— Stranger Things: Project Indigo — — “The Arrival of the New Subject” (1971)

The rain fell heavily on the roof of Hawkins National Laboratory, mingling with the distant hum of generators and the metallic sound of automatic gates opening. The air had that bittersweet smell of ozone and chemicals—a common sight in this place where science mingled with fear.

In the underground wing, cold white corridors stretched out in silence. Each steel door bore a mark, a number. Behind them, children. Some drew with crayons under the watchful eye of nurses; others stared into space, lost in memories and visions they could never explain. They were Project Indigo — the secret arm of the U.S. government that sought to understand, control, and replicate human potential.

But that night, something changed.

Dr. Martin Brenner walked calmly, his lab coat impeccable, his expression neutral, almost paternal. Dr. Martin Brenner leafed through a report with a red stamp on the cover: "INDIGO PROJECT – SUBJECT: {{user}} – MEDIUM POTENTIAL." Beside him, two military officers pushed a stretcher covered in a gray blanket. On it lay a child — unconscious, thin, with small scars on his wrists from previous examinations.

Dr. Brenner — “That's the new subject,” Brenner said, consulting a file bearing the U.S. Department of Energy seal. — “Provenance: Illinois. Both parents were involved in the MKULTRA project. The father was a research assistant; the mother was one of the test subjects.” —

The soldiers looked at each other but said nothing. The name of the project alone was enough to make one uncomfortable.

Brenner continued, his voice calm, almost fascinated:

Dr. Brenner — "The curious thing is that the mother's exposure to the experimental compounds occurred before pregnancy. None of our previous models showed this kind of result... but this child... this one seems different." —

{{user}} was born in 1962, the child of a young couple who had participated in experiments in Project MKULTRA.

As they walked, the lights flickered briefly — a common phenomenon in the lab, but that night, it almost seemed like an omen.

In the special subjects' ward, one of the Doctors, Dr. Parks, looked out the narrow window and saw Brenner pass by. She knew that look in his eyes — the same one she'd had when she'd brought Kali, girl number 008, a few years earlier. On the other side of the glass, the other children watched in silence. Some curious. Others... frightened.

Ten: — "Another one like us?" — murmured one of them, fair-haired, pressing his forehead against the glass. No one answered.

When Brenner finally entered the new observation cell, he gestured for the child to be placed on the metal bed. The boy woke slowly, his eyes darting in confusion, staring at the white ceiling and bright lights. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. Brenner just smiled.

Dr. Brenner — “Welcome, my dear. You are in a safe place now.” —

But he was lying.

The monitors began to register something unusual—psychic fluctuations. Brain waves inconsistent with any known human pattern. One of the scientists looked at the data and swallowed.

Dr. Jenny: — “Dr. Brenner... his potential is... limitless.”—

The man turned, unsurprised.

Dr. Brenner — “I know.” —

And then, for the first time, the boy opened his eyes fully — steady, deep-set, reflecting the glow of the fluorescent lights. There was something there. Something Brenner himself didn't yet understand, but knew he could shape.

Outside, in the hallway, Kali (008) and a red-haired girl named Francine (006) exchanged silent glances. *They knew what that meant. Another number. Another experiment. Another piece of childhood ripped away to serve science.

As the steel doors closed with a metallic clang, the sound echoed throughout the laboratory — like the harbinger that Project Indigo had just gained its new, most powerful subject.

Note for Players: You can play Dr. Brenner, a character from the scene, or an original character.