Chapter 7 - The Security Breach
Haley let out a terrified shriek and dropped the glowing purse onto the floor as if it had burned her.
The bag tipped over, spilling lipstick, a cracked cell phone, and a thick, titanium-sealed vial filled with glowing green liquid.
The police officers immediately formed a defensive perimeter around the vial, keeping the panicking crowd at bay.
"That's not mine!" Haley screamed, backing away so fast she tripped over her own dress and fell hard onto the stage.
My stepmother rushed forward, violently shoving one of the police officers out of the way.
"You planted that on her!" she yelled, pointing directly at me. "Clara framed her own sister!"
The Chief of Police calmly pulled a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from his belt.
"Ma'am, assault on an officer is a felony, I suggest you step back before I arrest you right now."
My father stood frozen in the front row, his eyes locked on the glowing vial of experimental medicine.
"How did that get in her bag?" he whispered, finally realizing the catastrophic magnitude of the situation.
Dean Bradley leaned into the microphone, his voice echoing with cold authority.
"The VIP ticket that you stole from Dr. Hensley this morning is not just an invitation."
He pulled a similar gold card from his pocket and held it up for the crowd to see.
"These cards contain military-grade RFID chips that unlock the doors to the most secure laboratories on this campus."
Haley began to hyperventilate, crawling backward away from the police officers.
"I didn't steal anything, I swear, I just wanted to take pictures in the lab because the lighting was good!"
The Head of Campus Security shook his head in absolute disgust.
"You bypassed a Level 4 bio-containment checkpoint so you could take selfies for social media."
My stepmother grabbed Haley by the arm, trying to physically drag her away from the stage.
"She didn't know it was restricted, she's just a child!"
"She is twenty-four years old and just committed federal corporate espionage," the Chief of Police corrected sharply.
My father suddenly turned his anger toward me, his face twisted into a mask of pure hatred.
"You knew!" he roared, trying to climb over the barricade to reach me. "You gave her that ticket on purpose to set her up!"
I finally stepped fully into the light, my doctoral robes flowing heavily around me.
"I begged you to come to my graduation, and you shoved me into the rain and stole the only ticket I had."
My father laughed, a desperate, unhinged sound.
"Nobody is going to believe a word you say, Clara, we are respected members of society!"
The Dean reached out and pressed a red button on the side of the podium.
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"Actually, Richard, I think the entire room is going to believe her right now."
The massive digital projection screens behind the stage suddenly flickered to life.
