Prison cell, part...XVII?
I didn't bother to care anymore. The uniformed lady hadn't returned, and the girly voice from the camera stayed silent. My hope had burned with time, and the only option seemed to be dying of thirst. I've made peace with that decision, although I would have loved to know the secrets of this world.
Who was I?
Where did I come from?
And where was I now?
A thousand questions left unanswered.
A short life that started in a broken pod somewhere in the ruins and ended in a prison cell.
It wasn't fair, but justice didn't seem to be a part of this world.
It was only a matter of time before my body fell over and my mind blacked out.
And yet, anger stayed away from my heart.
At least I was dying with serenity.
Then the unfathomable happened.
The door slid open.
Two soldiers marched in and dragged me up. I tried to look at their faces but they were shielded with a visor. The symbol of an eye embedded into the face-hugging shield. Looked freaky, but after an eternity in the cell, I even took that. It was certainly more creative than the cold steel walls that pestered my view.
"I'm glad you're still alive."
Another familiar female voice, but this one didn't come from the camera. The iron lady joined my cell. On her lips half a smile. It looked almost welcoming.
Almost.
"You're one tenacious bastard."
"I like to stay alive."
"If you serve the greater good, you might just achieve that."
She pointed her gloved finger toward the opened cell door.
The soldiers pushed me through the corridor, right into the nearest lift. The lady commanded the touch display and made the elevator go down.
Same old on that front.
"What now?" I said, not expecting any answer.
To my surprise, she replied.
"You're taking part in our assessment test to show us which role you can take in our society."
"Assessment?"
"Do you know what a job interview is?"
"I guess."
"It's similar to that—only more interactive."
She stretched the 'interactive' part and cranked up a cold smile. I didn't mind. Anything to get me out of my steel box. The doors lifted again and the soldiers ushered me into another steel-framed chamber, the size of a studio. Seriously, this place must have been built by iron freaks.
At least there was enough leeway for my limbs.
I stretched them and embraced my new space.
The iron lady spoke behind my back.
"I encourage you to do your best in the upcoming hour. If you don't prove your worth, we're forced to degrade you to the digger rank."
"What do I have to do?"
"She will tell you everything. I'd like to wish you good luck, but that's not going to help you. Only your sense of survival will."
Before my lips could form another question, the gate shut behind my back and disconnected me from the lady and her armored men. Here I was again, alone in a chamber, facing the unknown.
"What now?"
My eyes spotted the camera on the ceiling. It was satisfying to see they still stalked me. At least my abductors stayed consistent.
"I'm so glad you didn't collapse in your cell."
The girl's voice returned. I was almost looking forward talking to her.
My head rotated back to the camera.
"Hey, I thought you left me."
"No way."
I looked at the camera's lens and waved.
"Are you sitting in some kind of surveillance studio where you enjoy seeing me suffer?"
"No, I'm actually standing right next to you."
Sounded like a joke.
"Can't see you."
"But I'm right here."
I craned my neck around and noticed a girl, half my height, standing next to me.
She wore a similar uniform like the stern lady, as well as a basket cap above her pink ponytail. The military design contrasted her cute appearance. A bazooka with bunny stickers would have complemented her style.
And now she saluted me.
"Hello recruit. Let me introduce myself—I'm Konforma, the official virtual assistant of our glorious Bulwark Cluster. My current mission is to evaluate your position within our community. I'm going to guide you through a series of challenges that determine your worth. Time is a precious resource, so let's stop wasting it. Let's start right now."
She clapped her little hands.
Challenges? Cluster? Bulwark?
She was throwing around one keyword after another.
"What are you?"
"As I just told you, I'm an assistant."
"To whom?"
She ignored my question.
"The time of evaluation starts now. I suggest to use every minute wisely. Because if you fail your assessment, you will—"
"—be degraded to the digger rank," I said.
She giggled.
"Yay. You're finally listening to my words."
"The prospect of being degraded to some kind of dreadfully sounding digger rank spurns my interest."
"That's the right attitude. To thrive in our community, you must be aware of your role and responsibilities."
She pointed toward the heavily-fortified door that slid sideways.
"Please enter the first cube."
I traversed the doorframe and found myself in an open hall filled with obstacles. Low walls, corridors, dogging panels, rubble, low ropes, a balancing bridge, and even an apex ladder caught my sight.
The little girl, Konforma, appeared next to my left leg.
"Please start from the launch position and follow the arrows on the ground. Try to finish the obstacle course as fast as possible. Every second you waste will be noted in the assessment."
"No pressure."
"You'll manage. Now go."
I walked toward the start position and boosted. Oriented myself after the arrow pointers on the ground and mounted the low walls first. Not even a challenge. My boots connected to the ground on the other side and took me to the stepping stones. I leaped from one to another, crawled through a tunnel block, climbed up the low rope and jumped down the ditches. Although sweat dropped from my head, I enjoyed the activity. It was so much better than rotting in the cell.
Finally I got to use my body.
The little girl ran next to the course and watched my progress.
"Don't slow down. Push those dangling sausages under your torso."
Speaking of sausages, my stomach still roared. I wondered whether they'd give me something to eat and drink after this course. Probably not if I failed, so I focused on the next obstacles. The balancing bridge demanded the most attention, as it was placed few meters above the ground. Still, my balance was excellent, and I mastered the next object just as fast.
"Keep running. You're slowing down."
"No, I'm not. I'm on a roll."
I shot through the window frames, darted toward the apex ladder, blasted it up and down and dashed across.
It was as if I walked through the air.
As if gravity didn't apply to me.
The finishing line crossed my vision.
"And stoppppp."
The timer flickered over the girl's head.
"Two minutes and thirty-three seconds."
I inhaled deeply but didn't grasp.
"Is that a good result?"
"I'm not telling."
"Come on. I deserve to know my score."
"No, you don't have that right. Yet."
She waved me over.
"Please move toward the next room."
I didn't want to waste anymore of my assessment time, so I followed up on the girl and entered the new hall.
A little surprise awaited me.