Delphinium is a wannabe engineer, but her dreams may not become a reality once she is chosen to participate in the Slate. Now she has to outsmart 32 other contestants with a little help from the sidelines.
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Countess Lilwen:
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Caphias Harlton (Frenzy):
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Marcade Lepidus (Risk):
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Pucelle Lovell (Anomaly):
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Juith Aguecheek (Vipra):
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I didn't wake up to Thasia shaking me. I awoke to a blinding light being shined on my face. I hissed and sat up slowly. My ear was throbbing painfully to my heartbeat, but that wasn't my top priority. As my eyes adjusted to the bright light, I noticed that Thasia was waking up as well.
"What the hell..." She whispered, her voice groggy.
"Good morning!" A chipper female voice that sounded oddly familiar cooed. "It is 4:00 this Monday, November 2nd, 2498 in Area 1, Sector 1. Today's event is Ability testing. Please prepare and be at the arena at 4:30."
As soon as the light shut off, Thasia and I were sent scrambling trying to get everything while being half blind. We stumbled out of our apartment twenty minutes later, still trying to pull on our jumpsuits.
When we made it down to the arena, we were doubled over, panting heavily. Thaliard looked down at us and tsked.
"Shameful, honestly." He hissed. "Plasma and Ion, you're supposed to be warriors, not pansy asses."
"No." I heaved, still trying to gain a steady heart rate. "We're engineers, not warriors. So excuse us if we're not as fit as you Lieutenant Colonel."
He seemed taken aback at my defensiveness, but I was too tired to care. Thasia, however, smiled at me. "Nice one." She mumbled under her breath.
"Thanks." I shot back as we stood up.
When 4:30 hit, the doors to the arena swung open and one of the men from yesterday appeared. He looked over the crowd with mild distaste before shouting, "CIRCUIT, MAGPIE, CLARITY, AND FRENZY! STEP FORWARD." I watched Ajax follow Myrna up to the front with the strange boy and a very arrogant looking girl.
"Of course they choose Mr. Thirty-One to represent the Blue team." Thasia snapped quietly to me. "I voted for Capital."
I nodded, not knowing who she was talking about. I noticed that Frenzy was staring at me and I sneered at him. He looked like he was chuckling, which made my glare harden.
"These people have been chosen as the leaders of each team. They will be watching and assessing you as you complete the obstacle course designed for each team. When you are allowed in, you will go to the start of your course. It will be marked with your team color. All members will be going at the same time with no head starts or handicaps. The last person from each team to finish last will be punished severely."
I gulped at the final statement and Thasia squeezed my hand reassuringly. I squeezed back. The man stepped out of the way and we made our way to our course. My hand slid out of Thasia's grasp and we went our separate ways.
I stood in between Phrynia and Taraia. "Good luck Delphi," Taraia whispered.
