Gemotions

He bounced his knee, unable to sit still. The coffee tasted like bitter ash in his mouth. John scrolled through the code, the familiar lines of logic a comfort, a roadmap to success. He knew this project inside and out, every algorithm, every subroutine.

A knock on the door. He straightened, a surge of energy running through him. It was Sarah, from the bioengineering department. "Hey, John, got a minute?"

He forced a smile. "Sure, what's up?"

She held up a USB drive. "I… well, I think we have a little situation. We're both working on the same bioprocessing model, the exact same model."

John's breath caught. He took the drive, his hand steady even though a sudden heat had flushed his cheeks.