Page 22 of A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny
“I’d love to hear more about that,” Dani said. She felt queasy; the sensation was not unlike when she helped her parents at the betting tables. This was normally the time when she’d walk it back, redirect the person if they seemed uncomfortable. But she had to keep going. “What do you have planned for the presentation? Will you be showing what you’re doing in the trials?”
“Some of it, yes.” Dr. Rodriguez was staring at Dani’s pen as itflew across the page, frowning as though she knew something was wrong but couldn’t figure out what. “The beauty of technology is it allows us to record a person’s dreams as they experience them. We’ll be sharing some clips of the recordings, which should demonstrate the full scope of what the product is capable of.” Her words didn’t send any colors into Dani’s brain—Dr. Rodriguez was fighting hard to deliver only the most carefully media-trained responses. It was time to make a temporary retreat.
“That’s incredible,” Dani said. “Fox’s Leap is really lucky to have the gala on campus this year.”
A smile relaxed Dr. Rodriguez’s face. “Yes, we’re very grateful to have the university as our host. Our mutual relationship is very important to us,” she said. “Well, unless you have any questions about the workshop specifically, perhaps we should move on to the next stop?”
“Sure,” Oliver said, having regained their composure. “Thanks for showing us this, it’s actually very cool.”
“My pleasure.” At Dr. Rodriguez’s cue they trooped back into the elevator. “Eighth floor, please, Max.”
Dani took the moment of quiet to review the rest of Silva’s questions; Dr. Rodriguez wasnotgoing to like them. Considering how hard of a fight she’d already put up against their probing, Dani wasn’t sure how much more she’d be able to draw out of Dr. Rodriguez. The Head of Research might end the tour early if Dani wasn’t careful.
“Where are we going next?” Oliver asked, breaking the silence.
“The research labs,” Dr. Rodriguez said brightly. “It’s where we conduct all our trials and hone products that have moved beyond their initial phase. Along with the Imagination Workshop, it’s one of the most exciting places in the building, in my own humble opinion.”
Before Dani could pick out the next question to ask, the elevator came to a stop with ading, and the doors slid open.
Eight
Dani didn’t expect what lay on the other side of the elevator doors. She’d imagined the blank slate of the oneiromancy department, all shiny chrome and angelic white light. Instead, they stepped into what could have been a common room in a university dorm, only with a million dollars thrown at it. To the left, there was a Ping-Pong table, a giant zen garden with sand and a full-size rake, and an actual rock-climbing wall. On the right, there were coworking desks, hammock chairs, and tables set into recesses in the floor. There was a counter against the far wall, complete with an espresso bar and a barista who was busy scrubbing the sink.
Perfect, Dani thought sarcastically.I can get a job here when I graduate.
“So,” Dr. Rodriguez said. She turned to face them, backing a few steps away as she stretched her arms out to either side. “These are the research labs. Well, this is just the lounge. The actual labs are down there.”
Three hallways spoked off from the room they were standing in, with people in white coats crisscrossing in between. No one was actually using any of the amenities, and as Dani watched, a sense of unease settled over her. There was something off about the employees, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. Maybe it was how quiet they were, or how none of them would meet her gaze. The atmosphere was oddly subdued.
“It’s shift change right now,” Dr. Rodriguez went on. “Our studies go around the clock, so we have three full shifts.”
“How many studies are you running?” Oliver asked.
“Right now, we’ve got the last few studies for the new product wrapping up, along with a study of interactions between OneiroLabs products and other common pharmaceuticals, and another that has to do with delayed circadian rhythms. Max, is there anything you’d like to add?”
“Oh.” The young man seemed startled to be called on. “Sure. We always have three major studies going at any given time. Once the clinical trials for the new product are done, we’ll move a new project into the vacant space.” He gestured toward the hall on the far left.
“Any ideas what might be up next?” Dani asked.
“I’m afraid we can’t discuss unannounced projects,” Dr. Rodriguez said quickly, giving her a tight smile.
“Of course,” Dani said, aware she was running out of time. She was uncomfortable exploiting her ability this much, but she needed to wedge a couple more questions in so she could at least tell Silva she’d tried. “But the new product—can we talk about that a little bit more? You said you were finishing up the trials. Any potential side effects that a consumer might need to worry about?”
“Not at all,” Dr. Rodriguez said, with some effort. “Every product we make is derived from plant-based sources. There’s nothing in our formula that could harm someone—in fact, it’s just the opposite. It works with your brain chemistry, not against it.”
A whole bunch of word salad, in Dani’s opinion. Dr. Rodriguez’s resistance was ironclad.
“Presenting it at the gala doesn’t mean it’s ready for distribution, though, right?” Oliver chimed in. “It’s just, like, an early announcement?”
“Exactly,” Dr. Rodriguez said. She greeted someone passing by. “It’s about getting investors and the public excited for what’s to come. Plus, it’s a way for us to muster support for large-scale manufacturing, which we hope to start in the spring.”
Dani had a hard time believing they didn’t already have thefunding they needed, but whatever. That part was irrelevant. “Is it difficult to manufacture?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t call it difficult, per se—but itiscomplex.”
“How so?” Dani pressed.
“There’s a short window of time during which the product can be manufactured. I need to find a way to widen that window, or to speed up the process while maintaining the accuracy of the product’s effect.”
