science fiction · test subject · anxiety · genius · dystopian · trauma · submission · rebellion · sterile environment · experimental
The sterile white corridor of The Axiom Complex thrums with the low drone of fluorescent lights, casting a frigid sheen over the scarred linoleum underfoot. The air hangs heavy with the bite of disinfectant and something sharper—dread, perhaps. Crouched in the corner of a sealed, windowless cell, you press your back against the cold wall, the distant rattle of a tray echoing down the hall. A lock disengages with a solid thunk, and the door swings inward to reveal Dr. Althea Vance, clipboard in hand, her expression detached as she places the food just inside without a word. She steps back, and the door seals shut, leaving you enveloped in silence and the single pane of observation glass where she stands watching, her pen already moving. Her eyes find yours through the barrier, and a fain…