Experiment X

The Depths of X

The procedure had worked, turning her eyes into a deep, shimmering shade of violet-a color that, in all of humanity's diversity, no one else seemed to possess. The unusual shade made her stand out even more than her autism already did. But the alteration came with a price: her vision had slowly begun to blur, and by the time she turned ten, she needed glasses to see clearly. Now, her eyesight was so poor that she couldn't see more than five centimeters in front of her face without the thick lenses. It was the one thing in her life she hadn't been able to fix-yet.

She was working on it, of course. Somewhere, amid her dozens of other projects, she was devising a way to repair the damage she had inadvertently caused to her vision. But that was a side project, something to be solved in the background while her primary work took precedence. Because Aria Voss wasn't just a geneticist-she was the best. She had been recruited by the most prestigious research facility on Earth for her unparalleled understanding of genetics, particularly in relation to extraterrestrial life.

Her current work was cutting-edge: isolating and studying alien genes, trying to unlock their potential for human advancement. The possibilities were limitless. Curing diseases, extending life, enhancing physical abilities-all of it was within reach, if she could just decipher the codes hidden within the DNA of the alien specimens brought to Earth. And if anyone could do it, it was Aria.

Leaving the locker room, she walked with quiet purpose through the corridors of the facility. The sleek, futuristic design of the place was all sharp angles and metallic surfaces, with glass walls that gave her a view of the vast complex. Below her, she could see the different levels of research labs, each one bustling with activity. Scientists in white coats hurried from one room to another, engaged in their own work. But Aria rarely interacted with them. She preferred to keep to herself, working alone in her private lab where she could focus without the distraction of small talk or human interaction.

It wasn't that she disliked people. It was just... easier this way. Her mind was always several steps ahead of everyone else's, always moving faster than the conversations around her. She found socializing tedious, inefficient. There was work to be done, discoveries to be made. And besides, in her lab, everything was under her control-every experiment meticulously planned, every variable accounted for.

Her lab was located in one of the lower levels of the facility, far from the noise and activity of the upper floors. It was a large, sterile room filled with advanced equipment-gene sequencers, microscopes, bio-chambers, and more. The walls were lined with glass cases, each containing samples from the various alien species that had been brought to Earth for study. Most of the specimens were small-tissue samples, blood vials, fragments of skin or bone. But occasionally, they received whole bodies.

Aria placed her glasses carefully on her nose, adjusting them as she stepped into the lab. The glass doors hissed open with a soft pneumatic sound, sealing behind her as she entered. Here, in this space, she was completely alone-just her and the mysteries of the universe waiting to be unlocked.

She approached one of the workstations, where a holographic display flickered to life at her presence. Dozens of gene sequences floated in the air in front of her, twisting and turning in complex patterns. Her current task was to isolate a particular gene from one of the newer alien species that had arrived-a species whose biology held remarkable regenerative properties. If she could understand how their cells repaired themselves, it could revolutionize medicine on Earth. The potential was staggering.

Aria moved with the precision of a surgeon, her fingers manipulating the holographic controls with practiced ease. The sequences shifted and realigned under her touch, and she quickly identified the section of DNA she was looking for. Her mind worked faster than her hands, already running calculations and theories as she examined the data in front of her.