Winterbloom [BL]

Chapter 3: Labmate

Bioluminescence: light produced by chemical reactions within a living organism.

Something about it made Huey's eyes just... light up; both literally and metaphorically. It's that absolute mesmerisation that drew him into chosing it as the topic for his thesis in the first place.

Imagine if plants glowed like that?

That was his inspiration for writing about "Synthetic bioluminescence". It was a simple, childlike question and he honestly didn't know why it intrigued him to that extent. In fact, genetic engineering had already allowed lab-grown bioluminescent plants to exist. Still, he felt an undying desire to study the science of it.

Like yeah, glowing plants are cool and all, but enough to devote an entire year to study them?

Yes, apparently, because he was about to do just that. That's why, on a crisp winter morning, he found himself at a laboratory investigating all the different aspects it.

"Welcome, Mr. Huey Yun-Si, to our research center's botanical sector that's currently working on the advancement of synthetic bioluminescent herbs. Congratulations, once again, on acing the interviews! We are quite impressed by your... enthusiastic approach."

This was a few days after his arrival in town. Huey was being given a lab tour after becoming one of the few selected interviewees for undergrad research.

His intelligence was a given, but they seemed to have been keenly drawn to his uniquely extreme interest in this topic. He showed them an entire portfolio where he had been compiling facts and ideas as well as his own educated inferences on this topic. He had even written out hypothetical experiments designed by himself for the sake of it... all recreationally. Basically, he liked to research stuff online for fun in his free time ever since he received his precious laptop back in highschool and gathered his notes in a folder for this last minute interview.

The one giving the tour was a full-time researcher that had been working on this project since its establishment: Dr. Umi. With her months of experience here, she knew the place in all its nooks and crannies. This mid-thirties woman was also his new mentor.

"And here's your lab. You'll be observing and taking notes on the experimental batch of genetically engineered bioluminescent (glowing) herbs and comparing them with their natural counterparts in the control group."

It was a clean, dimly lit room with cool tinted lights and clear white walls on all sides. There was as isle to the side with rows of laboratory desks - white tabletops and navy cupboards - all set up with high stools, microscopes and other equipment. The rest was occupied by glass cased gardens, forming artificial environments for the experimental vegetation to be grown in controlled conditions within them. Part were normal plants of various species while the rest were glowing... gorgeously.

Wow...

Arrays of stunning luminescent herbs; each emitting soft glows from their leaves. Their shine was dulled due to the blue light used to imitate daytime in the case, but once it would tone down during an automated nighttime, it would appear so much brighter.

Huey had never once laid his eyes on them fade-to-face before this moment.

It was his aspiration; almost like a calling. One that he had been looking forward to for so long. In fact, it was way back in seventh grade that he decided his entire undergrad pathway. Not many students have it so clearly figured out as early as thirteen, but he had been all set and unwavering with his future vision, now having finally achieved it nine years later. He mentioned it when they asked in the interview - with his usual awkwardly neutral expression - and they were pretty impressed.