Late as a Rabbit (Sons of Wonderland Book 2)

by Kendra Moreno

  “I’ve looked over all your files, your research. I’ve noticed you worked on environmental chemicals at Embry-Jones. Are you aware that we focus on toxicology and vaccine production here?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Dr. Devereux sits back in her chair and steeples her fingers in front of her. She studies me, her eyes lingering on the bright-red hair I had attempted to push back into a bun. No doubt my curls are already falling out, framing my face in a look of bedraggled chic. My hair is too long to manage on most days, but I can’t bring myself to cut it. Neptune always had beautiful long hair.

  “I must warn you, our lab is predominantly male. We’ve had a difficult time getting women to remain in positions. You would be surprised by how many just stop coming into work. It has become very troublesome. The main consequence is that there are only three women in the entire company besides myself and none in the lab you’ll be working in. Will that be a problem?”

  I frown. The fact that so few women work within the company means that they probably don’t feel respected here, or that the male employees are horrible to work with. It doesn’t deter me as much as I expect it to. I know my field, and I’m good at it. Besides, I grew up protecting my sister from bullies. If there is, indeed, a problem within Star Corp, I’ll be able to handle it.

  “A little testosterone never hurt me.”

  Dr. Devereux nods her head like she expects that answer and leans forward again, writing something on the paper in front of her.

  “Welcome to Star Corp, Dr. Hill.” She offers me her hand, and I slip mine inside hers. I note the distinct coldness of her fingers–she must be freezing—and the loose grip, as if she doesn’t want to touch me. “If you’ll just go back down to the lobby, the security office can help with your security clearance and badge. You’ll be working in the toxicology department. I have a specific project in mind for you. One I think will suit your skills perfectly. You’ll get the file on your first day of work.”

  I stand when it’s obvious I’m being dismissed.

  “When will that be exactly?”

  I don’t like to linger or wait around. I would rather begin working as soon as possible so that I can get my mind on other things. I’ve spent too long dwelling on my life, and the fact that I now live in San Diego and know absolutely no one. I have no one.

  “Let’s say next week. It’ll take at least that long for all your clearances to go through. We keep our toxicology department on lockdown.”

  “Thank you for the opportunity,” I reply on autopilot, already stepping towards the door. I need to stop at the liquor store before I go back to the apartment I’m staying in. I can’t handle the sight of so many unpacked boxes stacked up tonight.

  “Jupiter,” Dr. Devereux calls, and I turn to look at her. “It’s nice to have another woman around. I look forward to working with you.”

  “Thank you. I look forward to it, as well.”

  I’m not. Not really. I had loved my job in Massachusetts. I had gotten to work on exactly what I wanted to, and my peers had respected me. But the moment I had made a promise to my sister, that had all been null and void. I’m not sure if this is what she had in mind, picking up everything suddenly and moving to the other side of the country, but it’s the best I can do short of attending a comic convention. Escaping into another universe would be nice. I’d kill to go on an epic journey right about now.

  Alas, such things don’t happen in real life, and so, I take care of the security clearance before leaving the building. Something whispers that I’m in the right place, even if I don’t know why. I sit in my car for twenty minutes before I can bring myself to drive. I’m not a fan of San Diego traffic.

  I buy the biggest bottle of Moscato I can find at the liquor store.

  Chapter Two

  I sit in my car for a ridiculously long time, staring up at the massive building with the words “Star Corp” emblazoned on the side. I don’t know why I’m psyching myself up to go inside. This isn’t the Twilight Zone. It’s just another building full of scientists. Given, Embry-Jones had been nothing like this concrete box with less windows than I have fingers. My previous company believed that sunshine was good for people who spent the majority of their time indoors and had prided itself on expansive windows that covered the building. The labs that were sensitive to the light were in the center of the building to keep the UV rays away. Besides that, it had been bright and open and cheerful. Star Corp is a bit depressing compared to that, and I’m not in any hurry to go inside.

  I watch as other people dressed in lab coats walk into the building, the minutes on my clock ticking by. When I have no other choice–either stay in the car and be late, or go inside—I grab my backpack and open the car door. I don’t have a lab coat yet, not one for Star Corp. I’m dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that says Science Bros with a picture of Iron Man, The Hulk, and Doctor Strange wearing lab coats. What can I say? I’m a nerd. The beauty of being a scientist is that most places don’t care what you wear under the white coat. Thank whoever for that. If I have to wear anything other than my Converse, I would riot.

  Inside the lobby, a security guard stands near a metal detector, making sure everyone empties their pockets before they slip through. I step in line and wait, shuffling forward with the line each time it moves.

  “Badge?”

  I damn near drop the coffee I had bought from the local coffee shop. There were at least ten of them in the short distance from my apartment to the lab. I had ended up picking a small one, the couple behind the counter all smiles and charm, unlike the big name chains. I would have been upset if I’d dropped my cup. I need the caffeine.

  “Pardon?” I turn to the guard on my right. I had been so deep in my head that I hadn’t even noticed him standing there.

  “You need to scan your badge before you continue.” He points to a machine next to me, and I nod in understanding.

  “Sorry,” I mumble. I pull the badge from my pocket and scan it, a small beep and a little green light alerting that I hadn’t slaved over making a fake one. What an event that would have been. I would have been caught right away.

  “First day?” a woman behind me asks.

  I smile and nod, meeting her eyes.

  “It is. I’m Jupiter.” I offer my hand for her to shake, and she threads her palm with mine. Firm handshake.

  “Paige. I’m on the biotech floor. You?”

  “Toxicology.”

  “Bummer. I was hoping to have another woman working with me. I’ve heard toxicology can be a real bitch. Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” That isn’t reassuring. What is so bad with the toxicology department here? I normally like the subject, but it doesn’t bode well if the other departments have heard bad things. “Maybe I’ll see you around?”

  “Sure thing. Meet me for lunch. The cafeteria.”

  I nod my head, happy to accept a friendly acquaintance before I move forward in line. When it’s my turn, I place my backpack on the conveyor belt and my keys and badge in the tray. I walk through the metal detector without any issues.

  “You can’t bring that in here.” The security guard on the other side points to my coffee, and I scowl. “No outside drinks.”

  “Why the hell not? It’s just coffee.”

  “If your department allows it, there will be a coffee machine in your lab.”

  “But this is good coffee.”

  “I’m sorry. You can’t take it in.”

  I mumble under my breath as he takes it from my hand. He then proceeds to throw my eight-dollar delicious coffee in the trash. I stare at the trash can forlornly for a moment before grabbing my things and stepping away. Already, I don’t like Star Corp. I’ll bet fifty dollars that the lab coffee is disgusting. I just know it’s going to be tar.

  When I had come in for my interviews, I never left the ground floor. Now, I head for the elevators. Toxicology is on the tenth floor of the fifteen-story building. The elevator fills as I take my place agai
nst the back wall. We stop at every floor to let someone off before finally, we reach ten. Most of the floors that it opened into were filled with bustling activity, music even coming from some of them. There are still three other people in the elevator when it reaches my floor and we all ignore each other, no nod goodbye as I step from inside. It’s completely silent on this level, no music or sound of conversations reaching my ears.

  Before I can overthink it, I step from the metal box, and the doors close behind me to carry the other passengers to their destinations. There is decidedly no bustle on this floor, the fluorescent lights glinting above the workstations and desks like a vacancy sign. Wow. I really expected more people.

  Stepping further into the room, my eyes land on an empty desk, my name on a small new plaque sitting right in the center. I move towards it and drop my backpack before taking in the top of the line computer and fancy chair. It seems Star Corp finds other things to spend their money on rather than sunshine.

  “A redhead, I like it.”

  I look up to see a man appearing from out of nowhere, perched on the desk across from me. I didn’t even hear him come in. His desk is covered in paperwork, the mess spilling over into boxes on the sides. He’s wearing the standard lab coat, his shoulders bulky in a way that speaks of lifting heavy weights at the gym. His hair has way too much product in it, standing up in a gravity-defying feat. His eyes look me up and down, and I cringe internally. He smacks his lips.

  “What’s your name, Red?”

  “Jupiter.”

  “Hippie parents, I presume, with a name like that. Where are you from?”

  No doubt he already knows where I’m from. People like to talk, and my qualifications would be public knowledge in the lab, anyways. Still, I answer.

  “Massachusetts.”

  He nods his head.

  “I like your hair. Redheads are hot. Are you natural?”

  I wrinkle my brow at him, cocking my hand on my hip.

  “If your next question is ‘Does the carpet match the drapes’, I might throw something at you.”

  He smiles lewdly, letting his eyes trail low again. Reason number one why there are few women at Star Corp—I read the name stitched into his lab coat–Dr. Dylan Montgomery. My internal bells are already going haywire, letting me know I would be privy to vulgar remarks hourly from the man. Great.

  Another man chooses that moment to step from a center room. I almost don’t notice him since Dr. Montgomery seems to suck all the attention to himself. The new man is much smaller than the giant still ogling me. His hair is a brown mop on his head, the glasses ringing his eyes reminding me of Harry Potter. I’m tempted to ask if he has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, but I restrain myself. Barely.

  “You must be Dr. Hill,” he speaks, stepping towards me and offering his hand. I slip my fingers in his and shake. His grip isn’t firm at all, but I get the feeling it’s because he doesn’t want to touch me. My suspicions are confirmed when he immediately releases my hand and pulls out a bottle of sanitizer. A germaphobe.

  “Please, call me Jupiter. No need for formalities when we’ll be working together.”

  “Then you can call me Josh. It’s nice to have a new face around here. You’ve come during an exciting time.” I look around the lab at his words and raise my brow. “Okay, so exciting doesn’t seem that exciting. Project-wise, though, it’s great.” He hands me a file, and I set it on the desk. “Your lab coat is in the desk drawer, and coffee is over in the kitchenette area.”

  “Are you finished being a brown noser, Neeves? Give the pretty lady some space, would you?” Dr. Montgomery interrupts, rolling his eyes.

  Josh’s face turns red at the words, his shoulders instantly tensing. I can tell there’s no love lost between the two employees.

  “Is it just us three on the floor?” It seems such a large floor for so little staff. The other departments had seemed overflowing.

  “Just us. They’ve had a hard time keeping biochemists with us.” Josh’s eyes flick over to Dr. Montgomery, as if hinting at the reason why.

  “I can’t imagine why. By the way, since we’re on a first name basis, you can call me Dylan, you know, for future reference.” Dr. Montgomery wiggles his eyebrows with his intent, his arms crossed over his chest in an effort to look bigger. There’s no need. I already know the important info. Stay away from the douchebag.

  Josh glares at Dylan, hatred shining in his eyes. It’s so intense that I find myself taking a step away. When he turns his gaze back to me, the look is gone, as if he completely wiped it away.

  “Dr. Devereux specifically asked for you to work on this project,” he says, tapping the file on the desk. “Feel free to ask me any questions you may have.” He glances down at my shirt and I tense, expecting him to start checking me out like Dylan did. Instead, he chuckles and points to the picture. “I like it. That’s a good one.” Then he moves over to his own desk.

  I ignore Dylan’s eyes on me as I go to the coffee machine. I pour the lukewarm liquid into a disposable cup and take a sip, cringing at the taste. Yep, terrible coffee. I owe someone fifty dollars. I add in copious amounts of sugar and creamer and try again. Still terrible. I sigh and go back to the empty desk, plopping down in the seat. I eye the folder before taking another sip, attempting to get used to the taste. Apparently, it’s the only coffee I’m going to get at work. Nope, not any better. I flip open the manila envelope Josh had given me.

  Project W is typed across the top of the file. Below it is a summary. I take another drink and scowl at the offending coffee before setting it aside. There’s no getting used to that.

  Specimen W has been subjected to multiple toxins in various forms (gas, liquid, and solid) in an attempt to ascertain the side effects. Multiple tests have been performed–over a dozen –where the specimen shakes off the effects of the toxins and shows no adverse reaction afterwards.

  Underneath the summary, there are charts and graphs showing blood tests and enzyme readings. It all seems off the charts and unlike anything I have read before. In the back of the file, there’s a copy of a form: Request for Dissection. It’s filled out completely, obviously already submitted.

  I close the file. One of the main reasons I chose Star Corp was its supposed policy against animal testing. Seems that was a lie. Whatever Specimen W is, it can’t be a human. Another knock against the company. My adventure across the country doesn’t seem so smart now. I should have just stayed in Massachusetts with the memory of my sister and been done with it. There’s no need to go on an actual adventure, to do something so reckless, even if I craved it. I could go skydiving instead.

  Is it so terrible to hope that an alien invasion happens in the next thirty minutes? At least, that would be exciting.

  “Josh,” I call. His head whips around at his desk where he had been typing. “Is this for real?” I hold up the file, and he nods.

  “The more in-depth analysis is in the containment area. You’ll also find most results on your computer. Just log in with your employee ID.”

  “Where’s Specimen W?”

  I have to see what it is; what is so miraculous that I’m meant to study and decide on a dissection? Most likely, my answer will be no, my feelings on animal cruelty solid, and there’s a chance I would have to fight the others. A lot of scientists think they can do whatever they want, even if the boards tell them no.

  Josh points to the containment area in the center of the room, and I move towards the doorway. Two birds with one stone. I can check out the specimen and investigate the files at the same time. Hopefully, it’s something like a crawfish or snail. As soon as I step inside the containment room, I feel eyes on me, which is strange because all the containers are empty except for one.

  The snow-white rabbit stands on its hind legs when I enter, his front paws leaning on the metal grate to study me. His nose twitches as I step closer. He doesn’t move away when I pull up a chair, file in hand, and take a seat in front of him. He doesn’t cower, at
all, as if he has no fear.

  “Well, hello there, W. I hear you’re full of miracles.” The rabbit’s eyes are silver, and so human it makes me move closer to study them. “You’re quite beautiful.” The rabbit grunts, and I correct myself. “I meant, handsome. Of course, I did.” I have never seen a rabbit with such eyes. Perhaps, the eyes had something to do with his immunity to toxins, some sort of mutation. Whatever it is, I can see how the company would think it’s important. Immunity to toxins would be a big development in the pharmaceutical world. “What makes you so special?” I ask out loud.

  The rabbit lowers to his haunches and reaches a paw through the grate like a cat. I notice, for the first time, that he isn’t all white like I assumed. Wrapped around his paw, almost appearing like a watch, is a brown band of fur. I reach forward and stroke my finger over the paw, marveling at its softness. The rabbit’s eyes close, as if he’s savoring the touch.

  “You look like you’re wearing a watch. That’s curious. Are you late for an important date?” I joke, because, of course, I’m going to talk to the rabbit. What kind of monster wouldn’t? He’s adorable.

  I glance at the file again as I reach through the bars and stroke the rabbit’s ears. He’s so soft, I have the sudden urge to open the cage and cuddle with him. That wouldn’t go over well, especially on my first day. With reluctance, I pull my fingers from the cage and close the file. The rabbit grunts at me, asking for more attention.

  “Sorry, buddy. It’s only my first day, and I have a lot to do. Besides, I need to figure out why you’re so special.”

  My mind is already spinning with the possibilities. If this rabbit has a special immunity to toxins, perhaps it could be replicated with his blood alone. There shouldn’t be a need to dissect him, especially when he’s so valuable alive. I need to see this immunity for myself before I can decide.