Aptitude Test

Fort Knoll was awake with soldiers buzzing inside the inside and outside buildings. “Get dressed in your sweats and sweaters. There is cool weather outside this morning. You will run outdoors later. You can try on some running shoes,” says Officer Camelot.

Quickly, everyone changes into their workout outfit once Officer Camelot leaves the room. They try on a pair of running shoes to find the right fit. They ordered their shoe size the day before. Afterward, they leave for the cafeteria and eat a light breakfast. Everyone is on edge. They all want to pass.

“This is Officer Fisher. She will help score on physical tests,” says Officer Camelot.

Officer Fisher wears her blond hair in a mini bun.

“We will go to the gymnasium for push-ups and sit-ups,” says Officer Fisher.

Officer Fisher leads them to a door and then a separate building with a tall ceiling. Inside the gymnasium, the wood floors shine like sparkles with the light.

“You will have one minute to do as many push-ups as possible,” says Officer Fisher.

She calls out the first two names.

People do their push-ups for a minute.

“Blake Sharp,”

Blake walks in front of Officer Fisher and positions himself. He has done push-ups before.

“On the beep,”

Beep

Blake does his best at his test; he feels a burn along his arms.

Beep

“End!”

They continue until everyone finishes. Blake believes he did 18 or 19 push-ups.

After a minor break where they may drink water and use the restroom, everyone is ready again to begin the second part.

“In one minute, you will do as many sit-ups as possible. Remember to go back and come up all the way,” says Officer Fisher.

Blake’s abs feel hot from the sit-ups.

They went in pairs so Officer Camelot and Officer Fisher could score them. They finished part two of the physical test and took a brief break. The last section was running.

For the run, the perimeter of the building served as a track. Officer Fisher timed the enlisted soldiers with a stopwatch. Their time determines their scores. The faster, the better. It will be over a mile run. Twenty-two men and women lined up at the start line. The whistle went off, and they ran. They run together until people spread apart. A pack of leaders emerges. Blake was right behind them, near the front of the middle. After the first lap, their heartbeats were beating fast. Daniel and Alex were ahead of Blake as they finished the second lap. Of the three, they finished Alex, Danial, and then Blake. Alex has a fast finish sprinting at the end.

“Your scores add up together. At dinner, you will know if you will proceed unto day two of the test or go home,” says Officer Camelot.

The men go to the dormitory to relax. The women go to their separate dormitories. At dinner, everyone reunites with the results.

Officer Camelot comes in and says the names of those who pass.

“Alexander Han,”

“Daniel Henry,”

Later, down the list.

“Blake Sharp,”

The three of them passed the physical test. Only one name is missing.

After dinner, they retire to the dormitory. The person who didn’t pass received his things back and will return home. They say comforting words such as they will fight on Earth as well.

After the goodbyes, Alex, Daniel, and Blake talk about tomorrow.

“What type of test questions are the mental and knowledge part?” says Daniel.

“Mental, as in our psychological response?” says Alex.

“Mental fortitude?” says Blake.

“How are they going to measure that?” says Daniel.

They sit thinking for a while and draw a blank.

The lights turn off in five minutes, so they go to sleep.

A new day begins with the trumpet.

Blake changes into a plain uniform. He eats breakfast but not too much as he is not sure his nerves will let him.

A new officer arrives, a man with tan skin and caramel hair.

“Hello, I am Officer Jeffrey. I will take you to the gymnasium where the mental situation takes place. I will explain more at the gymnasium.” Officer Jeffrey says.

All twenty-one of them follow him into the same gymnasium. Inside are more people who look like civilians while others look like Officers at a table.

“Thus, situations will test your response, and Officers will score you on your actions. These civilians are the Reserve Force, dressed as civilians. Only points subtract from your score. A cut-off base score passes the knowledge test.” says Officer Jeffrey.

“Let’s begin,” says Officer Jeffery.

Two people go at once in two different scenes.

“Blake Sharp,”

He enters the scene, gritting his teeth together.

“A man took my purse!” says a woman.

“What did he look like?”

“That’s him,” says the woman.

She points to a man in black with a pink purse.

“Sir, could you hand over the purse to the lady?”

“You’ll have to fight me first,”

Blake remembers a move to pin the man to the ground and perform that maneuver, pinning the man to the ground.

The lady comes and clutches her purse.

Beep.

Everyone finishes their scenes.

Officer Camelot immediately took them to do their knowledge test. It is a paper test of various forms specific to the area the enlistees applied.

Mechanics are a different test section than pilots besides the general questions. Officer Camelot hands out tailored tests to each person. The enlistees sit in a spacious lecture hall, one seat spaced out. After an hour and a half, the soldiers finished their test. At dinner time, the enlistees held their breaths as Officer Camelot stood before them. Everyone got good passing scores on the knowledge test, but one person did not pass the situational test. Officer Camelot has given them paper scores on their scoring over the past few days.

Blake passed the aptitude test. During his situation test, he forgot to ask the victim if they hurt her.

“Passing entails you train for six weeks before traveling to Reburst Station on Mars,” says Officer Camelot.

Daniel, Alex, and Blake look at one another. War is around the corner.