"... called the Youth Citizen Interchange Exchange, or the Y.C.I.E for short," Ms. Lafayette explained. "The goal of the program is twofold. Firstly, we want to give you students some experience out in the real world so to speak. Lakeview's curriculum is of course exemplary, but this program will help to supplement that with robust real life skills. The second goal is to help forge a better bond of empathy and involvement between Lakeview Academy and the greater Lakeview community. Even parents of our students don't necessarily really know what it's like to be a highschool student today, and we'd like to help with that. To that end the five of you will be being paired up with five Lakeview citizens to complete the Y.C.I.E"
Goosebumps began to prickle the back of Jon's neck about this whole situation, as Lily asked, "So it's like a mentorship program?"
Ms. Lafayette smiled, "Not quite, although there will be a good deal of information exchange between you and your partner. I'll let Dr. Morgan explain the particulars."
The leggy brunette in the lab coat fiddled with her glasses and cleared her throat. It struck Jon, that although she dressed like a stereotypical scientist, under the lab coat she was a rather attractive woman in her mid-twenties. "Hello all, I'm Dr. Hira- sorry, I mean Dr. Stacy Morgan and Lakeview Academy has hired me to run the Youth Citizen Interchange Exchange." The woman pulled a small device from her coat pocket and set it on the desk, pointing it towards the far wall. With a press of a button it whirred to life and began projecting images against the wall. The first one showed two large metal tubes, connected to a giant central computer. "This is the Cognition State Exchanger, or in other words a device that allows us to transfer the mind of one person to another. With this the five of you will be switched with the other five participants for the duration of the program." She pressed a button and the slide shifted to show a drawing of a student and a man in a business suit with arrows pointing from one to the other.
"What, that's not possible!" Kyla exclaimed. "Yeah, I'm sorry Ms. Lafayette but that does seem pretty sci-fi," Lily added. Leonard just looked deep in thought while Karyn and Jon shared worried looks. It did seem like science fiction, but with the stone all things were possible, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that this was the result of Jon's accidental wish.
Dr. Morgan looked down her nose at the students, "I can assure you it's quite possible, I did the principal engineering myself alongside my late mentor, the great Dr. Hiram Smith." Her tone was harsh for a moment before brightening again, her blue eyes sparkling. "Anyways, there are a plethora of benefits to this program. The five of you will get some real experience as adult Lakeview citizens, while your partners get to learn what it's like to be Highschool Juniors today. Once you get set up in your new lives and bodies, I think you're really going to enjoy what the Y.C.I.E has to offer."
"Uh, this sounds cool and all, but I think I'm going to have to pass. It doesn't sound like it's for me," Karyn said. "Yeah, I'd love to help with the program, but I'm too busy with my current extra-curriculars to commit to anything new right now," Lily added.
"There's no need to worry about your classes or after school activities, as your partner will be handling those for you. Besides, I'm afraid the program has already been planned with the five of you, and it's too late to change now," Ms. Lafayette responded, not bothering to explain how a program that seemed to pop up out of nowhere could already be so set in stone. "Besides, you all signed agreements for this kind of program in your start of year paperwork." While Jon didn't remember signing anything that said he volunteered to have his mind plucked out of his body, he couldn't really say he actually read any of the dozens of forms they had to sign and have their parent sign at the beginning of the year.
"Good, I'm glad that's all settled!" Dr. Morgan declared with a clap of her hands, "Now, the program specialists are collecting your partners as we speak from around town, and we'll be meeting them over in Computer Room D which has been converted into our exchange lab in just a few minutes. But, while we have time, why don't we go over the new exciting lives you'll be getting to experience?"
