Rosa sighs.
"You are—and always have been—Jennifer MacRae. We brought you in here, and used this machine to give you the memories of Elliot Barnes. But there's no need to worry; it's only temporary. As soon as your brain has had time to recover from the imprinting process, you can come right back here and we'll give you all your old memories back, good as new."
"My old memories? you stammer. "My memories are just fine! I just want my body back!"
Rosa looks helplessly back at the other, older you. He steps forward and looks you in the eyes.
"Look, Jennifer," he says, "I am Elliot Barnes. You just have a copy of my memories from three years ago, when I came in here to earn some extra cash. You can't get 'back' to being me, because you aren't really me, understand?"
"So," you say nervously, "what happens to me, then? When you put Jennifer's memories back in here?"
"I don't understand what you mean. You'll get you memories back, like I said."
"No! That's what will happen to the body! What will happen to me?Elliot Barnes circa 2011?
"Well, the human brain only has enough room for one neural matrix at a time," says Rosa. "This Elliot Barnes personality will be overwritten by your own."
"So you're saying I'll die!?" you demand, panicked.
"Well, that's an interesting philosophical question," says Rosa. "I mean, I suppose from the perspective of the 2011 Elliot Barnes persona, being overwritten could be seen as a kind of 'death,' but don't worry; medically you'll be fine, I promise.
"You mean Jennifer will be fine. I'll have ceased to exist."
"Well," says Rosa hesitantly, "I suppose you could say that, but only from the Elliot Barnes perspective. See, holistically…"
"I'll be dead! I don't care about anyone else's perspective!"
Rosa smiles again, but you can tell she's getting exasperated.
"Look, honey, there are other researchers waiting to use the room. Why don't you go home, get something to eat, and try to clear your head? I bet you'll feel a lot better after a good meal in familiar surroundings."
"Home? Home!? You mean to some chick's dorm room in a building at a college I've never even seen? That home?"
"Yes," says Rosa.
"Don't worry about it," says the other you with a smile. "You don't have to go back there if you don't want to. If it would make you feel better, why don't you come back to my place? I'll bet it's just to your tastes."
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