Gemotions

Sarah stared at the screen, her jaw slack. The algorithm. The one that could predict stock market fluctuations with near-perfect accuracy. The thing she had been working on around the clock for the last six months. She knew it, she understood it, she had created it… or so she thought.

A cold wave washed over her, chilling her despite the warm room. There it was, displayed in all its glory: a patent, filed three years prior, identical in concept, down to the variable names. It felt like she had been punched in the gut.

She spun away from the computer, bumping into her chair. Her vision swam. Then, a smile slowly spread across her face. A genuine, astonished smile. She started to giggle uncontrollably, a high-pitched, almost manic sound. The audacity! The sheer, improbable coincidence! This couldn’t be real.