Rentyre
Reggie tells you that he recorded the conversation for use as a contract, and that he'll be flying in town the next morning. You tell him where your apartment is, and leave a key with your landlord so that he won't have to stand around outside.
When you come off work, you find Reggie sitting there on your sofa. It's an awkward moment; you can almost feel his eyes examining every inch of his body, wondering if you've harmed it in any way. "I look like a geek," he says, finally. "Would it kill you to unbutton my shirt just a little bit? Nobody wears the top button unless they're wearing a tie."
"Anyway," you say, ignoring him. "I figured we'd use the Botter down at my workplace to do all of the Rentyring. My idea was that you would replace the other robot, and then we'd Rentyre then. I would remain in the chamber, as a robot, while you get my father to enter the chamber. This way, even if the bastard walks away, you'll still have your body. Hopefully, though, you can get him to enter, which will put me back in my body, and put him in the robot."
Reggie has no objections, so you both head down the construction site. It takes both of you to lift the vacant robot out of the chamber, but when you finally do, Reggie enters without a problem. You enter the passcode, having already told it to Reggie for the second part of the plan. The chamber opens, and you step inside, wearing Reggie's body for the last time.
Once you find yourself inside the robot, it takes all of your willpower to stay inside the chamber. It's a small area, and you don't have much room to move about. Still, you have to stay where you are, because you don't know when your father is arriving. He could be coming any minute, and the entire plan would be for nothing if you weren't in the chamber when he stepped inside.
You can't really hear anything, except for the occasional sound of muffled talking. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean much, because the site is right next to a busy main street.
It's hard to tell how much time is passing, but if you had to guess, you'd say about fifteen minutes. Suddenly, your viewpoint changes, and you find yourself staring at Reggie, instead of a brick wall.
"Am I...Is this?" you mutter excitedly. You begin to pat yourself, not yet able to grasp the truth. "I'm home!" you say aloud. Reggie rolls his eyes. You have to admit, it was a pretty cheesy thing to say. Still, it felt right, considering the circumstances.
You've just finished tucking in your shirt when your father comes stomping around the corner. "You told me this machine would Rentyre me into a corporate office, where I would give testimony about your case! You have aided this criminal in his plan to steal my property, and I will have your job!" he shrieks, pointing a rubber finger at Reggie.
"Actually, sir, you entered the chamber at your own free will. Whether or not I lied to you is irrelevant. And, I notice you hired Loanatics to put you in a robot body."
"Yes," he says defensively. "They're the only ones who would do it. I wasn't sick, so Rentyra Co. refused to help me. They recommended that I put my son in my old body. Like hell! I had it cremated. But what the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"It means that you nullified your warranty when you hired their services. Most of the consequences don't affect the current situation, but one direct result is that you can no longer make property claims."
"What!?" he yells. "That body is mine! The law says so!"
"However," replies Reggie, quite smug, "Without a warranty, you cannot make that claim. You have no proof of ownership. And since you cannot prove your ownership, Gunther's body is once again his own."
Your father continues making blunt threats, but nothing he says can pierce Reggie's logic. He has no choice but to walk away, defeated.
"Serves him right," Reggie says. "I can't believe he was going to put you in a robot."
"So, Reggie," you ask. "Is having your body back worth losing all of those millions in settlement payments?"
"I wouldn't know. I still have them. I was compensated for emotional damage. Whether or not I get my body back later is irrelevant."
"What!? You've got your body back! Wouldn't they stop giving you money?"
"You'd think that, but no," he says. "I should be asking the same question to you. After all, you still owe me ten grand."
When you come off work, you find Reggie sitting there on your sofa. It's an awkward moment; you can almost feel his eyes examining every inch of his body, wondering if you've harmed it in any way. "I look like a geek," he says, finally. "Would it kill you to unbutton my shirt just a little bit? Nobody wears the top button unless they're wearing a tie."
"Anyway," you say, ignoring him. "I figured we'd use the Botter down at my workplace to do all of the Rentyring. My idea was that you would replace the other robot, and then we'd Rentyre then. I would remain in the chamber, as a robot, while you get my father to enter the chamber. This way, even if the bastard walks away, you'll still have your body. Hopefully, though, you can get him to enter, which will put me back in my body, and put him in the robot."
Reggie has no objections, so you both head down the construction site. It takes both of you to lift the vacant robot out of the chamber, but when you finally do, Reggie enters without a problem. You enter the passcode, having already told it to Reggie for the second part of the plan. The chamber opens, and you step inside, wearing Reggie's body for the last time.
Once you find yourself inside the robot, it takes all of your willpower to stay inside the chamber. It's a small area, and you don't have much room to move about. Still, you have to stay where you are, because you don't know when your father is arriving. He could be coming any minute, and the entire plan would be for nothing if you weren't in the chamber when he stepped inside.
You can't really hear anything, except for the occasional sound of muffled talking. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean much, because the site is right next to a busy main street.
It's hard to tell how much time is passing, but if you had to guess, you'd say about fifteen minutes. Suddenly, your viewpoint changes, and you find yourself staring at Reggie, instead of a brick wall.
"Am I...Is this?" you mutter excitedly. You begin to pat yourself, not yet able to grasp the truth. "I'm home!" you say aloud. Reggie rolls his eyes. You have to admit, it was a pretty cheesy thing to say. Still, it felt right, considering the circumstances.
You've just finished tucking in your shirt when your father comes stomping around the corner. "You told me this machine would Rentyre me into a corporate office, where I would give testimony about your case! You have aided this criminal in his plan to steal my property, and I will have your job!" he shrieks, pointing a rubber finger at Reggie.
"Actually, sir, you entered the chamber at your own free will. Whether or not I lied to you is irrelevant. And, I notice you hired Loanatics to put you in a robot body."
"Yes," he says defensively. "They're the only ones who would do it. I wasn't sick, so Rentyra Co. refused to help me. They recommended that I put my son in my old body. Like hell! I had it cremated. But what the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"It means that you nullified your warranty when you hired their services. Most of the consequences don't affect the current situation, but one direct result is that you can no longer make property claims."
"What!?" he yells. "That body is mine! The law says so!"
"However," replies Reggie, quite smug, "Without a warranty, you cannot make that claim. You have no proof of ownership. And since you cannot prove your ownership, Gunther's body is once again his own."
Your father continues making blunt threats, but nothing he says can pierce Reggie's logic. He has no choice but to walk away, defeated.
"Serves him right," Reggie says. "I can't believe he was going to put you in a robot."
"So, Reggie," you ask. "Is having your body back worth losing all of those millions in settlement payments?"
"I wouldn't know. I still have them. I was compensated for emotional damage. Whether or not I get my body back later is irrelevant."
"What!? You've got your body back! Wouldn't they stop giving you money?"
"You'd think that, but no," he says. "I should be asking the same question to you. After all, you still owe me ten grand."