Emergents Academy: A Dystopian Novel (Academy of the Apocalypse Book 1) by K. A. Riley

Author:K. A. Riley [Riley, K. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Travel Duck Press
Published: 2021-01-15T16:00:00+00:00

26

Station Five - Riddles

With Arlo retreating to the back of our Cohort and with Lucid grimacing in pain but looking very happy to be alive, we all shuffle along to the next pair of pink viewing pads.

Wisp calls our attention to Station Five, which, thankfully, looks harmless enough. It’s just two tables with a gun-metal gray safe sitting in the middle of each one. Each safe is pretty plain except for the long, bright green input panel running along its front surface.

“For this challenge, the two champions will race to open the safe on the table. It requires an eleven-digit combination. You’ll need to decipher a series of puzzles and get the code to punch into the safe’s input panel.”

Mattea lets out a cocky chortle. “Puzzles?” she mutters. “No problem.”

“As long as the puzzles don’t involve you getting your body shredded to pieces,” I mutter back.

Wisp taps her bracelet, and a scrolling, yellow-framed holo-display appears in the air over the two tables behind her.

“There are six puzzles. The first player to solve them all and open the digital combination lock with the eleven-digit code wins.”

Mattea slides forward, her hand half-raised in the air. “I’m the rep for Cohort A,” she tells Wisp, who nods and directs her to go stand by her table.

“And I’ll be the champion for Cohort B,” Chace says without a hint of excitement or confidence.

“Pay attention, now,” Wisp instructs. “The riddles will come at you fast. You need to focus your energy and attention, calm your nerves, and solve each puzzle before moving on to the next.”

Ignacio thrusts his meaty arm into the air. “And what happens if they get a puzzle answer wrong?”

“Nothing,” Wisp assures him.

Ignacio’s eyebrows pinch together. “Really? Nothing?”

“Nothing,” Wisp repeats and then, after a dramatic pause, adds, “Just a mild shock.”

Even from fifteen feet away, I can see Chace’s eyes go wide as a blue whale’s bum.

“Shock?” she stammers.

“Yes,” Wisp sighs. “I’m sorry, but yes—you may experience a shock if you input an incorrect answer.”

“A mild shock?” Trax asks on behalf of his sister.

“Sure,” Wisp agrees. “Mild. It won’t kill the competitors if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“But it’ll hurt, right?”

“Naturally.”

“A lot?”

“Naturally.”

Mattea slaps her palms together and rubs her hands up and down with enough friction to start a fire. Figuratively speaking, of course.

Chace doesn’t look nearly as eager, but her brother nudges her forward as the rest of their Cohort cheers her on.

From his spot behind me, Ignacio gripes into my ear about how it won’t be fair.

“How do you figure? Mattea’s got a gift for this stuff. Why do you think I picked her for this assignment?”

“Sure. But have you talked to Chace lately?”

“No.”

“Of course you haven’t. That’s because she’s always got her face buried in her holo-pad. Reading and writing fast is her thing.”

“Don’t underestimate Mattea,” Arlo says.

From where she’s standing next to me, Sara gives the tiniest of nods. “Mattea is good.”

Wisp starts the contest with a tap on her bracelet and a wave of her hand. Blinking on and then off again, one at a time, seven riddles flash in a scrolling holo-text above the tables.

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