Independent Study (The Testing 2)

“Why are you asking him?” Damone crosses his arms across his chest. “Are you scared to make the decision yourself?”

“Will is the one piloting this thing,” I say. “He should get the final say in the direction we take.”

Damone looks like he wants to debate the issue, but Will cuts him off. “The controls aren’t responsive. We can go faster if I’m not worried about crashing into buildings when I have to turn.”

“Okay,” I say before Damone can object. “Let’s go.”

Using the Transit Communicator as a guide, Will steers the skimmer to the southwest. Through the window across from me, I see a river that runs parallel to the road. The water has a green tint but otherwise runs clear. To the left of us, far in the distance, I can see the revitalized center of the city. Closer to the road, perhaps a half mile away, are collapsed buildings. Broken walls. Empty city streets. I scan the horizon for signs of people but find none.

“Do people live out here?” I ask. I am surprised to see an area so close to the city uninhabited after a hundred years of revitalization. In Five Lakes, my father’s team is constantly working to push the boundaries of our revitalized community. With so many people living in Tosu City, I’m surprised they haven’t worked harder to repair the land and spread out.

“Not many,” Enzo says. “Most of the farms and skimmer factories are located to the north, so the Commonwealth encourages those wanting to leave the city to go in that direction. No one

wants to move into unrevitalized areas alone. My parents talked about it once, but there are too many dangers outside the current boundaries of the city. It’s safer to stay where we are.”

I look toward the city and its buildings. Over a hundred thousand people live in that area. They have power, clean water, and the comfort of being near one another. Few wild animals venture into the streets. No threat from the chemicals that still corrupt the earth beyond the city’s limits. I can understand why people choose that safety for themselves and their families. There are a few citizens in Five Lakes who prefer living near the square, where there is less chance of animal attacks or being isolated during an emergency. But most of us are spread out. If necessary, we can survive on our own. I wonder how many people in Tosu City could say the same.

It is Enzo who first spots the chain-link fence that announces we have reached our destination. The fence stands at least eight feet high and stretches far into the distance on each side. As we get closer, I can read the dirt-streaked signs posted on it.

DANGER.

THIS AREA HAS NOT BEEN REVITALIZED.

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INSIDE.

DO NOT ENTER.

“How are we supposed to find the next task?” Damone asks. “This fence goes on for miles.”

“The final years want us to find the task,” I reason. “They must have made the location obvious.” I hope.

Will steers the skimmer east along the fence line while the rest of us look for signs of the next Induction task. There. In the mid-afternoon sunlight, a red flag flutters from the top of the fence a hundred yards away. When we reach the spot and exit the skimmer, four large steel boxes, about three feet wide and six feet long, are sitting on the ground next to the fence. Each has a keypad embedded into the top. None of the boxes appears to be disturbed. We are the first team to arrive.

While Damone pumps his fist into the air, Will throws open the lid to our box. Inside there is a note that reads:

The planes of the past used Newton’s laws of motion to reach the skies. Now it is your turn. Choose a team member to climb into the box and close the lid. When the lid locks, the marker and clue to the next task will be dispensed. Solve the problem on the display to release your team member and be on your way.

“Someone has to get in there?” Enzo asks.

Will reads the note again and nods. “That’s what it says.” He closes the lid on the steel box and opens it again. “There must be a weight mechanism on the bottom that, when engaged, activates the lock. Maybe we can fill it with rocks or something heavy enough to simulate a person.”

I doubt the final years will let us off the hook that easy, but I follow Will’s lead and pile several heavy rocks into the box. When the lock still won’t engage, Enzo frowns. “They must have heat sensors set up to ensure that we comply with the guidelines.”

Either that or we’re being watched.

“Okay.” Will nods. “Who’s going to get in?”

“Cia will,” Damone says. “She’s the captain and the smallest.”

Both good reasons, but the idea of being locked inside a steel box and reliant on my team to release me makes me want to run far and fast.

Damone notices my hesitation and says, “You picked this team, Cia. Don’t you have enough faith in your judgment to rely on us to solve this task on our own?”

I look from Damone’s smirking face to Will’s, with its lack of expression, to Enzo’s concerned one. All three are smart. They wouldn’t be attending the University if they weren’t. Do I believe they will come up with the correct answer to whatever problem they are given? Yes. Do I trust them with my life? No. But I don’t have a choice. Damone has cornered me. Refusal will alienate my team. Even if we pass Induction, I will have made enemies.

“Okay.” I say as I set the green team bag on the ground and climb into the cold steel box. As small as I am, I have to bend my knees and twist my shoulders to fit myself into the container.

“Why don’t you give me your bags?” Will offers, and reaches for the straps. “That’ll give you more room.”