Gemotions

The workshop was a hurricane of activity. Elias, humming a forgotten tune, spun on his heel, snatching a wrench from the cluttered workbench. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he barely registered it. His heart hammered a rapid tattoo against his ribs, a frantic rhythm accompanying the clatter of tools. He’d poured over the blueprints, redesigned the core component, and now, finally, the prototype was almost complete. It felt…right. He'd poured his heart into this, and it was almost within reach.

He’d almost finished the final soldering when a sickening thud of reality landed. He’d never even thought to check patents. He slumped, shoulders now heavy and the sudden drop in his gut was a physical punch.