In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 672):

Marlene laughs.  She just seems to lose it and busts a gut, actually bending over.

You wait for her to finish, enjoying the dulcet smoothness of Dr. Pepper, which while it is refreshing, lacks the grapefruity zing of Fresca.

She finally stands, wiping a tear from her eye.  "I'm sorry.  That was just so...Yes.  We will absolutely get you a suit!  Thanks Jack."

Marlene comes over and pats you on the cheek. "I'll think it over about the house.  Thanks.  I need to lay down.  It's been a bit of a day, ya know?"

Anything else you want to do tonight? Or we good to move on to the next day?

Thanks

FRESCA!!

Jack is glad to have amused her, and relaxes while he waits for her to finish her guffaw. Turning slightly in place as he checks the area and the apartment for any signs of planted listening devices. Not finding anything or at least anything he can spot, he looks to her with a smile again.

“Cool,” he confirms when she agrees to help him get a suit. His hands settling around his drink as he deposits himself on the couch again. “Before you run off, and while you’re thinking of the house. I have requested a few things from them. Books or digital copies of them, a faster computer. Just so it’s not a surprise later.”

We can move on.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 674):

Let me get back to you tomorrow please.  I forgot to work something out.

Thanks

In reply to Editor-in-Chief (msg # 675):

Thanks for the patience.  I forgot to update the moving parts.

Also, so we are on the same timeline:

This post will start Friday morning.  Your date with Lydia is Sunday.

Homecoming is in two weeks/the next storyline.  And then that will be the end of what I'm calling Season 1.

But before that, let's get you registered and in a suit

HT texts you at 5 AM.  He wants you to head to a certain classroom on the ground floor after school.  It's 4 intake and stuff.  They will run some basic tests and ask you ? for your medical profile.  Think they will do the IQ test too.  I am not worried.

Need 2 hrs Saturday.  We will meet in same field as we did be4.  Powers testing.

You can have Sunday off.

Your Aunt OK w/everything?

HT seems to be pretty bad at texting.

Marlene leaves a note.  She wants to know when you want to go suit shopping.  Or if you want she adds You can do that with your girlfriend.  Ladies like dressing up our men

You see Darja trudging along to school.  She gives you a brief smile and then asks, "So how'd it go?"

You suck at texting. I’ll be there for all of those. Aunt is fine, but she’s still trying to decide whether to trust you guys enough to let whoever is paying the bills get us in a new place.

Jack sends back a quick text two seconds after he receives it, so that to Hard Time it might almost seem like the response is borderline instantaneous. He stares at his phone for a second then, before swapping for his ‘other phone’ and checks to make sure nothing has happened with his “call me bot” on reddit. Spotting nothing there momentous, he moves on with the morning.

He writes a quick note back to Marlene: I’ll ask her if she wants to do it.

And then he’s off to school, packing up his things and hoofing it along at a modest pace, peering around as he covers the distance to school. Seeing Darja, he hustles his pace slightly to catch up with her and falls into stride with her. “Hey Darja,” he says and reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder briefly, “You okay about me joining? And it was fine. Marlene is trying to decide if she trusts them enough to let them get her a new place.”
This message was last edited by the player at 01:38, Tue 26 Jan 2021.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 677):

Darja shakes her head.  "Oh no!  I'm fine with you joining.  It's just-"  She sighs.  "This is going to make me sound petty.  Which I guess it is.  I didn't realize how..."

She thinks for a moment, mumbling, "Mis on siin õige sõna..."

She snaps her fingers.  "Powerful?  I didn't realize how good you were.  I feel a little jealous is all.  My problem.  Not yours.  Sorry if I seem...whatever.  Does that make sense?"

She sighs.  "Well.  I will get over it.  So they will probably test you.  I think the next group exercise is Tuesday night.  You probably will meet everyone then.  Though they cancelled the last two.

"Anyway.  Do you mind if I ask if you asked them for anything?"

“You do understand why I hid it all from you though, right? I didn’t want you to have to lie to them if they asked you the right question,” Jack points out as they walk, not really minding that she’s jealous of his power. It’s not the worst thing in the world. He isn’t about to gut her over it, even if she is herself one in five-hundred million level of rare herself, at least he thinks so. It’s not like he’s seen statistics for average metas, but he does have a general grasp of the number of known capes and what they seem to be able to do. That’s his guess at the rarity of her level of power.

Something to look up later, really. He’d bet someone has already put together a list of known metas, hoods and cowls, online even. People love collecting data.

Regardless of all of that, he continues on with her. One foot in front of the other.

“Yep, tests today and tomorrow,” he confirms. “Still figuring out my baseline I guess?” When she asks about whether he’d asked for anything, he answers, “I asked for a better computer that can keep up with me, with a heavy-duty keyboard and other stuff, you know? Something like that, and then either a bunch of textbooks or digital copies on said computer. So that I can study more subjects from authoritative sources rather than off the internet. So really it’s study materials, languages probably after that, and a new computer,” he explains.

A pause then and he leans in to stage whisper.

“I’ll also use it for stuff other than studying, but don’t tell them that,” he jokes.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 679):

She arcs her eyebrows, laughs, and shakes her head.  "You really are going all in with this aren't you?"

Darja grasps the strap of her backpack tighter and sighs.  "...ma lihtsalt ei tea..." she mumbles under her breath.

---

You see Lydia at lunch.  Lunch with Lydia.  Lucky.

She sits her tray down and glances around.  They've started putting up signs for Homecoming.  "That's...an odd theme..."

It's apparently going to be a Glow In The Dark themed dance.

"I wonder if that means we've got to...glow."  She shrugs.  "We're still on for Sunday, right?"

"It's not that I'm going all in. It means that when a millionaire or maybe billionaire offers to buy me things, I'm not going to try to decipher their plans. I'm going to take what is offered, and I'm going to use it. If they decide in six months they want it back? I might not even make a headache for them, and in the meantime I'll have learned a lot," Jack explains to Darja, seeing as she, like Marlene is interpreting the choice to take advantage of the offer as some sort of concession. He shrugs a little as he walks, glancing over at her.

Looking over at her when she mumbles, he smiles at her.

"What don't you know, Darja?" he asks.

---

Sitting with his cute girlfriend, Jack is pretty happy. It's not like they've actually done anything yet, but she's still very cute and checks all of his boxes. He smiles at her as he sits with her, eating a little.

"I'm imagining black lights a-plenty? Right? How else do you get everyone to glow? Also, yes, we could get some," he almost says the chemical name for it, and his brain is thankfully quick to realize he should just say the normal thing, "Glow stick necklaces? Maybe? Can you find out what they're planning so we don't look dumb?"

He then has a thought and throws a glance toward the room he knows they keep the party-supplies and banners for future events. The student committee room. Looking for any signs of black lights.

"But yes, we are. I was actually thinking you might like to go shopping for a suit with me? Since I need to get one for the dance?" he asks. "After lunch, I mean."

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 681):

Darja kind of starts, like she didn't realize she had said that out loud.

She laughs a little and then shakes her head.  "Can I...Can I answer that question later?  I need to think about some things."

---

Lydia blinks.

"You mean this Sunday?  Yeah. Sure."

Her eyes move to look over your shoulders and chest.  She blushes.

"Uhm...do you know...ya know...your measurements and stuff...If not...do we...uhm...need to..."

She glances away, looking at anywhere but at you, her face as red as a rose.  "...measure..." she manages to finish.

---

please let me out

The voice starts about 30 minutes before the bell ending both Casey's class and your school day.

It sounds like a girl.  The voice has a bit of an echo to it.  Like maybe she's inside something.  A locker is your first thought.  But the voice seems to move.

Please.  I won't tell anyone.  I promise.  Just lemme go

Darja glances at you several times.  Seems she can hear it too.

Jack just smirks over at her and nods, he doesn’t want to make her talk it out if she’s not ready. He’s curious what was going through her mind though.

---

Jack smirks at the blink.

“Yes, this Sunday, after lunch,” he confirms and smiles at her agreement. A genuine smile. Looking down at himself when she starts measuring him with her eyes, he only briefly does the same in return. Looking back at her pointedly for a half a second, before he looks up into her eyes. A blush staining his cheeks for a heartbeat or two.

He then looks down at her usage of the word measure.

“I can just try and see what fits, but we could measure each other first, if we're going shopping,” he trails off, teasing her a little.

---

Jack glances up and nods at Darja.

He speaks so quietly then, behind his hand, that it’s basically a light whisper: “I’ll text HT to start them looking.”

Reaching under his desk, he pulls out his phone, and looking through the suface of his desk has no problem sending a text on the sly: HT. Please get those guys you have watching screens in the basement to look for the source of a voice in the school. Female. Seems to have been trapped by someone. I’m guessing you guys have the place wired with cameras?

He then starts turning his head as he tries to see if he can visually locate her. Giving it a few seconds of looking around, waiting for a text back.

(He will not be waiting for them to find the girl. Mr. Casey seems like the sort that would let him make an excuse to leave early, given his outstanding grades and attendance.)

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 683):

Lydia goes from a light shade of red to a deep crimson.

"I know my measurements, thank you."

She glances at you.  "But...if you wouldn' mind telling me what dresses you think are pretty.  I wouldn't say no."

---

The text comes ten minutes later.  The voice continues, the location seeming to change.  But you don't 'see' a girl in any kind of situation that could explain it.

Changing HT to Darkblue font

Nothing on our cameras.  But we only cover points of entry to the facility and a few other locations.

Can you get a fix on location?

The voice keeps moving.  It's now coming from somewhere near the hall the shop classes met.

...no...please...

The voice goes quiet.

Casey closes his book.  "Okay dokie folks.  Let's stop there. We can stop there for today-"

"Sorry Sir.  I have to run out.  I forgot to get something at the office."

Darja beats you to it.  She's already got her stuff in her backpack.  She slings it over her shoulder as she heads past Casey, who is blinking in surprise.

I will let you make your own excuse.  Your surmise about him giving you a pass is probably correct.

Darja is heading for the shop class hall and stops at the entrance to it, glancing down the hall.  There are four classrooms, two are full.  One is open, with just the teacher inside.  The last one is closed.

Darja glances at you and points at that one, shrugging.

There is no one at all inside.  But there is a large trunk you can't see into.

The door to the room is locked.

Jack manages to keep from blushing with her, though he does have to resist the urge to really look at the tags on her clothes, since the curiosity demon creeps into him for a moment, and he is a teenage boy. “I look forward to it,” he agrees with a smile.

---

Jack texts back under the desk: Near the shop classes.

Rising to his feet as Casey starts to close his book, Jack quickly packs up his things, and follows after Darja, perhaps five or six seconds after she has already made the hasty exit: “Colby, check your phone. Later Mr. Casey,” he tosses out, like he’s suddenly one of those kids who rushes out of the classroom the moment the class is over.

 This might start a small rumor following after the cute blonde foreign girl, but he doesn’t really care.

Having realized that a meta detector might be useful in finding out what is happening, he sends a quick text as he moves swiftly toward the shop classes, to Colby: D and I are scooby-dooing near the shop classes, if you want to see if you notice anything. Extra eyes would be okay.

He does not risk blowing up Colby by mentioning that he should sniff things, but he hopes that’s implied, and that his friend knows to assume it’s being implied.

Getting to the classrooms in question, and examines the doorframe of the room with the closed trunk. Checking for traps, like any good adventurer. More because this seems like a trap than because he’s normally wary for such things. This feels like bait for people with super hearing.

If he doesn’t spot anything, he opens the door tentatively and then walks in, checking the area with rapid scanning in every spectrum he can perceive as he makes his way over toward the box.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:12, Wed 03 Feb 2021.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 685):

Ruh Roh Raggy the Colbster texts back. Seeing nothing special other than the usual. Will head that way after.  Casey is asking ?.  I'll handle

---

Suddenly a boulder crashes down from above, chasing you down the hallway!  Darja says she'll throw you the whip if you throw her the idol!

Just kidding

The shop class room has all sorts of sharp and pointies.  But none of them come flying off the wall towards the two of you.

Darja follows, pushing her hair back behind her ears.  She reaches in her pocket for a scrunchie to tie it back.

"This is too small for a person..."

You agree.  As you have a clearer view of the box, the only way someone could be inside is if they are a grade schooler or they were bent over.  The voice is definitely someone more mature.  And their breathing sounds panicked.  Not labored.

The box looks like an old trunk of some kind.  There are two latches on one side.  The lid would swing up and open to the right.

Darja glances at you, shrugs, and mimes standing on the left, leaning over, and opening the lid.  You would get to stand in front of the opening.

Jack catches the bolder with one hand, and throws it toward the cackling goober in the sky.

A regular boulder? And it’s totally feeling like a trap, it’s not weird to check! :P

Peering around the room, Jack looks for any signs of surveillance. He is of two opinions on what is happening. Option 1. This is a part of the test he is supposed to be taking later today. That’s actually his chief suspicion, but he can’t not check this out. There’s a woman’s voice in the box. Option 2. This is a trap, an elaborate trap. A meta proof box, a lure? Bomb? Trap meant to grab him or move him?

Assuming he hasn’t seen any signs of surveillance, he takes a deep breath and glances around.  He can’t just move it, because it could have switches. A tilt switch that goes off when the thing is moved, and then goes off. It could respond to air pressure changes, it could respond to all sorts of things.

“Okay, first thing, I’m going to make sure that if someone IS somehow actually in this thing, they’re getting air,” he decides and uses a single finger to puncture some holes in at the corners, one at each corner.  “And we can use that to look.”

Lining his eye up with the hole then, he tries to peer inside.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 687):

Because you're you, the box tears like tissue paper.

As you withdraw your finger, something shoots out of the hole.  It bounces, harmlessly, off your chest.  It shoots towards Darja, who just moves her head two inches to the side, and it whizzes by her.

It comes to rest on the wall.

It's a little...thing.  The best description you can come up with is a chihuahua with the head of a goblin, a long tail ending in a barb, and four claws at the end of each leg, each of which seems to have an opposable thumb.

It's about the size of your forearm.  How it got through the little hole you made is unknown.

The thing is holding on to the tool rack it landed on.  It looks at the two of you, opens it's tiny fanged mouth, and says in the same voice you've been hearing

...help me...please someone...anyone...

It shuts its yap, blinks at the two of you, and then moves again at a speed even you find envious.  It is making a break for the door.

“The actual f----?" Jack cuts himself off and watches as it sails through the air. Darja’s little head sway is actually totally hot in a way that makes him momentarily wonder if dating Lydia was really the right choice, but he buries that sort of temporary wondering behind layers of self-control and willpower. He isn’t that sort of guy. It was just totally hot.

He can appreciate a girl with smooth moves without needing to make it a relationship question. Though does he want to date a fellow meta? That would certainly make him feel easier about dating.

As it starts to fly toward the door, he bursts toward it, trying to intercept and grab it out of the air.

"If you want help, stop running!" he calls toward it.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 689):

You whip out to catch it, but it seems to change course in mid air.  This thing might be as fast as you.

It comes to a skidding halt on the floor at the other side of the room.  It opens it's mouth.

Now it sounds like an old man.

You kids get off my lawn!

It suddenly makes a move, heading for one of the air vents. Darja grabs up a clipboard and throws it over the grate opening.  The thing bounds backwards, coming to a stop on the counter.

The mouth once again opens.

I'm gonna call your parents!  And they're gonna tan your hides!

Swinging around, Jack looks toward Darja and considers briefly, simply blasting the thing with a glance of heat. But it’s alive-ish, and he’d feel a bit bad about that, since it hasn’t hurt anyone. So instead, he tries to herd it toward Darja, moving toward it, and then trying to use her as a secondary method of catching it.

He’s also, if it makes a mistake, trying to out think it. Since it seems to react to motion with bursts of speed in the opposite direction, he’s using his feet and hands to herd it toward the other limbs in an attempt to snatch it out of the air.

After a few more tries, he sends off two quick texts: HT. Little flying thing, currently contained in the shop room, it can fit out through tight spaces.

Another to Colby: Figured it out, you should get out of the area, just in case. Have a good one, dude. Thanks for at least making your way here.

Then he goes back to trying to come up with various tricks to corner the thing or herd it toward Darja.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 691):

Coordinating with Darja turns out to be the best bet.  She upends the original container and plays moving goal.  You herd it inside.

She slams the lid and turns it quickly so the side with the hole is pressed against the floor.  The thing inside pitches a fit and tries to slam the lid open.  Darja props it shut with her foot.

"Good.  Good.  You guys worked well together."  HT walks in, shutting the door behind him.  He takes out a small device.  "Cover your ears."

The device starts making sounds at the very high end spectrum.  It's a little unnerving to listen to.

The movement in the box slows and then stops.  HT thumbs the device off and nods at Darja to move.  He opens the door and pulls out the...whatever it is.  It's fast asleep.

"No matter how many times I see this guy, I just can't help thinkin' he's ugly." HT nods at the door.  "Check the hallway.  We need ta get to the classroom across the way."<darkblue>

When it's clear, the three of you head over.  There's an elevator hidden in the supply closet.

HT studies the ugly thing and then the two of you.  <Darkblue>"Anyway, thanks for catching this guy.  He..."  HT shakes his head.  "Well.  I'm not sure what happened.  Anyway, Jack you're with me.  Darja head to the second gym.  You'll be trainin' on some obstacles."

Darja sighs.  "Again?"

"I told 'em to add in some more guillotines.  I know you love those guillotines."

She gives him a dirty look and then hefts her backpack on her shoulder.  "Good luck Jack."

When the elevator comes to a stop she goes right while you and HT go left.

He stops at a door.  It's labeled CRYPTOZOOLOGICAL-CONTAINMENT

HT tells you to wait here a moment and ducks inside.

He returns and takes you two doors further down.  Medical

A nurse does the standard.  Takes your height and weight.  Swabs your mouth.  Takes your blood pressure.  After the third needle breaks, she glances at HT.  "And I'm supposed to draw blood how?"

HT scratches his cheek.  "Uh Jack.  Is there a way to draw your blood?"

"No problem."

Jack wonders how anyone but him and someone somewhat able to keep up like Darja is ever able to capture the thing long enough to figure out that sound that’d disabled it, considering it could dart off into the distance on most people before they could really verify anything.

He isn’t sure why HT is acting like this was an accident. It was clearly part of more testing, testing his upper limits for reaction, critical thinking, and teamwork, maybe? Some combination of those. It’s too much of a coincidence otherwise.

Also, HT had been able to see their team work?

Unless HT also has some perception powers he hasn’t disclosed, he had been watching them. Though if he’d been watching them with a device, that means Jack needs to up his game at spotting their electronics. He doesn’t like the idea of being watched.

"Later blondie," he calls after her.

Following after HT, he watches the man walk into the containment room and actually moves his head a little to try to get a look around in the brief moment the door is open, only to find that it has a secondary, and he suspects, maybe even a third door meant to keep things from darting out when a door opens.

Standing for the nurse, he follows her directions, opening his mouth, standing on the scale and standing still as necessary.

“I could bite myself, I suspect. I’ve never tried, but my teeth are, I suspect, harder than my skin, and I think I might be strong enough to hurt myself, but I doubt we’ll get more than a drop before it heals, so uh, try to make sure you get the drop when you spot it?” he says to the nurse with a smile.

Taking a fingertip between his teeth, he starts to compress downwards. Forcing himself to perceive things in real time so that he doesn’t have to experience that novelty of pain he so rarely feels for any longer than necessary.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:44, Mon 08 Feb 2021.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 693):

She swabs up the two drops that you squeeze out.  "My cup runneth over," she mumbles.

HT seems to consider, and then reaches over to poke your arm.  "We may have to shoot a couple a' rounds at ya.  See how thick your hide is."

After you leave a urine sample, HT takes you down the hall.  "Now we're actually gonna run you through some paces.  This is Gym 4."

He opens a door.  The room inside is large, though not the size of a gym.  There isn't any equipment except for a basket ball hoop on the far wall.

HT shuts the door and then points at four balls on the floor.  "I got a feelin' this will be a breeze for you.  But we have to start somewhere.

"The object is simple.  You have to use each ball at least once to make a basket.  Okay?"

He walks over and picks up each ball, giving it a hard throw against the far wall.

The balls start bouncing around, like raquetballs in a court.  They obviously have some mechanism inside, because each one keeps bouncing off the walls at a faster and faster speed.

HT nods. "You can begin."

The problem here isn't getting the balls through the hoop.  That's easy.  It's the each ball at least once that must be the real test.  The balls are identical.  They are all fast moving and random enough in their movements, that it would be difficult for someone to keep track of which one is which.

Then again, you're you.

Jack smiles at the nurse briefly, as he watches her collect the two drops as things knit themselves back together. The pain already having faded as the nerves were no longer being disturbed by that brief bit of irregularity. “I'm no Shepherd,” he jokes in reference to her quote, though it’d been so broadly used, he sort of wouldn’t know whether to expect she knows the reference. The smile on his face, he hopes, conveys that he means it as a joke and in fact does not have a messiah complex.

Following HT, he glances down at his arm only briefly and nods just a touch. Toughness would seem like a thing to test, rather than continuously poking at how fast he could move.


Glancing around the gym, he looks toward the four balls, examining them and finding them undoubtedly rigged with anti-meta materials to block his vision from penetrating their skin. As HT describes the test, he pays special attention to them, looking for differences but he can’t be certain why this is going to be difficult until he sees the way that they accelerate. That’ll make things a little more tricky.

“I’m going to stick to reflexes and speed for now, if that doesn’t work, I’ll pull out more tricks,” he mentions as the balls continue to build up speed, somehow. Conservation of energy my ass. He knows he could freeze the balls, or, given that the objective was that they simply go through the hoop, destroy them as he puts them through. But like the test with Alcome earlier, Jack is inclined to play the game as he thinks it is intended.

With the signal to go, he bursts forward and snags one of the balls, curious if he can hold onto them.

Simply holding all four before he throws them through the hoop would solve the issue of tracking.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 695):

Collecting the balls requires a little bit of effort, even for you.  They must have an AI running their flight program as they are quite manueverable.

They also try to squirm out of your grasp.  Two of them seem to have some kind of lubricant dispenser built in as they spray your shirt and sleeve with a fine mist of slickness.

But you are you.

As you get the last ball through the hoop, HT chuckls.  "You want a new shirt?"

If you do, he comes up with an Army green t-shirt.

He kicks the balls towards the wall.  Slots open near the baseboard and the balls roll inside, disappearing from view.  The basketball hoop also retracts into the wall, leaving no trace it was ever there.

"Yeah.  Wasn't expectin' that to be too difficult.  Alright.  For the next one-"

"Am I interrupting?"

Gut Shot has walked in the door.  She gives you both a nod and then turns to you.  "Sorry to interrupt.  I just wanted to touch base. Make sure you weren't having any issues."

"Testin' is going fine," HT mentions to her.  He then raises an eyebrow.  "F12-10 got out somehow.  The Kid here an' Darja corralled him for us.  Any ideas?"

She frowns at him.  "Let's talk about that later."  She looks back at you.  "Make sure to drop by my office before you head home.  I would like to talk to you for a minute."

HT waits for you to say anything to her and for Gut Shot to leave before he continues.

"Okay.  Next test.  This one's along the lines of problem solving.  You may use any of your resources to solve it."

As he speaks, another wall panel opens.  A tray wheels itself out.  Set on the tray is what looks like a number of clear plastic blocks.

The blocks all have tunnels bored through them. The tunnels do not run in any set pattern.  It the blocks were six sided dice, some blocks would have a tunnel that connects the 1 side to the 4 side.  Another might have two tunnels.  2 to 3 and 1 to 5.  Still another might have one tunnel that branches out to two faces:  2 leading to both 5 and 6.  There are a large number of cubes.

HT picks up two of the cubes.  One cube only has a single tunnel that ends in the middle of the block.  Inside the dead end is a little pool of an amber colored liquid.  Your nose picks up the scent of it as honey.

The second block he picks up is the same.  But instead of honey, there is an ant.

"Test is relatively simple.  You will arrange these blocks so the ant has a path to the honey.  You have to use all the blocks.  And all the paths must connect.  So you can't just put the ant right next to the honey and stack the others on top.  You are creating a maze for the little guy here.  The path doesn't have to be clear.  It has to be continuous."

The cubes seem to have no trick to them.  They are what they are.  You count 38 of them in total.  Your mind runs through the possible lay outs.

Using the rule set given, the test is impossible.  The blocks are laid out so that if you try to use all 38 blocks, it is not possible to make a labyrinth where any passage is accessible from at least one of the other cube's tunnels.

Clear as mud?  Let me know if that didn't make sense.

Jack takes the offered shirt, not “toughing it out” like some might, and swapping over from his Star Wars tee to the army green one, he folds it in on itself and tosses it over toward a spot next to the door. Presumably they have some sort of remover for that particular meta-level lubricant.

He glances over when Gut Shot walks in, listening to her question he first greets her and then answers whilst simultaneously pointing toward his laundry, “Hi. Problems? I don’t know if that lubricant will come off my shirt, but I don’t have a lot of good clothes so I really hope it isn’t ruined. Maybe next time we’re going to be getting messy I should wear some sort of jumpsuit?” he proposes toward the woman also throwing a glance toward HT. This was HT’s fault. That’s his only issue at the moment. He has one pair of shoes, so if that'd happened to his shoes he'd be really bummed.

The mention of dropping by to talk with her later earns Gut Shot a nod. “I’ll have HT point me to it.”

Examining the blocks and hearing the explanation of how the rules work, he nods his head slowly and starts to examine them. Looking them all over and playing around with them a little to get a feel for them. Testing their construction with his fingernail along an edge.

He then checks each block, exhaling quick breaths to ascertain if the interiors are non-Euclidean and confound his ability to visually determine how they work. That’d really throw his ability to stack them off, at a glance. But he can quickly find such blocks, if they exist, by breathing on them and using his hands to feel the passage of air.

Questions, just to reiterate his examination above.
Are the blocks exactly what they appear to be?
Are they alterable with a fingernail?
Are there any hidden blocks that HT has hidden away which would make the rest of the test manageable, or is the tray a part of the test (with a few holes in it here or there)?