I wake up early the next morning, when the other initiates are asleep. I look over at Caleb's cot to see that he is asleep. My gray clothes are folded neatly on the table at the end of the bed. Putting them to my nose, they smell of soap and detergent, but it's not the same as before.
I head to the washroom, where I put on my clothes. Brush my hair and put it in the same plain bun I had since yesterday. When I'm finished, I look in the mirror. I still look the same. Dressed in the same Abnegation gray, for now at least. Then I'll be wearing Erudite blue should I pass this morning's examinations.
"Interesting," a girl muses, and I jump to see that it's that brown haired Erudite girl from yesterday. Regina Putnam, Elizabeth said her name was. "Interesting that you are the second Abnegation Prior after your brother to come. Suspicious, too."
"Suspicious?" I ask, frowning. "How is it suspicious?"
"Well, it's been speculated that the Abnegation might send plants in to destabilize us," Regina answers. "To prove a point to the rest of the gray-clothed masses how we're up to no good. Being that your father is a prominent Abnegation political figure, it shouldn't be farfetched to come to the conclusion that perhaps your brother, or you, or both were tasked with the objective to infiltrate us."
"Infiltrate you?" I ask, hardly fathoming what she is going with this. When I've been given indication that it's Erudite that plants people into factions. To hunt for the Divergent. "What makes you think that."
She shrugs. "Let's just say you shouldn't blame some people if they are suspicious, given your faction's use of their memory serum." Then she leans closer and whispers, "If you aren't what I think you are, I wouldn't give myself a aneurism to try and pass a test you might fail today. Just a suggestion."
With that, she walks away, and it's like she dumped my brain into water and wrung it dry like a sponge. Memory serum? What memory serum? Unless she's trying to mess with my head, like I expect an Erudite to.
As for the infiltrating accusation, father says that the Erudite like to project. That they blame us for the problems they cause. Given what I just learned, maybe this wouldn't be farfetched.
After a quiet breakfast, all of us file into a room called Examination Room 2D. It's is a lot like the classroom we were led to yesterday. Except the computers are in glass cubicles. To prevent cheating, I think. They'd want honest answers.
"Now, if you take your places at your assigned seats," we're prompted by a calm voice. Walking down the aisles, I see that we're seated in alphabetical order. I swallow as I find my station between Caleb and Ainsley Prescott. The blood pumping in my fingers as I take my seat.
Turning my head, instead of seeing the person sitting next to me, I see my own reflection. Just like the walls on the room where I took my Aptitude Test. Nestled by the computer monitor is an electronic stopwatch, currently saying 00:00:00 in red.
"There are five sections to the test. The first is for your logical reasoning, second will be mathematical reasoning, the third will be pattern intelligence, the fourth will be spatial recognition, and the fifth will be verbal intelligence. Remember to take your time on every question during the two-hour time slot. Haste will only contribute to an inaccurate score. When you are done, press on the black button in your station, and you will be free to leave for Classroom 1D. Now, if you can tap the screen with your fingers."
I do as instructed, and on the bright screen appear to be two rows of boxes. There is a question mark on the right space on the second row.
"On the screen, you will see a black arrow. You will tap that to proceed to the next question. Again, take your time."
I furrow my brow as I gaze at the boxes on the screen. The columns shaded in different places in each one. There is a pattern to this sequence, which is evident. The only problem is to see what could come next.
We were told not to haste through it. It makes me think of what my mother would say when she taught me how to knit: Haste will not help. I gaze back at the column of boxes and back to the choices.
Trying to determine which pattern it would be in. Of what box would go next. It can't be any of the boxes already shown on the left side. I narrow my eyes as I narrow down my choices. When I think I figured out what goes next, I tap my finger on one of the boxes on the right hand side and press the arrow.
I do the same process with the other shapes and patterns. Determining the patterns and narrowing down my options before selecting what I think goes next and move on. Then I am moved on to the next section.
If Lydia, Madison, and Bailey in a room all shake hands with each other, how many handshakes will occur?
It takes a few minutes to go over the math in my head. Lydia shakes hands with Madison and vice versa. Madison shakes hands with Bailey and vice versa, and Bailey handshakes with Lydia and vice versa. So that would be six handshakes.
As I continue my test, I would hear a series of chimes followed by the shuffling of chairs. Indicating that someone has finished their test. I have nearly finished the pattern intelligence when I hear Caleb's chair shuffle on my right. He's already finished with his.
By the time I have reached the final question of the final section, my brain feels heavy. Except that doesn't prevent me from trying to guess which might be the odd one out. Napkins are not cutlery.
I press my finger on the submit button before pressing down on the black button. The ticker stopping at 1:49:20. There are only two other people left in the room as I walk out.
The other initiates are waiting in the classroom at the end of the hallway. Most of them appearing pale and nauseous as if they had just finished their aptitude tests. It doesn't surprise me that most of them are Erudite-born. They would know this stuff.
"….and the quality of the crops have improved as a result," Samuel is telling Caleb as I join their table. I slide my sweaty hands over my gray dress, taking a deep breath. Around me, everyone is talking about studies and the things that have interested them.
Caleb then turns to me. "You just got done?" he asks me.
"Wasn't going to rush through it," I tell him. "They told us to take our time."
"Well, you're the third to last person to finish your Intelligence Examination," Vincent noted.
"The speed to which one does the tests shouldn't be a guarantee." Victoria shakes her head. "One can get done first and fail. One can finish theirs last and pass. Or vice versa."
Caleb turns back to Samuel. "So, back to what we were talking about."
Caleb, who seemed born for Abnegation before yesterday, seems to be in his element when talking with some of the transfers from Amity about biotechnology. His eyes lit up from the information he's sharing and receiving. It's hard to recognize him and it's like I don't know him.
Maybe I don't know myself that well. Erudite was one of my results.
"Beatrice, Earth to Beatrice." Kendall's voice snaps out me of my thoughts.
"Wait, what?" I ask, steering myself back to reality.
"I was asking you, what was your favorite subject in Upper Levels," she tells me. "Elizabeth and I were discussing how we gravitated more towards mathematics than science and Faction History."
My favorite subject. I liked Literacy, as it was the only time we could read without it going against the code in Abnegation. I really loved Faction History. It always fascinated me how the factions started and evolved over time. Especially the Dauntless. The faction I could have joined yesterday.
"For me it would be Faction History," I say. It's fascinating to see how things were different years ago.
Kendall shoots up her eyebrows while Elizabeth replies, "Personally, I didn't despise the subject. Our teacher could have taught it without being so dull. I don't know how many times I nodded myself to sleep."
Someone clears their throat. "If I could have your attention, please."
All conversation stops and our attention is turned towards a dark-skinned Erudite man holding a tablet. "Of the thirty-seven initiates, only thirty have met the IQ requirements to continue onto the first stage of initiation. The ones who were eliminated are as follows: Eileen Adams, Nicholas Comstock, Jason Finch, Carla Ian, Archer Moore, Olivia Osbourne, and Ainsley Prescott. If your name was called, you will exit the room."
Caleb passed. I passed. I didn't have to worry about Caleb. I'm just relieved I wasn't eliminated in the beginning. The selfishness of that thought bothers me, and more so as I watch seven of the other initiates leave their seats, one of them in the blue of the Erudite, one of them the Candor boy who laughed at whatever disdainful remark was made about Caleb and I.
They will be factionless, and feel bad for the selfish thought of being relieved that it wasn't me.
At this point, some of the other Erudite-born and transfers gaze curiously at Caleb and I. Me especially. So far, I'm just the Stiff who simply joined Erudite to follow her brother. It would make sense if this was the part of initiation where I was eliminated. Victoria and Vincent exchange glances, with the former raising her eyebrow curiously at me. Sophia's eyebrows are furrowed as if she came across a mathematical equation that was troubling her.
Regina seems to pin me and Caleb down with a piercing glare. As if it was a fluke that we passed. She whispers to a Erudite boy next to her; who's also glaring at us the same way as her. The Candor girl that stayed – Krystal – appears as if she swallowed something sour.
They don't seem to like it that one or both of us passed our examination, and might be determined to make it clear that we are unwelcomed here. This morning, I was a bug that Regina thought she could step on. Now it seems that I am a weed that she would have a hard time pulling from the grass.
At this point, we are all led back to the examination room we took our Intelligence Examination in. Only this time it's that personality test they were talking about. That it will determine who they will house us with.
Some of the questions are not too hard, like wanting to prefer a tidy roommate and wanting a respectful and peaceful coexistence. It doesn't bother me if someone wants to get up early or stay up late. Nobody's study habits are the same or will be like mine. It's the questions like my personal space and dealing with conflicts that stump me at first.
The only personal space was my room back in Abnegation, and was to do homework and sleep. I hardly had time for myself. After a few minutes, I choose what I feel familiar with. The question about conflict seems more like what one might find in Amity rather than a faction like Erudite. I could choose the last option but the "I usually wait until I am really annoyed or angry" seems to fit me more.
I am able to study regardless of noise level. Just because I like things quiet, doesn't mean that the same would be same for others.
At the end of the questionnaire, they ask us if there are any food intolerances, allergies, or sensitivities to be aware of. Maybe to know what food to stock our kitchens with. I select the 'Not That I Know Of' option.
During lunch in Erudite headquarters, each of us are given folder containing a syllabus, a map of the Erudite sector, and our class schedules. Paperclipped to the sheets is a small card with a barcode on the bottom that reads my room number and an appointment card saying that I should see Dr. L. Wu this coming Tuesday at thirty minutes after four in the afternoon to get my eyes checked.
"This feels as if this is our first day in Upper Levels," Ronald says as we navigate the sidewalks to find the Initiate Housing Building. Also known as the Orford Elsewood Building like it shows on the map. "Is anyone else getting the sense of Déjà vu like I am?"
Outside, I see Erudite – mostly ones who appear to be around our age – sitting in picnic tables or lounging on the grass under a shade of a tree as they read their books or go over their papers. Like they are trying to take advantage of a nice and sunny day. The sky the shade of blue as some of the clothes they are wearing.
"Except we went home every day after school," Kendall corrects him. "At least for me, I won't have to jumping off and on to the trains to and from school every day anymore." She shudders. "I mean, there were times I had no trouble, but I had moments where I could have fallen to my death or get caught under the train if I wasn't careful. Just my luck, I'd probably be a Dauntless pancake on the cement by now if I had chosen the coals instead of the water yesterday."
"Besides, we won't be learning with different factions." Caleb turns to Kendall. "I always wondered how all of you managed to come in one piece," he tells her.
In a sense, Caleb and Kendall aren't wrong. This isn't like Upper Levels. We'll be learning the subjects that the Erudite favor and we'll only be surrounded by our fellow Erudite initiates. However, Ronald isn't wrong either, as it feels like our first day in Upper Levels when trying to navigate our new surroundings. Trying not to get lost to the building where we will be sleeping.
"Um, I think the Initiate Housing Complex is that way," Mira notes, gazing back from her map to the pathway we are on. "Yeah," she points to the signs at one end of the walk we are on, "this way."
It must have been a combination of the maps and the signage leading us to our destination, but we manage to find it under twelve minutes. It's slightly smaller than the apartment buildings in this compound and only one story tall.
The plaque next to a set of double glass doors reads THE ORFORD ELSWOOD BUILDING. INITIATE HOUSING with the Erudite eye carved above it.
Right now in the lobby, there is a line of students standing at the desk waiting to be let in through the other set of doors that would lead to our apartments.
The receptionist – a severe woman dressed in blue – scans Caleb's card and has him scan his fingerprint. "Remember that your biometrics will be used to unlock this door after six in the evening and the door to your dormitory."
"Thank you." He turns to me. "I will be seeing you soon, Beatrice."
As he passes through the set of translucent doors, then it's my turn to approach the desk. I go through the process of having the receptionist scan the barcode on my apartment card and press one of my fingerprints on the black, glass pad on the desk. "Remember that your biometrics will be used to unlock this door after six in the evening and the door to your dormitory."
"Thank you," and I pass through the doors that Caleb disappeared behind earlier. Room 6, I think as I glance at my apartment card. Room 6. At the directional signs before me, 1-5 would be on my right, with 6-10 on my left.
"Where are you trying to go?" Kendall asks me.
"Apartment 6," I say.
"Then it's good that I'm headed that same way," she said with a smile. "I think it should be on the left."
"That was what I was already thinking," I say as we walk down the hallway. The soft white, lights illuminating the dark blue walls. I think I see Mira catch up to us.
"I asked one of the Erudite-born initiates, Reva, about the biometrics," she tells us as we approach the wooden door with the golden 6 screwed to it. "It was implemented ten years ago. It's that way because some initiates would break into apartments to sabotage another initiates' homework."
"As if there's going to be no one savvy to find their way around it," Kendall mentions before whispering. "There's plenty of ways to take claim someone's fingerprints. Maybe even hack through the system so the door could open to their fingerprints."
Mira presses her index finger to the black pad under the doorknob. The ring around it glowing blue before a calm voice says, "Access granted to Mira Joshi."
Mira opens the door, and I allow her and Kendall to go in first before I do.
At first glance, these accommodations are in stark contrast to what I'm used to in Abnegation. There's a sleek white and blue kitchenette on our left with a living area containing couches, a coffee table (sitting on the glass surface, are five laminated slips of paper. Vouchers to get our initiation textbooks for half the Erudite credits), chairs, and a sparsely filled bookshelf. Two hallways leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
Whoever we share this room yet, are not here. They did say there was going to be six per room.
"How about we claim our rooms before our other dormmates get here," Kendall suggests. "Get first pick."
My first instinct is to argue. That we should let them to get first pick. However, I let Kendall and Mira in before I did. They are probably expecting me to try to be selfish for once. After all, it's not like I'm still in Abnegation.
After a quick sweep of the apartment, I pick the bedroom towards the back. There's two twin beds with blue duvets, two glass desks (one of them nestled in the corner in front of the giant window), two dressers, and a bookshelf.
I toss my folder on one of the beds before going to the window. In a distance, I could easily make out the train tracks above a hedge of flowers. Maybe sometimes, I'll be able to dream when I see the train. It's then when I happened to look down when I see what looks like a black remote that only has a 'plus' and 'minus' dial, and a button with a picture on it.
Curiosity gets the best of me, and I see that the first two buttons are to adjust the shade in the window. That I could blacken my windows if I want to. Perfect if I don't want the sun in my eyes when I'm studying. The bottom button I find that I can change the view of my window from fields to a rainy day to leaves falling from the trees.
It's when I decide to check with Kendall and Mira when I hear the door to our dorm open. Must be our roommates.
"…and I told him, 'No, Arthur, I don't have the time to sit with you and discuss the study about psychology and the Dauntless faction. I have initiation to get ready for.' I doubt he'll get the message."
"What are you going to do if he keeps at it? Go to his parents or brother?"
I close my eyes. Only one of those voices belongs to one of the last people I want to share a room with.
I thought I hear Sophia snort. "His parents might be one option, Victoria, but I'm afraid they'll guilt me over my refusal. His mother especially. 'Oh, Sophia, your minds would work great together'. The only logical option before me is going to Frederick about it. He might be able to knock some sense into his brother."
"Guy problems?" I hear Kendall ask as I thought I hear a toilet flush. Mira's probably using the bathroom.
"That would be a gross oversimplification of the matter," Sophia answers as I step into the living room. "To specify, it's that one of the –"
She stops the moment she locks her light brown eyes at me. Appearing as if she were a deer caught in headlights. Sophia throws her folder in frustration. "My mind's eye, you have to be kidding me."
Elizabeth glares at Sophia as the latter turns to leave. With Victoria exclaiming in exasperation, "Again, Sophia? Elizabeth and I have been over this with you the moment we left the Choosing Ceremony yesterday!"
Sophia seems to ignore her. Opening the door, only for her exit to be blocked. The answer as to what stopped her is answered when a strawberry blonde woman in a crisp blue suit steps into room. She must be two years older by the looks of her.
"Is everything going well for you, girls?" she asks politely, gazing over our faces.
"Not too bad, thank you," Kendall answers as I see Mira leave the bathroom.
"Very well," Sophia answers stiffly. Her tone seeming to indicate that nothing is going well for her. I ruined her afternoon just for being here.
"Excellent," she nods, as if trying to disregard Sophia's answer. "Now, I'm Vera Cardew, one of the residential assistants of initiate housing complex. I'll be helping you with your academic, social, and personal needs when you need it during the eight and a half to seventeen weeks of your initiation. If there is anything you need, you can summon me or any of the other three resident assistants on the panel by the door."
"We thank you for your consideration," Sophia coolly tells her. "Now if you excuse me, I will be taking care of a problem at the Initiate Outreach office."
She walks past Vera, who turns to gaze at the five of us.
"What seems to be the problem?" she asks, and in response, I find myself gazing at my feet. I don't want eye contact as I'm going to be brought up. Past experience with the Erudite has taught me where this might lead to.
"Simply Sophia clinging to faction differences that will be irrelevant in the coming weeks," Victoria answers. "She refuses to make an effort to extend the olive branch to Beatrice and Caleb Prior, and at this moment speaking with her on the manner is like talking to a brick wall."
"Now, if you can excuse me," Elizabeth says before dashing out of the room. "Sophia, you can't simply…"
"I was afraid of this, even if hoped it wouldn't happen," Vera sighs. "Even if all five factions blame different things for the War of Humanity, the founders had wanted us to coexist to keep the peace, to ensure it never happens again. However, the system is fragile and to even refuse to respectfully coexist with another faction is going to fracture what our founders worked so hard to achieve."
"Well, not all of us are Amity," Mira admits.
"Beatrice, all it matters is that you chose us," Vera tells me. "As Victoria said, it will not matter what faction you came from. You're one of us now."
Part of me doesn't know whether to trust her. The Erudite are good manipulators, as what father would say. That they play with your mind so well that you won't know until they are finished with you.
The other part of me is insisting that it's not manipulation, that she's actually trying to help, and make me feel welcome.
"Thank you," I tell her.
"With pleasure." She nods and says, "As I said, the information panel is at your disposal. Notify me, Cara, Edmund, or Simon if you have any questions or concerns."
Cara. With my luck, it's the same Erudite woman who administered my aptitude test.
Not a minute after she walks out, Elizabeth comes back in. Closing the door behind her. The frown on her face telling me that her conversation with Sophia didn't go to well.
"Sophia is still as impenetrable as a brick wall, I take it?" Victoria asks.
"She's still going to the Initiate Outreach to see if she could change her accommodations," Elizabeth stresses. "Says that sharing accommodations with a initiate from Abnegation won't guarantee her a clear mind during initiation. Even when I told her she won't make any progress. I swear, she's brilliant, but she is infuriatingly stubborn at times."
"How long do we have in having to endure her unwillingness to at least be civil with the initiates from Abnegation?" Kendall asks.
"I give it a few days for her to come around," Victoria answers with confidence. "It will surprise me if she keeps this up for longer. If she does…I might have to speak with her parents on this. I can say with confidence that they won't be too happy with her, especially her mother."
I don't know if an Erudite would ever overcome their resentment of the Abnegation. It might be there to stay, for all I know. However, given the conviction that Victoria displayed when saying that Sophia will come around, maybe it's foolish to assume that Sophia might not grow out of her hatred. These two have grown up together for years, just as Caleb and I have grown up alongside Susan and Robert Black in Abnegation. They seem close if Victoria believes Sophia will come around.
"As long as she doesn't accuse me of infiltrating, that be great," I say.
"Infiltrating?" Elizabeth raises her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
That's when I tell them about my conversation with Regina in the auditorium washrooms.
"Of course, that's a nonsensical belief that some of the people in Erudite would believe given the current tensions," Victoria answers, rubbing her forehead as if experiencing a migraine. "You'd think some of us wouldn't buy into it, but just because we might be intelligent in some areas, we might be lacking in others. You have to have proficient resources if you are going to infiltrate a faction, which I doubt Abnegation has. Yes, they have computers, but they know we'd be onto them if they did do what Reginia is accusing their faction of doing. It would also draw attention to themselves, and that's what they are against. Don't worry about Sophia swallowing up Regina's nonsense. They don't like each other that much anyway."
Then six blue packages get delivered to our apartment, and Victoria does not even hesitate to tell us what they are. "The reason they let the initiates wait until they have passed the intelligence examination is so they could determine what size, height, and frame you have."
At this point, a put off Sophia comes into our apartment. Thinking, it was better for the two of us, I gather my clothes and leave to my room. Though I still hear what is said.
"They can't change accommodations because it would upset the organization of initiates," Sophia could be heard saying.
"I told you, Sophia. I told you, but you didn't listen. Why, because you assume the current tensions would work in your favor?"
I shut the door and open my box. There's seven changes of clothes, all of them seem new and ready for wear, five light blue pajamas, stockings made in sheer material, and a pair of black flats. I have half the mind to wait until tomorrow to put these on, but I assume the others might want to buy their textbooks later this afternoon, and it would be stupid to wait until tomorrow morning to get them, I might have to change in one of these.
It doesn't take me much to get out of my gray dress, but it takes a little more time to get into the one of the blue outfits. I'm sure trying to make sure the stockings don't run as I pulled them up my legs were partly to blame. The hosiery feels alien to me, scratching my skin with it's texture.
As I partially restrain my hair with a clip, I use the opportunity to look at my reflection. The girl staring back at me has the same features, but she's wearing Erudite blue instead of Abnegation gray. If my parents saw me now, they would think me as one of them.
If the me from yesterday morning saw the present me, that Abnegation girl would hate her. You ruled Erudite out, I could hear her tell me. They weren't among your choices. You were told it wasn't safe, and yet, you chose the faction that has done nothing but drag Abnegation through the mud? A faction that could very well kill you if they discover you for what you are?
However, the Abnegation girl I was seemed to cease to exist the moment I chose the water over my choices of the gray stones or sizzling coals. A girl in Erudite blue sprang into existence in her place.
Caution fills me as the door opens, thinking that it was Sophia, but I relax seeing that it's only Elizabeth. Who is too lugging her box of clothes in the room.
"You probably thought I was Sophia," she notes, as if she caught my unease the moment she entered.
I nod, as she was not wrong.
Elizabeth sighs. "At this point, I'd rather not share a room with her with the illogical nonsense she is carrying on. Even if it lasts for a few days."