Free Laboratory Love by Chrystal Wynd Page A

said, “and you know it, so stop.
At least I’m not afraid to try thinking outside the box, Old School.”
    Simon
sighed. He was only a year or two older than me, but he had been hired by
Blonde Concepts right after graduation, while I was still a relatively new
hire. He was an experienced lab scientist while I still barely rated above the
lab techs. He was old-school watch-and-wait and I was new-school
make-it-happen.
    He
had great shoulders for an old-school guy, though. Oh, yes.
     “Look,
New School, I’m hungry,” he said, brushing his shaggy hair away from his eyes. He
always seemed to need a haircut. "I’m going to go eat some lunch.”
    I
waited, hoping he’d ask me to go with him, but he just gave me a nod and exited
the room. That left me alone in the lab.
    “Fine,”
I mumbled. “Fine!”
    Suddenly
my cell phone sounded. A text message from Simon! Perhaps he had changed his
mind?
    I
read the text, then sighed. He was going to drop off some patent applications
after lunch, so he wouldn’t be returning to the lab today.
    Frustrated,
I looked over our notes. What the hell was wrong with him?!  It’s not like I was
ugly and I knew there was no way at all that Simon was looking for a stupid Barbie
doll. He just wasn’t that shallow.
    He
wanted intelligence. He wanted someone with ability. Someone not afraid to take
chances, dammit! But he was never going to find anyone playing with chemicals
all day.
    Then
I got an idea.
    “He
needs to see innovation in action,” I said to myself, nodding. “I'll show
Doctor Play-It-Safe how innovation works!”
     
    *****
     
    I
opened my notebook and worked out a quick formula. I ran a counter-equation as
a triangulation check and then another until I was satisfied with the ratios. I
moved some things over, re-balanced my equations, worked in a few more
calculations, then added the wildcard. A few more test runs confirmed it.
    I
finally sat back satisfied. This could work.  I would make this work.
    I
began preparations.
    The
adventure began as I selected a range of common and not-so-common elements. A
touch of this and a dab of that. I mixed colors and combined mediums. A little
lanolin, a lot of castor oil. Some beeswax and a touch of perfume. And along
with everything else, treated chrystalmic pigment #1 bonded with oils and a
chrystalmic polymer joined the party. I also added enough neutral material that
the ratio of chrystalmic would actually register as relatively low.
    And
yes, I included a few counter-agents for stabilization as well. I wasn’t a
complete idiot and I wasn’t blind to the dangers inherent in using a relatively
unknown compound.
    I
carefully noted the process and the ratios in my notebook as I mixed my
compounds, although I was careful to use modified codes for the chrystalmic
ingredients. My notebook was technically the property of Blonde Concepts and
although Dr. Banford was unlikely to look through my notes for any reason short
of a process patent application, it didn’t hurt to be cautious. Clandestine
experiments performed by junior scientists tended to be frowned upon.
    The
process was dragging now and not nearly as much fun as it had been earlier.
Finally, however, a large beaker containing my philosopher’s stone was placed
on a Bunsen burner. It wouldn’t be long now.
    My
new creation gently swirled, liquefied by the heat. The color was developing
into a breathtaking red, although the end hue was uncertain until the compound
cooled. It was unlikely that I had gotten it right on the first try- this was a
whole new cosmetic- but the thrill of creation gave me a rush. This is what
science was all about! Not standing around, plugging in the same old formulas,
doing the same thing over and over again. Creation. Discovery!
    I
poured a small amount of the cooling liquid from the beaker into a small test
tube and set the test tube into a wooden rack. Then I sat on a wooden stool, opened
my spiral notebook and updated my notes as I played the