Chapter 130: Starting Clinical Trials

Finley leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples, as the laboratory's bright light shone brightly above him. It had been hours since he and Zoe had started working on the chips, and the strain was beginning to show. His eyes narrowed as he studied the data streaming across the screen in front of him, his mind racing to keep up with the endless calculations and code. Zoe, sitting across from him, was equally engrossed. She bit her lower lip, her eyes wide as they flickered between the code and the notes she had scribbled on the whiteboard. Every now and then, she would reach up to push a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her fingers trembling slightly from the adrenaline and caffeine coursing through her veins. "We're close," she muttered, more to herself than to Finley, her voice tense. "I can feel it." Finley glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. "We have to be. We've been at this for—what?—twelve hours straight?" He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension in his m