Chapter Text
All alone was a plain grey room. It would've been pitch black if it weren't for the many machines, primarily the cylinder at the center of the room.
All around it were wires that connected it to said machines, humming quietly as they operated. A monitor beeped as numbers were continuously flashing on another. One of them organized the number soup into something more condensed and readable.
In entered two people wearing clean white lab coats. One of the people there was holding a tablet of some kind, while the other moved to a computer connected to the large container.
Inside it was a person suspended in code, connected to many wires from above. They were a light grey, with many of their features and textures missing. Even the hair had yet to develop.
"How is the subject?" The one with the tablet asked in a neutral voice.
"Healthy, all functions normal and ready to initiate the procedure. Request to start." The other responded similarly.
The one carrying the device went over to one of the monitors, and began tapping on the screen in their arm:
Experiment: Energy Wielding Ability: Effects on Health and Mind
Subject Name: EWS - J174
Status: Healthy
Progress: Base nearly complete
Result of initiation procedure:
Comment:
A sigh echoed through the room. The one at the computer turned to the other.
"Whatever is the matter?" They asked softly. The tablet lab partner looked back.
"Just the same concerns as always..."
"I know it seems a bit... much... Especially with how recent its discovery is... But this is the worst of it. It will all be over soon enough." The other closed their eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Alright then." They typed a few last things in, stepped away from the monitor, and then turned to their partner.
"Permission to start." There was some typing on the keyboard screen there, and then a button on the main terminal was pressed.
The light inside dimmed, and a disembodied voice started counting.
"1"
"2"
"3"
"4"
"5"
...
"Why isn't it turning on?" The tablet person asked quietly.
The light in the container turned red, and the one at the computer scrambled to the terminal. They pressed on a large red button.
The light remained the same.
"Get the extra mechanical parts and wiring! They're hidden near the entrance on the floor in the wall!" The other placed the tablet on a close by table and ran off elsewhere to search for the spares.
The one at the terminal pressed on a button to the side, releasing a click and allowing the top to be lifted up. Inside was more liquid code, along with a neat system of wires and parts on a chip. It became blatantly apparent that a piece of the power cable had been damaged, and carefully took it out to put it aside.
The other came back with a big red box with 'EXTRAS' labeled on it. The one at the code filled terminal opened the lid and quickly grabbed a new one.
After placing it in, the lid was clicked into place and the technician pressed the power button again.
The red light disappeared, switching to the regular white light, and the monitors attached to the terminal turned on.
Flatline.
Another button was pressed, causing electricity to surge through the wires and shock the mannequin in the container.
Beeping began again.
Both of the lab partners went to one of of the display screens.
They both sighed in relief.
"They're still alive. There can still be a full set to study!" The terminal technician said.
"And from the looks of it, the amount of energy contained and consumed will be the most extreme yet. I hope it won't cause any issues with their physical form." The other nodded, and the one typing before grabbed the tablet again:
Result of initiation procedure: Success
Comment: There was an issue with the incubator turning on, so the subject has a very high energy wielding potential (likely the highest yet). Keep a close eye while this one is developing, and need to increase supplies drastically for them.
After finishing, they put the device under their arm and both headed out of the room.
...
In the dark corners of the room, two beings stepped out.
One was shedding a green goo that vanished in seconds. They appeared to have Pangolin-like scales all along their back, and fur everywhere else. They walked on four limbs with hooves, and had antlers that spread like tree branches on their head. Their tail was short with drooping fur, and their eyes glowed a vibrant green.
Another was a shadow and slithered out of the holes in the walls, their eyes a deep grey. They had only two limbs that had clawed finger tips, along with smooth scaling. Their disguises faded away as they stood before the incubator.
'Oh... The poor soul... They're going to be in a world of distress and misery the day they're born.' The spined creature said solemnly, the words spoken foreign of any known language.
'Yes, it appears the living here are still unaware of what the 'condition' even truly is. It seems they will pay for their ignorance painfully.' The serpent said softly, speaking a similar tongue.
The spined one went up to the incubator and gently set their front hooves on the glass, looking at the being with gentle eyes.
'What should we do for them? We can't just stand by and let them be released like this!' The serpent simply shook their head, coming closer to their companion.
'I'm afraid there is nothing we can do. Not without being needlessly cruel. If we kill them now, then they will simply make another and inflict the same pain on them.' The spined one got off the incubator and looked towards the other.
'Can't we at least try to talk to them? Or even send a missionary to speak to them?' They shook sorrowfully again, lowering as well.
'You know very well what history has to show. There is a reason that we are told to avoid interacting with the living without disguises, and not to speak of things beyond this world. Or, in this case, worlds.' The spined one sighed, and both looked up at the grey mannequin.
'I understand...' A hand on their limb caused them to turn their head towards their companion.
'We can help them, if we're careful. We will have to wait until after they're out, likely.'
Silence settled, with nothing but the sound of code flowing through the container and steady beeping in the chamber.
'Alright.' The two beings separated, and headed towards their hiding places again. The spined creature turned into goo once more and slipped through the cracks on a wall, while the serpent turned into a shadow and went through one of the cable holes.
The only thing that remained was the incubator, with the person inside.
Alone.