The Flawed Test

Chapter 11

     As soon as we got back and headed to our dorms for about two or three hours of sleep, we headed up to the central office on the fourth floor. We needed to speak to the principal about this 'job' the Academy had.

     "Let me do the talking. I'm the master of deception." Jess said to us all as she stepped forward to the secretary's desk.

     "How can I help you?" The secretary asked. Her voice seemed sincere, but also busy, as I saw hundreds of papers moving behind her via telepathy being printed, edited, and typed.

     "We need to speak to the principal ASAP. It's urgent." Jess urged in a sugary sweet voice I had never heard her use.

     "It sounds so. What is so urgent that you need to speak to the principal about?" The secretary responded in a sweet voice, just like Jess's fake one.

     "Ummmm... we are here... to complain about the level sixes dying off!" Jess ad libbed. "One of them was our good friend and we'd like to discuss how that happened with the principal."

     "Oh. Both the principal and I are very sorry for your loss. I'll send you in once he's done with the student he's speaking with currently." She said sincerely, giving a smile at the end. We just sat down in a group of chairs in the corner of the room and whispered to each other.

     "Daaaang, Jess. You're a good liar!" Tyler whispered.

     "Thanks, I guess? I don't know if being a good liar is necessarily a good thing either, but okay." Jess responded awkwardly.

     "So, what's our approach gonna be when we walk in there?" Kyle asked. "Are we gonna be like, 'whats really going on here?!' like in the TV shows or whatever?"

     "No. We need to slowly make him talk. Show him we have evidence about this 'job' or something and then make him tell us. We need someone good with conversing to do this, and no, not you, Jess. We don't need to trick him or lie to him." I planned out.

     "Good plan." Claudia said. "Only one problem. I don't think anyone here is good at conversation, or at least enough to get him to tell us this info."

     "This is where you'll start thinking I'm crazy." I started. "I think Will should talk to him." I said, getting stares from all of my friends like I had grown a third eye.

     "Why Will? He barely talks at all between us. No offence, pal." Kyle said, patting Will on the shoulder.

     "None taken." Will spoke up. "I see where you're coming from, Kale. You're thinking of using my facial recognition and body language detection to predict his level of comfort, that way he'll peacefully give us the information, and not think a thing of it." 

     "Exactly." I agreed, just as 'Next!' was called from the principal's office and we were called in to talk to him. We sat down in three comfy chairs, and then the other three in our group leaned against the walls or just stood. Will sat in the middle, visibly sweating and tapping his foot against the floor faster than a rabbit. 

     "Is there something I can do for you, or are you just going to waste my time?" The principal asked gruffly. 

     "I don't believe you are in a position to say something like that." Will blurted, but still remained monotone somehow.

     "Excuse me?" The principal asked, both shocked and offended, as he leaned forward.

      "I believe we have some very valuable information that might make you look very bad." Will said flatly.

      "And what would that be, some kind of violation of your First Amendment rights that is really just you whining?" 

      "No. We have proof of a certain partnership between the place you legally own, the AONT, and an illegal abandoned laboratory established for the sole purpose of synthesizing humans with neuropsionic abilities."

      "How do you know about the Anthropological Synthesization Facility?"

      "Is that what you call it? I call it a bunch of monsters creating humans, giving them powers, and then wiping their memories, just to send them off to the real world that they know nothing about. Now I want you to explain to me what this 'job' is that is creating this situation in the first place." 

     "I-I'm sorry, but you are not of the correct clearance level to hear that information."

     "Okay. That sounds good. Sounds pretty good. Well, Claudia, Tyler, guys. Let's get outta hear and tell all our friends about the Anthropological Synthesization Facility. They're bound to be curious about such and interesting topic." This seemed to get him to talk.

     "Fine! Fine. Fine. Just don't tell anyone, please. My reputation would be ruined. Our 'job' isn't really a job. It just has to do with 'The Dunes'. There's more information in my office. Let me go get it." But, his trip to the office was interrupted by the foundation rumbling from the blast of a bomb going off. Except three times more massive. We all headed for the door when the wall behind us exploded.