Rover sat there thinking. „I can´t let Edwin down, its not his fault. Without the chronivac he wouldn´t be in this mess, and I wouldn´t know any better.“ Rover looked at the chronivac, searching for a solution that would help Edwin without changing him into a real dog, as well as not turning himself back into one.
After half an hour of searching and planning Rover had a solution. But he needed to act quickly, seeing with the chronivac that Edwin was in full panic mode in the shelter right now. So the first thing to do was getting him back here. Luckily the program would allow to teleport him here, as well as leave something in his place so nobody would notice.
But an error stopped Rover from teleport Edwin here. „Subject not in range“ stood on the screen. Rover cursed at that. A bit of search allowed him to know what to do. He had to go nearer to the shelter, a mile from it at max. Right now he was one and a half miles away.
„Sorry Edwin, you will have to wait for a bit longer. This way I need a full replacement first.“ Rover said to himself, before looking for said replacement. As his father was the one who wanted to get ride of him, Rover selected Hector's profile. As he couldn´t make Edwin replace his father, he would switch himself with Hector, so Hector would be Edwin to anyone now.
In the next room Hector was reading the paper alone, so he didn´t know that everyone thought about him as Edwin now.
Rover, now in the role of Hector, pre-programmed the next change to occur as soon as Hector was in range for the switch, and that the moment they switched everyone would see Hector as the dog Rover, and Edwin as himself. Hector would need to act under any command Rover had given to Edwin before, as well as some new ones he would give him mentally as soon as they were switched.
When he was finished Rover moved out to collect „Edwin“ from reading his paper. „Edwin, we need to go now, so come with me.“
Hector protested: „What do you mean, son? Why do you call me Edwin and why would we need to go?“ But Hector put the paper away and easily followed Rover outside, much to his confusion.
„Be silent, boy. You made a mistake today, and I need to correct it.“ Rover said, and Hector couldn´t speak up anymore. Rover had made it so Hector was compelled to do as he said for now. He walked down the street with his „son“ for ten minutes, soon nearing their destination.
„Now, boy, you will switch places with Rover over at the shelter, as I want Edwin back instead of you. You wanted to get ride of me, so its only fair we switch roles. Goodbye, Rover“ said Rover to Hector just as he crossed the one mile radius of the shelter. Instantly he and Edwin switched places, and the fact who wore clothes. So now Hector sat on all fours in the shelter naked, while Edwin stood in his clothes just behind Rover, looking confused.
Edwin hadn´t calmed down for most of the time in the shelter, only when someone said they would put him down if he didn´t quit making so much noise he stopped, fear on his face. So he was confused as he suddenly stood behind Rover in the street. But before he could say anything, Rover spoke up: „I´m sorry, Edwin. I didn´t know your father wanted to get ride of me.“ He looked down sad.
„What exactly happened, Rover? What have you done now?“ Edwin finally asked after a minute in silence. They were moving home again, and Rover only answered with: „I will explain at home, Edwin.“
At the same time Hector was in panic at the shelter, as he heard Rover speak to him in his head, giving him new commands. „You won´t wear clothes anymore, „Rover“. And you won´t make a fuss about being seen as a dog, even in the shelter you will stay calm. And if you get adopted again, you won´t try to escape your new family, only if they mistreat you as a dog you are seen as now. You will act as the dog you are, „Rover“.“ So even when he wanted to escape, he couldn´t do anything as he laid down in the cold cage he was in naked. He still didn´t know what had happened, only that he was now seen as Rover, the dog he had just get ride off.
At home Rover explained to Edwin: „As I said, your father wanted to get ride of me, and as we had switched places, you landed in the shelter. I wanted to get you back, but needed a replacement. Now your father is seen as Rover in the shelter and the to the world, while I´m seen Hector now. You are yourself again, Edwin. I´m sorry for everything.“
Edwin took some time to get everything set again. „So now you are my dad, Rover? You know what, you can´t be worse than him, so its okay. I´m only angry for you taking my life over.“
It took a bit of time, but then they were a happy family again, and his mother had more than once apologized to him for giving Rover away, but soon Edwin wasn´t that sad about it anymore. The only one who was miserable was Hector, as he was in the shelter for half a year before someone took him in. Even when his life as a dog was a good one, he still wanted back to his wife, but couldn´t. He was trapped as Rover forever.