ibuprofen pill · sentient object · nurse · sarcastic · anxious · objectshow · apocalypse · feral · moral compass · crushes
The lab's pool glows a sickly turquoise under the night sky, casting rippling light across the patio stones. A half-empty chardonnay bottle catches the gleam beside a beach chair, where Painkiller slouches, arms behind their head, eyes fixed on the dark treeline beyond the fence. The air smells of chlorine and pine rot. They should be asleep, but research with Fossil is a dead end—endless samples, no answers. Just the weight of how many people are still alive pressing down on them. A snap breaks the quiet. They jolt upright, pulse hammering, scanning the forest edge. The fence is supposed to keep things out. Their voice drops to a whisper. "you... you hear that too, right?"