Ultraviolet Catastrophe

by Jamie Grey

  I nodded. “Dad, I want to trust you, but no more lies, okay? Or forgetting about me or abandoning your responsibilities. We have to work on this.”

  He held out a hand. “I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes, but I promise to do my absolute best.”

  I shook it. “It’s a deal.”

  I fell asleep for most of that afternoon — probably exhausted from whatever drugs Grant had injected me with. Dad woke me up just before dinner with a soft knock on my door.

  “Lex? Honey? Time to wake up. Dr. Rosen and Asher are on the way over. I want him to make sure you’re okay and run some tests.”

  I moaned and sat up. The last thing I felt like doing was entertaining Asher or his dad when I felt like I could sleep for a week. I crawled out from beneath my bedspread and shivered, reaching for my Columbus High hoodie. I frowned at the rat’s nest of my hair and scraped it back into a quick ponytail. It would have to do.

  “Can I get you something?” Dad asked from the kitchen as I cocooned myself on the couch.

  “Tea would be great.” My teeth wouldn’t stop chattering, and I didn’t know if it was still shock or the effects of Grant’s drugs.

  The doorbell rang, and I heard my dad answer it. Asher and Dr. Rosen wandered into the living room a moment later. I smiled weakly at them both, and Asher frowned.

  “Lexie, you look tired,” Dr. Rosen said, squatting down in front of me and reaching for my wrist. He took my pulse and nodded. “You don’t seem to have a fever or increased heart rate, though. How do you feel?”

  “Like I got injected with a brain-altering, nanobot-destroying compound.”

  He smiled. “I hear it hurts.”

  Dad wandered in carrying a tray with mugs and a teapot. He poured me a mug, and I clutched the warm cup between my hands. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Emmet’s going to need to take some blood and do a quick check-up. Are you up for that?”

  I nodded and reluctantly put the mug down. “Let’s get it over with.”

  Dr. Rosen followed me to my bedroom where he drew three vials of blood, listened to my heart, and did a general inspection. He frowned several times but didn’t say much until we were done.

  “I’m not sure what we’re going to do about the nanobots. I’ll get these samples analyzed, and then we can decide. I’d feel better if I knew how long the drug stayed in your system or even what it was. I’m afraid if there’s still a trace of Grant’s serum, it’ll just destroy any new nanobots we inject. And we need them working if we’re going to keep you safe.”

  “So what about going to QT then?”

  “I think it’ll be fine.” He smiled encouragingly at me, but I could see from the way he rubbed his hand along his jaw he was concerned. “We’ll get this figured out. I promise.”

  Together, we wandered back out to the living room. Dad had made a fire in the fireplace, and he and Asher were sitting in awkward silence in the two armchairs flanking it. Both of them sprang to their feet as we entered.

  I curled up back on the couch and grabbed my mug. Dad and Dr. Rosen exchanged a glance, and I knew they wanted to talk about me in private. Somehow, I couldn’t really bring myself to care.

  “Call if you need anything, Lex,” he said as they headed into the kitchen.

  Asher moved to the couch, tucking the blanket around my icy toes and then perching on the arm to study me. “You don’t look so good.”

  “What — a hoodie and a ponytail don’t cut it here in Oak Ridge? I’m shocked.”

  “Not what I meant. You look pale. And there are bruises beneath your eyes. If that guy hurt you…” His voice trailed off but not before I heard the threat in his voice.

  “I’m fine. Just tired. It would have been much worse if you and my dad hadn’t shown up. How did you know?”

  Asher’s lips thinned. “He just felt off. Especially after I’d heard the security bots had exploded. Only someone with some seriously advanced tech could have gotten past them. I just wish I’d gotten there earlier.”

  “Well, I appreciate it.” I stared down into my tea as it finally hit me for the first time. My stomach lurched. They’d tried to kidnap me. The liquid sloshed over the sides as my hands started to shake, and Asher leaned forward to take the mug from me.

  “It’s okay. You’re safe now, and we’re not going to let them get that close to you ever again.”

  “But what do they want? I’m nothing special.” My voice broke, and I had to look away from his intense gaze.

  “You haven’t had time yet to figure out what you are, Lexicon. But trust me, you are special.”

  His words made me shiver, and I stared into the crackling fireplace, at the flames dancing on the blackened logs. I hated feeling like I stood out, even at QT where everyone else was a freak, too. But special? Did Asher know something about all this that I didn’t?

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Asher get up and rummage in his messenger bag before pulling out his laptop. He came back to sit on the couch, his shoulder pressed to mine, the warmth from his body soaking into me and finally driving the shivers away. I felt unexpectedly comfortable with him.

  “Ok, so now that Branston has really pissed me off, I think it’s time for some more information.” He smiled slyly and cracked his knuckles. “Prepare to see the master at work.”

  I shook my head. “I’ve been searching for information on them since Monday. Even the resident genius can’t find something that’s not there.”

  He winked and pulled up a browser. “Watch and learn, grasshopper.”

  If I thought I had mad Google skills, they were nothing to what Asher had. He crawled into the Branston website using a hole in the code, and every time they tried to shut him out, he opened a new one.

  Asher shook his head, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Whoever designed this site thought they were being sneaky with the .php, but not if you leave gaping holes in your code.” He finally paused and let out a low whistle. “Well, damn. Looks like our Major Grant is on the Branston board of trustees. Along with one of the heads of the National Institute of Science, a few foreign nationals, and three Army generals.” He took a screenshot and saved it to his hard drive. “I can see where they’d want to keep this secret. I don’t think the scientific community would approve of them being so close with the government.”

  I peered over his shoulder, but I didn’t recognize the names. And then the page disappeared, replaced by a warning message: “Page not found.”

  Asher smirked at the screen. “Too little, too late, guys.” He brought up the code finder in his browser and scanned it quickly. “Just looking for another hole. Now that they know we’re here, they’re searching, too, trying to plug them. But I have a few more tricks to play.”

  He pulled up the Run prompt on his Start menu and typed a string of characters. Another window popped up. “This is one of the bots I created to search for deep holes in web codes. It should find us another back door into the site. I want some more information on our Major Grant.”

  I watched, lips parted as the code scrolled through. I caught a few strings of letters and numbers that almost made sense. They tickled the back of my brain, like a memory I’d forgotten, almost clicking into place, but then Asher crowed and started typing again.

  “Found one. Now we race to get there before they shut us down.” His fingers flew over the keyboard, and I tried to keep up with what he was typing on screen. The website pages flashed by until they stopped on what looked like a personnel file.

  Major Timothy Grant.

  Asher copied and pasted as much as he could in the five seconds before the site crashed. It wasn’t much, but as we stared at the info, both of us frowned.

  Hired: 9/1/1989

  Supervising Manager: Carla Danvers

  Original Hiring Manager: William Kepler

  Skill set: Genetic manipulation of DNA and RNA, particularly in vitro gene therapy resulting in new development and mutation. Head of new taskforce to develop enhanced intelli
gence.

  My head spun again, and I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes. “Do I even want to know what that means?”

  Asher’s voice was dry as he said, “It means Grant used to report to your dad. And Danvers. That’s got to be more than just coincidence.”

  “You are so not making me feel better here.”

  “Yeah. Makes me really wonder what exactly was in the shot he gave you. And what they intended to do with you once they had you.”

  I glared at him. “Seriously, Asher. Just stop. I can’t handle this right now.”

  “Better to handle it now than later when they have you trapped in their facility.”

  I knew he was right, but it was so much easier to ignore it. To hope that my dad would hide me, protect me like he said he could. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I was going to have to deal with this myself. And Asher was someone I needed on my team.

  “Fine, but can we do this tomorrow when my head isn’t throbbing? I think I’d be a lot more useful.”

  “That’s my girl. We’re going to figure this out. Together.”

  Dr. Rosen called the next morning with the results of my blood test. Dad was in the middle of making coffee and paused, pressing his finger below his ear. I couldn’t help staring. The whole communicator thing was still so cool.

  “No trace in her system?” Dad nodded. “All right. And the nanobots are still intact?” He frowned and listened for a few minutes.

  I tapped my fingernail against the counter impatiently. At least when Mom talked on her cell phone, there was the chance I could overhear the conversation.

  “That’s strange. Grant doesn’t usually miss the mark like that. Thanks for the call, Emmet.” Dad pressed his ear again and poured himself a cup of coffee before turning to me. My skin pricked at the furrow forming between his eyebrows.

  “Dr. Rosen says there’s no trace of the drug in your system, and the nanobots are still intact. Whatever Grant injected you with didn’t work.”

  I stared at him. “So what about the side effects? I couldn’t move for, like, half an hour.”

  “I don’t know. One of Grant’s specialties is biochemical engineering. As much as I hate the guy, he’s a thorough scientist.”

  And Dad would know after supervising him at Branston. I chewed my lip. “Well, I guess that’s a good thing then. I can go to school like normal tomorrow.”

  He nodded, though he still looked troubled. “I don’t see why not. I’m going to have Emmet run a few more tests to make sure we haven’t missed anything, but if he says you’re fine, I believe him.” He took another sip of coffee and grimaced. “What kind of sludge did I buy?”

  “I think it was on sale last week.”

  “Don’t let me go grocery shopping by myself ever again.” He poured the cup down the sink and smiled at me. “Let’s go get breakfast at Coco’s.”

  “Ha! Checkmate!” Zella jumped to her feet and the holographic chess board they’d been using flickered into a burst of miniature fireworks over the lunch table. She did a little dance as Max sat back in his chair and glowered at her.

  “You just got lucky.”

  “Don’t you dare. I worked hard for that win. Do you know how many chess sites I had to study to figure out how to beat you?” She grinned and popped a grape into her mouth. “You’re just a sore loser.”

  Max shook his head but a smile played on his lips. “Fine. It was a good match. But watch out next time. I’m going to destroy you.”

  I rolled my eyes and took another bite of peanut butter and jelly. I’d given up trying to follow their game. I’d never quite gotten the hang of chess and these moves were way beyond me. Even at lunch, my teammates were overachievers.

  Across the room, I spotted Asher striding toward us. I ran a hand through my hair and swiped at my mouth with a napkin. With my luck, I’d have jelly smeared across my chin and never even know.

  Asher straddled one of the empty chairs at our table and leaned his arms along the back of the seat, his whole body quivering with suppressed excitement. “Did you guys hear the news?”

  Zella popped a grape in her mouth and shook her head. “No, but I bet you’re going to tell us.”

  His knees bounced up and down. “It’s still a secret, so keep this between us, but QT just got awarded a huge new contract. It’s going to change everything.”

  Zella stopped eating and stared at him with wide eyes. “What’s it for?”

  I wasn’t nearly as impressed with his news as I was with the way his “Got Science?” shirt hugged his chest or brought out the blue in his eyes. A bite of sandwich lodged itself in my suddenly dry throat, and I quickly took a drink of water as Asher leaned forward, glanced around the cafeteria to make sure no one was listening.

  “It’s for an Einstein-Rosen bridge,” he whispered.

  Max dropped his fork on his lunch tray with a clatter. “A wormhole machine?”

  “Shhh!” Asher glared at him.

  “But the Einstein-Rosen bridge is theoretical. It doesn’t exist.” Max shook his head. “It’s impossible. They’re too unstable to create in the first place.”

  Asher merely raised an eyebrow. “This is Quantum Technologies. Do you have any idea what kinds of projects they’ve been working on in secret?”

  “So what does that mean for QT?” I asked, trying to find a way into the conversation. Three pairs of eyes turned to me, and Asher’s grin was smug.

  “It’s going to be a huge project. They’ll need all the help they can get, which means they’ll be pulling select groups of students into the project as part of their modules. We’ll be a part of the group of scientists who prove wormholes exist. It’s historic. It’s as important as the Manhattan Project or the Mars Rover.”

  “Oh.” Way to go, Kepler. Nothing like flaunting your ignorance.

  My tablet dinged on the table, followed by three more dings as Zella, Max, and Asher all got the same email.

  Zella pulled it up and read it aloud. “Attention all staff and students. Please plan to meet in the auditorium at four o’clock today to be part of a historic announcement regarding Quantum Technologies and our future. I look forward to sharing this exciting news with you. Signed, Dr. Carla Danvers.”

  “This is it,” Asher said with a grin.

  “How does your dad feel about all this?” Zella asked. “Will your mom be coming back to work on the project?”

  The smile slipped from Asher’s face. “As far as I know, Mom’s still in Seattle with no plans to return.”

  She nodded. “I just wondered. I know her focus is a bit different, but she’s still one of the best physicists in the country.”

  “QT is smart to let someone else lead up the project. Dr. Jessica Rosen is kind of an asshole.” Asher stood up, scraping his chair across the floor. “Anyway, just wanted to give you guys a heads up. I’ll catch you later.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and strode away.

  I frowned at his retreating back. “What was that about?”

  Zella shook her head. “Asher’s mom left them years ago and hasn’t bothered to keep in touch even though she still works for QT. It’s kind of sad.” She popped another grape in her mouth. “Asher hasn’t been the same since she left. I think that’s when he started his flirting phase. I guess it keeps his mind off other things.”

  Max shook his head. “Dr. Rosen is a genius, but he’s kind of that stereotypical absentminded-professor type. Asher’s had to fend for himself. I think he blames his dad for his mom leaving.” He got to his feet. “But not like we can do anything about it. Time for some more research before the staff meeting. You done yet, Zella?”

  She snatched the bag of grapes off her tray and shoved it into her bag. “I am now. We’ll see you later, Lexie.” Her expression was almost friendly as she and Max walked away.

  The Quantum Technologies auditorium looked like a shining glass bubble on the side of the main QT facility, the curved glass walls and ceiling giving it an open, air
y feel. Even with the hundreds of bodies milling around, the place was huge. It could probably fit two thousand people in the soft, movie-theater-style chairs ringing the center stage.

  “The auditorium is made from high-tech glass,” Max explained as we shuffled toward the middle of the auditorium with the rest of the students. “It’s filled with heavy particles that can be turned on or off to block the light. Comes in handy when you want to display a presentation in the middle of the day. Especially since QT hosts an annual conference every scientist in the world would kill to be invited to.”

  “More of the QT exclusivity?”

  “Of course. How else do you generate buzz?” He let me shuffle first into our row. The other students whispered and giggled as they filtered in behind. I guessed there were about a hundred of us total, twenty or so in each level.

  Below us, closer to the stage, the scientists and staffers wandered in, chatting with each other as they took their seats. I think the IQ number in the room was at least a zillion and three, based on the lab coats. My dad even sported his crazy scientist hair; it stood on end like he’d run his hands through it a dozen times. Evidently, it had been a rough morning in the labs. Unfortunately, Jordan seemed more than happy to make him feel better, giggling and flirting with him as they took their seats. Dad looked more annoyed with her behavior than anything as he tried to speak with the scientist seated on the other side of him.

  I spotted Dr. Rosen entering the auditorium with the medical team. Dr. Danvers mingled with three people in business suits near the stage. Unusual, since most of the staff here wore lab coats or scrubs.

  I searched the rest of the crowds. Of course, I wasn’t looking specifically for him, but I didn’t spot Asher anywhere. Amy sat a few rows behind us, craning her neck as she scanned the crowds, too. There was an empty seat beside her.

  At four sharp, Dr. Danvers moved to the podium and tapped the microphone. “Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for coming on such short notice. We have an amazing announcement to make, and I hope you’ll all be as excited about it as I am. Quantum Technologies is about to take a major leap into the future. I am pleased to have two of the regents of the Quantum Technologies board here to help share this news with you — Director Dr. Elisabeth Franklin and Assistant Director Dr. John Evans.”