"The Assessnt Facility."
Yesu stared at the back of MacKayden's head, a bit surprised.
Every child in the South passes through the Assessnt Facility once. At thirteen. The age when abilities are first awakened.
The children were evaluated. The Zeros among them were released. The Ranks remained under supervision.
It was a once-in-a-lifeti experience. And Yesu was about to go through it again.
She faced the window, rested her head on the glass, watching the rain droplets hit and slide down.
The vehicle stayed silent. No one spoke anymore.
***
Yesu was already dozing off when the vehicle ca to a stop.
MacKayden turned off the engine.
"What a sight." Cee Cee said, eyes forward.
Beyond the rain stood the Assessnt Facility.
A massive steel and glass structure lood behind layers of security fencing, its upper levels disappearing into the grey sky.
Cold white lights lined the walls in perfect symtry while surveillance drones drifted soundlessly overhead.
Located in a barren wasteland, there was nothing around for miles.
The building looked less like a place for children and more like sowhere society asured what people were worth.
Yesu stared.
The last ti she had been here was on an iona bus along with classmates. That was four years ago.
The structure looked different now, larger sohow. But the feeling it gave her was the sa. Oppressive.
She definitely wasn't looking forward to anything that was going to happen here.
***
Inside the massive structure, at the toonfloor, two security n stood guard at a mighty double door.
A subordinate ran up to them, struggling to catch his breath.
"What is it?" One of the security n asked.
"A ssage." the subordinate gasped, stretching out a fax. "For the Doctor. From Central. It's urgent."
The second security man snatched the fax from him.
"Did you read it?" He asked
The subordinate shifted backward, waving both palms up. "No. I would never.
The second guard gave his partner a mischievous smile.
"How do you know it's urgent then?" He asked, eyes boring into the subordinate.
"I…I well.." The subordinate stuttered, gulped.
"Get outta here." Said the first one.
"Yes sir." The subordinate said gratefully, walking away in haste.
"Such a scaredy cat." The second remarked.remarknjoy it, don't you?" The first asked.
The second laughed, giving his partner a friendly punch. "Never get old."
He glanced at the fax in his hand, then at the door behind. "You give it to him." He said, stretching it to his partner.
"You received it. Not ."
"Half work done. So you deliver it."
"No. You always do this. I went last ti."
"I went two tis before that."
"Lies."
"Alright then. Let's settle this, the old fashioned way."
Both n raised their hands.
"Rock, paper, scissors…
The first guard won.
"Yes." He grinned.
But before he could celebrate properly, the second guard shoved the fax into his free hand with the speed of light and pushed him toward the door.
"Oh co on…
The doors swung open and he stumbled inside.
He turned just in ti to see his partner wave cheerfully as the doors shut.
"It's always ." He sighed.
The room was as big as a house. But cluttered. Computers, tools, machines, books.
And papers, lots of them.
At the far end, soone in a lab coat rampaged through a cabinet, talking. Different materials flew out, making a little heap behind.
"Where on earth did I put it?"
The security man took a breath before speaking. "Sir?"
"I'm sure it was right here…"
"Sir?" He called louder.
"... unless it has developed the ability to move on its own."
"Doctor!" The man yelled, then pressed his lips together imdiately.
"What!" Doctor Heckman yelled as he turned. "Oh, it's you." he said in a low voice, almost disappointed, like he had expected sothing else.
"Yes sir."
"Doctor." Doctor Heckman corrected.
"Yes, Doctor."
Doctor Heckman returned to his search. "State your business."
"You received a fax. From Central."
Doctor Heckman made an irritated sound. "What do they want?"
"You want to read it, Doctor?"
"Of course I want you to read it. What do you think? 'What do they want?' implies?" He sounded more annoyed at the guard than at the ssage. But he didn't look back, digging through the cabinet like a rat scouring for food.
The guard opened the fax hastily, almost dropping it. He read.
"Greetings, Doctor Heckman, there has been…"
"Damn it." Ca Doctor Heckman. The guard stopped.
"Is there a problem, sir… Doctor?"
Doctor Heckman didn't turn. "I ant you read it, and tell what they want. Don't read it to ." He broke down the words as he spoke, as if explaining sothing to a first grader.
"Oh." The guard was flustered. "I'll do just that, Doctor."
"Thank you." Doctor Heckman sighed and continued.
The guard scanned through the fax. His expression changed.
"What does it say?" Doctor Heckman asked without interest.
The guard's attention remained on the fax. "It says there's been a case of an incorrect classification, Doctor sir. An Anomaly."
Doctor Heckman halted.
The room was silent for a mont.
"An. Anomaly." Doctor Heckman said, tasting the words. He turned.
"An Anomaly?" He asked bewildered.
"Let see that."
He crossed the room in a few quick strides, snatched away the fax, and skimd through its contents.
"Greetings Doctor Heckman, by authority of the Central Civic Control Division…" he muttered. "Yadi yadi yah… procedural urgency… don't care… subject involved in repeated survival incidents… mmhm…"
His eyes moved faster down the page.
"Incorrect classification under the Rank Null designation…" he read quietly.
Then he stopped.
His expression changed completely.
"...Anomaly?"
The guard swallowed.
Doctor Heckman reread the line, slower this ti.
"No registered Class alignnt…" He murmured. "... no asurable classification behavior…"
His eyes widened behind his lenses. "Oh, this is interesting."
He took the fax over to his study area, pinned it on a board with a piece of chewing gum. There were already lots of papers pinned in the sa manner.
He flipped a huge text and looked open, searching through the contents frantically.
"Sir?" The guard ca.
"Doctor."
"Sorry. Doctor. You seem to have skipped an important part of the ssage."
"Which is?"
"The subject is being brought for evaluation and will arrive any mont."
Doctor Heckman paused. "Really?"
The telephone rang. The guard picked it up, listened, then placed the phone back on the receiver.
"The subject has arrived."
"Good." Doctor Heckman said. He walked over to look at the fax on the board.
"Bring the subject to Testing Hall Three." Doctor Heckman smiled faintly. "Let's see what this anomaly is all about."
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