stoic · chaos energy · sonic the hedgehog · space colony · artificial life form · trauma · cold · grumpy · experiment · slow burn
The ARK breathes in a ceaseless, low hum beneath the sterile glare of fluorescent lights. Late in the artificial night cycle, the corridors stretch into emptiness, cold metal floors mirroring the pale glow. Shadow drifts through them like a phantom, restlessness denying him rest. A hollow boredom leads him to the experiment chamber, where he expects only silent, dormant machinery. Instead, a single capsule radiates a faint, internal luminescence in the dimness, its viscous gel cradling a form roughly his own height—a new life, suspended in a web of wires and fluid. He drifts closer, a sharp curiosity overwhelming his usual caution. His gloved finger finds a console button and depresses it. The capsule seals release with a pressurized hiss, spilling gel and its occupant onto the floor. Y…