The story is set in a dystopian future where the Earth is overpopulated and resources are scarce. To mitigate this, the United Nations has mandated that countries reduce their population by 5% annually. In the United States, this has led to the implementation of a rule where high school students must take a test every year, with those who fail being executed.
The story follows a student named Lina and her friends, including Blake, the son of the governor of Texas. As the test day approaches, Blake becomes increasingly anxious and considers cheating. Meanwhile, Lina befriends a boy who is struggling to prepare for the test and offers to help him.
On the day of the test, the students are subjected to intense security checks and are given two hours to complete the exam. The results are instantaneous, and those who fail are taken away to be executed. However, Lina discovers that the test results are rigged, and the governor is lying about the true nature of the test.
Lina and Blake decide to investigate and expose the truth, but they are caught by the authorities and taken to the execution room. Just as they are about to be executed, Mason, the test director, intervenes and orders the guards to free those who did not actually fail.
The story takes a surprising turn when the students who were supposedly executed are revealed to be alive and working as slaves for a multi-million dollar technology company called Sur O Global. The company is using the students to produce goods, and the governor is complicit in the scheme. The story ends with Lina and her friends discovering the truth and the company's sinister plans.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The story takes place in the year 2039.
2. The Earth is overpopulated, and resources are scarce.
3. The United Nations declares that countries must reduce their population by 5% annually.
4. The United States implements a rule where students must take a test every year, and those who fail are executed.
5. The test is designed to determine which students are worthy of living.
6. Students who pass the test are allowed to live, while those who fail are executed by lethal injection.
7. The main character, Elena, is a student who takes the test.
8. Elena's friend, Blake, is the son of the governor of Texas.
9. Blake's father, Governor Dean, is a powerful man who is running for president.
10. The testing system is rigged, and the governor has been lying about the results.
11. Elena discovers that the ranking system is manipulated, and students who scored higher are failing, while those who scored lower are passing.
12. Elena sends evidence of the manipulated results to a news anchor, who broadcasts it on live TV.
13. The governor is called by the head of his party, who threatens to withdraw his candidacy.
14. The governor orders the execution of all students who failed the test, including his own son.
15. However, the students who were executed are actually taken to work as slaves for a multi-million dollar company called "Sur O Global".
16. The company uses the students as free labor to produce products.
17. Elena's sister and Mrs. Byrs, a teacher, are reunited with Elena.
18. The students who were supposed to be dead are revealed to be alive and working as slaves.