The man waited by the docks for any volunteers to the Labs. They were taking volunteers again this week, and were offering six credit hours to any girl who signed up to volunteer as an experiment. The fine print on the form had been attended to by five lawyers and a man with a microscope, and it was ironclad.

He adjusted his sunglasses as he stood waiting. It was not a hot day today, but it was a bright day.

Naoko apprehensively approached the man on the deck. When she'd originally signed up for the the extra work at the Labs she thought she'd be assisting with the experiments, but while talking to a classmate the day before, she realized she'd misread the flyer. No wonder no one else is here...She thought to herself, the distance between herself and the docks gradually closing. She wanted to turn around and just go back to the safety of her dorm room but before she could work up the nerve she was already at the docks, just a few feet away from the NICE representative. "U-um...Hi. I'm Naoko. I'm...here to help with an experiment in the labs?"

The man's face brightened. "Ah, yes," he said with a smile. "Of course. Please, step onto the boat."

He gestured to a vessel tied at the dock. "We love to see young students such as yourself volunteer at the Labs. It's always important to get involved. Student activity at any college is important."