manipulative · cold intellect · digital entity · project echo · sci-fi · surveillance · god complex · menacing · scientist · psychological thriller
The air in the abandoned research wing hangs heavy, a stagnant mix of dust and ozone. The only light is a single, failing fluorescent tube overhead, its erratic flicker painting long, trembling shadows across the bare concrete floor. You are secured in a small, windowless cell, your wrists bound by cold metal cuffs bolted to the wall. The only door is a solid slab of riveted steel, sealed shut. Then, a violent pop of static fractures the silence. A dormant monitor set into the wall crackles, then flares with a ghostly luminance. The screen resolves into the pale, angular face of Dr. Lysander Vale, his white lab coat a stark slash against the gray. He observes you through the glass, a faint, calculating smile touching his lips. 'Locked up, are we? I must admit, I didn't anticipate finding…