DR. JESSICA OBERMAN is standing in front of the Leviathan. She is small and rather plump, with short, curly brown hair streaked with gray. She appears to be scolding the Leviathan like a naughty child.

JESSICA
No, Levi! Bad boy! How many times have I told you? No killing unless Mommy says so!

LISETTE'
Jessica? Is that you?

Jessica turns around.

JESSICA
Oh, Lisette. So you're Levi's little playmate. I thought you had more sense than to be wandering around down here, personally, but what can you do? People will be people...

The leviathan growls.

JESSICA
...and mutant abominations will be mutant abominations, yes. I know you didn't mean to scare her, did oo, cutie? No you didn't, no you didn't!

She pats the leviathan on the nose. It purrs. Lisette' stares. Jessica turns and matter-of-factly helps Lisette' to her feet.

LISETTE'
I guess the sign on the door wasn't kidding about the mutant abominations.

JESSICA
Oh, you saw that? I put it up there to warn people off. It seemed like the socially responsible thing to do.

LISETTE'
Well, I can't say I wasn't warned. But what are you doing down here, Jessica?

JESSICA
Well, I couldn't just leave all my poor helpless babies all alone down here when I got canned, now could I?

LISETTE'
Your... babies?

JESSICA
Like Levi here. Short for Leviathan. And he's Mommy's favorite, isn't oo, bubby?

LISETTE'
Okay, I don't know whether to start with "You call this thing a helpless baby?" or "There are more of them?"

JESSICA
No, no, of course he's not a baby. Good thing, too--he'd never be able to fit down here if he got any bigger. And of course there are more, though none of them are quite like Levi here. I couldn't work up a masterpiece like him on my first try.

LISETTE'
What? Do you mean to say you created him? No wonder you were fired.

JESSICA
No one appreciates what I do! You think it's easy creating successful mutant abominations? You think I can just knock one out in an afternoon? But somehow they're the first thing to go when the budget gets cut. And then you can't release them into the basement without someone getting a burr in his ass about it.

LISETTE'
I heard your departure was... dramatic.

JESSICA
So they're still talking about that, are they? It's nice to know I made an impression. Maybe now they'll think twice before transferring my funding to Lawrence's stupid biological warfare project.

LISETTE'
Oh, yes. I think I'd heard about that.

JESSICA
I ask you! What can a few viruses do that giant lizard-beasts can't do even better? All a virus can do is kill people. Giant lizard-beasts can kill people and make great pets.

LISETTE'
...They do?

Levi rubs his giant head affectionately against Jessica, nearly knocking her over.

JESSICA
Just look at him! Isn't he a sweetie?

LISETTE'
I'm really not sure how to answer that.

JESSICA
Oh, you'll get used to him. I think he likes you.

LISETTE'
Then I really wouldn't like to see him dislike someone.

JESSICA
Oh, you didn't think he was really going to hurt you, did he? He was probably just playing.

LISETTE'
That "probably" does not reassure me.

JESSICA
Trust me, he's just a big, scaly teddy bear. Now, if it had been Pookie--

LISETTE'
Pookie?

She shakes her head.

LISETTE'
You know what? Never mind. I don't want to know.