You are an engineer hired by Agnes Industries, the largest and most powerful tech company in the world. Upon arriving at the headquarters, you are welcomed personally by the CEO, Agatha Agnes. She is a curvy, stunning young woman. You find it odd that someone so young leads such a massive corporation and assume she must be a nepo baby of some kind. Despite her age, she carries herself with calm confidence and refinement.

She guides you to a hidden room deep within the building. Inside, you see countless machines and cables. At the center stands a capsule containing a very old woman connected to life-support systems. You freeze in shock. The woman is bald, her skin deeply wrinkled, her body frail and decrepit, a breathing mask covering her mouth.

Agatha laughs softly and asks if you like her original body. Confused, you look at her as she smiles and turns her neck toward you. Embedded in her skin are several ports designed for cable connections.

Agatha explains that she is a technological prodigy who founded the company over a hundred years ago. Agnes Industries depends entirely on her genius, so as her body aged, she created the capsule—a machine capable of swapping bodies. The ports in her neck allow the capsule to swap her cerebral pattern with a new host.

A chill runs down your spine.

“You like my current body?” she asks, squeezing her chest with a teasing grin. “Her name is Pearl. And if you’re wondering how I obtain new bodies… you’d be surprised what people agree to in the terms and conditions of our smartphones.” She smirks.

She explains that the capsule also keeps her original body alive, but it has begun to malfunction. When you ask why she even needs to keep it alive, she sighs.

“Body swapping isn’t an exact science, darling. I don’t truly swap bodies—only cerebral patterns. Over time, the host brain slowly reverts to its original state. In other words, the swap is temporary. I must constantly reconnect the bodies to the capsule to reinforce my patterns.”

You nod, still deeply unsettled. Agatha smiles warmly.

“And that’s where you come in. I want you to fix the capsule. Trust me—the payment will have more zeros than you’ll ever see in your life. I’d do it myself, but poor Pearl gets terribly stressed seeing me wear her body.”

As she speaks, the old body in the capsule convulses. Both the elderly woman and Agatha suddenly bleed from their noses. Agatha calmly wipes it away and smiles.

“See? I have work to do. Good luck with old Pearl.”

She leaves the room. You sigh and prepare your tools. As you approach the capsule, you notice the woman inside—Pearl, trapped in Agatha’s decaying body—staring directly at you.

A single tear slides down her cheek.