Aman woke to a world of white.

White bed, white ceiling, white curtains cordoning him off from the rest of the world and a strong smell of antiseptic.

He was at the hospital; the surgery was over.

He had achieved his wishes. The mystery sensor was now installed in his body.

Reaching back with his hand, he felt the back of his neck where his head met his spine. There, under the bandages, he could feel a slight metallic protrusion. That was the external indication of his soul sensor.

Now, for the moment of truth.

He closed his eyes and focused on his soul. In the darkness of his eyelids, tiny pinpricks of light began to appear as his soul sight slowly began to activate as his body adjusted to the new sensor.

Just as the entire galaxy of his soul became visible, a mechanical voice resounded in his mind.

[Activate the GENE Project?]

[Yes] [No]

Startled, his eyes flew open as he looked around in surprise. There was nobody there in the curtained off confines of his bed and the only sounds were the soft beeping of the monitoring instruments of the different patients in the ward.

[Activate the GENE Project?]

[Yes] [No]

Once again, the voice resounded in his mind and he was sure that there was no one else along with him. Then the only source could be…

[Activate the GENE Project?]

[Yes] [No]

The soul sensor. His breath sped up along with his heartbeat as excitement coursed through him. This was what he had been hoping for. Licking his dry lips, he hoarsely mumbled: “Yes.”

[Activation confirmed.]

Then he felt like his thoughts slowed down tenfold. His brain felt like it was made of cotton and exhaustion crashed down upon him in waves.

His world faded to black.

***

When he woke again, he was in the same place.

The same bed, the same ceiling, the same curtains, the same antiseptic smell. Even the wall clock was the same, telling him that only half an hour had passed.

[Congratulations. The host is now a participant in the GENE Project. Let us walk down the Path to Perfection together.]

The voice reappeared and this time, it sounded a lot less mechanical and seemed to possess some individuality.

“Who are you?” asked Aman.

[I am alternate personality generated within your mind when you confirmed the activation of the GENE Project. You can basically think of me as the AI of the soul sensor. Also, you can just think of your queries, I can read your mind.]

“What! Alternate personality! Mind reading!”

[Host! Do not panic. I shall answer all questions and have no ill intentions towards you. Please think your questions, not shout them.]

Aman took a deep breath, then another before he calmed down slightly. Seeing that no one had come running, his little outburst had gone largely unnoticed.

He began to think of all his questions, mentally directing them at the back of his head where the soul sensor was. Although for all he knew, the core of the new personality was occupying his entire brain.

[I shall answer your questions in order of relevance. Firstly, what is the GENE Project?]

[The GENE Project was the attempt to create a nano-photon based biological computer. The soul sensor that you are now in possession of is the only successful creation. As far I know, I am unique.]

[Secondly, how does the GENE Project work and what is up with the alternate personality?]

[Instead of using semiconductor chips and electrical circuit elements as my processor, I am capable of utilizing the host’s brain instead. Therefore, I am sharing your brain and as soon as I was created, I gained my own sentience. That is why I referred to myself as an alternate personality. In effect, I am a symbiote. Remove me from your body, and I will perish.]

[New question detected… moving question up priority order.]

[Are you a body-snatcher?]

[I do not have access to the areas of your brain that are in charge of physical processes. Only the memory, sensory and the processing units. So, I can feel what you do, access your memories and use your brain to process my thoughts but I cannot move your body or feel emotion. Also, my core directive is to improve the body of my host to the pinnacle.]