Alice's Pavlov test

Alice blinked. "Um, excuse me? Listen Mike, I don't know where you got that idea but I'm not sure that your ready for this."

"Oh come on Al, don't you need him for the entire project? If he volunteers now won't it take a load off you?" Freya, you were willing to bet, was clearly encouraging you and Alice.

Biting her lip Alice studied your face, inquisitive and worried. "Do you know what it means to take the advanced program?"

You shake your head as you did not. Also you did not want to admit that this was because you were scared of whatever Freya had in store for you. Better make it believable why you wanted to do this."No, I just assumed that if I went in it all the way I could get better rewards...?"

Alice hummed in thought before strutting to a table. Picking up a form before looking you in the eye. "Do you know who Pavlov is Mike? And secondly have you read Dune by Frank Herbert? "

You think for a moment. "Wasn't he the dude who did the bell with a dog? But I've never read Dune."

Alice nodded her head. "That's a simple enough answer. Pavlov used a bell as a neutral stimulus each time he fed a dog until the dog learned that a bell ringing met food."

"Then the mutt would increase in salivation production each occurring time a bell rang." Freya stated in amusement.

"Indeed. Now in Dune there is a part of the book where the protagonist cast to override his lower instincts to escape a trap to survive, while under pain and fear. In my experiment I wanted to see what would happen to a subject undergoing Pavlov's test and with the threat of something if they try to escape."

You swallow a lump in your throat in worry. Alice, seeing this, laughed a little. "Don't worry, it's nothing ethically or physically damaging to your health. All you have to do is allow yourself to be conditioned to a stimuli in a controlled environment. But you'll be tested by how long of a resistance you'll do and also how you'll adapt to the stimulus."

"Easy enough." You're sure that you will be fine doing this. After all, it wasn't life threatening and by the sounds of it the test won't be so bad. "So... can I?"

"Read this and come back here at three pm for the next twenty nights. I've checked your schedule and you'll be fine hey able to finish all your classes and get homework done with the hour and a half we'll be doing." Leaning down Alice handed you the paperwork while squeezing her chest. She then said in a honey voice, "Just you. Me. Alone here Mike. I can't wait to see what you got in store."

Gulping you place your signature on the dotted line, not fully reading the terms and agreements.

Your eternal mistake.