First day of the Selection

I look into the mirror; a set of blank eyes stare back at me.

It is approximately one hour before we have to assemble for the opening ceremony for the Selection. I am clad in the cadet ceremonial dress uniform. My beret hides my ponytail, and my necktie tickles my skin as I let out an exhale. The black of the uniform is as monotonous as the white of my room.

I tuck some loose strands of hair behind my ears. Then, I pick up Rea from atop the dresser. It weighs on my hand, heavier than usual.

"You shouldn't need a bot to tell you how to live your life." Morgan's words from yesterday replay in my head.

I put Rea back on the dresser before heading out the door.

***

The Selection takes place on the highest floor of the Tower, where it is a giant stadium that holds about fifty thousand people. All morning, hundreds of elevators around the Tower were repurposed to only shuttle the lucky Tower residents to this level. Despite having waited for hours for the stadium to fill, the atmosphere is buzzing with energy. Well, the upbeat music that is blasting everywhere might have helped.

A viewing box embeds in the middle of the seating area, isolated from the rest of the spectators. These are seats reserved for the Board of Directors—whose spaceship is currently landing on the roof of the Tower.

I am lined up in the arena with the other cadets. My heart is thrashing around my chest as I take in my surroundings. I've only watched the Selection through the broadcast all my life, and soon, thousands of people here—and millions more in the Tower through the broadcast—will be watching me in person.

Morgan is a couple of people away from me. The long sleeve of the uniform shields most of their cyberarm from view. The four generals are all present—a rare sight. They are in front of us, also standing at attention—an even rarer sight. The generals have the highest rank in the Tower, and it is only during the Selection, with the arrival of the Directors, that they are outranked.

General Caelum's hair and uniform look more perfect than ever. The badges on her sleeve shimmer under the light, while her curled auburn locks land on her body in a way that seems intentionally placed, like an exquisite floral arrangement. General Edmundo Quill and General Lucius Romero also look very well put together.

Ryan, however, has a head full of bed hair. Did he just wake up?

As if sensing my glare, he turns his head, catches my eyes, and smiles. I avert my gaze immediately. I am still angry at him.

The music continues as the ten Board of Directors, along with their aides and bodyguards, fill the viewing box. They are all wearing sophisticated suits and gowns fit for their status. Director Evangeline, the director who owns the most shares—and thus power—in NovaTopia, sits right in the middle. Even though I've only seen her in photos and textbooks, there is no mistaking her presence among the directors. With her glistening green dress, the elaborate train that takes up half the floor, and the sheer aura she emits, she is hard to miss.

The crowd settles in anticipation when all the directors are seated. A woman at the far end of the Board of Directors stands up to the microphone. She wears a dazzling purple dress, and an even more dazzling smile on her face.

"Welcome to our ninety-sixth Selection!"

The stadium erupts in cheers. I look around in awe, taking in the wild energy of the crowd. No wonder people prefer watching the Selection live instead of via the broadcast; this atmosphere is electric.

"I am Director May Fung Lin," the woman continues, "and I am very honored to be the Speaker at this year's Selection." She waves her hands around as the crowd gives her another thundering round of applause. "Every year, our graduating cadet class in the Tower comes together to demonstrate what they've been training for. For the next five days, we will witness their strengths, their skills, and most of all, their abilities to become the future protectors of the Tower—and NovaTopia.

"The first round of the Selection consists of individual skill and strength challenges. Every cadet that meets the minimum threshold of the first round will officially graduate from cadets and become full-fledged NovaTopian soldiers. The top sixteen soldiers from the first round will proceed to the second round, where the real fun begins!"

Once again, the crowd breaks out into cheers. The other directors laugh and clap along.

"Based on their scores from the first round, the sixteen soldiers will be placed in a tournament bracket, where they must fight their way to the end in one-on-one duels," Director Lin explains. "Most importantly, as part of our Shuttle Residency Program, the top six performers from the second round will be chosen to ascend to one of the six space stations: the USA-Hernandez Shuttle, the UN Shuttle, NovaTopia, Space Shuttle 3, Space Shuttle 4, and the New Research Shuttle. These shuttle residencies are rare and extremely desired, and so every year, the Selection provides us with the most exciting performances. I am confident that this year will be no different.

"Before we begin the first round of Selection, let us introduce the generals—your commanderz-in-chief here in the Tower. Each general has a Gift, an elite NovaTopian technology that enhances one's strength, stamina, and healing abilities. Additionally, the generals were granted a specialized Gift, coded with an extra combat-oriented ability. During the span of the Selection, each general can sponsor a cadet of their choosing to receive their specialized Gift temporarily, making the Selection a more spectacular watch. First, we have General Ariandelle Caelum."

A giant spotlight shines on General Caelum. Her proud smile is projected on the screens all around the stadium. She gives a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Born and raised in NovaTopia, General Caelum trained as a cadet and rose to the ranks of lieutenant general at the young age of twenty-four. She bravely volunteered to become a general in the Tower exactly two decades ago and is currently the longest-serving general here. General Caelum, please let us know who you are choosing to sponsor."

General Caelum's lips—a brighter shade of red than usual—widen. She turns around, and her eyes dart from me to the rest of the cadet class. A part of me wonders if she changed her mind after all.

"I am sponsoring..." she drawls, holding onto the last word for a dramatic pause. Her gaze returns to me. "Cadet Lara Lorensky."

The spotlight moves to me, blinding me with its brightness. I blink to adjust my eyes, but it does not help; my vision is completely overwhelmed by the light. The cheers around me blend into a vague echo. Everyone must be looking at me, yet I cannot see or hear anything.

Morgan's voice is the first to break through the barrier.

"Yeah! Go, Lara!"

More congratulatory cries resound from all directions. Director Lin begins to give an introduction about me. A relieved laugh escapes my throat. I fold my arm over my chest and bow.

As the spotlight disappears and the world is visible to me again, my initial excitement is replaced by a sting of guilt. I know I should be grateful to be sponsored, but I still find this unfair. This is my last match against Morgan, and I don't like being given an upper hand over them.

General Quill and General Romero both have introductions similar to General Caelum, as they are also from NovaTopia and volunteered to become generals here thirteen and six years ago, respectively. Nicolas Bailey and Lucius Romero are picked as their sponsored cadet, which is consistent with what General Caelum found out a few days ago.

"Last but certainly not least," Director Lin continues, "we have General Ryan Lorensky. General Lorensky is our first general in the Tower who was not born in NovaTopia. Just like the cadets in front of us today, he was a cadet and participated in the Selection twelve years ago. He won in a landslide and was chosen to become a NovaTopian resident, where he bravely volunteered to return to the Tower to serve as a long-term general. General Lorensky's loyalty to the Tower is exemplary, but in the past twelve years of his service, he has never sponsored a cadet for the Selection before. He is one very picky general." Low laughters ripples across the stadium. "But let's see if this year will be different. General Lorensky, please let us know who you are choosing to sponsor."

The spotlight is now on Ryan. He stares blankly into the camera as if he's half-asleep. I bet he's actually half-asleep.

Director Lin waits a few seconds before saying, "Alright, it seems that once again, General Lorensky is not sponsoring—"

"Morgan Sánchez," Ryan declares suddenly.

My jaw drops. A few cadets gasp. Morgan has been hinting that they might be sponsored by a general, but I never expected they would be Ryan's first-ever sponsor.

"I am sponsoring Cadet Morgan Sánchez," Ryan repeats without being prompted.

The spotlight is now directed at Morgan. Their hands are clasped behind their back. The cadet uniform is covering most of their cyber arm, but their silver hand glimmers against the small of their back. They stare right ahead, their expression confident and poised, while murmurs spread like wildfire throughout the stadium.

"Oh- Oh, wow." Director Lin clears her throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing the first cadet to be sponsored by General Lorensky. Allow me to... Let me just pull up this cadet's information..." The ends of her lips tremble. "Oh, this is... unprecedented. Cadet Sánchez is from Ground Earth and joined the Tower via the cadet recruitment program six years ago."

The stadium bursts into hysteria. There are cheers, jeers, and a general buzz of confusion. The directors are turning to one another for what appears to be some serious discussions. Next to me, the cadet class is also split. Some people are elated because Morgan is their friend, while some are genuinely shocked that a Ground Earth dweller can be sponsored at all.

Despite the mixed reactions in the crowd, happiness soars within me. Morgan and I are on equal footing now.

When the spotlight disappears from Morgan and Director Lin drones on about the history of the Selection, I poke my head forward to look past the few cadets between us and at Morgan.

"Congratulations, Morgan!"

Morgan grins back at me. "Congratulations to you, too."

The person next to me—Min-Ju Kim is her name, I think—raises her eyebrows. "Say, since when are you two on first-name basis?"

I frown. "Why do you care?"

She shrugs. "Just curious."

After a few more minutes of speeches, we are ushered out as dancers run onto the stage for their performances. The ceremony finishes with videos depicting the lives of residents in the different space stations, and explaining how the work they do keeps the overall NovaTopian ecosystem going.

General Caelum announces that the generals and their sponsored candidates should greet the Board of Directors, so the eight of us break away from the rest of the cadets and climb up the stadium.

We make it just in time for the directors to file out of the viewing box. Up close, the directors are still as elegant as observed before, but now I can see the intricacies in the design of their clothes, their make-up, and their hairdo. No wonder General Caelum puts so much effort into how she looks today; I instantly feel very underdressed.

As I linger behind General Caelum, I notice that every director seems to be particularly affectionate with her.

"Looking forward to your candidate, Ariandelle. Your Gift has always been a crowd-pleaser," one director says.

"I've heard great things about her. I can't wait," another tells her.

"You're almost the end of your service, Ariandelle, keep it up," another director says.

Director Evangeline spends the longest time with her. She is a few inches taller than General Caelum, although she feels much taller with the way the general cowers in front of her.

"My lovely Ariandelle." Director Evangeline places her hands on the general's stiffened shoulders. "I've missed you so much."

"Director Evangeline," General Caelum breathes. There's a tinge of desperation and anxiety in her voice.

"I'm looking forward to a good candidate." The director glances at me and Ryan. "Can you assure that?"

"Absolutely. There will be no failures this time."

Director Evangeline gives her a final pat before leaving.

General Caelum takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. When she turns to face me, her expression is rigid and emotionless.

"Come with me, Lara. It's time to get you my Gift." She uttered the last sentence with so much bitterness, it's as if she wanted to add, "And you better dominate the Selection with it."