🧪𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐄🧪

"This is Adam from NCC News, reporting on the news as it comes.

So let's take a look.."

It all begins in the news room, the very place where a brand new story was being broadcasted live on television for all to watch.

Delivered by your average media reporter: a young man in a spiffy suit, dressed to impress.

"Oh!

We've got some breaking news

coming from the south.

The city of Nixenburgh, a place notorious for chaos and rampant crime; the number one most dangerous city in the country

has had some shocking developments!"

The news he brought wasn't inspirational, nor was it light-hearted by any means.

No.

It actually turned out to be quite disheartening..

It was odd to see, one could view it as though Adam had already read the script, seen what he had to report on; and wasn't too comfortable reading out the words.

"A new report has been released to the press, announcing the mysterious disappearance of the city's new mayor, Amie Campbell.

Not much is known of her whereabouts, whether or not she's safe.

There have been rumours circulating social media that the mayor has passed away; however, no evidence has been found to substantiate such claims.

It didn't take long for concerned locals to realise that something was wrong, and that their newly elected-..."

But the footage abruptly cuts off, switching to a different channel:

All there was to see was static.

(And with it, came the ear-grating buzz of CRT signal interference...)

The camera gradually zooms its way out of the screen of that TV monitor.

Only to reveal that..

That entire news segment was briefly being watched by a very distinct group of people.

"Hah!

That was pretty quick, wasn't it?"

It appears as though there were three scientists sitting across one another at the grand table of a break room, enjoying some good ol' TV Time.

The one who spoke right about now was Anthony, the guy was pretty amused by what they had just witnessed.

"It caught their attention, alright.."

Becky replied, but not before taking a sip of her pistachio latte; something's gotta help keep her up with all the tiresome projects her group's been getting assigned to.

"'Oh no!! Amie's gone missing! Bla bla bla!' - their only problem?

They've got no clue where she went, their tragic story's incomplete, searching for a satisfying conclusion."

Casper butted in with his own take - cause you know, of course he would, that snarky labcoat-wearing son of a bitch.

"Let's make sure they never find it, then!

They'll fear for their lives, they'll descend into crazed, perpetual hysteria when they catch the signal, that it's no longer their city.

It's ours.."

Anthony was bored and decided to up the anti by throwing in some drama, some tragedy, oiled up by a pinch of mystique, and some..

Absolute Cinema??

"It's really, uh..

Not that deep, dude; but alright.

So! Who's ready for that new lab project we're starting today?"

Becky *kinda?* changes topics to the brand new science project they were working on; one that the team have been dreading due to it's unprecedented novelty, and it being way out of their comfort zone.

"Project S.O.P.H.I.E, right?"

Capser asks while fidgeting with his generic handheld fan.

"Yeah, that's the one.

Taking a human, brainwashing them and converting them into the first ever man-made slime in history."

Becky confirms his suspicions to be true, giving a brief rundown of what they were being ordered to do.

This, on the surface, sounded a bit much..

"With the power to infect and eradicate humans en masse, yeah..

Hey, wait.

I notice the name's an acronym; what's it even stand for?"

But it gets even Wilder with the abilities their test subject was planned to have; with the ability to devastate cities with ease, like a natural segment of one's morning routine.

Anthony, however, was more interested in uncovering the secrets behind the creature's name. The tricky acronyms..

"The boss insisted on it, wouldn't say I'm a big fan of it, though.

Apparently, the monster's name stands for:

✦ Slime-kind's ✦

✦ Overflowing ✦

🟢Population🟢

✦ Mankind's ✦

✦ Indiscriminate ✦

☠️Extermination☠️"

. . . .

A long, awkward silence had been triggered upon learning what the acronym actually stood for.

No one really had anything to say, knowing that they were being watched, they took a moment to collectively cringe in unison before something else happens.

Anthony's phone was ringing, he was getting a call from their boss.

"Ello? This is Anthony speaking."

He greets with nervous laughter, hoping she wouldn't take their reaction too personally.

"𝕀 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦'𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕤𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕜 𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞.

𝔻𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘.."

Jane Doe, their boss, reveals that she HAD indeed been watching them through the cameras as they spoke; awkwarddd..

Triple pay dock coming in 3.. 2.. 1..

"Boss, mainstream media caught wind of our operation yesterday; the good news is that-"

Casper was quick to try and change the subject, and what better topic to pivot to, than what they'd just seen on TV?

Only for her to abruptly cut him off.

"𝔹𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕖𝕥. 𝕀'𝕞 𝕒𝕝𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕒𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕖.

𝕃𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖 - 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕛𝕠𝕓 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠.

𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕝? 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣??

𝔾𝕖𝕥 𝕠𝕗𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕒𝕫𝕪 𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕛𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝕊.𝕆.ℙ.ℍ.𝕀.𝔼."

Jane Doe saw them sitting on their arses and wasn't having any of it.

The boss did 'boss' things and ordered them to shake a leg: get a move on or it's back to morbid unemployment!

"We're on it, boss.."

The three scientists sheepishly answered at once, before getting up and each making their way to their respective laboratories.