Ultraviolet Catastrophe

by Jamie Grey

“It’s bigger on the inside,” I whispered.

  Dad chuckled and ushered me into the building. “Just another one of QT’s specialties. Spatial adjustment. Inside, it’s a five-story building. Outside, visitors only see a normal, unobtrusive house.”

  A guard in a neatly pressed uniform stopped us with a smile just inside the door. He had a bit of a paunch and his hair was mostly white, but his eyes were still bright and curious. “Is this your daughter? She looks just like you, Dr. Kepler. But much prettier, of course.”

  “Thanks, Sam. This is Lexie.”

  I shook the man’s hand and let him clip a badge to my T-shirt.

  “Once you get your clearance, you won’t need to worry about wearing a badge,” Dad explained, leading me through the lobby. “They’ll have your biostats on file, and the building will recognize you as soon as you walk in. Right now, though, that badge is the only thing keeping building security from immobilizing you.”

  I re-clipped the badge more securely to my shirt. “I’ll make sure I don’t lose it then. I’d hate to be tackled by a bunch of overweight security guards.”

  Dad shook his head. “Oh, it wouldn’t be the guards. The building itself has internal security. It can freeze you in your tracks if it thinks you’re an intruder.”

  I stared at the slick granite floors and glass walls. Everything looked fairly harmless. Guess you couldn’t always judge a book by its cover. “How would that work, exactly?”

  “One word. Nanobots. Dr. Rosen will explain everything.”

  I followed Dad through a set of heavy, frosted-glass doors into another hallway. People bustled back and forth wearing white lab coats and worried expressions. A few nodded at Dad as they passed, but most of them were too busy studying computer tablets or arguing with their colleagues.

  There were an awful lot of people working in the middle of a Saturday afternoon.

  “William.” A woman’s voice rang out across the lobby, and her high heels clicked as she approached. She was tall and thin, with blonde hair pulled up into a bun, and she greeted us with a wide smile and a wave of her tablet. “I didn’t think you’d be back until tomorrow.”

  “Carla, this is my daughter Lexie. Lex, this is my boss, Dr. Carla Danvers.”

  We shook hands, her fingers cool and smooth, almost like a doll’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lexie. We’re very glad you decided to join us here at QT.”

  “Thank you.” I didn’t like the way her blue eyes studied me. As if she knew something I didn’t. As if she knew about my secrets. How many people had Dad told about the drugs?

  “I figured I could get Lexie’s security clearance taken care of today so she’s ready for her first day of school. And show her around a bit, of course.”

  “Of course.” Dr. Danvers smiled at me. “And what do you think so far?”

  I glanced around at the hallway, at the scientists rushing past. “It’s very impressive. And a little intimidating.”

  Her laugh was light as she shook her head. “You’ll get used to us soon enough, my dear. There’s nothing to be afraid of here.” Something buzzed on her tablet. “Ah, yes, we’re meeting about Evan’s thermodynamic steel project in Division Six. I should get back to my office. I’ll see you tomorrow, William. It was nice to meet you, Lexie. I look forward to hearing great things about you.” And she was off in a flash of red heels and tailored suit legs.

  Dad took my arm and led me in the opposite direction. “Danvers is a whirlwind. I don’t know how she gets it all done.”

  “And she’s the director here? Your boss?”

  He nodded. “She’s been in charge here for the past three years. Her specialty is astrophysics, but she spends most of her time in meetings keeping QT running smoothly. She does an amazing job, but I prefer being down in the labs.”

  We followed a wide corridor away from the central lobby. Glass walls lined the hall, with offices and lab space just behind. Huge computer monitors and machines I’d never seen before guarded cluttered desks and tall stools. People in lab coats were hunched over tablets at their desks or staring at computer images of readouts and formulas I couldn’t even begin to make out.

  “These are the low-security labs. Mostly mathematics, engineering, and general chemistry. The really interesting labs are down several levels in the high-security areas.” Dad led me to an elevator at the end of the hall. “Clearance office is on the second floor.”

  I nodded and stepped into the elevator — then jumped as a disembodied voice asked, “What floor, Dr. Kepler?”

  “Two, please, Ellie.” Dad’s eyes gleamed. “QT is one of the leaders in artificial intelligence. This was one of their first attempts.”

  I nodded and stared at the elevator panel. This place was amazing. And as angry and hurt as I was with my parents, I couldn’t help the flicker of excitement from my inner geek with all this amazing technology. Being into science had helped me feel closer to both of my parents. It had almost made me feel like Dad and I had something in common to talk about during his infrequent visits. Something to impress him with.

  And Mom had always encouraged me, too, and had even talked about me going to her alma mater, MIT. That all seemed so long ago now. Like it had happened to a different person.

  I clenched my fists. If Dad got his way, I’d be going to school here. I would actually have a chance to really learn this stuff. To show both Mom and Dad that I was smart enough. To show myself I was smart enough.

  My gaze narrowed as I studied the elevator panel. Most elevators stopped at the ground floor, but this one had buttons all the way to negative twelve. “Are there really twelve floors below ground level?”

  He nodded. “Plus the five stories above. It’s a big facility.”

  I swallowed. It was going to be impossible to find my way around QT.

  The elevator dinged, and the voice said, “Have a nice day, Dr. Kepler.”

  I glanced up at the ceiling where a black, glass eye watched us and shook my head before we stepped out into a wide open area dotted with tables and groups of chairs.

  Dad gestured to the empty space. “This is one of the study areas in the facility. During the school year, it’s mostly used by students. A lot of the classrooms are on this level.”

  I followed my dad down yet another hall to a suite of offices. “Most of the spaces above ground have limited security,” he continued. “We have a lot of contractors, visitors, and dignitaries who come to visit, so most of these floors are considered public use. It’s the stuff downstairs we need to get your clearance for.” He smiled at me. “I have two offices: one up here where I have meetings and the office on the sixth floor downstairs, where I do my actual work.”

  Dad pressed his thumb into the scanner on one of the heavy wooden doors, and it beeped once before swinging open.

  “Here we are.” He gestured, and I entered the room before him. It was sleek and high-tech — totally the opposite of my dad’s messy personality. But if it was just for show, I guess it made sense. I picked up the nameplate on the desk. “Assistant Director William Kepler. Dad, did you get a promotion?”

  He nodded. “Came through last month. I forgot to tell you about it.”

  Hurt stabbed through me. “That’s great, Dad.” I dropped the heavy metal nameplate back on the desk and moved to look out the window. I hated that my own father forgot to tell me about things like a promotion. Then again, I didn’t know why I was surprised. He’d lied about bigger things than that.

  “Nice view.” I looked out at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, covered in a swath of green from the forest below. Clouds raced across the blue sky of a perfect summer’s day.

  Dad came to stand next to me, and he looked out in silence for a moment. “I don’t get to enjoy this view nearly enough. Usually too busy. But you’re right — I need to be better at noticing those things.” He frowned at me, and I knew he was thinking of our relationship. “That’s going to change. I promise. Now, let’s get you over to the med win
g and start the clearance process.”

  We made it to the other side of the building without running into anyone else. Dad led me through a heavy glass door marked Medical Offices and smiled at the receptionist. “Dr. Kepler and Alexa here for Dr. Rosen.”

  She nodded and picked up the phone while Dad and I headed toward the back of the office. A door at the end of the hall opened, and a heavy-set man with messy hair stepped out to greet us.

  My head spun, and I felt like someone had jolted me with electricity. I knew him.

  “William, did we have an appointment? Who’s this?” His bushy eyebrows furrowed, and then his expression lightened. “Well, I’ll be… Is this Lexie? All grown up? I’m not sure if you remember me…”

  I could only nod. He was the doctor I’d seen when I was five when I’d taken all those tests and started my supposed ADHD meds. I’d been bored and scared in the cold, stark doctor’s office, but he’d given me candy and talked to me while we waited.

  I ignored the strange, metallic tang in my mouth and forced a smile. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Ten years, but it seems like just yesterday you were in my office.”

  “Getting drugged. Yeah, I remember.”

  His face darkened, the soft skin of his jowls moving as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Lexie. Your dad said he was going to tell you about the medication today. Are you upset?” The skin around his dark eyes wrinkled with his frown.

  “Wouldn’t you be?” I snapped.

  My dad shook his head. “Lexie, watch your tone of voice.”

  “It’s okay, Will. I’d be angry, too.” Dr. Rosen nodded and looked me directly in the eye. None of this shifty-glance thing my parents had tried with me lately. “I’m sorry for what happened. I don’t expect you to trust me, but I would like for us to be friends again someday.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I guess he’d just been doing his job. It wasn’t Dr. Rosen’s fault Mom and Dad had lied to me. I shrugged. “It all happened a long time ago. Let’s just forget it.”

  Relief lit his face, and he rubbed a hand against the sandpaper of his jaw. “Good. Now, let’s get the rest of the clearance process taken care of. Come on in.” He gestured to the door and I climbed onto the paper-covered exam table.

  “Will, have a seat in the waiting room. We’ll be out in a minute.”

  Dad nodded. “You going to be okay, Lex?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Of course. I’m not five anymore.”

  He smiled, almost sadly. “Right. Sometimes I forget.” Then he shut the door behind him.

  Dr. Rosen pulled back the cloth covering a series of sharp needles and three vials of liquid. “Your dad’s really missed you.”

  I’d missed him, too, but I was still too angry at all his lies to go down that road right now. I nodded toward the needles. “What are those for exactly?”

  He picked up a vial of light green liquid. “This is filled with nanobots. Once implanted, they’ll register your DNA with our security system. They’ve been specially engineered to replicate the building structure and make you ‘invisible’ to the system. Anyone who doesn’t have these little guys or a guest badge will be immobilized as soon as they step foot into the building.”

  I eyed the liquid with a frown. I didn’t exactly like the idea of millions of little robots floating around my blood stream.

  Dr. Rosen caught my expression. “You won’t be stuck with them for life. They’ll be completely out of your system in twelve months. You get a new injection as part of your yearly review. And we’ve seen very few side effects. We’ve been using them safely here for over ten years.”

  “Is it going to hurt?”

  “Not at all. All you’ll feel is a small poke. The other two vials are vaccines. QT does some interesting experiments, and we want you to be safe if anything happens.” He saw my raised eyebrows and smiled. “Not that it ever has. We have an amazing safety record, Lexie. You’ll be just fine.”

  Fine. That’s what they’d said the last time they’d pumped me full of drugs. And as soon as those nanobots were in my blood, I’d be officially a part of QT. Was I ready for that? I closed my eyes and tried to push away the panic that turned my fingers to ice. I didn’t exactly have any other options.

  So I let him jab and prod me, take my temperature, record my blood pressure and vitals. I winced as the needle approached my arm. Shots freaked me out. Luckily, Dr. Rosen had done this a few times before, and I barely felt it. I didn’t even need a Band-Aid when he was through.

  “And we’re done,” said Dr. Rosen. “Now, you need to register with the security office. The nanobots will take twenty-four hours to scan and register your DNA into the security system once they’re activated. You’ll be cleared in time for classes next week.”

  He opened the door and led me out to the waiting room where Dad was in the middle of a conversation with…nobody.

  “I’m not done here yet. Lexie has to finish up her clearance process…” He paused, nodded like he was listening to something. I looked for an earpiece to a cell phone or something, but there was nothing.

  “We’re with Rosen. Yes. Very well — we’ll be there in a few minutes.” Dad sighed and pressed the skin under his left ear before turning to Dr. Rosen and me. “Danvers wants us in her office. Evidently, Avery is at it again. She needs to do some damage control.” He frowned at me. “I’m sorry, Lex. If you’ll just wait in my office for a while, I’ll get your clearance finished up later.”

  “Um, Dad? Who were you talking to?”

  He smiled. “Intraocular cellular implant. Wireless phone capabilities. Basically, I have…”

  “An implant in your inner ear that works like a cell phone! That’s so cool!” Despite myself, I felt a buzz of excitement. This place was astounding, and even though I still wasn’t on board with being forced to attend school here, the possibility of getting my hands on some of this tech made me drool. At Columbus High, I’d never let my geek-flag fly. I’d learned early that a girl being too good at math and science was likely to get my locker super-glued shut.

  But there’d be no need to hide my nerdy tendencies here. If I stayed.

  “When do I get mine?”

  Dad chuckled. “They’re still experimental. Maybe in a few years.”

  Dr. Rosen frowned for a moment. “How about I get Asher to take Lexie to the security office while we go meet with Danvers? Would that help?”

  “Is he around? That’s a great idea.”

  Rosen pressed below his ear like Dad had and waited, his eyes going vacant as he listened to something only he could hear. “Asher, we need you down in the med office. Can you make it?” His lips twitched at something Asher said. “Yes. Joan’s upgrades can wait.” He pressed the communicator off.

  “He’ll be here in a few minutes. So, William, what’s Avery got himself into this time? Angry husband? Sexual harassment charge?”

  I curled one leg beneath me and sank into one of the waiting room chairs as Dad and Dr. Rosen gossiped. Sometimes men were even worse than high school girls. I killed time scanning through magazine articles until the door opened.

  I looked up from the magazine as a guy my age entered. It wasn’t hard to tell he was Dr. Rosen’s son. He had the same dark hair, tousled like he’d run his hands through it a few too many times, and his eyes were the same shape, with the same crinkle around the edges when he smiled. But instead of brown like Dr. Rosen’s, his were a startling shade of blue that made me think of the sky at dawn.

  He wore a gray t-shirt with “Got Science?” scrawled across the front. It clung to his unexpectedly muscled arms and chest.

  Were all the science geeks at QT this cute? Because, if so, I could totally get used to that.

  Dr. Rosen looked up. “Ah, there you are. Lexie, this is my son, Asher.”

  Asher smiled at me. “Fresh from Ohio, I hear.”

  Dear god. The guy was good-looking to begin with, but when he smiled… I blinked and forced myself not to stare
. “Yep. Just got here this morning.”

  “Welcome to QT. Always good to have another Kepler brain in the building.”

  I got to my feet. “Thanks.”

  He tilted his head to the side and studied me for one long moment before frowning.

  My stomach twisted. Did I have food on my face? Was my eyeliner smudged? “Something wrong?”

  “No.” He shook his head again. “I just thought… Never mind.”

  Dr. Rosen shook his head. “Asher spends a little too much time with the robots some days. I think he forgets how to interact with people.”

  Asher flushed a dull red and glared at his father. “Anyway, let’s get going. I’ll show you to the security office and have you finish the paper work for your clearance.” He gestured to the door. “After you, Lexie.”

  I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans and moved stiffly past him. The scent of his cologne washed over me, and my knees went weak. Great. Not only was he hot, but he smelled good, too. My tongue felt suddenly thick in my mouth. How was I ever going to think of anything to say to the guy? Small talk was not my thing.

  “I’ll meet you in my office when I’m done with Dr. Danvers,” Dad called as he and Dr. Rosen headed toward her office.

  I nodded and followed Asher in the opposite direction.

  “Security is just down here.” He led me past the quiet study space I’d seen earlier. The only sound was the tapping of our footsteps against the marble floors. Each step made my mind race even harder to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound stupid. If I could just come up with a witty statement or a brilliant observation, maybe I could start off on the right foot here at QT.

  “So, um… Quantum Technologies makes hoverboards, huh?”

  Evidently, my talent wasn’t in coming up with witty one-liners.

  Asher looked at me from the corner of his eye. “Among other things.” He paused. “Not sure what my dad said about me, but really, there’s no need to be intimidated. I’m just the resident genius.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him, shocked out of my embarrassment. “Modest, too, I see.”

  He gave me a cheeky smile. “What does modesty have to do with it? It’s a fact — just check my file.”