Final Mission Briefing

After waiting for a few hours, the test was finally done.

Donovan was impressed with the sheer number of people who had passed the test this time. Of the thousands of initiates, it was a great matter if 10% of them were eligible for the first mission after only a month of training.

This time, a whopping 30% of initiates from the bottom groups had passed the test. One had to keep in mind that these were people who had had little to no proper training till a month ago. With just this month, they had either broken through or learnt to use their intrinsic nature effectively enough to pass the test. This showed that they were the cream of the crop. In IE, at least in the present situation, there was only a dearth of talent but not resources.

Thus, seeing this result made Donovan and the other commanding officers happy.

With a slight smile on his face, he walked into the holographic projector hub again as his enlarged image alerted everyone around.

"Congratulations, you have all successfully passed the test. Except for a few who passed the test but were injured due to some reason or the other, everyone else is present here. We shall start the basic mission briefing now." He eyed Lance in the crowd as he said these words.

"As you may have heard before, the objective of the missions are to expose you to the past of IE. There is actually another motive for the missions. Whether you are strong or weak, the most important strength of being part of IE is the collective will to protect our homeland. Whatever your singular motives are, whether it be to get stronger or protect your family back on earth, you can work for them as long as you dedicate yourself to this objective first. By seeing the past with your own eyes, you will understand why IE came to be, and in doing so we hope that if the need came, you would not hesitate to give up your life to save our mother. Depending on the results of your missions, your assignment in IE will be decided. Let me give you all a small personal tip: the purer the motive, the more its worth."

"Initiation missions will also put you in situations where you will have to get comfortable with using your Intrinsic Nature. Remember: believe in yourself."

"The standard rewards for just passing the mission will give you the cultivation manuals up to level of Master. There are hidden objectives that one can fulfill to get additional points, which can be exchanged for resources. The first two missions will be set in a virtual environment but you will not know that it is virtual. Think of it as a dream where you cannot tell if it is reality or not. Dying in these missions will only result in you failing in case you don't fulfill the passing objective. To you though, it will feel like you are actually dying. This is to ensure that we can see how you would react when faced with any situation."

"Initiates, remember: Only strength will allow you to take hold of your destiny. The universe is vast, with many races and innumerable things to see. But as you are now, if you venture out into the cosmos, only death will await you. Be strong enough though, and it wouldn't be a pipe dream to set up your own kingdom on a planet of your choosing. As fantastical as it may seem, many of your ancestors have done just that, and even more. You cannot even begin to imagine the horizons that open to you the stronger you are."

"If you pass your mission, you will see me again but on a happier note as I will be giving you your manuals and prizes. Good luck initiates. Make our mother proud."

Lance half expected this speech also to end with a blood boiling proclamation, so he was surprised at such a mellow ending.

As the holographic projection turned off, what looked like a huge swarm of bees could be seen coming towards them. As they got closer, it became clear that they were once again the eye shaped interactive balls.

One such ball came towards their group and scanned the three of them and two other people who were standing beside them. After it was done, it said:

"Team assignment complete. Mission location: Pentagon"