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the building. In the distance, there was some sort of bunker, its roof half-retracted to let a massive telescope view the sky. Now that was a little more like it.
    Dad parked the car, and I studied the house as we approached. It all looked so…homey, with the warm brick and glinting white trim. Even the shrubs that framed the front were neat and tidy. And perfectly normal. Not like a place where some of the most brilliant scientists in the world created the fantastical and life-changing tech QT was reportedly known for. Dad pushed open the thick oak door and gestured for me to step inside.
    I froze on the doorstep.
    The lobby looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, all glass and metal and granite. The chrome-beamed ceiling soared over a space that felt like the size of a gymnasium. Was the size of a gymnasium.
    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.