It actually turned out that I was not selected for the main Cobra Challenge team, which in turn happened to be the company's dream team. They had an elaborate ceremony, where everybody turned up in their battle attire (read: skeletal battle order), and had the battalion flag handed over to the BoB (Best of the Best) team.
Probably just as well. I didn't think that my legs would last me the whole of 13 km without cramping like an old man.
Another good side-effect: I became a station I/C for one of the reverse SOC (Standard Obstacle Course) stations. In fact, I made it a point to be impartial to all the teams: I simply closed both eyes to all the blatant and vagrant violations to the game rules. Besides, there were other station I/Cs out there determined to suck the morale out of the various teams with a blood sapping 30 points deduction for minor infractions. Losers. Let's see them try to complete the obstacles after a 13 km run!
When my own platoon finally reached my station, it was tough for me to pretend not to know them — the neutral was breathing down my neck, and the flames quite suffocated me... After remembering to wish them "Good Luck", they proceeded to complete the obstacle in the fastest time I had ever recorded for all the teams: a cool 15 seconds out of 60. Nobody ever beat that time. Needless to say, I was quite high on the cloud for the rest of the teams.
In the end, my platoon did not win the championship. We placed around 7 or so, but only because of a 30 point deduction by one of the stations I/C as mentioned in one of the above paragraphs. Penalising for a camouflage net touching an obstacle is a radically absurd case of extremism. It is almost criminal discrimination! That I/C did the same for many other teams, causing much distress, and needless to say, completely quashed the reputation of the Station I/C. The team managed to came in at the fastest time for the whole battalion, yet failed to beat the other formations taking part... Without that 30 points deducted, they would have placed 5th, and a trip to the stage (which would have earned them instant fame, and 3 days off to boot).
They were quite crushed when they realised the irony of the situation. Another team from the same battalion came in at an absurd timing (I didn't know what it was, but it was quite late), yet managed to earn 3 days off for getting marksmanship, and taking their time to stroll through the whole 13 km.
This world ain't fair...
