The Sight Test

Arvish and Maria arrived at an ominous-looking iron door. The door was old and rusted, with no visible handle or lock. Maria, however, seemed to know what she was doing. She knocked on the door in a rhythmic pattern, like a Morse code. After a few moments, there was a sound of clanking metal, and the door creaked open slowly.

The couple stepped inside, and the door closed behind them with a loud thud. They found themselves in a vast, dimly lit hall made entirely of iron. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of the same rusted metal. The hall was filled with people, all of them looking at Arvish and Maria with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. Some nodded or greeted Maria, but Arvish received only menacing looks from the strangers.

Maria led Arvish to the far end of the hall, where they came to another iron door. As they ascended the staircase beyond the door, Arvish felt a chill run down his spine. The walls were made of the same cold iron as the door, and the air seemed to grow heavier with each step.

Arvish and Maria entered the room filled with technological equipment. Ethan was already seated in front of one of the many monitors, spinning around in his chair to face them. As he saw them, concern was etched on his face.

"Where were you?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Maria stepped forward, her expression grave. "I-I got kidnapped by the One-hand Gang," she explained. Ethan nodded, his eyes flickering over to Arvish. "And who is this?" he asked, his tone tinged with suspicion.

Maria hesitated for a moment before replying. "This is Arvish," she said. "He helped me to escape."

Recognition dawned on Ethan's face. "Arvish? Oh my, you had quite the journey."

He then noticed Arvish's prosthetic arm. He walked up to Arvish, eyeing the arm with interest.

"This is an HR-200, it was a prototype made for the military, with some modifications," he said, looking up at Arvish.

Arvish thought about what kind of modification could he be talking about.

"Where did you get this, if you don't mind me asking?"

Arvish hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should reveal the truth, that his father had this military-grade prosthetic arm. But he also wanted answers about his past, and maybe Ethan could help him.

"It belonged to my father," he finally said.

Ethan sat back in his chair, intrigued. "Interesting," he murmured.

Maria spoke up, her eyes shining with excitement. "With this weapon, we could be more powerful, right?"

But Ethan's response was unexpected. "I don't like it," he said firmly.

Maria looked confused. "What? Why not?"

"I agree with the government on banning these kinds of things. It is too much power for one man," Ethan explained. Turning to Arvish, he added, "Thanks for helping Maria. You can go home now if you want."

Arvish was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. He had come here seeking answers on how to achieve freedom, but instead found himself in the midst of a group that seemed to be at odds with one another. He wondered if he had made a mistake in coming here, but Maria's words gave him some hope.

"I brought him here to join us," Maria spoke up, her voice firm.

Ethan's expression softened, but only slightly. "Oh, did you know?" asked Ethan. "The recruiting is Elli's job. You are a spy."

But Maria didn't back down. "He freed all the slaves from the One-hand Gang," she said, her voice ringing with pride.

Ethan's expression shifted, as if he were reassessing the situation. "But if he fails the test, you know what happens, right?"

"He will make it."

"Alright, bring him down to the hall. Elli should be here with the new recruits soon."

Ethan thought a bit, then he got up and threw a coat and a pair of gloves to Arvish.

"Hide your arm from the others. And listen to me, you can't use it for anything on the test, no matter what. We clear?"

'Well, that works for me,' thought Arvish.

He had no idea what the test entailed, but he was eager to prove his worth to this group. "What test?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Ethan's lips curved up into a cheeky smile. "Ah, it is a very interesting experiment that I designed myself. The Sight Test."

****

Elli and Kala led the group of recruits through the cramped and musty sewer, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the damp walls. The air was thick with the smell of sewage and decay, making it difficult to breathe. The recruits were visibly uncomfortable, their expressions a mix of apprehension and determination.

Finally, they reached a door, and Elli gestured for them to enter. Kala remained outside to keep watch.

The room was small and sparse, with only a metal table and a few pieces of equipment, including what appeared to be surgical tools. Elli sat down at the table and began to operate the equipment.

"From this point, there is no return, so it's time to choose. Freedom or slavery?" Kala announced to the recruits.

The recruits looked at each other hesitantly, unsure of what to do. After a moment, a man stepped forward and sat down at the table.

"Do what you have to do," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elli took the man's hand and placed it into the device. The recruits watched in silence as the machine began to hum, its lights flickering to life. Elli's fingers danced over the buttons as he worked with intense concentration.

"This will locate your ID chip, then you'll feel a little sting," Elli explained as he pushed a button.

He pressed a button, and the device emitted a sudden burst of light. The man screamed at the sudden pain, but it was over before he could react more. Elli removed the man's hand from the device, revealing a small hole through his arm.

The other recruits watched with varying degrees of apprehension as Elli worked. One by one, they stepped forward to have their ID chips removed.

As the last recruit underwent the procedure, Kala stood guard at the door. She knew that they were taking a huge risk, but she also knew that it was necessary for their cause.

Finally, Elli finished the last procedure, and the recruits all stood up, rubbing their newly liberated forearms. They looked at each other with a newfound sense of freedom and determination.

"Let's go," Kala said, gesturing for them to follow her.

The group made their way back through the sewer, their footsteps echoing in the darkness.

****

Arvish stood nervously in the hall with the other recruits who had been saved by Elli. His heart raced as he waited for their next move. Waiting had never been his strong suit, especially when his fate hung in the balance.

Maria had promised him that everything would be okay, but Arvish couldn't shake off his doubts. In the past few days, he had been through too many close calls and narrow escapes to believe in happy endings. As he stood there, he couldn't help but think how messed up this situation was. Here he was, waiting on someone else's decision, just like back in his regular life.

He felt like a pawn in someone else's game, and he didn't like it one bit.

Arvish tried out his prosthetic arm once again. He watched as it moved a little bit, and his hope went up, but it died quickly when he realized that the prosthetic was still not functioning properly. He could lift it with his upper arm, but there was no movement in the prosthetic itself.

Arvish knew that he needed to find a quick way to fix his prosthetic before anyone found out that it was useless. But he didn't have time for it now, as he had a test to take.

Arvish distracted himself by observing the other recruits. Most of them seemed to be around his age, but their backgrounds and experiences were likely vastly different. He wondered what led them all to this moment, waiting together in a hall in the sewers, with their lives hanging in the balance.

Despite their shared fear and uncertainty, he couldn't help but feel a sense of isolation. He knew he should try to connect with them, to find some sense of community, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was alone in this.

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan, the leader of the Observers, walked out onto the balcony with Kala. The room fell silent as he began to speak.

Ethan raised his right hand, the eye tattoo was vivid on his forearm.

"Let there be light!" he shouted.

The people also raised their arms and shouted back, "That blemish the darkness!"

"Attention, everyone," Ethan announced. "We have newcomers who want to join our organization."

There was no applause or cheering from the existing members. They simply stared at Arvish and the other recruits with steely expressions. Arvish could sense the tension in the air. He knew that this was a secret organization, and that failure could mean the end of everything they were fighting for.

"But before you can join us on our quest," Ethan continued, "You must first understand what we're fighting for. So, I am Ethan, the leader of the Observers. Our goal is to open the eyes of the public to the mistreatment they're receiving from the government."

This time, the existing members broke into wild applause and cheers. Ethan smiled wryly, as if he had been expecting this reaction.

"As is customary for new members," Ethan said, "You will need to pass the Sight test to prove that you belong with us."

Arvish and the other recruits exchanged uneasy glances. They had no idea what the Sight test was, or what it would entail.

But before they could ask any questions, Kala stepped forward and whispered something in Ethan's ear.

"I've just received some news that requires our immediate attention," Ethan announced. "In the meantime, our new recruits will be taken to a secluded quarter to wait. Elli, please lead them there."

Elli stepped forward to lead the way. Arvish fell into step behind her with the other recruits.

After what felt like miles of walking, they arrived at a large metal door. Elli pushed it open, revealing a large, sparsely furnished room that looked like a military barrack. There were rows of bunk beds, a few desks, and a small kitchen.

"All you need to do is relax and wait here until we come back for you," Elli said, gesturing for them to enter.

As Arvish stepped inside, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. At least he had somewhere to wait, somewhere to rest. But as he turned to thank Elli, he saw that one of the other recruits was being stopped at the door.

"We will only have a couple of open spots in the Observers," Elli was whispering to him.

Arvish couldn't hear what he was told, just watched as the recruit nodded, looking slightly intimidated. Then Elli closed the door behind them, leaving them alone in the dimly lit room.