Xenia 1

After school, I met Eponey, and we went to the Office of Acceptance. In a way we were lucky, because there was such an office, right at our school. Actually, it was just next to the Office of Schedules.

This entire block was empty, not many students really went here, oh, ofcause, unless they were required to, to update their schedules. The offices never closes down, so we and anyone can go here, at any time.

When we got there, we found ourselves in the central waiting room. The Floor was a nice grassy green .. the walls was an astonishingly sky blue and the sun was showing from a ever blue summer sky above. We found the most comfortable cloudy sofas, floating around, like they really were clouds in the summer sky.

Then one would notice the shadows the sofas created, as if they really were clouds in that beautiful summer day. And that sun was really right there. But, these clouds were luminous, with multiple colours, the radiance was captive, inspiring, and relaxing.

The sofas were ordered in groups, indicating where the doors were. Overly obvious doors had been considered distracting, thus, they were made but invisible, and we could hear a silent, pleasant tune, adding to the relaxing atmosphere, not to mention, guiding.

We found a nice spot to chose in which to sit, enjoying the setting for some time, then when we felt it right, we headed for the door entrance. The school was at ground level, we knew, but as we stepped through, then we were no-longer at the ground level. This was at the very uppermost sky level. The sun was still there, no difference, but now it was more there, like being there. Not a screen-reproduction.

This new waiting room, was in the top of the central spire, this spire was way up, in the clouds, we knew. The waiting room, was very much the same as the one we came from, but, the colours and the tune was new, different, more attuned with the place we were to visit.

I went first, most likely, because it was, I don't know? Well, I did, and then I came into another room, then something hit me, Eponey went to another room, just after me, because, that's what I felt, how could I know, I just did. And what I saw, Ep saw too, nothing was said, and nothing needed been said, either.

I could only guess that's how the system worked, but, something guided me, maybe the tune? The room I was in, was much like the room I came from, but not quiet. Well, there was just a set of sofas, like the once from before, my guess went that only these were needed. As this was a calm moment in the centre, there was noone in the waiting room, I sat down on a sofa, resting, and what anyone from elsewhere would have found frightening was: how comfortably normal everything felt, I did not feel probed, or anything of the kind, like one would have thought, not that I had any recollection of such from before, well, I did recall the testing several occasions, and it all was the same, comfortable feeling. As I concentrated upon it, I knew that Eponey felt the same, and her memories was also the same. I saw no visible equipment, so I guess none was needed.

As I sat in the sofa, I noticed the sun move on my sky, it moved, as I realized, from beginning, to done and from infant towards adult. I don't know how I knew, noone had told me, this was just something that occurred to me as I sat on the sofa, the sun had moved, from one end of the wall, towards the other, and started up, as new : infant?

This test was completed and perfected decades ago, that I had known, because that's how it was told, I had this funny feeling, I had past my physical age, the maturity was already past where it should normally have been.

Then there was the intensity of the light, that had always been the same for me but that had changed too, it was increasing. After a moment, the sun had made its way across the sky, so I guessed, the test was about done.

After some time, I had passed the test, and left the room, the same way I came, though I noticed Eponey had not jet, and was not to come out, for some time, then something struck me, as a revelation, something I did not know if it was to be known, regarding the testing, the sofas was the same as the once inside.

So, their state would be the same as the once inside the testing?

All but one sofa had the same low level of fluctuation? But, the one I figured would be representing the one in her room, was not , but rather increasing in luminescence, indicating her result and the colour marched on, I did not notice, realize, until now, I heard what could only be the sound of a centaur.

First I found this most curious, but it should have been expected? Then, a short moment later, I noticed, she had passed the test, I had made a good result, and was now allowed to several things, I was not allowed before, knowing that most others my age was not. By the colour of her sofa, I knew she had made it even further, maybe not much .. counting activities. But still. Though I did not care, and then she came out, happy as could be.

So I guess she had realized too.

"Congratulations, to a great score!" I said.

"Thanks, and congratulations on yours!" Eponey replied, and I thanked her in kind. Well, it's about time to go.

"You did hear that, did you not? Oh, and I guess you did realize!" Eponey said.
Then we was about to go.

"Yes, I did .. it was just a bit puzzling before!" I said.

We went towards the door, portal and then we heard it, the voice, a voice telling us, how well we had made it and we knew, ofcause this would be noted in our records, not that we'd mind, rather to the contrary.

Ofcause our parents knew by the time we would get home, neither did we mind this, this was a score to be proud of. So, we left the waiting room, and went to the central, from there, we went to the library, As we got there, it did not take long to find what we were looking for, a reference to the testing, as expected, not much was mentioned, but what was, hit like a brick. We found the history and purpose of the test in question, that much was easy, or rather, exceedingly so, these facts was in every reference we checked, to the working, and any other specific, there was little, or rather very little to see.

Though we did manage to find one reference, to the effects we discovered, the rising sun, and it's colour shift. Ok, we even found a partial note on the intensity. but there it referenced to another test, following up, on this lead, we found out, we could go there, completing that test from the same centre. Considering the facts, as we found nothing interesting here, on this test, we decided to go about the next, As we got to the waiting room, we followed the lead, and found ourself in a spire much like the one we had left, actually, it was the very same, but a little bit lower, We found ourselves in a waiting room, just like the one we was in earlier, and .. not only that .. it looked like the same place, but .. the tune was somewhat different .. nothing bad there. Just like before, I went in first, to the first room. Eponey did not have to wait any longer then the latest test. The test was rather fast, I decided .. well, at least it was for me, so I was once again back in the waiting room, as I was sitting there, waiting, I noticed someone else coming, I greeted him, and presented myself.

He greeted me in kind and presented himself, then he asked what I was doing here at this time, and who I was waiting .. which I explained.

"Do you like to see an event like the weekly contests?" I asked him.

"Well, yeah, that could be fun, I thought I saw you last week, with Eponey, was it not?" Murphy asked.

"Well, I guess, I was there, and so was Ep!" I replied.

"Oh, well, I guess I'd better have my test done, maybe I see you later, some time?" Murphy asked.

"Yeah, who know!" I replied.

Then he went in to his test .. shortly after, Eponey came back, and we went back, happy with the results, From the library, we went home to our own places.