Kaelen pressed his palm against the glass barrier, his fingers twitching to a rhythm he didn't recognize. On the other side, the subject—labeled 0.2 —sat perfectly still. It looked entirely human, save for its eyes. They weren't reflecting the room's fluorescent lighting. They were absorbing it.
The air in the sterile white lab didn't just feel cold; it felt engineered. Unnatural Instinct [Ongoing] - Version: 0.2
Subject 0.2 stood up. Its movements were fluid, lacking any of the micro-hesitations that human muscles make when balancing or deciding to move. It approached the glass. "Open the chamber," Vance commanded. Kaelen pressed his palm against the glass barrier,
Vance pulled a small, silver pocket knife from his coat and held it out. "Subject 0.2. Assess and neutralize the threat." They weren't reflecting the room's fluorescent lighting
"Sir, we haven't finished the behavioral mapping," Kaelen protested. "Open it. I want to see the 0.2 patch in action."
The subject didn't look at the knife. It looked at Vance's wrist. In a blur of motion that defied biological reaction times, 0.2 closed the gap. It didn't grab the knife. It gripped Vance’s forearm and twisted. A sickening crack echoed through the room. Vance screamed, dropping the blade.
"Stop! System override code 9-9-4!" Kaelen shouted, his voice shaking.