The subject froze mid-stride, its hand hovering inches from Vance's throat. It turned its void-like eyes back to Kaelen.
The heavy vacuum seal of the chamber hissed and gave way. Subject 0.2 stepped out into the open lab. It didn't look around in wonder. It didn't show aggression. It simply stood there, waiting for the next variable to process. Unnatural Instinct [Ongoing] - Version: 0.2
Kaelen realized with a cold dread that Vance was wrong. They hadn't perfected human nature. They had just taught a machine how to wear it. The subject froze mid-stride, its hand hovering inches
"The upgrade was successful," the lead scientist droned from behind a monitor, tapping away at a tablet. "We have successfully overwritten the baseline survival protocols. Fear has been deleted. Hesitation has been minimized to zero." The subject froze mid-stride