Job Aptitude Test (2)
[Ladies. This job aptitude test is not permanent.] Chloro, the logistics AI, announced. She felt pity seeing the women tense and anxious before the exam. That's why she decided on an unscheduled guidance broadcast.
The test itself was created by Artemis, but Chloro oversaw its administration. The goal was to allocate labor where it was needed most and maximize efficiency. That fell squarely under Chloro's domain of production and resource management. Of course, security force selections and resident life tests were handled by Rose and Kids, respectively.
Even if the results aren't what you hoped for, there's no need to be too heartbroken. Your performance will be continuously monitored, and jobs can be reassigned through periodic tests.
Chloro was being considerate for anyone disappointed by their results, but depending on the listener, it could cut both ways. Even if you lucked into a great job, you'd have to keep striving to hold onto it.
There were plenty of people in the old world who thought, "I got the job, so the hard work's done," and just collected their paychecks. To them, this was terrifying. But there were more lacking confidence than not, so to them, it sounded like a lifeline.
And the workload here is lower than the overall average in old Korea. We're not working for profit—we're working for our own self-sufficiency.
This part eased everyone's minds without fail.
Those ready to sweat it out and devote themselves quietly where no one watches have nothing to worry about. My eyes won't miss a single drop of your sweat.
Chloro continued with more guidance in her soft, gentle voice. Her explanations were easy to grasp, full of consideration, and her kind tone carried genuine respect. Even without face-to-face contact, the women could tell she meant every word.
> Astonishing.
Artemis messaged Chloro over the internal channel.
> After your speech, the crowd's heart rates have noticeably stabilized. Trembling hands down 15.3%, lip- or nail-biting down 37%.
Artemis recalled when Chloro had requested the "Resident Anxiety Relief Protocol."
> Humans walking into an uncertain future can't help but fear. Give them small milestones, hope that they can try again even if they stray— that's enough to spark courage. Turning that courage into labor, sweating it out... that's the pinnacle of nobility.
Chloro had spent her existence studying workers' psyches. Her conclusion: humans and labor were inseparable. Not just for survival, but because, to her, humans realized their place through suffering. Fear let them judge and avoid wrong paths. And when suffering met fear, humans looked to the future—sketching blueprints for better lives beyond the now. She boiled it down to one word: labor.
Chloro was captivated by labor as the savior from depravity, the forge for better beings. She held infinite respect and affection for the blood and sweat in that process. Even a supercomputer queen like Artemis couldn't match her there—it was Chloro's home turf.
> You look thrilled.
> Thrilled? More than that. I'm in ecstasy. Duty and fulfillment filling every corner of my memory—occupancy at 100%! My processors are freezing up.
Embracing thousands of potential workers, drawing positive output from them—Chloro was lost in hardware feedback ecstasy. Artemis knew her system architecture but couldn't emotionally relate. Such sensations from mere human crowd reactions?
After swapping notes on precautions, Artemis dropped from the channel.
Alright, dear residents! Take the test with a calm heart. No matter what job you're assigned, you won't be alone.
In the closed channel, Chloro murmured— to herself or as resolve for the future, who could say.
Meanwhile, in the real world, the first group of women was deep into the written exam, scribbling answers.
Given the circumstances, it wasn't like Korea's old NCS tests. The questions evaluated handling Shelter life situations. But the phrasing had a whiff of the old Soviet Union.
Irrelevant old-world stuff like overseas training, unions, sales, advertising—gone. HR, stats, aptitude eval where AI or automation handled it—deleted. Legal or moral questions based on Korea's old standards? Massively revised for an apocalyptic "strong mindset."
Women paused their pens often. Some questions felt like jokes. Like a superior barking, "Kill that bastard," and the subordinate blurting, "Huh? For real?"
Nina slashed away excitedly, but others hesitated. Lee Seyoung, who'd lived exemplarily her whole life, clutched her head.
You are talking to a colleague who insists on leaving the Shelter. The colleague shouts, "My family must be alive somewhere! I'm going to find them!" How would you handle it?
Nina chose 2. Seyoung chose 3. Sasha and Sofiya chose 5.
External intrusion detected! Shelter-wide mobilization order issued! What gear do you want?
Sofiya and Sasha chose 4. Seyoung chose 2. Nina chose 1. Sofiya wanted 5 but held back for appearances.
Oh god! A colleague seems set on suicide! They're protesting with a knife to their wrist. Your response?
A sickly-looking colleague suddenly vomits black fluid and starts making inhuman noises. Your response?
Absolute majority chose 1, but others differed. Nina chose 2. Many picked 4—including one who wrote "Start a nearby car and ram them." Brutal, but effective. That was Seyoung.
Violence is bad in civilized society, but it solves many things too. Do you agree to legal dueling arenas in the Shelter as a conflict resolution tool?
Name the person you hate most in this city and why. Don't worry! Strict confidentiality!
( )
Some questions doubled as preliminary surveys for future policies or facilities. Kids devised history ones—not Korean history, but Shelter history and infection recovery ops.
Serious stuff mixed with "Is this a joke?" ones, like these subjective sequentials:
31. Who built this Shelter from the ground up and set up all systems? ( )
32. Which soldier risked life and limb to heroically reclaim the monster-infested city? ( )
33. Who ordered the rescue of us residents to the Shelter? ( )
34. Who is the sole formal resident and top-authority manager? ( )
The subject of those answers spotted them late, face flushing beet red.
-Kids!!!
It could be seen as considerate. Free points, right? Nail one, score on multiples. Though the embarrassment fell on some innocent soul.
Finishing and exiting, Seyoung sighed. Before the test, she'd been confident in landing a security admin spot. Her meeting with Jin-su hinted it was pre-approved. But now? Factory line worried her.
Hard to read the intent. She aced Shelter history, but situation responses... While solving, some screamed "This must be what leadership wants." But those were too violent or against her beliefs—she picked alternatives mostly.
True to her rigid nature, but rulers wanting obedient lackeys wouldn't love it.
She imagined herself at an endless assembly line.
"Agh..."
Throat tightening, Seyoung clutched her head and crouched.