Into This World

Dr. Brannigan's knuckles were white as his fingers gripped the side of one of the various computer desks in the observation room. It was dark, the only light coming from various flashing, beeping buttons, buzzing computer screens, and a single ray of light shining in the chamber.

Inside this chamber was a tall, wide machine. Steel, cold, and dark, built to sustain and support the living thing within it.

"April." Brannigan called, his voice strained with anticipation. "Finally, our dreams have come true. After seventeen years of keeping watch, subject a21 is finally stable enough to survive without her machines." He smirked, the computer screens shining off his glasses. He felt proud, triumphant, powerful. He created a creature that would change everything.

April nodded and leaned over to flick on a microphone. "Subject a21 -- 'Annie'. Today is the big day. Are you ready?" As she spoke, her voice rang into the chamber, echoing in the nearly empty room.

From an unseen speaker, an electronically enhanced voice whispered back, the voice hoarse as if speaking for the first time. "Yes."

Brannigan nodded, standing straight, his smile unkind. "Open it." April's stomach flipped inside her body. She was nervous, but excited. She would finally see the child. Her long finger hovered over the grey button for a long moment. Taking a deep breath, she pressed it.

Mechanical whirling and screeching metal against metal sound filled the air of the chamber, resounding through the observation room. Through the middle, the chamber opened, two doors sliding away from one another. Dust and vapor steam eased from the opening, inside hung a girl, strung up on various wires and tubes. Suddenly, the wires pulled away, pulling her flesh before releasing her.

A painful cry rang out and she fell to the floor. Naked, wearing nothing but a metal collar, she shivered at the cool floor. Struggling, her body shook as she tried to stand. Her chest rose and fell in odd intervals, breathing on their own for the first time. Standing to her feet, she wavered slightly. Long dark hair fell over her body, seventeen years of growth. Her head tilted, her hand raising before her face as she watched her fingers curl into a fist and open exposing her palm. Her skin was pale and almost see through, her eyes wide and crimson in colour. A smile played at her lips, her hand falling to her side.

Aprils eyes began to tear at the sight of the child that was as close in her heart as her own daughter. "Annie, how do you feel?" She called through the microphone.

Annie looked up at the voice, then forward toward the two way mirror. Her head low, looking through the very top of her eyes, she began to slowly, unsteadily walk toward it. Stumbling a few times, she managed to walk until the mirror was but three inches from her face. They didn't know, but she could see straight through to each and every one of them. A hand flew and hit the glass with such incredible speed, it cracked the glass at impact.

April jumped back, Brannigan didn't move. He stood just on the other side of the glass as she, his eyebrow raising at the crack left beneath her small, delicate hand.

Taking in a stuttering breath, Annie whispered against the glass, "Which of you is...Brann..i..gan...?" Her head tilted, waiting for a sign.

No one moved, no one spoke. Brannigan took a step closer to the glass and leaned in to take a good look at her. The glass in his glasses suddenly shattered into an uncountable amount of pieces, cutting straight into his eyes. He screamed, holding his bleeding face in his hands.

April gasped and called out orders to get help, but her words stopped in her throat and her eyes went wide as she watched the doctor become lifted up, floating a few feet above ground. His hands grabbed and tore at his throat, his mouth opening and closing with the struggle for air, his face changing colours, his feet kicking in struggle.

Annie smiled.



((You can either choose Assistant April or a character of your own, but looking for someone that cares about her to calm Annie down. Possibly become romantic later on, depending on how the story goes. ))