My first story for the 100 SSSS/aRTD-challenge me and some friends have accepted! The prompt for this story was "Introduction", but there's not much of that going on. The prompt inspired me to write a little about me SSSSona, so have her entering the military camp for the first time!

"...Who are you?"

"I..."

The female looked at the floor, at the ceiling, at the wall and then back to the sergeant.

"My name is Sara Vikander. I'm... I'm here for the training session?"

"You're with the scientists?"

The large man looked at her and she shivered under his gaze, but nodded.

"You're early."

"Yes, I... I apologize. I'm..."

"I didn't say you could talk."

He wrote something on a piece of paper. Sara tried to see what he was writing, but he leaned just so that she was unable to. Then he sealed the paper and gave it to her.

"Take that to Nilsson, he'll show you what you're gonna need. Don't open it."

"Thank you?"

He didn't look at her and she quickly hurried away, weighing the paper in her hand. She was almost knocked over by a group of people and her eyes followed them for a few seconds before she continued walking. Then she stopped.

"I... have no idea who Nilsson is."

She looked at the paper, felt tears forming in her eyes. This was it, this was how her story was gonna end. All alone and lost in the training grounds for the military without ever getting to see the Silent World. There was probably a simple solution to it, but she couldn't figure it out. She wiped the tears from her eyes, but new ones formed immediately. She scratched her neck, cursing herself for trying to chase her stupid dreams instead of just doing what her mother told her.

"You lost?"

Sara jumped, then quickly turned around, blinking away the tears. August. She smiled at him.

"I'm so glad you're here! I'm supposed to find a Nilsson, but I..."

August looked at her and her smile faded.

"I'm sorry..."

He let out a sigh and massaged his forehead before putting a hand on her shoulder and leading her back the way she came from. A slender man waved towards her, smiling and pointing to the nameplate on his desk. Nilsson. In the same room as she met the sergeant. She facepalmed and August coughed. Sara smiled at him again.

"You don't need to be ashamed for laughing, laughter is good for you."

He didn't answer, and gently nudged her towards Nilsson. She trembled a little when she gave him the paper and he opened it, nodded and leaned down under the desk.

"Do you need help?"

His hand came up and he waved dissmissively at her offering. He reappeared just a few seconds later and put a bag on the desk.

"Everything you need is in here. You're starting the training at 800 hours sharp."

She looked at her clock to see how much time she had to mentally prepare herself for it, only to be brutally reminded that her clock stopped working one year ago.

"You will gather in the town square, corporal Amundsen will meet you there and take you through the safety instructions, before you'll be heading to the training area. Good luck."

Nilsson smiled at her and patted the bag.

"Don't worry, miss Vikander, I'm sure you'll do great."

She bowed and grabbed the bag, not really sure if she was allowed to say anything. August gestured for her to follow him.

"You'd be lost without me."

"Probably."

"I'll never understand what my father sees in you."

"I'm amazed at how freely you speak to me. Is it because I'm so much lower than you on the pecking order?"

He hit her lightly in the back of her head.

"I can still get you off the expedition, you should learn some manners."

"But would you do that?"

August stopped, looked at the female following him. It was just a couple of years between them, yet he somehow felt eons older than her. She looked into his eyes, waited for him to answer. He switched his bag to the other shoulder.

"Are you going to meet up with the others in there as well?" Sara asked.

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Because I'm curious and want to learn stuff! So, are you?"

"It's none of your business."

"You're not."

He started walking again. She didn't follow him immediately, instead she looked up at the sky, and he stopped again.

"I wouldn't, I trust my father."

"He's not the one who has to work with me."

"No... no, he's not."

August went back to her side and looked at the sky as well. He wasn't sure what she saw up there.

"I often dream about flying."

"Most people do."

"They used to have machines that brought people up there. Big things made out of metal. It doesn't sound very safe, but it worked. I never understood how."

"Aerodynamics."

"Well, yes, but you'd think something that heavy would be unable to fly anyway."

She looked at the ground.

"On the other hand, I guess it's kind of the same with boats and even cars. Enough speed, good enough weight distribution over enough area so they don't fall through their prefered medium for travelling."

August decided not to ask. Instead he pulled her arm and she woke up from her thoughts.

"It's almost time, we should hurry."

She looked at her clock again. It still didn't work and she nodded, followed him over the open area to the other side of the square. August settled down on a bench, started going through the contents of the bag and Sara looked curiously at him.

"Didn't he say the town square?"

"Yes."

She waited for further explaination, but August was silent as he looked at the weapons he had been provided with.

"This doesn't look like the town square..."

He didn't say anything, put the knife back into the bag and settled up again, looked at Sara. Sara looked around, at the military people walking all over, at the houses surrounding them. She waved to Janni who came walking at the other side of the square. August greeted the other woman as she settled down next to him, before turning to Sara again.

"...you didn't seriously think we were going to meet Amundsen in Mora's town square, did you?"

Sara blushed, didn't answer and quickly looked through the contents of her own bag.

"I've never been to a military encampment before, I don't know what they call anything..."

August laughed and Janni looked between the two, before shaking her head. Sara smiled at August and settled down next to Janni. The other scientists would probably show up soon as well, and then the training for their expedition into the Silent World would begin.