The exam was over. A handful of candidates were caught cheating and shot on the spot, albeit with suppressed pistols so as not to distract the rest of the examinees. Most of them had finished the papers in time without any issues. The plane reeked of blood, brain, piss and faeces.

The invigilator walked down the row with a trolley, like how a stewardess would walk down the aisles with food and drink. She wore a mask and gloves, collecting the exam scripts with tongs like a used hot towel. Into the bins, the stapled papers went. The invigilator reached the tail end of the plane and closed the curtains. A large buzzing from the back indicated that a large machine was counting the scripts. For a long ten minutes, Jade and the rest of the children sat in their soggy chairs, waiting, yearning for a shower—and then food. Good hot food.

Static churned about in the cabin. “All candidates, attention. The time now is 5:15 pm. All scripts have been accounted for.” A bell rang out. “The fasten seat belt sign is now off and the doors have been disarmed. Please exit the plane in an orderly fashion and head directly to the decontamination bays where you will be dressed down and showered by the Hazmat Crews. Thank you for your service. The throne hopes and prays for your success in your future careers now and forever. Glory to Our Great Asia.” A whistle blew and the doors opened. The wretched stench of death and waste sprinted out of the plane before everyone else.

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The people in yellow suits sprayed them down with steaming hot, high-pressure sprays mixed with a mild antiseptic. The only warning the yellow people gave them was: “Don’t open your eyes or open your mouth. Hold your breath if you can.”

Jade held her breath. For this, she had the talent. It was like playing with the waves on the beach. Except that the waves were hot stinging lava and smelled of cleaning alcohol.

The time was 6:00 pm, and they were cooled by air blasts from turbofans and given their ‘graduation attire’. Like the impending sunset, they were dressed in clothes that were red and golden, like the colours of their nation’s flag, free of charge of course.

Anything for the children. Anything for the future cogs of the endless machine of the loyal and royal subjects of the United Kingdom of Krah.