[ WP ] Every person in the world undergoes a `` goodness '' test . It 's designed to give a score from 1 to 200 , where 1 is pure evil , and 200 is an angel in human body . Then the world is divided into 200 zones , where people can live among their own kind .

Every individual is required to take the `` Humanity Test'' on their 18th birthday. The test was designed to separate humankind based on their potential for evil and deviancy. Once you take the test, you are to go and live within a community of people who scored the same number. This was the governments way of minimizing crime and keeping honest and good citizens safe from harm. The test was never really something I, or my classmates, feared. The test itself seemed only to solidify what each person already knew about themselves and each other. 
 
 I had taken the test six days ago. My eighteenth birthday seemed almost anticlimactic as I impatiently awaited my results. I was excited to see where I would end up; to start living the rest of my life with likeminded people. The test goes before the council, and although the test is based on standardized scoring, the council will also review individual scores. 
 
 Marcus had received his results two days ago, he's a 133. Hailey got her scores back almost instantly, 187. It is n't a surprise that Hailey scored that high, she's basically the walking embodiment of an angel. If anything, I was surprised she did n't score higher. The higher you score, the safer and more `` affluent'' your community is. I do n't know anyone who is in 200, but I've heard rumors. The streets are lined with gold, the buildings are artfully crafted, and the amenities are something to gape at. Although 200 is the paragon of excellence, and the top fifty communities closely follow, any district above 100 has its own charms. It's when you get below 100 that you need to start to worry. I know a few people from classes above me who placed below 100, it's less common but it does happen. Below 100 is similar to, from what I have read in the history books, what the inner-city ghetto used to be. Crime is everywhere, the streets are littered with garbage and urine, the buildings are run down, and worst of all, you have shared housing. There used to be a word for it... Oh yeah. Sort of like a halfway house. You never know what the guy sleeping in the bunk next to you is thinking about doing, and the lower district number you're in, the scarier that becomes. 
 
 I was lucky I did n't have to worry about that. I was n't perfect, that's for sure. But overall I am a decent guy. Although I wo n't be anywhere near Hailey's district, maybe I will Marcus'. It sure would be cool for me to end up in the same community as my best friend. The thought brought a smile creeping onto my face. Maybe they would even let us live together, until we started families of our own of course. 
 
 I was sitting in my living room when I heard a knock at the door. My ears perked up at the sound. My letter should be arriving any day now, and with that I eagerly scrambled towards the door. Jacob, the mail carrier, stood there with an envelope in his hand. I instantly recognized the notorious gold council stamp of authenticity. It was here. 
 
 `` I come baring gifts!'' Jacob said to me with a grin, and with that handed me the envelope. I thanked him, and went back into the house. My palms were sweating, I did n't know why I was this nervous. Currently, I was in district 129. A rule of the council is that every child lives within their parents community until they come of age to take the placement test themselves. 129 was a great place to live, I had no complaints. I also felt fortunate to have a good amount of room to move up districts. 129 has been good to me, but the top fifty districts are what everyone really strives for. Starting out in a lower district is sort of a bonus as well, as you may only visit districts that are lower than your own, not vice versa, to ensure that the higher placed districts integrity is not compromised. This would mean if you started out in a high district but placed lower, you would not be permitted to visit your family in the district you were raised in. I shook the thought from my mind. 
 
 Enough of this. With trembling hands I tentatively peeled back the sealed envelope. As I removed the contents it hit me, this is the start of the rest of my life. And it's all on this one measly piece of paper. With a deep breath, I slowly unfold the paper. My eyes scanned the page looking for the result, ignoring the rest of the contents. 
 
 Finally, it caught my eye. 
 
 `` 4.'' I looked at the print in confusion. This ca n't be right. I frantically flipped the paper to the backside, blank. Back to the front I begin to read from the top. 
 
 `` Dear Mr. Austin Clark, 
 We at the Council of Humanity thank you for the prompt completion of your Humanity Test. We understand this is a time of transition, and we hope you adjust to this exciting change and thrive in your new district. You will have exactly two weeks to gather your bearings; at 4:00PM two weeks from today, a vehicle will arrive at your place of living to take you to your new community. We wish you the best at leading a happy and productive life. 
 
 Sincerely, 
 The Council of Humanity'' 
 
 Below the generic greeting was the score, in bold print. 
 
 `` DISTRICT PLACEMENT: 4'' 
 
 I furrowed my brows in frustration and confusion. My stomach instantly dropped to my feet, there has to be some mistake. But the council did n't make mistakes. Although there is an appeals process, in over 300 years that our government has been established, there has been one successful appeal. That appeal was due to an undisclosed learning disability which had impacted the girls ability to take the test accurately. 
 
 District 4 was, well, unfathomable. I have never known someone personally to place lower than 40; a shiver went down my spine. The horrors of the bottom fifty districts were spread far and wide. The bottom ten were a completely different story though. This is where you no longer have the mere thieves and con artists. The bottom ten are where you find the cold hearted killers, and where rapes and assaults were a common occurrence. There are no rule enforcers in the bottom fifty districts, what I believe used to be referred to as police, because there are no rules. 
 
 My heart felt like stone. Every part of my body was numb. How am I going to tell my parents? How am I going to tell my friends? Most importantly, how am I going to survive?
