While the other opportunities sound… interesting… they also sound patently insane. You figure that the only half-way normal study they're conducting is the brain imaging one. Even if the pay is a lot lower, at least nothing freaky is supposed to happen to you in that one. Thus, you walk back up to Rosa's desk and state your intent. She smiles her corporate smile and hands you the appropriate paperwork, which you promptly sign and return. Once you've finished, Rosa leads you down gleaming white corridors to a small examination room. There, a boxy-looking machine hangs from the ceiling. You assume that to be the imaging device.
"Now, just so we're clear," you say, "this machine doesn't do anything but take a picture, right?"
Rosa smiles.
"It's not a traditional photograph or X-ray, but the imaging process is entirely passive, yes. You won't feel a thing."
"And you're sure it's safe? Totally safe?"
"Of course," she says.
Rosa then reaches over and strikes a few keys on the console keyboard, bringing up a multi-colored display.
"This one is mine," she says, pointing to the colored blobs. "See that red bit there? That's the amygdale—the coloring indicates that I was a little nervous at the time this was taken; just like you."
She brings up several more images.
"This one belongs to the company president—Mr. King himself. Those two belong to a pair of identical twins, college students just a couple of years older than you. See how different their images are, despite the physical similarity in brain structure? Truly fascinating."
Rosa continues to stare at the images for a moment, clearly quite interested in what look to you like unintelligible blobs of color.
"So, uh," you say, "What do you need all these for, anyway?"
"Oh, the applications are endless! These reference images have proven extraordinarily useful in expanding our understanding of human neurology. Practical applications are still several years off at this point, but the potential this technology has demonstrated is already very exciting."
She reaches into one of the many unlabeled drawers that line the walls and produces a clipboard.
"In fact," she says, "I think I can get you a little extra compensation if you'll sign an extended use waiver."
"A what?"
"An extended use waiver. That will allow us to keep a copy of the image on file indefinitely. Otherwise, medical privacy laws dictate that, as we are a research lab and not a medical care facility, we'll have to dispose of the stored images after three years. Since many of our projects are rather long term, it helps to have a consistent set of reference images that we can use for the entire project rather than having to recompile all our data every three years. In either case, we are required to notify you in advance of any use of your image, and you will be invited to be present when it occurs."
Rosa hands you the clipboard, smiling expectantly.
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