Published: November 6th 2020, 3:39:08 am
"Hey bro, it's the newest thing. You can rent out your body to be controlled by someone else temporarily, and then come back as yourself. It's super easy and a great way to make some extra cash. What do you think? What? Is it dangerous? Ha, what a question, is it dangerous. Come on man, don't worry about it. It's pretty safe, and almost nothing ever happens with the transfer. Where do you go while your body is occupied? Don't worry about it, you'll be in the other person's body in stasis. You'll hardly notice any time passing at all and you'll be right back in your body. Come on, whaddya say? I know you need the money!"
Chris looked at me with pleading eyes. I was the one who needed money so why was he being so pushy about this 'opportunity'?
"Yeah, man, that sounds too freaky to me. I'm good."
"Oh, that's too bad," said Chris. I thought that was the end of it but he continued. "Because I already told them you would do it."
"Well you better untell them!" I said.
I got up to leave the waiting area where we were sitting - it was a lobby in the body-ex-change store at the local mall. Even being there felt too rich for me - It was for rich people who had actual houseplants like the little philodendrons on the end tables by the magazines that no one reads. It just felt out of place for me. But as I tried to go, I heard a beeping noises and lights began to flash.
'Unauthorized exit' A number of service drones popped up out of know where and held me in place, thier sleek floating bodies and metal grip making movement impossible.
"Hey! Let...Go!"
"Sorry buddy," said Chris, "but you already gave persmission. He played back a video on his phone. "Yeah man that sounds...good."
"That's a doctored video!" I said.
"That's an oral contract." he countered. "They already got your signature on the form I sent them."
"I didn't sign any form...this is fraud!"
"You'll thank me when you're done! And I'll be collecting my bonus once the exchange is finished!"
"You bast-owww!" I felt a prick in my side. One of the drones had injected me with a sedative.
"Nighty night, Bud!"
I slowly came to. Where was I? I looked down at my body. It was...tiny. So were my hands. I was... in a onesie and... diaper. I opened my mouth to yell but all that came out was a high pitched wine. My talk came out as baby babble... that's what I was!
"Congratulations. Your Ex-Change is complete!"
I looked ahead at the view screen in front of me. I saw myself, smiling and babblying, a full grown adult dressed in a diaper. They were being wheeled out of the room in the ex-change facility. But where was I?"
"Hello, Baby. I'll be your caretaker for the time being." A young lady with a kind smile looked down at me. "I know you must be confused right now, but don't worry. I promise you you won't be here long. Only a week or so. Any longer and both your bodies would have permanent side effects."
A week? I began to cry.
Then I heard an alarm and an explosion come from through on the other side of the vidscreen. "This is the anti-tech resistance. Down with technology! Down with-" the feed cut off.
"Not to worry. I'm sure everything is fine," she said, but there was an edge of desperation in her voice that she couldn't hide. Her eyes vibrated and her face twitched giving away the fear beneath the calm. Then I heard it. The explosion on my side.
"Everyone down on the ground! This is not a drill. Hey boss! There's a baby in here!"
"The barbarity!" came a gruff female voice. "To think they would put an actual baby through this... this... abominable process!"
I began to cry. I was scared too now. I looked over to the woman who said nothing.
A strong muscular arm picked me up and held me close to a warm body. It was the boss, a hard-faced woman in military fatigues, the top open to reveal a tight olive-green tank top. She smiled down at me.
"Don't worry little one, we'll get you out of here."
She carried me off as I heard the attendant beg for her life in behind me. I needed to get back to my old body and change back before it was too late. But every moment seemed to carry me further from that possibility.