The Student
The day began like any other, waking up at 5:00am to catch the morning super train that takes everyone in my dorm to the education centre. At my front door, the daily food delivery breakfast and water drop off have arrived. I get ready in the simple outfit I wear nearly everyday, my wardrobe filled with shades of grey, navy, and black. I pick up my breakfast and I speed out the door. Everyone from my centre files down in the same organised way as always to the bullet train stop. On the ride to the centre, I eat my breakfast and read the news. The headlines read: Mars inhabitants create self-sustaining bio dome Homeless rate has risen in Toronto to an all-time high of 13% 14 year old prodigy student from the TDSB earns top spot at the TESLA Once I arrive, I head up to the 24th floor to my workstation. I boot up my high powered computer and one of the teachers comes by to hand out my work assignments for today. I have a long task list, starting with following instructions to code a VR simulation for surgery procedures for Mount Sinai Hospital. After a couple hours, I switched to learning astrophysics and physics formulas, and computational neuroscience textbook reading and problems. I have a brief class today. The teacher seems to have no idea what she is talking about, I’m not sure how she has yet to retire. She goes through cooperation methods to support our studies and research projects. She must be the oldest teacher in the school district, I’ve heard rumours she was one of the first to encourage the chip program. As I am heading out the door after my 10 hour day, a student from cubicle 233784, spills his coffee all over me. In all my years of attending the secondary prep centre, I have never had this kind of altercation. He mumbles sorry under his breath, but I don’t respond. I just head to the nearest washroom as soon as possible. I can’t believe this idiot spilled his drink on me.
I sit soaked on my way home and pull up our centre rankings to see how I stack up to the rest of the students at my centre. My ranking has dropped, I’ve only collected 343 productivity points today. I can’t get out of my mind that stupid 233784 student, and the old teacher causing my rank to slip.
Unsurprisingly, my mom gives me a call around 7:00 pm. She’s obviously upset about the current rank, now 64th at my school from my former 40th position. She rants about the sacrifices she’s made to enrol in post-secondary prep school. Not long after I hear from my father who is fuming about the legacy I have to uphold. Only the top 50 students are offered application spots to the U of T compressive STEM program from my school. I cannot waste the opportunity he and my mother have decided for me. He yelled about my lack of effort, and threatened to call into the centre to fire my teacher. I don’t mention the spill, as I know he will background check students like 233784 wasting precious space and resources without a chip. He has the power to do so, with his high position at CSS Industries and donations provided to the post-secondary school. Tomorrow will be a new day to get my score back on track.
Current rank: 64 Goal rank: 40
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