Zombie Survival System

As the second day of the test continued and the sun rose higher in the sky, the scene devolved into a strange spectacle of shouting.

"I'll swap my jumper for just a mouthful of water!" someone shouted.

"Hey you, I'll be your bodyguard tonight for that last sip in your bottle!"

"Fifty bucks to anyone who gives me a little water!"

In only a matter of hours, water, something that was almost worthless in the outside world, had become more precious than gold. Despite all the offers being made, hardly anyone was willing to give up the last bits of such an essential resource. Without it, how could anyone expect to make it through this ordeal?

A few hours later, Omega arrived with the rest of the exam staff, including the medic team. Alexandre had made the conservative estimate that the medics wouldn't interfere until the test ended, so he was surprised when several doctors entered the test zone to examine the candidates who were still unconscious.

'Interesting,' Alexandre thought. 'I guess that the people who made it to this point are worth keeping alive for a little longer. So the Hunters aren't quite as sadistic as I'd thought! Even still, the rest of the candidates would be fools to assume anyone's coming to save them from death at any time. Just holding out long enough for a doctor will take more skill than some of these fools possess.'

While the doctors were doing their work, Omega displayed his trademark, sadistic streak of humor. He opened a plastic cooler and withdrew several 1.5-liter bottles of water. He made a dramatic show of opening one bottle and seeming to fumble it, causing a stream of water to cascade to the ground. "Oops!" he said in a voice of faux horror. "Oh well, no use crying over spilled water." Omega took a long drink from the bottle, smacking his lips in appreciation.

The candidates watched this display with mournful expressions. One particularly exhausted girl began to cry as Omega dropped the mostly full bottle to the ground, letting the rest of the water dribble out.

Finally, Omega turned and removed more 1.5-liter bottles and set them up at his feet until there were ten bottles shining in the sun. "What's with all the sad expressions? It's just water! The most plentiful substance on the planet. All you have to do is step over that dividing line and you're welcome to all the water you can drink!" He gave a hearty laugh.

Many candidates shook with fury. "Damn you!" several muttered. But none of them moved—not those who felt like they were dying of thirst, not those who felt light-headed, not those who had already drunk their own urine. They bore their collective pain and rage in relative silence.

Omega smirked at the growing hostility of the atmosphere. "What," he laughed, "you thought the US's top entrance exam would just be a matter of testing your athletic skills?! Look sharp, maggots! I'll make you suffer, alright. I'm the monster who'll torture you, body and mind, until you beg me to stop!"

Suddenly a young blonde girl with striking eyes and a perfect body approached the edge of the field, near where Omega stood. "What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked. "Isn't the test itself just... Well, isn't it a survival test?"

Omega, ever the provocateur, said, "You'll see, love." Then he turned, kicked the bottle he'd dropped earlier so it was even farther from the edge of the test zone, and said, "See you tomorrow, maggots."

Everyone's hatred for Omega grew even stronger.

***

The rest of the day went relatively smoothly. Mos of the candidates avoided moving or talking in order to limit their water consumption—not to mention rationing whatever small amounts of water they had left, and keeping it secret from potential thieves.

A few candidates had left that morning, and a handful more left throughout the day, but it was barely worth mentioning. For healthy young people in excellent physical shape, the situation was one they believed they could survive. It was very unpleasant, to be sure... but those who remained were determined to make it through the last portion of this part of the test.

Well, that was the case for most candidates. For Marlon in particular, the test was filled with agonizing pain. His wounds throbbed in dull bursts of pain, and this was added onto the need for food and water. Marlon was larger than most of the other candidates, so he needed more hydration to begin with. Because he'd known his body needed every bit of help it could get to heal quickly, Marlon had drunk all his water on the first evening of their test.

Marlon rested for the first afternoon, the first night, and the second day. But when the second night arrived, he couldn't wait any longer.

It was time for Marlon to go hunting.