Project LAB: The Life Factory

chapter one: give them a show

Her presentation would be short and simple "good afternoon judge's, today I will present to you something that will revolutionise the world of science and clear the path for great discoveries" she says as she practices in front of a mirror in the bathroom.
"This is stupid" she whispers, checking the time, 15:35, she couldn't stall in the bathroom forever, her foster mother was the entire reason she was doing all this, otherwise she would not have even come to school, her project was destined for far greater things than a science fare and the least she could do after putting her up to this was show up. But with or without her, the show would have to go on.
***
She pushes a stool beside her exhibit and climbs onto it, it was either go big or go home, "behold" she announces, her voice booming across the hall and catching the majority of the people's attention, "a project that will revolutionise science forever"
Mumbles erupt all over the hall, some curious, some annoyed, some outraged at the blatant interruption and some full of awe at the courage she carried.
"Behold" she announces stopping briefly as her foster mother tumbles into the room, garnering quite the attention with her rushed entrance. Ignoring her entrance she continues "project LAB, Laboratory Engineered Biosimulator, the rest is just for show"
she says earning several laughs from the crowd, good she had them right where she wanted them, interests spiked and attention garnered "have you ever dreamt of a life were experimentation on animals was eradicated or a world where you didn't have to wait on some list to get an organ transplant, well I can assure you, LAB can make your wildest dreams come true, testing a vaccine or medicine will no longer take months of volunteer work but rather a few days of testing depending Iin how thorough you want to be"
She climbs down from the stool and lifts up the containment unit she had gotten from her foster mom for her fourteenth birthday two months ago, inside was what essentially looked like a a transparent blob, she knew of a creature that could filter out particles in the air using a house made from its own mucus and she supposed if anything LAB looked a lot like that mucus but she wasn't about to say that to her audience, that would be a bit off putting "this is the future and anyone interested in hearing more, can come and watch as I demonstrate the infinite power of LAB"
Now that She had their attention, she places the containment unit on her desk, in front of the large banner she had made on all the wonderful things LAB could do, one wall of the containment vessel was built in with all sorts of electrical wires that she had been able to adjust specifically for the purpose of programming life, which was the simplest way to explain it, essentially she was using electric currents, light and sound to affect the metabollic processes that occur within LAB. The rest of the containment vessel was made of glass that could be dimmed so no one could see what was inside, the containment unit could open up on any wall she chose to open.
She plugs in LAB to her computer as the crowd gathers ever closer and starts the main feature of attraction in her presentation "would anyone in the crowd be so kind as to hand me a slice of bread?" She says and someone places a slice of bread on the desk beside her "now watch" she says as the top part of the containment vessel opens at her command, she drops the bread into it "as LAB breaks this slice of bread down to all its key components and reverses the entire manufacturing process"
It takes a few seconds before the box opens a small door at the foot of one of the glass walls and out comes flour, yeast, water, basically everything that goes into bread that was laid out a neat list on the screen of her computer.
She looks up with a smug smile after the small, 'trap door' has closed, already knowing that she had won this science fare for sure.
For a second the room is completely quiet and awkwardness seeps into the room, dampening her confidense but then her mother starts to clap and everyone else follows suit a few seconds later, reassuring her sense of pride.
The crowd disperses after she answers most of their questions and are shooed of by the principal in a not so subtle manner.
"That was brilliant" her foster mom says clapping her hands.
"I suppose" she says in a chilled manner "you were late, so you missed the beginning, but i guess that doesn't matter much"
"Yeah, something um... came up at work" she says in an off putting manner.
"Just so that you know, this is the first and last time i'm doing something like this, don't ask me again, I don't like the attention" she lies despite having enjoyed those fifteen minutes of fame.
"Sure" she whispers.
"Anyways" she says picking up the containment unit, slipping her laptop into her back pack and then hoisting the back pack onto her back "aren't we going home?"
"You don't want to hear who won?" Her mother asks.
"Its obviously me, no need to waste our time" she says as she makes her way out of the hall, she sits in the passenger side and waits for her foster mom to enter, she gets in the car a few seconds later and starts it.
"So, did you have a fun time today?" She says attempting to make chit chat.
She shrugs in response as a thick puff of black smoke wafts out of the exhaust pipe.
"You should get a better car" she comments. Her seat belt strapped across her chest, she leans back and closes her eyes, greatful that the volume on her head phones was loud enough to tune out everything else as she listens to Sam Smith's pray.