(Dedicating this chapter to Diosa_De_Los_Deseo for all of the power stones and support<3)
Both Rayne and Ella were chatting happily, discussing the reactions of the judges to their designs.
"I managed to take a peek at a few other designs that passed the first stage. It seems like the judges have a preference for those people who can come up with unique, out-of-the-box designs," said Ella.
"I wonder if it has to do with the first-place prize. I think I read that it was a contract for a secret building," replied Rayne.
She felt that the first-place contract had a lot to do with why the judges were looking for specific elements in everyone's designs.
The judges were very efficient at looking through everyone's designs, and about twenty minutes later, the MC got back on stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The judges have concluded, and a list of those who will be competing for REN Corp.'s exclusive contracts will be posted! Everyone whose name is listed, please proceed to the next hall in 10 minutes. Good luck!"
After the MC finished speaking, people rushed over to the results table to see if their name was on the list.
Although Ella and Rayne knew they had passed, they still walked over to the table to check.
Rayne noticed some happy smiles along with angry scowls.
One of the guys who had been boasting in the crowd about how he was going to easily win was now yelling angrily about how incompetent the judges were at identifying talent.
The people around him distanced themselves, throwing him pitiful looks.
Rayne even saw Ella hold back a laugh.
"Don't you remember him? That's Anthony from university," she said to Rayne.
"Wait, the guy who never shut up?" Rayne turned to look at the man more closely. "How did someone like him end up at this event?"
Ella let out a giggle. "True, he was mediocre at best. I guess some company believes his endless boasting and hired him."
It was finally their turn to look at the list of names. As expected, both of them passed and would be competing.
"Let's make our way over to the contest hall," said Rayne.
They slowly made their way over to the large double doors of the adjacent hall.
Inside the hall, Rayne spotted the older man who had judged her design, talking to Secretary Mathews. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw the older man nodding a few times.
There were 100 workstations set up in the contest hall, each equipped with a drawing desk, chair, paper, pencils, rulers, and any tool an architect would need to draw a blueprint.
The hall was large enough that the desks were a comfortable distance apart from one another.
As the contestants made their way inside, they were told that there was no assigned seating, and they were allowed to choose their own seats.
Ella grabbed Rayne's hand and pointed at a set of desks toward the front of the hall, next to the stage.
"I see two open seats over there, let's get them before they're taken!" she said excitedly.
They walked over quickly and claimed their seats. Rayne looked around the room, waiting for the rest of the contestants to get settled.
After about 10 minutes, the hall quieted down as everyone was seated and waiting.
Noah walked up on the small stage and addressed the contestants. "Congratulations on making it here! You will all have two hours to finish a rough design. Waitstaff will be walking around occasionally to bring refreshments for your convenience.
The theme for this contest is... Off the Grid, Secret Bunker! The design should focus on sustainable, off-the-grid support. It should be large enough to house large vehicles and about 20-30 people comfortably.
Begin!"
Most of the contestants laughed at the "secret bunker" topic.
"Haha, REN Corp. has a good sense of humor! This is a fun idea indeed!" one man laughed.
Rayne, on the other hand, was surprised. The requirements seemed a bit specific for something that was meant to be a joke.
The scene of Tek on the phone flashed in her mind. By what she had heard him say on the phone, it sounded like he was scouting for a suitable place...
Rayne spent a good 15-20 minutes thinking about how she wanted to approach this design. Although Secretary Mathews didn't say it, she felt that the bunker also needed to be hidden.
She decided to go with a concept where the bunker would be built into a large hill. This way, she could design discreet entrances and exits, as well as ways of collecting rainwater to be filtered and used.
Her mind kicked into full focus mode. The more she drew, the more complex her design became.
She knew she wouldn't have time to fully incorporate a lot of the details, so she simply drew in placeholders with explanations for the very complicated parts.
Rayne only lifted her head when she heard the MC declare that time was up.
Rayne signed her name on the bottom corner of her design and handed it over to the assigned staff member.
She wished she had more time to continue drawing, but was happy with how much she was able to show.
Once everyone handed in their rough designs, they were all escorted back to the main hall to enjoy the remaining festivities.
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On the other side of the double doors, Noah got off the stage to sit down at the head of the judges' table.
"Okay, everyone, you know what we are looking for. If you feel that you have come across a strong design, pass it over to me," he ordered.
The first design that was passed over to him was a super-fortified-looking building. It had a triple protection layer and strong brutalist features.
Noah frowned looking at this.
Although he wasn't a designer himself, he had experience with blueprints and could identify the main concepts easily.
This bunker met the requirements he mentioned, and was very reinforced, but it stood out like a sore thumb.
Noah placed the design into the "rejected" pile.
The second design was slightly better. It was an interesting concept that focused on a coastal location. It featured flood-proof construction with high-impact glass and steel doors to resist storm surges.
There were even mentions of water collection and filtration with storage tanks. But the most unique feature of this design was the built-in boat/submarine dock that could serve as an emergency escape route.
Noah looked over this design a few times, thinking that it was quite nice. He looked down to see the name on the paper and saw Ella's name.
"Oh, this must be Reginald's daughter. She is indeed talented," Noah said to himself, placing the design into the "accept" pile.
The next few designs were very boring. They were mostly some variation of an underground tunnel, with little consideration for sustainability or long-term survival.
Noah continued to flip through multiple designs, rejecting them all.
He paused when he saw an interesting idea. It was a take on a modular prefabricated design. Since it was modular, it was portable, with easy-to-assemble reinforced steel walls.
The design was tailored for quick construction, allowing the user to set it up in both remote and urban environments.
It had a compact design, with fold-out beds and multipurpose furniture.
Although this sort of design wasn't exactly what Noah was looking for, he felt that the designer was very creative.
He placed the design into the "accept" pile.
Noah continued to flip through, his eyes glazing over. While some of these designs were interesting, they all lacked something.
He only had a few more blueprints left in his pile, and he let out a sigh. He had really hoped for a better turnout, especially from a group of so-called "top talents."
The next design he picked up sent a burst of energy through him. It was thorough, creative, and secretive!
It was a combination of a mountain and underground bunker. The main focus was blending in with the surroundings. It was designed to be built into a hill, keeping the grass and foliage on top. (A/N: like a hobbit hut)
The garage entrance was designed to look like a boulder, blending in with the surrounding environment.
There were considerations for water harnessing and filtration, weapons storage rooms, and even large specially designed food storage rooms.
It was a multi-level bunker with secret tunnels that could be used as escape routes on every floor.
The living quarters were designed for long-term comfort, with rooms for bunk beds as well as larger single-person quarters.
Noah even read through the placeholders that weren't drawn in yet. They included complex ventilation systems with advanced air filtration that would handle biological and chemical threats, and various ways to harness electricity, like hidden solar panels and backup generators.
He spent more time looking through this design than all of the others combined. He felt as if this designer knew that this contest topic wasn't just a fun joke!
After examining every little feature, he went to look at the name on the design.
Rayne Weston.