Chapter 36 Examination Part 14

Jake ran down the narrow pathway. Unlike the earlier paths, this one was very claustrophobic. You know, with all the applicants squished together in this pathway like sardines in a can, they were pushing and shoving, trying to hinder everyone around them. It was already a bad situation, but it became worst when the announcer's voice came through the loudspeakers. "Yo-yo-yo, just letting you applicants know, know, know that even more, more, more of y'all have passed the first part of the exam. For all of you that haven't passed yet, better hurry, only three hundred are advancing." This update sent everyone into a frenzy. They became more violent and desperate.

An applicant threw their elbow back, hitting Jake in the face. Even he became desperate, grabbing his unknown assailant by the back of their collar, then hitting them in the head with the katana. They fell forward, falling into those in front of them. This created a mini chaos effect of applicants falling and getting tangled with each other, but Jake was lucky. He simply jumped over the applicant he hit in the head, then stepped on the downed bodies caused by his action.

"I got to pass, I have to pass," were the only thoughts running through his head. Jake continued running down the narrow path, fighting with applicants just as desperate to succeed as he was. The crazy display had Moon D cracking up. "Man, man, look at them go," he said, this crazy with each passing second. The more hopeless applicants started to feel, the more risky and violent they became, and to Moon D, it was beautiful, but it was missing something.

The announcer started to rub his chin. "Hmmmm, it's good, very good, maybe even great, but it's missing a little something."

"Sir?" one of the many workers at computers asked.

"It needs a little bit more, don't you think?" he pondered for a moment, then he snapped his fingers. "I got it! We got anymore robots?"

"Yes, sir, quite a few actually. We didn't realize all of them, and only a handful were destroyed."

"That's good, really good," the announcer said with a devilish grin on his face. "Then release all of them in the final area."

There were gasps heard all through the viewing room. "Sir, are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. It'll be great entertainment."

"But sir, don't you think this is a bit overkill?"

At this question, Moon D leaned back in his chair and shot what seemed to be a mean look at the worker who asked what he thought was a stupid question. The look made the employee wince; it gave them goosebumps. "This is far from overkill," he said in a more serious tone, no hint of the man he was only seconds ago. "This is an exam for potential students to join the military academy. The Gardenia military doesn't take anyone off the streets, only the best of the best. So, to see if any of these applicants have got what it takes, we have to apply pressure."

At this, Moon D stopped leaning, sat forward, then crossed his legs. "Can't create diamonds without a little bit of pressure," he smiled. "Now, release the robots."

The workers didn't respond, they didn't protest. They did as the man said.

As Jake was still fighting his way through the crowd of other applicants, something caught his eyes from above. A great many deals of somethings caught his eyes as they jumped down into the maze with the rest of them. There were multiple huge crashes, applicants were thrown around as if they were confetti.

"Holy shit," an applicant said as one of the things had landed only a few inches right in front of them, seemingly crushing an applicant that stood before them just a second ago. "Robots… more… robot," they said, terrified.

The sight of the machine made the applicant fall to the ground in terror. The robot in front of them looked down at the pitiful display before it, as an automated voice came from it. "Commencing battle." At this, the robot swung its metal pipe down, and it wasn't the only one. Now in this narrow, tight space, 20 machines were attacking applicants that could hardly even breathe.

When the machines had landed, Jake stopped in his tracks. He got nervous; there were multiple robots in front of him attacking applicants. When he turned around, he saw the same thing, multiple robots in this narrow pathway brutalizing applicants. Jake felt his stomach start to sink; sweat started to glisten his forehead. "I can't escape," he thought. "It's over."

Jake felt the same feeling he had known before, ever since his mother was in the hospital. He felt himself slip away, but he regained himself. "No, I… don't have time for this shit!" He started to think about his mother, and as he did, he broke into a sprint, moving forward. He crossed over bodies, pushed past other applicants that were trying to flee. He ran, each step he pushed harder and harder, mixed with the memories of his mother. He had memories of that night when he fought that man with this katana. He looked at the sword in his hands as he neared closer to a machine that had just broken another applicant.

Jake reached out his other hand and grabbed the hilt, aiming to pull it from its sheathe. Even though it was only a single time, he remembered how using it felt. He needed to pass, he was going to pass, so he pulled, but as he did, nothing. Nothing happened. Once again, he couldn't unsheathe the blade, but Jake didn't freeze, he kept running forward.

As he approached, the robot turned its attention on him. It was about to strike, and Jake knew it, but he didn't stop. He ran forward without an ounce of fear. He only screamed at the metal robot, "GET THE FUCK OUT MY WAY!" He grabbed the katana hilt with both hands and swung it at the robot head, before it could even make its first move. The slug stunned the robot, throwing it off its balance. Jake's strike was a good one, that he had an opening to deliver another strike or two, but he didn't. He simply ran past the stunned robot, moving towards his goal. "I won't stop, I won't stop, don't stop," he kept charging forward. He had to step on the bodies of applicants that were crushed, but still, he didn't stop, he kept moving forward.

As he neared, then passed the next robot, then the next one, then the next, he kept going. He was battered and bruised, some he would attack, and then they'd land an attack if their own back onto him, but he didn't feel it. The adrenaline mixed with his determination made him feel nothing, it fueled him. He kept running, faster and faster down the narrow path. He ran past other applicants that escaped the mechanical onslaught, he kept going and going and going, till he saw a light. A light shined down the end of the path; it was the exit, the end to this horrible maze. He kept running, "keep going, don't stop, just run," he thought, and he did just that He continued on, his way filled with determination, determination that she could feel. The way Jake was now reminded her of that night, only days ago. It reminded her of him, the one that was lost to her Mifune. Jake kept running until he exited the maze and ended in an open area. What he saw before him were many applicants, just standing around or sitting. Some looked at him as he arrived, but many didn't give Jake the time of day. As he stood there, panting like a rabid dog, Jake heard a familiar automated sound from behind him.

"You pass," the sound announced.

Jake quickly turned his gaze to the sound, and he saw a machine, but it wasn't attacking. It only announced his passing of the first part of the exam. Jake was sweating bullets now, his legs, more like his whole body, were tired. As Jake collapsed to the floor, exhausted, he thought to himself, 'Mom, I… I did it,' as he passed out.