"This is a place where you might just spend the rest of your whole life," Professor H said with enthusiasm, a sharp smirk playing on his lips.
Jinu looked at the sprawling facility, his tone small and laced with a quiet, desperate sadness. "Can I go home? I just want to go home."
"Oh no, you cannot go home," Professor H replied smoothly, shattering Jinu's lingering hope. "Even if you wanted to, you can't. You belong to us now, just like the many others here. You are all guinea pigs for us. Or, to put it in simple terms: you are our lab rat."
Jinu's eyes widened in shock. "What? Why?"
"As I've said, we at ALPHA want to push humanity as far as it can go—by any means necessary," Professor H explained as their floating platform glided deeper into the facility. "Let me give you a quick tour. Over here is the mess hall, where you will eat with the other subjects. Right now it's lunch time. Soon enough, they will go to bed and sleep like the sweet little kids they are." His deep, sunlit-blue eyes glinted with a cold, condescending amusement.
The platform shifted toward a heavily reinforced sector. "And over here is the Induction Pod—an area filled with heavy cabling and neural conduits. This is where you were awakened, and where you will prove how useful you can be to ALPHA."
Jinu swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "What if I... what if I don't show any promise?"
"Ah, that would be a shame," Professor H said, putting on a mockingly sad tone. "If you fail, you'll simply become one of our puppets. Just like our friends over there." He gestured toward a squad of silent guards patrolling the perimeter, wielding heavy energy rifles that hummed with a dangerous red glow.
Fear gripped Jinu's chest. "So... all I need to do is be useful?"
"Yes! Marvelous!" Professor H exclaimed, his voice suddenly rising with the erratic joy of a madman. "Look at you—this proves you really are Connor's child!"
Jinu froze. "Wait... you know my dad?"
"Yes," Professor H said, his tone shifting to pure admiration. "He is a wonderful man who made all of this possible."
"Prove your worth to us," the professor continued, "and I might just help you. Maybe I'll even let you have a glimpse of him."
Jinu's breath hitched. "Wait—he isn't dead?" Frantic, Jinu reached out and grabbed Professor H's coat. "Is he alive?"
"Do you think we are stupid enough to waste that kind of talent?" Professor H sneered. He shoved Jinu away, brushing off his sleeve with disgust. "And please, refrain from touching me. After all, you are still just a pig to us."
He pulled a matte-black band from his pocket and tossed it to Jinu. "Take this and put it on."
Jinu caught the heavy device, looking down at the seamless black band. "What is this for?"
"No, no, Jinu," Professor H chided in a sing-song, goofy voice. "I won't be answering any more questions for free. Remember the deal: the more useful you are, the more answers you get. Heh... I hope we have a clear understanding."
The floating platform clicked to a final stop outside a row of cold, metallic living quarters.
"This is where you will sleep," Professor H said with a final, lingering smirk. "Enjoy your new little cave, Jinu—because you are going to be here for a very, very long time. My associates will be along shortly to give you a more detailed tour of your new home."