Chapter 61 #3
Before leaving, I had sent a message to Breno, Hiro, and Aish warning them about the mandrocina and the toxic water, and I hoped the other two had seen it as well.
I looked for them among the students and saw they were on the other side.
Aish wore black pants with a blue sweater dress over them.
Hiro wore the red clothes Zion had given him, but the jacket wouldn’t close over his chest, so he wore a hoodie underneath. He also carried a bow on his back.
When all the students arrived, the director called for our attention. He held a microphone, and above our heads, Vinturian drones flew over the area, recording every movement with their glass eyes.
“I want to welcome this year’s graduates. All of Jupiter is proud of you, and I feel honored to say that each person here is of great value and importance to the nations.”
He turned and picked up three vials from a table, one red, one blue, and one green.
“As you know, every year we make adjustments and change some aspects of the test. This year, we’re changing the scoring system.”
I looked at Breno and he looked back at me. Why did I have the feeling that something was about to get worse?
“We have 40 vials for 20 students, but each vial has a color: the red ones are worth 50 points, the blue ones are worth 30, and the green ones are worth 20. There will be 5 red, 15 blue, and 20 green. The minimum to pass the test is 50, and any points above that number will be counted toward the student’s final grade. ”
My head spun with frantic calculations, all of them pointing to failure. My plan was to grab a vial and run to the finish, but what if I grabbed a 20-point one? I’d have to look for a 30-point one, or two more 20s. I stared at Zion with my best expression of indignation.
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
“I couldn’t tell you.” And Zion, unfortunately, followed the rules.
Lionel continued explaining:
“You will be recorded 24 hours a day. If you need to take care of basic necessities, notify the camera by raising both hands above your head. If you want to quit, launch the red star that will be given to you on the way to the test, but remember that quitting results in disqualification.”
The red star is a smoke and light signal.
When launched into the sky, its reddish light is visible for miles, and a team waiting in a helicopter comes to rescue the student.
It was unusual technology that the Vinturians provided only for the test. There were rumors surrounding the red star; people speculated it might be a prototype for some kind of military weapon that Vinturis didn’t want to share with the world.
“Agreements and alliances can be made during the test, and any agreement made must be honored in front of the nations. If you promise one of your vials, it will be counted on the other student’s scoreboard.
Failure to fulfill any agreement results in disqualification.
Remember that when you make an agreement, you also tie your victory or defeat to the other person, so if one passes and the other doesn’t, both will be disqualified.
You can steal clothes and weapons from each other, but you cannot wield them against a classmate, under penalty of expulsion.
You cannot kill, under penalty of imprisonment and even death. Understood?”
We nodded. My fear was being caught by students who had formed alliances—they couldn’t kill, but injuries were common in the tests.
“May the Gods be with you! Fight for your place in the nation, honor your ancestors, face your future with courage, and bring glory to your nations!” Lionel struck his fist over his heart. “Stronger than the walls!”
“We endure!” we shouted, striking our fists against our chests.
“The tests are hereby declared open!”
Δ
As soon as the speech ended, we were directed to a military group that would search us for contraband food or weapons.
After the inspection, we were split into two groups to board the vehicles.
Nayra, the nurse, stood beside the metal staircase leading to the back of the truck.
When I stopped in front of her, she asked me to open my jacket and bare my right arm, then drew up the blue liquid in the syringe and injected it into my arm.
That was the power blocker—it would stay active in my bloodstream until the last day of the test. As I adjusted my jacket, she gave me a subtle smile and pointed to the stairs.
The vehicle was a truck with an open bed, with bench seats bolted along the inner walls. I sat among the students and waited until the last one settled in. Zion came through checking and adjusting everyone's seatbelt before sitting down beside me.
Crowds had gathered on the lawn outside, and two large screens were mounted on the inner face of the outer wall.
One was dark—probably the one that would broadcast footage of us—while the other displayed twenty frames.
Each showed a photo with a name and our heart rates.
Once the students were settled, they fired up the trucks' elemental-powered engines and the citizens applauded as the enormous city gate swung open and the vehicles rolled out.
With a pang of abandonment, I realized my friends were in the other vehicle.
Talking was forbidden during the trip, so the other students and I could only exchange anxious glances. Adele was there, dressed all in black with a ponytail pulled tight on top of her head. She seemed like the calmest person in the group.
After a few minutes, a man got our attention and held up a strip of red fabric.
He told us we'd be blindfolded while the truck traveled the entire circular area—the idea was to keep us from knowing where each student would be dropped off.
Zion was the one who blindfolded me, and afterward, he held my hand.
The vehicle reeked of burnt oil and combusting energy, shaking as it bounced over ruts in the dirt road.
My palm was sweating as I squeezed his hand. It had been five years since I'd been outside the walls, and now nervousness was eating away at my insides, turning my self-confidence to ash. The last time I was out here, I was a slave.
“You have nothing to fear, my sunshine,” I heard Zion say in my mind. Then he squeezed my hand gently. “It's just three exhausting days. Stay out of trouble and you'll get through it just fine.”
I squeezed his hand back. I wanted to look into his eyes—they always calmed me.
“When you took the test, did you manage to stay out of trouble?” I gripped the bench as the truck hit a pothole and shook me like a rag doll. Even in my mind, I could hear Zion laughing.
“No. In the last part of the test, I ran into a group of students desperate for vials and ended up in a fight.”
“And what happened?”
“I came out of the test with a black eye and a cut on my eyebrow. Serguei stitched me up with all the delicacy of a drunk butcher,” he replied, relaxing beside me.
That explained the thin scar above his left eye—the one I often caught myself staring at.
“And them?” I felt Zion holding back a laugh.
“If you ask Cauê, he can show you the X-ray of his fractured ribs. The other students didn't fare any better.”
“Show-off,” I huffed mentally.
“A man needs a touch of heroism to win over his female.”
“You already have me, Zion,” I grumbled back.
“Not entirely,” he teased. “And even so, I'm committed to winning you over every day.”