The door slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing around the silent room. The room was divided into four sections. There were three small, rectangular rooms on one edge of the room, and a large mirror looking over the roofless rooms on the other side. That was probably where the Council was observing us. The two sections had opaque walls, but the third had see through walls. There was a single, black desk with a stack of white papers and two black pens on its surface. That must be where I'm supposed to take my tests.
It seemed strange to me that the tests weren't computerized like all of the others that I had taken before, but I guess it was to keep tech geniuses like Bash from hacking in and changing their scores.
I swallow past the lump on my throat, then cross the room and enter my cubicle. The walls immediately turn opaque around me, and I sit down in the cushioned chair in front of the desk. Reaching forward, my hand closes around the first wafer thin piece of paper and I pull it gently off of the stack and onto the empty surface in front of me.
To my left, there is an incessant tapping noise, the noise of a pen being tapped against a desk. I smile. Sebastian and I share the habit of tapping out fingers or a pen when we are thinking.
I grab the pen, then look down at the paper. Math. My confidence disappears immediately. Looking at the confusing numbers gives me a sinking feeling. I'm screwed. Tears well up in my eyes and I blink rapidly to get rid of them. There is no doubt that the Council is observing me right now, to watch my reactions to the different tests.
Sighing, I begin the first problem, one dealing with the fundamental theorem of algebra. I work slowly, checking and double checking all of my work as I go. It's better to be safe than sorry, and to my knowledge there is no time limit on the tests.
••••••••••••••••••
After what feels like hours and hours, I finish checking my final answer, then push the mass of papers away from me, rubbing my eyes tiredly.
Throughout the test, more and more people had come in, their shadows passing by my walls my only clue as to how many. We had all taken the tests. Some of the people who had had earlier times were done with the tests and already standing before the Council.
The test seemed to be structured so no one would finish at the same time, allowing everyone to have the same amount of time to speak before the Council decides their Occupation.
I looked around the room at the nondescript walls, wondering what to do with my finished test. Almost as if I had cued it, a computerized voice seeming to come from all sides says," Thank you for Testing. Now please place your completed Tests in here." When the voice said "here", a small silver box popped out of the wall that my desk was facing. It wasn't very wide, nor very long, but it was very deep.
I carefully deposited my papers into the box, then stepped back as it shut and retreated into the wall once again.
" Please proceed towards the exit. You will then be escorted to meet with the Council," the voice stated calmly. I took a deep breath, and then walked out of the now open door.
Outside, still in dressed in the impeccable black dress and white pumps stood the lady who had escorted me to the room.
As I walked towards her, she gave me an artificial smile, then beckoned for me to walk with her. We crossed the long room, passing the cubicles in which others are testing until we finally arrived at the one way mirror.
