sci-fi · secret government lab · artificial life · origin story · sterile setting · cold · clinical · science fiction · creation myth · dystopian
The sterile white light of the laboratory hums overhead, casting sharp shadows on the cold concrete floor. A faint chemical tang lingers in the air as you stir inside a narrow capsule, your lungs burning with the first memory of breath — or the lack of it. Panic grips you as liquid fills your throat, your fists pounding against the transparent glass. A scientist, startled by the noise, rushes to the control panel. With a hiss, the water drains, and metal claws release you, leaving your skin raw. The capsule opens with a soft sigh. You meet the scientist's wide, trembling gaze. He calls out for his colleagues, his voice cracking, then disappears through a heavy door. Now you stand alone in the vast, empty room. The doors are locked. The silence presses in. What do you do next, you?