The conversation overheard burns in your mind still, “You want to proceed with the lab seventeen accident...” you repeat, thinking about how you were abandoning Jillian, especially when it seems they know something happened. When you reach Thom's sedan, you sigh, touching the metal. It's hot from the sun, and you consider just driving for the hills for a second before spinning on your heels and returning to the building. You shrug with false embarrassment toward security that you "forgot your wallet" but they barely pay attention, too busy seeing to the military folk. Returning to the elevator, you figure it might seem odd for Thom to go right to the labs; to Jillian. He's only an accountant after all, even if you now realised he was the head of that section, not some lowly bean counter. But as high-up in the admin section as he was, he had no business with the research department beyond approving their spending with no question.
Instead, you travel to the admin offices on the top floor with Thom's memory directing you to his spacious office toward the back of the floor. A few people nod and say hello as you pass them, flashes of names and jobs crossing your mind thanks to Thom's held within. A pretty woman sits at a tidy desk outside your office, Thom's secretary you recall before she frowns as you approach "Oh for the love of...don't tell me she cancelled? Again?" and the sudden interaction catches you off-guard. "Oh...no, something came up. I'll, eh, I'll call her from the office. You can head to lunch if you'd like though, Stacey" and she nods with a sarcastic eyeroll. "Thanks boss. But seriously, don't take no shit from her, Thom. We've talked about this." Stacey and Thom are surprisingly close, her acting as his vent for Karen, him helping her get accepted into a Protean run part-time college course paid by the company. Rumours had run for a while that they'd be sleeping with each other but, from his memories, this wasn't true. Much as he'd fanaticised and did find her gorgeous, despite the playful flirting, nothing had even close to happened. As you watch her leave, both male brains within you agree; she was very attractive.
Entering Thom's office, you draw the blinds and grab his phone, first dialling the muscle memory number of Karin, Thom's wife. "Thom, where are ya?!" You apologise, telling her something came up in work, the memory of her nagging voice not preparing you for the reality piercing your ear. "I'll make it up to you, honey. I promise, but I gotta run," and you hang up before she can respond. With a deep breath, you dial the number of Lab 17, unknown to Thom but well known to you. Jillian answers, and it sounds like she's been crying. "Eh...Dr Harding, this is Thom Allen over in accounting. We’ve...eh, we've come across an...irregularity in one of the, uh...acquisitions recently and I would like to discuss this if possible? Could you come up to my office right away?" She seems irritated, "Listen, I don't know who you are, but this isn't a good time, I've never had an issue with finance before so can you just..."
"Dr Harding. Jillian. Please. I can...absorb...the payment, into another...if you just come and discuss it with me. Do you follow my...have I hit the "Mark"?"
She pauses, before you hear an exhale of air, and she agrees. "I think I get you...I... oh god, I'll be right up."
~
Thom has several photos on his desk which you'd occupied yourself perusing while waiting; of him and his family, and how you could remember each. Flickers of past holidays, memorable occasions and dates with your now wife. You lift a photo from their wedding day and can recall not even the rain could dampen that day. She looked beautiful. He drank too much. But that night with Karin was...
You jump when the door finally knocks, dropping the photo as you call "Yes, come in!". Jillian's face is like a healing light, as she holds a look of wonder on her face before she finally calls "Mark?!" and you spring to hug her "I thought you'd left, and I didn't know if you'd be back. Oh my god, are you OK?" You sit her down and explain; that you almost got caught but you'd shifted to Darcy, and then grabbed Thom, but more worryingly about the conversation you'd overheard. You ask about Darcy, Jillian telling you she's fine though shaken that she had "passed out with no memory of the morning" before she'd sent her home.
"What are we going to do, Jillian? They know there was an accident, even if they can't trace me, they'll be watching you." But she's just studying your face. "Sorry Mark, I just...I can't get over this. All of this. This morning, I helped you as a young girl, and now I'm talking to you inside the body of another man! And you said you shifted?" You open your mouth to explain but figure you should try to show her, shivering as your body bubbles and morphs until you see Jillian's eyes widen, seeing your young feminine reflection in the glass behind her. "So, yeah...I guess I catalogue whoever I've been," you reply in Darcy's light voice. She's silent in wonder as she steps around the desk, lifting you out of the chair to inspect you, pulling at your long brown hair, pinching at your clothes inspecting their texture before grabbing at your crotch. "Jesus, Jill..." and she seems to remember herself. "Sorry, Darc...Mark, I just," she steps back, leaning against the desk breathing heavily. "This is incredible! You're a perfect replica!" She seems surprised when she looks back to you now seeing Thom returned. "Yeah, but I don't get their memories if I'm not, well, holding them. But seriously, what are we going to do, Jillian?"
It seems like a lifetime of you watching her chew her cheek, as she always did when she was deep in thought. Then, she sits up. "Why don't you stay as Thom?" You laugh, considering the prospect of living this accountant's life, but she doesn't join you. "I'm serious. Look, part of the issue with the SX-2 incident was they couldn't trace where it'd been when it got away, right?" You drop your head, looking at the uncomfortable leather shoes you now wore. "Him," you reply, "not it, Jillian. Him. David." She frowns, but continues. "Look, Thom is pretty nondescript, so why not hang out as him for now? No one would suspect him, would they? And you'd be an inside man within the company."
You're taken aback that she's even suggesting this. "Are you really telling me to go home as this man, to...to play with his kids and," a memory of Karin flashes from his mind, "...sleep with his wife?" She shifts in clear discomfort. "And what about you, Jill?" She frowns, “Well, I guess we have a few options. I can go back as normal, like nothing happened and claim you disappeared. Like what happened with David the last time and wait it out." You stand, shaking your head, but she continues, "Or... do you think you could hold onto me and Thom at the same time? Even to get me out of here? Then we could try and get out of Saratoga." The idea of absorbing Jillian is scary, not knowing exactly what you are doing to these people when you're absorbing them. "I dunno, Jillian. I could try, but I'd get access to every aspect of you without choice. Do you really want that?" It seems she hadn't realised as she stands. You both pace for a few moments before there is a knock at the door. Stacey pushes in a second later, "Now tell me you told her to...oh, sorry Thom, er, Mr Allen, I didn't realise you had a visitor." You nod, "It's OK, Miss Cruise, this is Dr Harding from Research. We were just going over an urgent billing query." She nods, "Well let me know if you need anything," before sliding back out. "She's into you," Jillian chuckles. "What?" you ask. "You, or well, Thom. She likes him. You're him right now; does he know?" You blush. "No, although that's really not important right now, is it?"
"Well...there's one other choice" Jillian adds with a nervous note in her voice, staring at where Stacey had just excited as she pulls a sealed vile from her jacket. "Fuck me, Jill. Tell me that's not..." But she is already gripping it dangerously "I could do the same as you..." You try to snatch for it but she's too quick. "Jillian, what are you thinking?" She steps away from you, annoyed. "You said it yourself, they probably already know! So why don’t I absorb it, the same as you did...I could, I dunno..." her voice shaky with fear, "I could take her, the secretary. Or...or Thom's wife! We could...Mark we could just hide in plain sight?" You consider the idea of the both of you posing as this married couple. A house in the suburbs with a couple of kids. It does oddly seem nice. "Or run away together! Drive to the airport right now as Thom and his secretary and just...get on a flight, you know?!" You step toward her, trying to reason but she cuts you off, openly proclaiming "Mark, I'm really fucking scared..."
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