Juli stared at question forty-seven.
"Explain the political ramifications of the Treaty of Cygnus and how it affected trade routes between the Outer Rim and Core Sectors. Minimum 300 words."
Sweat dripped down his forehead.
Three hundred words. He could barely write thirty about this. What even WAS the Treaty of Cygnus?! Pam had definitely covered this. Multiple times. But his brain felt like static.
He glanced at the countdown timer. Two hours remaining. Fifty questions total. He was on forty-seven.
Math. Do the math. Three questions left. If he bombed all three, would the rest carry him?
More sweat.
His eyes darted left. A Felinari cadet two stations over was writing furiously, their datapad filled with text. Could he just... lean a little? See what they wrote?
Juli shifted in his seat. Angled his head slightly.
The holographic android proctor turned its head with mechanical precision. Directly at him.
Juli's heart STOPPED.
He snapped his eyes back to his own screen, sitting ramrod straight. The proctor hovered closer, scanning. Its emotionless face inches from Juli's station.
Please don't see anything. Please don't see anything.
After what felt like an eternity, the proctor floated away.
Juli exhaled slowly. His heart hammered against his ribs.
Okay. New plan. No cheating. Just... think. Use his brain. He HAD a brain. It worked. Sometimes.
He read question forty-seven again.
Treaty of Cygnus. Political ramifications. Trade routes.
Think, Juli. Think.
His hair felt weird. He reached up and touched it. For a second, he swore a few strands had turned WHITE from stress.
"Not now," he muttered under his breath. "Stay blonde. STAY BLONDE."
He forced himself to write something. Anything.
"The Treaty of Cygnus was very important. It changed things. Trade got better. Or worse. Probably better. Politics happened. Many politics. Leaders agreed on stuff. This affected everyone. The Outer Rim and Core Sectors worked together. Or didn't. But they talked about it. Communication is important..."
He stared at his answer. It was garbage. Complete garbage.
Question forty-eight appeared.
"Calculate the gravitational constant needed to maintain stable orbit around a Class-M planet with 1.3x standard mass. Show your work."
Math. WITH FORMULAS.
Juli's eye twitched.
He glanced around desperately. The proctor was on the other side of the hall. Other cadets were deep in their work. Maybe if he just... observed... learned through osmosis...
A tiny piece of paper landed on his datapad.
So small he almost didn't notice it. Folded perfectly. No sound. No indication where it came from.
He looked left. Nara sat three stations away, eyes locked on her own screen. Completely innocent. But there was the SLIGHTEST curl to her lips.
Juli glanced at the proctor. Still far away.
He unfolded the paper carefully.
Three answers. Written in perfect handwriting. Question forty-seven, forty-eight, and forty-nine.
His eyes widened.
He looked at Nara again. She didn't look back. But her smile grew just a fraction.
Juli bobbed his head left and right, checking for proctors. Coast clear.
He KISSED the paper.
"Bless you, vampire girl," he whispered.
Then he started copying the answers. Word for word. Formula for formula. His hand moved fast, transcribing everything.
For question forty-seven, Nara had written: "The Treaty of Cygnus, signed in 2847 UC, established the Neutral Trade Corridor between the Outer Rim and Core Sectors, reducing tariffs by 40% and creating the Unified Commerce Board. Political ramifications included the formation of the Rim Coalition, increased ARMADA presence in contested zones, and the dissolution of the Merchant Guilds' monopoly on hyperlane access. This fundamentally shifted power dynamics, giving smaller colonies leverage against Core exploitation while simultaneously increasing Core dependency on Rim resources..."
It went on. Perfectly cited. Detailed. Academic.
Juli grinned as he wrote.
Three stations to the right, Pam's hand clenched around her stylus.
She'd seen it. The paper. The exchange. The cheating.
Her jaw tightened. Her silver eyes narrowed behind her transparent glasses.
Juli didn't notice. He was too busy transcribing his salvation, humming quietly under his breath.
Pam glared in Nara's direction.
Nara, still "focused" on her screen, glanced over with the most innocent expression imaginable. Then winked.
Pam's face went red. Not from embarrassment. From pure, concentrated annoyance.
Juli finished copying the last answer. Folded the paper back up. Tucked it into his pocket. Then went back through his test, double-checking everything.
Question forty-seven? Saved.
Question forty-eight? Saved.
Question forty-nine? Saved.
He'd actually finish on time. Maybe even pass.
Thank the stars for vampire girls with impeccable handwriting.
The countdown timer hit zero.
"EXAMINATION COMPLETE," the proctors announced in unison. "All datapads will now submit automatically. Remain seated until dismissed."
The hall filled with the sound of cadets exhaling. Some looked relieved. Others devastated. A few were crying.
Juli leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. "Not bad. Totally had that under control."
Three stations away, Pam stood up slowly. Her movements were deliberate. Controlled.
She walked over to Juli's station.
Kade and Tessa approached from the other direction.
"How'd it go?" Tessa asked nervously. "I think I did okay but question thirty-two was really hard and—"
"He cheated," Pam said flatly.
The group went silent.
Juli blinked. "What? No I didn't."
"I saw the paper."
"What paper?"
"The paper Nara threw you."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Pam stepped closer, her voice dangerously calm. "Juli. I watched her throw it. I watched you kiss it. I watched you copy the answers."
Juli's face went red. "I was just... verifying my own answers! With a reference guide! That I brought!"
"You kissed a REFERENCE GUIDE?"
"It was a really good reference guide!"
Kade pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are genuinely the worst liar I have ever witnessed."
"I'm not lying!"
"Your face is literally crimson," Kade observed. "Your body language screams guilt. Even Tessa could tell you're lying."
"I could definitely tell," Tessa added quietly.
Across the hall, Nara approached with her team. The Saurian looked tired. The butterfly girl was giggling.
"Oh my!" Nara placed a hand over her heart dramatically. "Did I hear someone accusing my darling husband of cheating? How SCANDALOUS!"
Pam turned slowly to face her. "Stay out of this."
"But he is MY future husband! I must defend his honor!" Nara's eyes gleamed. "Besides, I have no idea vhat you're talking about. I vas simply taking my exam. Like a good student."
"You threw him answers."
"Proof?"
"I SAW you!"
"Did you? Or did you see vhat jealousy made you THINK you saw?" Nara smiled sweetly. "Perhaps you vere too busy vatching him instead of your own test. How concerning for your scores."
Pam's fists clenched.
The Saurian stepped between them quickly. "Okay, okay. Let's not do this here. Proctors are watching."
Indeed, several android proctors had turned their attention toward the growing commotion.
"This isn't over," Pam said quietly.
"I look forvard to it," Nara purred.
They stared each other down. The air practically crackled.
Juli stood between them, confused and still slightly red-faced. "Can we just... not fight? Please?"
"Shut up, Juli," Pam snapped.
"Yes, dear. Let the vomen handle this," Nara added.
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"
Kade grabbed Juli by the collar. "Come. Before you make this worse."
"How can I make it worse?!"
"You always find a way."
As they filed out of the examination hall, the twin suns of Vortex Prime were setting. Day one was over.
Six more days to go.
Juli glanced back at the hall one last time, then at the crumpled paper still in his pocket.
He'd survived. Barely.
But something told him the exams were the least of his problems.