Chapter 7 Summary

John stands by with some of the other soldiers that survived their last mission as Mendez ejects the ashes of the soldiers that died into space. All of the survivors are suffering from various side effects of their augmentation. Some are so damaged, such as having their bones twisted and mangled, that they no longer look like humans. When John asks Mendez what he did wrong as the squad leader, Mendez says it's a part of being a soldier.

After recover, John heads toward the gym early in the morning to work out. At this point, there are 32 candidates left in his squad. Another 30 had washed out by dying during the augmentation process. Another dozen were reassigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence because they are suffering from the side effects of the process. John feels as if the room is rotating more...