Ultraviolet Catastrophe

by Jamie Grey

  Max nodded. “They’ve moved all of the injured to the hospital and are saying they should all recover in a few days.”

  “This is all my fault. We should have told someone about the calculations being wrong. We could have stopped them from doing this test.” My voice cracked on the last word, and Asher’s fingers brushed my wrist, reminding me he was there. Maybe if we’d told my dad, Branston wouldn’t have been able to do this.

  “This is just as much my fault for not telling someone.” Asher squeezed my hand, and his voice was determined. “I promise we’ll fix this. But I don’t want you worrying about this right now. Focus on your dad.”

  “I want to worry about it now. I don’t want to sit here scared to death for the rest of the afternoon. I want to be doing something.” Coffee sloshed down my wrist, and I snatched a tissue from one of the many boxes scattered around the room to blot at it. If Branston had someone inside who could make this happen, what else were they planning?

  I wadded up the tissue in my fist. Freaking out was not going to help. “Right. Sorry. I just want to do something. To fix this.”

  “We all do,” agreed Max. “Asher, your dad said he’d be here in a little while. He’s just finishing his reports at QT. Are you guys hungry? Zella and I can grab some snacks from the shop downstairs.”

  Asher nodded. “Some food would be good. Thanks, guys.”

  Max and Zella took off, and Asher turned to me. “What can I do, Lexie? It’s killing me to see you like this.”

  “Make my dad better? Rewind time so we can stop this from happening in the first place?” I shook my head. “I just want to see him. Hear his voice again.”

  “You will. And we will figure this out. I promise.”

  His eyes glittered with anger, and I knew he meant it. I wanted to spill everything to him about Grant’s email, but before I could, there was a commotion at the door and my mom rushed in.

  “Lexie!”

  I ran to her, squeezing so hard neither of us could breathe. “Mom! You’re here!”

  “Honey, I’ve missed you so much.” She brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. “What’s happened? How’s Will?”

  I pulled away and shook my head. “I don’t know much. They’re still trying to patch him up.”

  She squeezed my arm. “How are you holding up?”

  I glared at her, my relief suddenly swamped by anger. “Better if I could have gotten a hold of you. Where have you been? Why haven’t you been answering my phone calls or emails?”

  She frowned. “I couldn’t risk it. I had to finish a sensitive project. Branston couldn’t know where I was. I’m sorry, honey.”

  “I was worried sick.”

  Mom pulled me into another hug. “I know. I was, too. But things are going to be all right now.” She stepped back and noticed Asher for the first time. “And who’s this?”

  “Asher Rosen. A…friend.”

  “Asher Rosen?” Her eyebrows rose for a moment before she held out a hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Asher. I was friends with your mother a long time ago.”

  He shook her hand. “I remember. I wish we were meeting again under better circumstances.”

  Mom wrapped an arm around my shoulder and squeezed. “So do I.”

  They wheeled my dad to the ICU around seven that night. Five hours of surgery and three transfusions later, but he’d made it. The doctors had removed as much shrapnel as they could find, set his broken arm and leg, and stitched up the gashes on his face. It looked like he’d been through a battlefield instead of just a regular day at QT, but I didn’t care.

  At eight o’clock, I sent Asher home. He looked as tired as I felt, and Dr. Rosen had finally arrived to see how we were doing. He and Mom shook hands, taking a few minutes to catch up while Asher and I wandered toward the elevators.

  He leaned against the wall while we waited. “You going to be okay? You and your mom should go home and get some rest.”

  “We’re going to stay for a while. I don’t want Dad to wake up here alone.” The hall was quiet; most of the patients’ visitors had gone. I stared at the computer carts for a moment before turning back to Asher. “You know this wasn’t an accident, right? Branston did this. And as soon as I know Dad’s okay…”

  Asher shook his head. “As soon as he’s awake, you’re going to get some rest. I’m decrypting the rest of Avery’s files as we speak. I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything out.” Wrinkles formed between Asher’s eyebrows as he frowned. “Right now, the most important thing is your dad. You need to be there for him.”

  I nodded, guilt twisting my insides. “I know. But I can’t help feeling this is our fault. If we’d just told someone, Branston could never…” Part of me wanted to blame Asher for keeping this secret, but I’d agreed with waiting to tell Danvers until we had more proof.

  A frown formed between his eyebrows, and Asher shifted his weight. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t think they would have believed us, but maybe I made the wrong call. At least one good thing came out of it. Danvers announced the project is on hold while they investigate.”

  “For how long?”

  “Long enough for us to figure out who’s helping Branston from inside.” He leaned forward and brushed a piece of hair from my cheek, his fingers leaving a trail of heat that made my skin tingle. “I’ll call you in the morning to see how your dad’s doing.”

  Dr. Rosen joined us as the elevators swished open. He studied me for a moment before saying, “Call us if you need anything.”

  They got into the elevator, and a jumble of conflicting emotions swirled through me, though one thing stood out. I wouldn’t have gotten through the day without Asher.

  “Hey, Asher?”

  “Yeah, Lexie?”

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded, and the elevator doors slid shut. I slowly walked back to Dad’s room where Mom was already curled up in one of the armchairs, her eyes framed by dark smudges.

  “Asher seems like a good kid,” she said. “It was nice of him to keep you company today.”

  “Yeah, he’s not too bad.” I sank into the other chair and tucked my feet beneath me. I’d missed our girl talks, but there was no way I was getting into a conversation about the guy I liked with her right now, no matter how much I was tempted. And even though I’d wanted to tell her everything as it had happened, email hadn’t seemed like the best way. She’d had more important things to worry about.

  “Where have you been? What’s been going on since you left?”

  “Where haven’t I been?” She gave me the ghost of a smile. “I hit almost every major city in the Southwest, but I ended up in Seattle at one of the other QT facilities. Branston followed me at every turn, and I had to finish my own research before I could come home. I’m sorry for not contacting you more often.” She paused. “Dad told me about them finding you here. I’m so glad he was able to get to you in time.”

  I nodded. “Major Grant showed up at Coco’s. It was not pretty. I thought Dad was going to kill the guy.”

  Mom frowned at Dad’s still form. “He probably would have. They have a…history. But he said you had worked things out together?”

  “We’re getting there. I don’t think he quite knows how to handle having a daughter.”

  She chuckled and looked at me with sad eyes. “I wish things had been different. We thought being apart would be safest for all of us. It wasn’t fair to keep him out of your life.”

  “And what about your life?” I raised an eyebrow. “What haven’t you told me?”

  Mom shifted in her chair. “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, come on. I saw you guys kissing in the kitchen. Dad told me he was still in love with you. And you never got over him either, did you? The bitter divorce thing was all an act.”

  She shrugged. “We did what we had to do. Keeping you safe was more important.”

  I traced a finger over the worn fabric of the chair arm. “None of us are safe now. I think Branston caused the
explosion that almost killed Dad.”

  She half-rose to her feet. “What?”

  I told her about Grant’s email, and she got up to pace the room.

  “I suppose it isn’t surprising that Branston has spies inside QT. They’ve poached several leading scientists from other branches in the last year.” Her lips thinned. “We just have to figure out who the mole is and how to stop him.”

  Mom and I spent the night pretzeled into the two chairs in Dad’s room before he woke at dawn. He was groggy and out of it but all right. The doctors did an MRI and a few other tests to make sure he hadn’t sustained any brain damage, and though he was in a lot of pain, they told us he’d probably be back home in about a week.

  Since he was out of the woods, Mom and I left to get some rest at home. But before I did anything else, I desperately needed a shower.

  I stripped clothes off as I sprinted toward my bathroom, shedding the stench of smoke and fear and hospital as I went. I cranked the shower as hot as it would go and stood under the stream, letting it wash away the smell coating my body like plastic.

  I scrubbed my hair, letting the floral-scented bubbles wash over me and feeling my muscles finally start to relax. I never wanted to go through anything like this again. I paused, hands tangled in my hair. If we didn’t stop the saboteur, things might get even worse next time. Someone might die.

  After I hurried through the rest of my shower, I stumbled back to my room, towel wrapped around my head. I did a quick check of my phone as I plugged it in to charge. Two texts from Asher, one from Max, and one from Zella. The little red number next to my messages icon made me surprisingly happy.

  I opened Asher’s and smiled as I read.

  Just checking in. Hope your dad’s doing well. Wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything. Besides me, of course.

  Grinning, I texted him back.

  Haha. Home now. Dad’s awake and well. We’ll talk about what I need later.

  I switched off my phone so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep checking for his response. Right now, I needed a nap.

  I slept for almost twenty-four hours and only woke when Mom tapped on my door.

  “The hospital called. Your dad’s awake again. Want to head over?”

  I nodded and yawned before throwing back the covers. I twisted to turn on my bedside lamp and spotted the Branston brochure on my nightstand. The one from Avery’s office. The one with the jotted-down phone number. I stared at my phone in the charger.

  One call and I might have some answers. One call and maybe I’d be able to figure out who was working for Branston. Who’d hurt my dad and was trying to destroy the project.

  I snatched up my phone and listened to it ring twice before someone picked up.

  “Hello?” a girl’s voice asked.

  I frowned. “Um, hi. Who am I speaking to?”

  “Lexie, is that you? It’s Amy. Is everything all right? How’s your dad?”

  I let out a gasp, turning it into a cough before I could answer. “Amy. Hi.” My brain whirled furiously, and I tried to keep calm. “He’s fine. The doctors say he’s going to make a full recovery. I just wanted to make sure you were okay after the explosion yesterday.”

  She laughed, though I thought I caught a hint of nervousness. “Yeah, Asher and I were working from my house, thank god. Good timing, huh?”

  “No kidding. Anyway, I should be going. Just wanted to check in.”

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Lexie, how did you get my number?”

  “Asher. He was busy with his dad so he asked if I’d call.”

  “Ah. Asher.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “Well, guess I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye.” I hung up and dropped my phone like it was a piece of alien tech. The weight of my discovery felt like a vise tightening around my chest until I could barely breathe. What was Amy’s connection with Avery?

  And what was her number doing scrawled on a Branston brochure?

  My head spun until it ached as Mom drove us to the hospital. She kept sneaking me glances, but I couldn’t speak. I didn’t even know what to say. I couldn’t stand Amy but for completely different reasons. I’d never thought she could actually be the Branston traitor.

  “Lexie? Is everything all right?” Mom finally asked as we rode the elevator to Dad’s room.

  “Not really.”

  She squeezed my hand. “He’s going to be okay. I promise.”

  I let out a shaky laugh. Of course I was worried about Dad, but I had bigger things on my mind right now.

  Back in Dad’s room, I paused in the doorway. He looked like he’d been on the receiving end of a bad beating. He had a black eye, stitches across his cheek, and his hair stood on end.

  Mom crossed to his bed and kissed his good cheek. “You had us worried, William.”

  He smiled up at her, and my breath caught at the love in his eyes. “Sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here, Maria.”

  “Me too.” She smoothed his hair back and adjusted his blankets before sinking onto the bed beside him and holding his hand.

  “Are you okay, Lex?” he asked. Propped against the pillows, he looked so thin and weak. It hit me again like a punch in the gut, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. I could have lost him.

  I sniffed and looked away. He didn’t need to see me crying. “I’m fine, Dad. I’m just glad you’re okay. Do you remember what happened?”

  He shook his head. “Most of it’s a blur. The warnings started going off about halfway through the ramp-up, and it exploded before we could shut down the machine. I have no idea why it failed.”

  I did, but now wasn’t exactly the best time to tell him. I needed to get my head together and get more facts first. “Whatever happened, I’m just glad you’re all right.” I kissed him on the cheek, his stubble tickling my skin. “I’m going to go grab some coffee from the cafeteria. You guys want anything?”

  Mom nodded. “A bottle of water would be great. I’ll get the nurse to bring Dad’s breakfast. Don’t worry about him.”

  “I’ll be back in a few.” I raised an eyebrow at Dad. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  He smiled at me, his eyes still shadowed with pain. “Never, Lex.”

  I grabbed a bagel and cream cheese in the cafeteria and sat in the corner to do some quick searches on my tablet. My head swam with questions about Amy and her family. How long had they been here in Oak Ridge? Where had they come from?

  I found Amy’s parents easily; both were well-respected nanophysicists who’d gone to Harvard and spent most of their careers working in private companies on the East Coast. Three years ago, the same time Danvers had taken over QT, they’d both gotten jobs here and moved to Tennessee. I chewed my lip. It didn’t mean anything. There were lots of reasons they could have come here. Maybe Dr. Danvers had recruited them. Maybe they’d wanted to get out of the big city.

  I didn’t find anything on Amy, which was a bit odd. If I searched for Zella, some of her research papers showed up. Max had Comic Con pictures and blog posts and some QT experiments that had made the rounds in a few scholarly journals. But this careful absence almost seemed like Amy had something to hide.

  I stared off into space, my muscles tense and aching. It couldn’t be true. Amy couldn’t be the plant on the inside. Could she?

  I tucked my tablet into my purse and went back upstairs. The door to Dad’s room was slightly closed, and the whispers from inside made me stop to listen.

  Mom sounded panicked, her voice trembling as she spoke. “How is this possible? How could Branston get someone inside QT? I thought it was the safest place for Lexie. And for you. The whole point of bringing her here was to keep her away from them.”

  “The whole point of everything was to keep her safe. And now I don’t know what else to do.” Dad paused, and I knew he was running a hand through his hair. “There’s someone working for them on the inside. Someone who knows about the experiments and who wants to stop Project Infinity and
destroy QT. You have to take Lexie and go. It’s time for plan B.”

  “I left once before, and I’m not doing it again.” Mom’s voice was determined. “I’m tired of living like this. Branston needs to be stopped.”

  “They’re too big to be stopped. Too powerful. They’re not going to miss again, Maria. They’ll go to any lengths to get Lexie back.”

  My head swam, and I tried to steady myself against the doorjamb. Why did Branston want me so badly? And if my parents thought I was going somewhere, they were sadly mistaken. These people had threatened my family and tried to ruin Project Infinity. There was no way in hell I was going to let them get away with it. Maybe my brains would finally come in handy for something.

  I pushed open the door all the way. “How do we stop them then?” Mom and Dad stared at me with identical looks of horror. I would have laughed if I wasn’t so freaked out.

  Finally, Dad shook his head. “We don’t do anything. You and your mom are going to go off the grid again for a while.”

  “It didn’t take Branston long to find me this time. Do you think that’s going to work again?” I shook my head. “This is bigger than me now, Dad.”

  I quickly told him about the real reason Asher and I had been in Avery’s office and about the brochure with Amy’s number on it. I reminded him of Grant’s threatening email.

  Dad frowned at me. “But I don’t understand. Why were you searching Avery’s office in the first place?”

  I studied the scuffed toes of my black ballet flats. If I told him about Avery’s calculations, I’d be betraying Asher, Max, and Zella. But if I didn’t, Branston might strike again before we could stop them.

  “Lexie?”

  I didn’t have a choice. I had to tell him. “Dad, Avery’s equation is wrong, and someone altered the project simulations to hide it.”

  He blinked, his eyebrows furrowing. “That’s impossible. Dozens of people have checked that equation. Hundreds even.”