Mind Jacked

The year is 2050. People have embraced a new way of communication. Each person has a tiny implant, no bigger than a grain of rice, put in the back of their neck. These implants enabled them to connect directly to the "Human Intelligence Virtual Electronic Mind Inside the Network of Dreams," or H.I.V.E. M.I.N.D. For short. It was a global web of human minds, all connected. It allowed people to share thoughts, emotions, experiences, and knowledge instantly. It blurred the lines between individual minds, creating a semi-collective consciousness where everyone could think as one, if they allowed their chips total control. People knew what everyone was thinking when they were willing to turn their chips privacy filters off, so it was like mind reading if both parties agreed to the terms of service. And since everyone was ok thinking what everyone else was thinking, it was a true hive mind indeed.

My name is Cosima Riviera, and I was on my way to get my morning cup of coffee before starting work. I was a paralegal at a high powered firm, Morgan, Parker and Barns.

I was crossing the street, headphones on, with five seconds flashing on the crosswalk. A large man running from the other direction had bumped into me.

“Hey, watch it,” I shouted. Something had fallen out of my neck, and I looked down I saw two rice sized HIVE MIND chips on the ground. I picked them up and handed the one I thought was his to him, the other had been mine.

I put the chip I thought was mine back in my neck and the man did the same. The second the chip activated I blacked out. I woke up to a car honking and was still standing in the middle of the street, except I was facing the opposite direction and staring at myself. The person who was me was staring right back.

“You look like me. And I’m pretty sure I look like you,” the man said.

“We must have switched chips. Let’s switch back,” I said in a deep man’s voice I wasn’t expecting.

I was about to take the chip out of my neck when the man in my body said, “no thanks, lady. This is my big second chance.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I shouted as he turned around and ran in my body. I started chasing him.

“You’ll find out soon enough. Oh, sweet! I’ve got boobs!” The man said before groping my breasts.

“Hey, hands off the merchandise, you sick pervert. Those are mine,” I shouted. People were staring.

While he was distracted by his new chest, I tackled him.

“Harassment. Help, I’m being harassed by this man,” he shouted as people started to close in on me.

“No, wait, you people don’t understand. This is my body, it belongs to me. I mean, I belong inside her body. Wait, that doesn’t sound right, either. We switched…” and before I could finish explaining, a large, muscular fellow punched me so hard my back smashed into to the ground.

By the time I caught my breath, the police were standing over me.

“We finally caught you, Teddy the Mauler. Usually harassment isn’t your style, but hey, your mistake just made me a hero!” The officer said with an annoyingly smug smile.

“Wait, Teddy the Mauler? I heard about him on the news. You think I’m Teddy the Mauler? No, there’s been a mistake. You see, I switched chips with that woman over there. I’m her and the person inside her is Teddy the Mauler. Our chips fell out when we bumped into each other and we switched them,” I tried to explain.

“Is that right, Ms. Riviera?” The police officer asked and turned to the man inside my body.

“Yah, that guys crazy,” Teddy said and pointed to me.

“Thank you Ms. Riviera. Have a nice day,” the officer said and pushed my head into the back of the police car.

“I want to call my lawyer,” I shouted.

“You’ll get your call as soon as you’re booked. I’m not taking those cuffs off until you’re in a cell. How can I trust the killer of thirty eight people?” The officer asked.

“I didn’t kill anybody!” I shouted. The officer sighed.

I took a deep breath and said “Look, officer. It’s thirty eight ‘alleged’ murders. I should know, I work for a law firm. Second, like I said, I’m not Teddy the Mauler. I’m Cosima Riviera. I switched chips. You’re letting the real killer lose.”

“Bullshit. That’s not how chips work. They just store basic data, like numbers and provide communication services. even if you did switch chips, you wouldn’t have switched brains. This isn’t some weird H.P. Lovecraft story. Shut up and enjoy the ride to jail, buddy. You have the right to remain silent, please use it,” the officer scowled.

I demanded his name and badge number, but he ignored me.

I got to the station and asked to speak with my boss, then his boss, Lewis Barns.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Riviera, if that really is who you are, but we don’t handle identity crises cases. We could possibly represent you in your criminal case though, try and keep you from death row, or worse, life without parol. But given the evidence against you, that seems unlikely,” Lewis said.

“Evidence against me? You haven’t even seen the evidence. All you’ve seen is Teddy the Mauler in the news, asshole. That’s circumstantial, at best. As one of the top lawyers in the country, you should know that. There is no evidence against me! I’m Cosima Riviera and I didn’t do anything wrong,” I was shouting so loud I could feel my lungs burning.

“So you say,” Lewis said.

“Screw you. I’ll just settle for the public defender. I worked for you for twenty three years and this is the thanks I get,” I shouted and hung up.

I was furious, and out of ideas. If the lawyers at my firm, who I knew well, weren’t convinced this was me, there’s no way a public defender would believe me.

They took me to a cell. It was cold, dark and depressing. My cellmate looked like an obtuse rat. He was a plump, round ugly fellow with tiny whiskers on his face. His lips were always going back and forth, like he was perpetually about to say something, but never did.

I put my hands together. They felt rough and needed lotion, but I guess being a man and a serial killer, he didn’t care. I started to pray. I didn’t have any other ideas, and I felt this was my only option.

“God, if you’re listening, I just want to be out of this situation and back inside myself. My old body, my old life. Please help,” I said, knees on the ground, hands touching each other, eyes to the sky.

“I could be inside you. I could be inside you all night long,” my rat looking cell mate said. These were his first words to me. I wanted them to be his last.

“Shut up, creep. Or I’ll make you shut up,” I said.

“But…” he started to say.

“But nothing. Do you know who I am. I’m Teddy the Mauler. I kill people for fun, then laugh about it. One more word out of you, I’ll smash your head against the wall so hard, your brains will be dripping off of it for weeks,” I said in my most pompous voice while pounding my chest. No wonder men liked to act macho, this felt good. This was fun. And it shut him up, too.

He didn’t speak for the rest of the night

The next morning they let me out of my cell to shower and dress. It was very uncomfortable with over twenty guards watching me get ready, but I just kept reminding myself that at least I wasn’t in my own body.

I hoped and prayed my public defender was decent.

“Crap,” I muttered as the lawyer approached. It was Morris Jones. He was not only incompetent, but my ex boyfriend. This wasn’t going to end well for me.

“Morris Jones, nice to meet you,” he said and took out his hand to shake mine.

“Nice to meet you…” Morris repeated when I remained silent.

“We’ve met, asshole. You broke my heart when you dumped me. All for that younger, rich girl at your firm. And despite being the daughter of the top partners, you’re still a public defender. I guess that didn’t work out to well,” I said and chuckled.

“Cosima? You look so… different. You’re a man now? Congratulations,” Morris said, smirking.

“Shut up, Morris. This wasn’t intentional. Teddy the Mauler switched his brain chip with mine. Our minds must have also switched places. Our personalities and memories transferred to the chips somehow,” I said.

“Don’t tell me to shut up. You’re lucky I believe you. There’s no other way you could have known about the breakup,” Morris said.

“Thank you for believing me,” I said.

“Better. Now let’s get started,” Morris smiled.

He asked me several questions and wrote down my answers.

“I’ll see you in court tomorrow. I’m going to talk to a chip expert, have the chip tested for glitches. This shouldn’t have happened,” Morris said.

“Just like you leaving me shouldn’t have happened,” I mumbled.

“What was that?” Morris asked.

“Thank you, Morris. Can’t wait to see you in court tomorrow,” I said. I gave him the finger under the table. I can’t believe this putz was the only one who believed me.

“You too,” Morris said and winked before leaving. I almost threw up.

The next morning I showered, put my new orange jumpsuit, and was escorted to court in chains, leg cuffs and handcuffs.

Morris met me outside the courthouse and we walked in.

We sat down and the bailiff introduced The Honorable Judge Joseph Feldman. He asked for opening statements.

“I have here a device that can test the HIVE MIND chip for glitches, including a glitch where my clients neural network, memories and personality, got stored in her chip and accidentally downloaded into this man’s brain when they switched,” Morris said.

“Proceed,” Judge Feldman said.

Morris connected the wireless device to my chip and downloaded its information, including the registration number.

“This chip is in fact registered to Cosima Riviera. Which means Teddy the Maulers chip is inside Cosima’s body. We find Cosima, we find the real Teddy the Mauler,” Morris said.

“Does the prosecution have anything to add?” Judge Feldman asked.

“Good enough for us. The state rests its case,” the prosecuting lawyer said.

“Case dismissed,” Judge Feldman said.

“Thank you! I wasn’t expecting that to be so easy. You’re a better lawyer than I thought,” I admitted, regretfully, through clenched teeth.

“Well, now comes the hard part. We still have to get your body back. And hopefully Teddy the Mauler won’t switch bodies again before we can arrest him, now that he knows he can,” Morris said.

I decided to stay with my parents. I didn’t feel safe knowing this maniac could come after me anytime to make sure we couldn’t switch back.

The police broadcast my face in the news and explained that Teddy the Mauler had stolen my body and that he was on the run. They warned people to stay away from him or he might switch places with them too. That wouldn’t mean he couldn’t switch places, but it would certainly make it harder.

Three weeks went by. It was one in the morning when I heard my parent’s door handle jiggling. I woke them up and went downstairs in my pretty pink pajamas, carying a baseball bat. The door was kicked in and my parents screamed.

It was my body standing at the door.

“How did you find me, Teddy?” I asked.

“I have access to some of your memories. First, I went to your apartment in the city. Nice view, by the way. Next I went to your friends house. When they told me you weren’t there, I beat them half to death until they told me you were at your parents house. The address was stored in the chip, so I came here,” he said and laughed.

“You did what to my friends?” I shouted and gripped the bat tighter.

I was ready to swing when Teddy said, “Wait. I can’t handle this weak body anymore. I can’t kill anyone in this meat suit. That’s why your friends are still alive. I’ll make a deal with you. If you let me go, I’ll give you your chip and you give me mine,” Teddy said.

“How do I know I can trust you? You’re a psychotic killer who just broke into my parents house after beating my friends to find out where I lived,” I said.

“You don’t. But what choice do you have? If you don’t, I’ll blow your brains all over the carpet right now,” he said and held a gun to his head.

“This will ruin your body and you’ll never get it back,” he said and laughed.

“Ok, ok. Let’s do it,” I said and took out the chip from my neck.

“No,” my mom moaned.

“I have no choice, mom. Hopefully he’s not lying,” I said.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he said and took out the chip from his brain. I gave him my chip and he gave me his, and we put them into our necks.

I briefly blacked out, and when I woke I was back in my body.

My parents were holding a baseball bat to Teddy.

Teddy looked confused, but he kept his word and left the house.

“Why did he look so confused? He knew he was getting his body back?” I pondered.

“Who cares? As long as you’re inside you!” My mom said. We smiled and hugged.

The police eventually caught up with Teddy the Mauler, but he denied killing anyone and said he didn’t remember who he was, or hurting anybody.

Maybe his chip reset or got deleted. I believed he was telling the truth. They locked him up for life anyway. The judge spared him the death penalty because he knew chips could glitch on occasion.

“He is, in fact, being honest,” a voice in my head said.

“What?” I shouted.

“I gave you a blank chip so they’d think I was back in my body. My real chip is still inside here with you,” Teddy the Maulers voice said.

I tried to shout help, but couldn’t. I reached to rip his chip out and my hand froze.

“I programmed the chip to keep control of your body. If you try and speak, I can silence you. Keep trying, and I can make you hurt yourself,” Teddys voice said, laughing.

“What now?” I thought.

“Now, we do whatever I want,” his voice cackled.

“Well, crap,” I thought.