Untold Story ║ Book 1 of The Untold series

Prologue - Aggressive behaviour

I wiped the sweat from my brow as I peered through the microscope at the cancerous cells. My eyes, hidden behind thin-framed glasses, reflected a mix of determination and frustration. For years, I had chased the elusive cure for cancer, that had haunted my family's history with the disease. As I stood in the lab, the weight of the world's suffering rested on my shoulders. I was Venus Biotech's best hope of finding a cure, and the weight of that responsibility pressed heavily on me. It meant spending most nights away from my family, immersed in my work. But they understood how important this was; we all miss my grandmother immensely. She had lost her battle with cancer five years prior, and I was determined to make sure others wouldn't have to endure the same pain.

The research lab buzzed with activity and I looked up, Mike my assistant was staring at me and our eyes met.

"What do you see?" I inquire as I step aside. Mike had reached out to me and asked for mentoring. At first, I hesitated, but with all the paperwork that Venus is requesting, I decided that some extra help would be a welcome relief.

"It's affecting the healthy tissue?" he asks as he looks back at me, his brow furrowed with curiosity.

I met his gaze with an intense stare, a challenge in my eyes. "Is that a question or an observation?" i asked, my voice edged with importance.

Mike cleared his throat. "Observation."

"Then write it down in the report," I replied with urgency. With that, Mike hurriedly accepted the report from me and, he retreated to continue the notations further.

I look at the clock deciding its time for a break, I turn to make. "want to grab a bite?"

Mike stutters "like... like a date?"

I look at him unfazed "you and your jokes" I roll my eyes. Taking my coat and handbag to leave for lunch, and hearing Mike stumble behind me.

*****

I stepped into the elevator to reach the lab, with Mike keeping up with my steps. Mike smiled, and I noticed something green in his teeth, probably from the salad we just had. I pointed at my own tooth to mirror the position, and he understood, removing it, a playful glint in his eye. "So, Jane, if you could have any superpower, what would it be?"

I chuckled, not replying.

Mike noticed my lack of reply and considered the question himself. "Hmm, that's a tough one. I think I'd go with teleportation. No more traffic jams or long flights. What about you?"

I smiled. What a silly thing to think about. But I decided to consider my own wish. "That's an interesting choice!" I paused. "I'd love to be able to understand and speak every language in the world. Think about all the places I could travel to and the people I could connect with."

Mike nodded, a smile on his face. "That's a great superpower. You'd be the ultimate globetrotter and polyglot."

As we reached the lab, I furrowed my brow, looking at the screen that displayed the experiment we accidentally left behind.

"Didn't you wrap it up?" I asked Mike.

"Ehh... I didn't... think I needed to," he stammered, clearly aware of the mistake. He continued, "You didn't tell me to do it."

I stared back at him, forcing a smile. "It's fine, but for future reference, do it."

"Yes, I will do it... right now," he started fumbling with the experiment, and I noticed something was not quite right.

"No, wait," I lifted my hand, and he stood frozen. "Let me just see something," I sat down in the chair, moving closer to the microscope, focus written on my forehead.

As I peered through the microscope, a growing unease took hold of me. The virus's aggression was far more evident than I had ever seen before. It was affecting not only the cancerous cells but also the healthy tissue, as Mike had pointed out. Something was terribly wrong with the experiment, and the implications were ominous. Not only are the cells dead, but they are still able to show aggresion and affect more cells.

Swiftly, I jotted down my observations in the research report, my handwriting frantic as I described the increased aggression and the unexpected impact on healthy cells. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on my shoulders.

With the report hastily completed, I knew I couldn't waste any time. I needed to bring this to the attention of my boss. The potential risks and consequences were too significant to delay. I grabbed the report and rushed down the hallway to Jared Mitchell's office, my footsteps echoing with determination.

Certainly, here's a revision to emphasize Jared Mitchell's more questionable attitude and intentions:

I knocked on his office door, my heart pounding in my chest. "Jared, I need you to take a look at this," I said as I entered, holding out the report.

Jared glanced up from his desk, his eyes locking onto the report. As he quickly scanned the document, a sly grin played at the corners of his mouth. The weight of what I had discovered was dawning on him, and a malicious glint shimmered in his eyes.

"Jane, this is significant," he said, his voice feigning concern and intrigue. "We need to address this immediately."

My determination to ensure others wouldn't have to endure the same pain as my late grandmother had intensified. I couldn't help but feel that Jared's interest wasn't entirely driven by benevolent motives, and the fate of my research and the lives of those affected by it now appeared to be entangled in a web of hidden agendas.

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Word count : 927

By night-ed

Book one : Untold Story

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