junior Cadets, your schedule is so regimented to engrain these behaviors as good as possible. As Cadets, the program is still restrictive, but you have the opportunity to lead as well as the ability to specialize and pursue your own interests. Disobedience is punished harshly, but obedience is acknowledged, and excellence is recognized through certain privileges over time such as weekend leave to go home, among others. If you work with us, we will work with you,” Cadet Peters smiled at the end.
Cadet Carter then finished up, “Currently it is time for your afternoon classes, so now would be time to finish those up, while the Cadets and I attend to other matters.”
Suddenly stacks of textbooks and workbooks appeared on their small, metal desks. One of the books opened itself open to a page where a pencil then glided to rest on it. The Junior Cadets found themselves smartly marching to their spartan desks, hearing the military loud click of their boots, sitting down with back rigidly straight, and began to get to work on “Algebra II”. More rigorous than their previous school indeed, he had only been taking Algebra I, and now he had been regressed two years on top of that.
The Cadets then nodded to each other, did smart about faces, and marched out of the door to see to other matters….