Jessica Hinton Sci-Fi Short Story

As I swiftly made my way across the campus to the Dean’s office, I can’t help being slightly nervous about our presentation.

What is he going to say? Will he approve? What’s our next step? These few thoughts swirl around my head. I feel as though I shouldn’t have anything to worry about. However, for some reason I just can’t seem to rid these thoughts from my mind. I arrive at the office door, with a plaque that says “Dr. Mark Clover, Dean of University”, took a deep breath, and knocked.

            The door opens, and there stands Dr. Mark Clover, Dean of Tasker University.

“Well hello Dr. Connor, very pleased to see you”, exclaims Dr. Clover.

                        “Hello sir! Nice to see you as well”, I replied.

As I entered, I took the time to glance around the room. Dean Clover has a pretty nice office. I’ve always admired the art that covered the walls, and the huge windows that overlook the East side of the campus.  I then caught sight of Liam sitting in a chair in front of Dean Clover’s desk. I went and beside Liam, in the chair adjacent to him.

                        “Are you ready?” he whispers to me as I take the seat.

                        “Yes, I think so” I hesitated.

                        “Alright… let’s do this,” he declared.

And now… the meeting begins.

            As I quietly sat in the seat, I tried to think positive, and keep my composure. It’s not everyday that you’re sitting in the Dean’s office, awaiting for a make or break decision, that could change your life. 

            “Well gentlemen, look how far you’ve come,” stated the Dean as he strolled to his seat. “What information do you have for me today?”

                        “Sir, we’ve finally come to the end of testing. This formula we’ve created is strong enough to get rid of all the clones that were mass-produced. The array of chemicals that we’ve conjured up, have the power to shut down the clone within 3 minutes.” Liam states with excitement in his voice.

                        “That is impressive. Does this formula have any effect on humans?” questioned Dean Clover.

                        “Thank you sir. It does not have any effects on humans. It is not made for humans, so it won’t have any effect on us” replied Liam.

                        “Excuse me, but we’re not exactly sure of the effects this could have on humans. We never tested…” I stated, before being interrupted by Liam.

                        “Yes, but we did not see any need to test humans. Yes, the clones are more important to worry about. The effect the formula might have on humans is not nearly as much as an effect it has on the clones,” Liam interjected. 

            The room was silent for a few seconds. Who would speak next? What else does the Dean want to know?

                        “I have one last question… Dr. Liam, you told me earlier, that this could make us loads of money. How soon can we start producing and selling this?” asked Dean Clover.

                        “We could put this on the market within a few months. No questions asked.” Liam blurted out.

                        “Actually… no we can’t. We have not finished the appropriate tests to assure that this product will get rid of the clones. If it is not correct, the clones will just continue producing, and will wreak havoc everywhere,” I retorted.

The office got silent once again. This time, I was confused… there were new questions that entered my mind.

                        “Why would Liam discuss manufacturing this, and we hadn’t perfected it?”

 We already discussed that this couldn’t be marketed yet, so why did he go behind my back? I pondered.

                        “It is clear that there are a few minor details that the two of you need to work out. I’ll let you two go, and discuss them, and once they’re sorted out, we can come back for another meeting. Thank you for your time Dr. Liam, and Dr. Connor”, Dean Clover stated as he stood up and shook our hands.

Once outside of the office, Liam immediately began jumping down my throat about the comments I made.

                        “Why would you tell him it wasn’t ready? We’re almost done with our testing. We’ve already gone through the “business” side of this, so there shouldn’t be a problem”, shouted Liam. 

                        “Listen, we can’t produce something unless it is complete and perfect. I can’t lie to him, and tell him that we’re completely finished with them”. I shot back at him

                        “Connor, I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but I will work on getting more money for us. With the formula, we’ll be getting paid a large sum of money.”

                        “Liam, you can’t possibly believe that this will do well on the market without the proper testing. That’s not smart, and you…”

                        “Honestly, if you have such a problem with it, then fine. Don’t worry about getting a paycheck. We don’t need to worry about humans… this is for the clones. It will have no connection at all.  Liam stated, as he began to walk away.

As, Liam walked away he turned back around to give me an “evil look”. Something just doesn’t seem right. After Liam walked away, I had this weird sensation that something would just go wrong. I stood there confused about how I should handle this little ordeal, but also worried about what would happen next.

                        “What are we going to do about the clones? How much more testing needs to be done? Is Liam going to begin to produce it? What can I do to stop him?”

Little did I know… that soon my worries would become far greater than anyone could have expected. 

            As I entered the laboratory the next morning, I was startled to see what had taken place. Vials lying around, chemicals spilled, broken glass, and papers strewn all across 3the floor. What do I do now?