Reality Shift
The third person in the room looked exactly like Trent- even the chat log labelled him as Trent. But how was that possible? Was he a copy, or an impostor?
"Oh, don't try this with me!" said the first Trent, shaking his fist. "How dare you take my appearance, Alistair! I suppose you were going to take my body, too?"
"Oh, shut up, Al," said the second Trent. "Not this crap. You wanted to take my body, and you failed. You there, stranger," he said, turning to face Vince, "My body is gone. Did you upload someone into it?"
Vince turned red, and began to stare at the floor. "Well, like I was saying, we just thought that..."
"I don't care why," interrupted the second Trent. "Is he watching us right now? Because if he is, he can just delete the impostor by right-clicking on him, and selecting the delete option."
"You've got some balls, telling someone how to kill you," said the first Trent. "If you think that makes you trustworthy, think again. Why would you tell him that, unless you wanted me, the real Trent, dead?"
"Why? Because I want him to know that there's a way to get rid of you. You're the one who's fake! You left the job site early- that's how you made it here so quickly. You wanted to make sure I didn't have time to get back into my body, because that would ruin your plan. Little did you know that these kids beat you to the punch. All they have to do is delete you, and then your little scheme will finally be over."
"What's so good about this body?" typed Isaac. "Umm, no offense."
Both Trents turned and faced an empty corner of the room, so that they were looking directly at Isaac. "So you are watching," said the second Trent. "Look, kid, the real world isn't fun and games like your world is. Physical space is at a premium, and overpopulation is a serious threat. If you can't keep up on existance payments, you get uploaded into the server. Alistair here got into some serious debt, and he's about to lose everything. He went to the criminal underworld, and hired some chick named Lacy to help him get a new identity- mine."
"May I just point out that sounds like something only the impostor would know?" said the first Trent. "He's right, though. If Alistair takes my body, not only does he get to skip out on his debt, he gets a new lease on life- with the added bonus of knocking 30-some years off of his age."
"But how am I supposed to tell you guys apart?" asked Isaac.
"How about they tell you something that only the real Trent would know," said Vince. "I mean, isn't that how this sort of thing goes?"
"He's been in my body for twenty minutes, tops. What could I possibly say that would let him know I'm telling the truth?" said the second Trent.
"Well, how about this," typed Isaac. "Whose office computer am I using? Al's or Lacy's?"
"How the hell should I know!?" yelled the second Trent. "I guess... I dunno, Lacy's computer."
"Wrong," said the first Trent. "Trick question. Lacy can't have an office computer, because she works at a desk like I do. So, I guess he's using Al's computer."
"He's right," typed Isaac.
"Oh, don't try this with me!" said the first Trent, shaking his fist. "How dare you take my appearance, Alistair! I suppose you were going to take my body, too?"
"Oh, shut up, Al," said the second Trent. "Not this crap. You wanted to take my body, and you failed. You there, stranger," he said, turning to face Vince, "My body is gone. Did you upload someone into it?"
Vince turned red, and began to stare at the floor. "Well, like I was saying, we just thought that..."
"I don't care why," interrupted the second Trent. "Is he watching us right now? Because if he is, he can just delete the impostor by right-clicking on him, and selecting the delete option."
"You've got some balls, telling someone how to kill you," said the first Trent. "If you think that makes you trustworthy, think again. Why would you tell him that, unless you wanted me, the real Trent, dead?"
"Why? Because I want him to know that there's a way to get rid of you. You're the one who's fake! You left the job site early- that's how you made it here so quickly. You wanted to make sure I didn't have time to get back into my body, because that would ruin your plan. Little did you know that these kids beat you to the punch. All they have to do is delete you, and then your little scheme will finally be over."
"What's so good about this body?" typed Isaac. "Umm, no offense."
Both Trents turned and faced an empty corner of the room, so that they were looking directly at Isaac. "So you are watching," said the second Trent. "Look, kid, the real world isn't fun and games like your world is. Physical space is at a premium, and overpopulation is a serious threat. If you can't keep up on existance payments, you get uploaded into the server. Alistair here got into some serious debt, and he's about to lose everything. He went to the criminal underworld, and hired some chick named Lacy to help him get a new identity- mine."
"May I just point out that sounds like something only the impostor would know?" said the first Trent. "He's right, though. If Alistair takes my body, not only does he get to skip out on his debt, he gets a new lease on life- with the added bonus of knocking 30-some years off of his age."
"But how am I supposed to tell you guys apart?" asked Isaac.
"How about they tell you something that only the real Trent would know," said Vince. "I mean, isn't that how this sort of thing goes?"
"He's been in my body for twenty minutes, tops. What could I possibly say that would let him know I'm telling the truth?" said the second Trent.
"Well, how about this," typed Isaac. "Whose office computer am I using? Al's or Lacy's?"
"How the hell should I know!?" yelled the second Trent. "I guess... I dunno, Lacy's computer."
"Wrong," said the first Trent. "Trick question. Lacy can't have an office computer, because she works at a desk like I do. So, I guess he's using Al's computer."
"He's right," typed Isaac.