Episode 18 - Training
“No!” Montgomery admonished. “Control! Balance! Power! You’re building muscle memory; do it correctly. During a fight, your body must respond perfectly and automatically. If you have to think about these things, you’ll get your ass kicked and you’ll end up wearing a Slaver collar.”
I was beat and finding it difficult to focus.
Montgomery sensed my problem. “Do you think the Slavers will wait until you are well rested before they try again? Are you going to put Natalia’s life in jeopardy because you need a nap? Do it again.”
I clenched my teeth and refocused my efforts.
“Better! Left foot back a little, weight forward."
"Again!"
"That’s it. Lock that in."
"Again.”
Montgomery was teaching me self-defense skills in case the security team was diverted, incapacitated, or overwhelmed during the next attack. I trained with the security chief Monday through Saturday mornings from five to seven. Sessions started with a two mile run, stretching, and strength conditioning. Next, we worked on attack and defense routines; locking them in, speeding them up, and using them in combinations.
When the moves became ingrained, I practiced striking a series of swinging dummies. The dummies had red and yellow markings indicating areas where a blow could kill or disable an opponent. Montgomery insisted that I had to know, had to feel, exactly where and how hard to strike without thinking about it.
Today’s session ended with a sparring match with Dante, one of Catalyst security detail. Montgomery’s sharp eye critiqued the our performance. Dante cheerfully delivered a new set of bruises during the 10 minute session. As always, the experience was humiliating and illuminating.
When it was over, I tottered to the showers with leaden arms and legs; my exercise clothes soaked in perspiration.
The weeks since the first Slaver attack had become a blur of activity with training sessions in the morning, my regular job as a copier repairman during the day, and Companion project conferences with Irma and Dr. Natalia Bremmer after dinner.
The Companion project was an Artificial Intelligence-based therapy program I created to help people with severe depression re-integrate into society after a significant trauma or loss. The AI system couldn’t replace human interaction, but it could provide constant encouragement, monitoring, and support while guiding the patient through the healing process.
The pace of the project accelerated dramatically when Sergeant Ernesto Ramy, the investigating officer during the first Slaver attack, asked if the project might be able to help his best friend cope with his wife’s unexpected death.
I stood in the shower stall and let the hot water pull away the pain and exhaustion. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. I really hope that's true.
I was beat and finding it difficult to focus.
Montgomery sensed my problem. “Do you think the Slavers will wait until you are well rested before they try again? Are you going to put Natalia’s life in jeopardy because you need a nap? Do it again.”
I clenched my teeth and refocused my efforts.
“Better! Left foot back a little, weight forward."
"Again!"
"That’s it. Lock that in."
"Again.”
Montgomery was teaching me self-defense skills in case the security team was diverted, incapacitated, or overwhelmed during the next attack. I trained with the security chief Monday through Saturday mornings from five to seven. Sessions started with a two mile run, stretching, and strength conditioning. Next, we worked on attack and defense routines; locking them in, speeding them up, and using them in combinations.
When the moves became ingrained, I practiced striking a series of swinging dummies. The dummies had red and yellow markings indicating areas where a blow could kill or disable an opponent. Montgomery insisted that I had to know, had to feel, exactly where and how hard to strike without thinking about it.
Today’s session ended with a sparring match with Dante, one of Catalyst security detail. Montgomery’s sharp eye critiqued the our performance. Dante cheerfully delivered a new set of bruises during the 10 minute session. As always, the experience was humiliating and illuminating.
When it was over, I tottered to the showers with leaden arms and legs; my exercise clothes soaked in perspiration.
The weeks since the first Slaver attack had become a blur of activity with training sessions in the morning, my regular job as a copier repairman during the day, and Companion project conferences with Irma and Dr. Natalia Bremmer after dinner.
The Companion project was an Artificial Intelligence-based therapy program I created to help people with severe depression re-integrate into society after a significant trauma or loss. The AI system couldn’t replace human interaction, but it could provide constant encouragement, monitoring, and support while guiding the patient through the healing process.
The pace of the project accelerated dramatically when Sergeant Ernesto Ramy, the investigating officer during the first Slaver attack, asked if the project might be able to help his best friend cope with his wife’s unexpected death.
I stood in the shower stall and let the hot water pull away the pain and exhaustion. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. I really hope that's true.
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