Dan woke with a start, memory of the warm liquid filling up the hallway around him. He blinked in confusion. Where was he? The room was plain, with a dresser and mirror and his bed, and a door that might lead to a bathroom. It looked new, or at least very well maintained, but there was no decoration or frills. He brushed hair out of his eyes in annoyance, then froze. He'd never had long hair in his life! And the color was wrong - it looked reddish, not the medium brown he'd grown up with.
Sitting up, he pulled back the sheet and stared. What had happened to his body? He was so thin, almost skinny, with legs that looked too long and feet too big. And that wasn't all - he had to reach down and pull back the thick covering to verify that he was now uncut, and the rest of his male parts were noticeably larger. Was this all some sort of weird dream? A pinch hurt, and he also had to admit that pulling the foreskin back had created some interesting sensations. Not a dream, then. What had they done to him?
Sliding cautiously out of bed, he found that he could stand and move with no issues. Actually, he felt really good, better than he could ever remember. Light, energetic, quick. His hand hit the table lamp and nearly knocked it over. And clumsy. He looked like a kid - memory returned and his eyes widened as he recalled his results. Eighth grade - fourteen? No way! He went over tot eh dresser and stared in the mirror.
Yes, way. Although totally unfamiliar to Dan, the face looking back at him was easily that of a fourteen year-old boy. Not a very handsome kid, bordering on homely. Shaggy, dark copper red hair framed a thin face with an upturned nose, large wide-set eyes, and buck teeth that pushed out over a weak chin. Judging from the way they poked out from his hair, extra-large ears were attached as well. A smattering of freckles covered his nose and cheeks, and continued all over his pale skin.
The door opened suddenly and a young nurse came in and smiled at him. "Up already! You responded perfectly to the treatment - exactly what was planned."
Still confused and bewildered, Dan gaped at her. "This was planned? I never wanted to be a kid again! Much less an ugly kid!"
"Now, now." The young woman shook her head. "You are definitely not ugly. Maybe a little under average, but I promise that is more than compensated for in other areas. You have perfect eyesight and hearing, top physical health and immunity, and when you get a few more years development, quite an impressive tool."
Dan yelped and dove for the bed, snatching up the sheet as he realized he was standing there naked. "But... this isn't me! No one will recognize me!"
"Didn't you read the contract you signed?" The young woman gave an exaggerated sigh. "No one takes the time to check things out these days. You are getting a fresh start as a 14 year-old. Your old life is no longer relevant. None of your family or friends are even aware of the change, as the old you returned to his apartment after another unsuccessful interview. Good luck will come next week when he scores an excellent position with a major information broker."
"Wait a minute! Nobody said anything about giving up my whole life!" Dan started to panic. "I have friends! Things I wanna do!"
"Name them." The woman smiled. "Any of your friends or family."
"Well, there's... the guy I went to school with. And that lady at work. And mom and dad and my big brother, Sam!" He perked up as an actual name and clear face popped into his head. Then he frowned. Sam? How could a kid who looked to be 16 or 17 be his big brother? And a ginger, too? The face in his head was an older version of the face in the mirror.
The woman nodded approvingly. "That's right. Sam is your brother. Now. Part of the program is an exchange of memories. In another few hours, you will clearly remember being Jacob William McNeally, and the adult named Dan will be difficult to recall." She gestured to the dresser. "Why don't you get dressed, and we'll get you to the orientation room for processing. I'll come back in a few minutes."
Dan stared wide-eyed as the woman left, pulling the door shut behind her. What kind of craziness was this? They had stolen his life! And now he was supposed to calmly accept being some homely kid? He checked the drawers and found jeans, T-shirt, socks, and sneakers. He was apparently expected to go commando, as there were no underpants.
Dressing quickly, Dan tried to figure out what to do. Unless he got out of here quick, he might not even remember the past life that was already confused and jumbled in his head. Yet he also wanted to find out more about all of this. How was it even possible? And why would they even bother?