Valeri Cavanaugh was nervous and excited as she dressed for work. Today was the big day: she would finally be allowed to work directly with the aliens. She considered it a huge promotion. Until this point, she had only been working in the background, running tests on blood and fluids, mixing potions, and recording results. Valeri had never seen any of the aliens, not even in pictures. Today, she would meet them face to face. Would they be repulsive or frightening? She didn't want to appear shocked upon seeing them for the first time. Maybe she could get her father to tell her what to expect. He was, after all, the founder of these experiments.

Valeri checked her makeup one last time. She saw that her green eyes were sparkling with anticipation. In an effort to appear more serious, she pulled her long, dark hair back and knotted it at her nape. She sighed when she realized the new hairstyle didn't hide her youthful beauty. Her black slacks and green silk tank accentuated her curves and highlighted her green eyes. She couldn't do anything about her eyes, but she covered her body with a loose white lab coat. She was as ready as she could get. It was time to leave the mirror behind and start her new job.

The building that housed the lab was fifty stories high. It's silver-and-gold exterior reminded her of rockets that had been launched hundreds of years ago. She had seen film of them many times in school. Appropriate, she guessed, for an alien project. The lobby was spacious and yet awfully crowded. It always amazed her that so many people could share such a small space. Valeri's first stop was the conference room. She had to meet with the scientists for a briefing. They would confirm the progress being made with the testing and explain what else they were looking for. She looked forward to meeting her associates, putting names and faces to the lab requests.

Valeri was surprised to see four scientists and four nurses enter the conference room. She hadn't known there were that many people involved in the experiments. The trials were supposed to be secret. The more people involved, the more chances there would be for information leaks. Why so many nurses? Only one was needed to take blood samples and give injections. There was obviously more to the program than Valeri had been told. Perhaps, this briefing would clarify matters.

Valeri's father, Reginald Cavanaugh, was the last to join the group. He was the founder of the alien experiment program. The program was intended to use alien blood, DNA, and antibodies to find cures for human diseases. Most alien species did not suffer from the types of debilitating or life-ending diseases that humans were prone to have. It was groundbreaking work. Humans all over the world would benefit from the answers the scientists got from these experiments. Valeri was proud to be a part of such important work. She was also proud to be the daughter of the mastermind behind it. She hoped she could live up to his expectations.

Reginald had a grandfatherly look that encouraged trust. His silver hair and beard made him appear kind and gentle. His steely gray eyes told a different story. Hidden in their depths were anger, greed, and a determination that was frightening. Valeri saw only his intelligence and the love that he saved for her and his son. She gave him a big smile, and he winked in return. His stately manner made the other scientists look up at him with admiration and respect. Valeri looked at him with love and a heartfelt yearning to make him proud of her.

Reginald began, "Before I give the floor to Dr. Sparks, I wish to welcome our new member, Valeri Cavanaugh. Yes, she is my daughter, but I believe she has earned her place in this program. I am positive she will earn your respect as well. She has been doing much of the research on the blood work you all have been sending in and recording the results for your benefit. Now she will be participating in the actual experiments. In the next few weeks, I expect you all to bring her up to date on all the aliens, the experiments, and the possible cures we have found. Her input should be an integral part of this program. Valeri, I want you to pay attention to what Dr. Sparks, our resident Ph.D., has to say this morning. It may prove to be enlightening."

Dr. Sparks stood and pointed to the large television screen. He said, "The chart you are seeing here shows how different the blood of these aliens is from our own. As you can see, the oxygen level of subject number three is far lower than all the others, meaning it needs far less in the atmosphere to survive. Subject number two has three times the amount of white blood cells than that of a human. Its disease-fighting capabilities are enormous. Subject number one is the closest to our human species. As for subject number four, we have yet to understand what we are seeing. We are using the white blood cells of subject two for research in combating life-threatening illnesses. Subject number one is part of an experiment in fighting off more common diseases. Some progress has been made, though we would like to have more subjects of the same species to make things go faster. It is doubtful that we can obtain those subjects because this planet has a new king and is not approachable.

Valeri was confused. Dr. Sparks hadn't told her anything enlightening. He was obviously being evasive. The only thing she had learned was that there were indeed four aliens involved. She had surmised as much from the blood samples she had been sent for testing. Valeri asked, "What planets are these aliens from? What other tests or experiments are being performed on them? Why would you need a king's permission to gather more of a sub-species?"

Dr. Sparks replied, "As you are indoctrinated into the study, those questions will be answered. It is best not to consider that information until you have been apprised of all other information concerning the subjects."

Valeri considered his words. They were pompous and pretentious. They told her absolutely nothing and seemed to be used to hide something of actual importance. She tried again. "Why are so many nurses needed? I would think one was sufficient. After all, we are trying to keep this project under the radar."

Dr. Sparks’ eyes grew suspicious and angry. He answered, "Each subject has its own nurse. That is all you need to know. Too many questions can lead to being shut out of this program. Just do as you're told and leave the rest to us."

Valeri started to protest, but her father caught her eye and shook his head to silence her. Now, she was not only confused, but angry. How could she do her job well if she wasn't told everything? She was determined to address that problem immediately.

The briefing ended without Valeri learning anything of real importance. She hadn't even been introduced to the other scientists or the nurses before they were swept from the room. Only her father remained behind. Valeri turned to him and asked, "Is that it? Aren't they going to tell me anything more? I can't do my job like this. You have to make them talk to me. They must answer my questions."

Reginald patted her shoulder and said, "You'll do fine. Don't worry. It's a learn as you go process. Dr. Sparks is very protective of his research. You will be told things on a need-to-know basis. For today, this is all you need to know. Do everything you're told and nothing more. Is that understood?"

Valeri didn't like his patronizing tone or his rebuke. She held back the angry retort that leaped into her mind. She wanted to stay on this project and find out what was being hidden from her. The best way to accomplish that was to keep her mouth shut for now. She simply replied, "Sure, dad; you know I always do as I'm told."

Reginald smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He hoped that letting Valeri into the experiment wasn't a mistake. She was intelligent, observant, and tenacious when it came to her work. If she had a problem or a concern with how the experiments were performed, there could be major trouble. On the other hand, if she could be convinced of the importance of the experiments, she would be a strong ally.

"I am so proud of you, my dear," Reginald answered. "You are a real asset to our lab and have shown great progress. Your work, so far, has been impeccable and precise. Your reports are clear and detailed. They have helped our little project immensely. That is why I have given you this promotion. You earned it. Now, don't let me down. Be the intelligent, cooperative girl I raised you to be, and all will go well. Come, let's tour the facilities. You are sure to find some of the new equipment fascinating."

Valeri couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her father had never talked to her like this before. Not only did the praise sound condescending, but the admonishment to behave made her feel childish and immature. It saddened her to realize that the father she worshiped had flaws.

Valeri tried to remain attentive as Reginald showed her through the facilities. They truly were incredible. All the newest equipment was there, shiny and expensive. She figured they must be getting excellent funding from somewhere. There were x-ray machines, MRIs, defibrillators, surgical equipment, and dialysis machines mixed in with the normal lab equipment. Valeri almost asked why they felt the need for such things, but stopped herself. She knew it was still best to keep her mouth shut. Besides, she would never get a straight answer from her father. He would just remind her to stick to her own job and leave the rest to the others.

There were several locked doors in the facility. When Valeri asked what was in those rooms, her father only said, "They are the surgical suites that are necessary for our endeavors."

Valeri was shocked. They were performing surgeries on the aliens. How sad. She hoped they were treated well and not in any pain. Surely, the surgeries were just exploratory in nature, used only to gather information on anatomy. She wondered what the aliens looked like. She imagined odd little creatures, without much of a brain. She knew many planets had intelligent, humanlike inhabitants and had met many during their visits, but they would never do experiments on anyone they had a treaty with. These had to be species that she had never met, right? 

"Can we go meet the aliens now? I have been waiting anxiously all day to see them. I can get to know the lab later," Valeri pleaded.

Reginald questioned, "Whatever made you think you would see them today? You have a lot of catching up to do first. There are charts to go over, reports to organize, and you really must read all the information we have on each species and their home planet. Then you can meet them."

Disappointment rushed through Valeri. It seemed she was being blocked at every turn. Would she ever be anything more than a glorified lab tech in this project? If not, she might as well have stayed back in her old department. At least there she knew exactly where she stood in the scheme of things and her father didn't treat her like a naughty child. She tried one more question. "Can you show me pictures of them or at least describe them? Are they scary or ugly?"

"There are no pictures that I can show you, nor will I describe them. Let's just say that you will be pleasantly surprised by how they appear. Some are quite nice to look at. Now you must go to HR and sign a non-disclosure agreement. We must protect this project and those within it. Until you have signed all the necessary documents, I can't allow you access to any more information." Reginald turned his back and walked out without saying goodbye.

Valeri did as she was told. She took the elevator down to HR. The stack of papers they gave her to read and sign would take all afternoon. How many different ways were there to say keep your mouth shut? Apparently, there were thousands. By the time she finished, her eyes were glazed over, and all she wanted was to be set free from the building. She took off the lab coat, let down her hair, and headed outside for some fresh air. It felt so good to leave the recycled air behind and breathe in the fresh spring breeze. Never had she been in such a hurry to get away from her job. The joy and excitement of the morning had fled upon meeting Dr. Sparks. Her own father had further doused her enthusiasm with his strange attitude. Should she allow them to bring her down? No, she was as determined as ever to do an excellent job and make a difference in someone's life. If she had to fight for her rights, then so be it. Tomorrow was another day, and she would make the most of it.  

Valeri put her disappointment aside and tried to have a good evening. She rescheduled supper with her Mom, and ordered pizza and watched a sci-fi movie on her big screen television. The on-screen aliens got her ready for the real thing, or so she thought. Her dreams were haunted by shrieks and cries of pain from odd creatures. She woke from the nightmares hoping they didn't foreshadow the future.