The Experimental Cosmos

22. The Test Of Our Life

We sit in the huge, overbearing examination hall for our first exam- Biology.

We are all arranged in 10 rows and almost 50 columns, stretching over such a long distance that I can't even see the end of the line if I turn and look behind.

Infront of each of us is a screen, on which we fill out our information. At exactly 9:00am, the test will begin, and then the screen will unlock and allow us to record and type our answers in it.

Almost every teacher in the arena is present here, keeping an eye on us, and in addition to that are the cameras that they can monitor fitted on every desk.

Every answer sheet will be sent to the Edumagine(that is, education and imagination) department of the Central for evaluation by certified and updated AI tech, and after the choosing ceremony, we will be given our results, that will help us determine our career path and options.

Results are declared after the Choosing so that they won't influence the Choice.

About 5 seats ahead of me in the row to my left I see LC, and about 2 seats behind me to my right is Mike.

The rest of us are scattered so far and wide that they aren't even visible from where I'm sitting.

A shrill bell rings over our heads as our screen light up and the test starts. I take a deep breath as I launch into my test, typing furiously into my machine.

Pros of living in the Reticence - I am used to studying hard despite drama, and I gave a pretty intellectual mind and impressive memory, so exams actually don't frighten me that much.

All around me people are staring intently at their screens. You'd think that with all this impressive tech students won't be able to cheat on exams, but that is never going to happen.

What one person has made the other can break, and though there are numerous safety protocols in place, some manage to break through them and extract the answers from the test program itself, or log in to another device.

Some, less fortunate or rather, less brilliant, go down trying.

Others use the age old method of finding the desk camera's blind spot and just asking the answers to their neighbours.

Exactly the way Mike is asking me the answer to Q14 right now.

Though I do find him extremely annoying, I have never been the one to shun people asking for answers in a test, I know no one in this hall is.

I scan my surroundings for any teacher and then, finding the exact angle needed, discreetly turn my screen to the right as he furiously types the answer and nods to me with a grateful smile once he is done.

I shrug at him and turn back to my screen, he has been doing this since we were kids due to our initials always throwing us together during tests.

Throughout the course of the exam, several monitors shrilly start beeping as someone's attempt to cheat fails, and we see one of the teachers drag the kid out, as they scold them viciously.

I am one of the few that finish the test early and after scanning it for mistakes, I submit it and exit the hall to go back to my dorm.

We have tests lined up daily these 2 weeks and I want to savour as much free time as I can get.

When I reach our gaping hole, I find Jay sitting on its edge, legs dangling over the edge.

Once I see that he hasn't noticed me yet, I creep up behind him and give him a gentle shove, but because he was so lost he loses his balance, and I grab his shoulder and pull him back.

As he falls back to the floor, he grabs my waist and pulls me down, and as I shoot out my free arm to break my fall, he grabs that wrist with his other hand, making me fall on him.

I give a quiet laugh as I make both of us sit up again, and Jay looks at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Have you ever gone down the slide double seat?" he asks.

It's an excellent question, but the only thing that pops into my mind is, "Have you?"

He full on grins at my response, and I cringe at how annoying that sounded.

Then he takes my hand and leads me to the start of the railing. He firmly holds a hand around my waist, and I snake my hand around his shoulders and neck, and then we grab the railing and jump.

A few breathtaking seconds later, we both land on the ground, completely thrilled.

I am still smiling like an idiot, my hands in his, when he suddenly jerks me towards himself. I stand on my tiptoes, almost involuntarily, as someone comes sliding down at breakneck speed and clicks almost a hundred pictures of us.

We both spring apart, and immediately assume a fighting stance, but my shock melts away to annoyance and amusement when I see that it is LC.

He waggles his eyebrows at Jay, who slaps the back of his head, and just then Kalani and Astha come down with Rudy, and soon we are all rolling on the ground, laughing.

Late that night we are all in the community hall, laughing and relaxing after hours of study and training, when suddenly the infamous trio enter and stride up to us, and Cherry swings her leg over our board game, landing her foot in the precise centre with a thud, as she says,

"Stop being so old. I challenge all of you losers to a game of the hot blooded young -

Nebula - Truth or Dare?"

The familiar question makes my blood race, as I smirk and answer - "Dare"

"Very well. Go over to the teachers table and announce that you have a crush on Mr. Andrew."

All around me my friends' mouths fall open, but I am having fun. Truth or dare is the one thing where my Reticence almost never shows, and Mr. Andrew's face is going be worth a million bucks.

I give Cherry a confident nod as I stride towards the teachers table. My heart wants to squeal with excitement, but I keep a calm face till I reach.

Then I say loudly, "Mr. Andrew, I have a crush on you!"

He spits out his drink, as everyone else around the table, including Mr. Hector roar with laughter.

Everyone here is used to these games in the last days of initiation.

Once he stops choking, I apologize to him and tell him it was a dare, then head back to my table.

Everyone looks impressed, and now it is my turn to ask.

"Truth or Dare, Bella?"

"Truth, flower, truth is always hotter and riskier than dare."

Oh hell, don't I know that.

"Well Bella, would you rather date Mike or LC?" I ask her with an evil smile.

She gives an amused laugh before she answers,

"LC"

LC jumps up on the table with a victory sign as everyone around us laughs and cheers, except for Mike, of course,but he too recovers after a second.

We all return to our dorms after a few more rounds, but before we can drift off to sleep, the speaker system crackles, its robotic voice informing us that we will be having our surprise weaponry test tomorrow.

For a moment, my heart leaps in my throat - I have always been afraid of the feeling of power I have when I am holding a weapon.

But then I realise, I have felt secure in my own strength a lot more lately, because it is the only reason me and my loved ones are still alive.

That night as I close my eyes, I know that tomorrow is going to be deadly.

And though I may bleed, I would never lose.

I would never break.