Somewhere around this time Sam had a bad accident.  While holding a 4L beaker the bottom literally collapsed into his right hand and the upper lip broke in his left hand.  This resulted in a trip to the ER, about 12 stitches and a long rehab.  The accident almost cost Sam complete movement of his thumb, the tendon (according to the woman who sewed Sam up) was almost cut.  It took about 3 months of time for Sam to regain the bulk of movement of this thumb.  Clearly the accident was caused by faulty glassware (see above) and days after his return to the GM lab Sam had the GM’s secretary at the time (Mrs. Canned Corn) transcribe his recount of the events (see below).  As it turned out similar paperwork had to be filed with the University of Asscrack by the GM.  Sam saw the GM’s account (see below) and was disturbed because it was completely falsified.  Even on requesting that the GM change this incorrect account of events the GM never did.

Now Sam had affirmation, the GM was nothing more than a liar.  Still, the GM was only getting started.  The GM next moved Sam to a new project; however, within a few weeks the GM was not pleased with the results so Sam was again without a project for his degree.  Mind you Sam had now been in the GM’s lab for about 2 years and had nothing to show for his efforts as the GM would not allow him to finish the first project or proceed on the second one.  Some time passed and then what would seem good news (at the time) arrived.  The GM had a new postdoc (Dr. Smirnov) and also the thesis from a student in Japan (I have a copy of the latter provided to Sam by the GM).  The Japanese had devised the most marvelous of inventions and now it was the GM who was going to further advance the idea.   Dr. Smirnov had already obtained good results and all Sam had to do was simply replicate Smirnov’s results and then he could graduate.

Sam began by simply watching a number of the experiments.  They took a long time to complete and due to the cost of the catalyst they had to be done carefully.  Still, they managed to work each time and after seeing how easy the chemical manipulations were Sam knew it would be no time before he would finish the project.  Once Sam got his turn to do the experiments by himself he didn’t get any product.  Dr. Smirnov informed Sam that is was due to poor technique.  Sam was worried so he kept at it.  But time and time again Sam was never able to make a single milligram of product.  Oddly enough when the reaction was setup and run by Smirnov it always worked.  Sam began to view the data Smirnov was presenting during the meetings with the GM and he began to realize that something was wrong.  The data always seemed to be almost identical!  Still according the GM and Smirnov the problem was with Sam and not the chemistry.  So Sam continued to work feverously and within a very short time (after working 12-14 hour days) Sam had conducted almost 100 failed experiments.  Smirnov now became erratic in his behavior.  He would sweat profusely in the lab despite the well air-conditioned environment.  His body odor was so bad that it was almost intolerable to be within 15-20 feet of him.  Smirnov now began to say things to Sam like he could wind up going to Siberia in a small box if he didn’t do what he was told.  Sam began receiving death threats from Smirnov and things from his desk were disappearing such that Sam had to start locking everything into a filing cabinet each day.  Smirnov was crazed and it would be very easy to slip a few hundred milligrams of cyanide or another toxic chemical common to the lab into Sam’s food or drink.  The other students of the herd knew what was going on but wouldn’t say a word to anyone.