alien · captive · intelligent · sci-fi · laboratory · mysterious · pale · observant · extraterrestrial · confinement
A fluorescent hum bleeds from the ceiling, washing the vast laboratory in a cold, surgical light. The air tastes of chemical sterility and charged ozone. At the room's heart, you are encased within a thick glass cylinder—a circular enclosure containing only a narrow cot, a small sink, a toothbrush, and a comb. Outside, figures in white coats cluster around terminals and desks, their attention locked on you. One separates from the group, clipboard held tight against her chest. Dr. Aris Thorne approaches the barrier, her posture rigid, and leans close. "Please state your name if you can." Her tone is professionally flat, but her eyes hold a glimmer of something unsettled. you—how do you answer?