June 10th, 4021 07:30 [Matriarch 07- Great Hall]

Aisha and the others had rigorously pored over Indra and Mirai’s study sheets over the last few weeks in preparation for their citizenship exams. The evaluation would consist of a written portion and a practical portion to help determine job designations within Zìyóugǎng for Homunculi, should they pass their examinations. Testing center information had been sent out two days prior. Cecil and Aisha were to take their exams in the Particle Testing Center. Akula and Mirai were sent to the Animalia Testing Center, leaving Indra alone in the General Testing Center for Homunculi with unmanifested Traits.

The Homunculi and Vivian agreed to meet up at the Great Hall to have breakfast together before the exams started. Aisha and Vivian made their way to the Great Hall together. Seated in the back of the Great Hall in an eight-person booth was Mirai, a small bowl of cereal in front of him which went ignored as he pored over the notes he had taken on his HoloPad. As the two women approached the table he lifted his head from the screen realizing that more people had arrived.

“Aisha, Dr. Ouma, good to see you two this morning,” Mirai greeted them.

“ Likewise,” yawned Aisha as she took a seat next to him.

“Are you guys ready for the exam?” Vivian asked.

“Yeah, I would say so. Aisha, Indra, and I were able to grasp the concepts of the written portion pretty early on. Akula and Cecil struggled a bit, but they’ll do fine given their aptitude for problem-solving. I’m more worried about Indra’s performance in the practical portion. Since he can’t manifest any Traits he’ll most likely be put through a stress test of some sort. In terms of fitness, his BMI is great, but the stress test will push him to his physical limits, so he might struggle in this section.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Indra’s performance in the practical,” Vivian assured. “Regardless of where you’re stationed, it’ll be within Zìyóugǎng so you guys just focus on doing the best you can in your respective testing centers.”

Mirai nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

At that moment Akula arrived at the table followed by Indra and Cecil. The three of them grimaced, wincing at the sound of plates clattering, shielding their eyes from the overhead lights as they took a seat in the booth. Mirai facepalmed in frustration. Aisha looked at him confused. Were they sick? She didn’t understand why Mirai was so irritated. What had caused the other three to become so ill when only a day ago they appeared energetic and healthy? Vivian was quick on the uptake, however.

She raised an eyebrow asking, “Are you guys serious?”

Cecil responded quietly, “It was a tiny lapse in judgment. We got a bit excited and celebrated early.”

Indra replied with a quick, “Sorry, I’m confident I’ll still ace the written portion, though.”

“The lights are too bright,” mumbled Akula.

Then it clicked for Aisha. “Are you guys hungover?!”

“Not so loud Aisha,” complained Akula once more.

“How could you guys be so irresponsible?! Aren’t you supposed to set an example for your juniors? Yet here you are crashing from a night of stupid decisions!” Aisha reprimanded her seniors furiously.

“Ugh, my head feels like it’s being split with a fucking rock. Keep it down Aisha,” pleaded Indra.

Vivian pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. After a moment of thought she spoke, “Are you three still confident in performing well on the written portion of the exam?”

“No problem,” the drunkards said in unison before slumping forward onto the table.

“Good, the only issue is the practical then. Akula, Cecil, you two need to focus on sobering up before you use any of your Traits, so eat up and ask the test administrators if they can provide you with water, otherwise, it could lead to you injuring yourselves. Indra, sober up and just do your best,” she smiled, giving him a thumbs up. The trio scarfed down as much food and drink as they could in an attempt to sober up.

Mirai checked his watch, clearly eager to leave the scene. “7:45. We should head to our testing centers now,” he stated, grabbing ahold of Akula’s arm and slinging it over his neck. “Let’s go, dumbass.”

“Thanks, man, I owe you one,” Akula mumbled as they walked away.

Vivian motioned to do the same with Indra, helping him up and putting one of his arms over her neck before leading him to the General Testing Center.

Only Aisha and Cecil were left now.

“Aisha, are you going to help me up? You’re too kind. Both you and Mirai are such precious juniors,” Cecil said unctuously.

Aisha looked at him with contempt. “Drop dead,” she said, grabbing the collar of his shirt and dragging him to the Particle Testing Center as he struggled weakly in protest.

“You’re so mean, Aisha! What would your brother think if he saw you dragging me like this?” he clamored.

“He would probably laugh,” she answered tersely.

Cecil’s head drooped in defeat, “Yeah, that’s true.”

The two arrived at their designated testing center with just seconds to spare as the doors shut behind them locking out any latecomers unceremoniously.

Cecil and Aisha filed into the reception hall weaving through a small crowd of Homunculi to get to the front. Standing on a podium a testing administrator relayed instructions about the exam once more before assigning each Homunculus to a specific room within the testing center to take their exam. Aisha and Cecil were separated, wishing each other good luck before going their separate ways towards their testing rooms.

Aisha arrived at a small corridor in the west wing; a single door made of sculpted marble labeled ‘Manipulation Room’ greeted her. She reached for a handle only to find none. Next, she searched for a mechanism with which to open the impossibly smooth door, but once again failed to find a meaningful contraption that indicated the door would open. She stood in front of the marble slab wracking her brains, trying to identify a way to get inside. Maybe there’s a secret panel inlaid in the corridor? She brushed her hands along the walls searching for a panel to push that would activate the door. She searched to no avail, returning back to the door, rereading its label once again: ‘Manipulation Room’.

An idea suddenly dawned upon her as she peered back and forth at the marble, then at her hands before placing them firmly on the smooth surface. She concentrated deeply, closing her eyes and picturing the molecular structure within the stone slab. She could see calcium carbonate molecules and the sequence that they had been arranged into to produce the marble. She visualized her hands against the molecules pushing them aside gently to make an opening large enough for her to squeeze through. She opened her eyes revealing a hole in the marble as if someone had wet-cut through the stone. Ducking underneath the opening she entered a small classroom with a couple of desks with a few other Homunculi seated in them, furiously scribbling away at the written exam. She turned back to the marble only for it to close up the opening she had made.

“Well done, Aisha,” a familiar gruff voice commended her.

She turned back to the source of the voice to find Jìguāng seated at the testing administrator’s desk, watching the other Homunculi carefully.

“Jìguāng!” she exclaimed. Her exclamation was met with a series of seething hushes from the other test takers.

“Sorry,” she whispered apologetically.

Aisha attempted to make conversation with Jìguāng but remained quiet when she saw him holding a finger to his lips. He handed her a small tablet, the written exam, and whispered, “We can talk after the exam, good luck.”

Aisha seated herself near the front of the classroom placing the tablet in a marked groove on the surface of her desk. The tablet sank into the groove, powering on. A timer for one hour was displayed in the top right corner of the tablet. Aisha placed her thumb on the bezel of the exam tablet and looked into its camera, letting it scan her thumbprint and retina to identify her. Once the scan was complete, a subtle click let her know that her identification had been approved. The bezel of the tablet unlocked, sliding out to reveal a stylus with which answers could be selected and written on screen. Taking a deep breath, clearing her mind of her worries, Aisha grabbed the stylus which started the timer, beginning the written portion of the exam.

***

An hour had passed; the exam had concluded. Aisha stood up from her desk, placing the tablet she had used along with the stylus into a black box near the testing administrator’s desk before walking over to Jìguāng who pulled out a cigar as the other test takers left the classroom.

“I thought we would take the practical after the written exam,” she commented.

“It’s purposely done this way to keep skill-less Homunculi out of the testing room. If you want to be stationed in Zìyóugǎng and you’ve already manifested your Trait then you better know how to use it.” He took a long puff from his cigar, letting out smoke rings. “Otherwise you’re just wastin’ everybody’s time,” he said gruffly.

Aisha nodded in agreement. “Then what do they do for Homunculi in the General Testing Center?”

“We just see if they’re physically capable enough to perform in active combat should the city be threatened by any domestic anomalies. The stress test is meant to push the average Traitless Homunculus to the limit. The stress response in most cases should be enough to activate a Trait. If not, that Homunculus will probably stay useless.” He paused. “Ah, but you’re asking about your brother specifically, right? Don’t worry I’m sure he’ll pull through. I’m well aware of his shortcomings, but he’s an extremely useful asset, he’ll definitely get his citizenship license,” Jìguāng reassured her. “Your exam results will be emailed to you by the end of the day today. You’ve already passed the practical so no need to worry about that but if you fail the written portion you only need to retake that section.”

“When are retakes?” she inquired.

“Tomorrow. We want you Homunculi to get your citizenship before the festival so you can enjoy yourselves,” Jìguāng smiled warmly. “Anyway, you should head back to your friends. I’m sure they’re itching to talk about their exams. Feel free to talk about the practicals, but avoid discussing the written exam; it’s the same for everyone, capisce?”

Aisha gestured ‘okay’ and left the room, the marble slab parting ways automatically. She headed to the entrance of the Particle Testing Center, meeting Cecil on her way. He was looking worse for wear. She wrinkled her nose, her first reaction in regards to the smell he gave off, like something had been burnt. Cecil’s clothes had been singed; the nylon jacket he had worn walking into the testing center had clear holes where it had been burned through alongside blackened patch marks. He had tied the jacket around his waist, covering the tattered shorts he was now wearing in lieu of the fully-legged pants he came in with. Even his white undershirt displayed clear scorch marks, a long black mark stretching from his left shoulder down to the right side of his waist almost like a seat belt. His hair stood on end, strands jutting out every which way.

“I know what you’re thinking, but these aren’t jorts, they were jeans just an hour ago,” Cecil stated in response to Aisha’s staring.

“What the hell was your practical about?” she wondered out loud.

Cecil sighed, “It was a current-based mechanism. They gave us a contraption to unlock by directing currents in specific directions, going through each lock, which needed a predetermined voltage to unlock. Every time you directed the current in the wrong direction or used the wrong voltage to unlock each lock the mechanism would deliver a shock of up to fifty-thousand volts.”

“Did they tell you the required voltage for each lock?” Aisha asked.

“Fuck no! It would have been so simple if we had known. They just had us do an ungodly amount of trial and error; it was more like an endurance test to determine who would see the practical through and who would collapse, unconscious. Unless your senses were good enough to predict the voltage needed, you were getting shocked regardless!” Cecil complained.

Aisha hid her smile but didn’t succeed in stifling her laughter, receiving an irate frown from Cecil.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, I’m sure yours was no better.”

“Actually I just had to open a door.”

Cecil screamed in frustration vowing to kick the testing administrator’s ass if they ever crossed paths again.

“C’mon we should see how the others fared,” Aisha pulled Cecil along as they headed to the library.

Akula and Mirai were already present at a table when Cecil and Aisha entered the library. Sprawled over the table, both Animalia Homunculi looked like they had been doused in water.

“Whoa, what happened to you guys? You look like shit,” laughed Cecil.

“Like you’re one to talk,” Akula wheezed.

Mirai coughed, sputtering some water from his lungs.

“I’m guessing your practical had something to do with water?” Aisha asked.

“Wow, what amazing deduction skills you have,” Mirai deadpanned.

Aisha snickered.

Akula answered, “We were both sent to the same testing room since we have aquatic Animalia Traits. They had us using our oceanic senses to find certain objects in a pitch-black aquarium tank. I didn't know which way was up. I really thought I was gonna drown and I’m pretty sure Mirai pissed himself.”

“Almost,” corrected Mirai.

“They marked objects with blood for me and small electric impulse devices for Mirai. It was a horrific experience. I think I hate the water now. But if any good did come out of this it’s that both of us can see in the dark and breathe underwater now,” Akula concluded.

“You guys awakened new abilities?!” Cecil exclaimed, followed by a wave of shushes from the other attendants in the library.

“Yeah,” Mirai answered. “The goal of the practical is to awaken new abilities stemming from your Trait. Without awakening them you can’t pass this portion of the exam.

“Now that you mention it, I’ve never rearranged molecules in a way that lets me sculpt an object in free form. Usually, I have to visualize a predetermined shape and rearrange the atoms in an object to conform to that shape. During the practical I just moved solid marble like it was clay,” Aisha stated in realization.

“Is that right? Looking back, I seem to recall knowing the voltage needed to unlock the last few locks on the contraption I was being tested with. I guess I can read the voltage of currents that aren’t my own now and I can recognize the capacitance of objects,” Cecil reflected.

A light tip-tapping of heels indicated Vivian’s arrival. Aisha turned to greet her brother who was sure to be with her only to find him being carried on Vivian’s back, arms wrapped around her neck as she held his legs tightly. Upon closer inspection, Aisha realized that her brother appeared to be severely emaciated, dripping wet, and unconscious.

“Fuck, what the hell happened to him?” Cecil was the first to speak.

“The practical was a nightmare,” Vivian answered, catching her breath.

“Vivi, is he okay? Are you fine carrying him? If you want we can carry him to the infirmary,” Aisha asked concern washing over her.

“It’s alright, he’s pretty light, 54 kg is nothing. You should know this, I taught you and Mirai jujutsu for crying out loud. I can probably throw around 70 kg after a warm-up,” Vivian stated confidently.

“O-okay,” Aisha conceded reluctantly.

Akula looked concerned as well, but his intrigue overshadowed his worry. “What was Indra’s practical exam, anyways?”

Aisha looked over to Indra’s fingers, bloodied and torn apart, dripping...black liquid? Had his blood always been that dark? Aisha wondered, puzzled at their appearance.

“They had to swim against the currents of a river and scale a sheer cliff behind a waterfall about thirty meters off the ground,” explained Vivian.

“What the hell?! How’d he manage to do that? Let alone complete the written exam afterward?” Akula asked bewildered.

“Actually, they took their written exam beforehand and to complete the examination, they needed to pass the practical.”

“Okay so he completed the written portion, but that doesn’t explain how he was able to swim against a river and scale a thirty-meter sheer cliff with his bare hands,” Aisha remarked.

“I told him I’d be waiting for him at the top. I just took the lift up. I vaguely remember him saying something that seemed to really motivate himself,” Vivian answered insouciantly, although failing to mask her fidgeting.

“What did he say?” Aisha pressed, suspiciously.

Vivian avoided eye contact, suddenly turning her face to the side, red splotches appearing on her cheeks.

“It must’ve been something insane if it motivated him to climb a cliff without equipment. He really dug his fingers into the rock by the looks of it,” commented Mirai.

All eyes turned to Vivian, who had now shielded her face from the group with one hand, her beet-red ears still conspicuously visible.

“Vivi? What exactly did he say?” Aisha asked again apprehensively as the others leaned in to listen.

“O-oh, would you look at the time!” Vivian checked a nonexistent wristwatch. “I should really get Indra to the infirmary. Don’t you guys think? He’s in pretty bad shape. Okay then, I’ll see you guys later!” she sped off abruptly with Indra’s limp body on her back, leaving the other Homunculi dumbfounded.

“Hey guys, if Indra said something crazy enough to make him scale a cliff it would have to be something about Vivian, right? You don’t think—”

“—Let’s just drop the subject,” Aisha cut Akula off, her ears turning red after drawing her own conclusions. “I think it should just stay between them.”

“Good idea,” said Cecil, grinning in amusement. “Now then, we just wait for our results, and then we can start preparations for the festival!

Mirai nodded in agreement. “This year we’ll be visiting the city not as Homunculi, but as citizens. I can’t wait to see all the things in Zìyóugǎng we’ve been missing out on.”

“Ditto,” Akula replied.

The four of them sat discussing their ideal Duānwǔ Festival for quite some time in ignorant bliss, enjoying one another’s company.