The Infection

In 2074, the strangest virus began to work its way across the globe. For the first two weeks of infection, it was mostly undetectable but highly contagious. Then the virus started to make you sick and attack your brain; once it could be tracked in your system, it was determined you had approximately two months left to live.

The solution, it seemed, was a technology that had been outlawed just five years prior: brain swapping. It seemed anyone who had illegal used a brain swapper in their two month period ended up surviving. Bans were quickly overturned and hospitals soon set up dating-profile-like websites to help the infected find each other. The swaps were permanent as attempts to swap back resulted in instant re-infection.

There were some catches. Not everyone could safely swap with each other. You had to find a match. Jared had signed on after being infected to find a whole host of people to choose from, but he almost instantly got a message in his inbox from a woman named Alice. She wasn’t so lucky. In fact, she hadn’t been compatible with a single person when she first signed on, and was giddy when she got an email about Jared signing up as a match. Jared didn’t want to swap with a woman, but agreed knowing he was her only hope.

They didn’t meet until they arrived at the hospital and sat in the waiting room together. Alice was extremely nervous but also very thankful. Jared was a little scared that Alice’s body was soon going to be his, but he kept telling himself it was the right thing to do.