Chapter 36
We are all surprise to see Professor Nylon Watts, the Power Control class professor in our Basic Defence Combat training centre. We’ve been transferred in a high technology facility, complete with all you can name replica-weapons and protectors – from head to toe – after two months of training in the pond side. Along with Professor Watts are familiar faces, two I wish never existed – Nympha, Sire Alexander, Amber, Edward and a Kent I’ve never seen before.
Footsteps stomp the matted floors, heavy and rushing. It’s Professor Theodore Paige, dress in an all-black training suit. “Where are the winners of the Egg Protection Hunt task?” asks Professor Paige in his normal hissing voice.
The four of us stand slowly, unsure of what to do. “Mr Hackberry, stand up too.” He points at Sirius and he immediately obeys. “Because of the recent events,” he pauses and his snake eyes suddenly focus on me. He must be talking about my near drowning incident, all credits goes to Stephanie of course she’s a devil in disguise. “You will fight Professor Watts’s students in a simulation room as a test. It will be a fight between Sapius and the other districts. Both parties need to show what they’ve learned from months of training with us –Controlling and defending.”
“The winning class will have the privilege of two perfect quizzes and a day off from excessive training next meeting. The losing class on the other hand will receive a fifty point deduction on their final exam and needs to attend a supplementary training class.” Informs Professor Watts in a tone full of confidence.
This is bigger than our last task, and I don’t want to risk the chance of winning. Not again. “Can we change teammates?” I ask sounding desperate as I observe each of Professor Watts’s students.
The two Professors exchange look. “Two teammates only. We have to be fair with your opponents. They didn’t ask for substitutes.” Professor Paige answers.
I nod and say without consulting my teammates, “I want Lucia Varguez and Belle Wicker out.” Surprisingly, none of them disagree. Mathieu and Shane were picked by Sirius in place of the two girls I just kicked from the team.
They let us stay outside a room marked ‘VR Simulation Room 1’ as they went inside without instructions.
“Never thought you’re that concerned for your friends.” Compliments Edward. He stands right next to me, away from other students, apparently almost everyone here doesn’t like me.
“What?” I ask, confuse.
“You didn’t want them to get hurt, that’s why you kicked them out from your team, am I right?” he asks, this time he’s facing the wall writing something in a scrap paper. I notice he has the habit of writing notes on small papers.
I never thought it that way. But his perspective is a lot nicer than my real reason so I nod in confirmation instead. I see Terence shakes his head, disagreeing in silence knowing my selfish reasons. We still haven’t talk. I guess we will never talk again after that incident.
A young woman, probably in her twenties opens the door and tells us to come in and stand on each open door we’ll see. Upon entering the room, I see how vague and high technology it is. Though ‘VR’ stands for Virtual Reality, everything inside doesn’t seem real to me. The whole room has honeycomb designs with the colour of nothing else but blue-green and black – from floorboards to ceilings. There are ten tunnel like open doors with our names encoded at the top, so just like what the young woman said, we stand facing the door we are assigned to. “This is nothing like your Practical Exam. Everything will be real. You may now enter.” Professor Paige’s voice hisses slowly.
