Larry scratched at his nose in a thoughtful sort of manner.
"Well, one n-never likes to say never with cutting edge technology..."
I felt my heart leap.
"You mean there's a chance? A chance you could swap up back?"
"No." he said matter of factly.
"Bu-but you just said-"
"*I* have no way to swap you back, and it's as simple as that. But, in a few years, after more extensive testing, there's always the possibility that one could be developed. We just don't know for certain."
I felt what little hope that had flared dying away.
"W-well...how...at a best guess, how long might it take to develop that?"
"Hmm..."
He narrowed his eyes and appeared to ponder.
"Assuming your transfer went as well as David's-"
"I'm David!" I blurted out.
"No, you're Cathy, remember?" he asked so matter-of-factly, before moving on. "As I was saying, assuming your transfer went as well as his, and all the other transfers we do in the testing phase go equally as well...and assuming a regular progression of technology..."
He appeared to be doing some math in his head. I clung to the last bit of hope-
"Ten years, I should say, quite soon really."
I felt my stomach drop. Ten years! A decade as my mother!
I groan.
"But...but what am I supposed to do in the meantime?!"
"Well, I suppose you go back to your husband and family and the medium sized fortune we've paid you. Now, come, let's do some routine examinations, we need to see how well you've integrated..."