Preface

Quantum Filaments, here afterward referred to as QUFITs instantly transfer characteristics between two individuals. First recorded in 2015 they recur annually. A previously unknown phenomenon they first appeared on October 31st in Denver, Colorado, United States at approximately 1610 hours local time. Just days ahead of the annual Leonid meteor showers, many amateur astronomers mistakenly claimed they were only part of a highly active cycle of meteor showers or the intense Aurora Borealis. For several days many governments around the world thought it better to allow that explanation to persist rather than admit this was a phenomenon that was unknown to current science and whose impact could not be predicted.

Humans are the only known life forms impacted by the QUFITs. Persons changed by an annual QUFIT fall appear to be wholly immune to any subsequent falls. The transference between individuals can be either physical or mental. The number of changes visited upon a person has ranged from one to eighteen individual "swaps".

Ryan sat down next to his friend Edgar for study hall in the assembly. There were both juniors at the high school.

"Did you see the meteor shower last night?" Ryan asked.

"No, that wasn't a meteor shower. It was a QUFIT storm!" Edgar responded.

"A QUFIT storm?"

"Yes, don't you remember from last year? Those things that swap traits between people?"

"I thought that was a joke. Something like that couldn't happen."

"It did! Last night it did again."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I knew what it was immediately. I went down into the basement where it's safe. There aren't any windows there. I stayed there all night."

"You slept in the basement."

"Yeah."

"What about your family?"

"I told them to but they didn't. It changed them."

"Oh my god, what happened?"

"They have the baby in my room."