Gemotions

The email landed in Maya’s inbox like a poisoned dart. Professor Armitage, her advisor, was departing for a prestigious position at a rival institution. She slammed her laptop shut, the screen flashing the announcement again and again. Her jaw clenched. She needed that letter of recommendation. He owed her, after all the late nights, the rewrites, the emotional labor she’d invested in *his* research.

A tremor ran through her fingers as she picked up the phone. She dialed his office, her voice tight, controlled. “Professor Armitage, I just saw the email. I'm... concerned about the timeline for my defense. And, also, about my potential career prospects."

The next day, she found herself in the university archives. She’d heard whispers of some ethically questionable research conducted by his predecessor, locked away in an obscure section.