Sci-Fi

Catalyst

A high-stakes laboratory accident ignites unexpected desires in this tense, provocative exploration of control and consequence.

At Helix Biotech in Hawthorne, two research assistants stay late to clean the lab. When one accidentally knocks over an unlabeled compound, they are exposed to a mysterious substance—and the lab immediately goes into lockdown. The compound quickly alters behavior, lowering inhibitions and amplifying desire, forcing the assistants to confront impulses, ethics, and power dynamics in real time. As tension escalates, every interaction carries new risk, and every decision becomes a test of restraint. Catalyst is a gripping, psychologically charged story that explores what happens when science slips beyond control.

Themes

Weird Science, Inhibition & Desire, Ethical tension

Setting

Crestview

Year

2020

Published

6/11/2025

Revised

9/17/2025