Overview

A spicy sapphic novella for fans of Black Mirror, Women (Chloé Caldwell) and Want (Gillian Anderson).

Natalie Harris is a 29-year-old Psychologist who isn’t getting enough.

She hasn’t been on a date in years. Her appetite is non-existent. Even her creative hobbies have lost their appeal.

So, when Natalie’s best friend, Rhea, invites her to take part in a clandestine research project, the Vie Lab, she accepts, hoping to broaden her horizons.

What Rhea doesn’t reveal is that the lab allows testers to be virtually immersed in any scenario they can imagine. And that most scenarios are sexual.

Ellen, the lab’s beautiful and enigmatic Engineer, draws Natalie into her world, offering space to explore her desires. Orchestrating hands-on scenarios outside of lab hours. Rekindling her dormant appetites.

But as the edges of their relationship start to blur, Natalie wonders whether Ellen will let her get close enough to experience what she truly wants.

Or if she’s just another experiment in the lab.

tropes/themes:

• women in STEM (Sexual Tension, Engineering and Mixed signals)
• spicy academia
• queer awakening
• overachiever X overachiever
• questionable research
• anxiety / overthinking