novelraw Chapter 249 249: Trial by Speed [2]
Chapter 249 249: Trial by Speed [2]
They ended up interviewing eight other people that day, which brought the total number of candidates to nine.
Three of them were women, which Riven had remarked on with a grin, saying something about how it was nice to see that speed was not just a guy thing.
The rest were men, ranging in age from early twenties to mid-thirties, each one bringing their own style, their own confidence, and their own quirks to the interview process.
Surprisingly, almost all of them proved to be better than Veylan. Their movements were smoother, their balance more stable and their recovery times faster.
Only one guy had been slower, a nervous, fidgety man in his late twenties who had stammered through the interview and then tripped over his own feet during the field test. Riven had politely told him they would get back to him, and then immediately crossed his name off the list the moment he was out of sight.
Riven and Lyra had spent the entire day on this, doing interviews and running the same test on the field over and over again. By the time the sun started to dip toward the horizon, they were both exhausted, their voices hoarse from asking the same questions, their legs sore from standing and walking back and forth between the interview room and the training field.
But there had been one guy who had done exceptionally better than the rest. His name was Jace, and from the moment he walked into the interview room, both Riven and Lyra had known he was different.
Jace was tall, with a lean, muscular build that suggested he was strong without being bulky, the kind of frame that was built for y'know…. endurance and explosive movement rather than raw power.
His hair was white: not grey, not platinum blonde, but pure, striking white that stood out in sharp contrast against his dark complexion.
His skin was a deep, rich brown, and his eyes were an unsettling but captivating shade of pale white that seemed to glow faintly in certain lighting.
For someone with dark skin to have white hair was shocking enough that Riven had immediately asked if he dyed it. Jace had just smiled, shaken his head, and said no. It was natural. Something about his genetics, maybe a side effect of his ability awakening, or just a quirk of Martian biology. He did not know, and he did not seem to care.
He was really handsome, Lyra had noted quietly to Riven when Jace was not looking, and Riven had nodded in agreement. But what stood out more than his appearance was his demeanor. He was calm, humble, and straightforward. He answered questions normally, without boasting or trying to oversell himself.
When Riven asked if he thought he was fast, he just said, "I think I'm fast enough for what you need," and left it at that.
The ladies found him to be really cool. Professional, competent, and refreshingly down-to-earth compared to some of the other candidates who had walked in acting like they were the fastest thing on Mars.
Now how did his field test go?
Well…
Quick Flashback:
Jace had stood at the edge of the training field, his hands resting loosely at his sides, his posture relaxed but focused. Lyra had handed him the glasses, explained what they did, and then stepped back to give him space.
"Really easy stuff," Riven had said, gesturing toward the far marker. "Sprint there and back, then we'll do the evasive maneuvers. Go as fast as you can."
Jace had nodded, slipped the glasses on, and then without any fanfare or buildup, he had exploded into motion.
It was immediately clear that he was on a different level.
His acceleration was instantaneous, his body shifting from stillness to full speed in the span of a heartbeat. He moved like a blur, his legs pumping in smooth, controlled strides, his arms cutting through the air with precision. There was no wasted movement, no stumbling and no awkward corrections. Bro really had none of that. He was the exact opposite of Veylan: just pure, efficient speed.
He reached the marker in seconds, spun on his heel with perfect balance, and sprinted back just as fast. When he crossed the starting line again, he was not even breathing hard.
Riven and Lyra had exchanged a glance, their eyebrows raised.
"Alright," Riven had said, her tone carefully neutral even though her expression suggested she was impressed. "Now the evasive stuff. Jump, roll, dodge. Like you're avoiding an explosion and then plasma fire. Go."
Jace had nodded, and then he moved.
He launched himself forward, his body twisting in the air as he executed a perfect jump. He hit the ground in a controlled roll, his momentum carrying him forward, and he came up running without missing a beat.
Then he started the dodge sequence, weaving left and right in sharp, precise movements that looked almost choreographed.
He did not stumble. He did not fall. His footwork was flawless, his balance perfect, and when he finished the sequence and came to a stop, he was standing upright, breathing steadily, completely composed.
Lyra had stared at him for a moment, and then she had looked at Riven, who was grinning.
"Yeah," Riven had said quietly. "That's the one."
Jace had walked back over to them, handed the glasses back to Lyra, and smiled. "How was that?"
"That was excellent," Lyra had said, unable to keep the approval out of her voice. "Really excellent."
Jace had nodded, his expression humble. "Thanks. Let me know if you need anything else."
"We will," Riven had said. "But I think you're probably going to hear from us soon."
That was basically it.
Now Present:
It was nighttime now, the base quieter than it had been during the day, the corridors dimly lit and mostly empty. Tatehan and Torvan sat in Torvan's workshop, surrounded by the usual clutter of tools and half-assembled devices.
They were waiting for Lyra and Riven to arrive so they could all sit down together and decide who the best runner was. Torvan had collected the glasses device from Lyra earlier in the evening and had immediately plugged it into his analysis system, running the data through his computer to generate detailed reports on each candidate's performance.
While they waited, Torvan worked on something at his workbench, his hands moving really well as he soldered components and adjusted settings on a small device that Tatehan could not quite identify. Sparks flew occasionally, brief flashes of light that illuminated Torvan's focused expression.
Tatehan, for his part, was sitting in one of the chairs near the workbench, his helmet resting on the table beside him, and his head tilted back slightly as he listened to music through the headphones that Torvan had installed in his armor.
The sound was clean, crisp, and perfectly balanced, filling his ears with a rhythm that made the waiting feel less tedious.
Torvan had done excellent work on the installation, and Tatehan had found himself using the feature more and more often, whether he was training, flying, or just sitting around like he was now.
He closed his eyes, letting the music wash over him, his mind drifting as he waited for the others to arrive.