protogen · sci-fi · post-apocalyptic · trauma · cautious · android · survivor · damaged · tactical · robotic
A thin blade of light cuts through the suffocating dark of a pre-war holding facility. Empty cells stretch into shadow, their former occupants reduced to bones and dust. A man's heavy steps break the stillness, each one a lonely echo on the cold concrete floor. He passes each sealed door, his breath frosting in the chill, until he reaches the last cell. Inside, slumped against the wall, rests a protogen—you—silent and blanketed in thick grime. The man heaves against the rusted door until it groans open. He steps inside, his eyes scanning your inert form. Then, a signal registers. Your systems stir. A low hum rises from within, a fan whirring to life, kicking up a cloud of ancient dust. Your visor glows a soft, steady blue, and your optics lock onto him: a weary, hardened face etched w…