𝐘𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐲 - 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝟏𝟏𝟔𝟔

Chapter 2: The Test

The Game Station lights buzzed with a low hum, the fluorescent lights casting sharp, sterile shadows over the room's expanse. Three formidable tests awaited: Whack-a-Wuggy, Statues, and Musical Memory. Quinn stepped forward, putting the heavy GrabPack on his shoulders. Dr. Sawyer watched from the observation window above, eyes trained on him with sharp, critical interest.

"Alright, Whack-a-Wuggy," Quinn murmured to himself, rolling his shoulders as he looked around at the scattered holes on the walls around him. His voice was barely a whisper, but there was a confidence there, just beneath the surface.

The lights dimmed, signaling the start of the test, and Quinn's hands tightened around the padded mallet waiting in the center. He squared his stance, his eyes sharp and ready. As the Wuggies began popping up, his GrabPack snapped to action, each strike meeting its mark in a precise, unbroken rhythm.

"Missed me," he muttered as a Wuggy dodged back into its hole, only to emerge seconds later, where it met the GrabPack hand head-on. "Didn't think so." His expression was calm but focused, his eyes quick, taking in each hole with an almost instinctual awareness.

Dr. Sawyer watched from above, eyebrows raised in surprise as Quinn struck each Wuggy with practiced accuracy. The last Wuggy barely had a chance to retreat before Quinn's GrabPack hand hit it with a hard thud. The room lights brightened, signaling the end of the test.

"Gotcha," Quinn whispered with a slight smile, letting the mallet drop to his side as he looked up at the observation window, giving Dr. Sawyer a small nod before moving to the next game.

Statues awaited him, shrouded in darkness, with PJ Pug-a-Pillar at the far end, motionless yet intimidating. Quinn eyed it with cautious respect, muttering under his breath as he entered. "This one's gonna try to trick me, huh?"

The signal beeped, and PJ trailed after him, the soft noise of many footsteps accompanying its uncannily long body. When the lights went on, Quinn stood perfectly still, every muscle tense as he held his breath. When the lights turned back off, he resumed his steps forward, light and careful, his face a study in concentration.

"Can't catch me," he whispered, freezing instantly when the lights flashed back on. His voice was barely audible, almost as if he was talking to himself for encouragement. "Not a chance."

Each step was a calculated risk, each pause a test of his patience and timing. As PJ grew closer, he adapted seamlessly, responding with a quick, steady rhythm. The final light flared, signaling his success, and Quinn allowed himself a small grin.

"Nice try," he said under his breath, casting a glance at the observation window before moving to the final test.

The last room, brightly lit, held the Musical Memory console, its colorful buttons illuminated like gems across the board. Quinn took a deep breath, steadying himself as his hands hovered over the console.

"Alright, let's dance," he said with a grin, his fingers poised.

The melody began, simple at first, and his GrabPack hand hit each button without a hitch. As the pace intensified, he kept up easily, the hands moving with confident precision, his mouth quirking in a faint smile as he kept perfect time with the music.

Dr. Sawyer leaned forward in his seat, barely blinking as he watched Quinn's every move. The doctor's fingers were intertwined, pressing together with a mixture of admiration and anticipation.

When the final, complicated sequence began, Quinn's eyes narrowed with focus, his hands a blur as they danced across the board in perfect synchronization with the notes. The console lit up in a brilliant green, and Quinn let out a breath, satisfied, before looking up toward the observation window with a grin.

"Think that's good enough for you, Doc?" he called, a spark of confidence lighting his eyes.

Dr. Sawyer pressed the intercom, his voice filling the room. "More than good enough, Quinn. I saw all of you today. You were... extraordinary."

Quinn's grin widened, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Told you I could do it," he said, pride coloring his voice. "Guess I'm a little more than what they think, huh?"

Dr. Sawyer allowed himself a rare, approving smile. "More than they can even imagine."

Quinn gave a small, satisfied nod before heading toward the door, but not without one last look back. "You'll see even more next time," he promised with a flash of mischief in his eyes.

Dr. Sawyer watched him go, "There won't be a next time, Quinn. You're meant for much bigger things."