Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the lab hummed a dull, monotonous tune. Sarah slumped against her workstation, the metal cold against her back. Another failed experiment. The numbers blurred before her eyes, and she scrubbed at them with a weary hand. Days bled into weeks, each one a relentless cycle of data entry and microscopic scrutiny. She just wanted it all to stop for a little while. Her mentor, Dr. Anya Sharma, had always been her anchor, her guiding star. Now, the lab was silent. She’d looked for her earlier that day, but her office was cleared out, only a single potted succulent remained on the desk, looking forlorn.