21 Are You There ?

An alarm went off and I woke up. There was nothing, not a dream, not a forest, not even darkness. I expected for there to be something, yet nothing came. Maybe it was over... maybe.

I got up and took a shower, and a rather long one, I sat there under the raining drops and thought. For the first time in forever I acknowledged what had happened. It all happened so fast. I never stopped to think, well my subconscious did.

I got dressed in the uniform and stowed my pistols along with extra magazines and knives, of the throwing variety and the normal kind. I equipped my mask and headed out. Zack was there to greet me.

"Morning, we were almost late, you spend alooota time getting ready don't you?" He said leaning by the right of my door, fascinated with his tablet.

"We can meet in class you do know that right?" I said closing the door and walking to the elevator.

"We're neighbors what's the point? Plus between now and getting there, there can be a lot of people."

There were no other words, we just made our way to class passing people by in the lobby. A lobby that was now spacious in the absence of the large wooden desk. It gave the marble floors a chance to shine, or rather the large windows did.

We left the dorms and headed to class. When we got there, it was almost full, in the sense of how many people were in the class, and not how many it could hold. I headed to the back and sat in the corner like the first day, Zack followed sitting beside me.

Soon the class was filled and Mrs. Eos had entered, she stood in front of the board.

"Good morning." She did not wait for an interjection. "Today we will be practical as per the time table. You have ten minutes to prepare and meet me at the test hall." She left as she had finished speaking.

"Test hall?" I asked looking at Zack.

"The big dome, that... I'm starting to think you didn't read the brochure or watch the virtual tour on the website." Even in a conversation he did not look at me.

"I didn't." I said standing up.

It was time for class and practical at that. I wasn't fazed, just annoyed, after school I had therapy.

We were making our way over to the dome when Zack suddenly split off, instead of the left to the exit he took the right to the corner.

"I'm gonna change, I assume your ready?" He said continuing his stride.

"I am." I said as I walked away.

I walked over to the dome and surprisingly it was the same as Mr. Rockwell's. Though there was I minor difference, it was five times its size if not bigger. The color was the same though.

As I entered the dome its name was given meaning. There were four sections all separated by the red rubbery floors. The section to the front right was a set of hovering platforms of all different sizes, shapes and orientations above water. The one to the left was a sandy area about half a football field with large black walls and containers sectioning off the area, this was where Mrs. Eos was.

The ones to the back were out of view though, too far. The dome was huge, my spatial spell didn't even cover half of it.

Soon enough everyone had arrived and was standing just in front the sandy field watching Mrs. Eos tinker with the large containers.

"Francis, time to shine." As she spoke she left the sandy fields and stood with the rest of us.

"I'm sure you've been informed you missed the assessment, go on." She pointed towards the field a tablet in her other hand.

As I stepped onto the sand a green hue surrounded the entire area, pulsating as if alive. Soon after a loud sound was heard, that of a buzzer. As it went off I could detect ten humanoid figures leaving the containers at different places. It seemed random.

"Don't hold back, there built to be disposable." She said looking my way.

Not only could I see there figures, I could also see that they were carrying something, guns. The containers and walls were placed in such a manner it was like a maze.

Walking up to the entrance of said maze, I took out my pistols. Then he chimed in.

"Turn off the safety and set the pistols to canon, hold the trigger for a while before letting go." That was the A.I's plan.

Following his instruction I entered the maze. I could see or feel one of the figures heading my way so I ran its way as well. Soon I had ran a couple of feet taking lefts and rights and was a left turn away from my foe.

Unsure of the tactic it would use I stuck to the corner waiting, my gun held out. Seconds later I heard its foot steps and soon it turned the corner, as it came into view I squeezed the trigger, neglecting to let go for a half second.

It noticed me but was a little too late, it was carrying its weapon across its chest and before it could aim. I let go, a loud bang was heard, the force of the gun pushed my hand back as if shoved. The robot on the other hand had a giant hole left in its white ceramic side, chars lining it. It struggled for a moment, its head slowly rising before I shot again and it fell to the floor.

I now had a good look at the robot, it did look disposable. A human head sized white oval atop a feeble iron neck, below it a larger ceramic oval too arms sticking out, each too slim to be healthy, the hands being the only things that looked normal. The waist was none existent but it had hips, even if it was just a cuboid with the same meager limbs sticking out, the difference being the halve spheres that were meant to be feet.

I was inspecting it but my time was cut short by the sound of multiple footsteps coming my way. I had given away my position. I stepped back in the alley way like passage and crouched, pulling the mangled body over mine, the rifle like gun falling from its hands.

I could see them, they were organized, they were following each other as if trained to, from both sides to make matters worse. It was seconds later that one had turned the corner, I was distracted for far too long, they were already on my location.

As it turned the corner I pulled the trigger with no squeeze, there were too many for me to prime each shot. I missed. It was then I realized Psychí's strategy, my aim was none existent so by widening the area of effect I was more likely to hit my target.

What ever the case was I had missed and it was coming towards me, dragging the body in front of me I retreated, they advanced with a barrage of bullets. They seemed like airsoft bullets so there was no real danger, or so I thought. A stray bullet had passed the body and hit my shin, I felt a sharp crippling pain that halted my retreat.

In a last dich effort, I decided to do the most logical thing, spray and pray. Setting both dials to automatic, I pointed at the nine approaching bots and squeezed the triggers. The sound of cracking ceramic and ricocheting bullets soon filled the air, it was bliss to watch them fall as I waved my hands from side to side.

As the bullets hit a crack was heard and as more hit they stopped moving and fell to the floor. Soon my guns stopped firing though as I was out of bullets. Catching my breathe I clawed my self up straight on the concrete like walls, dropping the body.

My troubles weren't over though as soon I could hear the sound of chaffing metal. Reloading both guns I hopped over and ensured each bot was dead with a bullet to the head.

The buzzer soon went off again and the green hue fell. The test was over. As I stood there looking at the carnage the containers opened once more and bots came out once again, but this time they were unarmed.

They came out and picked up the bodies putting them into the containers that on the inside, looked like elevators.

Hopping my way back there was no applause or well done, just questions. They weren't even asked directly, just gossip.

I paid them no mind and went to stand by Zack. Soon after someone else was going to do the test, apparently, I wasn't the only one who didn't get to do it. Though I didn't expect it to be that person.