Prologue

"Daniel is becoming a problem. He just won't go along with the program. He needs an attitude adjustment."

"Have you talked to Daniel? It's his research. I thought he would want to see it through to its logical conclusion."

"I have but he is getting cold feet. He thinks we are going to far."

"Where did he expect it to go? He knew who we are funded by."

"He said he doesn't care."

"He had better care or he'll take all of us down."

"We'll have to do something."

"Maybe he needs a new job? Maybe he would be happier if he wasn't a scientist Maybe he could be the janitor instead. We could give him Leticia's personality. He won't even speak English anymore, he'll be mopping the halls at night instead?"

"I don't want him around at all. I want him totally out of our hair. We need a story."

The conspirators exited the room, but their conversation continued.

"We just have to make Daniel disappear."

"I think you are right, an attitude adjustment using his own device would be best. We can say it was an accident. We can say that he was testing it by himself and something went wrong."

"But what type of personality should we give him?"

"Let me think about it."

The conspirators didn't know that Maria Taylor heard part of their conversation. She would have to warn Dr. Radecki what she had heard.

Beginning.

"What are you doing?"

"We are giving you an attitude adjustment. An entirely new personality actually."

"What?"

We are going to remove your personality and replace it with another. When you leave here you will be acting like a different person."

"You can't do that?"

"I can't? Look, your new personality is being collected now."

Curtains were pushed aside in front of a one-way mirror. He could see a little girl of about five sitting in a chair. An attendant was attaching electrodes to her scalp. There were different than those which were attached to his. His were connected to wires from the ceiling.

"It's not possible."

"Oh, yes it is. Soon your personality will be identical to the girl you see before."

"You can't do that. Nobody can."

"Can't I?"

But he knew they could. he had seen it with his own eyes. His girlfriend changed dramatically. The cheerful and vivacious woman she was changed to a stern and pious woman. It was as if she had spent her entire life in a convent sheltered from the world.

I'll resist you. I won't let it happen."

"You don't have a choice. When it's over, you won't even know anything has happened."

The look of determination on his face, faded. "I don't want to be here!"

"It won't take too much longer honey. If you are good and sit still for just a few more minutes. You can have ice cream after."

"Can I have Rocky Road?"

"You sure can."

"Can I have it with whipped cream and sprinkles?"

"Anything you want."

"How much longer will this take. Just a few minutes. Then it's ice cream time. It'll be yummy. And you know what?"

"What."

"You see the girl in front of you?"

"Yes,"

"She has lots of toys, especially dolls. She wants to play with you."

"What type?"

"I hear she has a stuffed unicorn and a pretty monkey and a teddy bear that is almost as big as she is."

"Wow, that is big."

"Do you know what its name is?"