"Kelras, we will go to medical to get your hand treated and then head to lunch," he told me, his voice still in his strict formal tone but sounding slightly more friendly.
Hearing the commander’s words that I would be joining the group for lunch, I felt relief surge through me. When he had requested I stay behind, I had feared I would be failed due to the injury on my palm preventing me from further testing. Walking slightly behind the commander, I followed him in silence to the medical clinic. It wasn't a long walk as the basic training camp where the exams where held was at the back of the campus and close to the medical clinic. It was no surprise to find my grandmother was already waiting for me when I arrived. I knew my grandfather would be among those watching the exams and would have no doubt informed her.
"Aristeia, sit on the side of the bed, " my grandmother said, waving me towards a bed covered in a light blue sheet. "Show me your palm." She opened her case as I held out my bandaged hand.
Watching as she undid the bandage, I winced as she pulled off the gauze that had stuck to my skin from the blood and cleaned the wound with more of the same clear liquid the lieutenant had used earlier. Then, she took a closer look at the skin, scowling as she did so.
"Sweetheart, this is going to sting slightly. I need to dress it properly with a wound cream to repair the skin cells. It will itch for a while, and you can't use this hand for the remainder of the day," she said, and gave me a reassuring look. "Don't look so worried, the physical portion is finished. You won't need your hand for the academic testing," she added, grabbing a small jar from her case. She pulled on a clean pair of gloves and began applying a thick paste to my palm.
Clenching my teeth, I breathed through my nose. Sting slightly was quite the understatement. After bandaging my hand with fresh gauze, my grandmother instructed me to make sure I didn't get it wet or try to use it. The cream would need time to heal my palm and wouldn't work properly if I kept reopening the wound.
“I will check it again tonight, to make sure it is healing properly. For now, I think it’s time you went to lunch,” my grandmother said, giving me a soft smile and a quick hug.
“Thank you, Grandma,” I murmured softly, cheeks flushing slightly as I saw the commander looking over at us from where he stood.
Fortunately, he made no comment, and we left the medical clinic in silence as he led me to where the rest of my group was gathered for lunch.
Chapter 16
Arriving at the dining hall, the commander directed me to join the group inside before leaving. It would seem the officers would be leaving the group to eat by themselves. Thinking that over for a moment, I decided it was likely another test, to see how the recruits acted when they thought themselves to be unobserved, as it wasn't common knowledge that the cadets would be assessed by more than just the officers leading their groups.
Walking silently over to the far side of the eating hall, I collected a tray and looked over the food. There was only a small selection available, so I chose a meat and pasta dish with a soft bread roll. Walking across the hall, I happen to walk past the table that the annoying boy was seated at. It would seem he wasn't the smartest kid, he actually stuck his foot out into the walkway in an attempt to trip me. Sighing in exasperation, I shook my head at him and stepped around his foot. How could anyone hoping to join the academy have so little maturity and intellect?
I spent the remainder of the break eating my lunch and doing a mental review of the academic subjects we would be tested on. I had been informed that the academic testing would begin with a basic education test similar to the one I had taken a few weeks previously, before going onto the academy’s own test. I was confident I could score well on the basic subjects, but no one in my family was willing to let me know what the other tests were comprised of.
At twelve fifty-five, I stood from the table and made my way outside. My actions drew the attention of the other recruits, who slowly started to follow me outside. Picking my place, I stood with my hands folded behind my back and watched from the corner of my eye as the other recruits began to form lines beside and behind me.
However, our smooth formation was disrupted when the annoying boy, who was really starting to get on my nerves. Pushed his way to the front with his new friends and decided to form a new front line. There were only four of them, so the line was left incomplete. Some of the surrounding recruits shifted nervously and one of the recruits in my line who I recognized as recruit Lee from the obstacle stepped hesitatingly forward. Seeing him glance in my direction as he did so, I gave a small shake of my head. He hesitated for a moment before returning to his place in our line. No one else moved after that and the front line remained empty aside from the four boys.
The commander and two lieutenants soon arrived, and I watched as he observed our lines. Our eyes met briefly, and he gave a small incline of his head. I knew he would have been watching, just as the other officials were watching. Of all those here, my exam would be under the most scrutiny. It was necessary to ensure I truly passed the exams on my own merit and was not simply given an easy pass due to family connections. Being related to high-ranking members of the fleet didn't mean I could just get a place without effort. If anything, I had to put in even more effort, because my results would reflect on my family.
"Recruits, the directive was to form lines. Why do I see four recruits out of line?" the commander asked with a harsh scowl. The four boys shifted, and to my surprise, the idiot stepped forward.
"Sir, we are in line. It is the other recruits who have failed to form up to our line," he said, saluting the commander.
Hearing the boy’s words, I struggled to keep my expression blank. How can he be in line when he just stepped out of it?
"Is that so? What is your name, Recruit?" the commander asked, staring coldly at the boy.
"Recruit Harris, sir. My brother is Captain Harris of the FSS Roan," he said, and I scowled slightly, unable to control my reaction to the boy’s words.
His brother was my uncle’s captain? Is that why he was so cocky and sure of himself? Did he think he was getting a free ride into the academy?
"I did not ask who your brother is, recruit. He is not the one taking this exam. Now, all of you, join the formation. In the future, once each line is formed, you form the next behind it, not in front," the commander said.
The boy took almost a full minute to comply as he shuffled his way to the back with his friends. He glared at me as he passed, and I met his eyes with my best attempt at mimicking my mother’s cold gaze. Honestly, I didn’t get what this boy's problem was, or why he seemed so fixated on me.
The commander waited for the boys to join the rear line and then turned on his heel. As he took his first step forward, I followed, matching his march from behind. The line slipped as we walked, but soon the front line fell into rhythm beside me and the lines behind followed suit.
Arriving at a large building, we were all split into three smaller groups. The right side went with Lt Barwick, the left with Lt Hartman, and the center group that I was in was with Commander O'Hare.
"Recruits, once we enter the testing room, you will each find a seat and wait for further instruction. Anyone who preemptively connects their implant will automatically fail," the commander said before leading our group into a large room.
There was a large screen and a podium at the front of the room and several rows of chairs, each row sitting slightly higher up than the previous. The chairs all had small desks with an embedded screen. I sat in the center of the front row and turned my attention to the front. The chair was comfortable and as I leaned back slightly, I could sense two possible connections from the chair. My implant began automatically running a quick scan of each connection with its security software. The first was a deep neural connection, which would mean the chairs operated similarly to a simulation helmet. There was also a connection for the screen on the desk in front of me.
Everyone took their seats slowly, and I turned my full attention to the c
ommander who was staring at his wrist display. His head jerked up, and he stared at me, looking a little surprised and even angry.
"Recruit Kelras! Did I not say that you were not to connect to the chair?" he snarled.
"Sir? I have not connected to the chair," I said, feeling a little shocked at the accusation.
"Then why is your chair showing that the connections have been accessed?" he demanded, glaring down at me.
"Sir, I have not connected my implant to the chair. However, my implant has scanned the connections and run security checks to ensure that the chair was safe. As per the security protocols installed on all M2V implants, this is an automatic function," I said, sitting stiff in my chair, having realized the chair must have registered the implants security scans.
The security protocol was coded into my implant. It would scan any nearby open connection or any data chips I installed for malicious or corrupted data. It was standard on all military implants, and not something I could myself disable.
"M2V? Recruit, how is it you came by an M2V implant?" he asked, expression easing a little, and I relaxed slightly in my chair.
"Sir, please direct your inquiry to the commandant. I am unsure if I am permitted to speak in regard to the matter," I told him.
I had been informed I wasn't to speak to anyone about my implant being corrupted. Every child had an implant from the age of five, and that my implant, which had been the standard implant given to me as a child, had been able to be corrupted was not something the Federation wanted publicly known. It could cause mass panic among the system's population. Many adults never bothered to upgrade from their first implant and there were billions of people with the very same implant. The Federation was currently investigating the data on my implant and the drone’s chip to find out how the corruption had happened.
I also knew my implant had not been to the only or first to be corrupted, from the few conversations I had overheard on the Scorpia. It was clear that there had been several people found in the Riv'ari system whose implants had been corrupted, thus prompting the Scorpia’s deployment to the system to investigate.
"Is that so? Recruit, lean forward. I will be scanning your implant to check the activity logs," he said, retrieving a scanning device from the podium.
Doing as instructed, I leaned forward and allowed him to wave the scanner over my implanted connection port. Allowing the connection, I watched as the commander read over my activity logs on his wrist display. The logs would only show what devices I had recently connected too, and little else at the current access level, which should be more than enough to prove I had not connected to the chair’s connections.
"Very well recruit, I can see you indeed did not connect directly. I will make a note regarding your implant’s protocols. You will need to wait a moment while I confirm if your use of the M2V will affect your testing. The remote monitoring during the simulation will raise an alert with your security software. This may result in you being unable to access the simulation," he told me, and I waited anxiously as he made a call on his datapad.
Several of the recruits looked over at me with interest but I tried my best to ignore them, keeping my attention on the commander. I could hear some of them whispering among themselves, and I clenched my teeth at hearing the loud snickering of one in particular.
"Recruit Kelras, it would seem we have a small issue. Your implant will not be compatible with the testing simulation. As I said, your security protocols will respond to the remote monitoring and will not allow your implant to connect to the software," the commander said, walking back over to me.
Staring up at him, I felt my heart sink and, swallowing hard, I did my best to keep my voice steady as I spoke. "Sir, is it still possible for me to be tested?"
"Yes. However, your implant will require an update to the protocols. Someone will be along shortly to program an access procedure into your security software which will allow you to override the security lockout manually. However, I advise you not to do so unless you know for certain the software you are accessing is safe."
"Yes sir, I understand," I said, my relief evident in my voice.
"The rest of you will connect your implants to the neural connection and enter the testing simulation. You will have three hours to complete your exams. Begin now," he said, looking out at the group as he spoke.
I glanced around, watching as the surrounding recruits leaned back in their chairs, closing their eyes as they entered the simulation. The commander was looking at his datapad and after taking a quick call, he walked back over to me.
"Kelras, let’s have a chat while we wait for the technical officer to arrive," he said, and I watched as his AI flew down, hovering over his shoulder.
Its camera was facing me, and I suspected this chat was being monitored by the examination officials. I nodded, staying silent, and waited for the commander to speak. His eyes briefly flicked down to his datapad before he looked back to me.
"Kelras, what are your thoughts on the recruits within your testing group?" he asked. I stiffened slightly and thought about his question carefully before answering.
"I have not personally interacted with my group on a friendly level. However, overall, there are a few who appear to be putting in more effort than others, and a handful appear to have not read the cadet handbook that is provided when applying to take the exam. The exam confirmation message clearly advises those attending to read it. The very first chapter speaks of the conduct expected of cadets," I replied, watching his reaction carefully to gauge if I had answered appropriately.
"What of recruit Harris? Tell me about your thoughts on him," he continued, and I furrowed my brow, why was he asking about that irritating boy?
I stared into his eyes, and he stared firmly back at me. Taking a deep breath, I took a moment to formulate my answer before speaking.
"Recruit Harris is cocky. He lacks discipline and appears to believe that his brother has guaranteed him a place in the academy. I do not believe someone of his personality is suited for officer training. The academy is a place of learning, though, so it is possible the faults in his behavior can be corrected with training, should he pass the examinations," I said, doing my best to keep my personal feelings regarding the irritating boy out of my answer.
"And how would you suggest we correct this behavior?"
"A strict commander and a reality check, sir. He would need to be taught that he is not the best and that there will always be someone better."
"Your conclusion may have some merit," he said, and I nodded, trying to contain my grimace at the thought of the boy actually managing to join the academy.
"Sir, what program has recruit Harris applied for?" I asked, not liking the look on the commander’s face. Seeing the glint in his eyes at my query, I had a strange feeling I knew which program it might be.
"Pilot training, Kelras," he said, his lips twitching slightly, as I let a small involuntary moan of annoyance slip from my lips.
Seeing movement from the corner of my eye, I looked up to see a young dark-haired man walking towards us with a drone flying at his side. Seeing my diverted attention, the commander turned to look at the approaching man.
"Commander O'Hare, sir," he said, saluting the commander, then glancing at me. "Is this the recruit with the M2V?"
"It is. PO Burkly this is Recruit Kelras," the commander said, and PO Burke looked at me with a curious expression and nodded.
"I'm going to need you to give me full access to your implant. I will be adding a security override to the M2V security software. Once you finished with the exam, I will remove the override," he said, moving towards me with a device that had a long cable that would need to be physically connected to my implant.
"Won't I need the override in place for my classes that use monitored simulations?" I asked, looking up at the petty officer as he laughed mockingly in response to my question.
"Recruit, out of the thousands of recruits being tested this year, only three hundred and f
orty-eight will gain a place in the academy. The chances of you getting in are limited. I would rather not waste my time having to track you down when you have failed. It will be easier for me to just remove the overrides after your test," he said, and I stared up at him, feeling angry at his assumption that I would fail.
Forcing myself to relax, I didn't give the PO a response and simply allowed him to access my implant. Once he was finished, I immediately connected to the exam simulation, ignoring the two men who were standing before me.
Chapter 17
The exam room looked the same as the one I took my basic education exam in. The subjects were all the same to start off and I breezed through them, only slowing when I reached the one for chemistry. I hated the subject, it had always been one I found difficult. I did my best, but I knew I wouldn't score well. I had expressed my concern about poor scores in chemistry to my uncle, but he had assured me it wasn't an issue, as chemistry wasn't a subject I’d need for the piloting program.
After the core subjects there was the psychology exam, where they ran me through various scenarios that tested my reactions in different situations. In the first, I found myself in a small room, water pooling at my feet and rising fast. There were a series of puzzles I had to complete, and each puzzle would unlock a platform that would bring me above the water level. The longer I took, the higher the water rose, and the higher I climbed, the harder the puzzles got.
I didn't make it to the top, I only managed fifteen levels before the water rose too high and I was unable to continue. I had done my best not to panic, but the simulation had been extremely realistic. I felt the cold water against my skin, my body becoming chilled and my hands shaking from the cold as I tried to complete the puzzles.
Then there was a scenario where I found myself in a destroyed assault cruiser and needed to choose who among the crew would board the escape shuttles. The choice had been extremely difficult, as it had placed me in the role of captain, with only enough intact shuttles for all but twenty crew. In the end, I decided to stay onboard and made the heart rendering request for volunteers to remain, not wishing to be the one to choose who among my crew would die, even if it was merely a simulated one.
Striving for the stars (The Kelras Chronicles Book 1) Page 12