The Experiment Ch. 02

Chloe stuttered a nervous "Yes" then clasped her bag tight against her lap. "I'll do my best Professor. And you probably need to know I really need the money...okay?" She pouted a little with this statement, challenging the scientist to quiz her doubting her integrity now. Chloe assumed telling Professor Dalkeith this would at least make him understand how keen she was for the opportunity, and perhaps even better impress him with her honesty. She looked over to the older man who was taking a clip board and a pen, obviously looking to start the questions.

"Right Miss Jones, I have already taken down several of your details thanks to the excellent records supplied by the university administration web site and database. I've your academic record here (at which point Professor Dalkeith showed Chloe a sheet of paper which must have been her transcript), plus some basic information regarding your current residential status. Yet this won't be enough. Because my research has biological implications you will need to give me some indication as to your medical, shall we say 'condition'. For example Miss Jones, do you drink?"

"Yes Professor...but only a little."

"Smoke?"

"No" came Chloe's reply.

"Drugs?"

"Certainly not!" Chloe replied emphatically. She wasn't like some of the others in her dorm or classes who had gone from weed to ecstasy and a few other drugs of choice in between. She was brought up to understand that no matter how powerful the peer pressure was Chloe knew that the effects of drugs could ruin her life.

"Ahh...that's well and good my dear," replied the Professor "but I will make sure later with a drugs test. If you have an objection to taking that please let me know now and we can have our tea and part ways. D'ye understand Miss Jones?"

"Yes sir...and no, I don't object."

"Good. Now, have you any allergies? Penicillin, anesthesthetic, sulphides etcetera etcetera?" As Professor Dalkeith asked this question he took some shortbread with his free hand and passed it to Chloe on a plate. Chloe shook her head indicating a negative answer to his question and then murmured "thank you" for the biscuits.

"Now I hope you don't mind me asking this question m'dear...and I understand if you won't answer because it is highly personal and may not be immediately relevant as you see it to your application. However, it must be asked. And as I said before, please be honest."

Chloe was nervous, but hid her insecurity by biting down on one of the delicious shortbreads. The crumbly sweet biscuit melted in her mouth and momentarily distracted her from her uneasiness. "I'll do my best Professor" she said with a mouth half-filled with shortbread.

"Do you have a regular menstrual cycle?" Dalkeith posed the question in his most deadpan manner.

"Um...what has that got to do with the research work?" Chloe couldn't help but be shocked by the question, no matter how much she was prepared for the personal nature of it.

"Well Miss Jones, some of my research is based on hormonal ubiquity in inter-species paradigms and I like to draw into my database any relevant data provided by my research assistants. And believe when I say that this purely scientific data is going to be used only under the strictest terms of anonymity. Is that clear?"

Chloe pondered the statement from her interlocutor and decided that whatever the embarrassing nature of her answers Professor Dalkeith seemed to have no reason to turn this into some kind of weird sex thing. And again she considered her financial problems and with visions of the money dangling before her, so decided to press ahead. Hang the personal discomfort.

"Yes it is Professor...and yes, I do."

"Good," responded the scientist writing down notes on his clipboard "And when was your last period?"

"About 6 days ago."

"Are you sexually active?"

Chloe's eyes widened and again she was a little disturbed by the question. "Um...not recently Professor Dalkeith." She and her now non-boyfriend hadn't actually done the deed which meant she was still a virgin. There'd been some sweaty hand-jobs and some seriously hot oral sex both given and received but Chloe was not quite ready for losing her virginity to him. Perhaps the reason for their fight was just as much sexual frustration on Alan's part, but for the 23 year old nursing student was very much a believer in giving herself only when she was with that one special love. Perhaps Alan could have been that one down the track but he couldn't stick around to help her find out. So she gave the answer that was what she believed to be the truth. The ambiguous answer seemed to get the Professor's approval as he nodded whilst he took down her response.

"Any history in your family of hormonal or genetic diseases?"

"No. My folks are pretty normal I guess Professor."

"Have you had any illnesses like German measles or viral conditions such as herpes?"

"No." Again Chloe was a little disquieted by these questions from the Professor, but she looked at him fair in the face and gave him her reply and all those that were forthcoming. For the next 10 minutes there were more similar medical questions, one or two relating to her physical appearance and even one question that came way out of left field relating to her dreams, and that was it. She drained the last of her tea and wiped the shortbread crumbs off her lips as Professor Dalkeith returned his clipboard to his desk.

The dignified Scottish scientist rose from his chair and whilst offering Chloe his hand to help her too rise, he smiled and said "I think I have all the information I need; shall we say Friday night 10.45pm here at my lab?"

"Oh thank you Professor...thank you sooo much," Chloe grinned ear to ear and began excitedly to count out the dollars this position would bring, "I really do appreciate this opportunity sir!" "That's good lassie," he replied guiding her back through his laboratory "and I am sure you'll find my experiment very stimulating. No if you'll excuse me I have some work to do and I must also contact my backers to inform them that my project is ready for implementation. I look forward to our next meeting."

Chloe noticed as she was steered to the heavy wooden door that she'd knocked on about 25 minutes beforehand that whilst the Professor seemed somewhat reserved during most of her meeting with him, now he seemed more intense, more focused on her. She was a little flattered (his green eyes were kind of cute, as was his slightly greying beard) but most of all she was simply giddy with happiness knowing she'd have a serious cash injection soon. Exiting into the hall way her last glance back at the Professor was cursory but long enough to give her the impression he was checking out her ass. Used to older men perving at her she just shook off the idea and strolled along the corridor, happy to know her money problems will be shortly solved.