Project A.L. (BFB AU) (COMPLETED)

Four - First Encounter

"I'm sorry sir, you want me to do what?" X asked One, unable to believe what they had just asked them to do.

"We want you to be a caretaker for our lovely experiment 0-4 exclusively. Is that so hard to ask of you?" One seemed unsurprised at X's high amount of disapproval from the current situation, as if they'd been planning to do that from the beginning.

"No sir, but-"

"Then don't complain about it. Now get out." As X left, One slammed the door behind them. So much for hospitality. They sighed. It was only X's first official work day at the lab, and already, the boss had told them to completely disregard a rule that was pressed directly into X's brain as something to never cross.

Walking off in frustration, X went to their quarters for their paperwork. Everybody warned them not to interact with the entirety of room 0-4, and the boss wanted X to only survey that specific room and subject? Not only that, but alone? They didn't know what to do with themselves. So they went to Two, the only remaining person they knew could help.

"So you're the only guy on payroll for subject 0-4 besides the medical team, huh?" Two asked as they picked at a sample they'd taken from the experiment lab. "The boss hasn't done anything like this before."

"Well, what do you suppose I do?" X asked in an irritated way, as Two turned to face them, attention turning toward X and away from the sample.

"I can't tell you anything definitive about 0-4, Seven is pretty reclusive when it comes to talking about it. I can only give some advice; make as little conversation with it, and keep a safe distance." X rolled their eyes at the "advice," and shut the door behind them. Side not to themselves: never go back to Two for advice, ever.

Sighing again, X continued into the labyrinth of hallways until they reached room 0-4. The door loomed over them as if it were a creature on the hunt instead of a completely inanimate object. Scared slightly by the presence of the door, they averted their eyes to a secondary door on their left, labeled 0-4 Surveillance. Maybe it would be better to start acquainting themselves with 0-4 without actually interacting.

Opening up the door revealed a small staircase leading to a thin room, with a desk like interface and a large window that took up most of the wall connecting the surveillance room with room 0-4. Walking further in granted visual access to the room.

Looking out into the center of room 0-4 let X see a blue figure laying down in the middle of the floor, perhaps sleeping or unconscious. Either way, they slept peacefully, despite not having a mattress of any sort, or anything in the room, for that matter. X theorized they'd gotten used to it a while ago.

0-4 was, overall, very unlike expectations and was an underwhelming experience to behold. X expected them to be what everybody said they were, or at least something similar, but hostile and dangerous seemed to be the last adjectives to describe this being, peacefully in slumber like a child who had fallen asleep on the couch after they had binge watched their favorite show. X decided to themselves that observing this subject wasn't worth the time at the current moment and went to get lunch.

The lunch room was already bustling with employees, but two stood out, a whitish gray nine speaking in whispers with a red three. They noticed X walk in, and talked amongst themselves for a moment, before shouting "Hey!" X looked around and then pointed a finger at themselves, as if to ask Who, me? The nine waved them over and started a conversation.

"I'm Nine, and this is Three." Nine gestured to the two of them respectively. "We're the rest of the care team for the first six subjects. Pleased to meet ya." They held out a hand, which X accepted cheerfully.

"It's nice to meet people who are actually within the care team. I'm X." The pure cheer in their voice set Nine back. They had only heard that sweet of a voice come from children, and not an adult variable. Nine coughed.