The Energy Crusades by Valerie Noble Page A

precisely, as missing a step often meant falling. You had to place your feet correctly, without missing a foothold, and there were many different ones available to trip you up.
    Ajax studied my face as I digested the information. "Have you worked on them before?" he asked.
    "Yes, a few." They were not my favorite, and Ajax sensed my hesitation.
    "But you never worked on one with me. Trust me, okay? I can lead you up. I know they can be difficult, and this one will probably be the most difficult one you have ever encountered. The Teachers will want to test you and see how much you can handle. Remember that. Remember they are testing you and keep your mind clear." I nodded at him. He placed his orb in the pocket of his energy suit and I did the same. "You can use the orb if you need it, but it will be difficult to get to. You ' ll need both your hands and feet to stay on the path."
    "Okay, Ajax." I tried to sound more confident than I felt.
    "Okay. Let ' s eat something first and then we ' ll give the signal when we ' re ready."
    A cart had been placed in the room while we ' d trained with my orb. It had been left near the door we ' d entered, only from this side of the room the massive doors were not visible. There was just a small, narrow door with the word ESCAPE written above it. When we completed our training for the day, the word would change to read EXIT, but it was vital not to open the door before the second word appeared, unless you wanted to ask for an escape. Such minor details were imperative to weapons training and could mean the difference between failure and success.
    On the cart sat two energy bars and two glasses of a juice-like concoction. They would provide the energy and nourishment our bodies needed to face the footpath. We leaned against the wall and consumed our food in silence. I willed myself to think positively about the path, pushing the fear from my heart. As I ate, the nutrients worked in my body as they were meant to, and I felt refreshed and energized.
    "Are you ready?" Ajax studied me carefully.
    "Yes," I answered, with all the determination I could muster, "I ' m ready."
    "Remember to follow me. Talk to me if you ' re struggling."
    I nodded, and he gathered our supplies. On the bottom of the cart were two packs for our backs. He handed one to me and I put it on. It would contain whatever the Teachers thought we might need to complete the exercise. Ajax walked to the middle of the room, looked up at the control booth and held up his hand, signaling we were ready to begin. We stood side by side as the room began to change. As the world shifted and bumped into place, the room rocked like an earthquake, and I grasped his arm to keep my balance.
    Before our eyes, a new world appeared. We found ourselves at the foot of a rocky path, its immense slope rising steeply into the cloudless blue sky above us. The rocks were the color of rust, orange and dusty, and the heat blanketed our bodies. There wasn ' t a whisper of a breeze in the thick, oppressive air and all around us red rocks rose into the sky. Ahead of us were rocky mountains; behind us were rocky mountains, and the only way to go was up, up, up.
    Our solar glasses darkened in response to the bright sun. The foot and hand holds carved into the rocks were obvious, but the path rose steeply without an end in sight. I swallowed, and tried not to let the image of falling enter my thoughts or the feeling of vertigo envelope me. If one of us did fall, some type of rescue would appear, saving us from serious injury, but it would also mean we had failed. Falling wasn ' t an option and I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, and mentally prepared for the challenge in front of me.
    "Don ' t look up," Ajax urged. "Just put one foot in front of the other."
    I opened my eyes and focused on his. Ajax ' s eyes were hidden behind his glasses and I couldn ' t tell if they were blue or gray. "One point at a time," I answered, repeating the familiar phrase