A year ago, within the Turner household. Dr. Emily Turner, the brilliant geneticist who was on the verge of a groundbreaking research opportunity, stood in the kitchen in her home, the aroma of fresh coffee mingling with the bittersweet fragrance of impending separation.
She had made up her mind that if she was to finish up her research, then he needed to go to a place with a better research facility. This decision had come with the condition that she might have to leave her family behind for at least a year. It had taken a year and half for the facility to approve her proposal and financial grant needed to continue her work.
Her husband, James had moved around the room that morning with a sense of quiet purpose, his eyes betraying the heaviness of the moment. Their four-year-old son, Ethan, oblivious to the weight of impending farewells, played with his toy cars on the living room floor, blissfully unaware that his world was about to shift.
Emily, was wearing her crisp white lab coat, which to her symbolized the world of scientific possibilities awaiting her. She stole glances at her husband, whose gaze held a reservoir of unspoken sentiments. That morning as she moved to the bedroom, her heart was heavy.
Her suitcase lay open on the bed, waiting to be filled with the essentials for a journey that would span not just miles but the intricate contours of their familial bond. Emily carefully folded her clothes, her movements deliberate yet tinged with a subtle urgency. She stole a glance at the family photos adorning the dresser – snapshots frozen in time, capturing smiles and shared adventures.
As Emily packed, James sat on the bed, his fingers tracing the edge of a photograph featuring the three of them at the beach, the sun setting behind them in a burst of warm hues.
"Are you sure about this, Em?" James had asked, his voice a whisper that barely grazed the air.
Emily nodded, her eyes reflecting the depth of her conviction. "It's an opportunity, James. One that could redefine everything for us."
James held Emily's hand, fingers entwined in a silent pact. "This opportunity is monumental," she said, her gaze searching his eyes for understanding. James who knew how much her work meant to her, nodded, a mixture of pride and sorrow etched on his face. In the quiet exchange of glances, love spoke volumes.
Ethan, her four year old son had toddled into the room with a toy airplane in hand. "Mommy, can you fly like this?" he asked, innocence radiating from his wide eyes. The drive to the airport had a similar atmosphere to what was experienced at home.
As the hour for departure loomed, Emily stood at the airport terminal. James hugged her warmly. He had been trying to be positive ever since Emily had made up her mind to continue her research abroad at a better facility.
"I'll be back before you know it," Emily had whispered, her hand resting on his cheek.
James had nodded, "We'll be here waiting"
1.When Emily recovered from the shock waves that had rippled through her body, she tried to speak. She was sprawled on the floor of the lab from the bolt of electricity that had been run through her system.Making an effort to catch her breath, she said, "What..what do you want from me?" The assassin who was now watching her with a deadly intent was fixing some kind of mechanical device. Slowly coupling the instrument into place. She could only wonder what it would be used for.She looked at him again, she could tell that the device was taking longer than it should have from the slight frustration that showed in his face. In a moment, his eyes had drifted from her for an instant. Emily used the split second to glance at the emergency button that was positioned beneath the counter top on the second row of laboratory tables. She wondered if she could reach it if she ran. The assassin was murmuring something under his breath. It sounded like the lords prayer to her, but she was not cer
Dr. Harris was looking puzzled as he discussed with the guard who had contacted him about forty minuted ago."Wait, you haven't seen him? He went in about forty minutes ago"Dr. Harris was becoming irritated, "I haven't seen anyone Philip". "A moment please", the guard said. He began barking orders into the device in his hands."Maybe he got lost somewhere, I've asked officer Hernandez to locate him, just be patient Dr.", the guard smiled. This Godforsaken complex that was built like a maze he wondered, even the architect who drew this design was bound to get lost.The device on the guard's belt buzzed and he lifted it calmly."Any news?""Negative sir. Err should we search the security feed?", the officer on the other line inquired. Officer Philip was reluctant to blow a case of a missing scientist out of proportion. He responded, "I don't think that will be necessary yet". Then an idea popped into his head. He walked to place Dr. Harris had moved to. He was talking with another sci
The resulting pandemonium that followed, happened rapidly. Officer Philip ordered all exit shut down and placed the complex on red alert. My God, I hope this man is truly the person he claims to be, but even he knew he was lying to himself. Two officers who had just finished their shifts and was about to depart the complex caught his eyes."State of emergency boys", officer Philip called out as he hurried towards them. The two men looked puzzled."What you saying cap?"Officer Philip repeated himself, this time with a sense of urgency, "There's been a development boys, I need all hands on deck. A rouge has somehow found his way into the complex. I need all the hands I can get". The two men didn't seem too pleased to be giving up their sleep time. Philip did not care less."Dammit", he muttered and reached for his intercom. He had forgotten to ask officer Hernandez to begin checking the security feed. He blurted out a series of rapid instructions. "Yes cap", The person on the other
Dr. Alexis Monroe's lab was an intricate dance of stainless steel and humming machinery, a testament to the boundaries she pushed in the realm of genetic engineering. Under the sterile glow of overhead lights, Alexis meticulously worked on her latest creation – a crocodile-snake hybrid, its sleek scales blending seamlessly with the crocodilian armor. From beneath the razor sharp teeth, the two forked reptilian tongue of a snake curled in and out in a hissing fashion.The creature, nestled in a secure enclosure, moving with a sinuous grace that defied the traditional boundaries of the animal kingdom.Her colleague, Dr. Mark Thompson, a fellow genetic engineer, observed the captivating blend between biology and technology from across the lab. Mark's eyes sparkled with a mixture of admiration and curiosity as Alexis adjusted the parameters on a control panel, fine-tuning the genetic composition of the hybrid."Alexis, this is incredible. The intricacy of the genetic splicing is beyond an
Monte Pizzaro sat on his hotel bed, his eyes glued to the television. He had been praying since he had returned, and now after taking a bath, probably to wash away any stench which he had picked up in the hunt, he sat now waited for the hour news.Surely something of this magnitude could not be swept under the carpet. He turned to the bed side table and lifted out one of the vials carefully, examining its contents.This was what Emily Turner had died for. Science was a gift given to mankind by God, but man had began to misuse such gifts. From guns, to bombs and now this. Fifteen years ago, as Monte could recall his wife and kids had been killed in a bio-terror attack. The attacker, a young scientist had carried in his bag, a modified strain of the Ebola virus; a much more deadlier strain.Apparently, this stupid researcher had thought it wise to move a level four risk virus without adequate protection. There was a leak and every human who was exposed to the deadly virus had died gruso
Officer Philip was looking dejected. In one night, he has made two very costly mistakes. Not one, but two! In the world of security, it was completely unacceptable. How on earth did a seasoned officer like him allow a man pass through him twice in one night.The only redeeming feature about this night was the fact that he had discovered the body of the scientist trapped in her own experimental tank. Whether the strange man was responsible for this, Philip could not tell, although he suspected that the man might be involved somehow.Oh Lord, may she survive, prayed silently. It was very clear that his job depended on that outcome. The police department had swooped in as soon as news of the incidence had gotten out and the chief himself had rushed down to the facility. This was a very high profile mess. A journalist was now walking towards him."Oh, well, can this night not get any worse", he thought within himself. Anything but the pressure of the press was what he needed right now."A
Earlier that morning, as Rev. Father Marco, who was adorned in immaculate vestments, stood in the confessional booth, which was a sanctum of whispered confessions and hushed absolutions, his mind was heavy.The morning sun filtered through the stained-glass windows of the church, casting kaleidoscopic patterns on the wooden pew. Father Marco felt the weight of a secret gnawing at the sanctity of his thoughts."Is this the will of God?", he thought.The morning mass had just been concluded and Father Marco sat in the confessional, the worn wood beneath him a familiar comfort amidst the turmoil churning within. As he waited, the soft rustle of footsteps approached, and a parishioner entered the adjoining booth, their silhouette obscured by the wooden screen that separated penitent from confessor.The voice that emerged from the other side was tentative, and just beyond a whisper that carried the weight of unspoken sins. "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," the parishioner began, their
Emily Turner's frantic gasps echoed in the tank, her pulse racing in tandem with the alarming thrum of the needlefish tank's filters. She'd been inadvertently locked in, left isolated among the piscine inhabitants that soon turned aggressors."These fishes are naturally peaceful", she thought as she struggled. "This aggressive behavior have been induced". The Indonesian needlefish, now looking sleek and menacing, darted around her, their silvery bodies catching the glint of the lab's artificial lights.Emily's panicked screams reverberated, but her calls for help remained unheard, swallowed by the sterile walls of the sealed tank in the laboratory.Minutes stretched endlessly, each passing second etching terror deeper into her being. She fought to fend off the relentless assault of needle-like snouts, the piercing bites scoring her skin as she struggled against the relentless onslaught. With every lash of their razor-sharp beaks, pain exploded in waves through her body."God please sa