Word: Deleterious

deleterious

[del-i-teer-ee-uh s]

adjective

1. injurious to health:

deleterious gases.

2. harmful; injurious:

deleterious influences.

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                 Dr. Green could hear his heart thumping.  His hands trembled despite his best efforts to keep them steady.  The small dropper in his heavily gloved hands felt heavy.  Heavier than it should have.

                “We shouldn’t be doing this.” Dr. Tam said.  “It’s too dangerous.”

                “I know, I know.” Dr. Green said, grateful for the distraction.  “But we have to try.”

                “Why?  Why do we?  Why can’t we just leave well enough alone.”

                “Because if we don’t someone else will.”

                “Let them.”

                Dr. Green inhaled deeply and let his breath out slowly.  He let a few drops of liquid fall into the Petri dish.  Nothing happened.  Sweat dripped down his forehead.  He couldn’t wipe it away because of the face covering helmet he wore.

                “No, that would only end in disaster.  At least here, we can keep things from getting out of hand.”

                “It’s already out of hand.  The fact that such a thing was thought of at all is terrible.  The damage has already been done, why do we need to make it worse?”

                “Would you rather someone in less controlled circumstances try this?”

                “I’d rather no one try it at all.”

                “You know that won’t happen.  Someone, somewhere will try it.  At least here, the harm it can do will be minimal.”

                “Yes.  To us.”

                “Better two people than two million.  Besides, we’re in an airtight room wearing hazard suits.  Even if—“

                “When.” Dr. Tam interrupted.

                “If,” Dr. Green said again, more forcefully, “If something goes wrong, then we have the best chance of surviving unharmed.”

                “The chance is still there.  This is just too dangerous.  We can stop now and just tell people it failed.  That way—“

                “Someone will try it again.  That’s the way things work.  One person fails, and another thinks he can succeed.  The only way we keep this from getting out of control is to get it right ourselves.”

                Dr. Green picked up another dropped and filled it with another fluid.  This one was an unhealthy blue.  He paused just before applying the new liquid to the dish.  He knew what could happen.  If even the slightest thing went wrong, it could prove disastrous.  Even knowing that, he proceeded.  Again, there was no reaction when the blue liquid met the existing concoction.

                “This could ruin society itself.” Dr. Tam said.  He took a few steps away from the chemical mixtures.  “This could ruin everything if it gets out.”

                “But if it succeeds, think of what it could mean.”

                “It won’t succeed.  You know it won’t.  All that’ll happen is we will suffer in horrible ways. It’s too dangerous.”

                “I know.  But I have to hope it’ll be fine.  That no one will be harmed by this.”

                Another drop of another liquid went into the dish.  This time, there was a reaction.  It was slow at first.  A single bubble formed on the surface.  Than another.  And another.  Faster and faster the mixture bubbled and boiled.

                “No…no.” Dr. Green said, backing away from the bubbling Petri dish.  “It didn’t work.”

                “I told you!  I told you it would fail!  Now look what you’ve done!”

                Dr. Green ran and hit a switch on the wall.  Heavy steel shutters fell down around them, completely isolating them from the outside world.  The room was now perfectly airtight.  Nothing would come in or out for a long time.

                “That’s won’t help for long.” Dr. Tam said.

                “We can wait it out.  Wait until the gas settles.  Wait until it’s safe.”

                “No.  It’s too late.  Too late for us.  It’s—“  Dr. Tam coughed.

                Putrid black blood splattered on his face plate, blocking off the sight of him.  Dr. Green head gasping and wheezing, then his fellow scientist fell, trying to clutch his throat through the heavy material of his suit.

                “No.  I…I didn’t want this.  I didn’t mean this to happen.” Dr. Green said quietly.

                Then he felt it.  A burning in his throat.  He gagged as he tasted a vile, metallic taste welling up in the back of his throat.  He coughed.  He saw the black liquid splatter heavily against his helmet.  His throat seized up.  And there was nothing more. 

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 A word to the wise.  If you're trying something that has the potential to produce deadly gas, maybe take a few extra precautions to make sure you don't, you know, die.  Maybe something involving robots would work.