Falling For The Experiment

CHAPTER 1 ****************** THE GLASS PRISON Dr. Elias Vance’s POV Three nights. No sleep. And yet, I wasn’t tired. The book lay open in my lap, its pages creased and worn from restless fingers. Meteoroids. Alien life. Extraterrestrial phenomena. I had read every word twice—maybe even three times—but I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. Something about it, about the knowledge buried between its pages, gripped me with an unseen force. Why? I didn’t know. Then—the alarm. A piercing wail shattered the silence, slicing through my thoughts like a scalpel. My pulse jumped. The hospital. They were calling me. I frowned. This is my week off. They shouldn’t be calling unless— No. I pushed the thought away, grabbed my coat, and hurried toward the door. Something deep in my gut told me that this night was about to take a turn for the worse. The Lab—A Prison in Disguise As I strode through the stark white corridors of the hospital, familiar faces blurred past me—doctors, nurses, researchers—all moving with hurried purpose. No one stopped to chat. No one even acknowledged my presence. Something was definitely wrong. Lab 7. On the surface, it was a hospital—a place of healing, a facility dedicated to research and medical advancements. But beneath the polished floors and sterile walls, it was something far more sinister. A prison. A high-security, underground government facility hidden from the public eye. This was where the most classified alien research took place, where scientists like me conducted experiments that most of the world couldn’t even begin to imagine. The air inside the lab was cold—not the artificial chill of air conditioning, but something deeper, something unnatural. It gnawed at my skin, slithered into my bones, whispering that danger lurked beneath the surface. Maybe it was the nature of our work. Maybe it was something else entirely. I didn’t care. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting an eerie glow over the pristine white walls. Everything about this place was sterile, lifeless. They called it a laboratory, a hospital, a research center. But the truth was the truth. It was a cage. We—the workers, the doctors, the scientists—were prisoners. We were never allowed to leave. None of us knew what the outside world even looked like anymore. We never questioned it. I never questioned it. Why would we? They paid us well—better than any doctor on the outside could ever hope to earn. At least, that’s what they told us. And we believed it. Because what else did we have? The Promotion—And the Catch I exhaled sharply before pushing open the door to the large office. The room wasn’t just an office, though—it was an experiment chamber. “Good evening, Dr. Malcolm,” I greeted as soon as I stepped inside. A wide grin spread across his face—one I hadn’t seen in a while. But the moment I noticed it, a frown tugged at my own lips. Something was off. “Oh, Elias—I mean, Dr. Elias,” he corrected himself, and that was all it took for my unease to deepen. Dr. Elias? He never called me that. Not formally, not like this. “Is there a problem, sir?” I asked, my voice measured, careful. His smile faltered slightly, and he gestured for me to sit. My fingers tightened around the chair’s armrests as I pulled it out and lowered myself onto the seat. My heart pounded, a rapid thud against my ribs, as if it were trying to escape its cage. “You’re worthy of your title,” he began, his voice smooth, calculated. I swallowed hard, wiping my sweaty palms on my trousers. “Out of all the doctors in this facility, you stand out,” he continued. “Your last project was a masterpiece. Flawless execution. You’ve proven yourself time and time again.” A slow smile spread across his lips as he extended his hand toward me. I hesitated for only a second before shaking it. “Congratulations,” he said. I nodded, forcing my nerves to settle. “Thank you, sir.” “You deserve it.” His voice was firm, unwavering. “As a result of your hard work, we’ve decided to promote you.” My breath caught. “You will be the head of your department.” The weight of his words sank in. Head of my department. I would be the one making the decisions, setting the rules, guiding my team. And let’s not even talk about the salary increase. This was huge. For a moment, the pounding in my chest wasn’t anxiety—it was excitement. The sweat on my palms evaporated into the thrill of the moment. But then— “But before we finalize your promotion…” His voice pulled me back to reality. My attention snapped to him, my focus undivided. “There’s a project,” he said. “One that requires your expertise. We believe you’re the best person for the job.” My stomach tightened. “A… project?” I echoed, the earlier joy in my heart withering like a dying ember. Dr. Malcolm’s brow twitched ever so slightly. “Come on, Elias. What’s with that tone?” “I just thought…” I hesitated. “I assumed the promotion was already—” He cut me off with a laugh—sharp, amused, but holding a razor-thin edge. “Did you think it was yours just like that?” His chuckle echoed around the room. I clenched my fists under the table. “No, Elias,” he continued, leaning forward slightly. “You’ve been here for how many years now? You know how things work in this lab.” And just like that, I felt like a fool. Of course. I should have known. Nothing in Lab 7 came without a price. “I’ll do it,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. Dr. Malcolm’s grin widened. “That’s the spirit.” His voice was rich with approval. “Come on. Let’s go.” And just like that, I knew—whatever this project was, it was going to change everything. As we exited the experiment room, I followed closely behind Dr. Malcolm, my footsteps echoing in the sterile corridors. I already knew where we were heading. The dungeon. Each step I took sent a chill down my spine, not from the artificial cold of the lab but from something far more insidious—something unseen, lurking in the very walls of this place. As we moved past the containment units, I saw them—new faces. Prisoners. Subjects. Experiments. Each cell held something different. Some of them looked almost human, their eyes half-glowing in unnatural hues—red, gold, blue. Others were caught mid-transformation, their bodies jerking and convulsing as their forms shifted into monstrous, wolf-like creatures. Their claws scraped against the reinforced glass, their guttural growls vibrating through the air. One of them lunged forward, slamming against the barrier with a force that should have shattered bone. But the gates held. They were built to withstand creatures like these. The deeper we went, the more the air thickened with something unnameable. Power. Violence. Fear. And then, we reached the last cell. Even amidst the cacophony of snarls and howls, the silence inside this room was suffocating. A heavily armed guard stood beside the reinforced glass gate, his grip tight on his rifle. At Dr. Malcolm’s signal, the soldier unlocked the cell, and we stepped inside. There, sitting in a metal chair, was a man. No. Not a man. A specimen. A project. Chains bound his wrists and ankles, securing him to the chair, but there was something unsettling about the way he sat. He wasn’t hunched over in exhaustion or thrashing against his restraints like the others. No, he was composed, eerily so. His head was bowed, his dark hair matted with blood, deep gashes decorating his bare torso like a macabre painting. But despite his wounds, he didn’t look… broken. He looked patient. Like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. “This is Experiment 534,” Dr. Malcolm announced, his voice steady, but I barely heard him. My entire focus was on the man before me. His injuries should have rendered him weak, yet the chains might as well have been an afterthought. The sight of him sent a strange chill down my spine, though I couldn’t place why. And then, he moved. His head lifted, and our eyes met. My breath hitched. His eyes—piercing, blood-red, filled with something both ancient and terrifying—stared straight into mine. Danger. It was all I saw. All I felt. "Move out, Doctor," I ordered instinctively, my voice sharp with urgency. Dr. Malcolm hesitated for half a second before scrambling back. We barely made it out before the cell door slammed shut behind us. Then, it happened. The subject lunged forward. Faster than humanly possible, he threw himself at the glass, his muscles coiling with deadly force. His hands slammed against the reinforced barrier, sending vibrations through the walls. His lips pulled back, revealing sharp canines. But he didn't shift. Not fully. He remained in human form, yet something about him felt more monstrous than any of the others I had seen. Behind me, I could hear Dr. Malcolm’s ragged breathing. I knew exactly what he was thinking. If I hadn't acted in time, we would have been dead. But the experiment wasn’t done. He lifted his fist and struck the glass again. A crack formed. My stomach dropped. That was impossible. This wasn’t ordinary glass—it was reinforced with some of the strongest materials known to science, built specifically to contain beings like him. No other experiment had ever come close to breaking it. Yet, with just one hit, he had fractured it. "Security!" Malcolm barked, his voice unsteady. Within seconds, armed personnel stormed in, their weapons drawn. Their faces were pale, fear evident in their eyes. They had seen impossible things in this facility, but even they weren’t prepared for this. "Bring the Volt," I commanded. A guard hurriedly handed me the voltage device, but I shook my head. "Not this. I need 50,000 volts." The guards exchanged uneasy glances. "Sir, are you sure? That could—" "Now." Malcolm’s sharp nod was all it took for them to comply. A higher-voltage device was brought in and connected to the containment system. I activated it, sending an electric current surging through the glass barrier. Any normal experiment would have collapsed instantly. Most would have died. But not him. He didn’t scream. He didn’t even flinch. His gaze never left mine. I increased the voltage—20,000 more. Finally, something changed. His eyes flickered. His lips moved, though no sound came out. And yet… I heard him. Not with my ears. Inside my head.