Page 9 of The Life Experiment
Angus hated it when his brain turned on him like this. It happened often, and always led to the same thoughts of failure, disappointment, and reasons why he disgraced the Fairview-Whitley name. Scarier still, that negative voice in Angus’s head was getting louder each day.
Lifting his gaze, Angus looked at the test’s progress bar once more. It was the eighth online test he’d completed. He had an in-person session at OPM Discoveries booked in for two days’ time. Were he to miss completing this, that session would be cancelled. His application would be withdrawn, and Angus would be back to square one.
As Jasper blasted music from a speaker in the living room, Angus flinched.
It would be easy to slam the laptop shut and join his friend. Good times and high-quality liquor were calling, after all. But Angus had spent the last few years answering their calls and it turned out they had little to say. More than that, Angus wanted to know what it felt like to reach 100 per cent.
Standing to close his bedroom door, Angus breathed in the quiet. A faint beat thudded in the background, but it was soft enough that he could hear himself think.
He sat back down and continued with the memory test. The park image was well and truly out of his mind now, but that was okay. There were only a few more questions to go before a new image would load. A second chance for Angus to get things right would appear.
When it came, he steadied his breath. He focused on the image. And, most importantly, he assured himself that he would do better this time.
5Layla
Layla’s foot tapped against the leg of the chair she was sitting on. It was her second visit to the OPM Discoveries headquarters in two weeks, but this time, there were no fitness or medical tests to complete. This time, it all came down to one conversation with Saira.
The problem was, Saira was nowhere to be found. Layla had been alone in her office for fifteen minutes now and was starting to wonder if she’d been forgotten.
As far as places to be left waiting went, Saira’s office was a great one. A serious, grown-up workspace, just being in it made Layla feel important. Her desk was a chunky wooden thing of beauty, the walls behind it lined with framed qualifications and books on psychology, the human body and scientific theory. At the back of the room, two cream sofas faced each other, inviting deep, meaningful conversation. An added bonus was that the office smelled amazing. A mix of spices and vanilla, the combination was surprisingly soothing.
Right now, Layla needed to be soothed. Her nerves were at an all-time high. This session was the last part of the application process. The occasion she needed to impress Saira the most.
It shocked Layla how much she wanted to be accepted onto the study. Applying had been a spur of the moment decision, but the more rounds she made it through, the more invested she became. The layers of secrecy surrounding the experiment were simply too alluring.
Besides, to get this far and not make it? The rejection would be crushing.
That’s why you can’t mess up now,Layla’s brain hissed. Then another thought sprang to her mind – what if leaving her alone was a test? What if Saira was watching to see how Layla reacted to things not running perfectly to schedule?
A quick scan of the room assured her there was no CCTV camera, but the idea that Saira could be watching made Layla sit straighter. She painted her face with a pleasant expression. When Saira eventually came back, that’s how she would find her – calm, composed, patient. The perfect candidate.
As if conjured by Layla’s thoughts, Saira breezed into the room. ‘I amsosorry for the delay! Another interview ran over. I got here as fast as I could, but clearly not fast enough.’
‘I completely understand,’ Layla replied, doing her best to showcase the smile her mother described as ‘winning’. Layla hoped Joanna wasn’t a victim of maternal blindness. ‘These things happen.’
‘Still,’ Saira said as she took a seat at her desk. ‘I’d like to apologise for keeping you waiting. Tardiness isn’t a true reflection of my character.’
‘Don’t worry, I can see how seriously you take your work.’
Appeased, Saira took a moment to log in to her computer, then settled her gaze on Layla. ‘Let’s get straight to it. How do you think everything is going so far?’
Layla was caught off guard. How was she meant to tailor her response when she didn’t know the aim of the study?
Thankfully, Layla’s job had given her plenty of practice at being put on the spot. ‘Obviously I’m not fully aware of what you’re looking for in a candidate, but from my perspective I would say it’s going well. I’ve completed all tasks in a timely manner and in detail. On top of that, I’m really enjoying the process.’
‘I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the experience, tests and all,’ Saira joked.‘What I propose we do next is run through your results so far. Does that sound good to you?’
Layla nodded, trying to display an appropriate level of eagerness. While she knew it wasn’t her most attractive trait, finding out test scores was one of Layla’s favourite things.
‘I’m pleased to report that you scored highly on the tasks you completed at home,’ Saira said. ‘Some of your results were the best we’ve seen, particularly with comprehension and memory. Signs of suitability so far are positive.’
Layla’s smile faded when she realised Saira wasn’t done.
‘There is one thing I’m concerned about, though,’ she said, turning her monitor to face Layla. A copy of the questionnaire Layla completed during her last in-person day filled the screen.
‘Is there something wrong with my answers?’ she asked.
‘There is no right or wrong answer to these questions, Layla, but your results are a little anomalous.’ Saira scrolled through the document and stopped at a self-rating section. Layla remembered it well. She’d wanted to appear confident and well-rounded, aware and thoughtful. She marked herself highly because high scores were highly regarded, right?
