Psycho Pass: Way of the Wolf

Day 02

The first day started with a turbulent awakening at 4:30am. Brandishing military batons and banging on the sides of metal trash cans, the SEALs stormed the hallways of the barracks with shouted insults and threats. There were no locks on the doors, so there was nothing to keep them from barging into individual rooms and bringing their chaos to the bedsides of the disoriented sleepers.

Being a woman held no sway for Akane. Three of Tarkinson's Whips marched right into the room. One of them climbed the bottom headboard of Akane's bunk, putting his boots directly in her face. He ripped the pillow from beneath Kogami's head and spat orders in his face, while the other two barked simultaneously at the young Inspector.

Barely given enough time to perform the perfunctory morning rituals, such as using the toilet and brushing their teeth, the recruits were rushed out of the main barracks under duress. Wearing the required uniform of a white t-shirt, black BDUs, and combat boots, they were run to an area of beach half a mile away. Under Tarkinson's direction, the 50 officers were made to line up at attention in formation with their partners.

"I've had wet dreams, but this is a goddamn nightmare!" Tarkinson shouted. "If this is the best the law has to offer, no wonder the crime rates across this country are so high." He slapped a tablet against his thigh and shook his head in disgust.

There was another two hours until the dawn, but the darkness was held at bay by a network of spotlight arrays, which brilliantly lit up the beach and cast long shadows in the sand. It was cold, and thin tendrils of breath could be seen rising from the recruits as they stood at rapt attention, awaiting orders.

"Crab Tsunemori!" Tarkington barked.

"Aye, sir!" Akane stepped out of the line at attention.

"Says here that you didn't do the required fitness level for women."

Forgetting where she was and to whom she addressed, Akane replied, "But I passed all—"

"Shut your face, crab!" Tarkinson screamed. "I didn't ask you a question!"

Gulping air as if she had swallowed her tongue, Akane fell silent. Behind her, Kogami had to bite his tongue at the way she was baited and how naively she fell for it.

"Says here you fulfilled the tests required of male participants," Tarkington said. "And surpassed most of the men in this field. You some sort of overachiever?"

"No, sir," and then thinking better of that answer, she said, "I mean, aye, sir!"

"This is the downfall of females, Crab Tsunemori, not being able to make up their minds. Sugar and spice gets you killed in the field. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Aye, sir."

"Step back in line. You're giving me a headache."

"Crab Kogami!" Tarkinson said.

"Aye, sir!" Kogami kept his voice even and calm, his defiance masked in a lack of boisterous volume.

"Your fitness profile rivals some of the best SEALs on his beach, including me. Must keep the dogs well fed in the Land of the Rising Sun. Step back in line!

"Good morning and welcome to Day Two of Kokoro: Way of the Wolf. You may have noticed that we skipped your breakfast. You needn't fear. We didn't forget. You just have to earn it." Tarkinson walked over to a cordoned off area of the beach. "In front of you is a line of sandbags. When given the order, you are to double time it to them, retrieve one, and double time back to the line up. You needn't worry. No sandbag is any different from the other. Brown, itchy, probably smell funny. Forty pounds of wet loving. Ee-yup!"