Alex floated in the gel-like liquid, submerged fully. The cold was immediate, but it was not sharp or biting. It simply was. A neutral chill that clung to his skin, wrapping around him like a second layer. Strangely enough, he didn't feel the urge to breathe.
His lungs weren't expanding, yet he wasn't suffocating. It was as if the liquid itself had oxygen woven into its molecular structure, diffused directly into his bloodstream through the pores of his skin.
It was unnatural. And yet… efficient.
Minutes passed.
A small circular aperture opened near the top of the capsule with a smooth hiss. From it, a mechanical arm—sleek, jointed, and needle-tipped—extended toward his head with inhuman precision. The needle glistened with the same shimmering blue hue as the fluid around him. Then, without hesitation, it drove the needle into the side of his skull—into the temporal region—threading toward the center of his brain.
The injection was immediate.
No pain.
No sound.
