The Architect, lost in thought again, finally broke the silence:
"Listen. You're torn between clinging to that world or starting anew. Enough dawdling—" Her monotone voice sharpened. "—Choose, *pet*. I'm not eternal. My power ebbs and flows. Fine. If you insist... I'll grant you a glimpse. A preview of your death. Consider it a... courtesy."
She slid her glasses down her nose, eyes gleaming coldly.
"To be clear, I owe you nothing. But my... *associate* found your desperation amusing. And you, as my little project, might entertain me further."
"I want to know *everything*," I snapped.
"Why call me a 'pet'? What do you mean by 'showing my death'? Can you reverse it?"
The Architect said nothing. Instead, she plunged me into a memory bubble.
---
**...What Happened...**
The quantum liquid had seeped into my body. I'd fled the lab, humiliated, but...
After stumbling home and bandaging the cuts, I felt... nothing. No pain. No dizziness. *Time to act*. I remembered the portable lab kit my mentor gave me years ago. *This liquid—I need to analyze it*.
"Roosevelt... What's happened to you?" I muttered. Ever since the director took that cursed student under his wing, my mentor had grown distant. Secretive. "If I'd just scored two points higher on the entrance exam, I'd be working with you now..."
After days of experiments, I reached a chilling conclusion.
---
**Quantum Liquid: Experimental Findings & Hypothetical Biological Impact**
**1. Core Properties**
A quantum liquid—a state of matter exhibiting macroscopic quantum phenomena like superfluidity (zero viscosity) and coherence. Think: ultra-cold helium, but far stranger. Key traits:
- **Superfluidity**: Flows without friction, infiltrating nanopores.
- **Anomalous Thermal Conductivity**: Transfers heat instantaneously, even against gradients.
- **Quantum Vortices**: Spinning structures triggered by disturbances.
**2. Material Interactions**
- **Metals/Polymers**: Induces superconductivity or disrupts atomic lattices.
*Example*: Penetrates carbon nanotubes, warping their tensile strength.
- **External Stimuli**:
- **Heat**: Loses superfluidity but may "replicate" via quantum tunneling, hijacking nearby atoms.
- **Magnetic Fields**: Aligns into vortex lattices, altering composite materials.
**3. Biological Impact**
- **Conflict with Bodily Fluids**: Zero viscosity disrupts blood flow, causing vascular turbulence.
- **Cellular Vortices**: Shred membranes, destabilize ion channels → apoptosis (cell death).
- **Self-Replication**:
Siphons bodily energy to multiply, tearing tissues or mimicking toxins.
**Conclusion**: The liquid is consuming me. Estimated survival: 7 days.
---
***Bang. Bang.***
Someone was hammering at the front door. *This isn't good*. Especially since I'm alone...