Ethel spoke her confidence softly. No ears had to hear her- only an array of microphones around her. “Trial six of eight” the vibrations in the air carried the words, “The particle decayed after 12 seconds into its quantum components. Automated tests show it held a maximum of two-thousand four-hundred fifty nine megapascals.”
A switch flicked, and Ethel pushed it back down. “Beginning trial seven of eight.” A whirring commotion came to a stop, and Ethel took down another container from the source of the noise and pushed it into another device. Three arms emerged from the device and secured the container. A moment passed, and a snap, then silence. Projected text scrolled in front of Ethel’s eyes. “Trial seven of eight. The particle decayed after nine seconds into quantum components. Automated tests show it held maximum of one-thousand nine-hundred forty-two megapascals”
A bleep, and she flinched. The projection read Containment in Progress alongside a countdown. The testing device was secured against a wall, the whirring contraption remained motionless, and the gravity slowly began to turn on. Then the door opened.
“May I be of assistance?” Ethel spoke with slight annoyance. A figure stepped through the door, grasping onto a hand-rail in case the gravity was not yet finished settling. Ethel was now lying on the floor, her head tilted toward the open door. “Erik?”