Caelum sat in the exam hall, surrounded by cadets from all the academies and schools of the arcologies. There must have been over 300 cadets in this exam alone—he caught whispers from rows behind him that this was the largest cohort ever. Over the next few days, 30,000 cadets from the EVROPA arcology would take written exams. And EVROPA was only one of eight arcologies running the same cycle. Last year, merely 31% passed, as professors often reminded them. Fewer returned from their assigned awakening gates with powers. Yet the higher the score, the better the gate each received.
There were about 30 minutes before the proctors arrived. Caelum grabbed the cold, metallic datapad from his bag to register himself as present and ready for the exam.
—[EXAM HALL 037, EXAM 5]—
NAME: Caelum Ward
CANDIDATE: 115-08-845
AGE: 19
SEX:M
ATS STATUS: AT-3
—[REGISTRATION COMPLETED]—
GOOD LUCK.
Giving a lingering thought to the ATS STATUS, Caelum was glad to be soon rid of that AT-3 designation. Allocation Track 3 was where the majority of cadets in the Allocation Track System were assigned. By his guess, it covered around 80% of cadets in EVROPA.
The other ATS tracks were AT-2, assigned to cadets from middle-income and well-off families, and AT-1, for those from high-income families living in guarded mega-towers. AT-P was the rarest, reserved for those with exceptional connections or achievements beyond family wealth—such as having the ear of an arcology council member, excelling in scar-immunity testing, demonstrating academic genius, or surviving an uncontrolled rift event. ATS was a system used to organise cadets according to background and potential; the track influenced their academy experience, including exam placement and gate assignments.
Caelum looked around the hall, scanning his fellow cadets—some in finer uniforms, no doubt AT-1 or AT-2. He was surprised they didn't have their own designated exam hall. The tension was high: cadets doing last-minute study and recaps; others already looked like they'd given up; and a few looked confident. Joining some of the other students, Caelum turned on his datapad for a final review.
Not long after, the proctors filed in one by one, led by the Chief Proctor. Caelum put everything except his datapad away, since it was the only approved tool. The proctors came row by row to perform a meticulous device check, the goal being to determine whether any tampering had occurred.
Waiting for his turn, Caelum heard an argument flaring into something intense in the front rows. Two AT-1 cadets were yelling at each other.
"Do you have no self-respect, no honour?! You cheating scum!" the red-faced cadet—number 63—shouted.
The other cadet, numbered 89, laughed. "Prove it. Or is making false accusations the only way you can distract from your own inadequacy?"
The fight soon descended into fists, and they started exchanging blows. Moments later, the Chief Proctor arrived to break it up.
"Sir—he didn't get his device checked!" 63 said, his face even redder from the fight.
The Chief Proctor quickly glanced at his datapad for information, then at 89. "This cadet has been pre-cleared and does not require any additional checks."
Cadet 89 smirked despite a light pink swelling on his face. Cadet 63 exploded again in anger and indignation. "SIR! This cannot be right! He could've easily tampered with his datapad af—"
"ENOUGH!" the Chief Proctor shouted, cutting him off. "Cadet 63, if you have any evidence, file a Form 13-C with the Exam Ethics Office. For now, your concern has been noted."
His voice was almost mechanical, sounding so mundane.
The Chief Proctor took one more look at 63 and issued a warning to the rest of the hall: "Cadet 63 has been deducted ten points for disturbing the exam process and disrupting another cadet."
Caelum watched in mild horror as 63 slumped into his seat. He remembered the sting of a single-point deduction from earlier that week; a ten-point loss could mean dropping below the cutline. This wasn't just punishment for disruption—it was a warning. Privileges remained, even when all the cadets shared the same hall, and even among AT-1 cadets.
By staying silent, Caelum felt complicit in the charade. He wasn't alone; many cadets now wore grim, bitter expressions. Cadet 63 had spoken up, only to be struck down. He had failed the unwritten test. Still, Caelum respected him for speaking up for everyone, whether it was righteous indignation or genuine grievance.
"Are you going to give me your datapad?" The proctor in Caelum's row stood in front of him, hands outstretched.
Caelum took one final look at Cadet 63's face and memorised it. "Here, sir." He handed the datapad to the proctor.
The proctor connected it to his own datapad and quickly reviewed it. After thirty seconds, he handed it back and said, "It's clear. Keep your eyes down, cadet."
Finally, it was time for the exam to start. Caelum opened the exam module through his ARC interface and connected.
1) When on an expedition, it is essential to know every role. The Anchor is:
A. Any Fifth Marked with combat command experience
B. Any Civilian Badged appointed by corporate vote
C. A licensed expedition authority recognised by the RMA grant and liability designation
D. A specialist who stabilises rifts through ARC interference
Caelum chose C, then answered the next few questions…
28) A Charter is best described as:
A. A religious order dedicated to rift containment
B. A legally recognised operator that controls gate access and contracts with the Licensed Marked
C. A private militia exempt from RMA oversight
D. A volunteer network that provides free extraction to all candidates
This one was B. He tapped the screen to confirm his answer…
79) Upon a Candidate's return from an Awakening Rift, the ARC interface records a "Baseline Profile." Which of the following is the primary operational purpose of this baseline?
A. To confirm ability manifestation and establish a reference point for future variance, risk, and classification
B. To grant automatic RMA licensure if the candidate's output exceeds the minimum threshold
C. To determine the candidate's Allocation Track (ATS) placement for educational reassignment
D. To suppress unstable abilities through mandatory calibration protocols before discharge
Caelum was starting to feel the pressure. He knew the ARC interface was used to register and verify a person officially, but it had been created soon after the rifts first opened for the Marked, and every answer seemed correct. Trusting his time spent studying, he picked A…
117) A First Marked is legally defined as:
A. Any individual with a manifested ability, regardless of registration
B. A returned awakening subject whose ARC baseline is verified and logged
C. A Licensed Operator permitted independent rift entry
D. Any Candidate who survives the written exam
An easy question, finally! Huzzah! Caelum celebrated internally. Pressing B., just under fifty questions left now, he thought.
—[THANK YOU]—
Your answers have been submitted. Result: Pending Academic Review.
Caelum let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Now everything was out of his control.