Big Beard and the man beside him rose trembling. They felt the entire room's attention converge on them. The soldiers of the Kasare 37th Regiment silently rejoiced that they had not been called upon, casting grateful looks their way.
This unprecedented experience left Big Beard incredibly nervous. He felt even more afraid and helpless now than when huddling in a frontline trench.
"Answer the question? Didn't you listen during the last lesson? Hmm?"
The colonel's expression grew increasingly grim as she stared sternly at Big Beard and the man beside him. "Speak! Your service numbers! I'll record this awful answer in your files!"
Big Beard swallowed, but could not force out a single word. Beads of sweat the size of peas kept sliding down his forehead.
"We're soldiers of the Valhalla 311th Regiment, 5th Company, 17th Squad! I'm Private Tukufu! He's Lance Corporal Valiedi!"
"Hmm?" The colonel shook the riding crop in her hand in confusion, then casually picked up a pair of binoculars and carefully examined the insignia on the two men.
"Fine, you're here as auditors, so I won't question you. Random roll call!"
The colonel pressed a red button, and a randomly assembled name appeared on the data slate. An immense silence fell over the room. Big Beard Valiedi sat in his chair, watching the soldiers beside him clasp their hands together, and felt nothing but dread.
When a name appeared, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Only that unfortunate soul shakily stood up, desperately recalling the previous lesson while occasionally glancing at the notes in his hand.
"Pry open the lower casing of the power pack with a monomolecular dagger, remove the safety at the bottom, then reroute the internal power lines to the third port. This will overload the power pack, rapidly raising its temperature