PROJECT 0.7

The plane landed with a heavy jolt, rattling the recruits in their seats. The cabin had been silent for hours, tension thick in the air. the seven youngsters sat in uneasy stillness, each lost in their thoughts. None of them had spoken much since their journey began. Some had accepted their fate, while others still wrestled with the unknown.

Ade, the youngest among them, swallowed hard as he stared out the window. The landscape outside was unfamiliar—dark, barren, and lifeless. No city lights, no signs of civilization, just an eerie emptiness stretching out into the night.

The door hissed open, and an icy gust of air swept in, sending shivers down their spines. A group of armed guards waited outside, dressed in sleek black uniforms, their expressions unreadable. Their presence alone made it clear that escape was not an option.

"Move," one of them barked.

No one dared hesitate.

As they stepped onto the tarmac, a woman in a pristine white lab coat approached. Her features were sharp, eyes calculating. she had the demeanor of someone accustomed to control, someone who saw people not as individuals, but as test subjects.

"Welcome," she said smoothly. "From this moment on, you are no longer who you once were. You are part of something greater."

Her eyes scanned over each of them, lingering slightly on Ade before she turned on her heel. "Follow me."

The recruits exchanged glances but obeyed.

---

The hallway was long and sterile, illuminated by buzzing fluorescent lights. White walls, white floors, white ceilings—everything felt cold and artificial. The only sounds were the rhythmic clicking of boots against the polished floor and the distant hum of machinery behind closed doors.

Ade kept his head low, his stomach twisting.

"This doesn't look like a training camp," Ryan murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Feels more like a prison," Omar muttered in response.

Jabari ran a hand through his short hair, his muscles tense. "I don't like this place."

"You like anywhere?" Darren scoffed, trying to mask his unease with humor.

"I liked the plane. At least it felt normal."

The group passed a large reinforced door with no visible handles or windows. Behind it, something mechanical hummed ominously. None of them wanted to know what was inside.

At the end of the hallway, their guide stopped and turned toward them. "This will be your home for the foreseeable future." He pressed a code into the panel beside a massive steel door. With a hiss, it slid open.

Inside was a large room, divided into seven sections, each with a single bed, a small locker, and nothing else. It was a military-style dorm—minimalist and impersonal.

"You will remain here until further notice," the woman continued. "Food will be provided at scheduled intervals. Do not attempt to leave unless instructed."

Then, without another word, she stepped out, and the door slammed shut behind her. A metallic click echoed through the room—the unmistakable sound of a heavy lock engaging.

Ryan exhaled sharply. "Well. That's not a good sign."

---

For several minutes, no one spoke. They sat on their beds, letting the weight of reality settle in. The uncertainty was suffocating.

Darren finally broke the silence. "So… since we're stuck here, we might as well get to know each other."

No one responded at first. Then Ryan sighed and leaned forward. "Fine. I'll go first. Name's Ryan. From Canada. Used to fight for cash."

Darren nodded. "Darren. Detroit. Same deal. Thought boxing would get me out of trouble, but trouble always finds a way."

Jabari smirked. "Jabari. South Africa. Not much to tell. Let's just say money makes people do stupid things, and I needed a lot of it."

Omar rolled his shoulders. "Omar. Egypt. Survived by taking what I needed."

Arjun glanced around before speaking. "Mumbai. Grew up with nothing, so I took the chance to get something."

They turned to Ade. He hesitated before saying, "Ade. Nigeria." He didn't elaborate.

Then their eyes shifted to Hinata, the only female among them. She sat on her bed, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the floor.

Darren nudged her foot lightly. "What about you?"

She didn't move. "Not interested."

The room went silent again.

Ryan shrugged. "Alright. Mystery girl, then."

Hinata still didn't react.

---

Doubt and Regret

That night, none of them slept well.

Ade lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The reality of his decision was sinking in. Back home, he had thought this would be a fresh start—an escape from poverty, from struggle. But now, trapped in this cold, lifeless place, he wondered if he had made a terrible mistake.

On the other side of the room, Jabari sat on the edge of his bed, hands clasped together. Darren, usually the loud one, lay in silence.

Arjun's quiet voice finally broke the darkness. "Do you think they lied to us?"

"Of course they lied," Ryan muttered. "We're not here to train. This isn't about making us soldiers."

Ade swallowed hard. He had known, deep down, that this was more than just a training program. But he hadn't wanted to admit it.

No one spoke after that.

Sleep didn't come easily.

---

The First Morning

When the heavy door slid open the next morning, none of them had expected it.

A pair of guards entered, dropping trays of food onto the table in the center of the room. The meals were plain—rice, boiled chicken, and water. Not terrible, but not comforting either.

"Eat quickly," one of the guards ordered.

As they ate, a new figure entered—a woman in a black uniform. Unlike the guards, her presence was… different. Calculated. Dangerous.

"My name is Dr. Lancaster," she announced, her piercing gaze scanning each of them. "You have been selected for a project that will push human evolution beyond its limits."

A chill ran through Ade's spine.

"You will undergo a series of treatments to enhance your abilities," she continued. "Physical, mental, genetic. You will become something greater than yourselves."

Jabari clenched his jaw. "And if we refuse?"

Dr. Lancaster's expression didn't change. "Refusal is not an option."

The weight of her words settled in. None of them had truly understood what they had signed up for—until now.

Ade's stomach twisted. He had willingly walked into something he couldn't escape.

Dr. Lancaster stepped toward the door. "You will begin your first evaluations tomorrow. Rest while you can."

And with that, she left.

The door locked behind her.

Silence filled the room once more.

And for the first time, they all realized they were no longer in control of their own lives.