362 The Agent exams (1/2)
She had been struggling with herself about what the right or wrong thing to do was, and the reason for this was Layla. At some point, she was hoping Layla would eventually return to the Pure base, where she was hoping she would have the answers to the many questions Erin faced while being at here. There were just things that didn't quite make sense to her.
She had taken note to not do anything serious and just comply for now while looking at what was happening to her surroundings. She found that other students had the same questions as her, and those that did and brought it up, or expressed there whish to leave Pure. Would be taken away and had come back a few days later no longer having those questions in thier minds.
It was a facade, they told everyone they were free to leave when they wanted, but when if they tried, they would be reeducated and always come back.
But ultimately, most people at Pure were like her. They had no place to go, and Pure had become their home, their safe place where they knew they could survive. It felt like they had a debt to be owed.
'If they are fighting for freedom and equality, why are they so intent on keeping us all inside, locked away. I'd rather be out there doing what I want in danger of others then stay here. At least that's my own decision.'
Erin did not feel the same way as the others. Now that she knew Layla had broken off communication with Pure, there must have been a reason for it.
'Did something happen to her?' This was where her dilemma kicked in. The only people that were allowed to leave the Pure base, where Agents.
Numbered agents were those who worked outside of the base. The others would only be called upon when a big operation was taking place. And with not knowing where she was or how to get out of the base, it seemed like becoming an agent was her only way of finding out what was happening on the outside.
Knowing that she was unable to get her way out through complaining or asking, she worked her hardest learning what she could from them.
The test had started, and right now she was sitting at a single desk in a room with eight other people, including Bart, who she had a tough time sparing with the other day.
The exam had started with a bunch of multiple-choice questions, there were answers she wanted to put down and the answers they wanted, but she continued on putting on her own facade of being obedient.
After that test, there was another, a recording was played. The recording had several conversations going on at once. After the recording was finished, questions would be asked about a specific discussion. It was hard as they needed to listen to all of the conversation going on at the same time, and only extract the useful information.
With everything complete, it seemed like the test was over. Erin thought she had done pretty well, as she was most of the time, the first one to finish out of the lot. She tried her hardest at each one of the tasks and the others watching noticed it too.
Inside the room, there was a female examiner, and watching at the back, where four high numbered teachers.
This includes James, number 15, then the other teachers, 16, 17, and 18. They too had noticed how determined and focused Erin looked while completing her tasks, and they saw this as hunger to go up in their society.
However, although she was determined to become a number, it wasn't for the reason they thought.
”Okay, so with that, the first part of the test is done. We will reveal your scores at the end of the test. If you could, please follow your teachers and me to the next room.”
They followed the examiner around the strange metallic base. She had yet to see a single window in the whole building, making it hard for her to tell where they were. Eventually, they entered a strange looking square room. The room was large in size but what was odd about it was the flooring in the room.
Around the edges of the room, the flooring was standard, but towards the centre, there were strange small holes in a square section of the floor. The square areas were one square meter in size.
”This is the next part of your exam.” The examiner said as she pressed a button on her remote control.
As soon as the button was pressed, from the holes behind her, flames had erupted into the air like little jets before quickly going back down. On each of the square pieces, the fire would erupt for a second before diminishing again. This wouldn't happen on all of the tiles at the same time. However, it seemed like the pattern of where and when the flames would erupt was random.
”The goal is to get to the other side of the room safely. All eight of you will be going at the same time, you are free to sabotage and hit the other person, as to stop them from crossing. Still, do bear in mind, you will have more important things to worry about.” As the female examiner said that, the tile directly behind her erupted into flames before going back down once again.
'This is crazy!' Erin thought, and it looked like the other students thought the same thing as they looked at each other.
If they were in the military academy, Erin wouldn't be worried so much. The flame from the tiles would have been painful, but with the doctor there using her ability, they would have been healed. But here, in the Pure base, they had no doctor that had a healing ability.
It was very rare for Pure members to even have an ability. All they had was a standard doctor, and at best, he could cool down the burns, but one would be covered in burn markings until they could leave this place.
Seeing the concerned look on the other's faces, the examiner felt like she needed to mention something. ”Do remember, you do not have to partake in the assessment. We still have your scores from the exams before. And just because you do take this, does not mean one will make it to the other side successfully.”
The other students started to look at each other until, eventually, one of them raised their hand. ”I'm sorry, but I can't do it… I would like to drop out of this part of the exam.” The student said.
”Very well.” The examiner replied.