In front of them were supposed detention students, running around in their uniforms doing odd jobs in front of a facility building that covered a large area as far as the eyes could see.
The few students they could see outside the facility were either cleaning the glass windows and doors, sweeping the premises, taking out the trash, cutting the flowers, or controlling robotic trimming machines to cut down the overgrowing field.
Some of the students cleaning were either doing so by standing on objects to make them tall and doing it on their own, or some had robots or mechanical objects doing it for them. The same could be said for all other odd jobs.
Even though there were trimming machines, some students could be seen using hedge shears, sickles, cutlass, pruners, and pruning saws to cut down tall grasses in the fields, while some had robots doing the job for them, while they sit around the facility, either controlling the robots or just going nothing.
Some of the students held anger, annoyance, regrets, and all kinds of dissatisfied expressions on their faces, while the others held bored, lazy, tired, exciting, and happy expressions on their faces.
Vicky and her group were discontented with what they were seeing. This was cheating, bullying, and any qualifier you could choose to qualify the injustice happening among the students.
The most mind-boggling thing was that the guards walking around supervising the kids said nothing about the injustice.
How could some be using machines while others are made to use strength and grow tired? that's unfair.
They followed Miss Montes into a classroom inside the facility and sat down when she instructed them to.
She stood on the high platform and started briefing them on the punishment for each offense they committed.
"I believe by now, you all know who I am, so let's dive straight into what brought us here." She looked at the five girls and sneered.
"You have the nerves to fight in school, even though you already know the consequences. Now..." She pressed a button on the podium and the whiteboard behind her lit up.
"...Look at the board and find your offense and punishment, using the buttons on your desk"
The girls lowered their heads to look at the many small buttons on their desks with the offenses written above them.
"Since all of you committed the same crime, only one of you should press the fighting button and how many of you fought, then you press on ACCEPT YOUR PUNISHMENT" Miss Montes instructed.
Jiya was left to press the button. With a bitter taste in her mouth, she pressed the FIGHTING button and hovered her finger on the number "4" button in the numbering section. What would happen next if she removed herself from those who fought? would she be given another punishment or be pardoned?. She shook her head. The word pardon doesn't exist in Hassride University, so she shouldn't bother making her punishment worse.
She pressed the number "5" button and closed her eyes, awaiting punishment for a crime she did not commit?
A robotic voice sounded from a small speaker attached to the board.
//
GENDER: GIRLS
OFFENSE: FIGHTING
PUNISHMENT: FARMING
NUMBER OF FIGHTERS: FIVE
TIME SPENT: NONE
DURATION: TWO WEEKS OF DETENTION
ADVANCED EQUIPMENT: NONE
EQUIPMENT: CUTLASS, HOE, SICKLE, BASKET, AND KNIFE.
//
The robotic voice went dead after that.
"What is meant by Advanced Equipment is the equipment that would make life here easier and enjoyable. You only get advanced equipment by producing them yourselves."
She stopped to look at the girls. Seeing them frowning and looking angry, she smirked and continued.
"If you are good at making robots, then do so. Make robots that would help you work while you relax. If you can't make robots, but can make other equipments that would help you reduce your workload and meet your target, then do so. There are no limitations or rules set on what you can or should do.
However, if you can't produce any equipment on your own, you can ask those you met here, they might ask for something in return.
If you can't afford what they want, then you can only make use of the poor-quality equipment you were given.
Fighting in here is allowed, but know that it prolongs your detention. The same rules apply here. Fight in here, you get two weeks of detention.
Once your two weeks are done, some will come here to get you. You can choose to rest for today or start your farming now. A guard will be here to take you to your plot of barren land.
A point to note, you don't leave this place until you finish your quota. Have a nice stay here" She got down from the platform and walked away before anyone could come back to their senses and ask her a few questions.
"Fuck! she left" Rhoda cursed.
//WARNING!
RHODA WANG HAS TWO MORE CURSE WORDS LEFT TO GET HER DETENTION EXTENDED! // An AI reported that hot the girls shocked.
"Sorry" Rhoda lowered her voice and apologized.
The girl who pushed Vicky earlier, Brenda glared at Vicky and yelled. "It's all your fault we are in this mess right now! if you had apologized and paid for her medical bills, none of us would have been here!"
Vicky looked at her and scoffed. She stood up, ready to leave. Seeing that Jiya was still lost in thought, probably wondering why she still hasn't woken up from a nightmare, Vicky pulled her up and left the classroom while dragging Jiya with her.
"Y- you, they left? just like that? how dare they leave just like that? I want to go teach her a..." Before she completed her words, she remembered how Vicky had beaten her like a child and swallowed back her words.
"That's enough already, we are in this mess right now because of you. I warned you that Vicky isn't a dimwit like you had thought. I know her very well, we attended the same high school, but she never noticed me, or maybe she just never wanted to talk to me. If you had listened to me and not found trouble with her, we wouldn't have been here right now." Rhoda interrupted.
"Brenda, Rhoda is right. We told you, but you didn't listen. Now see where we have ended up because of your stupidity" Radnah added.
"But, I only wanted to seek vengeance for you, how would I know she isn't a wimp?" she pouted.
"How in any way does she look like a wimp? if anything, she looks arrogant and introverted. Tell us the truth, why did you push us to her? is it because of senior Roland? tell the truth, he is from your country too" Radnah teased.
Brenda nodded shyly and said: "Yes, she embarrassed him in the cafeteria the other day, it didn't look good at all"
"So you decided to use my case as a cover just to cause trouble for her because she beat u your crush? like seriously! you dragged me into this mess for a guy who doesn't know you exist?! Have you lost your mind, Brenda?! do I look like an idiot to you? all thanks to you, my father won't be proud of me anymore. Even though it was I who first made trouble for Vicky, I only did that to get her attention. I wanted to be friends with her, but now you ruined it because of one stupid guy! " Rhoda was really angry. She had liked Vicky since young and wanted to be friends with her, they had attended the same school from basic to high school, however, there had never been a time Vicky gave her a second look. Even though that was so, she still liked her. But now, everything is lost. She gave Brenda who looked apologetic a disappointed look before storming out of the classroom.
Radnah sighed. She knew Brenda did wrong, but she couldn't be angry at her like Rhoda was. Most especially in a place like this where they knew no one.
"Radnah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it the wrong way, I thought I could hit two birds with one stone. I didn't know Rhoda wanted to be her friend, I'm really sorry." She cried.
"That's fine, it's okay. It was a mistake on everyone's part. Stop crying and let's go and apologize to Rhoda then find a solution for her. You should also never do that again. If you like Roland so much, why don't you go ask him out? he should also be here, the last time I heard he was sent to the detention center. That should be here right?" Radnah suggested.
Brenda's eyes lit up and she hugged Radnah in excitement. "Thank you Radnah, It skipped my mind. I will go ask around if I would see him now" She ran out, leaving Radnah alone in the huge classroom.
Actually, she didn't forget. in fact, all of this was within her expectation. She understood they would be sent to the detention center if they fought in school, still, she went ahead to find trouble with Vicky just to be sent here and look for her childhood crush, not minding sacrificing her friends in the process.