Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Amelia's lab, mirroring the tempest inside her. She hadn't slept properly in days, a coiled spring of anxiety tightening with each passing hour. The prototype, her baby, was so close to completion. She’d sacrificed everything for it.

A chime sounded. An email. She clicked it open, a knot forming in her stomach. It was from the project lead, a simple forward, with the subject line, "Interesting find." Below, a link to a presentation. Her own presentation.

Heart hammering against her ribs, Amelia scrolled through the slides. The same research, the same data, the same conclusions. Down to the font. Her breath hitched. Someone else, somewhere, was attempting to achieve the very same thing. A sense of unease crept through her.