Drama

Catalyst

A sealed lab, a vaporized sample, and two researchers who discover that containment doesn’t stop what’s already inside.

Late one night in a Crestview research facility, two assistants stay behind to finish cataloging biological samples for Orbis Innovations. The work is routine—sterile, methodical—until an unlabelled vial slips, shattering on the floor. A flash of red mist fills the air, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. The lab’s automated systems detect the breach and trigger a full lockdown. For the next twenty-four hours, no one can enter or leave. At first, the pair treat it as an inconvenience—just another protocol run by a company obsessed with control. But as hours pass, something begins to change. Their thoughts feel looser, emotions sharper, conversations slipping into unfamiliar territory. The air feels heavier, their reflections stranger. With nothing to do but wait, the isolation becomes an experiment of its own. And as the compound’s unseen effects deepen, the question shifts from how to survive the lockdown—to whether they’ll recognize themselves when it ends. A contained, psychological sci-fi thriller, Catalyst explores isolation, inhibition, and the delicate boundaries between curiosity and desire.

Themes

Research Gone Wrong, Tension in Isolation, Inhibition and Desire

Setting

Crestview

Year

2025

Published

10/27/2025