Ultraviolet Catastrophe

I stared at the space, then glanced out at the old-fashioned building.

“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.”