Unexpected

Elias and Victor had been working tirelessly in the lab, pouring their expertise and passion into the groundbreaking project of connecting the human brain to an artificial visual system. The bionic eye project was their shared dream, and they were determined to give Quinn, Elias's blind son, a chance to see the world again. Late nights and countless revisions had brought them to the edge of a major breakthrough.

One fateful evening, after recalibrating the electromagnetic wave transmitter, Elias and Victor stood in anticipation. They had tested and retested the settings, ensuring the wave output was at a safe and controlled level. "I've lowered the value," Victor assured Elias, wiping the sweat from his brow. "This should work perfectly now."

Elias nodded, his eyes fixed on the monitor displaying real-time readings. They connected the system to a test subject—a lab rat fitted with the prototype bionic eye. As the device activated, the screen flickered, showing glimpses of the rat's vision relayed through the artificial implant.

Suddenly, a low hum began to intensify. The readings on the monitor spiked erratically. "Wait, something's not right..." Elias muttered, his hands darting over the keyboard to stabilize the wave output.

Before Victor could respond, a deafening burst of electromagnetic energy erupted from the core device, sending shockwaves through the lab. Sparks flew, and the blinding light engulfed the room. Elias and Victor were thrown backward by the force, their bodies hitting the ground hard. Alarms blared as emergency systems tried to contain the surge.

Victor struggled to get up, coughing through the thick smoke. "No way... I lowered the value! How could this happen?" he gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror.

Elias, barely able to move, turned his head to see the catastrophic destruction. The power surge had overloaded the entire system, and the massive electromagnetic wave engulfed them before they could react. Within seconds, the unimaginable force of energy overwhelmed their bodies.

Lab workers rushed in to evacuate the site, but it was too late. Elias and Victor were at the epicenter of the explosion, their lives claimed by the very technology they had worked so hard to perfect.

As the dust settled, five workers were found severely injured, their bodies riddled with burns and deep wounds from the shattered equipment. The lab was declared a hazardous zone, and the once-promising project was shut down indefinitely.

News of the tragic accident spread quickly. Quinn, devastated by the loss of his father and uncle, found himself alone in a world he could not see, without the guiding presence of the two men who had dedicated their lives to helping him. The only solace he found was in Techo, the robotic companion his father had built for him.

The world outside had its own opinion on the incident. Rumors swirled, and conspiracy theories began to emerge, suggesting that the experiment was tampered with by a rival scientist who sought to steal their work. In the shadows, an unknown figure reviewed the hidden footage of the lab, smirking at the catastrophic failure.

Meanwhile, Quinn's school life became even more difficult without Techo by his side. The principal had insisted that Quinn attend school without the assistance of his AI companion, promising that the staff would ensure his safety. However, reality proved to be far from their assurances.

On his first day without Techo, Quinn hesitantly boarded the school bus. He felt vulnerable, relying solely on his cane to navigate the world around him. As he reached his classroom, one of his classmates stuck out their leg in his path. Quinn tripped and fell to the ground, his books scattering across the floor. Laughter erupted around him, and his face burned with humiliation.

Emma, one of the few kind students in the class, rushed to his side. "Are you okay, Quinn?" she asked gently, helping him gather his things. Quinn nodded, forcing a smile, but inside, he longed for Techo's reassuring presence.

Back at home, Quinn sat in his room, running his fingers over Techo's metallic surface. "I wish you could come to school with me," he whispered. Techo beeped softly, as if in response, its AI sensors detecting the sadness in Quinn's voice.

Despite the tragedy, Quinn knew he had to move forward. He couldn't let the loss of his father and uncle, or the challenges at school, break him. With Techo by his side, he would find a way to honor their memory and continue their dream of a better future.