Jon followed the sound of Karyn’s voice down the small hallway and into a large living room area with plush carpet and a cream three piece sofa set, consisting of a three seater, a two seater, and a larger armchair. There was a large tv stood in the corner beside the large window that looked out over the front yard. There was an archway on the wall opposite the window that sort of split the room, and in the other half, with a set of french doors on the far wall looking out over a rather spacious back yard, was a fancy looking mahogany dining table. Sarah and Susan were sat together on the larger of the two sofas, Linda and Mikey were sharing the two seater, and Karyn was leaning on the wall near the doorway. Jon turned his gaze back to the tv which was currently showing a picture of each of them set in a white box with their names underneath.
LINDA GIBSON - - SUSAN MACMILLAN - - KARYN BLACK
JONATHAN GIBSON - - SARAH MACMILLAN - - MICHAEL GIBSON
Please stand by for role assignment a female voice said through the tv speakers. They watched as their surnames began to blink on the screen before disappearing entirely.
Assigning Family Name said the woman. After each of their first names appeared a new surname, the same one for each of them.
“Jefferson?” Sarah asked folding her arms, “what the hell kind of surname is that? And why are we all the same, does that mean we’re supposed to be some kind of family now?”
“What gave it away?” Karyn smirked.
“Fuck you Dorkette!” Sarah snapped back, flipping her middle finger up.
“Sarah!” Susan chided, “Please don’t make this a thing for the whole vacation!”. Sarah let out a huff and turned to face away from Karyn.
Identity Assignment beginning, please stand by came the woman voice again. They all watched as the names under each photo changed again and now read
LINDON JEFFERSON - - SIMON JEFFERSON - - KEIRON JEFFERSON
JOANNE JEFFERSON - - SAMMY JEFFERSON - - MICHELLE JEFFERSON
“What on earth do they think they’re playing at?” Susan practically screeched “they are out of their minds if they think I’ll be a man!”
“Why do I have a girls name now?” Mikey half whispered as he shuffled closer to Linda.
“It’s ok sweetheart, I’m sure it will be explained in a moment” she replied softly.
“We’ve all been given the wrong gender” Karyn noted.
“Not me” Sarah said defiantly, “Sammy is clearly a girls name” she added with a smug grin.
Good afternoon everyone, thank you for your patience the man’s voice from the tannoys outside earlier made them all jump as it burst loudly from the tv speakers.
You have now been assigned your new roles for the duration of your stay here at West Lake Valley. In order to assist your acclimation we will now administer a dose of nano-bots into your systems. You may feel a sharp sting…now
As one their watches let out three quick beeps then suddenly Mikey, Sarah, and Susan all yelped, Karyn winced, Linda bit her lip, and Jon recoiled his arm as they all felt a sharp jab on their wrists. The watches lets out three more beeps, then all unclasped and fell to the floor.
“What the actual fuck” Sarah shouted. There was no response to her question, and the man’s voice resumed from the speakers.
Before you begin your vacation, there are a few things you should understand about the nanotechnology currently active within your bodies. The nanos have been programmed to facilitate the roles assigned to you, both physically and psychologically. You may find they have provided limited knowledge necessary to fulfil your roles, such as a new language, or career specific procedures. They can also enhance specific senses, and make very limited physical adaptations required by your new identities. They do this by activating certain biological processes to enhance physical traits such as hair and dental development, alongside assisting with muscle growth where a role requires it. These changes are limited to processes and structures already present within the human body, so don’t worry. He chuckled. You won’t wake up with an entirely different body. The nanos are simply there to assist with, and provide opportunities for, role assimilation. None of these changes will occur instantaneously. The nanos work progressively, allowing your bodies and minds to adapt over time.
“This is some kind of Trek Wars bullshit” Sarah huffed, “that really freaking hurt!”
“Oh shut up!” Karyn snapped, “he’s still explaining”
Your cooperation is therefore strongly encouraged. When you resist an assigned behaviour, the nanos may provide a corrective stimulus, or a “Nudge” as we call them. You will receive a maximum of three nudges, and after that, and continued resistance may result in stronger corrective measures. This is all to ensure that you are able to fully immerse yourself in the West Lake Valley experience
“Sounds ominous” Jon muttered to Karyn who nodded quietly as the man continued.
You may continue to behave as you normally would, provided that your actions do not stray too far from your new role. You will have a bit more leniency for the first few days as an adjustment period, then hopefully you will have a greater sense of what is expected of you. And finally, please remember that you are guests of West Lake Valley for the duration of your stay. Your accommodation, clothing, food, employment, education and all other necessities have been provided for you. We have medical professionals within the city who are not partaking in the experience, but are here for any needs that may arise. You are free to enjoy the facilities and community around you, provided you continue to fulfil the expectations of your assigned roles.
“This is very thorough” Linda said, clearly struggling to keep up with the information.
You now have the opportunity to explore your new households. You will find more information about your new roles, along with a fully stocked wardrobe sized to fit the information supplied at the time of registration. You will also find new devices that we ask you to keep on your person at all times as these will be used at time to give you role specific tasks or information. For those of you unhappy with your roles, we would like to remind you of the waiver you signed stating that you wanted a total vacation from your old life. These roles have been supplied with that in mind. We hope you enjoy your vacation, and we look forward to seeing how you adapt during the duration of your stay. Have a pleasant day.
With that the speakers fell silent, leaving the six of them looking at each other in confusion.
