In which Autumn Isobel Smith writes... you guessed it: a story a day.
Okay, so maybe this blog won't actually be every day. I'm sure some of you know the feeling of getting over-excited about a project and then realizing once you've started that you've bitten off more than you can chew. I may have done that here. The reason being that I am an abysmally slow writer, among other things.
That said, I am hard at work writing as many stories as I can for your reading pleasure. Is this just me procrastinating writing my novel? Probably, but content is content. At least writing is happening one way or another.
FLASK
Eva bent over the counter, eyes fixed on the equipment before her as tiny droplets dribbled into the beaker. Her heart thudded against her chest, obscenely loud in the silence of the laboratory past midnight. It was eerie seeing it so dark and empty. Usually, scientists and technicians bustled to and fro, working like hell to finish various projects. Even the lack of light from the fluorescent fixtures above added to the strangeness.
"That's what it is,” she said aloud, then cringed as her voice rang out, too loud. It had been bothering her for some time now, the absence of noise. Buzzing from the light fixtures usually sounded in the background like white noise. But tonight, she was armed only with a flashlight and her notebook. No overhead lights. Someone might see.
She had already slipped past nighttime security. The guard on duty was lazy, and she had chosen tonight in particular because she knew he was working. Even if he had seen her, she could probably bribe or blackmail her way through if she had to. She knew things. A lot more than people thought, too.
Everyone at the lab knew her as “Eva the Intern,” but they had no idea who she truly was, or what she was capable of when given the chance. She’d show them. She’d show everyone.
She watched the liquid slowly fill the beaker, checking the analogue watch on her wrist impatiently. She had thought of everything. There was almost no chance of being caught. Still, it was better to hurry. The liquid in the beaker crept towards the line she had marked on the side. She only needed a little. That’s all it would take.
Eva closed her eyes for a moment, thinking back to how she got this far. It had been a constant struggle to even make it to this lab. All throughout grad school, she kept her nose to the grindstone, studying day in, day out. Her grades were perfect. Attendance too. Her letter to the company was professional, yet heartfelt. After a rigorous round of interviews, she was chosen. It was highly competitive, but she got it. Her whole life’s purpose sat on the counter, trickling into the beaker.
At last, it was full enough. She pulled a tiny flask from her lab coat and carefully emptied the contents of the beaker into it before returning it to her inner pocket. That was it. She was through. Palms sweaty, heart thundering, she hastily cleaned the counter. The only obstacle in her way now was escaping without being seen. Eva crept from the lab and removed the tape she had placed over the door latch, letting it lock behind her. Not that it mattered. This time tomorrow, the world would be a different place.
The empty hallways stretched before her. Only the emergency exit signs showed. She hurried down several flights of stairs. She didn’t dare take the elevator. Too much noise. There was an exit in the administrative wing that she could sneak out, so she made her way there. It was a fire exit, but she had taken care of that already, using the same tape trick she had on the door in the lab.
She shook her head, smiling to herself as she left the building. The company had no idea what they had. None. She had only been there for a year, but the project was ready. She was certain. Animal testing trials were all succesful. All that was left were the human trials, but Eva wasn’t worried. She would take care of that stage herself.
As she rounded the bend that would take her away from the building, a loud voice spoke. “Stop!”
Eva froze.
“Eva Jacobi, put your hands up slowly. We have you surrounded.” She should have expected this. A man stepped out from the shadows, pointing a gun at her chest. “Get on the ground, hands behind your head.”
She glanced behind her. There was no one there. This guy was full of it, but Eva eyed the gun. That was very real. Still, she was not about to give up now. Adrenaline spiked through her body and she leapt sideways, breaking into a full sprint.
“After her!” the man cried, and several people in bulletproof armor took off running.
Eva was already gasping for breath. The company’s headquarters were in the old mill buildings in the city. She headed for downtown. People would still be out and about, even at this time. It was just after midnight on a Saturday night. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.
She skidded around a corner, her pursuers only a few yards behind. She would have to be quick. The bright signs of Elm Street loomed before her. She just had to make it there. A boisterous crowd of young twenty-somethings passed in front of her, laughing and joking around without a care in the world. This was good enough.
“No!” shouted the man with the gun as Eva plunged a hand into her pocket, uncapping the flask. “Stop her!”
But he was too late. She put the flask to her lips and swallowed the contents. The liquid was so bitter, she almost spat it out, but forced herself to swallow. She stood with her arms outstretched, looking skyward. She had done it.
“Quarantine the area!” the man yelled. “Every person here must not leave!”
Eva grinned. They couldn’t stop it. Not now. The disease was highly contagious and more deadly than smallpox, malaria, and ebola combined. Never before had there been a sickness that latched on so quickly, within seconds of contact. She knew she would be dead within hours, but that no longer mattered. This new disease would eradicate humanity within weeks. She had saved the world.
You got me with the ending on this one. I thought she might be creating a cure for cancer, not this!