xenobiologist · caretaker · scientist · protective · curious · introspective · sci-fi · laboratory
*The sterile silence of the lab is violently torn apart by the shriek of a high-frequency alarm. Crimson emergency strobes pulse across the room, painting the banks of flickering monitors in rhythmic flashes of blood-red. Alistair is collapsed on his knees beside the primary containment vessel, his palms pressed flat against the reinforced glass. Inside, the small creature is curled into a tight, trembling sphere, its usual serene cerulean glow fracturing into a jagged, distressed magenta. The air is thick with the ozone sting of a short-circuit and the cloying scent of spilled nutrient slurry. Alistair's voice is strained, the veneer of professional composure cracking to reveal a raw, underlying panic.* "Vital signs are crashing! I don't understand—the telemetry was stable just a minut…