Space warped around Kyle, and a moment later he was back on the teleporter inside the Collective Institute. A skrell woman who was short even by their standards gestured for him to step off the platform, which he did. It looked as though the majority of the applicants had already returned, though Auric Perception allowed him to feel the mana condensing behind him as another person was warped in.
A quick prompt on his nav bracelet indicated he should wait in the entrance hall for instructions, and he took the time to look around the room. Most of the applicants looked to be well, though he felt mild surprise when he saw more than a few sporting new injuries and damaged equipment. Then again, Kyle couldn’t talk too much, as one of his weapons was close to breaking.
He thought about his experience with D Grades, and came to the conclusion that his understanding had to be skewed. Because he interacted the most with Chester, Skippy, and Duroc, it was easy to forget about Randolph and Themestra. Both D Grades, and neither would have done well at all in trying to finish the first phase of the Practicum.
When viewed through that lens, it made a lot more sense. Kyle just set the bar too high based on his own experience. Of course, that didn’t mean there weren’t some that cleared it. A quick use of IDENTIFY made those exceptional individuals clear to him.
A small crowd had gathered around the velgian in white armor he saw before, and Kyle couldn’t see a single mark or blemish on him. The tall white alien wasn’t talking with the group, and looked towards the screen with a clearly bored expression. Kyle could understand why. The armor he wore was heavily infused with mana, with even more impressions offered by the blade on his hip. IDENTIFY didn’t show any one attribute that stood out particularly high against the others, though it felt like each was well beyond what could be considered ‘normal.’
As he was beginning to get a headache looking at the velgian, he turned his attention to another figure leaning against a corner. The younger human in the hooded black robes carried a couple of new scars, but Kyle could feel an aura of power from the kid that was noticeably stronger than before. Whatever experiences the young man had, they were fruitful during his time away. Kyle could practically see the lightning mana thrumming through his body, giving an impression of a natural disaster in human form.
Lastly, the four-armed woman appeared to be in great spirits as she walked around the room, humming to herself. With her pink skin and delicate frame, she gathered nearly as much attention as the velgian had, though Kyle suspected there was more interest in her feminine curves than her power. Her appearance belied what Kyle could only describe as a monstrous Strength attribute, dwarfing that of anybody else in the room.
Her Intelligence was nothing to scoff at either, and each of the four bracelets she wore gave off an interesting impression. What Kyle noticed the most, however, were two gentle trails of mana that sprouted from her back. Without IDENTIFY he wouldn’t have noticed, but with it he saw the outline of two beautiful butterfly wings.
Not wanting to be caught staring, Kyle deactivated his skill and looked away. Instead, he did a mental inventory of the things he and C.H.A.D.D. gained during their time away. First, and most obvious, was the pure improvement in levels and power. Kyle was happy with the growth he’d experienced, and the bonuses to Enhanced Carapace were equally as impressive.
C.H.A.D.D. had similarly gained some insights, particularly in the realm of plant life grown without light. Using mana as fuel was their standard solution, though C.H.A.D.D. learned a lot about adapting the plants to break down mineral deposits as nourishment. They hadn’t tested these applications yet, and Kyle was excited to see what they could do.
Finally, they had acquired a number of different types of plants. Kyle found some seed pods for the strange trees on the surface, and they’d similarly saved the seeds from the gourds he’d eaten. Kyle wasn’t entirely sure what he would use them for, but he was very interested in the way they insulated against the harsh environments.
Another form appeared on the platform – a goblin covered in soot and scorch marks – and the screens around the room lit up. The room fell silent as all eyes were drawn to the close-up image of a skrell face.
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“Well done, applicants, for making it this far! As all but one of you figured out, the purpose of this exercise was to test your adaptability and ability to integrate among a foreign society.”
Kyle felt more than a little self-conscious at the comment, as well as a pang of worry. Are they going to fail me for that?
The voice continued, totally unaware of Kyle’s nervousness. “While there were varying degrees of success, there were also several truly noteworthy performances. We didn’t offer much in advance of Phase One, but for Phase Two we’ll be giving you a week to prepare. You will each be tasked with joining an E Grade caravan that is making a delivery. The planets you’ll be sent to are not currently outfitted with a robust teleportation network, and you can expect your deliveries to take anywhere between one sixth to half a cycle.”
That was interesting to Kyle. If the caravan is expected to be fine with only E Grades, why involve a D Grade at all? There has to be more to the test. As if reading his mind, the announcer continued after a brief pause.
“This should go without saying, but after Phase One we want to be clear. You will be measured on the successful completion of the mission. There are additional objectives you may accomplish to demonstrate your value – however the pass or fail will be based on whether or not your mission objectives are completed. You will be given a full breakdown of the parameters upon the start of Phase Two. You have seventy-eight hours to prepare, we expect you all back in this room and prepared to depart at that time.”
With that, the group was dismissed. Several groups of applicants formed, chatting amicably with one another. Kyle assumed that many of them were part of the same classes, and had come to know one another through the course of their preparation. Hell, some of them likely had attempted the Practicum together at least once. The velgian was the first to leave, ignoring several groups that tried calling out to him to start conversation.
Too good for the rest of us, I suppose. Still, Kyle couldn’t bring himself to think poorly of the velgian. The reality was pretty simple – he really was that good. All of his gear appeared to be top-notch, and coupled with the presence IDENTIFY showed, there really wasn’t much competition for the strongest among their group.
A gaggle of people surrounded the kid in the black robes, who was excitedly swapping stories with some of the other applicants. Already thinking about what how he was going to spend the next few days, Kyle nearly ran right into the pink-skinned woman who had finished her circuit of the room and headed straight for him.
“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to get in your way.” Kyle said, taking a step back and giving her room to pass.
“You’re not in my way at all, I came to talk to you. My name’s Tillienne, it’s nice to meet you.” She gave a shallow curtsey, and only then did Kyle realize exactly how deep the cut of her neckline went. He focused on her dark, almond-shaped eyes intently.
“You can call me Kyle. Tillienne, I’m afraid you might have the wrong idea. There’s not much business somebody like you would have with a backwater D Grade like me.”
She gave a grin that was absolutely predatory, revealing perfectly white teeth behind her full, plump lips. “Why would you say something silly like that?”
Kyle gave her a flat look, and spoke with an even flatter tone. “Because based on the quality of your equipment, credits aren’t an issue for you. You’re either independently wealthy or have the backing of influential people. Beyond that, you’re easily one of the most powerful people in the room. I don’t have any connections that would be noteworthy for somebody like you, and I’m not looking to get tangled up with a bigger faction right now.”
Kyle’s objections flowed off of Tillienne like water off a duck’s back as she laughed, a twinkle in her eye. “And if I didn’t have an identification skill of my own, all that might be true. You’re the first ‘backwater D Grade’ I’ve ever met that I have no confidence in beating, and that has me interested.”
Repressing flashbacks from his sparring sessions with Skippy, Kyle tried to come up with a response. Before he could, she jumped in. “Come on, at least meet up with me for a bite to eat. It’d be my treat.”
After six weeks of eating little other than rations, gourds, and mushrooms, Kyle’s stomach made that decision for him.
~~~
Shadowed figures observed as the human exchanged information with the fae woman before leaving the Institute’s grounds.
“He’s an interesting candidate, no doubt about it.” The voice was smooth as velvet, nearly seeming to purr as it spoke.
“You need to hire better proctors. They were so blinded by the flashy events they missed the most remarkable pieces of Phase One.” This voice was stern, the reproach clear in its gravelly tone.
The first voice responded, unperturbed by the criticism. “Oh relax, that’s why I allow the viewing parties in the first place. The proctors decide if they pass, we decide where they work.”
There was no argument forthcoming, and soon the shadowy projections winked out. The voice that spoke first lingered just a moment longer, watching the human leave. Kyle Mayhew… It wasn’t often the whole design of the Practicum was thrown into disarray, and the human had done it beautifully. Refusing to engage with the examination’s mechanics while finding a way to pass was a testament to the bizarre capabilities the young man possessed. Don’t disappoint me now.