This choice: Agree to the scan, but refuse to sign the extended-use waiver. • Go Back... Strapped for cash or not, you're not exactly keen on the idea of some corporation having a picture of your brain on file forever. As such, you agree to the brain scan, but turn down the extra money for the extended use waiver. Rosa just shrugs, chipper as ever.
"All right then," she says with a smile. "Just lie back on that chair there and we can get started."
Doing as you're told, you settle back onto the slick plastic of the exam chair and watch Rosa expectantly. After entering a couple more commands into the console, she grabs the large machine from the ceiling and pivots it down toward your head with practiced efficiency.
"Now, just stay still—this won't hurt a bit."
Rosa reaches over to the console, strikes a button, and suddenly you're opening your eyes—which is odd, because you don't remember ever actually closing your eyes. What's even odder is that the action reveals that the stark examination room has somehow disappeared, only to be replaced with some kind of laboratory. Odder still, instead of just Rosa, there are nearly forty suddenly people crowded around you, all of them staring at you with eager anticipation.
What's oddest of all, though, is that you're among them.
In the middle of the group, standing next to Rosa and several other people you've never met, is, well, you. He's wearing different clothes, has a slightly nicer haircut and sports a neatly trimmed beard, but the man is definitely you.
"This is so cool!" he says. "Did it work?"
"Looks good here," says one of the lab techs. "The new brain image is a perfect match to the one on file."
A cheer goes up around the lab.
"What the hell—" you start to demand, but trail off. Something's wrong with your voice.
"So," says the man who looks like you, "Now she thinks she's me? Me from three years ago?"
She? Nervous, you try to look down, only to discover that you can't move—soft but sturdy restraints appear to be holding you in place.
"What the hell is this?" you demand. "You tied me up, you bitch!"
"Oh, man," says your lookalike. "This is so awesome!"
Rosa walks over to you and smiles as you thrash against your restraints.
"Only for your own safety," she says. "The remapping process can cause partial seizures while the brain is being overwritten. As soon as I'm confident you're not a danger to yourself or others, I'll remove them.
"As soon as you're satisfied? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Rosa ignores you.
"Bring out the mirror, Friedrich," she says to one of the lab techs.
Friedrich obliges, rolling out a large angled mirror mounted high on a steel frame.
As soon as it is positioned over your bed, you immediately stop thrashing. What's reflected is… impossible. Tied to a hospital-style steel bed with bright yellow restraints around her head, wrists, ankles and waist is a cute brunette girl wearing an Oakcrest University sweatshirt. You stick out your tongue; the brunette does the same.
"So," continues the man who looks like an older version of you, "she has all my memories and stuff?"
"Yes," says Rosa. "Or, at least, all the memories you had when the scan was taken. As far as she's concerned, she is Elliot Barnes and the year is still 2011."
"But I am Elliot and it is 2011!" you shout.
"See?" says Rosa.
"I never agreed to this! You tricked me!"
"Well, now," says Rosa, "That's just not true. I have your signed consent form right here."
She hands you a stack of papers, signed and initialed by a 'Jennifer MacRae.'
"But I'm not—"
Rosa cuts you off. "Play her the tape, Kendall."
A lab tech rolls a small television out in front of your bed, and then dutifully presses play. On the screen appears the same brunette college girl you saw in the mirror.
Hi… me! she says with a smile. "I guess you're pretty confused, being without memories or whatever. But don't worry! Everything's cool. They just want to try downloading someone else's mind scan thing to my brain. I knew that sounds freaky, but it's totally safe! And if you're watching this, I guess it worked. Which is great, because it means we're two hundred dollars richer, babe! Oh, and don't worry—it's totally reversible. They'll give you your own memories back just as soon as your brain recovers from the overwrite process; they say it shouldn't take more than a week. Till then, just relax and have fun remembering stuff from this other girl's memories or whatever. Oh? Oh! Rosa says apparently it's a guy! Weird! You'll HAVE to tell me all the weird guy secrets in his memories, okay? Oh? Oh. Rosa says that's not how it works. Whatever—just be cool and don't worry, okay? Oh, and you can probably skip English class if you're feeling weird, but you need to at least show up for bio, okay? I'm like, this close to being dropped from that class. Anyway, uh, have fun! Okay, I'm done. How do I turn this off? Is it this button on the—"
With that, the TV goes to static and the entire lab stares at you expectantly.
"So, do you understand?" asks Rosa. "Are you ready for me to release your restraints?"
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