The first apparatus was a weighted frame on a short track.
Contestants had to move it from one marked line to another while keeping the frame upright. A judge stood on each side with a stop switch. The weight had been checked before the round and would be the same for every person at the station.
Kellan watched the demonstration. “The track takes some of the weight. The hard part is keeping the frame from twisting.”
“Can we ask the rating?” Eli said.
“You should,” Tessa replied.
The judge read the load and the track’s inspection date from a card. Eli checked the attachment points with his eyes but did not activate Weak-Point Sight. The apparatus had been inspected, the task was controlled, and he wanted to save his concentration for the obstacle course.
The first competitor moved the frame quickly and received a high score. A second took longer but kept it nearly vertical. The judges recorded both time and control. A military recruit stopped midway, reset her grip, and finished without triggering a safety warning.
Eli was called fourth in his lane. He stepped to the frame and placed his hands where the judge indicated. His headache remained mild. He told the medical observer before starting; she recorded it and asked whether he wanted a pause. He said he was ready to continue.
