The scientist scratched at the back of his neck. "Ah, yes. Well, here's what it is. It's from a spacecraft." He clicked a button, and a chunk of the wall slid away and left glass behind, behind which was a vast hangar, containing what looked like a spaceship, an actual alien spaceship.
"I'm sorry. Are you telling me aliens are real?" Ms Scott asked, arcing an eyebrow.
The scientist went on to explain that in the 80s, a spaceship had crashed here, and all the inhabitants had died upon impact. The British government had been studying its technology for years, but it was difficult to translate the alien language or access their computer systems. As such, a lot of it was grim trial and error, some of the technology having truly fantastical side effects upon the user due to genetic incompatibility or incompetence in using the devices. "That's why we had to pass the Society Act; to get people through a fair lottery to help us figure out this technology. Some advances have been great, we think we've found a pill that will reliably cure cancer once we can reproduce it en masse. However, for each victory, someone else takes the risk of life-altering side effects."
"But why me?" Lily asked, a little petulantly.
"Because no one should be above the random draft, it's the only way it's fair. And as such, you're legally obliged to assist us with testing out..."
Lily waved her hand, folding her arms over her chest. "Yes, yes, I said I'd comply," she interrupted.
The scientist paused, sighing deeply. "As I was saying."