EXCAVATOR: Tales from the Twelve Vessels

Chapter One: Singular

"For what is it to exist as a singular, one lone unit amongst the backdrop of the darkened skies? We as citizens cannot live without sacrifice. Equal sacrifice. When the citizens of the Jinsuo give up one hand to lift up our neighbor, we will all be held up by the support of one another. Through the sacrifice of ego to the Opulent, we will all thrive until the days the Jinsuo touches down to its next reincarnation."

> excerpt from the Compendium Barat, guidebook of the peoples Jinsuo

Question 45.

You find yourself on a verdant moon. Your excavation vessel has broken down and planetary interference has momentarily disrupted communications. There is a sudden shift in barometric pressure. Scanners indicate that there is a raw material that can be converted to fuel to jumpstart your system's organic repair, but it is half a rotation's walk away. What is your first course of action?

Meera blinked the spots out of her eyes. Staring at the bright display with full focus for the entire duration of the examination was beginning to strain. She shook the tension out of her head and read the question once more.

The moment her eyes left the final word, she opened up the answer prompt and began typing.

Answer: The first course of action would be to shelter in place. The drop in barometric pressure signals an incoming storm which will start while the journey to the raw material is being made. Standard excavation vessel models are made to withstand adverse weather conditions on up to four dozen climate varieties for weeks at a time. The verdancy of the planet implies strong enough roots systems that should prevent dangerous erosion. During this time the planetary positions will shift enough to reopen communication channels to Jinsuon main control. According to the Excavator's Lawbook (Section 8-A), raw material from unregistered planetary bodies should not be used without consultation of main control.

She pressed her index finger against the glowing "submit" prompt on the display immediately after typing the final words, shipping the answer off to be graded, and awaited eagerly for the next question.

But no question came. Instead, the display changed and a message appeared across its center: YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR EXAMINATION. PLEASE PROCEED TO THE APPROPRIATE KIOSK FOR GRADING.

Meera's heart beat a little heavier against her chest. She took a deep breath and turned around. Her eyelids involuntarily squeezed tight together as they were met with the light of the testing facility. The examination booth was pitch dark save for the assessment display.

She took a second to reorient herself to the rest of the room. It was a large, mostly empty space filled with a couple dozen darkened booths. At the far end of the room was a small flickering marquee, only visible when she craned her neck to see between the next line of booths. The sign was suspended midair, a sheer rectangle glowing green. She had to squint to read the directions, "ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR EXAMINATION, PROCEED TO THE GRADING ROOM ACROSS THE HALL."

She led herself out of the large space and into a hallway. The grading kiosks were in a nearby room accessible through thin, opaque sliding doors. There were only a handful there as opposed to the rows of booths in the examination room.

Meera approached the kiosk-a stout device just shorter than the average person with a small, inlaid screen and blinders on both sides. She took a deep breath as she read the prompt on the screen.

INPUT YOUR EXAMINATION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.

She'd almost forgotten about the badge that was printed for her when she first arrived an eternity ago. She pulled the fabric of her top away from her chest to get a better look at it and input the number.