Slowing to a standstill at the imposing metal gates, Ryan killed the engine and greeted Sam with his best smile.
"Good morning Mr Elliot. How are you this fine morning?"
"Great Sam, even better when this day is over." If only Ryan knew that he would forever long for this very day to start over.
The gates opened slowly and Ryan eased the vehicle through and into the parking lot. As he walked towards the main entrance, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirrored facade. Ridiculous, he thought. Nearly a 100 degrees and dressed from head to toe, literally. Complete with his Redskins cap and aviators.
"Good morning Mr...oh! Ryan, is that you?"
"Hey Janice. It's me. All dressed up and ready to blow their minds!" Ryan smiled unconvincingly. Janice looked less than impressed!
"Okay. I'll buzz Mr Jenkins. Let him know you're here. Here's your badge. Good luck."
He turned and gave Michelle a kiss before heading to the elevator.
As he stood alone watching the digital number on the blue screen steadily increase, Ryan felt uneasy. Before today, he'd only been granted clearance to Level 1, and that was only because he had to pick up supplies that had been delivered to the wrong floor. As a junior researcher at BioChem, he rarely got off the ground, spending most days stuck in the basement with his senior colleague Mike, a quiet, yet devoted employee, who was fast approaching retirement. He'd spent the best part of 30 years looking for a cure for ALS (also known as MND);the disease which robbed him of his sweetheart, Anne. It was just him and his only daughter, Lexi. She'd had it tough, growing up without a mother from the age of four. Mike's work was his mission. How else could he honour his late wife.
Between the pair of them, Ryan and Mike felt closer than ever to a breakthrough. Intense radiation treatment and daily injections of MRG-241, an experimental drug that had only been trialled on rats, showed positive signs of reducing the impact of the disease. Rats that showed little or no muscle control before treatment had, within weeks, started to walk again and nerve conduction studies showed the disease was in remission.
PING! Thirty-first floor.
Ryan snapped back as the doors opened. This was it. All their work. For Anne and the rest of those suffering. Today would mark the big breakthrough. One pitch. Twenty minutes to present to the board and Mr Jenkins. Twenty minutes to convince them that the one billion dollar investment was paltry in comparison to what lay ahead. Global recognition and millions cured. BioChem at the forefront of genuine research and development of the right kind. Rumours had always persisted that BioChem's intentions weren't entirely noble and were in fact more aligned to those of their power hungry CEO.
YOU ARE READING
The Ghost
Ciencia FicciónA cure to save millions. Or a tool to create devastation. If only Junior Researcher Ryan Elliot could have known what dangers he would place all of those around him in upon revealing his big breakthrough, maybe he'd have thought twice about it. But...
