Gemotions

The “Research and Development” lab was a sensory overload for David. The metallic tang of ozone, the soft hiss of machinery, the rhythmic pulsing of lights – it was a world away from his old cubicle in accounting. He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly conscious of his rumpled shirt. Everything was so…precise.

He was assigned a locker in a sterile white corridor, the door marked with a stark, black label that read, "Project Chimera." He glanced at it, then quickly away. The lead researcher, Dr. Chen, a woman with intense eyes and a perpetually focused expression, greeted him with a curt nod and a series of complex diagrams. David stammered a response, his mouth suddenly dry. He found himself thinking that this felt like landing on a new planet.