No one could have foreseen the consequences of the well-intentioned but misguided actions of a science student, leading to one act which had the potential to change the world forever.
Sally was relieved to obtain temporary work during the summer break. She needed the money. Student loans didn’t cover all her needs. Some extra cash would be welcome. After three terms of studying biological science and biochemistry at a college near to her home in Liverscombe, she looked forward to putting her knowledge into practice.
Of course, she thought, I’m not naive enough to think I’ve got all the answers, but working in this biochemical research facility is going to give me Brownie points and experience. And who knows? I may be around when there is an exciting discovery. I might even find it myself.
The job she managed to obtain involved her working in a small laboratory researching methods of recycling plastics using bacteria.
‘These investigations have been going on for many years,’ said Professor Andrews to the starry-eyed girl, as he showed her around on her first day. ‘It’s just not commercially viable at present.’
‘Why is that?’ she asked.
‘The concentration of bacteria needs to be stronger,’ he answered. ‘On a small scale it works. We need to look to larger scale methods using more powerful organisms. And…’
‘Yes,’ she responded breathlessly.
‘Nothing you need to know at present. Your job won’t involve that kind of work. You’d need to be vetted and have had previous experience.’
She looked down to hide the disappointment, but he noted her action and smiled benignly.
‘All I was going to say was that we haven’t yet been successful in producing strains of organisms that are specific to types of plastic… the types we want to get rid of. Imagine what would happen if it weren’t.’
‘Oh,’ was all she could think of to say.
Every morning she was up early, bursting with energy and ready to get to work. At night, she would pour over research papers and take notes. If only, she thought, I could discover the right organism. They may take me on when I’ve done my time in college.
In truth, the job that she was doing there was menial. Others were conducting the trials. Her work involved preparing the chemicals and substrates for the different micro-organisms they were evaluating, all of which took place in a protected environment. Then when the results came through, she inputted the information on a computer database.
She tried to persuade herself that the work she was doing was valuable. In chats to her friends from college on WhatsApp, she boasted about the laboratory, making it sound as though she was heavily involved in the experimentation process. In truth, she found what she was doing boring and repetitive. One of the lab workers smiled when she expressed her frustrations.
‘We’ve all been there, Sally,’ he said. ‘It’s a necessary part of your learning process. Most science can be boring, but that’s how we get to know what works and what doesn’t.’
Her confidence was knocked but she hoped that one day her skills would be put to use in this work, resulting in good news for the world. The elimination of waste plastic.
‘And kudos for me,’ she whispered as she dozed in bed at the end of another mundane day.
Not long after, there came a day of great excitement. One of the professor’s assistants, an earnest looking lanky individual called Harold came running into the computer room where a moody Sally was slowly typing in data.
‘He’s done it,’ he yelled.
‘Done what?’ she asked.
Harold swallowed and looked at her. Then he spoke slowly as if explaining to a child.
‘The prof has sorted another piece of the puzzle,’ he explained. ‘We’re getting very close to finding out the answers.’
‘Does that mean you’ll be carrying out field studies soon?’
He smiled condescendingly. ‘I think we’re a little way off that. But…,’ He tapped his nose. ‘I’ll let you know when we do.’
I think I’m going to be friends with him, Sally thought. He could help me.
The summer came and went. Sally went back to college, but not before receiving a request from Professor Andrews to come back and help during her holidays.
‘We’re very pleased with your work,’ he said. ‘We can always find room for conscientious workers like you.’ Sally glowed with happiness.
When she returned to the laboratory, Harold was still working there, with his freckles and copper wavy hair. She cultivated their relationship. They regularly met for coffee and lunches at the canteen, where she ensured the conversation always veered round to the progress of the testing of the plastic eating bacteria.
Midway through her second summer, and after much badgering, Harold took her one lunchtime to the laboratory where the different strains of bacteria were stored. She stood at one of the tables, enthralled at the sight of banks of small labelled vials as the young technician kept watch for other staff coming in.
‘This is a secret between you and me,’ he said. ‘You mustn’t tell anyone else. I could get into a lot of trouble.’
‘What are these?’ she asked pointing at the vials.
‘They’re the strains of bacteria we’re assessing now. Don’t touch,’ he whispered urgently as she reached forward. ‘You could contaminate them.’
Sally allowed herself to be ushered out of the room, but not before she had taken note of the size and shape of the vials.
A couple of weeks later, she persuaded Harold to let her visit again.
‘Promise me you won’t touch anything,’ he said.
With her fingers crossed behind her back, she nodded solemnly.
As she stood in the laboratory once more, thrilling to the scale of works taking place, Harold’s mobile rang. With a warning glance at her, he turned his back and took the call. Moments later, he turned back and looked suspiciously at her.
‘That was a strange call,’ he said. ‘The caller hung up when I answered.’
She returned his gaze with an innocent expression. Inside she was elated that her ruse had worked out. She was able to exchange the vial with one similar she had brought with her. Now she could conduct scientific work of her own.
That night, she waited until she got home before she removed the vial from her coat pocket. Bringing it to eye level, she examined the contents. It appeared innocuous. Well maybe it is, she thought. It might just be the preparation before the bacteria was impregnated.
‘Well, there’s only one way to find out,’ she muttered.
Reaching under her bed, she brought out a metal container with cut up plastic bottles. Carefully she removed the vial cover and shook out the contents over the material.
With a notebook beside her she took note of the time, then closed the tin, and replaced it.
‘I’ll check again in twenty-four hours,’ she murmured.
The following day, she could not stay still. She completed all her jobs in record time and was helping others, an act unheard of by the others working with her.
Harold popped in at lunch time.
‘Come for a bite to eat?’
Sally shook her head.
‘Not today, I’m not hungry.’
She studied the screen in front of her and did not see his disappointed expression.
Finally, she was able to go home. She ate her dinner with her parents, then quickly went to her room.
Cautiously she opened the container to find it empty.
‘Oh,’ she said, her tone neutral.
She shook the tin. There were no remnants of plastic visible at all and she sat on her bed deep in thought.
‘Well, it works,’ she muttered. ‘I thought there would be something left. Oh well.’
Sally upended the tin and gave it a tap. Unknown to her, in the slight breeze, microscopic bacterial spores drifted out of the open window.
About the author
Maria started writing having left her job in local government due to ill health. Her stories have appeared in two anthologies. She has also published non-fiction articles, and she is currently working on a collection of short stories. Her home is in Devon.
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