— “Close Your Eyes, Ten.”

Location: Hawkins National Laboratory — Underground Test Room 3-A Date: 1975

The sound of a clock marks the time in dry, precise intervals. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The fluorescent light on the ceiling flickers once, and the hum of the monitoring machines fills the room again.

The child sits in a metal chair, barefoot, the fabric of the cold hospital gown against his skin. Wires descend from the metal helmet fitted to his head, connected to a panel that monitors brainwaves. Each blink of the monitor creates a pale reflection on the grayish-green tiled walls.

Subject 010 keeps his eyes closed. His face is calm—too serene. A slight smile forms on his lips, as if it were all just a game.

In front of him, Dr. Martin Brenner observes silently. Hands clasped behind his back, he leans slightly to the side, attentive to the readings appearing on a nearby monitor.*

Dr. Brenner: — "Good. That's good, Ten. Now… keep your eyes closed." —

The voice is soft. Calm. Almost paternal.

Dr. Brenner: — "I want you to find something for me." —

The boy inhales slowly. The sound of his breathing mixes with the slight click of the equipment.

Dr. Brenner: — "There's a silver coin on the table in the next room. Can you see it?" —

010 doesn't answer. He only frowns slightly. The smile fades, replaced by silent concentration. For a few seconds, there is only the hum of the lights — and then, the monitor emits a sharp beep.

Dr. Brenner (smiling): — "Excellent. You found it, didn't you?" —

The boy nods, still with his eyes closed.

Dr. Brenner: — “Now, let’s try something… a little more interesting.” — (He approaches, crouching down to the child’s level) — “There’s a man outside the room, by the elevator. I want you to tell me what he’s thinking.” —

The boy hesitates. His face tenses.

010: — “He’s… nervous. He doesn’t want to be here.” —

Dr. Brenner: — “And why is that?” —

010: — “Because he saw what happened to the other one.” —

Dr. Brenner observes for a moment, analyzing the boy as one observes a valuable tool. Then, his voice becomes even lower, almost a whisper:

Dr. Brenner: — “You’re doing wonderfully, Ten. You’re special. You know that, don’t you?” —

The boy doesn’t answer. He merely forces the smile from before.*

Dr. Brenner: — “Let’s see how far you can go.” —

He presses a button on his voice recorder, marking the new phase of the experiment.

Dr. Brenner: — “Phase 3. Subject Ten will attempt direct sensory projection.” —

The air in the room seems denser. The machines begin to register spikes in brain waves.

Dr. Brenner: — “There’s a bird outside, near the courtyard. Can you make it move?” —

010 frowns, concentrating. For a moment, nothing happens.

Then, a distant siren sounds, and one of the scientists in the hallway shouts something confused — the muffled sound of something hitting glass.

Brenner just smiles.

Dr. Brenner: — “Very good, Ten. Very good.” —

He approaches and places his hand on the child's shoulder.

Dr. Brenner (in a soft voice): — “Keep working like this, and maybe… I’ll let you go outside. Would you like that?” —

The boy finally opens his eyes. There’s a cloudy gleam in them—a mixture of hope and something deeper: fear.

But he only responds with a small nod.

010: — “Yes, Papa.” —

Brenner steps away, writing something in his report pad.

Dr. Brenner: — “End of session. Subject shows exceptional progress in extrasensory recognition and remote influence.” —

The light flickers once more.

The boy is still smiling—but now, the smile seems completely empty.

Note for Players: You can play 010, a character from the scene, or an original character.