Daughter 4254

Chapter 6

The multipurpose room had been filled with individual tables and chairs. There was an electronic writer on each table and a bottle of water as well. As I walked in the door, 9098, the front lady, was waiting in a chair to the left, not visible until I was fully in the room. She was knitting some sort of gray lump and she looked up at me with disdain.

 “Take any seat. Your test will load on your writer in ten minutes.” She looked back to her knitting as she said this last bit. “Be sure to enter your full and correct identification number on the first screen. A finger scan will also be taken to prove identity and verify station.”

 I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to ignore her tone and the way she lingered on the word ‘station’. I headed to a desk by the far wall with a good view of the trees and sky beyond the small windows. I was the first to arrive, but as I waited, the room slowly filled up. I guess I hadn’t expected that this many upper station young ones were in my learning level. I had never taken the time to get to know any of the other students in any personal way. I only knew who was cruel and to stay clear of them. I didn’t care where anyone came from or where they were going. Seeing the room now full to capacity and noticing the slightly nicer weave of some of their clothes, the newer shoes, the book bags adorned with straight line embroidery, I realized that it was now more obvious - there were quite a few upper station families in our community. With a limited number of positions open to the Secondary School, if there was any spark of hope in me from the bird or from my mother’s letter, it was now gone entirely.

 A chime sounded from the writers. A screen flashed up with the title of our exams and a slot for us to write our “full and complete numerals.” I was careful not to miss any digits - 699 for our community, 3244 for my family unit, and 4254 for myself. I hit the ‘Continue’ command and the next screen held a small square with instructions to press my thumb directly in the center forten seconds. I did just that and a chime sounded along with the words, “You may now proceed.”

 Similar chimes and robotic voices echoed through the large room. 9098 stood at this point and announced needlessly, “You may begin. When you have completed each section in its entirety, please turn off your writer and place it in the crate at the back of the room. Remember: there is absolutely no tolerance for dishonesty. If caught cheating, you will be reap the fullest consequence of the law.”

 She sat her plump backside down on her tiny chair and began poking at the gray lump in her lap with her knitting needles. One thing was certain: pass or fail this test, I was leaving this school forever in just two weeks. Getting away from people like 9098 would be worth it, no matter what the outcome.

 Test takers were excused from classes for the whole day. When I finished my exam and placed my writer carefully in the pod (grateful that 9098 did not look up at me as I passed), I headed out to the fresh air as quickly as I could. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton fuzz. I paused and sat on the steps outside of the school. With my head down and my hands on my knees, I inhaled deeply, trying to readjust my expectations.

 The test had been so easy... it was too easy! Granted, every test we took started out with the most basic knowledge and then progressed in difficulty according to your strengths and weaknesses (or previous answers), but none of the questions were that challenging. I knew every answer. I was certain of it! I hadn’t been this certain of anything in a long time but I knew, in my gut, my heart, and my head that I didn’t miss one question. Thinking back, I’d never really had a difficult test in school. I’d passed all of my classes with good marks, even the ones where the teachers didn’t hide the fact that they despised me. I guess I just expected more from a test like this: one that meant so very much in a young person’s life.

 I had to check my elation before stepping back into the day. There were still two other strikes against me. Number one: there were a lot of other kids of higher stations in line before me. Even if I scored higher than all of them, they still had a better chance because of their birth. Number two: my civil record.