Barnaby sold Youri to the Altex Institute. He had promised Youri hell, and he lived up to every word of it.
At the age of thirteen, Youri was handed over to the space institute of Altex like cargo. Barnaby shipped him there aboard one of his own vessels, the same cold efficiency used to move contraband and weapons. When the ship finally docked, the massive structure of Altex loomed ahead—sterile, white, and impossibly tall, rising like a monument to suffering disguised as science.
Waiting at the entrance stood Malden, the head of the institute. He wore a long white doctor's coat that draped neatly over bright brown pants and a light pink shirt. His appearance was carefully curated—clean, professional, and unsettling. He looked to be in his late fifties, with dark hair slowly balding at the crown. His deep brown eyes rested behind wide circular glasses, sharp and observant, and his lips were stretched into a permanent, satisfied smirk.
As Youri stepped off the ship, Malden examined him from head to toe with open curiosity, as if inspecting a specimen rather than a child. That faint smirk never left his face. He stepped closer and crouched down to meet Youri at eye level.
"Welcome to Altex," said Malden, staring deeply into Youri's eyes.
Youri's expression did not change. He said nothing. Without acknowledging Malden, he simply walked forward.
Malden rose slowly and followed, unfazed. As they moved deeper into the facility, Youri noticed that he was not alone. Three other human test subjects walked nearby, silent and distant, their presence heavy with resignation. The corridors were spotless and white, the air faintly humming with unseen machinery.
Eventually, Malden led them into the chamber rooms.
It was a vast white hall stretching far into the distance, lined on both sides with glass rooms—ten in total. Each chamber was designed to appear calming, almost comforting. The walls were painted a pristine white, uninterrupted by decoration. Inside each room sat only the bare necessities: a single bed, and in the far left corner, a small sink and toilet. The rooms were enclosed by three solid walls, with the front sealed by a thick pane of reinforced glass.
Several of the chambers were already occupied.
To Youri's left sat his nearest neighbor—an old man who looked as though he had long since lost himself. His eyes were dull and lifeless, fixed on the floor. He did not move or speak. He sat motionless on the bed, wearing a light blue uniform that covered his body from chest to knees. His head was completely bald, his posture hollow.
Across from Youri's room was another subject, younger than the first. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, lying flat on the floor with his arms and legs stretched outward. He stared blankly at the ceiling, unblinking. Long black hair spilled around his head, and his beard was thick and unkempt, giving him a wild, abandoned look.
In the chamber beside him stood the final test subject. He looked much younger, perhaps in his mid-twenties. He was crouched tightly in the corner, knees pulled to his chest. As Youri passed, the man slowly lifted his head just long enough to glance at him, then immediately looked away. Like the others, he was completely bald, his skin pale and bare of any hair.
Malden guided Youri to the last empty chamber.
Standing before the thick glass, Malden tapped it twice. With a soft mechanical hum, the door slid open. He turned toward Youri and gestured inward with a calm, inviting motion of his hand.
Youri stepped inside.
The door closed slowly behind him, sealing him within the room. He turned to face the glass, where Malden stood watching him closely.
"Make your self at home," Malden said.
With that, Malden turned and walked away. One by one, the lights lining the chamber hall dimmed, plunging the corridor into a muted glow. The sound of Malden's footsteps faded into silence, leaving Youri alone—trapped behind glass, surrounded by strangers, and swallowed by the quiet cruelty of Altex.
The lights dimmed to a sterile twilight as Malden's footsteps faded down the corridor. The hum of the facility settled in—low, constant, inescapable. Youri stood alone in the center of the room, staring at his reflection in the thick glass. For a moment, he barely recognized the boy looking back at him. Thinner. Dirt still under his nails. Eyes too old for thirteen.
He sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sinking softly beneath his weight. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and recycled air. No windows. No sounds from outside. Only the faint silhouettes of the other chambers reflected in the glass, like ghosts trapped in parallel worlds.
Minutes passed. Or hours. Time lost its meaning quickly in Altex.
A sharp hiss cut through the silence as a thin line of light appeared in the ceiling. A mechanical arm slid out, precise and insect-like, carrying a small metallic tray. It lowered itself through a narrow slot in the wall and stopped beside the bed. On the tray rested a clear injector and a small tablet marked with Terrian script.
Youri didn't move.
From hidden speakers, Malden's voice echoed calmly, almost kindly."Routine stabilizer. Resistance will only prolong the adjustment phase."
Youri clenched his fists. Slowly, he picked up the injector. His hands trembled, but his face remained unreadable. He pressed it against his arm. A sharp sting followed, then warmth spreading through his veins like liquid fire. His breath caught. He dropped the injector as his vision blurred, colors smearing into one another.
Across the glass, the old man in the neighboring chamber twitched for the first time. His fingers curled, nails scraping weakly against the floor. Somewhere farther down the hall, someone screamed—short, raw, and abruptly cut off.
Youri collapsed back onto the bed, chest heaving. Images flooded his mind: Volar's skyline at night, the bench, the alley, Six's smile as he ran, snow falling silently around him. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
When he woke again, the room was brighter.
He sat up slowly, his head pounding. Something felt… wrong. Not pain—absence. A dull emptiness where fear should have been. He swung his legs off the bed and stood, testing himself. His balance was perfect. Too perfect.
Malden appeared beyond the glass, hands clasped behind his back."Remarkable," he said softly. "Subject resilience exceeds projections."
Youri stepped closer to the glass. Their eyes met."What did you do to me?" Youri asked. His voice was steady, flat.
Malden smiled wider."We began correcting inefficiencies."
He tapped a panel. The glass flickered, briefly displaying streams of data—heart rate, neural activity, Terrian symbols scrolling too fast to read.
"You survived the streets," Malden continued. "You survived betrayal. Loss. Fear. Most children break long before that. You, however, adapted. Altex exists to refine such potential."
Youri's jaw tightened."What is this."
Malden laughed quietly, shaking his head." You want meaning. And here—" he gestured to the chamber, to the corridor beyond, to the unseen depths of the institute "—you will be given one."
He turned and walked away, his coat trailing behind him like a shadow.
As the lights dimmed once more, Youri pressed his palm against the glass. On the other side, the young bald man in the adjacent chamber slowly mirrored the motion, his eyes wide with silent terror.
Youri didn't pull his hand away.
Somewhere deep inside him, beneath the numbness and the silence the drugs tried to carve into his mind, a single thought burned, small but unbroken.