35 The Third Exam's Rules

The waiter smiled kindly at Jenira, "Well this is a high-class restaurant but it's pretty similar. We just make it fancier." Jenira beamed, "Then I will take the mini-corn dogs!" Everyone was silent at the table for a long second. Jayce looked at Jenira with a huge grin curling its way across his face. "You're ordering what?" She smiled at him, "Mini-corn dogs." "Yeah, that's what I thought you said." Jayce struggled desperately to control his laughter. His cheeks shook and quivered as he battled against the emotions within him with all of his might.

Micu was the first to break and he released a laugh that was delirious with joy. Jayce couldn't hold it any longer and he joined in laughing. Ralnas just smiled at his sister. He remembered how right after they had been taken from Earth that was the first thing she had asked for. Though it was a happy memory at the moment he had always had a guilt pressing down on him that he couldn't provide for her like they were taken care of back on Earth.

Hearing her order her most desired dish here with their friends brought tears to his eyes and he pretended it was from laughing so much. Jenira just grinned, she had expected to be teased about it but the moment she had seen it was on the menu she knew there was only one thing she wanted to eat here. Ionas and Dalia smiled at her, they knew the basic details of Ralnas and Jenira's situation. So her ordering Earth food here didn't surprise them in the least. When they had first come to the simulation they had searched high and low for a good taco place.

The order figured this was some sort of inside joke and humbly took the order and ambled off. As the others discovered dishes that they wanted to try the small dinner extended deep into the night. Plates of desserts were piled high and the four teens were feeling quite sleepy with their bellies so full. Ionas waved the waiter over and scanned his watch against their bill before smiling at the waiter. He then looked up to the kids, "Well it's much too late to return to the human safe zone. Micu why don't you four just move into the loft we have here until the exam is over? It's close to the Coliseum and we won't bother you guys in the mornings."

The three friends looked at Micu with excited faces. Having been exposed to the extent of Micu's families wealth they were even more curious about the places he lived. His secret life was quickly becoming the most fascinating topic in their group. Micu shrugged, "If you're okay with it dad then we will happily accept." Ionas smiled widely, "I am okay with it." He nodded with the authority of a man accustomed to being the most important one in the room. Dalia and Ionas stood and then ushered them outside. "Micu you remember the door code to get in?" Dalia asked as she and Ionas stepped into their gorgeous black hovercar. Micu nodded dully and waved his parents off.

Ralnas watched them go before turning to follow Micu around the block. "Dude your parents are awesome!" Micu nodded. "I bet they do some crazy cool stuff don't they?" Micu nodded again. "Do you know exactly what it is they do? Like not the title but the actual real life stuff they do?" Micu hesitated before answering. "I know they work on stuff that covers up some of the oversights that exist in the simulation. They don't usually come out of the complex where they work. I think they're like super doctors." Ralnas nodded as he began seriously pondering what super doctors would do on a daily basis.

They arrived before a sleek black marble building. It was just outside of the downtown area of major hub one and it had far fewer neon signs decorating its sides. Micu stepped up to the gated door and entered a six-digit code into a console that appeared before him. The wall to their left slid away and an elevator revealed itself. A low whistle escaped Jayce's lips. Micu snickered, "Rich people don't let buildings impress them. Just relax." He climbed into the elevator and entered a different code before waving them in. The three tried to not make a sound as the elevator climbed quickly up the imposing building. A "ding" sound played as the elevator slowed and slid open.

Jayce looked around for a window but there were none in the hallway. "Hey Micu, how high up are we?" He asked as they zigzagged through hallways decorated with various statues of robotic constructs. Micu thought for a second, "If I recall correctly we have the loft on the 482nd floor. We're pretty close to the penthouse which is the 500th." Ralnas gasped in deeply. "This building has 500 floors?" Micu nodded, "Yeah most buildings in the hub go way past the clouds. It's kind of the theme. Omnipresent buildings, urban expansion, you know. That kind of thing." Ralnas still wasn't sure he believed that they were almost 500 stories in the air but didn't have a way to check it for himself.

Micu approached a jet black door and entered yet another code into its projected console. The door made a "click" and Micu pushed it open. As the three friends entered after him they all gasped and froze in their steps. Before them extended a wall made entirely of glass. There was no haze here like there was on the ground and endless skyscrapers extended before them. Floating buildings orbited the hub and traffic was steadily flowing in between buildings even at this late hour. A thin deck extended from the loft and had an elegant wire rail preventing people from falling off. Closer to them was a broad kitchen with a large counter space. Every type of appliance that Jayce knew of and some that he didn't fit snuggly into the wall to their left. A large open space was beyond that with a U shaped couch surrounding an enormous TV that was currently floating above a modern fireplace. A glass staircase extended to an upstairs.

Micu proudly showed them around the living room and kitchen area but on the deck, he let them just gaze off into the distance without saying anything for quite a long time. "Micu you lived here?" Ralnas couldn't begin to wrap his head around it. Micu nodded and pointed to one of the more elegant skyscrapers that was to their left. "That's team Ocean's base. You can tell during the day because they project fish and sea animals on the screen they have on the outside." He then pointed to the opposite side. A shorter yellow building shaped like a bubble was illuminated with bright lights. "That's team Wolf's base. It's the shortest of the mega-skyscrapers out here but I've heard it could survive a direct attack from an Overwatcher for a few blows." He finally pointed to a building that was barely outlined with dull red lights. It was the least ostentatious building before them but carried an imposing aura. "And that my friends, is team Eternity's base. "

Jayce and Ralnas pushed as close to the glass as they could to see these buildings and stared awestruck into the night. Jenira smiled and watched Jayce's eyes flip from base to base like a greedy child choosing which candy to try first. Micu then coughed softly to bring their attention back to the loft. "So shall I show you upstairs?" Three energetic heads nodded in response.

Climbing the stairs Micu pointed out the two bathrooms right when you exited the staircase. "We three boys can share the larger one. Jen, you can have the smaller one for just yourself." He then pointed out the four rooms that were split evenly on each side of the stairs. "My room is the last one and my parent's room is the one next to that. I don't know if we should sleep in theirs so I can share my room. Ralnas you want to share?" He looked at his friend hopefully. Ralnas did a quick check to see if Jayce was jealous but he had a faraway look in his eyes. "I definitely want to be your roommate Micu! I'll be way better than Jayce! I won't get your room dirty!"

Ralnas looked back to see if his teasing had affected Jayce but was disappointed to just get a smile in return. "I can't really argue with that Ral." He just said calmly and then walked to the room furthest from Micu's. "Is my dirty nature far away enough from you now?" An annoyed look appeared on Ralnas' face. "No, you were supposed to be the one getting teased Jayce. Not me." Jayce laughed and then called out to Micu, "Is it okay if I sleep in this one?" Micu gave a thumbs up and then quickly opened his watch and typed some things into it.

A trio of robot maids descended from the ceiling and zoomed into Micu's and Jayce's chosen rooms. "Just let them get it set up for us. We don't usually get visitors... or stay here for that matter." Micu shrugged as two of the maids exited his room and went into the last unclaimed room. Jenira watched them work with a hint of amusement on her face. "I assume that's my room then?" Micu laughed, "Uh yep!" The maids exited the rooms and disappeared back into the ceiling and Micu waved them into their rooms.

Before they entered the room Ralnas yelled out, "Good night team!" He then dashed in before Micu could slap him for being so loud. Jayce and Jenira chuckled and then entered their respective rooms. A quiet peace descended on the loft and each slept more contently than they had in weeks.

...

Nine impressive individuals were gathered around an imposing roundtable. Their individual flags hung loosely from each throne-like chair they occupied. The atmosphere was tense and those who were there to record notes or provide refreshments felt their mental strength withering away from just being in the room. Zakzakiel stood and addressed the other eight members of the group. "Team leaders, I have come with a simple request." He paused and glanced around the table. "I request that we begin to thin the capability exam early. We already have more teams in this year's exam than we know what to do with. Therefore I propose we skip the planned third exam and proceed directly into the Coliseum round." He sat down and waited for the other leaders to react.

No words were spoken but Zakzakiel knew that they were communicating with their trusted members through hidden channels before anyone spoke. He was not surprised that the first to speak was C-4. "I don't understand your intent Zakzakiel. Your team usually feeds on the teams that progress deep into the exam but aren't very strong." His taunt didn't escape Zakzakiel's notice but he let it pass.

C-4 smiled confidently at him and then crossed his thick reptilian arms as he awaited a reply. Though behind his blank white mask, Zakzakiel was smiling. "I have been given a gift from the Overwatcher's. They have informed me that the next grand prize is to reveal itself soon. So I wish to recruit the teams I want and then begin preparing them as quickly as possible." He had dropped his bombshell information and was excited to see the chaos it would cause to the other teams.

This time there was no silence. Immediately many voices began shouting out with disbelief. Zakzakiel leaned back in his chair and watched the fireworks. C-4 pounded on the table to bring order back to the room. He looked over to his right where a small cat-like creature was sitting. "Little blue, your team Ocean usually acts as the unbiased opinion on our council. What are your thoughts?"

Little blue was the smallest team leader there by some margin. His blue and grey fur alternated in tiger stripes and his sky blue eyes scanned the room. Standing on his chair to induce a confident aura he spoke slowly. "If it's true that the grand prize is about to become available again then I have to agree with Zakzakiel. There is no room for the weak in this quest. Therefore I say we begin elimination rounds as early as possible. For their safety and ours." He then sat down and watched Zakzakiel with interest.

Zakzakiel spread his hands in an innocent expression. "I swear to you all the Overwatcher sent his own servant to tell me in person. He also mentioned that they're changing the rules of the grand prize but didn't tell me how..." He flexed his wings and stood. "Well, then shall we take a vote?"

Seven hands, paws, fins, and claws raised in support. Zakzakiel nodded in contentment as he glanced at the two who hadn't agreed. Team Eternity's leader Alpha and team Templar's leader King. He wasn't surprised and then returned his focus to the group. "Then I shall command the judges to send the announcement out to the competitors tonight." He floated away his feet hovering inches from the ground. An evil smile was hidden behind his mask and internally he couldn't control his glee. His master's plan was one step closer to completion and with it his ascension to godhood.

Behind him, the other team leaders sat deep in contemplation. A single question haunting all of their thoughts. How much time did they have before the grand competition began anew?