He hoped that he would be accepted. He would never admit it to anyone, but beneath the tough exterior he showed to the world, he was still just a boy who desperately wanted to belong somewhere. Since his parents had died in that car crash, he had been living in a government run group home. It seems that most people who want to adopt are looking for babies and not thirteen-year-old boys, even good looking ones with short, sandy brown hair, perfect teeth and sharp hazel eyes.
"Collins?" The Star Force Lieutenant called. "Done already?"
"Yes sir," Jake replied.
"Bring your paper to the front please."
Jake stood and walked his paper to the front of the room, handing the booklet to the officer. "Can I go use the can?" he asked.
"Sure. Take 10 while we score this test."
Jake wandered down to the bathroom, relieved himself and then went to the cafeteria and grabbed himself a cold bottle of water. Drinking it slowly, he thought about how this opportunity could change his life. "My ticket to becoming something important" he murmured to himself as he walked back to the classroom.
"Collins!" The Lieutenant said sharply as Jake re-entered the room. Another officer, A captain was standing next to the Lieutenant holding his test paper.
"Yes sir?" Jake replied.
"Son did you write this test yourself?" The captain asked.
"Of course!" Jake replied defensively.
"Did you have a crib sheet? Did you see the answers beforehand?" The captain demanded.
"Of course not!" Jake replied sharply. "How could I do that?"
"Son I have been administering this test for more than 10 years and I have never seen a result like this in my life. You finished with 20 minutes to spare and you scored in the 99th percentile of all ADULT test takers."
"That's good right?" Jake asked surprised.
"Good? Son this is not just good, this means that you are smarter than 99% of the people on earth. This gives you an IQ score of 162."
"Wow!" Jake replied breaking into a sunny grin.
"If you didn't cheat!" the captain added.
"I didn't cheat! Watch the security camera footage!" Jake replied loudly.
"We will!" the captain replied.
A second later, the door opened and another officer walked in. This man wore the red collar tabs and quadruple gold bars of a Colonel.
"ROOM!" the captain shouted and everyone, test takers included snapped to attention.
"As you were," The Colonel said. "What is all the yelling about; Captain Reynolds, care to fill me in?"
"Sir," Captain Reynolds stammered "We have reason to believe that this recruit cheated on his aptitude test."
"Son do you know who I am?" the Colonel asked Jake?
"Yes sir, you are Colonel Anderson, our commanding officer and the man who saved the crew of the Orion when it was hit by space junk."
A glimmer of a smile crossed Ryan Anderson's lips for a moment.
"Did you cheat in some way Cadet?" Ryan asked.
"No sir I did not. I have always been good at these tests and I find them easy."
Ryan nodded. "Captain, do you have evidence this cadet cheated?"
"Just look at that score," Captain Reynolds replied.
Ryan looked at the score report and had to stifle a gasp. He had never seen such a high score before. He glanced at Jake who stood proudly at attention. And then he eyed the Lieutenant. "Simmons, do you have reason to believe that this cadet cheated?"
"No sir," Lieutenant Simmons replied after snapping to attention.
"Reynolds, let me get this straight, this outstanding cadet scores off the scale high on his aptitude test and you first response is to accuse him of cheating?"
"Sir, a score that high is not possible."
"OF COURSE IT IS POSSIBLE!" Anderson thundered.
"Son you are dismissed. You may return to your quarters. Welcome to the Youth Astronaut Corps." Anderson said to Jake.
"But sir, he has not gone through the rest of the screening process as of yet!"
"Too bad! I am running this show and it is my decision. He has passed the medical and he is physically capable. He is in. You, on the other hand are treading on very thin ice. If I ever catch you accusing a cadet of wrongdoing again with no evidence, I will have your ass in a sling." Colonel Anderson turned and left the room.
Jake pumped his fist and jumped for joy as he made his way back to his barracks room.