In the second year of their lives, there's 73691 subjects left…
Prof. Blight brings the subjects to a new hall while holding hands with Subject 000003 on her right and Subject 000013 on her left. As they all arrive at the new hall, Dr. Rachel, Dr. Hawks and Dr. Lucius are waiting in front of the door, beside them there's 7 trolleys filled with boxes filled with a bunch of pencils.
"OK children, it is time for all of you to learn to read and write.", the professor informs the subjects and then orders the three doctors to put the boxes on the ground.
"Children, each of you has to pick one pencil, don't be greedy okay.", the professor tells them while holding 1 pencil to show them and then handing the pencil to Subject 000013..
The other subjects begin to line up to take one pencil from the box. Dr. Rachel and Dr. Hacks open the doors of the hall so the subjects can enter.
"This hall is your classroom, a place where you learn something new and beneficial.", Dr. Lucius tells the subjects while each of them enter the hall also known as Classroom.
As the subjects enter the Classroom, there's a lot of classroom tables lined up and well arranged like they're in an exam. Each of the tables has numbers marked on the tables, the subjects know what it is and choose the table that has their numbers. Subject 000003 and Subject 000013 is the most front of the Classroom with 98 other subjects. Subjects 000003 and 000013 realized that their numbers were skipped because both of them literally sit side by side but they don't even know why? As they thought about the skipped number, Subject 000003 noticed that there's a book in the hutch of the table and picked the book out. Subject 000013 sees what Subjects 000003 did and he takes the book from the hutch too.
"As you are all holding right now is a notebook. The book is for you to study and do your homework?", Dr. Lucius informs the subjects with a microphone.
"I and other examiners are not the teachers in this Classroom. I want all of you to pay attention to the screen behind me."
As Dr. Lucius pointed his finger on the screen behind him, the Classroom's light turned off and the surrounding of the hall became dark but not pitch dark. The screen turns on and Dr. Lucius leaves the room slowly and silently.
The screen shows videos and slideshows of a cartoon character calling himself Mickey Mouse. Mickey teaches the subjects about letters and numbers, funny thing is that he teaches the subjects with a song. Subject 000003 is confused by what he sees on the screen while Subject 000013 happily imitates what Mickey song even other subjects sing along too. 15 minutes later, Subject 000003 realized that the cartoon had repeated its videos and slideshows thrice even though he actually got bored.
Suddenly, the screen shuts down and all of the subjects are shocked by what happened. Dr. Lucius enters the Classroom elegantly and puts both of his hands behind his back.
"Sorry for interrupting your fun, children."
"But i think that's enough for you to watch"
All of the subjects are confused about what just happened, the doctors continue…
"As you already know about the notebook and the pencil, you all also watched the videos and slideshows."
"Now, I want all of you to write all of the letters and the numbers from 0 to 9 on the notebook."
"I want to test your focus and memorization."
"15 minutes is enough for you."
"Whoever fails, he will be eliminated."
"Good Luck."
With sudden silence in the Classroom…
All of the subjects are confused about what Dr. Lucius is talking about? But Subject 000003 understood this especially because he knew that if he fails this he would be taken to the Backroom and never return. Luckily,Subject 000003 and 000013 knows what they're doing because they both always self aware how to use a pencil and notebook, they always saw other doctors writing on their clipboard and they used to draw on paper. Instead of drawing something or someone, all they have to do is draw the letter. Both Subject 000003 and 000013 write from a to z and 0 to 9 almost perfectly.
Even though both of them are succeeding the test, Subject 000003 feels nothing but anxious about others of his kind. Would they succeed too or fail?
15 minutes later…
"Everyone stop."
A sudden voice echoing in the silent Classroom, it is Dr. Lucius who gives a sudden announcement. The doctor then lifted his right hand signaling the other doctors to the room. There's more than 500 doctors to examine the subjects' writing. Of course both Subjects 000003 and 000013 succeeded on the test. But some are not lucky, there's more than 5000 subjects who failed the test and they got pulled out by the doctors and showed them the way out of the Classroom. Subject 000003 felt so bad for the unlucky one and especially he did not expect a lot of his kind to fail. After the doctors take out the subjects who fail, they also remove their table and rearrange the tables in the Classroom.
"I think that's enough for today, children."
Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice, it is Prof. Blight.
"All of you can go back to your hall.", as she orders the subjects to return to their hall, Dr. Lucius interrupts her…
"Professor, the experiment is not finished yet."
"I know doctor, but more than 5000 subjects have failed, doesn't it concern you?", Prof. Blight answers him with a logical explanation even though deep down she feels bad too. She then continues…
"Let them have a chance to memorise, review and do some homework before they learn in this classroom again."
Dr. Lucius is silent for a while, in long distance Subject 000003 hears their conversation then he continues to walk to his hall.
At 17:34 pm,while other subjects are talking and playing in the hall, Subject 000003 is lying down on his bed thinking about something so that his kind can survive after he realises that failing at memorising letters and numbers also brings you to Backroom. Subject 000013 approaches Subject 000003 and asks him if he is okay.
"Are you okway, 3?"
Subject 000003 looks into Subject 000013 directly slowly, scaring Subject 000013 in the process. Subject 000003 then sat up and proposed an idea to Subject 000013 and started to stand up on his bed and call all of his kind to group up.
"Evwyone, come here I have something to tell you all!!"
"Do all of you remember the letters and numbers!?"
The subjects looked at each other while some of them sucked one of their fingers, it looks like they started to forget the letters and numbers a bit while Subject 000003 slapped his face in disappointment and Subject 000013 just smirked at how stupid his kind is. Then the smallest and the youngest subjects, Subject 100000, raises his tiny hand happily.
"Oh oh me meeee…!!", he raises his hand while waving it.
"Okway then, say it out loud from numbers to letters."
"Ummm… 1… 2… 345… 67..8… 9… oh and 0…", he did it.
"Okway, how about the letters?"
"Ummm… Oh ABCDEFG umm…"
"H", Subject 000013 whispers towards Subject 100000.
"Oh Oh HIJKLMNO…P… hehe..", he then laughed nervously.
"Well close enough.", Subject 000013 tells Subject 000003 that they think they got this.
"No.", Subject 000003 strictly tells Subject 000013 and all of his kind that they have failed.
"Did you all wealise that a lot of us have disappeared? If we get hurt, if we cwy, if we are weak and especially if we are not smart enough we will be taken to the Backroom and never weturn. We don't know what happened in the Backroom to the point we never weturn here, but we have to become stwonk and smart to survive.", he gave a deep speech while pointing it to the back of the hall even though he is still technically a toddler.
Every subject thinks about what would happen to them if they failed.
"So… what is the idea, 3?", Subject 000013 asks Subject 000003 about the idea earlier when Subject 000003 tells him that he proposed the idea.
"We study of course. Didn't Lucius tell us that our notebook and pencil are for study purposes, everyone brings that out!!" Subject 000003 orders all of the subjects to bring out their notebook and pencil.
"Also, could you help me teach them too?"
"Gwadly.", Subject 000013 happily helped Subject 000003.
The subjects answer the order by going to each of their beds to pick out their notebook and pencil so they can study. Subject 000003 and Subject 000013 begin to teach them to memorise the letters and numbers. They study intensely to the point some of the doctors heard the commotion and they take a peek behind the door. The doctors are shocked that not only are they smart enough to study together to fix their weakness, they also have a leader to lead them and help them to thrive.