The story so far:
---- Aija is a Volunteer at the Pristine School at Innermost. She works along with Zuri and Ze, who are her friends. Aija witnesses a strange event one night – light emanating from Rez's body. The kidnapper is after her soul, next, but he leaves her alive and goes away. Another man finds her, he wants to take her somewhere else - Aija though wary of him agrees. Aija learns of the existence of the aliens – the Ytai. Also, about the R'ies and H'eon, Harvesting and Àvo from Etrie. Etrie tells her that the man, who Harvested Rez (Thieron), will now go after her. He tells her that the spy/kidnapper's name is Luka. Etrie asks her to work along with him. Aija agrees to work along with Etrie on Harvest Stopping Missions.
---- Thieron and Nala check out a new target, and realize that Etrie's team was trailing the same target.
---- Goldstar preps for the Transfer to the South Land. Goldstar and the Transfers are attacked by the Savages and Creatures in the Open. They are saved by the Gale squad of the Open. Goldstar is terribly hurt and he is told that his wound will definitely scar. They set out to the South Land.
---- They drop the Transfers at the South Land. When Gold asks Iyler to marry him one day she doesn't respond. Goldstar meets Princess Ruyanir of the Zayr. He is later informed that the Research Centre was attacked.
---- Xan is a student at the Pristine School. He attends Cello classes at the same academy as his best friend Vaughn. Xan is preparing for the mandatory Eligibility Test that he must take once he turns sixteen.
---- Xan has a small party on his birthday.
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****15.3 - Xan****
Monday
Xan looked at himself in the mirror. He was a tall and lanky sixteen-year-old boy.
He brushed his straight, black hair and set it neatly. He wore black jeans and a formal full-arm blue shirt and looked at himself in the mirror again before heading out of his room.
The Eligibility Assessment test was compulsory for all sixteen-year-olds. It tested their aptitude, and it was where one chose where they wanted to volunteer. Most kids chose to volunteer at a place based on the career they wanted to pursue. If one did poorly on the test, then they weren't given the volunteering job of their choice. The Academic Society chose their jobs, and if one did terribly, their volunteering jobs could involve physical work like farming. One had to do well on the test to prove that they were worthy of the career they wanted to pursue.
And, the medicine was the first and last medicine administration given to everyone. It was to protect them from the Plague, the possible exposure to the biochemical contamination, and a whole lot of other things Xan hadn't bothered to learn. He knew it was compulsory, and everyone received it once they turned sixteen.
Royd and Eun wished him well for the test over Scroll.
When it was time to leave, the twins wished him and headed out for school. Vaughn came over before school, as well.
"May the whole world's luck be upon you today," Vaughn said, hugging him. "You should have worn a half-sleeved shirt."
***
His father Leif and mother Hei Ran had taken the day off, and they dropped him to the Academic Society. It was a huge stone building located close to the APC. They reached it about a half-hour before the test by LeviPort bus.
As soon as he arrived, the test coordinator, Mrs. Ricci, scanned his left index finger to note his arrival, and then he had to pass through a full-body Scanner to make sure he didn't have any devices on him.
Mrs. Ricci led him in, and he turned around once to his parents, who waved at him. Mrs. Ricci left him in a waiting area where four other newly turned sixteen-year-olds were waiting for the test to commence.
Xan sat on one of the ten chairs behind a boy who turned around and asked, "Do you live here at Innermost?"
Xan nodded.
"Whoa..." the boy sounded impressed.
The boy looked like he was about to say something more when Mrs. Ricci arrived and told them all, "Follow me, please."
The five of them were led into another room. It was huge and had rows and rows of small square tables and chairs. Mrs. Ricci assigned each of them to a different table, all far away from each other.
Xan found the test easy, and he finished it rather early. Even the options for volunteering were easier to choose than he had expected. After the test was done, the last question had popped onto the screen:
'Where would you like to volunteer?'
Many options were listed below it such as Research Institute, Medical Institute, Schools, and so on, none of which Xan chose.
Below it all, there was another question:
'Are you a student applying for the Music School and Art Academy at Pristine Two?'
He chose the option 'Yes' under it, which led to another question.
'Where would you like to volunteer?'
The options had choices such as teaching music or art, and Xan had chosen the option:
'Volunteer to teach Music at the Music School.'
It had been effortless.
Xan raised his hand as he placed the AIVIO Scroll on the table on which he had taken the test. Mrs. Ricci picked up the Scroll and told him he could leave. He was the first to go. He was relieved. The test was over; it had been easy, and he could now concentrate on his solo performance and his audition for the Music School.
When Xan stepped out of the room, a man was waiting for him.
"This way," he told Xan and walked away.
Xan followed him. They walked through a long corridor and turned right. The man opened a door on the left and asked Xan to step in. Once he was in, the man left.
The room was fairly big and minimally decorated. There was a bed on one side and a table with what looked like medical instruments on the other side. There were two chairs, so Xan sat on one waiting for someone to come.
The door opened, and a woman entered, smiling at him.
"Hi," she said. "I'm Dr. Matrise. I'll be administering the medicine to you today. What's your name?"
"Xan Ae Lee," he told her, and she scanned his left index finger on her Scroll.
"Alright, Xan," she said, "are you excited that you're done with school?"
"Hmmm..."
She took out a collector and drew out some of his blood and labeled it with his name.
"What's that for?" he asked. He wasn't told he needed to give blood.
"Oh! Just a tiny test, don't worry about it. Now let's get this medicine administration over with, shall we?"
Xan nodded.
"You need to remove your shirt." Dr. Matrise said. "Didn't any of your older siblings tell you to wear a short-sleeved shirt?"
As he came out into the lobby of the stone building, he found his parents waiting for him.
"All done?" Leif asked, smiling.
"Yes," Xan grinned, flexing his left arm where Dr. Matrise had pierced him with a five-inch needle.
"See? You were tensed for nothing." Hei Ran told as she hugged him.
He nodded.
"Let's go get ice cream." she winked.
"We need to come here just once more for the twins." his father said almost in relief, looking up at the Academic Society as they walked out.
Hei Ran and Xan laughed.
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