Lab accident
Cynthia Halverston carefully measured the last reagent to be added to the solution. "Please let this mixture work." She thought to herself. The 26 year old grad student had been working on this project for over a year and was beginning to despair that her theory was actually correct. She had gotten the idea from a fellow student over in biology, Dave Reston.
He had been studying a new species of mouse that had recently been discovered in the Amazon. He commented to her in passing that the males of the species had the unusual ability to precipitate heat in the females, rather than wait for the normal cycle of estrus. It wasn't something that they did consciously, but under certain environmental conditions, they secreted a hormone that caused the female to become fertile.
He seemed oblivious to the ramifications of this find. If the hormone could be synthesized and made compatible with human physiology, it would make the perfect fertility drug. Current methods of fertility enhancement led to a predominance of multiple births, sometimes to the detriment of the children themselves. While her advisor had scoffed at the need for a new fertility drug for a society that was eschewing parenthood, he had allowed her to adopt the project as her doctoral research project.
The hormone was incredibly easy to synthesize. That she had accomplished in a few weeks. It was the compatibility issues that were the thorn. Every attempt to inject the hormone into human cells led to a rapid degeneration of the cell membranes and cell death in a matter of days. Obviously this would not do. Her last test, mixing a touch of potassium chlorinate into the hormone had been a desperate grasp at straws. The chemical was normally poisonous, but its action as a poison was to harden cell walls so much as to make them impermeable to everything, including nutrients.
The effect was promising. The poison killed the cells in the same way it normally did, but over a much longer time period. That seemed to indicate she was on the right track. She just needed to use less of the potassium chlorinate. Cynthia had the reagent measured out just right now. She added it to the filtration array and set the automated system to filter out any incidental impurities and mix the reagents under moderate temperatures. Looking at her watch, she saw that she still had time to make her date with Rob.
Freed from worrying about her experiment for a while, she could turn to her tension over Rob. Rob Fresnik had been dating Cynthia for almost a year now. All this time, he had respected her wishes to not cross the line in their relationship. Her family, while not religious, had firmly taught her that sex was for marriage. It surprised even her that she had managed to avoid sex through out her undergraduate and masters programs. College was not a hotbed of sexual conservatism, after all. It helped that she threw herself into her studies, rendering her unavailable for dates on a regular basis. Rob, her longest steady date ever, was beginning to pressure her into sex. Nothing physical, but hints that their continued relationship would soon depend on her acquiescing.
She used the chemical spill shower stall to change into the outfit she brought for her date. While she was still a virgin, she had no qualms about showing off her body, in a subtle way. Over a pair of lace panties and bra, she slipped into a deep purple dress. The dress had no arms and a neckline that dropped to between her firm breasts, revealing enough cleavage to promise, but not enough for easy access. Down to just above her knees, she could, if she chose, flash provocatively without revealing anything. One last look at herself in her reflection on the glass door of the stall, she pronounced herself a hot tease and headed out for what might be a night on the town.
**********************
What she did not notice as she walked by the filtration system, percolating away, was a small crack in the glassware, allowing a nearly invisible stream of vapor to escape. Being odorless, she did not notice it as she inhaled the partially mixed chemicals deep into her lungs. From there, the compound was absorbed by her blood and delivered throughout her body, especially to her brain. The effects there continued through the course of the night. Certain cells withered and died. Others became more active, firing at unnaturally high rates. The effects were to be unfortunate for Cynthia.
**********************
Rob was waiting outside the science building, ready to escort Cynthia to his car. "Cynthia, you look magnificent tonight."
"Thank you Rob. You're not looking too bad yourself. And where is my handsome prince taking me tonight?"
"I thought we would have dinner at The Olive Garden and then take in movie. 'The Accidental Tourist' is playing at the metro."
"Another winning plan by the master of dating." Cynthia and Rob both laughed.
They talked about trivial things on the drive to the restaurant. The popular Italian eatery had its usual 30 minute wait. Thankfully this was not the weekend where waits could extend to a full hour or more. While they waited, Rob asked, "How's that research of yours going?"
"Frustrating, but there is a window of hope. I just can't get the synthetic hormone to interact safely with human cells. My latest attempt involves trying to combine two substances, the hormone and a chemical, that have opposite toxic effects in the hope that they counteract each other toxically, but leave the main effect of the hormone intact. That's what's running right now in the lab."
While she was talking, Cynthia noticed the aromas from the restaurant were stronger than they usually were. Her mouth was watering in anticipation with her stomach accompanying with a steady growl. She was also noticing just how hot Rob was tonight. His nearness brought on a giddiness in her loins. She realized that she wanted him. "Good lord. How did I get so horny tonight? If this keeps up, I'll try to ravish him tonight. He certainly won't mind that. He's been trying to organize a mutual ravishing session for months."
