August 25, 2152
Like every morning this week, Emory woke up even earlier than usual. She had been practicing her shield skills in secret, not because she was trying to hide it from her friends but because she had energy to burn. It was a strange feeling considering she had already increased the intensity of all her workouts several times, finding ways to limit herself to only using one specific technique or approach to increase her creativity and understanding of the particular method. Yet ever since she had laid her eyes on the Arcane spellbook and accepted her past, Emory felt like she could grow in strength forever. Limits seemed to be just markers to check her progress.
That's not to say her friends weren't growing as well, just not quite at the pace of Emory herself. Still, they had all made remarkable progress in a short period. Thursday, the night before the assessment, several teachers came to watch this group of Martian kids train, perhaps to take training tips back to their own classrooms. The seven students, each with a total level of five or six, stood among the zenith of their peers.
Morning workout went well as usual, and as the girls were getting changed before breakfast, Sam asked Emory, "So, are you finally prepared for the test today? You've really stepped it up a notch since they made the announcement."
"I'm as prepared as I can be," Emory sighed, shaking her large red curls, "I've never worried about a test so much in my life. It's a strange feeling." They finished getting ready and made their way to the cafeteria to find the boys had already gotten them a table and were chatting away.
Gatrie called Sam as the girls arrived with their food, "Sam, is your mom coming up this weekend? I hope she brings you some goodies."
"Doesn't she always?" Sam laughed, "That woman is a walking bake sale. But who says I'm going to share any with you?"
"Why is your mom coming here this weekend? Did I miss a bulletin or something?" Emory questioned.
"It's Parent's Weekend," Innes explained, "They made some announcements about it, but we didn't want to bring up a sensitive issue with some people." He swiftly elbowed Gatrie in the ribs.
Gwen chuckled, "Because three of us don't have or are avoiding our families? Please, I think the three of us are more than comfortable with the situation. At least I am."
"Me too," Emory smiled, "I guess it's just a normal weekend for me."
"Even though I didn't expect to see Viktor, I definitely don't want to see him now," Tethys scrunched up her face.
"Emory, would you come meet my family then since you're free?" Sam inquired bashfully, "They're really nice and I'm sure I'll be talking about you most of the time anyway."
Emory looked a little stunned, "You want me to meet your family? Aren't they high ranked Council people?"
"No, no, my aunt is the person you're talking about," Sam giggled, "She won't be there. Only my mom and dad live on Mars. I doubt people are coming from Earth for Parent's Weekend."
"You better be right about that. The last people I accidentally want to run into while I'm out are my parents," Gwen joked.
Emory blushed, "I guess if you want me to meet your parents, I could do that. I'm not special though."
"Not special?" Innes almost choked on his food, "You've mastered the Open Fist style in less than three weeks. You're no less than a prodigy."
"And look at how much more magik you can control than when you started. I don't know what the other Aurelias clan's people were like, but you're getting so strong, I swear I can feel the magik coming off you sometimes," Tana pointed at Emory with a waffle folded in half. Emory smiled and looked down at her food; she had never had friends before, at least not like this. Sure, they had only known each other for a few weeks, but between all the extra training they did, classes they had together, and most mealtimes, they had learned a lot about each other in a short amount of time. When they finished breakfast, they wished each other good luck and went to their classes.
The walk to the martial arts hall was a silent one, even though the students filled the halls. Today there was no idle banter or light conversation among any of the students. It was strange for a building filled with thousands of young adults; however, a good portion of them believed, while they couldn't compare with Emory and her friends, that they were among the top in their class, a continued misunderstanding of probabilities and statistics by humanity. Just before the entrance, Emory stopped Gwen, Innes, and Sam. "Let's take down this assessment, whatever it is," Emory encouraged them.
"Don't get in your head," Gwen joked, "Or I just might beat you for the top student."
"Everyone, don't forget to breathe. You can't do anything if you're out of air," Innes recommended them all.
"Screw that," Sam cheered, "Let's kick butt!" They all laughed as they strolled into the holodeck. Though the structure of the room remained the same, the once empty interior was now filled with five hundred large egg-shaped capsules, each about five feet in diameter. The capsules had taken the place of the different subsections that used to litter the room and displayed a name in holographic letters above the top. It was clear that each student had been assigned a specific pod, though for what reason had yet to be determined. Ignorant of what the pods were or how they worked, kids chose to line up in front of their egg until the entire class had made their way in. Still, with five hundred or so people in the hall, one could hardly hear a peep. Boyle made her way to the stage as usual and began, "Good morning. As you all know, today we will be taking a special assessment. In front of each of you is the latest in virtual reality, a miniature version of the holodeck you have used at school this year. Jask will proctor three tests and score you according to how you do. Once all the exams from all classes have been completed, the results will be tabulated, and the finalists will be alerted. If you scored high enough, you will receive an email at midnight tonight. Good luck to all of you!"
The pods opened up across the hall to reveal a thin shell with ultra-reflective surfaces covering the inside and a single small, raised platform in the middle. Emory took a deep breath and turned to Sam a few pods down the row. Sam looked back at Emory, smiled, and flashed a quick thumbs up before stepping into the pod. After a big gulp, Emory also stepped onto the platform. A few moments later the egg closed back up around her, making the room pitch black. This didn't last, though, as Emory soon found herself in an endless empty space devoid of anything except a floating white orb.
"Emory Reiss, is that correct?" Jask asked robotically, "You will be taking a three-part assessment today. Between each portion, a rest period of five minutes will be given. Before each section, I will explain it thoroughly and answer questions you may have. Finally, a five second countdown will sound before the test begins. Do you have any questions before we proceed?"
"Are these events timed?" Emory replied as she stretched.
"Some of the events may be timed," Jask elaborated, "However, in the event of a tie, completion time is one of the tiebreakers used."
Emory cracked her knuckles, "Take me to part one, Jask." The empty white room flickered a few times before transforming into a stadium with Emory in the center. She was at one end of what appeared to be an obstacle course of sorts. Each hurdle was slightly more difficult than the last and featured an array of challenges like slippery surfaces, moving platforms, and automated defenses. From end to end, the course was roughly six hundred fifty feet long and ranged from ground level to twenty feet in the air. Emory took a deep breath and wrapped her body in Arcane magik while the little orb floated closer to her.
Jask explained, "An obstacle course lies before you. The task is simple: finish the course. Do you have any questions?"
"Is the course longer than it appears?" Emory offered as she stretched one last time, "Or is this the whole length?"
"What you can see is the entirety of the test," Jask answered.
"Begin the test then," Emory ordered. A beep sounded, and a countdown appeared in front of Emory. When the clock reached zero, Emory sprinted forward with her full force. Each section was about fifty feet in length, leaving thirteen distinct zones for Emory to clear. She bolted across the first, a series of rolling logs, in a matter of moments, followed by a similar performance at the next three events. By the time she had reached the seventh challenge, Emory had only taken two minutes and fifteen seconds, though she didn't know if that was fast or slow comparatively. When she made it to the tenth event, rapidly, randomly spinning dummies, her pace had slowed significantly with the timer showing four minutes and forty seconds. But she pushed on and successfully made it to the last event, a single leap across a forty-five-foot-wide chasm. "Now I see why the objective isn't timed," Emory thought as she took a couple steps back to get a running start, "The pole climb up doesn't leave much room to build up speed. This probably separates good from great." She jolted forward and lunged her body into the air, propelled by a steady stream of white magik. Luckily a shell covered the back of the final platform since Emory rolled into it as she flew across. The room suddenly flashed before returning to a plain white room again while Emory picked herself off the floor.
"Congratulations!" Jask cheered, "You completed all thirteen sections of the course. There will now be a five-minute rest period. Do you have any questions?"
Emory huffed, "Can you tell me how well I did compared to others who have completed the exam?"
"You are in the top 100%," Jask chirped, "Error. Comparison unable to complete. Please enjoy your remaining rest period." At first, Emory didn't understand what had happened to Jask, but when she repeated the words back in her head, a big grin grew on her face. Since the next exam was unknown, she thought it would be best to meditate. Recently, due to some tips she had read from the spellbook, she spun the magik around and moved it throughout her body when she was focusing. Not only did this seem to allow her to grow her control faster, but it also seemed to have a minor restorative effect on her body. Even if she cloaked her whole body in magik and used it to move her body, the muscles had to be durable enough to cushion her from the superhuman feats. Most importantly, energetic bodies naturally harnessed magik easier. What Emory didn't know was, by channeling magik more thoroughly, she had tapped into her ancestral power deeper than those before her. Her Fae heritage allowed her exponentially greater control of magik, using each bit of energy to its fullest, while her humanity allowed her to draw in that magik faster than any Fae would ever be able to do. When the timer rang out in the empty room, Emory opened her eyes to gaze upon a charred battlefield with simulated explosions going off in the distance. About fifteen feet away, three soldiers were huddled against the remains of a bunker wall, each of them with a sizable injury.
"This is the second part of the assessment," Jask explained, "The troops before you have critical intelligence on the enemy on a portable device. However, the enemy is approaching and will soon be upon them. The objective is to deliver the information to the extraction point one mile south. As part of this challenge, you may request one weapon or piece of armor to use."
Emory wondered aloud, "Since the information is separate from the soldiers and the objective is just to deliver the information, is it necessary to save them without losing points?"
"Though bringing the troops back with you to the extraction point is advisable for their safety," Jask clarified, "It is not essential to bring them with you."
"Can you tell me where the enemy troops are or will be approaching from?" Emory asked.
"In this scenario, enemy forces originally started from the north," Jask replied, "Though once you start the test, you may be able to find more accurate information from the soldiers."
Magik enveloped Emory's body as she stated, "Let's do this then. Jask, a pair of gauntlets please" A virtual countdown began while more explosions sounded in the distance but closer than before. As soon as the countdown concluded, the three soldiers noticed Emory and called out to her. By the pins on their shirts, she could tell there was a lieutenant, sergeant, and private.
The lieutenant yelled, "Get out of the open, soldier! The Mantoan will spot you out there!" Emory hustled over to the soldiers and took a moment to analyze their wounds. The lieutenant looked the least damaged, with only visible shrapnel cuts while the private looked the worst, with several deep cuts on the back of his left leg. Somewhere in between, the sergeant was missing an arm up to the elbow though it had been cauterized in the field.
"Are you the transport we requested for the package?" the sergeant coughed, "We don't have much time before they surround us."
"Boys, grab your gear and get ready to move out. I'm here for you and the information. No one's dying on my watch today," Emory ordered firmly to the surprise of the troops.
"Ma'am, with all respect, take the information and leave," the lieutenant argued, "We're too banged up not to slow you down, and that information needs to get to central command."
Emory eyes lit up bright blue, glowing like a flashlight, as she screamed, "Did I stutter, Lieutenant? Grab your stuff and let's move! I will deal with the Mantoan that approach us. Is that clear?" To hear such a young person command with such intensity was a shock to the troops who made their way to their feet.
"Yes, ma'am!" the three barked, "We can leave right away." The foursome made their way to some brush that remained to try to remain in cover. They had made it about a quarter mile when two Mantoan showed up from the south.
Emory motioned with her hand and whispered, "Stay here. I'll deal with the Mantoan." Before they could object, a red flash bolted towards the enemies almost too fast for the eyes to follow. Then a glowing karate chop cut cleanly through one of the enemy's arms at the shoulder without any time to react followed by a flat-footed kick that knocked the creature's head completely off. When Emory paused for a moment, the sight of her arm and lower leg covered in green blood was something to behold. The other Mantoan froze from fear momentarily, a reaction rather uncommon from the Mantoan, before slowly extending the attached blade from its forearm. It swung horizontally to try to cut Emory, but she launched a knife hand from below and snapped the blade right off its arm, allowing blood to pour out of the open wound. Afterwards, she recoiled both arms and struck its chest with a double palm chest shove, except her hands tore through its exoskeleton like a hot knife through butter. Finally, she rubbed her arms in the dirt to clean away some of the blood and returned to the troops.
"Thank you, ma'am," the private coughed, "You showed them our might." Emory led the group through the shrubbery for another half mile without any more interruptions when they came upon an open valley. In the meadow stood five Mantoan, and the one in the middle looked slightly darker and bigger than the rest.
The sergeant murmured, "The rendezvous point is just past the enemy. Please, ma'am, allow us to provide a distraction for you. You can't take them all on like last time."
"Soldier, I said no one was dying today," Emory shook her head, "I will defeat them just as I did the others. Just give me a moment to prepare." She sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and focused on drawing in more magik. After thirty seconds, her body began to glow with all the power she had amassed. Slowly, she opened her eyes, stood up, and casually strolled out of their hiding spot. The Mantoan hissed and summoned their hidden blades. Emory surveyed the terrifying scene: five Mantoan, each seven feet tall, took a fighting pose with their hands retracted and replaced by large two-sided organic blades. As an added fright, the middle one's blades were slightly serrated to tear chunks instead of cleanly. Yet the ginger girl stood unafraid as they crept closer and began forming balls of Arcane magik in her forward-facing outstretched palms. Emory smirked, "I bet you didn't see this coming." Suddenly, dual beams exploded from the balls and cut through the outer four with a single sweep of her hands. However, when the beams hit the remaining enemy, an intense cracking sound screeched through the air. Seeing that this wasn't a strong enough blow, she quickly channeled the magik into small blades around her hands and dashed forward. Mantoan, like humans, had exploitable joints, so when she swung out her knife hand chops, she had aimed for the wrist. It pierced through but not deep enough to sever it entirely. Using the moment as an opportunity, the Mantoan swung down its free sword hand toward Emory. She saw it coming, though, and used a knife hand chop to parry the sword. When the two connected, Emory's strike was clearly stronger, just not by enough to quickly subdue her opponent. So, she hopped up and, using the Mantoan's chest as a springboard, propelled herself backwards with one of her hands still lodged in the enemy's wrist. A loud pop rang out as the sword was ripped from the body and shot across the field.
Emory grinned and motioned to her wounded foe, "Let's finish this." The mantis hissed and charged towards Emory faster than before. It used its other hand to stabilize the sword hand and attempted to stab through the girl like a spear. However, the ginger genius had channeled her magik into her lower body and leaped forward at the last moment. This simple action would turn out to be the Mantoan's downfall. Combining the force of the enemy's charge with her sudden propulsion in the opposite direction, Emory created a force multiplier for her own spear hand jab to the creature's throat. Caught off guard, it couldn't react in time as Emory's hand pierced straight through its neck. A wave pulsed off the hand to finish severing the head from the body. After she verified all the enemies were dead, the young warrior motioned for the troops to join her.
"That was impressive, ma'am," the lieutenant commended her, "I didn't believe you were strong enough to defeat them all."
Emory laughed, "Honestly, I was a little nervous myself. Let's hurry to the extraction point." Since nothing stood between the four and their goal now, they quickly crossed the last quarter mile. A single helicopter was waiting for them, and the small crew gave a surprised greeting as they approached.
"We didn't expect all of you to make it," one crew member stated in shock, "Mantoan were crawling all over the place."
"We ran into a few, but luckily, we had a strong escort," the sergeant motioned to Emory. She helped the others onto the helicopter before jumping on herself. It had just started to take off when everything flashed a few times, and then Emory found herself in the white waiting room again. Relief washed over the red-haired young woman as her legs gave way and she plopped to the floor. A familiar orb buzzed over to Emory and lit up.
Jask congratulated, "Good job on passing the second test. While points will vary between participants due to the multiple approaches that can be taken, you should know that you will be awarded bonus points for bringing all three soldiers alive to the rendezvous point. Your final test will begin after your rest period has finished." Emory nodded and began meditating right away to recover her power. The beam attack she had used to cut down the Mantoan was indeed powerful but also incredibly taxing on her as well. To make sure it would do the job, Emory had consumed half of her strength in the single six-second blitz. Though she wouldn't recover completely in five minutes, she would be back to fighting level. Shortly before the timer finished, Jask announced, "Your final test has been modified. Please stand by."
The room phased again, but this time, Emory found herself on the floor of the school dojo though it was completely empty. In fact, the room was completely bare save for a small table with a pair of silver and gold gauntlets. She stood up and went over to inspect them when the far door at the back of the hall creaked open. The student immediately recognized her teacher sauntering out of the open doorway and yelled, "Serah Boyle, is that really your or are you part of the simulation?"