I don't know what I expected when the person in the bodysuit took of their helmet, but I certainly didn't expect a pair of triangular ears to flop out.
"Gah!"
I involuntarily jumped to my feet, only to come crashing down again when my legs gave out and I flopped out of the chair and onto my back. By the time the stun of the fall wore off I became aware of a pair of yellow eyes staring down at me.
"Yeah, kind of a shock isn't it?" the strange person said, flashing a grin at me. "The last guy nearly attacked me, he was so spooked."
"Y-you're an-!"
"A scientist, yes," she, or I think she was a she, agreed. "Though I am also, as you would say, an alien." That was in no dispute as I got a better look at her. While in the shape of a human (and a thin and busty human at that), her skin looked a lot smoother and toned gray, with lighter skin from her mouth down the front of her face. Instead of a nose she had a slight snout in the center of her face that reminded me of a fish of some sort, and her eyes were big and bright yellow with tiny slit pupils. Absurdly enough she had a full head of messy pure-white hair down to the back of her neck, and two large cat-like ears protruding from either side.
Even with the proof in front of me I still couldn't believe it though. Aliens, real actual living aliens, intelligent life in our galaxy, and I was witnessing it! It had to be a dream, or an impossibility, and yet it couldn't have been, could it? I had so many questions, and paradoxically was too tongue-tied to answer, so I just got into the chair and sat in silence for a little bit.
"I...take it you're still culture shocked," the alien said, folding her hands in front of her. I couldn't help but notice she had four stocky digits on each hand instead of five.
"A little," I admitted. "It's just...wow..."
"Well, if you've recovered enough to listen," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Dr. Clados, of the Joint Terran-Selach Research Division."
"Conrad Greene," I said numbly. "I...didn't know the science lab worked with secret aliens."
"Technically we're...not supposed to be working with your species," Dr. Clados said awkwardly. "Our government considering making contact but your leader started talking a lot about how he didn't like aliens and our government got spooked."
"That's not what he...never mind," I said, not wanting to step into that minefield. "So more or less you're working with our scientists on biochemistry stuff."
"Hit the screw right on the head!" Dr. Clados said proudly.
"It's a nail."
"Yeah I think I nailed it too," the alien doctor happily agreed. "Your planet's biosphere has been invaluable for our causes, and I don't think it's unfair to say that some of our technology has been well-received here. If you're interested in forwarding that mutual research arrangement I'd be happy to show you around the lab."
"Sure," I said, a little eager to see more in spite of myself. A tiny part of me said this was insane and I should get the hell out. A tiny, tiny part. Most of me was honestly pretty psyched about this whole thing.
"Oh wonderful!" Dr. Clados said, clapping her hands together. "Here, come with me Mr. Greene!" I did so as the doctor strode over to what I assumed was a blank wall in the blue and black room, which slid into the floor revealing an entrance-way. On the other side was a more typical looking research lab with experiments going on and lab-coat wearing scientists going back and forth, with the added addition of a couple of aliens that looked similar to the alien doctor, or Selachians as they were called, as well as quite a few devices and contraptions that looked distinctly alien themselves. As she gave me the guided tour, I caught myself staring at two scientists, one human one alien, looking over a tomato growing to a monstrous size in a matter of seconds. I was just thinking about impossible it would be to describe all of this to my friends, assuming I could even talk about it, when someone bumped into me.
"Oh, 'scuse me," said a very familiar voice, though I didn't pick up on it.
"Sorry, I just got...distracted," I said, trailing off as the name connected with the face, and my jaw dropped as Rebecca Mason stared back at me in shock.
"What the fuck are you doing here!?!" we both said at the exact same time.
"Ooh, you two know each other?" Dr. Clados said brightly. "Then this should be a fun experience!" Rebecca, who I realized had a tray full of glass tubes, became very interested in her feet as I kept staring at her.
"I thought you worked at the one restaurant!" I said.
"I got laid off, and they hired me here!" Rebecca insiste, looking very much like she wanted to melt into the floor. "I thought you DIDN'T work!"
"Well...yeah but I do now!" I admitted. "Still...holy crap you knew aliens were real and didn't tell me?"
"You...didn't ask?" Rebecca said weakly.
"Technically speaking she's under a lot of obligation not to tell anyone," Dr. Clados interjected helpfully. "It's all very hush hush here, hence the knockout dart. In any case, it is good you know one another, since you'll be working together. My project has been approved and the three of us can start work at last."
"Oh, that's cool," Rebecca responded, no doubt eager to change the subject. "Conrad, you'll like what the doctor is working on..."
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