Interlude- Brandon by Terry Schott Read Free Book Online Page A

made it through the admission process successfully.”
    “I’ve been monitoring the reports as they come in, but they aren’t terribly detailed. How did Brandon truly do during the process?”
    “Out of fifty applicants, twenty will be accepted,” Wesley said. “Of the twenty who are accepted, Brandon was ranked number nine.”
    “Very positive results for the youngest applicant ever.”
    “He’s very smart,” Wesley said. “From everything I’ve witnessed he could have easily been ranked number one or two.”
    “Then why wasn’t he?”
    “He positioned himself to be number nine.” Wesley said. “He knew how to place in each game so that he finished exactly where he wanted.”
    “How do you know that?” 
    Wesley laughed. “I watched him throw games. He would be in the lead of a particular game, and then for no reason he’d back off to finish worse than he should have.”
    “Ridiculous,” the Administrator said.
    “That’s what the other instructors said,” Wesley nodded. “I kept very close tabs on what he was doing, though. Most didn’t notice what was going on, or they explained it away. ‘He simply sprinted too soon and couldn’t hold the pace until the end of the race,’ or ‘The first few puzzles were easy for him to see, but when it got tougher the others caught up and passed him’.”
    “But you disagreed?”
    “Absolutely,” Wesley said. “I began to wonder when his rankings hit a consistent target each time.”
    “What target was that?”
    “During the entire trial process, Brandon was one rank higher than the elimination rank.”
    The Administrator laughed. “So when they were cutting kids at forty…?”
    “Brandon was ranked 39,” Wesley confirmed. “To confirm my suspicions I lied to them all one day. I told them we were eliminating to a false number.”
    “The boy ended up being one above that?” the Administrator guessed.
    “Exactly,” Wesley smiled. “When I announced I had made an error, Brandon laughed out loud and winked at me. The boy is in his element, sir.”
    “I’m glad to hear it,” the Administrator said. “We couldn’t challenge him here, and I didn’t know what to do with him if he failed out. Any other interesting news not contained in the updates?”
    “Yes,” Wesley said. “He’s forming his own Hand.”
    It wasn’t uncommon for players to want to emulate their heroes; often player groups would form in an attempt to become dominant teams throughout their time in the game facility. Some of them even attempted to form a team of the entire 20 members, calling themselves the ‘Junior General’s Avatars.’ The General’s ‘D’ Avatar had been formed that way and they were a very effective team on the world stage.
    “He’s building a core team of five from his group before he even gets accepted,” the administrator said. “Is it fully formed?”
    “Not yet. He wants to keep one spot open for the thumb. The word is that Brandon expects to attract an exceptional Sponsor to help guide him and his team. He’s saving the last spot for that person.”
    “What are they saying about his chances, Wesley? A normal child lives inside the facility for eight years, and many burn out before graduation. Doe s anyone think he will make it the thirteen?”
    “Most believe that he will do more than just make it, sir,” Wesley said. “They know it’s a longer shot than normal, but those who know the system are saying he could be another Cooper.”
    “Another Cooper…” the Administrator said. “That would be something.”
     
    ===
     
    “Wow, look who’s come to watch us get accepted into the Facility!” Tony nudged Brandon lightly in the ribs and pointed.
    Brandon glanced towards the front of the room where the instructors were sitting. Cooper and the rest of the A Hand were entering the room, smiling and waving as the newest group of facility applicants began to cheer and shout out calls of adoration. The chief instructor stood and