Chapter 400: Day 1.6 – The test!

“Let’s leave aside how much of a cliché the Mother of Miss Beatrice is.” The Teacher person turned to point at the numbers. “You may think that a 10% is nothing, its merely ten points after all.”

Most of the classmates nodded, Alexa included, actually the only ones who didn’t nod where people from the Class of the Elite (With the exception of glory who nodded with Alexa). Like Alan who only grimaced at that result.

“Regretting something Mister Harmonia?” The teacher person said with a smirk on his face as he adjusted his monocle. “This result is what CRADDLE judged would be the total result from the year long education program, that is to say, it includes the final result after tallying all the points of the long year. Then it gives an approximated number.”

“This number comes after figuring in which spot you would be, it tallies all the different programs across the multiple school you all came from.” [Teach Baking] looked all around the class, “For example, Beatrice’s score in her own classroom would be a 9/10. But since we are collating it and comparing her achievements and learning subjects with everyone else, her score turns into that.”

“So I am smart!” Beato said nodding sagely, “As expected, just like how Momma Rona said, so long you are smart it matters not how you act.”

“That one is a redhead?” Alan said in his weird tone.

“You know both my Mommas!” Beato said pointing at Alan.

“You know both her Mommas!” Alexa joined in surprised, how had he achieved that? Was Alan that well informed? Then did he know more important people?

“Uuuughhh…. The cliches… they burn…” Alan groaned instead of answering.

“No wait,” One of the other students suddenly stood up, “Then how is the first place getting a perfect one hundred?”

It was one of the other members of the class of the elite, and he was pointing at Alexa. They knew Alexa, so why were they doubting her?

“You mean to say that she, who came from other class managed to get a perfect score in the little time she spent with us?” The kid turned to Alan and Glory, “I understand it from Alan and Glory, but even as a Saintsworths that one hundred score is… suspicious.”

“You are suggesting foul play.” The teacher person didn’t ask as much as state it plainly, “CRADDLE, what metric did you use to gauge the perfect one hundred score of Miss Alexa?”

“[The Score was picked up on her expected achievements and knowledge, as well as her ability to perform the tasks that would be required of her.]” The CRADDLE person answered from the speakers! “[It was taken into consideration her achievements during the time she participated on the school events, such as her ability to match up to a Core User without using Core Powers. As thus, it is inferred Alexa Saintsworths would have no issues in completing the -quite honestly- underwhelming school curriculum.]”

Alexa nodded at that statement, Alexa also thought their silly tests were silly, there wasn’t even a single death trap in the school! This was blasphemy! How were they supposed to be prepared for the gruesome realities that awaited them as the [Apex Predator] of Terra Nova!?!?

“So there you have it.” The teacher person then pointed at the student who had questioned before, “Is that sufficient? It’s fine if it isn’t, we have you covered.”

“And by that, what Teacher De’Medici mean to say is that we will be having a diagnosis test.” [Teach Baking] turned to tap the screen behind them, “Miss CRADDLE, if you would.”

“[As you wish Teacher Baker.]” The CRADDLE person said and the desk in front of Alexa opened to show a piece of paper and a pen ready for Alexa.

Alexa gave it a small nom, it taste like wood and carbon. It was not tasty at all, did they not prepare it for Alexa? So rude! What did expect her to do with this?!?! Was it not common sense to have late breakfast at school?!?!

“You may start at your own discretion.” The teacher person turned to look all around, and after fixing his glasses like the evil villain he was, he added, “Eating the writing impliments is not part of the test, and we expect you to find an alternative way to write in case you decide to consume the pens.”

Oh, so Alexa wasn’t supposed to eat it?

“I can share mine with you if you want Alexa.” Glory said from the side offering her the pen in her hand.

“Please do not speak with your classmates, that may end up labeling you as a cheater.” [Teach Baking] suddenly spoke as she clapped, “Each of you have your own test and must answer by yourselves, also know that CRADDLE set up each test tailored to the knowledge you should have. Meaning each test is different, so cheating is impossible.”

To what Alexa knew?

Alexa turned first to the test, then to the pen that had a bite-like mark (Wonder who nomed it? Surely it wasn’t Alexa!), and then lastly, Alexa turned to Glory to answer her good wishes, “It’s okay. Alexa can still answer it, besides she can just…” Alexa then proceeded to put the pen on her mouth and order her nanites to fix it!

[Main Core]! Fix the thing! Like so, Alexa commanded and Main Core listened! Alexa even felt the Nanites get to work and pull from her [Banked Storage] to fix the thing!

Wonder why they were going like that, didn’t she have the wood pieces in her tummy?

“See?” Either way, Alexa pulled out the now once again full pen, “Easy!”

Alexa declared proudly.

“Oooh… I didn’t knew it worked like that.” Glory said looking at her pen, “But is it tasty?”

“Not really, Alexa wouldn’t recommend it, unless you add candy atop?” Alexa wondered if she could get some Mango sauce and dip the pen on it first…

But if she got mango sauce, she would probably rather eat the sauce instead of dipping a pen on it.

“As wonderfully elucidating this was.” The teacher person teleported behind Alexa! He had appeared from her blind spot! Alexa didn’t even knew she had a blind spot! He was cheating again! “Please focus on the test at hand, you may share snack opinions when you are done. Miss Blackthorn… No, not anymore. Glory, don’t try to do as Alexa, she can do that because of her special constitution, unless you become someone like Mister Harmonia you will not be able to eat the same things as Alexa okay?”

He changed how he reffered to Glory midway through? Why?

“Oh, its something special of Alexa? As expected of my BFF!” Glory nodded happily and then eyed her pen one last time before focusing on the test in front of her.

Glory had shifted her usual glance to a full serious one even! Was it this important? Alexa wasn’t sure.

So instead Alexa decided to better focus on the test at hand, she had to excell on it!

[Main Core]! Prepare to give Alexa the answers! Alexa commanded.

[Starting scan and analyzing of test.]

[Main Core] of course was ready and hard at work, so Alexa all she needed was to turn her focus to the paper in front of her.

She would do her best while [Main Core] prepared the answer, so for now, Alexa read the first question!

‘Name’

“Oof…” Alexa felt as if she had been punched in the gut by a Dempsey roll, she didn’t know what it was, but it was stored in [Main Core]’s database, so she assumed it was important and effective.

What was Alexa supposed to put here!?!? She was Alexa okay, everyone knew that, but was that what they wanted to know? Or did they want all of Alexa’s identities?!?!?

The teacher person was the theater person, so he knew that Alexa was Rhapsody, but did he knew that Alexa was also Ale? Did they know that Alexa had been P4? How much did he wanted to get out of Alexa?!?!?

Alexa decided to close her eyes, take a deep breath (As Ale did whenever she found one of those [Trolls]) and look at the next question. The good thing was that besides the first one at the far end of the piece of paper was the next question.

“Date…” That confused Alexa, what date did they want? Alexa’s birbday? The day Alexa became Alexa? The day she got Ale?

What date did they want?!?!?

What did they want?!?!?

[Answer, the first query seeks to clarify the student who took this test, the second seeks to find the day the test was taken.]

Oh.

“Then this is easy!” Alexa said nodding sagely and getting a few glares, but she ignored them, and focused on answering, “Alexa Saintsworths!”

Easy! Alexa was doing great already, as for the second…

“What day is today [Main Core]?” Alexa decided to cheat on that one.

[The date is September twelve.] [Main Core]answered as thus, so Alexa wrote it as thus!

“Easy peasy!” Alexa smiled happily at herself because she was finally answered two questions with the right answer! [Main Core] was the key after all!

“As an added point.” [Teach Baking] suddenly spoke, “In case any of you attempt to cheat using some technology or asset you got before, the access to all networks is banned and CRADDLE will ensure no one access them.”

“CRADDLE, please confirm the statement.” The Theater person added afterwards.

“[Confirmed, current access to all local network is forbidden for all civilians, students and workers within the classrooms that are having exams. Cheating is forbidden.]” The CRADDLE Person confirmed iT

What was Alexa supposed to do! Her hidden cheat would become sueless!

[Notice, we still have access to the networks and even if that was removed we have access to our own internal databanks stored locally in case of such an eventuality.]

Oh, then it doesn’t matter! Alexa also answered the query from Main Core! That was good.

Alexa had worried for nothing, don’t scare Alexa like that!

“Next question!” Alexa decided to ignore that since it didn’t affect Alexa.

[Question numbered one: Given experimental measurements of a determinate substrate with a concentration of [X], generate an inhibitor chemical capable of quickstart an uncontrolled growth for the greatest amount of biosamples.]

Alexa blinked once, then twice and thrice for a good measure. Why was it numbered one? Wasn’t it the third question? Also what was this thing even? Alexa knew they were words, but she didn’t knew what they spoke about.

[Question requires advanced knowledge in bioengineering, chemical composition and theorical advanced mathematical knowledge, possibly a sub specialty focused in programming.]

Alexa knew not what that meant either. What was [Main Core] speaking about.

_[… Please write this in the given space.]

Alexa saw letters overlay on the piece of paper, so using her pen she started writing them in there, mostly tracing the same lines and putting some not cute drawings of tables and weird curved lines. Alexa knew not what it was.

“There?” Alexa was not too sure about that, but since [Main core] said that was the answer, she would believe it.

[Question numbered two: Consider a synthetic genetic circuit in which gene activates gene , while the protein product of represses .

Construct a system of ordinary differential equations describing the concentrations of mRNA and protein for both genes. Implement a numerical simulation in Python and determine the parameter conditions under which the system exhibits stable oscillations rather than converging to a steady state.]

…

[Host, please write as follows…]

Alexa decided to not think about it, she instead released control of her arm to [Main Core] and decided to think of things that she knew how they worked, like [Mango] and [Magmo]!

Well, she didn’t know how [Magmo] worked, but she knew what it was! [Magmo] was her fren!

[Question five: A biodegradable polymer nanoparticle contains a therapeutic molecule with diffusion coefficient….]

Alexa decided to not look at neither the logs or the paper, instead she merely decided to think in happy things, like Ale! She had been thinking about her since this morning, she was obviously somewhere doing stuff, she had waken up early and all after all, so that meant that Ale was okay!

Alexa had been worried since she wasn’t answering the pings, but since the tether was kinda… fragile looking, Alexa didn’t want to poke at it, she didn’t want to lose that connection, who knows what would happen!

Alexa didn’t want to lose Ale! She was important, what was she supposed to do if she lost her too? Who would take care of Alexa!

I mean, the [Mom] person was there, also [Big Brother] was around… [Aunty Viv] was too, but Alexa wanted Ale!

She was important! She was important in ways that the others weren’t! Alexa was sure of it, she always knew that she would find [Big Brother] since he was [Big Brother] what kind of [Big Brother] wouldn’t come looking for a cute little sister like Alexa!

The [Mom] person too, she was a [Mom] person, so she would eventually come pick up Alexa, that was the kind of [Mom] the [Mom] person was, and since the [Mom] person was there, [Aunty Viv] would show up on her own.

They were a set pair after all.

But Ale? Alexa hadn’t expected her at all! She wasn’t in the plans after all, it was a happy accident, and since it was a happy accident, Alexa didn’t knew how to make it happen again, so she didn’t want to lose her!

Wonder if [Main Core] had finished…

[Question ten:

A research team wants to engineer a microorganism capable of producing a biodegradable polymer from an undeterminated source.

You are provided with:

• the organism's genome
• metabolic data
• biological constants
• the chemical structure of the desired polymer
• experimental metabolical concentrations.

Design an end-to-end system and a experimental strategy for optimizing production. Your answer must integrate:

1. genome and pathway analysis,
2. metabolic-network modeling,
3. enzyme blueprints
4. genetic-circuit expected outcome
5. statistical analysis of the resulting data and expected chance of failure.

Finally, identify three potential failure points in the application of the design using your model and explain how you would experimentally distinguish model error from biological variability.]

…It seemed like [Main Core] was about to finish. Alexa didn’t got even half of what that last one. Wonder if she was supposed to do something special?

Alexa didn’t think so, but well, since [Main Core] was the one answering, even if they failed it wouldn’t be Alexa’s fault! So all was good!