She wasn’t finished before Jena grabbed the glass and took one great swallow. Everyone was taken by surprise, but began whooping and clapping when she brought it back down and wiped her mouth. Kiva remained uninvolved in the proceedings but angered by them.
“Go to hell, that is
wrecked
,” Jena said, receiving a high-five from Erin, then one from Garros.
Ezra took a deep breath and, taking everyone by surprise as well, brought it to his mouth and drank. Its texture was disgusting: granular and thick. He tried not to breathe so he could suppress the sour taste, but the instant it went down his throat, it threatened to close up. He coughed, felt like vomiting. Everyone was staring at him.
He shut his eyes and swallowed.
“
Dammit
!” he exclaimed once the drink was down, and the cheering and applause began.
Garros slammed his huge hand on Ezra’s shoulder and laughed. “That’s my man!” he exclaimed, laughing. “Who’s next? Purple? Davenport?”
When Kiva still refused, and instead finished his meal, Poole reluctantly took a drink. It was a small, shy drink, but it still made her wince. Her round of applause was no less enthusiastic.
“Last drink,” Tessa said, and slid the glass towards Kiva.
“Sorry, but I’m not drinking that,” he said firmly. “I don’t believe in bad luck.”
“Do it, man,” Jena said with a smile, and put her hand on Kiva’s. “It’s not so bad.”
“No, Jena. Sorry.” Kiva got up and walked towards the counter for another tray.
“That’s his funeral,” Garros said, took the glass, and finished it off. He wiped his beard with his massive, tattooed forearm and slammed his hand on Ezra’s shoulder again. It was a strong hit but definitely friendly. “You three—good for you. Welcome! We’ll see you for dinner after you get your Creux assigned. There’s gonna be a party tonight. Your very pleasant friend is invited, too.”
Ezra looked at Kiva and wondered why he had refused to drink the shake so obstinately. That was the behavior of someone who had experienced bullying, but considering Akiva’s size and personality, this idea was hard to believe.
When Kiva returned, the others had dispersed and the table was silent.
After the meal, Ezra’s day continued as scheduled. The compatibility lab was more impressively equipped than any hospital he had ever seen. He was in a small examination room, but a window gave him a view into the lab itself, and the sight was almost blinding. Everything was glowing blue and white, and he couldn’t recognize almost any of the machines in there.
Ezra had been asked to remove his uniform. As it was a big jumpsuit, removing it had left him almost naked. He had also been told to sit on the examination table and wait for the process to begin. It would all be automated, and that was a worrying thought: Ezra didn’t trust machines and would have preferred the process to be carried out by a human being.
After about ten minutes of waiting, he heard three beeps that made him turn toward a flat screen hanging on the wall like a framed picture. The letter Z spun on the screen as the computer booted up, then unfolded into the Zenith logo and placed itself in the corner with the quirky notes of tubular bells.
Welcome, Ezra Blanchard
, a message appeared, followed by a little smiling face.
We will start the compatibility test now. Are you ready?
Then, another smiling face that, instead of reassuring Ezra, just made him feel strange.
Please insert your right arm into the Blood and Tissue Extractor. : )
“Into the what?”
A machine was lowered from the ceiling, coming to a halt at eye level. It was a large white tube. The inside of the cylinder was red and cushioned. Ezra looked into it, unsure. He didn’t want to make a mistake that could cost him his arm.
A beep.
Are you afraid? It will not hurt! : )
“
Hoooh boy
,” Ezra sighed and slowly inserted his arm into the tube. With no warning, the cushioned inside inflated, trapping his arm inside. A rush of panic overtook him like a wave, and he tried to extract his arm, but it was too tightly gripped.
A beep.
We will now start with the blood extraction. How fun! : )
Ezra yelped when he felt two sharp stabs: one in the wrist and another in the joint between his arm and forearm. Blood was immediately drawn; he could see it pooling inside a transparent packet hanging at the sides of the machine.
A beep, and a message:
We’re almost done! : )
The cushions deflated and Ezra pulled his arm out. It hurt, but there was barely a mark where the needles had pierced his flesh.
Please insert your left arm into the Blood and Tissue Extractor. : )
“No way in hell!” Ezra said.
Please insert your left arm into the Blood and Tissue Extractor? : (
“No, it hurt.”
Please insert your left arm into the Blood and Tissue Extractor? : (
“Where’s Dr. Mizrahi?”
Please insert your left arm into the Blood and Tissue Extractor! >: (
The last face worried Ezra more than it should. He knew the machine wouldn’t hurt him, but he still didn’t want to get in a fight. “
Fine
,” he said and put his arm inside the tube. Once more, the cushioned inside inflated, trapping his left arm.
The sudden mechanical sound of a buzz saw made him sweat cold. He looked up at the source of the noise and felt faint when, through an acrylic window on the side of the machine, he saw an actual surgical saw descending towards his wrist. “Help!” he yelled, trying to draw out his arm.
The saw approached his arm. He could feel it cutting his flesh.
“
Help!
”
The machine stopped. Then retreated.
Just kidding! We’re done! : )
“
What the dusty hell!
” Ezra yelled, and the cushions deflated. He pulled his arm back so quickly he almost fell off the examination table. The entire contraption began ascending again and all but disappeared into the roof.
Still sweating, Ezra examined his arm. In the panic caused by the saw, he hadn’t noticed the tissue extraction, but it had definitely taken place. Halfway down his left forearm, there was a small gap in his flesh the machine had covered with a tiny white patch for healing.
Thank you for your samples, we’ll take care of them! Have a nice day, Ezra Blanchard! ^_^
Back in his uniform, Ezra was moved to the main laboratory chamber, where he joined Jena, Kiva, and Poole. They were surrounded by machines and computers that seemed to be busy. “Are you okay? You look pale,” Jena said.
“The little joke—I didn’t think it was funny,” Ezra said and wiped sweat off his forehead.
“What little joke?” Kiva asked.
“The thing with the—” Ezra began, but then realized they hadn’t been subjects to the computer’s terrible sense of humor. “Nothing. Never mind.”
“You got the saw thing, didn’t you?” a familiar voice said. The group turned to face Alice in full Zenith uniform. The logo of her Creux, the minimalist shadow of a suit of armor against a blue circle with the words
ABSOLUTE OMEGA
, was proudly patched on her chest. “Your friend Garros got it too when he got here. Dr. Mizrahi coded that into the extractor. She has a strange sense of humor,” she said. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jena, Kiva, and Poole said, and Ezra joined in a little too late.
“You remember me: I’m First Lieutenant Alice Nolan, and I’m the current leader of the Creux Defense Squad, which is to say I’m in charge of managing every Creux pilot in Zenith. The moment these machines determine which Creux is your match, you will become part of the Creux Defense Squad. You will be assigned a dormitory and a crew of either two or three people who will be in charge of maintaining your Creux and helping you in training.”
“Ma’am, why is this lab so empty?” asked Kiva.
“It’s not,” Alice said and pointed to the wall behind them. Ten feet above ground there was a black window. “Behind that is the observation and control deck of the lab. Dr. Mizrahi and her crew are watching, expecting your results. However, thanks to the work of Dr. Mizrahi and her sister Dahlia, may she rest in peace, a lot of Zenith functions automatically. It is important for Roue to keep this place a secret, so we try to function with as few employees as possible. I don’t expect the machines will take much longer. Feel free to use this time to ask me any questions you have. If I’m allowed to answer, I will.”
Forty more minutes passed before the computers finished analyzing their blood and tissue samples. Alice answered questions about life in Zenith, training, and classes, but never about the Creux themselves. Still, Ezra wondered if she didn’t know the answers, or if she was not cleared to reveal them yet.
The huge screen in front of them came alive, displaying the revolving Z like the computer in the examination room had. Their results were ready.
“This is exciting,” Akiva said with a huge smile.
“It is,” Alice replied. “It always is.”
A photograph of Poole appeared on the screen. It seemed recent, and Ezra didn’t remember having his photograph taken, though it wouldn’t surprise him if a machine had taken it without his noticing. Living in a facility with automated everythings was sure to make him feel vulnerable.
All eyes went to Poole, who seemed as nervous as Ezra felt.
VIVIAN BERENICE POOLE
HEALTH OF TISSUE:
IDEAL
BLOOD TYPE:
SIGMA
BLOOD CLASS:
B
MATCHING CREUX:
The machine took a moment to load more information, as if trying to create tension.
CREUX MODEL NUMBER C-15. CODENAME: ROSE XIBALBA
Alice began to clap as Poole, Ezra, Jena, and Kiva joined in, as did the team of scientists in the observation deck behind the glass. Jena gave Poole a hug. “Congratulations!”
Next up came the photograph of Jena. She dried sweaty palms on her uniform and brought her hands to her chin in a mix of excitement and anxiety.
JENA ALEXANDRA CRESCENT
HEALTH OF TISSUE:
IDEAL
BLOOD TYPE:
BETA
BLOOD CLASS:
A
MATCHING CREUX:
Once again, the computer took a moment to load the results.
CREUX MODEL NUMBER C-22. CODENAME: JADE ARJUNA
“Oh she is
awesome
!” Alice said. “You got the one I would’ve loved to get.”
Akiva hugged Jena as the round of applause and congratulations began. Next up was either him or Kiva. He wasn’t sure what was the significance of their assigned Creux, but he was extremely nervous to find out.
When Jena’s results vanished, it was Ezra’s picture that came up on-screen.
EZRA PATRICH BLANCHARD
HEALTH OF TISSUE:
GOOD
BLOOD TYPE:
BETA
BLOOD CLASS:
D
MATCHING CREUX:
He took a deep breath and held it in his lungs. He wanted to close his eyes, but couldn’t. What was happening? Why was the computer taking so long with his results? Did he even have a—?
CREUX MODEL NUMBER C-21. CODENAME: BESOE NANDI
ALSO KNOWN AS: THE MINOTAUR
Ezra exhaled and coughed. He could barely register everyone’s applause and congratulations. He didn’t even notice Alice’s friendly smile and a wink he would’ve misconstrued as evocative. His eyes were glued to the screen.
The Minotaur.
What kind of Creux was it? What did it mean for him?
Then, the moment had passed, and it was Akiva’s face that replaced Ezra’s results.
“I know someone will be very jealous,” Alice said. “He always wanted to be the one to ride The Minotaur. There aren’t many left now,” Alice said. “And I didn’t get a single one right. My money was on Akiva getting Nandi and Ezra getting Xerxes.”
“There were wagers?” Ezra asked, wondering who it was that would be jealous of Ezra’s result.
“Among the other pilots, yes. Hold on, look.”
AKIVA MISSINGDATA DAVENPORT
HEALTH OF TISSUE:
IDEAL
BLOOD TYPE:
ALPHA
BLOOD CLASS:
D
MATCHING CREUX:
The computer loaded.
It kept loading.
All eyes went to Alice when thirty seconds passed and the matching Creux was not displayed, but she seemed to be just as confused as the rest of them. Alice looked back at the observation deck and raised her hands, asking if something was wrong.
Then the computer shut down and rebooted.
After a tense and confusing minute, Akiva’s information appeared again and finally . . .