Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the lab seemed to amplify the drumming of Amelia's heart. She stared at the screen, the code she'd poured months into staring back, mocking her. A bead of sweat traced a cold path down her temple. She'd been so sure, so convinced she was on the verge of a breakthrough. The email from Dr. Chen, summoning her to his office, had shattered that certainty.

She chewed her lip, the taste of metal filling her mouth. The door handle felt impossibly heavy in her hand. Taking a shaky breath, she pushed it open. Dr. Chen gestured towards the projection screen. The familiar lines of code, her code, blazed there. And beside it, another, almost identical.

"Have a seat, Amelia," Dr. Chen said, his voice unusually devoid of warmth. Amelia managed a nod, her knees threatening to buckle as she sank into the offered chair. She couldn't feel her legs.