If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

  ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

  “Someone tell me who wrote that email!”

  Mr. Fleischer paced angrily in his office near the fireplace in front of his senior staff who sat anxiously in the sofas and padded chairs.

  “We don’t know for sure,” the CIO said, mopping his expansive forehead with a cloth. “It originated from within the corporation, but the account was false. “There is no Office of Internal Risk Assessment.”

  Mr. Fleischer rounded on the man. “It’s been almost twenty-four hours. The situation is spiraling out of control. I need to know!”

  “We’re working on it, sir. The perpetrator somehow disabled our network security during the time period in question so we have little information.”

  “Have you determined who authorized the deletion of those renter emails? That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. It just confirmed in everyone’s minds that we’re trying to cover something up.”

  The CIO shook his head. “We believe this might be the work of the same person who sent the original email. The server that audits all access to the mail accounts crashed and we haven’t been able to bring it back online yet.”

  Mr. Fleischer paced away, hands clenched into fists. “I’ve got lawsuits demanding full disclosure being filed in five states.”

  Lawyer Guy interrupted. “We can stall those for a while.”

  “I don’t want them stalled!” Mr. Fleischer roared. “We can’t have this kind of attention. We can’t hold up to a full-blown audit.”

  The Chief Publicist said, “There are three news crews parked outside, interviewing everyone they can get their hands on.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Just before we convened.”

  The head of security, a beefy fellow, enhanced with boosted strength, who usually focused his attention on the vault said, “I could have my boys throw them out.”

  “No, that would only make things worse.”

  The Chief Publicist said, “The best way to subdue this panic and settle things down is to present a unified message.”

  She handed out files to everyone. “My office has already prepared statements for your review. Once approved, I’ll deal with the news media. We’ve recalled all staff members to assist with fielding phone calls and reassuring worried renters.”

  “Good, that will help.” Mr. Fleischer rounded on the CIO and the head of security. “You two need to track down whoever is responsible. I want their heads.”

  Dr. Maerwynn spoke for the first time. “My assistants are working overtime restoring renters who have demanded early termination of their leases. At this point, we’re looking at probably thirty percent return rate.”

  Mr. Fleischer ran a hand across his face. “Thirty percent?”

  “It could be worse.”

  “Anything else.” When no one spoke up, Mr. Fleischer dismissed them. Dr. Maerwynn lingered behind after the others left.

  “This is a delicate situation, Michael.”

  “I know. We can handle it.”

  “Make sure you do. I can’t afford to have this operation endangered.”

  “I’ll manage my end. Don’t worry.” He did not need any of her enhanced goons assigned to shadow him.

  Mr. Fleischer’s secretary stuck her head in the office. “Sir, Marilyn is here.”

  “Send her in.”

  “Are you still moving forward with the permanent corporal transfer?” Dr. Maerwynn asked. “I thought we agreed to postpone it.”

  He shrugged. “She insisted. Besides, we need some positive press right now.”

  Marilyn entered the office, dressed in a conservative but attractive business suit. Sarah’s body fit the elderly woman exceptionally well.

  Mr. Fleischer took her hand. “You look fantastic.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Fleischer,” she said with a smile. “Now where is this wonderful young woman I am to meet?”

  Mr. Fleischer led her down one floor to a small conference room. He frowned when he found it empty. “Please wait here, Marilyn. Sarah will be here shortly.”

  He left and strode quickly down the hall.

  # # #

  As soon as Mr. Fleischer turned the far corner, Sarah emerged from her hiding place in the next office. She went to the conference room and after taking a deep, steadying breath, pushed open the door. The woman standing across the room, dressed in a ladies’ business suit, was wearing Sarah’s body.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  The sight of it made Sarah want to laugh and cry at the same time. It was such a relief to see herself looking so good, but she wanted to claw out the eyes of that interloper.

  Sarah forced calm. Follow the plan, and everything will be fine.

  “You must be Sarah,” the woman said.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I am so pleased to meet you. My name is Marilyn.” Sarah took the extended hand and fought the freaky feeling that she was living an Alfred Hitchcock episode.

  Marilyn beamed. Her face looked nice. It fit Sarah’s body surprisingly well. Marilyn gave a girlish laugh and said, “Look at us. We could almost be sisters.”

  Sarah somehow managed a smile.

  “You have no idea how grateful I am that you accepted my offer.”

  Before Sarah could find words to reply, the conference room door opened. Jill, dressed in lab whites over Christine’s athletic body, known as ‘Soccer Star,’ pushed a gurney inside.

  “What’s this?” Marilyn asked with a frown.

  “Don’t worry,” Jill said in her most professional voice. “We need to take some vitals prior to the final transfer sign-off. Mr. Fleischer felt it would be more convenient to do it here.”

  “That was thoughtful of him.” Marilyn lay back on the gurney. To Sarah she added, “My dear, you’ve given me the most wonderful gift anyone could receive.”

  “It was nothing,” she lied, struggling to maintain the neutral mask covering her nervousness.

  “Oh, but it is! People have been searching for the fountain of youth forever. Today, you are giving it to me.”

  Jill jabbed a tranquilizer needle into Marilyn’s arm and injected the chemical in a single, fluid motion.

  “What was that for?” Marilyn exclaimed.

  Jill smiled down at her. “We’re just going to . . .” Marilyn’s eyes closed before she finished. Jill looked Marilyn over and said, “Kind of freaky, isn’t it?”

  “You have no idea.” Sarah stared at the sleeping woman for a moment, fighting a flash of guilt. Pushing the feeling aside, she glanced to Jill. “Ready?”

  Jill frowned. “You think those documents were really real? I mean, losing out on this job is going to royally suck. You know that, right?”

  “Turning into a raving lunatic would be worse.”

  “Yeah, I suppose. No one wants to date a loon.”

  “Not even with your car collection,” Sarah agreed, giving her friend a reassuring smile. Then she maneuvered the gurney toward the door. “Come on. We have to hurry.”

  Jill pulled a large umbrella from under the gurney and shook it open. “Ready.”

  # # #

  Mr. Fleischer returned to his office and told his secretary to track down Sarah. With everything else going wrong, he could not afford to have that woman causing trouble.

  After a few minutes, his secretary reported, “Sir, no one seems to know where Sarah is.”

  Mr. Fleischer rose to his feet. “Curse that girl.” He strode from the office, but before he could reach the elevator, it opened and the auditor, still wearing ‘Conan’ stepped out.

  Even his weak-faced frown looked intimidating on that body. He said, “Mr. Fleischer, we need to talk.”

  “Please wait in my office. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

  The auditor held out a powerful arm to bar the way. “I am sorry, sir, but this cannot wait. My superiors want a report within the hour. I have some questions that need answering immediately.”

  Mr. Fleischer forced a smile. “Of course. Please join me.”

  To his secretary he said, “See to it that someone keeps an eye on Marilyn until Sarah arrives.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Fleischer was answering a mind-numbing list of questions from the auditor when his secretary peeked into the office. “Excuse me, sir. Which office is Marilyn waiting in?”

  “The Napoleon room.”

  She frowned. “Sir, no one is in that room.”

  At that moment, the lights flickered and went out.

  Then the fire alarm began to wail.

  The sprinklers kicked on three seconds later.

  # # #

  Pandemonium reigned at Alterego.

  Renters exited the building, drenched from the fire suppressant system, while staff scrambled to wheel out all the renters’ bodies. They assembled the gurneys of carefully-covered bodies, each capped with an opaque life support unit, in a distant corner of one parking lot. They roped off the area and posted a dozen staffers to keep curious media and renters at bay.

  Ecstatic news crews started live feeds and hunted for stories, and more than one tried to get into the building. Police and fire trucks responded within moments, the wailing of their sirens adding to the din and confusion.

  Inside the main building, Mr. Fleischer arrived in the central control room in a towering fury, his hand-crafted suit ruined.

  “What the devil is going on here.” he roared.

  Staffers cringed away from his rage. The head of security saluted out of habit, “Sir, we had a massive power failure and five simultaneous fire sensor alerts.”

  “Where’s the fire?”

  The man frowned. “That’s the thing, sir. We haven’t found any. It looks like the sensors all malfunctioned.”

  “All of them? At the same time?”

  “It appears so.”

  “You idiot! It’s that saboteur. He’s struck again.” The security officer might have the ability to boost his strength severalfold, but the extra power seemed to have squeezed his brain to the size of a walnut.

  “I considered that, sir, but the cameras show the vault is secure and I have men posted at the entry points to the main offices. Nothing of value is vulnerable.”

  Mr. Fleischer pointed to the wall of monitors that cycled through the multitude of security cameras installed in and around the facility. “Show me the outside.” A technician typed a couple of keys, and half a dozen monitors shifted to views of the chaos outside.

  “That’s what he’s after. He’s causing a panic.”

  The fire alarm siren stopped wailing and Mr. Fleischer blew out a breath. “About time.” He surveyed the views from the various cameras, “Get me Dr. Maerwynn. We need to get a handle on this situation.”

  Five minutes later, as he met with Dr. Maerwynn and the representatives of the local fire and police departments, a staffer handed him a printout. “Sir, all visitors accounted for but one.”

  “Not bad,” a police officer said. “With everyone coming and going, I’m impressed you can keep such a close count.”

  Mr. Fleischer nodded toward the head of security. “We run a tight ship here. The missing person probably left during the confusion. We’ll check the halls to verify everyone is safe.”

  “Yes, sir,” the security chief said, looking pleased. “Send the all-clear, and start wheeling those renters back into their suites.”

  The staffer nodded and turned to leave, but paused. “Oh, the missing visitor’s name is Marilyn.”

  Mr. Fleischer’s face drained of color. “What did you say?”

  “Marilyn, sir.”

  He shared a look with Dr. Maerwynn and then turned to the chief of security. “Please show these gentlemen around the facility so they can confirm all is well.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  As soon as the door closed behind them, Mr. Fleischer turned to Dr. Maerwynn. “Sarah didn’t meet us at the conference room, but when we went back to get Marilyn, she was already gone.”

  Dr. Maerwynn frowned. “You think she’s done something rash?”

  “Possibly.”

  “This could be a disaster.”

  Mr. Fleischer turned to the security staffers. “Seal the outer gates. No one goes in or out of this facility without I.D. verification. Search every vehicle. Sarah must be found.”

  One staffer pointed at the cluster of emergency vehicles. “Sir, we can’t search those. We’ll need to tell the police.”

  “No, just verify identities of everyone else who tries to leave.”

  The security staffers scrambled to make calls on phones and radios. Dr. Maerwynn pulled Mr. Fleischer aside to converse quietly.

  “She must know she can’t restore herself alone. Only I or my assistants can do it.”

  “Does she really know that?”

  Dr. Maerwynn frowned. “Perhaps not.”

  Mr. Fleischer tapped one of the security staffers, “You, scan through all the cameras in the transfer lab. See if anyone is moving around down there.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Dr. Maerwynn moved up beside him as images started flashing past. “We’re overlooking something here, Michael. I can feel it.”