The Prototype

Chapter 1

Maia Coven adjusted her lab glasses, her gaze fixed on the intricate prototype resting in the center of the table. Beside her, Ethan Kane, her fiancé and partner, tapped away at the tablet connected to it, running diagnostics on their latest data. The two scientists, engaged to each other and bound by more than love, were on the brink of a breakthrough that would either change humanity's understanding of biotics or bury them in controversy.

Their creation was a unique prototype an experimental device designed to harness and amplify human emotions. But it wasn't just a scientific marvel; it was deeply personal. Their company, "Biotic Innovations INC.", had been struggling, barely scraping by with minimal funding, and no other project had been deemed "worth paying for" by potential investors. Maia and Ethan's project, however, had captured the interest of a high-tech conglomerate. This prototype could be the company's lifeline, finally securing the loans and recognition that Biotic Innovations desperately needed.

Maia and Ethan had traveled the world in search of rare elements that embodied the essence of the five stages of grief. New York's fragile lepidolite held Denial. Oregon's fire-scarred obsidian held anger, iridescent crystals carried the weight of each emotion. In Australia, they'd found opals of Labradorite echoing the longing ache of bargaining. The Romanian salt flats held despair, sorrow crystallized in mineral form, while Norway's northern cliffs revealed a luminous stone that radiated acceptance and peace. Each sample had been woven into the prototype's framework, resonating with the unique emotional frequencies they had painstakingly mapped.

The familiar hum of the laboratory airlock broke the silence. Maia looked up as the CEO, Mr. Lawrence Hughes, entered the lab. His neatly pressed suit and controlled smile didn't mask the tension radiating from him. As he looked down at the prototype, a flicker of admiration, or perhaps apprehension, crossed his features.

"Maia, Ethan," he greeted, nodding first to her and then Ethan. "Your work on this prototype is nothing short of revolutionary. It's no wonder our investors finally approved the loan. This will put us on the map, and Biotic Innovations will get the recognition it deserves." His words seemed to aim at the couple but hovered, somehow, only over Ethan.

Lawrence's eyes lingered on Ethan. "Ethan, I'll need you for a quick meeting at the end of the day. I'd like to discuss a few... adjustments to the project before we make our public debut."

Maia glanced at Ethan, her eyes brimming with excitement at the thought of their project finally getting a green light. Ethan, sensing the CEO's underlying tone, simply nodded. "Sure thing. I'll be there."

The rest of the afternoon blurred as they continued refining the prototype's calibration, bouncing ideas back and forth like a well-rehearsed symphony. But when the end of the day came, Ethan found himself alone in the CEO's office. Lawrence leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled in contemplation.

"Ethan," he began, his tone low, "this project is groundbreaking. But we need to consider the optics. Investors want a clear face for the campaign—a strong male lead who can represent the power and vision behind Biotic Innovations. A woman's presence can be... distracting. She doesn't align with the image we want to project."

Ethan felt a chill settle over him as Lawrence continued, oblivious to the quiet storm building in Ethan's expression.

"We're not suggesting she's incapable, of course," Lawrence went on with a patronizing smile. "Maia's contributions are undeniable. But appearances matter. 

Ethan's jaw clenched as he realized the CEO was suggesting removing Maia from the project—their project.