Outside the next classroom, Lina knocked and waited patient lately. A very cheerful Whynn greeted her.
"Why hello Lina! I heard that you taking the LPD officers around."
"So you're teaching the general STF ed today huh? Do you mind if I take them in to sit in your class for a little while?"
"Nope come right in."
Whynn motioned them to come in the room. Just like Devon's classroom, plain and lacking anything special.
"Before you arrived I was talking to the class about basic STF schedule. If you all would take a seat I will continue. Alright class these guys here with my good friend Lina are LPD officers. They have been invited here to see what we do."
"Why?" Said one of the youthful trainees.
"Um I don't know why exactly. Lina do you know?"
"Hey don't look at me. I have no idea. I'm just following orders and as usual the higher ups aren't giving me a damned clue and why I have to do this. Not that I mind it too much." Lina said giving Zelgadis a wink. He adverted his eyes away from her with a small blush on his cheeks.
"Oh well that can't be helped. Though I have no idea why the high STF officials feel the need to be so secretive. Anyway let's see now where was I? Oh yes the schedule. Once you become a STF agent or I should say if you become a STF agent you will be expected to do certain things. You have to report to HQ at your assigned shift time. If you don't then are considered late or not going to work that day. Even if you are only a few minutes late they will get angry. You are only given three days late in a year, after that you are fired and kicked out STF. In the case that does happen you cannot assign to re-register until two years after your discharge."
"Is it harder to make it back in after you are fired?"
"Oh yes. Since the requirements are very stiff and tough the STF hiring section is going to take your previous discharge into consideration. The STF doesn't want to hire people who are going to be unreliable and cut out to be agents."
Whynn then went on listing other variables about being an agent including progress reports, medical exams and promotions.
"...but you also will have to undergo psychological examinations. Being a STF agent can be very stressful and generally we try to avoid having the agents suffer from having nervous breakdowns. That's what I do. Besides crew training, I act as a councilor. If anyone has a personal problem I am one of the people that they would turn to. I help those who need counseling, and I help determine who might be suffering from excess harmful work related stress."
Whynn pulled out a stack of papers that she handed out among the class.
"These are the schedules for all of the councilors. If you have a problem I encourage you to go see one of them. Because sometimes just being a trainee can be the most stressful of all. Alright class dismissed."
The whole class left the room in a stream leaving Lina, Whynn, Amelia, Zelgadis, Gourry, Martina and Zangulus in the room.
"So how are you guys enjoying your tour so far?" Whynn said with a bright smile.
"Well it's been very...'interesting' but from what I have seen here and what I have known in the past I've become very interested in the STF. It's a lot more serious and better organized than the police." Zelgadis spoke out his opinion with obvious admiration.
"Well that is true, but that's only because the restrictions are much higher and the assignments more dangerous. You have to be really serious to want to do this job. But tell me where are planning on taking them next Lina?"
"I figured I'd take them over to my moms class."
Whynn smirked. Well Mrs. Inverse's class ought to be very interesting for them. She thought back to her own experiences with Lina's mother. When Whynn had been found by the STF when she was young. Whynn had not been able to remember a thing and was very scared and lonely. It was Faithe Inverse that was kind to her and helped her become the successful woman she was today.
"Well I hope you all have fun. I have to leave now and meet someone."
"Oh really who?" Lina said coyly with a mischievous grin.
"No one important. I'm just going to sort out some blue agent business with another crew trainer."
"It wouldn't be Devon now would it?" Lina's grin broadened.
The only response Lina got was a very deep blush forming on Whynn's face. Thought as much. But if those two don't get together soon, I swear I am going to go nuts! For years Lina had grown up watching both Whynn and Devon being crazy about each other, but avoiding any revealing of true feelings. As far as the other knew, they were only friends, nothing more. Not being true this was very much irritating to those who knew them.
"Well anyway Whynn I'll see you around. I hope you enjoy your date with Devon!" Lina called to Whynn as they went their separate ways in the hall.
"It's not a date!" Whynn fumed, very much embarrassed.
A few halls later Lina and the rest were outside Mrs. Inverse's classroom.
"And if you think for a second that any wimps like you can become an agent without hard work then you have another thing coming!" A woman screamed from inside the room.
This startled the LPDs. Even Amelia was a bit freaked out. Mrs. Inverse had scared her shitless when she first decided to become an agent. In fact Amelia was just about to quit just because of her. But of course Amelia didn't. No she was the mayor's daughter, and she was going to prove that she could do anything in the name of justice. (Relm: That and she kinda had a crush on a certain STF agent that I'm going to name right now. That's for the part seven, unless things get too long. Did you know that is supposed to be part 5 still?)
Lina on the other hand just rolled her eyes. Her mother was notorious for her raging fits. One becomes used to so much screaming. Knocking on the door she waited with an impatient sigh.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Lina's mom screamed at Lina as she opened the door.
"Well hello to you too Mom." Lina said with a dry tone. While Zelgadis and the rest of them were pushed up against the wall in fright. Lina's mother stood in the doorway still half in anger. She was tall with long blond hair and green eyes. Lina and her mother looked nothing like each other, and didn't look related one bit. (Relm: A running gag on my part. Very few people in Lina's family look like they are related to each other. It's like that whole thing with Phil and Amelia. But in my honest opinion Amelia and Phil do look related.)
"Oh hello Lina sweety! I'm so sorry dear I didn't know it was you. So how's my sweet little girl doing today?" Faithe said sweetly with a very huge warm smile.
(collective facefault/sweatdrop combinations)
"I'm fine Mom. And how goes the weed whacking?" Lina said peering over at Faithe's freaked out students. A scowl appeared on Faithe's face.
"Some arrogant idiot over there had the nerve to make a comment saying that become an STF agent is easy."
"Heh, well that person wont get far. Anyway, Mom do you mind if me and my friends her sat in for a part of your class? I've got tour duty and I'm showing around some LPD officers that were involved in that Vernas incident that happened earlier."
"You mean when you were almost killed by that bomb?"
"Yup that would be the one."
"Why are you supposed to show them around?"
"Beats me. I was actually hoping that you could tell me."
"Sorry hon. You might want to ask you father though. But anyway come in."
At this point Zelgadis, Gourry, Martina and Zangulus were expecting a simple teaching room just like all the others they had seen. Well it was, only the walls were plastered with many gruesome images of death and destruction. The function of this of course was to make sure that the recruits could handle sights like that. People with a weak stomach wouldn't be very good red agents.
"Okay now where was I?" Faithe mused trying to recall where she had left off.
15 minutes later...
"...so 40% of red agents in the STF die on the job. Most of them new stupid recruits that think they know everything. That's it for today." Faithe spoke to her class in a strict no nonsense tone. Her class was wide-eyed and very much freaked out of their minds. They were so wrapped up with what they were told that when the bell rang they all practically had a heart attack. They all gathered up their stuff and left the classroom in silence. Lina just shook her head.
"Gee Mom I wonder how many of them are now going to have to take therapy after taking your class."
"Well if they can't take a few little facts and the occasional lecture thrown at them then they have no business trying to be red agent!"
"How many do you think are going to quit?"
"From this class out of 24, right now? Um I'd say about 6. But I haven't got to the survival training situations yet."
"Survival training?" Gourry said with his usually confusion.
"Yup. You see that door at the back of the room? That leads to a simulation room. And in that room you are put into possibly dangerous situations. The purpose of this to show the class really how dangerous this job can be without having to take them out on the street."
Amelia shuddered at the thought at that room. In there she had virtually 'died' over 20 times. She had been virtually put through every dangerous situation that a red agent could encounter.
"But the room also serves as a testing ground for your observation skills. Okay Mom, you think 6 are going to quit today, but what about after you go through the survival training?"
"At least 8 will quit."
"Meaning only 10 out of 24 will actually proceed to become agents?" Zelgadis exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Oh many quit after the various physical and psychological exams. Some quit after becoming an agent. But there are many different cases, and not all classes are the same. I've had classes where out of a class of 32 only 2 went on to be STF agents. And out of a class of 14 I one time had 13 continue on. But this class I just had aren't the strongest type. So I'm only really guessing."
"But that's still pretty harsh..."
"Yeah but we need to be. Hmm... I wonder how many out of you guys would make it through to become red agents if you tried. Lina what do you think?"
"Personally I'd say they all have a good chance."
"Oh yeah right, like whiny little clumsy Martina would have what it takes to be an STF agent." Zangulus said with a snort.
Of course Martina took this as a cue to start to beat the living crap out of Zangulus.
"Who do you think would be the most successful though?" Faithe asked a little awed by the harsh abuse Martina was dishing out to Zangulus. She was really pounding him. You would expect the others to help Zangulus out and stop Martina right? Did they? Nope.
"Well from personal observation I would have to say that Zelgadis would do the best." Lina said winking at Zel again.
"Zelgadis huh? What's your last name?"
"Greywers."
"Oh then I'm not surprised why you would do the best. I've heard quite a bit of stuff about you Zel."
"From who?"
"A few people I guess. Not really sure exactly who though. But I have heard about you before from somewhere. Well I'm only human; I can't remember everything. So I guess you guys should head out to your next destination."
"Yeah we are heading out to the science labs next."
"Well give my regards to Xellos."
Lina just rolled her eyes at the mention of that nutty freak. He irritated everyone around him to the best of his ability. Zangulus was small peanuts compared to him.
Seeing the obvious annoyance on her daughter's face Faithe laughed.
"I'll see you later Lina. Have fun!" Faithe said waving at them as they headed down the hall towards their next destination.
"Who this Xellos guy?"
"Just a fruitcake."
"Fruitcake? You guys mean you name food here?" Gourry said again missing the point.
"Nevermind..." Lina's annoyance was increased by a factor but still they trekked on and this shall be continued in the next part of STF titled 'Mad Science!' (Relm: Yeah I know the title is lame but I couldn't resist.)