FAILED.

The red letters on the front page of the report glowed on the white paper. 

No one had expected the experiment to succeed this time, but still, everyone had held on to hope. Not because they wanted to finally be proven right, but because they wanted it to be over.

To be done with it.
To rest.

“We will have to wait another 3 months before we can try again.” 

Walter’s solemn voice cut through the fog hanging heavy in the debriefing room. He sat two chairs down from me, his gaunt face lowered, greasy hair falling over his eyes as he read over the report in his hands.

“He’s not going to be happy about this.” 

That was Sebastien. His voice carried a smugness to it that made me look up. He was looking right at me, a smirk on his face. 

Many of the other scientists thought it was a handsome face.

I thought it was a very punchable one.

“No one is happy that the experiment failed, Dr. Howard.” I pushed out through gritted teeth.

“Right, right,” he repeated condescendingly. “I was going through the report, and your numbers were off, Dr. Romero.”

There it was. The reason for that fucking smirk. 

He had been looking to blame me all along.

“I was looking at that too, Dr. Howard.” 

Victoria's nasally voice chimed in immediately. She sat next to him, her blonde hair pulled up into a neat, tight bun that pulled her eyes into foxlike slits. She wore very minimal makeup except for her lips. They were always painted in an unyielding shade of crimson that drew the eye. They never moved quite naturally when she spoke, as though restrained by some invisible force or some injected neurotoxin.

This was a coordinated attack.

“What should the numbers have been?” I asked in a steady voice, though I wasn’t sure where I was drawing such composure from. I hadn’t slept in nearly two full days and had consumed more caffeine than was recommended for someone my size. 

As I stared down at both of them from across the table, my face expressionless and unreadable. 

I'd been questioned by far scarier and smarter people than them.

Their expressions were of shock and annoyance.

Sebastien and Victoria had joined the Ark team a year before I did. As the most senior among us, they acted as if they ran the experiments, and the rest of us were just tagging along.

They didn’t like it when I pushed back.

“You don’t need to get so defensive, Dr. Romero,” Victoria said with a chuckle. 

Bitch.

“Those numbers were coordinated with Dr. Shin and Dr. Romero Sr.,” I said, name-dropping deliberately. “Are you saying they got it wrong?”

I knew they wouldn’t dare.

“Are you sure it was the numbers that they gave you?” 

This time, it was Walter, sensing that the blame would shift to him if he didn’t say anything.

The inside of my cheeks stung from where I’d bitten them. I tasted the sharp copper of my anger.

“Don’t get too upset about it. It was your first run, so you were bound to make a mistake.” Walter continued, trying to justify his attack.

First run.

I scoffed at his deliberate jab at my competency.

“Any other notes you would like to give, hmm?” I challenged them, no longer hiding the fury in my eyes.