The Edin Examination

The chain is cold when I press my palm to my neck, the silence of the theatre amplifying the mechanical click of the locket. The Test is tomorrow. I’m alone, but the sounds of what once was haunts the empty rows and my eyes stay unfocused on the white wall ahead of me. I was here, the day it happened.

----

The credits are rolling when I hear it outside; the coughs, the choking, the subtle shift into discomfort felt by everyone in the crowded room. I try to ignore the feeling in my gut, instead diverting my attention towards the musical hum of Dylan’s voice.

“Well that was shit, they couldn’t even commit to killing the guy off!”

“Perhaps a movie doesn’t need a tragedy in order to be considered good,” I retort,

“Celia, darling, the apple of my eye, I wholeheartedly agree with you but they did the whole ‘Oh no he’s dead wait never mind’ thing and that, pisses me off,”

“Mhmm,” I smile and lean in as he brings his hand to my cheek, our breaths intertwining before I press my lips to his. I play with his hair as he plays with my necklace, a measly little thing we found at a market on our first date. The soft footsteps recede as people file out one by one, until we are two of the few people to stay a little while longer. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Well since I chose that train wreck of a movie,” Dylan pauses to kiss my jaw, “then you can choose what to eat,”

“How chivalrous of you,” I say. We move to the exit, throwing away our half eaten popcorn at the bin behind the door. I had always liked this particular theatre, the soft art deco fixtures and plush velvet seats a reminder of the golden age of cinema. It’s the sanctuary of the city, a respite from the sharp edges of the industrial complex that was built on the outskirts of town. “Wait,” I grab Dylan’s arm, a sensation blooming at the pit of my stomach. “Something feels off,”

“That movie’s gone straight to your head I’m tellin ya,”

“No,” I shake my head, “why is everyone coughing?” In that moment the PA system sputters to life.

“Attention all patrons, at the recommendation of the council we require you to remain within the building. All exits and windows will be shut for your safety. All businesses and residents have been informed of a chemical leak from the National Biochemical Research and Testing Facility that has potentially entered significant water systems. Do not open the doors, and do not use any equipment that requires access to plumbing. Please remain calm. Further instructions will be given once more information is available. Take care and listen to staff. Thank you.”

----

That was the beginning of the end. I have no idea how much time passes, sitting there fiddling with the locket. The looming implications of tomorrow are too much too soon. Tomorrow a board of the privileged will decide whether I am eligible to be a resident of Edin. Ever since the leak the scarcity of resources spread around the globe, making it necessary to condense society into a bubble of people most likely to contribute. Those who don’t enter get exiled, put on probation with the hope of being invited in. I have enough sense to know that eventually that will stop. Eventually Edin will be self-sufficient and the remnants of the old world will be a wasteland save for the few wandering souls clinging on for survival.

Footsteps echo in the aisle, breaking my haze, and I peer at my hand to find a heart imprinted on the soft skin, the delicate engravings a reminder of a 17 year old girl.

“You should get some sleep,” the familiar voice says.

“I can’t,” I responded. Dylan sits beside me, his face stoic, and watches my fingers play with the heart shaped locket with a melancholy look in his eyes.

“Tomorrow is the first Test since it all started. The next won’t be until another five years,”

“I know that,” my voice comes out shakier than I would have liked, “I just, I-” I breathe in. “We’ve spent the last 5 years doing everything we can to prepare. I don’t know what I would do if we didn’t get in.”

“We’d do exactly what we’ve been doing, and try again and again and again because you’ve always been smart. The only reason why we aren’t in there now is because they had to cap it at a certain number. I’m sure it’ll rise now that they know what they’re doing,”

“Dylan the earth and its streams are contaminated and now with the nuclear plant shut down the air doesn’t exactly have promises of being free from radiation too. You can say we’d die and I wouldn’t disagree,”

“Cheery, Ce,” He looks down as he reaches for my hand, his eyebrows furrowed in the way it does when he’s forming a sentence he doesn’t want to say, “Whatever happens, promise me you won’t wait,”

“I’m not-”

“Promise me,” Dylan’s voice drops and a chill runs up my spine, “that you will go without me. I am not letting you stay out here. Please,”

The pleading look in his eyes gives me reason to pause, telling me to think before I let my emotions run free. “Okay,” I whisper.

----

Chaos. Don’t panic, they said. Pretty shitty advice to give to a bunch of people stuck in a cinema lobby. Voices overlap, each grievance followed by an equally annoyed remark. The staff are stressed, the kids are crying, and I just sit there, playing with the locket. I tune out so much I don’t hear the manager announce the initial lockdown of the city. Dylan relays the details: stay indoors, cover the eyes and mouth when outside, do not consume any tap water, keep the radio on at all times.

Keep the radio on at all times.

----

Breakfast is uneventful, mostly.

“Willow and Harper say good luck,” Dylan says over a bowl of cereal,

“They’re not coming?”

“They figured someone needs to stay behind and teach the kids a few things,”

“Oh,” I try my best to hide my disappointment but the glint in Dylan’s eye tells me my attempt was unsuccessful. “Anyone else staying back?”

“None that I’ve come across, why?”

“I don’t know, I just want everyone we know to get a chance,”

“It’s important that people stay back, Celia. We haven’t gotten anything new, and I don’t just mean resources, but the town’s forgetting. The paradise we need may be Edin but life moves on out here too,”

“Yeah I know,” The soft rhythm of Sinatra’s That’s Life is interrupted, the sharp click of an Edin transmission cutting our conversation short.

“This is an official message from Edin. Good morning, this is a reminder that The Test will commence at 11am today. Punctuality is required and expected. Make your way to the City Hall. Appropriate attire is required and expected. No communication between attendees is required and expected within the building. Further information will be provided on site.”

The reality of the situation sinks in the way you fall asleep; slowly at first then all at once. Instinctively I reach for my locket, but the bare skin that meets my fingers reiterates the weight of today. No jewellery. No makeup. Nothing that can be used to enhance the features. We fall silent, the gears working in our minds to remain calm and competent. There are no birds today, I think. A stupid thought, for the birds have long ago morphed into the grotesque echo of its original form. Something happened to the air, they can no longer sing the way they used to. No one really does.

----

“Dylan what do they mean, creating a test for the best of society? Do they actually intend to create a bubble where their definition of a worthy citizen gets accepted?”

“If that’s the only thing that could work then that’s what we’re doing,”

“So they’re planning it now? And let me guess, to prevent resource scarcity anyone with a disability or an illness or some sort of condition that needs recurring care won’t meet their criteria. They don’t actually think this will work will they?” I’m angry, though my confusion greatly overpowers any rage. The government doesn’t establish anything permanent for another month, but the uncertainty hangs over the city like a blanket. Food is rationed, shelters are put up, and life goes on. That is until the Test. Created solely to weasel out the most desirable of traits, the sharpest of minds, the healthiest of body and spirit. The world couldn’t be saved but they sure would try to breed a better one.

----

“Celia Anderson,” The stout lady purses her lips as she hands me my information booklet, the monotony of the sea of heads making her eyes glow an unnatural blue. Clearly out of place, her full cheeks offer a great contrast to the sunken faces of the majority of the crowd. I open the padded envelope and pull out a headset and tablet. Strange, for a world that can’t feed its people the technology seems to be in surplus. I wait for a few minutes before the methodical stream of hopeful faces move towards the entrance, the familiar shadow of the City Hall welcoming us into purgatory.

The first thing I notice are the dustless surfaces, though no one has been inside since the last Test. The original stone finishes and ornate wood details are now replaced with the cold reflection of glass and concrete, erasing elements of our history. Hundreds of seats are arranged to face a large screen, and a nervous buzz begins to rise as we all take our seats. I spot Dylan amongst the crowd, letting my shoulders drop when he gives me a small smile and nod. I return the gesture, though passing bodies break our gaze short. The lights dim suddenly, casting the room like a spell forcing us all to keep quiet. The screen comes to life. There is a woman who appears, her defined features and elegant air offering a promise of a life unknown to me. Her voice is fluid, and oddly deep for a woman with such delicate stature.

“There have been numerous defining moments in our history that have changed the course of our future since the beginning of human consciousness. Ever since life has been introduced to our planet, survival of the fittest has remained the true constant of our existence. With the catastrophe that will remain unnamed, our world has gone through irreparable damage. That is why, as a collective, the world’s brightest minds and most respected leaders have collaborated in confining our species to the beings who have the largest chance of maintaining life. Today is your chance at entering Edin. You will complete, as the name suggests, a series of tests that will assess your skills in numeracy, literacy, reading and comprehension, amongst other specialised evaluations in tandem with any previous qualifications you may have. In addition, problem solving skills, creativity and general health and fitness will be integral in maximising the success of Edin. You may put on your headsets, and wait for further instructions,”

White noise follows, and we all squirm under the pressing eyes of the cameras in each corner of the room. It is left unsaid, but the dozens of supervisors have the same ethereal beauty that emanates from the woman on screen. The final test is not one of endurance or strength, but one of beauty and aesthetics. If life must go on, then life should be beautiful.

The static is filled by a low, smooth voice. “You may begin,”