The robot didn't have eyes or a face. The processing core in its chest was covered by a large octaganal plate. The GDA logo was painted on top.
The robot worked in silence, clearing up the broken glass in the simulated town and laying fresh concrete to the damaged areas. The artificial intelligence connected to its processing core laid out precise instructions for it to follow.
Alex took a gulp of water from his bottle. The lieutenant had instructed them to take a ten minute break. The treasure hunt drill had given half the candidates the chance to familiarise themselves with one another. Introductions were quickly made and groups began to form.
A young man about Alex's age pointed to one of the robots, "Pretty cool aren't they."
Alex smiled and nodded, "I've seen them once or twice in the news. They're bigger than they look on camera."
The young man stretched out his hand, "I'm Clark."
Alex shook his hand, "Alex. Good to meet you."
"Candidates, return to zone zero for further instruction." The lieutant's voice echoed through the hanger.
Alex and Clark smiled politely at one another and headed back to the lieutenant. Clark's slightly shaky hands gave away his nervousness. Alex's composure was undisturbed.
The lieutenant addressed the group, "Good. Your next drill is a test of your adaptability in direct combat. Partner up with the candidate nearest to you."
Alex looked to Clark. They were stood nearest one another. Clark did the same thing almost simultaneously. They smiled and stepped slightly closer together.
The lieutenant whispered something into the microphone in her collar. The ground began to shake once more and the candidates watched new structures emerge from the earth.
There were a total of fifteen raised platforms. All of them were paved with an unknown material that shimmered like oil. Alex didn't know what the substance was.
"Step into your arena." The lieutenant instructed.
Alex and Clark climbed the stairs up to the platform. Alex noted that the strange shiny-material under his feet alternated between hard and soft. The material rippled as his shoes touched it and seemed to pull together.
The lieutenant looked across the arenas. Her gaze lingered for a moment longer on Alex, "The drill will last until one candidate is unable to resist or is pushed out of the ring. You may use your powers freely. Attacks that could cause fatal harm are prohibited. Break this rule and I will personally ensure that you do not leave this facility."
"Begin."
The candidates faced each other. They looked warily at their opponent. No one seemed sure how to begin. The silence stretched on and no one moved.
One of the soldiers snorted disdainfully. She slapped the edge of the ring and yelled, "Get started!"
The candidates in the ring suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind sweep them forwards. They were forced to advance towards their opponent. The instinct to protect themselves spurred them to action.
A young man shouted and thick black hair burst out from his skin. His height soared rapidly and his skull elongated into a snout. The bones in his hands squirmed and became sharp claws.
The transformation into what clearly resembled a werewolf shocked his opponent. The young woman cursed and hastily responded by unleashing her own abilities. Her arms stabbed forwards like spears. As if she were made of rubber instead of flesh, they stretched out and forcefully struck the werewolf candidate in the chest.
The werewolf howled. His eyes were tinged with an animalistic red. He took a few steps back to asborb the momentum from the rubber-woman's strike. Then he charged forwards, his nails retracted into the ends of his clawed hands, but the huge furry palms swung fiercely.
The battle stimulated the other candidates. They shouted aggressively and began to fight with their own powers.
The soldier who'd summoned the strong gusts of wind grinned proudly, "That's better!"
One of the other soldiers rolled her eyes. She urged her powers to work and her body immediately began to shake. Afterimages formed as she seemed to move at incredible speed.
She grunted in pain. Then with a wet gushing noise her body pulled apart as if an invisible line had been drawn down the middle. Another indentical copy of her opened its eyes for the first time.
The two identical soldiers looked at each other and smiled. Then, one of them began to shake violently again. The same process of replication took place and a third copy seperated out.
There were a dozen soldiers in total, not including the lieutenant. A soldier stood at every arena, watching the candidates fight and monitoring their safety. The two newly formed identical soldiers walked over to the two rings that weren't already being monitored.
Alex and Clark were the last to start fighting. His opponent's abilities were unknown, Alex didn't want to rush into close-combat.
After nearly a minute of waiting, Clark finally made the first move. His jaw was tightly clenched and he charged towards his opponent. He'd seen on the hologram what Alex could do. He didn't want to become an embarassment like the two candidates who'd failed to touch even a corner of Alex's clothes.
Alex retreated to the edge of the arena, keeping his eyes closely on his opponent. He was running backwards, but his speed was still leagues above his opponent's. Clark still hadn't revealed his abilities. Whatever they were, it appeared like he couldn't use them to enhance his speed.
The distance between them changed constantly as Alex retreated while his opponent advanced. The arena was large enough that he could use his greater mobility to his advantage.
The chase kept up for more than five minutes. The soldier watching the ring was silent, but his expression was openly bored. The running wasn't enough to tired Alex out, he could've kept it up for hours, but the constant sprinting had left Clark feeling breathless and exhausted.
Clark clenched his fists and glared fiercely at his opponent. For a few moments he seemed conflicted. Then he took a deep breath and his fists gently unclenched.
"Sorry."
The change didn't give Alex any time to react. One second there was nothing. Then two beams of bright red light slammed into his chest. He was a few paces away from the edge of the arena, the impact threw him back and he narrowly managed to avoid falling off.
The shirt he was wearing had two circular holes. The red rays had burned through the fabric in an instant. He hurriedly patted his chest to get rid of the still smoking embers.
Clark grinned triumphantly. His voice had lost the intial politeness. He sounded like a parent talking down to a child, "Concentrated beams of alpha particles. The particles can't penetrate your skin, but the kinetic charge behind them is immense."
His grin widened even further. Something ugly and superior crept into his voice, "Best thing is-"
Clark paused dramatically, -"You can't dodge!"
Alex threw himself to the side before his opponent finished speaking. Two blazing red ways cut through the space he'd just been standing.
Clark cursed and shouted angrily, "Stay still!"
The posture of the soldier monitoring the arena changed from sloppy to alert. He grinned while watching the ordinary candidate desperately hurling himself in all directions to avoid the red rays. It was like an ant avoiding a child's finger falling to crush it.
There were dozens of scorch marks in Alex's shirt. He dodged as best he could, but the rays were no slower than bullets. The subtle movements in Clark's neck indicated where he would strike next. Alex used these indications as warnings and pulled off gynamstic moves that would've landed him a place on the Michigan University team. He was still only able to dodge about half of the rays.
The first semester had ended just over a week ago. The accelerated-motion project had progressed steadily as the semester did. He could now sustain three times accelerated-motion without needing to actively repair the damage he was inflicting on his body. He'd also spent a considerable amount of time working on reducing the huge energy expenditure. The crystalline sugar desposits placed throughout his body could sustain three-times accelerated-motion for a half hour before needing replenishment.
The rays fired like bullets, but they required conscious activation from Clark. If Alex activated his accelerated-motion state he could close the distance between them in an instant and snap Clark's neck. He didn't.
The fight continued. The onslaught of rays had reduced Alex's shirt to rags. He tore off the ruined shirt and threw it off the stage. The soldier's eyes narrowed. Without the visual obstruction, he could clearly see the densely packed yellowish-purple bruises that covered nearly the entirety of Alex's torso.
The rays hit like heavy punches. Alex couldn't move too close to the edge of the ring, because the impacts would push him over the side. He had to stay within a few meters of his opponent, even if it made him an easier target to hit.
The soldier checked his watch. The fight had been going on for fifteen minutes. The other matches had all ended. Most had concluded within the first minute. The longer ones had only went on for five or six.
The candidates stood assembled behind the lieutenant once more. They found themselves again watching Alex fight against his opponent. The battle was completely one-sided. Alex hadn't landed a single attack on his opponent.
The dense and overlapping bruises on his chest were unimaginable to the crowd of candidates. The scale of the injuries changed the lieutenant's feelings towards Alex. The kind of pain tolerance he was demonstrating, it was inhuman. She asked herself whether she could do the same. She knew the answer immediately.
Clark's eyes were so bloodshot that the whites of his eyes were dyed completely red. The veins in his neck and face bulged so forcefully against the skin that they resembled snakes wriggling beneath. He was dripping in sweat.
"Stop fucking resisting!" Clark roared. Spit sprayed from his cracked lips.
Alex looked up at him. His eyes were unreadable. He didn't speak, but the message of defiance was clear.
Clark screamed. He cursed in half-finished sentences that barely resembled english. The pressure in his skull felt as if it was about to burst. His eyes throbbed with agony. His rage and embarassment were the only things keeping him from passing out.
"Fuck off!" Clark shrieked. Twin red beams leaped out from his eyes.
The ray's struck Alex in the arms. They were raised above his head to block the beams from hitting his face. The momentum caused him to tumble backwards and he hastily stabilised himself. The block worked, but the purpleish-yellow patches on his face showed that he hadn't been able to block every attack.
Clark's head lolled forwards. His knees gave way. The pressure in his head and the agony from his eyes has finally triggered his body's instinct for self-preservation. He toppled forwards and hit the arena floor.
Alex stayed where he was. He'd kill two creatures that existed beyond the ordinary world. He had thoroughly destroyed their vital organs each time, starting with the brain. He wasn't arrogant enough to assume that his opponent was truly unconscious. It could've been a feint to draw him in.
"The fight is over." The lieutant's voice broke the silence.
Alex straightened up and nodded. Clark remained motionless on the floor. The winner was clear.
The other battles had been won through overwhelming force or clever tactics. The fight between Alex and Clark had been decided on attrition alone.
The pain tolerance he'd displayed was far beyond ordinary. He could've surrendered or allowed the blasts to push him off the ring, but the disdain in Clark's voice had triggered something within him.
The emergence of his powers hadn't made him prideful or arrogant, he hadn't allowed it to. He'd been careful in monitoring his own self-image. He wasn't a god or a hero, he was just a man with a special gift.
Alex's attitude towards life had always been easy-going. He believed firmly in equality. His abilities didn't make his life more valuable than anyone else's.
The fact he was so easygoing didn't mean that he lacked pride altogether. He was proud of his character and proud of his impact on the world. Clark's disdain had struck a chord within him.
When his powers first manifested he'd started to think of himself as different to the rest of the world. Clark's superiority, the way he spoke down to him because he didn't have powers.
The disgust and fury in his opponent's voice opened his eyes to an alternate reality in which he hadn't noticed the change in how he thought of himself. He could've become just like Clark.
He could've allowed Clark to win the fight. If he'd lost the fight he wouldn't have needed to reveal a pain tolerance that bordered on what was humanly possible.
The battle was over now. The fire in his chest he'd felt while fighting begun to cool. He realised with greater clarity the risk he had taken by exposing that level of tolerance to pain.
'I should've lost.' He thought to himself. He didn't shy awake from the mistake. He'd taken an uncessary risk to protect his pride and win a fight.
People made mistakes, it was part of being human.
Alex knew that his body was changing. The modifications were gradually moving him away from being human.
But his humanity mattered to him. Before his powers manifested he was just an ordinary teenager. He didn't want to lose that side of himself.
He didn't know if he could hold onto the person he'd once been forever. But he wanted to try for as long as possible.
The lieutenant looked to Alex, "You need treatment."
"Take him to medical." The lieutenant instructed. The soldier who'd been assigned to Alex's arena nodded.
The soldier turned to Alex. His voice carried a quiet respect, "Follow me."