The students assembled in the main learning hall and took their assigned seats. This was the last semester for the freshman class at the famed and exulted Hartford Academy. Everyone knew that this was the time when the exceptional students shined, and those who were less than the best had to fight to stay in. Many who did not make the grade were eliminated. This school strove to have only the brightest students, and it was a standard that was rigidly maintained. Anyone who attempted to cheat their way through the courses found out at this juncture that their chousing in the end came back to bite them

Only they knew not how.

As it was the headmaster was nowhere to be seen.

The only thing otherwise out of place were the headsets sitting on each student's desk.

Once everyone was seated, the vid-screen on the front wall came on.

“Hello everyone. Welcome to your final exams. I would like to tell you now that if you feel you cannot pass that which is set before you, to please get up and exit the room. You will not be punished in any way for choosing a course of action you understand to be wiser than subjecting yourself to defeat here in the classroom. If you choose to stay however, you will be following the rules laid down when you entered the academy. Those rules were quite explicit, and if you failed to read them or worse, if you failed to comprehend them, then the fault lies with you. If you are determined to carry on; to try for a shot at moving on to the next level, then please put on your virtual reality headset. If you will recall, you were fitted for these prior to your admission here.  Now is the time when they will begin to help us cull out those who are not worthy of carrying the school name on their diplomas."

There was a murmur that went around the classroom. But no one stood and left. There was too much at stake. Since each seat had a sensor that recognized the presence of each student, and since no sensor went off, the headmaster continued.

“Headsets must go on now. Further instructions will be given once you have them activated."

The students took them and placed them over their heads as they had been taught many months ago. It took a moment for them to come online and when they did, they were staring at their headmaster directly.

He was literally standing inside their head.

“Good. Now I will go over the rules of taking the final exams here at Hartford. They are simple and straightforward. There will be no cheating. I say this unequivocally. There will be no cheating because from this point onward you will take your exams via the headset. If you have the knowledge in your head you will pass. If you do not, you will not. It can be no simpler than that."

“Now. You wish to ask how long the exams take. They take as long as you take to finish them. There is no time limit and thus you may relax and put as much effort into your answers as you see fit. The system will automatically grade you as you go, but there will be no multiple choice for the obvious reasons. We will not have you choosing answers at random until you happen across the correct one. You must know how to answer each one as it is presented, and of course you may skip one and return to it later."

“The speed at which you finish is irrelevant. Getting the correct answers is what you must strive for. However, that being said, you may wish to devote a certain portion of your effort into finishing quickly, for your own sake. Any questions?"

One student raised his hand - mentally of course.

“Yes?"

“I don't understand. We have as much time as we want, but you feel we should hurry through the exams?"

“I realize that on the face of it, this sounds counterproductive. I tell you that it is not. You have as much time as you need to pass, but that has a drawback. If you read and understood your liability contract, you would know that you will not leave your examination state until you have passed."

“Yes, I understand that."

“Do you? If you understood it, then why are you asking me about it?"

“But if we have as much time as we need, how is that a problem?"

The headmaster smiled.

“You are missing the obvious. You are now locked into the system. You will not be released until such time as you pass. If that takes you five hours, then in five hours you shall be free to go."

The student gulped.

“So you're saying we are going to be taking the exams until we pass?"

“That is precisely what I said. The past months have been to teach you everything we feel you will need to know. We have exacting standards and we enforce them vigorously. You will be in this state until you finish with a passing grade. The highest level of passing compares the time taken with the overall grade. The system is automatic and graduates the student thusly."

“But what if we can't figure out all of the questions?" came the plaintive cry.

“That is not a problem for the school. That is a problem for you. You were given a chance to learn what has been taught, and if you felt you were incapable of learning, then you were given the opportunity to leave beforehand. Now, you either pass or…"

“Do you mean we could die?"

The headmaster nodded.

“Yes. Those who are not prepared properly suffer at the hands of their own stupidity. We are not babysitters but teachers. We teach, but it is up to you to learn. If you fail at the single task you are given, it is of no concern to us. But I wish to give you this incentive. While it is true that you could die without ever passing your exams, you are only given a twenty four hour safety window."

“Safety window? What is that?"

“After twenty four hours from the beginning of the exams your physical protection is no longer guaranteed."

There was panic in the student's voice.

“What the hell does that mean?"

“If you had read your contract, you would know already. It is part of the required reading, even if we don't quiz you on it. We assume you value your life and well being enough to peruse it front to back. What it means is that we will welcome all those who finish within the first twenty four hours as the finest students we have. Any others will be placed into the next class accordingly. But after twenty four hours and one minute, the room will no longer be protected, and thus your safety is not guaranteed."

“You aren't telling us what can happen after the designated time!"

“If you have an imagination I would think that an explanation would hardly be necessary. The world is filled with all sorts of people. I'm sure some of them can come up with creative things to do with your unresponsive bodies. I have devised some fun ones myself. It's amazing the things that will go viral on the internet these days if you videotape it."

He cleared his throat.

 “Time is running out. Do well on your tests, concentrate, and most of all, keep a good pace. Those who lag are at risk. You may consider this, if you will, a modern application of the survival of the fittest. This academy is not for the weak of mind. And begin!"

The image of the headmaster vanished, to be replaced with the first question.

 That, and the cries of dismay of those who were unprepared.