While the simulations in the Flight Academy were great told for instructors to evaluate how their students applied their lessons and adapting to various scenarios it was not a great tool for assessing the physical capabilities of the hopeful pilots.
As long as the Qwortarians believed they could do something, the program usually assumed they would be able to accomplish it. (Besides some preset limitations based on real limits of the best of the best.)
To make sure the potential pilots really were in just as good physical shape as mental, the professors had obstacle courses.
Designed to test speed, agility, strength, and shape shifting abilities, these were massive structures, engineering marvels of their time. While still considered amazing at doing their job, most students weren't awed by them on sight alone anymore, as technology had outpaced the durability, and the courses hadn't had an update in years.
Skylar groaned when they saw the schedule for the week. Four days of drills and three of obstacle courses.
"This week is going to hurt." One of Skylar's classmates said, with a chorus of agreements, including Skylar's.
The course was situated in a building by itself, only the edges of the room not packed with equipment. Skylar's eye stretched forward a little, trying to take everything in, ropes, tunnels, climbing walls, slides, swinging structures, unstable bridges and platforms, and Skylar couldn't be certain different surprises weren't waiting for them on the other side.
The professor had a tall, bipedal form. They walked slowly in front of the line of students, blinking their eight eyes asynchronously as each student met their gaze. Pincers jutted from the corners of their mouth, clacking together as they spoke.
"Today," their eyes swiveled to take in the whole group. "We will focus on section S, the bottom, maze like one.” The professor used a leathery wing to point to the section, made of lots of tubes entangled with each other.
“Gwi will demonstrate.” The same wing pointed to the Qwotarian standing near the entrance to the maze. With a nod, Gwi grew four legs and dashed into the tunnel system.
“For the demonstration, the tubes will be clear. While you do your runs, the tunnels will be opaque and mostly dark.” The professor and everyone else focused on the tunnels when they heard a quiet, wet sounding squelch.
Gwi had just squeezed between iron bars within the tube. Before continuing they paused a moment to shake their body back into place. After that, Gwi made quick work of the tunnel maze, bounding out of the exit tunnel less than five minuets after they began.
“I will give you five minuets to look at the tunnels, without going inside, before I pick the first person.” The professor flapped their wings, and up they went. They hung upside down from one of the rafters watching their students try to crack the maze before even stepping inside.
Word count: 487
