Road Of Advancement

At the Thompsons' family compound his office all five teachers were seated across Theodore's grandfather. Unlike the kind and easygoing demeanour that Theodore had become so familiar with, his grandfather had adopted a serious expression and he even emitted a slight pressure towards the gentlemen across of him. The atmosphere was tense as he glanced at each teacher.

"Alright, Theodore is on his way to KMU. He will arrive in eight days. In the past three and a half month, you've all given this old man some face and trained him to the best of your abilities. Even I can recognise he has substantially improved during our sparse sessions wherein I interacted with him."

"This will be the last of our evaluation sessions. You all know the standards of KMU, you've all taught my son, please - one by one - evaluate him and give me a verdict on whether he'll pass and where he stands in terms of abilities considering his competition. Kruys, you go first as always."

He did not beat around the bush and stated the purpose of the meeting and directly cut to the chase - would Theodore, in their opinion, succeed in entering the KMU. As much as he believed in his grandson, the validation and recognition of these five excellent teachers would definitely set his mind at ease.

"Theodores' physical condition was a wreck when I first trained him. Before his coma, he was average as far as reports state, after it - he was just plain rubbish. His enhancements quickly gave him the necessary stamina to keep up with the training. He has impressed me with his tenaciousness and determination. The kid' won't quit easily, I'll give him that. This redeeming factor has made it possible for him to improve beyond what I expected he was capable of."

"His stamina and power put him ahead of his peers. However, he is not naturally talented at hand-to-hand combat or obstacle courses. He will try and find the most optimal course with the limitations he is given, helped by his Ai, but he does not have a great 'feel' for it. He is clumsy in his way of moving. He meets the standard I've set through sheer repetition - adjusting bit by bit to the goals I set, but not because he was naturally talented."

"He will definitely enter KMU if he performs within my expectations. He won't fail on his physical abilities or his military conduct. He knows to speak in two words, recognise his seniors and he will never fall behind a l.a.p in training. I don't see him picked up in the elite class just based on his physical abilities. If he wants to enter the elite class, he'll have to outperform himself by a fair margin."

Drill sergeant Kruys reported dutifully, as he was used to reporting to seniors. He cared a bunch for the kid but did not have it cloud his judgement. He thought the kid was good, great even, but not exceptional. He has trained exceptional soldiers, and they would wipe the floor with Theodore.

"Alright, that's within expectations. We are not aiming to have him specialise in this field so it is not that much of a problem. It would probably have been the easiest to enter the elite class this way however, so it's a pity nonetheless."

"Mister Jones, so far, perhaps you've been the most satisfied with Theodore's progress in the last months. The KMU won't hand out a spot in the elite class for his the fine arts or his languages, but nonetheless his general knowledge, mental resilience and resistance to psychological pressure will be tested and be part of his final evaluation. Please state your thoughts on Theodore."

"Theodore is a special kid. He has greatly m.a.t.u.r.ed in a short amount of time. He's very eager to learn and has steadily progressed in his studies. He is nothing like the boy I had in class before his coma. I really like the new Theodore. He will have no problem acing his tests on languages and I believe him to be an expert on the fine arts among his peers. Under my guidance and repetitive questioning and trickery he has learned to be a critical thinker and possess a healthy dose of scepsis towards his surrounding."

"He is more m.a.t.u.r.e than his peers and he handles pressure well. I see no reason for Theodore to succ.u.mb to any kind of pressure. He will perform according to his natural standards. Though my expertise is general knowledge, I see no reason why Theodore would fail to be accepted."

"Thank you, Mr Jones. I am happy to hear Theodore has improved as has managed to turn your negative outlook around to a very positive one. Let's move on to our areas of focus. We are betting on Theodore being accepted one either science or on military ability. Professor Wilkinson, please state your verdict."

"Your grandson ain't bad Randall. By all means, I would gladly accept him as a core disciple. Those old badgers at KMU aren't blind. They'll recognise Theodores' talent in a jiffy. We didn't have that much time so we did not touch upon many advanced theories. He has a weakness there, so it depends on the test whether he'll knock it out of the park and gets a place in the elite class. His foundation is science is great. I have faith in his abilities."

"Regardless of my thoughts, the science department is very competitive, so it's never a sure thing. There are very little places in the elite class and many geniuses apply to KMU because of their ability in research."

Prof Wilkinson shared his thoughts freely, not standing on decorum with his old friend. He couldn't be bothered by the emanated pressure from Randall or the seriousness of the occasion. He had taught many young geniuses and had faith in Theodore to rank in the forefront of his peers.

"Thank you, it means a lot to me that you helped out personally. Mister Boulton, what is your verdict?"

Theodore's grandfather was actually quite anxious for Matthew his answer. Since Mr Boulton would start teaching at KMU this semester, his words could very well influence the outcome.

"I like him. He is genuinely interested in science. I feel that he's rather similar to a former version of myself. He studies hard and will challenge any hard question head-on. He's pretty headstrong as he does not easily acquiesce when he cannot solve a difficult problem. I'm confident in his engineering and his inquisitive nature. He is quite inventive and surprises even me sometimes with answers he comes up with."

"I'm not too sure whether the old' folks at KMU will like him though, he does not give very traditional answers. As an engineer, I like it. He goes off the beaten path searching for his own solution. I would hire him if I was to look for researchers. Just because questioning everything and being creative with solutions can lead to wonderful results."

"He will definitely pass his tests as he can service most appliances blindly and can even - with guidance - fix up mechs and other mechanical high-grade objects. Just on the theoretical part, I cannot guarantee a perfect score."

"That's hopefull then Matthew. He was always full of compliments towards your teachings. You must have truly been a great mentor to Theodore. Lastly, we come round to second-lieutenant Redford. Please report your findings."

"The kid performs well enough in a mech. I don't believe he is as stupidly talented ad his father, as I've heard the Colonel more than once mention what freak of a powerhouse he was when he was younger. I'm confident that he can compete for a spot int the elite class based on his best performances. He does not cower in front of a challenge and keeps his head cool during engagements. Personally I feel he is more suited towards leadership positions than as a mech pilot. "

"He is incredibly perceptive. During our sessions of fleet command simulations, he has more than a few times made me anxious. It would be a complete joke if he managed to win from me, but he put up great fights every now and then. His tactical ability is a true talent, as quite a few of his decisions are arguably 70% speculation on his part. Space command is a very tough subject to master. If they value his talent, he will get a seat in the elite class purely based on this ability."

"The problem is that he will have few opportunities to show it and no track record to allude to his talent. Space command is not rigorously tested as it is general consensus that freshman can't really excel in this field without proper tutoring. Some applicants have a proven track record that will impress the KMU and with it convince the board to reserve a spot in their program. Theodore will have to wait half a year before he can showcase his talent. He will, however, ace his simulation test and written exam. Hopefully, they will take his results into consideration when allocating the elite-spots."

"We are aware of the lack of track record. To be honest we never knew of this particular talent of his. He has lived a very reclusive live over the past eight years, only really opening up after his coma. To be honest, I'm starting to think the coma was a blessing for him. He has gained the talent to pilot mechs and his personality has changed for the better. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they switched my grandson with someone else. Luckily, we've monitored him and extensively checked him otherwise no one would believe it really still is him.

"I'm very grateful for all of your assistance in these months. I've made arrangements for all of your due rewards. As a family, we will owe you a favour in the future." The old man concluded.