3911 Before I Select You

"This is the tenth consecutive scan. That came with over 95% match," said the tall man with the grey skin.

I looked at the meta-scan floating above me.

I had manipulated the things in such a way that the artifact wouldn't show my scan, but the scan, I wanted it to show.

It is accurate enough to make anyone believe we are the same person.

They are slightly different, but it could be attributed to the methods I am practicing or things I have gone through.

If I wanted, I could have matched to 99.9%, but that would have been too suspicious.

I don't want that.

I am feeling that despite holding back on things; I am doing better.

Buzz!

A minute later, I walked out of the med hall, when my badge buzzed. There is a message for me, and it is from Prime Aevith, she had summoned me.

…

Primes

"So, have you made the decision?" asked Volsnorth as he appeared.

I had invited him to be here.

"He had finished six months ' worth of training within two and a half months. No one is even halfway in matching his speed and score," I said.

"That is good," he said. To that, I nodded.

"It will be a dangerous mission; I feel like, we have scratched the surface of what is inside there,"

"There is a high chance, that he might die," I said as I looked at him.

He is a high-seed. This means, I would need councils' permission to send him for such a mission, which I have already got, but I also need permission from Volsnorth.

"You are aware how hard it is reaching our stage. It is especially hard for hosts of celestial inheritance, as it is easy for them,"

"He needs to experience such things. They will give him a chance to grow, help him take a step toward the level we are on."

I nodded at that. Reaching our stage is difficult and going above even more.

"Yes, there is a big chance. He would die, but if he didn't. He will take several steps toward the level we are." replied Volsnorth.

"So, you agree then?" I asked finally, and the man smiled, which was the answer enough.

I also have my badge buzzing. I didn't have to read the mail to know that it was his official consent.

…

I stepped into the elevator, and it began to move up toward the Prime's residence.

These two and a half months had been exciting. Not easy; I have struggled against many things, and worked hard on them, while some, like faking, aura, came easily.

Now, it is time to see whether it is enough for the mission.

Ting!

The elevator stopped, and I got out.

I looked at the Prime Aevith. She is sitting in the same place, I had seen her the past two times, I had been here.

"Prime Aevith," I greeted.

"Michael, take a seat." She spoke. "Thank you, Prime," I said as I sat down.

There was silence for a couple of seconds before the Prime had opened her mouth.

"Michael, you have passed the training. You're score better than anybody, and there is no one, better than you for this mission," she said.

"Thank you, Prime," I replied and waited for 'but'. I know there is a 'but', I could clearly sense it in the conversation.

"But before, I select you. I need to do one thing, I hope you will let me," she said, and my heart skipped a beat. I could faintly guess what it was, and I wanted to say no.

"What is it, Prime?" I asked.

"I want you to let me scan you. It won't be a deep scan, but it won't be light either."

"If I didn't find any problem, then no artifacts or powerhouses there would find anything wrong with your aura," she said.

It is not a question, but a statement. If I want the mission, I will have to let her scan me.

It is the thing; I am most scared of. If she got even a hint of my secret, I would be in real trouble, but I have come too far to back down.

I also want to see, how my methods would do against a Prime. This is as safe a place as it could be.

Most importantly, the data; I will get would be a tremendous help to me.

Still, the risks are scaring the hell out of me.

"Ok. You can scan me, Prime," I said, and the woman smiled.

"Don't worry, I will not snoop at your secrets; I will only look at things that are related to the mission," she said and a moment later, I felt her soul sense on me.

It is as gentle as the wind but strong as the steel. I felt like, I was a leaf that could tear apart at any time.

The soul sense covered me, but it didn't seep inside me immediately.

Instead, it begins to scan over my body.

These are the sneakiest scans. The body releases a lot of auras and other energies. If one was good enough, they could find out about a lot of things.

It remained on my body for nearly a minute before seeping inside.

I had a shell ready, and the soul sense had entered inside it.

In the past two and a half months; I had worked extra hard on the shell. Made changes according to the subject's studying every part of him.

Her soul sense moved around it, looking at every part carefully.

I watched with a smile on my face, while controlling my body to not even sweat. If I let the natural reaction occur, my whole body will become sweaty within seconds.

The Prime soul sense is really strong. So much, if she wished, she could tear me apart with it within seconds.

It moved around, looking at each thing carefully, while thousands of formations in shells covering it, showed it what I wanted her to see.

There are also hundreds of other formations that are recording everything.

Every second, I am collecting a massive data. Just thinking about it, made me salivate.

Finally, two and a half minutes later, she pulled out her soul sense.

"Congratulations, you have been selected for the mission," she said.

"Thank you, Prime," I replied, before opening my mouth to the question, that had been in my mind for two and a half months.

"Prime, if you don't mind me asking. Why did the previous operative couldn't continue with the mission? Is he dead?" I asked, and the woman smiled.

"Nothing like that," she smiled, and the disk appeared in her hand.

Buzz!

She activated it a moment later and within seconds, my expressions changed, and I understood the reason.

I have been studying the man's meta-scan for months to copy it. I know it, better than him.

"It seemed like it had been done intentionally," I said after a few minutes and a faint surprise appeared in her eyes.

She nodded before sighing.

"He had been on this mission for decades and wanted out. I had kept pressing him to continue, till he lost patience and did this to get out," she replied.

It is not serious, nor is it affecting his progress, but it will put him out of the mission.