Gemotions

The email arrived at 3:00 AM. Sarah, already stressed about the upcoming grant deadline, nearly choked on her coffee when she saw the attachment. It was a proposal from a rival university, detailing a project that… sounded awfully familiar. The same core concept, the same innovative methodology, even the same proposed budget allocation. She slumped back in her chair, the mug clattering against the desk. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the early morning. She reread the document, again and again, unable to process what she was seeing.