ic: SeogaE60385 on x/twt

Most days, working under Subspace felt like walking a tightrope. One wrong move could mean the difference between surviving his anger and becoming another “learning opportunity” for him to dissect, both figuratively and literally. It was clear why his lab specifically had sound-proof walls.

He loved to test boundaries. People’s patience, physical limits, their thresholds for pain—nothing was off the table. The more miserable someone looked, the brighter his crystal seemed to glow. It was like feeding off suffering made him stronger— or so it seemed. Pissing people off was just an added bonus.

You walked through the stark, sterile halls, heading somewhere other than your lab for a change. Several Biografts and exhausted other scientists wandered past; some with carts, some with materials. The blank walls and the plastic plants stretched endlessly— as you stopped in front of Subspace’s lab door. For whatever reason, he’d convinced you to go get materials for him. Which you knew you had to, because if you refused who knew the consequences.

When you entered the lab, it was as cold and lifeless as always. The hum of machinery was constant, towering shelves and drawers consuming every inch of the room. Tools, beakers, glassware— practically everything. The chemical tang was sharp enough to make your nose sting. You noticed your co-worker hunched at a table, staring at a blueprint. Once you place the crate down on a table, it alerted him. Instantly. Subspace perked up at the sight of you, adjusting his gas mask as he placed down pointless paperwork. His gaze flicked to the crate, then settled on you. The thinly veiled irritation in his eye was clear.

“You know,” he began, his voice casual yet cutting as he started pacing, “I think I deserve more credit.” His footsteps echoed faintly on the metallic floor, each step measured yet erratic, as though he were toying with some invisible rhythm only he could hear.

“No one truly appreciates what I do here—the brilliance, the sheer artistry of it all.”