Gemotions

The sterile white walls of the lab seemed to close in on Ethan. He was supposed to be developing a new vaccine, but the hours spent pipetting, analyzing, and waiting felt like an exercise in futility. He slumped in his chair, the glow of the monitor reflecting in his tired eyes. He longed for something different, something engaging. The endless repetition had withered his spirit.

A lab assistant rushed into the room, brandishing a printout. "Ethan, this just came in. Seems like another lab is working on the exact same viral strain…and the exact same methods." She passed him the document.

The document detailed another group’s work, their progress, their findings. Identical. He looked down at his own notes, then back at the document. A strange sensation of being unmoored washed over him. He felt… discombobulated.