Wilhelm had placed the rifle back in its resting position, she wasn't aiming to be the best, in her experience trying to out do everyone got someone killed. She stared at the board for a few moments before turning her gaze up to the two people in observation room overhead, she then turned to leave, just like after every test, despite her unease in this place, she returned to her quarters for rest, there was no reason she shouldn't be full on her energy reserves before every test. She remained silent as she approached the door to leave the room.
The handler returned her gaze, but the other individual who seemed more out of place had already left the room by the time she looked up at it. The weeks would skip by like this, the number of candidates dwindling with each of them. Forty became thirty, twenty, ten and then finally six. By this point it had been well over a month's worth of constant training more akin to torture given it's harsh nature. The only comfort was that by this point, it was over. The last six members of this batch that seemingly survived had all been approved for placements, pending a ceremony of course.
Wilhelm was currently residing within her quarters, deep in thought, currently partaking in her mental exercises to keep her mind open and alert. Sat upon the edge of the bed, wearing the armored flight suit she rarely took off, elbows rested on her knees, folded hands under her chin with her eyes closed. She thought of home, the physical location rather than the lie that was its meta-physical being in the heart. Pondering if it truly meant anything at all, if where she came from even mattered, yes she died and she knew what that symbolized. Yet in the literal sense she was obviously still quite alive with all her memories and was prone to wandering thought. She shoved it out of her mind, it shouldn't be something to dwell on. She would have to get used to forgetting everything she had been through in her past life, to truly live a new person, rather than the lie she had once been. She wondered if others had devoted themselves this way, as really, you can't kill ideas, if she was struck down there were plenty more like her to rise up in her place.
She opened her eyes to stop her endless train of wandering thought, awaiting what was to come today, if anything.
Her silence was harshly interrupted by the speakers just outside her room blaring to life, despite it being quite early in the day, it didn't seem to matter much to the people that ran this place. They ticked to a very different kind of clock. "All candidates report to the atrium." A relatively simple message, but it was highly unlikely that things would ever be so simple in the field. No, a cause like this was too radical for such normalcy to be among it's associated nuances. It was instead as unpredictable as the rushing rapids of an untamed body of water, and just like a rushing tide, it always found it's level.
Wilhelm wasn't expecting the command this soon in truth, though her military clock still had her up going by certain times and aided her in this. At least for now. She rose from her seated position at the edge of the bed and left her relatively small, yet adequate quarters. Making her way to the Atrium with haste, not wishing to make those that gave the command wait.
The atrium was likely the only part of the encampment that had retained some essence of it's former design. It was fairly clean and well maintained, sufficient enough in size to house a substantial number of observers and participants on the main floor. A few hundred individuals had gathered on the overlooking walkways that spanned all around the main floor, where a podium of an improvised nature had been erected for ceremonial use. The lighting here was also quite sharp, but still retained some essence of being dull.
All six were expected to take up positions on the podium near what appeared to be a superior conducting this impromptu event. The man Wilhelm saw on her first day at the camp was also here, although he looked a combination of bored and tired and didn't seem too directly involved in the execution of this arrangement. There wasn't any fanfare or grand speech either, no applause and instead just absolute pin-drop silence. Each of the six were called forward by name, and each would go towards the particularly bored looking man to receive a uniform, helmet and armband bearing a distinct number.
Wilhelm couldn't help but keep an eye on the man out of her peripheral, as she was instructed to approach him, she remained just as silent as the rest had, turning her full attention to him now as she approached. Standing silently and expectantly before him, she couldn't help but let a small smile absent mindedly slip upon her face, curving the corners of her lips ever so slightly as the end of the journey was finally here, and she would be released upon those that exploit Liberty.
He took a few moments to gather the things he needed to hand over, the uniform first, band on top of that and then the helmet on top of it all and facing her. He then stretched out all the items with both hands but had also taken note of something. "I was told you seemed the most miserable among your batch, never one to smile, yet you're smiling. Why?"
It wasn't clear if it was just idle curiosity or if the lack of seriousness had offended him and prompted questioning. The few seconds between accepting her gear and then exchanging a nod with him represented sufficient enough time to respond, if a response was to come at all.
Wilhelm only smiled wider as the man asked why the grin was upon her face, realizing she wasn't just smiling internally anymore. She took the uniform and helmet, along with the band the man provided to her. She replied simply.