It would be many years before Dr Fong would develop a treatment, but by then it would be too late. The sea would be black, the sky would be bruised, and all the oil would be rotten.
The folks at Exxon would be as hungry as the rest, and they’d look back on the day that Dr Fong came to them and wish they’d left the crystal safely in its case, far from the lasers and chemicals that would ultimately awaken it.
“What do you want with it?” they’d remember asking.
“Oh, it’s just a hunch,” they’d remember him say.
# # #
This is a 100-word flash fiction story, prompted by the picture you can see up there, as part of Friday Fictioneers.
Click here if you’d like to take part, and click here to read other pieces.
Simon John Cox 
Very sinister. And all for the want of leaving a crystal in splendid isolation. Good idea.
Thanks Sandra. I thought it looked like a sea urchin, which made me think it might be alive…
No idea what's going on here, Simon, but there's plenty to get a hold of and fear.
Loved the Armageddon imagery in the first part… and that the Mad scientist might be the supervillain behind it all..
It's always the mad scientist, right? Nicely writen.
Your guess is as good as mine ;)
Thanks Björn. And it's always the mad scientist.
Hey, you took the words right out of my mouth…
Dear Simon John,
Hindsight's always 20/20 isn't it? Your story would make a good sci fi movie.
Shalom,
Rochelle
The first time I read it, I read “Dr. Frog”, which gave me a slightly different perspective. :-) It's easy to look back and see what we should have done and to whom we should have listened, isn't it? Inventive use of the prompt!
janet
Dear Simon – Very clever story and I love the sci-fi. There are always stories of magical crystals. Good job! Nan :)
This could be the start of a far bigger story. Excellent.
I had to read it and re-read it over and over again to make sure I got the tense right though…
Dr Frog…a Muppet version of this story would be awesome. Although, to be fair, a Muppet version of any story would be awesome.
Never mind magic, I thought it was some kind of crystalline parasite…
Great, now I just have 79,900 words to go… ;)
Excellent story, Simon. I find it curious to have an Exxon exhibit in a natural science museum, and I love what you did with the picture.
All my best,
Marie Gail
That crystal does look evil, whatever it is. I like where you've taken this – a great idea.