TAINTED // KAIJU PARADISE FANFIC

CHAPTER 2 - "HOSPITALITY"

Caspian arrived at a large white building far away from the town she lived in. Panting, she checked the paper again. The location seemed correct, but it was a little hard to believe now that she looked around.
The building was beautiful, it shimmered and shined in the morning rays that the rising sun cast.
She took a deep breath in, dusting herself off and mentally preparing before walking over to the double doors that stood between her and her new job.
She took a small white keycard out of her lab coat pocket, sliding it across the handle of the previously locked door.
There was a quiet clicking sound before she inhaled and leaned on the door, pushing it open with all of her might.
The door was heavy, and she was weak and lanky, but she didn't care.
She was immediately greeted by an upbeat and funky tune that was coming from a small radio placed on the front desk.
She walked up to the front desk, scratching her neck.
"Uhm.. Hello," she said quietly, tapping her foot on the pristine tiled floor.
"Hello! Welcome to Laminax Laboratories. What can I do for you?" Said the person at the front desk.
They wore the same uniform as Caspian did, except it was a deep blue color that made her slightly jealous. Their hair was shorter and black, worn up in a messy bun. A sticker on their coat read "Hello, my name is ELIZAH"
"I'm new here, I uhm.. Work as a new 'observer and caretaker of the secret project' I guess," she said blankly, reading off of the letter she was given only a few hours earlier.
"Hmm.. Caspian O. Hansley..?"
Caspian nodded.
"Please go to the cafeteria, surely one of our lovely staff members will give you a tour."
When she hesitated, Elizah pointed at a door to the left.
"Keep going that way then take a right."
She nodded and went to go do that.

Under the soft, flickering fluorescent lights, the hallways felt almost lifeless, but Caspian just assumed not many employees worked near the entrance... They had a 'secret project' and all.
The sound of footsteps and dripping water filled the corridors, as well as the sound of a new tune as she continued through the empty halls.
Until she suddenly found herself in a large room full of people in similar uniforms, sitting and eating and conversing at familiar lunch tables that every grade school has.
She didn't exactly feel like she was in the right place, standing there in that large room chalk-full of people she didn't know.
One employee was standing alone, braiding their messy blonde hair in the darkest corner of the cafeteria with a neutral look on their face. Caspian approached them.
They had a sticker that read "Hello my name is JASPER" on it. The sticker looked worn and ripped as if the wearer kept prying and picking at it.
"Excuse me, can you show me around? I'm new."
Jasper looked up at her, same expression and all. His cold eyes looked over her and she shook slightly.
"...Who are you?" He said blankly, his deep voice velvety and smooth.
"I'm uhm..." She paused. "Who are you?" She asked sternly, placing her hands on her hips and putting a determined look on to mask any lingering hints of her uneasiness.
"...Jasper," he said, the corners of his lips turning up into a slight smile. He extended a long, hairy arm to shake her hand.
"Welcome to Laminax."
"I'm Caspian, thanks."
She took his hand and shook it. That handshake shook off most of the uneasy feelings she had about this place as she stood there with Jasper.
"I'll show you around, I guess, nothing better to do until they have me working again."
Jasper picked up a dark blue backpack that had been leaned against the wall and threw it over his shoulder, walking away.
She followed eagerly.

"This is the cafeteria, counter, and the freezer-room."
Jasper commented, stopping beneath the large sign that looked over the cavernous room that echoed with chatter.
"The freezer-room is cold, but no one can hear you. If you wanna have a private chat with somebody, hide in there. Nothing is private anymore here," he scoffed.
"Don't go over the counter, you're not allowed unless you're a cook."
She nodded, her warm caramel hair bouncing up and down as she gazed over the room with her kelp-green eyes, also avoiding Jasper's ocean blue glare.
"The bathrooms are over there, but let's just continue."

"This is the garden," Jasper said as he pulled Caspian into another room.
A tree sat in the middle of the large room. It was surrounded by pillows and a radio that didn't emit any music at the moment. The tree was adorned with fairy lights that added a soft glow to the room, and little fuzzy fruits that looked very sweet.
"Come here to rest if ya need it, people don't come here often."
Small pink flowers were lined up in some flower beds surrounding a door to the next room. She reached out to grab one but Jasper pulled her wrist away with a gentle yet firm grasp.
"Not letting you do that on your first day," he said without explaining.
Instead, she reached out for the next door, pushing it open and dragging him with her.
The next room was an entire field full of dog toys, pillows, and poorly built structures.
There was a wooden fence that read "HUMANZ KEP OUTT!" In bold red letters.
It felt almost too quiet in here, the room felt like one that was usually full of chatter and laughter.
"Hmm.. Just wait until you see this place in all of its glory."
She imagined a bunch of puppies and kittens running around, sleeping and playing, chasing their own tails or looking for mice. Even though she knew she was probably wrong, it was a sweet thought.

Caspian managed to find a room with large glass enclosures built like pillars. Inside were different colors of crystals.
Blue, red, white, and fiery orange.
The orange ones were definitely her favourite, but they were labelled with "VERY DANGEROUS" and "PURIFICATION"
The crystals radiated a faint glow within their large capsules, making the room feel similar to a small garden with fireflies fluttering around the place.
"Don't touch these, these are for our secret project."
She placed a hand on one of the orange crystal capsules.
The glass was hot to the touch, so she quickly jumped back, holding her hand.
"Let me show you the secret project. It's where you'll be working."

"So uhm.. Are they animals?"
"Yes. But they're called Gootraxians. There are many different breeds."
"Do I just need to watch them?"
"Yes. Also, take notes based on what breeds have what behaviours."
"Seems easy, show me these adorable creatures!"
"You might wanna prep yourself before I open this door. This leads to the other half of the laboratory, where these special creatures are."
"Okay, okay. I think I'm ready."
"When you enter, go over to the computer and look in the cabinets by the wall. You'll find things called Bestiary. These tell you names and info about each breed..
I think you're ready now. What are you waiting for? Go in."