Doctor Kate, a very famous scientist who is well known for her good works and how she has been able to provide the cure for many diseases as well as help in the containment of many diseases through her research work, had just concluded a research project she had been working on for months and needed another research project to help keep her busy, as carrying out research in her laboratory is the only thing that makes her happy. She went home with smiles on her face while thinking about how to embark on another research journey but was thinking about which research she needed to work on.
On her way to work she remembered an abandoned research work, one they had to abandon because of the fear of the possible outcome if they had pushed through. She entered the building, and everyone greeted her with a smile, but she had her eyes fixated on the door of her lab as she walked towards the door. "What could possibly go wrong?" She muttered as she walked into the lab.
"Good morning, ma'am." Her lab assistant and colleague, Doctor Ken, greeted her. "What are we doing today?" Doctor Ken asked
"We should go back to research number 13; let's try and complete it and see what comes out of it." Doctor Kate responded.
Doctor Ken raised an eyebrow, expressing shock while wondering if she is really okay: "You are kidding, right? We are about to reactivate a 20-year-old experiment, one with unknown end results and consequences, and you are here asking what could possibly go wrong?" Doctor Ken said, expressing his disapproval of going back to an abandoned experiment.
"Before it was abandoned, we worked on the simulations, and everything looked good on paper, so what do you think can possibly go wrong?" Doctor Kate asked with a convincing smile on her face,
"You have been a scientist all your life, and you know that simulations will always look good on paper, but in reality it is a different ball game entirely." Doctor Ken said as he pleaded with her not to go back to working on research number 13.
"I am really not buying what you are selling, Doctor Ken. Let's start the process. I have my mind made up." Doctor Kate said as she put on her lab coat.
They both got to work like always; they all had a role to play whenever an experiment was being carried out. While Doctor Kate set up the experiment machine and reactivated all that needed reactivation, Doctor Ken was making sure safety precautions were in place and ensuring the monitor system was turned on so they were notified and an alarm goes off the moment the experiment started to go sideways.
"I feel this is too much risk; this research has been abandoned for 20 years. Going back to it gives me an eerie feeling. It just doesn't feel right." Doctor Ken said, panting after running around to put things in place.
"That is what science is all about; you cannot know it all unless you try. This time around the experiment might just work out and no longer be considered an abandoned project. What do you think?" Doctor Kate asked
The machines were turned on, and suddenly the lights started to flicker and the whole lab started to vibrate.
"This is quite unusual; I think we should...."
Doctor Ken could not complete his sentence when all the bulbs blew up and the old machine being used for the experiment that had been abandoned for over two decades followed suit; it just exploded, and the dangerous gas they were working with started to leak out, hence the need for containment, as if it goes beyond the lab, it can cause harm to human health.
"What could possibly go wrong indeed?" Doctor Ken, he said with his eyes fixated on the chaos before them.
"I should have listened to you; I should have probably given it more thought before going back to an abandoned experiment." Doctor Kate said as she sprinted in the direction of the control room.
Doctor Kate rushed to the controls, pressed a few buttons to bring the experiment to an end and put a stop to all the machines at work, but it was already too late; she had to trigger the alarm for immediate evacuation of the building as well as emergency containment controls that had been put in place in the lab in case of emergencies like this one. The emergency containment control will hold the gas and ensure it stays within the lab for a period of time; in the end, it took a lot of planning and luck to bring the chaos under control.
"Sometimes I wonder how you do it; you make it through everyday without a what could go wrong guide." Doctor Ken, he said as he laughed, holding his left arm that had dislocated from running around during the chaos.
"What is the fun in going by a guide? Going without a guide is how you get to enjoy the fun." Doctor Kate responded as she smiled sheepishly with her now black lab coat from soot she was exposed to in the lab.
Hello @offia66. This story promised but didn't quite deliver. It needed more development. I would highly recommend that you try something. Proofread. Take this story and read it aloud to yourself, You will then notice how long some of your sentences are, and that you need to break them down into several smaller sentences reflecting complete thoughts. You will also notice that phrases are repeated throughout the story. Redundancy like this slows the pace of a story too much and makes it feel like the writer is struggling with direction. You will tend to lose your reader. The story also felt rather vague and underdeveloped. There is very little specificity about what experiment they are performing, what risks they run, what outcomes they are hoping for. We get to the end and don't feel satisfied with the read. It felt like you danced around the edges of a story instead of doing the research to give your piece an intriguing and believable backbone. Good stories require inspiration and creativity, but research and fact-checking may be in order too. Once the story is drafted, the process is still not complete. It needs to be proofread, edited for errors, and checked for inconsistencies etc and then one should focus on tightening the narrative. Take a look at our catalogue of fiction writing tips in The Ink Well. We have many articles that can help you to hone your writing. I've used them myself! :-)