"Alright class, put away all text books and prepare for the exam." Mr. Dren said in his most excited but still gruff voice. Not this shit again. I hate these exams. They test our level of understanding of the topic but also allows them to add marks in any section they feel based on the answers on the exams... I grab the 3 inch thick 10 inch wide and 13 inch high metal tablet from under my desk and place it on top of my desk. When humans left earth, the tablets dimensions were about half an inch thick by 8 inches wide and 13 inches high but the powers at be made it thicker with more metal and rubber to make it less accessible for people who would try to crack the machine open to cheat the system. They also needed to be made out of stainless steel because gallium eats aluminum.
First question on the exam read, "Who was The Great Stuh." My god... What is this softball city? I pulled out my stainless steel pen with its electrode tip. These pens were specially designed to be read by the tablet.
I started writing. "The Great Stuh was marked improperly by his teaching staff because they didn’t like him. But his intellect helped him to move up to the rank of overleader before he retired. Until Stuh no one had been a lifer and retired." Of course that was only part of the story he was also the only lifer soldier who lived past the age of 28.
The second question on the exam read, "In your own words, explain the three sides of the planet?" Fuck, we have learned this since day one. It must be a god damn question to back us into a political answer... So how do I make this not be political...
I hoped that as I was writing it would change it to a scientific. So I began to write, "The planet, Cooper, makes one full rotation as it completes one full revolution around our star, Metnoia. This means that the planet never actually has a day or night. And one side is always pointed towards Metnoia. This super heats that side of the Cooper and makes it extremely bright. The temperature in the center of that side of the planet is 2379 degrees Fahrenheit . And as you move away from the sunside you slowly get to the shadow ring. This has a temperature that is perfectly regulated as the darkside has a temperature of -2294 degrees Fahrenheit. So the temperature is a regular 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the perfect temperature for the gallium to turn into a liquid which is why it rains gallium on the inner side of the shadow ring. As you move to the darker side of the shadow ring you get mercury rain."
The third and final question on the exam was, "Which marks do you hope you received on the exam?" Really, is this exam going to placate the students? Luckily this is the easiest question. I just put in science and closed the tablet. I looked up and Mr Dren. was at his desk looking at his tablet and occasionally would let out an audible laugh... He would try to stifle it shortly after. He wasn't trying to interrupt the exam process. Suddenly, a noise rang out like an open low e string on a distorted electric guitar. That was the buzzer to go to the next class... Mr Dren tried to call out to the students but the ruffle of backpacks, and students standing up headed towards the door kept me from hearing what he had to say... I brushed my long hair out of my face with my fingers and grabbed my stuff. Next was my class "Historical Intrigue." I didn't get to sit in that class with my girlfriend. She had "Political Spike" class. So I gave her a peck on the cheek and headed down the hall. I was excited because I was hoping we would be discussing 'The southern migration.' but mostly I just wanted to be done for the day. Suddenly a chord I had never heard played on the speakers.
I looked around and I saw the teaching staff pour out of their classrooms and run down the hall. We all just stood their in bewilderment. What did that tone mean. A voice came after the tone that said, "Students grab your stuff and head into the shelter." But why were the teaching staff headed the opposite direction. I saw Mr Drens bald head moving in my direction. He was yelling for the students to head towards the shelter and holding his hands as far out in the hall as he could... I slipped into the janitors closet. I didn't want to be seen but I wanted to know what was going on.
When the noise had died down outside of the closet I peaked out. Not a soul was around. So I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I headed towards the Teaching Overleaders office. I knew that is where the teaching staff would be. When I arrived I knelt down next to the door and tried to listen in.
"This comes at a terrible time. Is there anything that can be done?" I heard one of the teaching staff say.
"Time has nothing to do with it. The estimates are what they are. We need to send everyone back into their living halls until we know more. The hall leaders will ensure the children's safety. Sadly, until we have more details we are going to need to assign any seniors to their future duties based on marks starting in the morning. And all of them will be enlisted to the military into sections appropriate to their marks." The school Overleader said.
"But they aren't ready, they just began to receive this years marks," another teaching staffer said.
"I am telling you what I have been told by the Galliasian Overleader. We do as commanded. finalize any outstanding marks and prepare yourselves for the military conscription yourselves. You will be enlisted in the field of your best suit." The school Overleader stated.
"This is awful. I am a teacher of marksmenship. Does that mean that I will be training the people who will be fighting on the front lines." The marksmen teaching staffer said.
"I'm afraid you were assigned to be a platoon commander." The school Overleader said. "See me after for your assignments."
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