Obstacle Course: the recruits tumble down the difficult course. At the head of the pack , breathing hard, Johnny and Ace race.
Johnny: Forget about it, Ace. You don't stand a chance.
Ace: What makes you even think you're going to make squad leader, Rico?
Johnny: Something I've got you don't.
Ace: You rich kids... are all the same.
Johnny: It isn't about that. It's about who's best.
They come to a trap, prepare to leap.
Dizzy: Hey!
Dizzy swoops in from behind, knocking Johnny and Ace into the mud. They watch, chagrined, as Dizzy reaches the end of the course effortlessly.
Combat knife practice: Zim watches the recruits practicing throwing knives.
Zim: First squad!
Ace steps up, throws his knife and it bounces off the target.
Ace: Sir, I don't understand. Who needs a knife in a nuke fight anyway?... All you gotta do is push a button. Sir.
Zim: Cease fire! (to Ace) Put your hand on that wall, Trooper! . . . . . Put your hand on that wall!
Ace obeys. Zim yanks the knife out of the post. Zim throws, impaling Ace's hand to the wall.
Ace (groaning): AWK!
Zim: The enemy cannot push a button if you disable his hand. . . . . MEDIC!
Showers - Both men and women shower together.
Kitten: Well, we all have one thing in common. We were all stupid enough to sign up for Mobile Infantry. Breckinridge, what's your excuse?
Breckinridge: Well, my family's all farmers. I hate farming. Mobile Infantry? It's like pure picnic by comparison.
Kitten: All right, so they grow 'em big and dumb on the farm planet, huh?
Man: And pretty!
Woman: I like big.
Kitten: Djana'd, what about you?
Djana'D: I'm going in for politics. And, you know, you gotta be a citizen for that. So here I am.
Kitten: Ah, you some responsibility.
Djana'D: Yeah.
Kitten: Shujumi! C'mon, let's keep it going.
Shujumi: I got into Harvard, but my father says forget it. It's gonna cost an arm and a leg, you know? So, if I serve, Federation pays my way! Ha-ha!
Katrina: I want to have babies. It's a lot easier to get a licence if you serve, so . . .
Ace: I'm going career. Officer's training. All the way.
Kitten: Ah, future Sky Marshall. All right, Rico, your turn.
Johnny: Who asked you to be so nosy?
Kitten: What, I'm the bad guy? I'm gonna be a writer. A writer's got a right to be nosy.
Dizzy joins them in the showers.
Kitten: Hey, Flores, you know Rico from Buenos Aires. What's his story?
Dizzy: Oh, uh . . . He's here because of a girl.
Others (cheering, catcalls): Oh, Rico! Lover boy!
Kitten: He's gettin' me excited! He's gonna blow!
Disgusted by smiling, Johnny leaves the showers. Djana'D smacks his butt as he exits.
Kitten (to Dizzy): Is it you?
Dizzy smiles and just shrugs.
Barracks - Johnny pans the barracks with a little handcam, neat bunks in a row, other recruits lounging around in their skivvies.
Johnny: This is where we live. Not much, but it's home. Right there, that's my bunk, where I dream about you every night. Boot's pretty tough. Sometimes I think I won't make it. But then I think about what you're doing, and I try harder.
Ace, Kitten Smith, Shujumi and Breckinridge dance around and moon the camera. Hooting and hollering. Farting noise.
Johnny: Do you mind?
Johnny moves the camera away from the guys.
Others: We try harder, baby! We try harder!
Johnny: Who knows? They might even make me squad leader.
The barracks lights go out. Ace plays Taps on the violin. Johnny lowers his voice.
Johnny: Uh-oh. Well, I better pack it in.
Katrina walks by, mugs into frame, begins to sing, badly.
Katrina (singing): "I love you Carmen."
Johnny: Write me!
Katrina (singing): "I love you."
Johnny: I'm gonna kill you guys!
Ace, Katrina, and the other guys peer into the camera, giggling, delighted with themselves.
Tereshkova Flight Academy: Carmen watches the end of Johnny's letter. Katrina continues to sing.
Johnny: Bye! Write me!
The letter ends. Carmen smiles. Lt. Stack Lumbreiser comes racing in the room.
Stack: Orbit in five, Ibanez! First one there gets to fly.
Grinning, Carmen grabs her duffel, takes off after her.
Boarding Corridor: Carmen and Stack race for the hatch past other recruits.
Boat Cycle: Carmen gets there first, jumps into the pilot seat. Stack takes second seat.
Carmen: Locking it down.
Two late Cadets duck in through the closing hatch door.
Late Cadet: Wait! Wait! Oh no, not Ibanez again, she's crazy!
Carmen: Ready, go!
Lunar Orbit: the boat streaks upward from the lunar floor past orbiting platforms.
Carmen: Yeah!
Stack: Deploying wings.
Boat - Lunar Orbit: Carmen blasts past a Destroyer orbiting in dock, zips between Corvettes and other slower fleet traffic in the crowded space lanes of Luna. The two late Cadets are terrified.
Stack: How come you're in such a good mood, huh?
Carmen: 'Cause today I get to fly that.
She points. Now visible from behind a host of smaller ships, is the Starship Rodger Young.
Starship Rodger Young - Command and Control Cycle: Carmen arrives on the bridge, dark, cramped, all-business. She salutes the instructor, Captain Deladier, 40s.
Carmen: Pilot Trainee Ibanez reporting for duty, ma'am.
Deladier: Take the number two chair, Ibanez.
Carmen: Yes, ma'am!
Carmen turns for her station. Carmen logs on. The ship recognizes her as a pilot trainee.
Carmen: Identify.
Computer: Ibanez, T-three-two-five-A, clear.
She turns to the number one chair and is surprised to see Zander, now a 2nd Lieutenant.
Carmen (laughs): What are you doing here?
Zander: I'm the guy who's gonna teach you to fly this crate.
Carmen: Ah. Assistant insructor. Should I call you "sir"?
Zander: Only when I give you an order.
Deladier: Prepare for departure.
Carmen and Zander go to work.
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