Extra Chapter: The Tempering of a Knight

  2071-2074, RCMP Academy, Regina | "Outstanding"

  Session One: Standard Answers and Unorthodox Tactics

  The RCMP Academy training ground, the air filled with gunpowder smoke, metal, and the acrid smell of energy weapons. Valeria Mendoza shot through the obstacle course like a silver-blue lightning bolt. Every leap, every turn was impossibly precise, as if gravity and inertia were merely playthings beneath her feet. Her cybernetic eye scanned rapidly, calculating optimal routes, cybernetic muscles exploding with astonishing power, letting her easily surpass all peers.

  "Good God, is she even human?" A cadet muttered on the sidelines.

  "I heard her body is special... she's practically a humanoid weapon." Another cadet's tone was complex, mixing envy with a hint of fear.

  Valeria was accustomed to such gazes. Her transcript was impeccable: full marks in combat arts, shooting accuracy crowned the grade, physical tests breaking multiple records. But she could also sense certain instructors' dissatisfied gazes—especially the tactics instructor, retired veteran Martinez.

  Instructor Martinez appreciated her abilities but worried about her style. During an indoor CQB training session, Valeria "lost control" again. The drill directive was to clear "bandits" occupying a simulated building. Standard procedure was squad alternating cover, room-by-room clearing.

  Valeria's squad was pinned down by fire at the ground floor entrance. Just as teammates prepared to throw smoke grenades, she suddenly moved. Without warning, she kicked off hard, directly smashing through a side wall that appeared load-bearing (actually a non-load-bearing structure simulating a false load-bearing wall with plasterboard), bursting into the adjacent room, instantly "killing" two enemies from the flank, disrupting the entire defensive formation.

  After training ended, Instructor Martinez's face was livid.

  "Cadet Mendoza! Did a dog eat your tactics manual? Who authorized you to break formation? Who authorized you to destroy building structure? If your judgment was wrong and you hit a real load-bearing wall, or there were civilians behind it, what then?"

  "Reporting, sir! My cybernetic eye structural analysis showed it wasn't load-bearing. Enemy fire was concentrated on the main entrance; the flank was the only rapid breakthrough point. The result was effective." Valeria stood ramrod straight, calmly stating facts.

  "Effective? Just lucky!" Martinez roared. "Tactics aren't individual heroism! It's establishing order in chaos, making the team operate like a machine! Your wild tactics might win today, but tomorrow could get all your teammates killed!"

  Valeria fell silent. She didn't understand—clearly she'd solved the problem, so why the reprimand?

  The real test came in the weekend's advanced tactical simulation. Red versus blue confrontation, Valeria's blue team against a red team of elite upperclassmen. Red team tactics were rigorous, methodical, like a moving steel wall. Blue team was quickly divided, suppressed, communications in chaos.

  "Blue team members, report positions!"

  "We're pinned in Sector B corridor!"

  "Sector A lost!"

  Valeria crouched behind cover, watching teammate light dots extinguish one by one on the tactical map. Red team's advance was flawless. She took a deep breath and closed the chaotic communications channel.

  In that moment, she was no longer a police cadet. She became that girl again in Quebec's alleys, who had to be more cunning, faster than enemies to survive.

  She slipped from cover like a ghost, taking no planned routes. She climbed ventilation ducts, launching surprise attacks from the ceiling; she used simulated explosion noise to mask footsteps, circling to red team's flank; she even grabbed training powder interference agent, not throwing it at enemies but smashing ceiling fire sprinklers, creating chaos and water curtains to disrupt opponent vision.

  Red team's perfect formation was thrown into complete disarray by her alone. She was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, rippling layers of chaos. Though blue team ultimately lost due to numerical disadvantage and early excessive damage, when simulation ended and lights came on, all red team members looked with complex expressions at that soaked yet bright-eyed girl.

  Instructor Martinez said nothing for a long time. Finally, he walked before Valeria.

  "Mendoza," his tone no longer angry but carrying heavy contemplation, "everything you did today violated seven basic tactical regulations, twelve safety protocols. If this were a real battlefield, military court would string you up to dry."

  He shifted the conversation abruptly: "But... you disrupted a team executing perfect tactics. You showed me another possibility beyond 'standard answers.'"

  Valeria looked up.

  "Power needs restraint, talent needs guidance." Martinez gazed at her. "Your challenge isn't becoming stronger, but making your strength into something your comrades can trust and rely upon, not a bomb that could injure everyone at any time. Think about it carefully."

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  In that moment, Valeria truly considered the meaning of "team" for the first time.

  Session Two: "Tornado" and "Specter"

  After the "unorthodox tactics" incident, Valeria gained a nickname—"Tornado." Classmates admired her abilities but kept their distance. She was too strong, too unpredictable, like an unstable factor.

  Coursework entered more complex stages. Cyberbrain defense, network tracking, intelligence analysis... these courses gave Valeria headaches. Her world was intuitive, physical, while this knowledge was abstractly fog-like.

  It was then she met Leo.

  Leo Chan was another kind of "freak." His physical fitness barely passed, combat class like a clumsy dance, but sitting at a terminal, his fingers danced like a pianist's, code flowing before him like a docile river. He was the uncrowned king of electronic warfare and cyberspace, nicknamed "Specter."

  Fate (or some instructor's cruel humor) paired them for the final duo assessment—"Tracking and Evasion." The mission was to evade other teams' tracking in a massive simulated urban block environment while successfully placing a data beacon at the target point.

  "Great." Leo pushed up thick glasses, looking at the partner list, muttering quietly. "Paired with a 'Tornado' who only knows how to smash things."

  "Better than pairing with a 'Specter' who can't even run." Valeria retorted.

  Assessment began. Sure enough, other teams immediately targeted them as "soft persimmons," priority targets. Valeria's instinct and speed helped them dodge capture multiple times with Leo in tow, but Leo's clumsy movements always slowed the pace, nearly exposing them several times.

  "Can't you go faster?" Valeria complained after one close call.

  "What do you know! I'm disrupting their tracking algorithms! Otherwise we'd have been surrounded already!" Leo retorted breathlessly.

  The mutually disdainful pair stumbled along. Until once, they were trapped in an alley by two teams front and back.

  "We're done..." Leo's face paled.

  Valeria looked at the closing "enemies," then at this combat-useless partner beside her, suddenly remembering Instructor Martinez's words.

  "...Make your strength into something comrades can rely upon..."

  She gritted her teeth, shoving Leo behind a pile of discarded tires. "Stay hidden! Don't come out! Use your 'magic'!" she shouted, then turned, cybernetic eye locking onto the "enemy" charging ahead.

  In that moment, she was no longer a lone wolf. She had something to protect.

  "Specter! Left passage, jam their communications!"

  "Tornado roger! Right side is mine!"

  "Specter! Three o'clock second floor window has a sniper, block his scope!"

  "Tornado approaching!"

  Strange callsigns rang through the private channel. Valeria became the most vigilant "Tornado," her perception pushed to limits, constructing a physical barrier for Leo. And Leo, this "Specter" hiding behind cover, fingers blurring into afterimages on his datapad. He hacked environmental systems, shutting off streetlights to create darkness; forged thermal signals to draw away pursuers; even briefly disabled opponents' cybernetic eye visual assistance functions, making them "blind."

  "Tornado's" absolute physical superiority combined with "Specter's" invisible electronic manipulation produced a wondrous chemical reaction. They were like a sharp blade with an invisible edge, tearing through all blockades, miraculously being first to deliver the beacon to target.

  Simulation ended. Leo collapsed on the ground, exhausted yet eyes shining with excitement. Valeria extended her hand, pulling him up.

  "Well done... Specter."

  "You too... Tornado."

  They exchanged smiles, previous barriers melting away. Commissioner Gabriel in the monitoring room watched the entire process, smiling to his assistant: "The strongest spear found the most suitable shield for her. Make a note—Cadet Chan and Cadet Mendoza deserve focused attention in the future."

  Session Three: Call of the Street Corner

  During Academy vacation, Valeria changed out of her police uniform, returning to Quebec's old streets after long absence. The streets remained narrow, air carrying familiar food aromas and faint mildew. She wore simple casual clothes, but her upright bearing and sharp eyes made her somewhat incongruous with the surroundings.

  She visited Grandma Elena. The old woman was delighted to see her, chattering about neighbors' trivial matters.

  "Little Valeria, you've really made something of yourself... Oh right, recently there's been some 'government benefit,' something about 'cybernetic medical insurance upgrade,' keeps calling, even sent a link, I can't figure it out..." Grandma Elena muttered, pulling out her old datapad.

  Valeria took the datapad. One glance triggered a low-priority warning from her cybernetic eye's security plugin. The link domain clumsily mimicked official channels, pointing to an uncertified server. Classic phishing!

  A chill crawled up her spine. These scum were targeting the most helpless elderly!

  "Grandma, this is a scam! Never click it!" she immediately said, the severity in her tone startling the old woman.

  Valeria suppressed her fury, patiently explaining. She immediately contacted Leo.

  "Specter, help me out..."

  "Copy, Tornado. Send me the address and link... mm, low-level scam, server located at... interesting, payment channel went through several bends but ultimately points to a shell company we've marked, might have some connection to 'Babel's' low-level periphery."

  Valeria didn't impulsively go directly after the scammers. She took a deep breath, called the local patrol station, in clear, calm, professional expression to report the situation, providing all information Leo had tracked: server addresses, scam call sources, fund flow possibilities.

  In less than half an hour, patrol officers arrested the scammer gang in a rented apartment a few blocks away, just as they prepared to relocate. Grandma Elena and several other elderly who'd received links avoided losses.

  Neighbors rushed over upon hearing the news, surrounding Valeria, words filled with gratitude and trust.

  "Well done, little Valeria!"

  "I said this child would definitely make something of herself!"

  "With you here, we can rest easy!"

  Standing on this familiar, slightly dilapidated street corner, hearing these simple thanks, Valeria suddenly understood the meaning of all her training. Her power wasn't for high scores at the academy, nor to become an icy weapon.

  Her power was to protect these people who'd given her warmth, to protect this street corner's peace.

  After returning to school, the career advisor approached her, recommending she intern at Ottawa headquarters.

  Valeria shook her head, eyes determined.

  "Thank you for your suggestion, sir. But I'd like to apply for an internship in Neo-Chinatown Metropolis."

  The advisor was surprised: "Neo-Chinatown Metropolis? The situation there is very complex, crime rate very high, pressure extremely intense!"

  "I know." Valeria answered calmly. "But honor students are needed everywhere. And there, like my home, needs police who know what 'street corners' are like even more."

  She found Commissioner Gabriel, repeating her decision. The commissioner looked at this young girl with clear eyes yet iron will before him, as if seeing that little girl who saved him in the dark alley all grown up.

  He smiled with relief: "Go, Valeria. Go where you want to. Remember your original heart, protect those you wish to protect. The RCMP is proud of you."

  Thus, the fledgling's wings grew full, about to leave the nest, flying toward that broader, more complex steel jungle that needed her more—Neo-Chinatown Metropolis. Her story was only just beginning.