"I see you've taken up our offer!" The grey wolf scientist... dude in a white lab coat called to me just after I had parked my car in the parking lot. As much as I didn't want to be here, I saw no other choice. I was late on rent, bills kept spiking in price and just existing seemed to have a tax of its own nowadays, and that's even after I had canceled every one of my subscription services. Selling my own body out for highly experimental products was something I didn't want to have happen, but here we are...

I had been talking with this wolf for some time now. He passed by me one time while at the gym and approached me in the lockers about this "job offer" or whatnot. That was two weeks ago, and while at the time I said that I would think about it, the truth was that I was just about ready to call him back the very next day. It's insane to think that I had already made up my mind by that point and that this was somehow a "blessing" but when you're just desperate for anything to come your way, well...

After using these last 2 weeks to mentally prepare myself for this insanity, I gave the wolf a call and he provided me with the location. Just to prove to myself I hadn't gone insane, I looked up this supposed facility that the wolf worked for: Synthel Global Solutions. Yeah, they weren't kidding with their name, they've got their paws and ears on just about every product under the sun, from lubricant to computer chips, raw materials for clothing and industrial construction, and even some beauty and body products. It was strange to think that millions of people around the world were using stuff that this company had a major hand in developing, yet we hear nothing about them...

Anyways, the location I had to go to was their offices, I imagine first to examine my body and see if I'm apt for live experimentation. Seeing as I go to the gym regularly and I was at least stable enough in the mind (I say as I subject myself to what is essentially legalized violation of anthropomorphic rights), I passed this physical without an issue. So, after a few hours, some talks with a lot of legal authorities and many, many papers to sign, I was finally set to begin my new "job" as a Live Experimentor, or at least, that's what they called the position. It's obvious I'm just a lab rat for this company now, but I've fallen on hard times, and unfortunately need all the help I can get, ethics be slightly damned.

And that's how we arrive to today, with my blue car parked off to the sides of the lot and wearing my typical gym attire of a grey sweatshirt and black nylon shorts. The drive here was a long way from the city. It took me roughly an hour to find my way to this locale, but it was unmistakably an expansive facility of sorts, entirely white wall tiles and all. The company logo was plastered up at the top of each building in the complex, and across the parking lot, small patches of tiny trees adorned the empty space. And approaching with a smile on his face and dress shirt and pants underneath that white coat was Brett, the wolf that referred me to this place and my new boss.

"It's so good to see you here. I had a feeling you would come around!" Brett continued, now close enough to extend one hand out for a handshake, which I took. "I take it that you've been briefed on the process here and what you're going to do?"

"Ayup," I replied, finally opening my mouth to speak to someone else instead of to myself. "I was told to arrive in some light clothing and ask for a, erm... Brett Elnott, that's you, right?"

Brett nodded, grinning a little wider. "You would be correct! By chance you were paired up with me as your new instructor. Now, don't worry, I'll go easy on you. This first week, you'll just be getting used to the complex and its facilities. You'll get plenty of other chances to show off your skills next week!"

I elected to ignore this strange remark and smiled back at Brett. "I, uh, hope so. Anyways, what even is this place?" I looked ahead at the complex again curiously, and Brett seemed to notice my worry in that moment, placing one hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, don't get too scared," the grey wolf reassured once more. "You've been put through many rigorous tests just to get here because we need our Experimentors in tip-top shape. The work you guys put in is not only valuable, it's also quite easy to do! If I may lead the way..." Brett pushed me along and I couldn't exactly object, I was already here after all.

As I followed the wolf into the complex, the large cluster of buildings growing before my eyes by the second, I could only wonder if agreeing to be here may have been a mistake. I mean, for the average Joe it definitely was, but for someone like me who just needed to make ends meet, there was only a vague confirmation. Sure, I would be safe from debt by this point, and the important part is that this keeps my goal of not dying intact, but I'd argue that whatever it is that went on behind those frosted glass doors was probably going to kill me first before starvation. Again, I was just a lab rat for Synthel at this point. I was just hoping I wasn't walking into a death trap.

We reached the double doors at last, and after fumbling about with a keycard, a soft buzzer blared and unlocked the door. Brett pushed one of the doors and walked in, holding it open for me as I nervously stepped inside. Immediately I was hit by an AC running on full blast from above, which eventually receded to the incredibly purified air inside. This seemed to be the main office of the complex, with a dark green rug spread across the floor and a curved reception desk in front. The walls were also a pale-ish white color, with absolutely nothing on them but a light switch a few feet ahead. Beyond the desk lay a long corridor which led to other rooms connected by doors, as well as a much larger and imposing steel door way in the back.

The ferret lady sitting at the desk quietly lifted her head up, glancing at Brett first, then to me, before darting her vision back down to her computer. "Ah, welcome back, Mr. Elnott. I see you've brough along the new Experimentor. Let me pull up your details quickly and we'll get you set up for entry." She began typing something on the keyboard, presumably my personal details, and in the meantime, Brett explained some other important stuff to me. To be honest, all of this was happening in a blur, only vaguely aware of what was happening mostly due to the horribly purified ambience scratching against my nose, as if little ants were running around.

After a few minutes of waiting, I was given a temporary lab coat and a visitor keycard. The receptionist then guided us down to a sort of supply closet just nearby where I would grab a surgical mask and gloves, and eventually let Brett take the reins from there. Before she left, the receptionist informed me that I would get my own keycard and uniform later in the week and that I would need to assist a few instructional classes during the following month. After that, however, I was ready to go with the wolf down the long corridor, to the giant steel doors way in the back.

"I'm sure you'll like the culture here. It's a pretty relaxed environment when we're not preoccupied with our own duties," Brett commented as we walked down the long hallway to the steel doors. "Do you have any other jobs to attend?"

"Nope, this is the first one I've had in a while," I replied earnestly. "I've been keeping myself afloat however I could."

"Noted. Still, I think you'll find yourself with plenty of time on your hands."

We both got to the steel doors, and I was instructed to scan my keycard after Brett. Once done, the giant metal doors slid to their sides, revealing a small yellow cubicle meant for disinfecting people. I had to awkwardly follow along with Brett's movements as the cubicle sprayed our clothes and bodies with disinfectants, but after that, the other side opened to us. After Brett stepped outside, I followed, and what I saw was... a weird shock to me.

The exterior showed that it was an expansive area, but what I didn't anticipate was the whole area actually being used for one room, and indeed, this practically open-air laboratory extended up high beyond what was probably necessary. At ground level were all the various stations and equipment, with many scientists and workers shifting around in a chaotic yet composed manner across the polished granite floor. One pair of scientists carried a small vat together to the other side of the lab, another group was in a circle discussing something, a few people wearing informal garb like I was were also present and handling samples of something. It all seemed surreal, like it was one huge science fair.

"Come on, now," a voice brought me back to reality, "I know this is pretty marvelous, but we only have so much time!"

I looked back at Brett, who had gone far ahead of me, and I did my best to chase after him.

---

I finally arrived home after an extensive introduction to Synthel's lab. In summary, I'll be there for a few hours a day, 7 days of the week, and as expected, I'll be testing out various products, starting with this new shampoo variant that I was recommended to take a few samples of home for extended testing. Beyond this, however, I also got a better look at this new position I was going to go to: the Consumables Department. As the name implies, it's taste testing certain products and noting any effects or imperfections that could arise from short- or long-term use. Seems like I was cast to this new position for my lifestyle specifically, since the first product they were looking to test was a pre-workout powder. Can't complain about it that much.

In addition to this, I was also allowed to take a peek at what the other departments were up to, since this Experimentor title was a highly volatile position, and I could be moved to any other department at a moment's notice with enough time in the company. The few things that caught my eye were a synthetic fur material that looked eerily similar to real animal hide, a more effective cement base that was a lot sturdier than typical brands, and a pair of glasses with digital screens on the lens, if a little impractical to use right now.

What piqued my interest the most, however, was the Experimentor department, a room dedicated to brief us about upcoming tests and products. Here, I found out about a thing Brett referred to as "EPIN-29", a tar-like material that was showing incredible promise in multiple use cases. Originally made to just be used as a gimmicky school glue, it somehow became a lot more useful with asphalt, providing an incredibly quick dry time for new roads and highways. From there, more cases for its use appeared, with some already calling it "the superglue of the industry", and this lab would be the very first locale to experiment with it for other potential uses.

I left the building today sort of reassured. Sure, this place still looks sketchy, but now it at least doesn't feel like I'm obligated to be there because fate willed it so. Perhaps with time I'll grow to appreciate this "job". But for now, I laid on my bed and drifted away to sleep, comfortably hoping that things began climbing from here.