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Selected For The Testing
Malencia Vale of the Five Lakes Colony and 3 other intellegent graduates are chosen for the Testing, an evaluation of the colonies' finest young people to see if they qualify for University. A massive war wiped out North America's ecosystem, and the Testing allows the government to find new world leaders and scientists to revitalize the Earth. -
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The Four Stages
The Testing has four stages: a written exam, hands-on assignments, a teamwork exercise, and a survival situation. The majority of the book happens in the fourth stage. Even the high mortality rate she witnesses in the first 3 stages (the penalty of a wrong answer is often deadly) cannot prepare her for being dropped off in an unrevitalized area and having to find her way back to the capital city. She teams up with her friend Tomas, who she develops feelings for. -
The Mysterious Man
Cia wanders off and meets a man on the other side of the electrified fence that keeps the candidates on the right track. He says that he's an official that disagrees with the Testing and offers to give her medication that will override the truth serum used in the final examination. He promises it will be in her bag in her room when she returns to the city. He gives her a bundle of food as a peace offering. -
Will and the Hybrids
Tomas and Cia find Will, a friend from the earlier tests, and team up with him. Cia leaves the two to find water, instead finding terrifying human-animal hybrids with rabbit-like legs and venomous claws. Cia is forced to kill one, and the image of its haunting humanoid eyes stay with her for days afterward. -
Betrayed
Cia and Tomas' fears come alive when Will reveals himself to be murdering other candidates to give himself a better chance of being the 20 passing grades. He claims to be doing it in the name of his brother, Gill, who failed an earlier test and was not seen again. He tries to kill Tomas and Cia, injuring them both, but is shot down and barely escapes with his life. Tomas and Cia are mere miles from the finish line. -
Finish Line
Tomas is gravely injured, but survives to the finish line with Cia. They are taken into medical care for weeks on end, almost always unconscious. When they recover, they are sent to their rooms, where they recieve lavish meals and recovery medication. As promised, a pill to override the final exam's truth serum sits in her bag. In solitude, Cia puts two and two together and realizes that while she was battling the hybrids, Tomas had killed one of their friends from Five Lakes, Zandri. -
Final Examination
Cia takes the pill before going into the exam room. The officials make her sip some water with the serum in it. It doesn't affect her, and she can easily twist the truth into something the officials would want to hear. Thus, she can ensure the safety of her family and friends back home. They send her back to her room to evaluate her results. -
Recording
Cia finds a recording option on a communicator she took with her from home and decides to record everything that happened. She is aware that they wipe the memories of candidates for confidentiality before they arrive at University, and she refuses to forget. She later receives a paper telling her she has passed, and she is given an injection that knocks her out and erases her memory. -
University
Cia and Tomas are together in University, celebrating her birthday. She talks to her friends, including Will, and heads back to her room. She finds her communicator and listens to it. She hears everything she didn't want to hear.
