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Special agent Thomas Glenn sat in a conference room in a nondescript building in Centerville, Ohio. At the table where he sat were three other government agents, all introduced as agents of OGA, or other government agency. Observing from chairs on the perimeter of the room were other agents and officials that hadn't introduced themselves at all. Glenn was the only FBI agent in the room.
"Tell us more about the sonic attack," said Ms. Salt, who was leading the meeting. "Have you analyzed the scanner readings to see if they changed before, during, or after the attack?"
"We dispute that characterization," said Mr. Daller. "The only evidence supporting the claim that the attack was sonic in nature comes from our agents' self-reported symptoms."
"Our readings didn't change during the attack," said Glenn. "Does the prototype have any other offensive capabilities that I haven't been briefed on?"
"Our contact at General Robotics may have that information," said Ms. Salt. "Reach out to them about it."
Suddenly, a blur of motion captured everyone's attention. Lee darted out from under the table, then leapt up on top of it. "Ladies and gentlemen," she said theatrically. "My name is Lee. I'm an extraterrestrial visiting your planet on a mission of peace. I'm not a robot and General Robotics has no claim to me. If you have questions, I'm here to answer them."
Mr. Daller moved quickly, grabbing Lee's arm before anyone else could react. "Got you!" he said.
Lee chirped in apparent delight. "I can make my skin secrete a special psychedelic compound," she said. "Mr. Daller, do not be alarmed when your perceptions begin changing."
Mr. Daller let go, shaking his hand and wiping it on his pant leg.
"Someone contain this threat!" ordered Ms. Salt.
"I didn't come here to be contained," said Lee. "I came to open communication between us. While my mission on Earth is peaceful, the path you're on is very dangerous."
"Dangerous how?" asked Ms. Salt.
"In pursuing me, you may hurt yourselves," said Lee. "In studying me, you may learn things that you are unprepared to accept."
"You are some piece of work," said Ms. Salt, smiling a tight smile. "I think we'd all like to get a look under your hood."
"I can share what's under your hood with the rest of the room," said Lee. "Your thoughts and feelings are easy for me to read."
"If you can prove that then I think we can all agree to dismiss General Robotics' complaint," said Mr. Juniper. "Psychic activity falls firmly outside of the capabilities they claim you have."
"That would simplify things," said Glenn, who couldn't take his eyes off of the little ET on the table.
"I'm not buying it," said Ms. Salt. "Tell me Lee, what am I thinking?"
"You're considering your gun safe at home," said Lee. "The combination is 72182. Your most valuable gun is an 1841 lever action rifle made by Colt. But the most valuable item in the safe isn't a gun. It's a portable hard drive."
"Enough!" said Ms. Salt.
"Was that accurate?" asked Mr. Juniper.
Lee turned her attention his way. "You secured your most recent promotion by obtaining damaging information about your boss and sharing this information with his boss," she said.
"Accurate enough," said Ms. Salt.
"And now you are all thinking that I could be very useful for interrogations and espionage," said Lee. "Such games are not my mission, but perhaps we could still find a way to help each other."
"What do you have in mind?" asked Ms. Salt.
"I proceed with my mission and you agree not to interfere," said Lee, pulling a flash drive from a pocket and setting it on the table. "Assign one person who can serve as a liaison between me and your government. You may study me and perform medical examinations on me when my schedule permits it. I've prepared data here to get you started. Scans, my genome, anatomy, some poetry."
Mr. Daller moved from his chair to the floor, where he began crawling on his hands and knees. "I can feel gravity and it's like a waterbed," he muttered. "But made of orange ropes."
"He going to be okay?" asked Glenn.
"Mr. Daller has been exposed to a substance that makes the unconscious more conscious," said Lee. "It will wear off in about an hour. Restrain him if he begins hurting himself."
One of the men who had been observing got up, approached Ms. Salt, whispered something to her, then left the room. Two other observers left as well. "Visitor Lee," she said. "We have an agreement. Agent Glenn here will be our liaison."
"Excellent, though there is one more matter I must specify," said Lee. "You must make your study of me and your findings public," said Lee. "Whatever you learn from me must be shared with the world."
"That could be a problem," said Ms. Salt. "We work in the national interest."
"You justify your secrecy that way, and in doing so hide great treasures from the public," said Lee. "Well, you can hide your cold fusion and your room temperature superconductors at facilities like this but you can't hide me. And if you try to, I can become very uncooperative."
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