Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Turn Over

The gentle sunlight fell on my face and woke me up.I thought I was lying on the floor of the apartment, but instead I was on the bed.Huh?what happened?Am I still dreaming? Oh!By the way... I finally remembered that I followed Miyuki across the ocean and flew all the way to California; and this is the hotel room in S City where I was stranded. Look what a fool I did!Thoughts of regret and shame made me groan.What am I expecting? Of course I knew what to expect.I look forward to Miyuki returning to me, and mobility—yes, concrete mobility—is what Miyuki is looking for in a partner; at least that's what she says.Therefore, I flew out of Japan, and even arbitrarily asked for leave from the company that turned into a battlefield at the end of each year. I spent more than ten hours flying across the Atlantic Ocean; but in the end, I ended up in such a field.

I have a dull pain in my head, is it a hangover?Although I don't remember drinking last night, in my situation, it's not surprising that I would use alcohol to drown my sorrows; after all, Miyuki has given me an ultimatum. "Stop pestering me!" ... Her voice echoed in the back of my mind.Stop pestering me?yes!When I was told this, I was really speechless; because as far as the result was concerned, it was indeed my pursuit, which was an unchangeable fact.but-- However, I always feel that I can't let go.Saying I'm pestering her is almost like I'm unrequitedly in love with Miyuki, isn't it?It's as if I ignore her intentions and cause her troubles, almost treating me as a pervert.But is that really the case?

I will chase after it, not just because I can't give up.Of course, being unable to give up is also part of the reason, but it is by no means the only reason.The biggest reason is that she wants me to do this! No, of course Miyuki would deny it.She'd say "I don't remember ever asking you to run after me"!Indeed, perhaps she never asked for it; but...but she implied it clearly.She hinted that if she can't take action and bring back the man who escaped marriage, she is not qualified; she hinted that don't give up easily, as long as you show a tough attitude that cannot be explained, you still have a chance to win back her heart.

She obviously hinted like this—this is a test, to test whether you are a man worthy of me, to test whether you have this "quality". No... I sure misunderstood what she meant.By now, I fully understand.Miyuki doesn't care about my "quality" at all.As far as Miyuki is concerned, it doesn't matter if the man chasing her is not me.It's just that in order to "play" a woman who is as free and unrestrained as a butterfly and as difficult to obtain as a gem, there must be a person who desperately wants to catch her, otherwise the play will not be able to be performed-that's all.

You chased me, I ran and you chased; Miyuki just used this to reaffirm her value as a woman.The peach that makes men's complexions change drastically and they scramble to pursue is themselves—— And I was already "worthless".No matter how passionately I pursue her, Miyuki can't use this to confirm her own value; to put it bluntly, she is already tired of me.In order to indulge in narcissism with a fresh mood and direction, she needs new suitors. Foolishly, I failed to notice.When I heard she was going to California, I was still convinced that this was a new "quiz" too - come on!Come after me, come catch me!Otherwise, I wouldn't be yours!

Apparently, I misread the message.By now, I understand very well; when she said "goodbye", she meant it literally. Don't chase after me, seeing your face, I'm afraid I'll hesitate again—— This sentence is not the usual "game start" signal, what she wants to say is that you have lost the qualification to "compete"! She must have found it quite unbelievable when she learned that I, who was so dull that I didn't realize that the "game" was over, chased me to California!She must be full of confusion thinking "I obviously didn't give him the qualification to pursue, why did he catch up again"?By now, I understand very well.Therefore, she could only come up with a line like "You can't even understand jokes" to respond——

As I dazedly contemplated this, the migraine gradually improved; at the same time, I finally realized that something was wrong around me. where is thisWhen I found out that I was not in a hotel room, I became so embarrassed that I quickly sat up and looked around. The first thing that catches the eye is the number "3" written on the front wall.No, it is not correct to say "it is written", because upon closer inspection, it is carved on the wall; as for the size, it is about the same height as me. You should be able to imagine how strange the "3" carved on the wall of the room looks.Once again, I was lost in the delusion of wandering in the aftermath of the dream; what happened?

Looking around, it turned out that not only the wall with "3" engraved, but also a transparent "3" appeared on the viewing window where the sunlight shines in, like an avant-garde pattern design; the same is true for the windows embedded in the other side of the room. Moving the eyes, it seems that the door panel of the entrance and exit of the room is also carved with patterns; of course, it is still a big "3" from top to bottom, covering the door panel.On the other side of the big "3" on the wall is a bathroom. From the half-closed door, you can see the same "3" engraved inside as this door.

The atmosphere was extremely strange, and the monotony of the room added to the strangeness.Although the room was twenty tatami mats in size, there was no furniture at all; the bed I was lying on now seemed to be abandoned here. Looking at the feet, although the carmine-colored carpet is covered, it is quite old, and the thick oilcloth floor is exposed from the cracks everywhere; and the traces of heavy furniture that seemed to have been placed are clearly left in the form of color difference after the carpet has changed color.In contrast to the lonely atmosphere of the interior decoration, the sheets and blankets appear new and clean; it seems that I have been temporarily sent to this long-abandoned room.

It was sent here temporarily... Speaking of which, although the blue two-piece loose and thin pajamas I am wearing now are starched and look brand new, they look a bit like the pajamas used by hospitalized patients. I looked out the viewing window again.Under the sunlight, the emerald green turf glistens like water vapor; on the other end of the turf is a bungalow that looks like a warehouse at first glance.It was a featureless brick building, but I couldn't resist jumping out of bed. I stared intently at the bungalow through the glass; on the wall facing here, there is a viewing window of the same specification as the room I am in, but the transparent number floating above it is "2".No, strictly speaking, it is the reversed "2".It looked like a strange window pattern at first, but I immediately understood that it was a reversed "2"; because the same word "2" was engraved on the brick wall under the window.

Then I looked closer to the window on the other side, and I could indeed see a bungalow with the same structure on the other side of the lawn; and as I expected, the number "4" was engraved on the wall there.Of course, there is an inverted "4" on the window, which emerges in a transparent pattern. Just as I was troubled by the unreal feeling of disappearing into a dream again, I suddenly found a figure slowly walking out of the "4" building, as if groping in the dark, faltering. The person was wearing the same blue two-piece loose pajamas as me. She was a tall Caucasian woman. Her waist-length golden-gray hair shone like silver jewelry in the sunlight. That's... I did see that face somewhere, but couldn't think of the name for a while.After thinking about it, she still didn't come up with her name, but instead recalled the whole story of what happened in the shopping plaza in S city. By the way, after Miyuki gave the ultimatum, although I left sadly, but in this season, how can I book a ticket back to Japan immediately?In order to wait for the waiting seat, I had to stay at a hotel near the airport that night. I originally planned to spend the night with Miyuki, so I didn't have any scheduled itinerary.It was a long night, I rented a car and came to S City, and walked into that shopping plaza aimlessly.I didn't have any specific plans at the time, but thought it would be the best place to kill time with its many shops. Then I found out about this amazing fast food restaurant called Chicken House, where... yes, there was an earthquake there.The ceiling in the store was crumbling, and the customers who came to the store and I rushed into the "shelter" in a panic—— Thinking back to this point, I finally recalled the name Jacqueline Tucker.Although she didn't wear the round-rimmed glasses when she walked out of the grass just now, it must be Jacqueline's fault. Thinking of the many unreasonable treatment she had given me, I became very unhappy.When he had a broken rib and was half dead in pain, she actually treated him like a dog... Just as I was getting angry, I suddenly discovered something. My chest doesn't hurt at all.Even if he took a deep breath and waved his arms, the severe pain stuck in his throat no longer rushed to his forehead.Huh?I groped my chest through my pajamas. Although I exerted a lot of strength, it didn't hurt at all.what happened? I found another strange thing... The back of the hand hovering on the chest looked quite dirty.I thought it was dust, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be curly body hair.Huh?Am I so hairy?And it looks very white, like cotton wool. Just when I was puzzled, an unusual scene unfolded outside the window, which attracted my attention.It's Jacqueline who just emerged from room "4".She was randomly scratching her uncombed long hair, completely ignoring the gazes of others, and even opened her mouth into a gourd shape, rolled her eyes, and started to scratch her cheeks. For a young beauty, these behaviors are too sloppy, like a middle-aged hangover just waking up.Of course, if that's the case, I can still understand.After all, that woman has such a bad personality, maybe her usual living habits and all her actions are so sloppy. However, what she did next was obviously abnormal.Jacqueline looked down at her chest intently at first, and then held it up with both hands; compared with her slender body, the plump twin peaks were piled up like a huge jelly. Jia Guilin smiled when she saw this, like a teenager who went to a strip show for the first time.Not only that, but she kept playing with her breasts, lingering, as if she was seeing them for the first time in her life. She... what is she doing?Could it be that he bumped his head during the earthquake and his brain is showing off?I can't help but get really worried.Of course, I have no obligation to worry about her. Jacqueline stopped playing with her chest suddenly. She seemed to hear something and looked up.It was too late to say that, she turned her back to the bungalow she had just walked out of, took a step, and quickly disappeared from the view of the viewing window. Curious about her whereabouts, I decided to follow her.Besides, I also want to know where this place is.Since Jacqueline is also here, it is probably a hospital or a sanatorium for victims rescued from the rubble after the earthquake. At this time, I felt the urge to urinate, so I decided to go to the toilet first, then opened the half-closed door and walked into the bathroom. "Wow!" Suddenly seeing a figure of a man, I involuntarily jumped aside. "Yes, I'm sorry—" I apologized halfway through Japanese, only to realize that the other party seemed to be Caucasian, and quickly switched to English: "I'm sorry, I thought no one..." The man stared at me intently.The man had a strange face, bald head, and his eyeballs were wide open, as if they were about to fall off in an instant. It was the man with the southern accent—I remembered right away this time.That middle-aged uncle who is extremely arrogant, muscular and has a heart-shaped tattoo.It turned out that he was also rescued safely - now is not the time to indulge in these emotions. I suddenly put my face in front of the man, because I discovered something startling—the man with the southern accent was not actually standing in front of me.No, that's not true, or would just cause more confusion; "he" was literally standing before my eyes. But in the mirror, in the mirror of the washstand. I couldn't help but slapped myself on the cheek with both hands.At the same time, the southern man in the mirror also covered his face with his hands. I stared intently at the mirror, and the southern man stared at me with uncharacteristically timid looks. I touched my head, and the southern man followed suit with trepidation and stroked his bald head. All my hair was gone... for some reason, I vividly remember being most shocked by this fact.I think, probably because in a sense, this is still an understandable blow!While it's unusual to lose your hair overnight, it's at least not impossible. But... But, how can I understand how to completely transform into someone else overnight? How long have I looked in the mirror?During this period, the southern man kept looking back at me with a dejected expression. Suddenly, a scream burst out of my mouth, but it was not the sound I was used to hearing, but the muddy sound of a man in the south when a frog is crushed.I didn't realize the fact that I didn't notice it when I said it just now. It was like a signal, and I rushed out of the bathroom without looking back.It's so scary, I just feel terrified for no reason, and even my hair is going to stand on end... That's what I say, but now I have no hair at all! ——It's ridiculous for me to think about these things at a time like this.Although I haven't experienced it before, it probably feels like this when I meet a ghost on the night road! Must escape from here!This kind of obsessive idea came to my mind again and again, but I didn't know where to flee, I just kept screaming and running around the bed blindly.At this moment, I must be in some kind of regression, trying to find a place to hide; the only place to hide is the bathroom, but I can't hide there because "the guy" hides there. Reluctantly, I decided to pick up the quilt to cover my head, and jumped onto the bed. Unexpectedly, I made a mistake in my vision and hit my calf. After I screamed in pain and rolled all over the floor for a while, I finally realized—— standing in the room I watched two men in suits come in at some time; they were staring at me, as if observing my ugly appearance. "You..." I even forgot the pain in my calf and sat back on the bed. "who are you?" "Ah, oh! Don't worry." One of the men raised his palm in a soothing gesture calmly.He speaks standard American English. "We are not suspicious people, but your friends." "friend?" I stared intently at the man in his fifties.His forehead receded quite a bit, but the neatly trimmed blond hair around his ears was like a woman's, blooming with soft and bright brilliance. "We also know who you are." Although there was a friendly smile on the corner of his mouth, his unblinking eyes gave people a sense of artificiality, permeating the atmosphere of someone who is definitely not ordinary. "Mr. Jiang Lifu Toma, right? Graduated from the Graduate School of the University of Chicago, Master of Economics, Japanese nationality; currently single, 33 years old, living in Saitama County, working in a comprehensive electrical manufacturing factory, with a brother and a sister --right?" For a moment, I didn't know how to respond; I had never been in such a conflicted and complicated mood. I've now "transformed" into that Southern man, but I'm delighted that the blond, flowing-haired man in front of me, regardless of how incomprehensible and unprecedented the situation, can still give my net worth and name correctly as if nothing had happened.I am still me, and my self-identity has not gone wrong—and, honestly, the joy of being given this reassurance has been a powerful support for my heart. However, at the same time, indescribable unease swirled in my chest.Why does this blond and elegant man have such detailed information on my net worth?The name, educational background and age are nothing more than that. It is not unusual for an American to be able to say "living in Saitama Prefecture" without hindrance. Frankly, I even find it scary.Behind the blond and flowing man stood another young man in his twenties, with a stern face and a silent look, he did not look like an ordinary person; this man was wearing glasses, so he couldn't know the movement of his eyes, which added to the There was a strange sense of oppression.Who are these men? "Uh, may I ask..." "Excuse me, my name is Wilson, Dave Wilson; this is my subordinate named Weig Waller." "Subordinate?" The man who was called Weig nodded with his expression unchanged. "Then you are..." "Sorry, we can't identify ourselves this time, you just need to know that we belong to a certain government agency in the United States. Are there any questions?" "Where is this place... What's wrong with me?" Maybe it's the backlash after reassuring!After realizing that the other party was a reasonable person, the original anxiety and doubts all broke out violently in one breath. "My face, my body, and my voice, in the end..." "We'll explain everything, don't worry." "Is...really?" I had no reason to doubt Dave's words, so I calmed down for now. "I... No, we were originally in the shopping plaza in City S, right?" "Yes, you had a major earthquake with the epicenter right under the city, and it was the largest in decades. You were unlucky—in many ways." "But, since I..." I repeatedly looked at the hands that didn't belong to me. "Alive means I was rescued safely, right? From that shelter..." "That's not a refuge." "what?" "We will tell you about this too. Anyway," he pointed at the door, "please move, everyone is waiting for you." I got out of bed as promised and followed Dave and others.The building I was assigned to was exactly as I expected. It was the same as the "2" and "4" houses I saw from the window just now. They were all brick bungalows, and a big "3" was carved on the wall of the entrance. That's okay, but when I turned around inadvertently, I stood there speechless for a long time.Just now I saw the green grass glistening under the warm sunshine. I thought it was a standard rural environment, but I didn't expect it to be surrounded by a semi-circular cement wall with a height of more than ten meters. (Refer to Figure A) I later learned that this place is circular when viewed from above; the right half is the concrete wall as mentioned above, and the left half is surrounded by the sea.Of course, although there is a sea, it is not enough for us to go to the beach to play in the water leisurely; because the side close to us is surrounded by an unusually high barbed wire fence that is also more than ten meters long. This doesn't look like a hospital or a sanatorium, it's clearly a "prison"... The uneasiness that had calmed down once again revived.What exactly is this place?This place seemed to be full of dangers, but the weather was so sunny that people wanted to have a picnic, which added to the treacherous atmosphere. Huh?Sunny and sunny?Wait, it's December now!Yes, California is a region with mild winters, but I'm wearing only two-piece pajamas, and I don't feel cold at all. Is there such a warm place in California?Maybe there is!No, it doesn't seem to be... I don't know, I don't have any confidence. "Excuse me..." I decided to ask, "This is California, right?" "Unfortunately," Dave didn't stop, and turned around with a smile: "It's the same as our identity question, I can't answer it." "But, uh, uh, I mean, it's December, right? December 21, 199X—" "No," Dave corrected curtly. "It's the twenty-third day." Twenty-three days?So, two full days have passed since the day of the earthquake?Have I been unconscious for so long? "Then..." Although I had this question, I still couldn't help raising a very common concern, regardless of the occasion. "What happened to my rented car? Could it be that it hasn't been returned? If you get a big late penalty later—" "Your personality is really strict," Dave seemed not expecting me to ask this question, and he covered his mouth and snickered; the corners of his eyes, which were not smiling at all, now have a few smile lines. "Don't worry, we have taken care of all these miscellaneous matters such as payment, and the hotel you are staying in is the same, please rest assured." "So...have you also contacted my family in Japan?" "No." Dave stopped smiling. "Not yet. We'll talk about it when we get there—" The "there" that Dave mentioned is the building located in the center of the park, which is hexagonal in shape when viewed from above—this is also known after the fact.Surrounded by glass, the exterior is reminiscent of an aquarium. When I entered, I found that the decoration was very monotonous, just like the room I slept in just now; and on the many worn carpets, there were still traces of furniture placed here and there.In the center of the lobby-style hall, stood an eye-catching giant like a big tree.He should look like a Western European, and that might be an exaggeration—with his burly and majestic appearance, even without special makeup, he should be able to star in horror movies directly.As soon as the three of us entered, he cast a sharp look. "It's all here at last?" He was about sixty years old, murmured in the deep voice of an opera singer, and scratched his light gray curly hair in displeasure. "Dave, do you remember?" "Remember what?" "Twenty years ago, the day you called me back from vacation." "How can I forget it!" "It was indeed the twenty-third of December." "Oh, yes! Danny, you have a good memory." "I said don't call me Danny!" "Excuse me, doctor. So, please begin!" "Hmph, I thought I could finally get rid of you. Really, what crime have I committed?" The giant man known as the doctor murmured and looked around, like a teacher who was about to start lecturing students.In fact, he seems to be very used to frightening others, his words and deeds are full of majesty and courage, as natural as the scales of raw fish. Although the "Doctor" is a powerful and memorable figure, I pay more attention to the woman sitting next to him.Her curly red hair is braided into a braid like a girl, and she is about forty years old; her tanned skin is full of spots, and her facial features are definitely not beautiful, but they create an inconceivably elegant and refined atmosphere. Equally memorable. The red-haired woman was like a doppelganger of "Doctor", snuggling up to him silently.What is their relationship?There flowed between the two men an air of extreme intimacy which unconnected people could not cultivate.Judging by her age, she should be the daughter of "Doctor", right? With these two people as the center, there are five people sitting on chairs in a circle, all of whom are familiar faces. Bobby Webb, the black clerk at Chicken House, the Arab man who ate four chicken burgers, Alain Panhe, the French-speaking Japanese, Jacqueline Tucker, the embodiment of rebellion, and— I sat on the empty seat as instructed.Of course, the seat with the "3" written on the back of the chair. No, this kind of thing doesn't matter.The problem was that the man sitting in the chair next to me—in terms of numbers, the Oriental man sitting in seat "2"—was a familiar face. vomit!I couldn't help but let out a vulgar moan like something in my stomach was reflux from the esophagus.What deja vu?That's "I" at all!The one sitting there looking up at me was, without a doubt, the face of "Toshio Tomae". "Is my face so strange?" "Doctor" indifferently reprimanded me who was so dazed that I forgot to sit down. "Sit down quickly!" Although I struggled to sit down, my eyes still couldn't leave the "me" sitting beside me for a while. "Then let's get started! Next, I will give you a very brief explanation of your current situation. The reason for this is that some content involves state secrets and must be skipped. But don't worry, I will make sure The level of detail, so that everyone can fully understand their current position and situation." "Doctor" cleared his throat. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Daniel Aikelow. For some reason, I'm in charge of this—" He pointed to Dave who was standing by the window with his chin. "Advisor to the CIA kid." "Slow down, slow down, doctor!" Dave smiled wryly. "Troublesome, our identities are extremely confidential!" "It's useless to keep it secret. It will be known sooner or later. Anyone who has the imagination of an elementary school student will know that only the CIA will have anything to do with such weird things." "Oops!" Although Dave deliberately hugged his head, his eyes were smiling. "You really haven't changed at all!" "To put it simply," Dr. Aeklow ignored Dave and began to explain: "The place you fled to when you escaped the earthquake is not actually a shelter, but a device with special functions. As for what kind of device is it? To put it plainly One, a device that 'transfers' a person's personality to another physical body. Listen, let's say—" Dr. Ecklow pulled his hand out of his suit pocket, turned and pointed at Bobby. "Here's a man named Bobby Webb. He's sixteen years old. He's studying at a local high school and working at his uncle's chicken burger joint. He doesn't do well in school. He has a smoking habit and has smoked marijuana seven times. Got a girl classmate pregnant once, and stole gasoline from a parked car twice. That's about it—" "Why do you know these things? Hey, you are violating my privacy!" It turned out to be "I" who screamed so mournfully, but what came out of that mouth was English, and it was a black accent with a unique accent at the end of the language."I" with a typical oriental face speaks English like a black man. It is really a very strange situation. "Don't interrupt, and everyone else is the same. Listen carefully. If you have any questions, ask them together after everything has been said. All in all, he has had these experiences; but, the one sitting here..." The doctor pointed at Bobby's face again: "But only his body. Bobby Weber's personality is now 'transferred' here." The "here" that Dr. Ecklow refers to is not someone else, but "my" body. "Understood? The man here is Japanese no matter how you look at it. His name is Tomae Toshio, he has a master's degree from an American university, and he is an out-and-out business elite—no, if you learn from William Gibson (William Gibson) Ford Gibson in 'Neuromancer', should it be 'salary worker'?" After the doctor mentioned an allusion that neither I nor anyone else could understand, he seemed slightly immersed in joy. "Anyway, currently single, thirty-three years old." "Thirty-three years old?" "I" (= Bobby) widened his eyes, coughed, then frowned tightly, and pressed his chest. Probably rib pain!From the neckline of his blue light jacket, he can be seen wearing a white bandage, which seems to have been healed.Seeing this, I breathed a sigh of relief on his behalf (after all, it was originally my body). Having said that, the content seems to be getting more and more complicated; in order to avoid confusion in the description, I will uniformly add "" to the bodies of all characters in the future, and put (= ) on the personalities in the bodies, that is, to use "body A" (=personality B).Of course, even so labeled, there is still the possibility of confusion. "Yeah? So you're the same age as my dad? Brother Elliot. I can't tell!" In other words, the degree of surprise was that of each other, and Wo Ye had never expected that Bobby was only sixteen years old.What's even more exaggerated is that his father was the same age as me. "However, there is only Toshio Tomae's body here, and this body is occupied by the personality of that Bobby just now... Therefore, Toshio Tomae's personality has been transferred to this—" After replying with a serious expression, The doctor pointed to the tip of my nose: "Randy Coble's body. Mr. Coble is fifty-two years old and was born in Cantonese, Florida. He currently runs a cloth cleaning service in the local area, with his wife and three daughters. The family of five lives together. The sons born to the first wife are all independent." "Oh, that means—" Jacqueline, who was sitting next to me, in seat "4", suddenly laughed boldly.The voice is indeed hers, but the English she speaks does not have an American accent at all, but has a strong southern emphasis. "Because that little Japanese took over my body, so I moved to the body of this big blonde sister! Wow, this is good! Such an amazing body has become my own! Man, I still deserve to live a long time One point! Feast your eyes, feast your eyes!" I believe that I am not the only one who was dumbfounded."Transferring" the "personality" of human beings to the body of others - hearing such a whimsical, absurd, and even more unbelievable event after actual experience, this "Jacqueline" (=Randy Coble) not only does not Speak out to question or worry about the future, but blindly gloat. Not only that, "she" (=he) is just like when I witnessed it from the window just now, pinching her own breast through the jacket, holding it up swayingly, and presumptuously bringing the tip of her nose close to the cleavage. "You you you you you...you stop!" The one who changed his face and stood up was Alan Panhe who was sitting next to him, that is, seat "5"; his skeletal face was dyed red as if it had been splashed with red ink. What came out of that mouth was neither Japanese nor French.The voice was indeed Alan's, but it was spoken with a beautiful British accent.So, "he"... no, (=she) is— "I, I don't allow you to play with my body like that! Absolutely not! Remember, if you mess around again, I will kill you!" "What are you talking about in your sleep? Big sister." "Jacqueline" (=Randy) still seems to be resentful of being treated coldly in "Fresh Chicken House", stuck out her long tongue, made a grimace, and then laughed sarcastically. Her white teeth and red pharynx can be seen at a glance, and she looks quite vulgar, which makes me feel guilty of indecently "mistaking" her. "Who do you want to kill? Huh? Kill me? Come on, if you dare to kill, kill it! You don't need to tell me, you know it? If you touch a hair on me, you are hurting your own precious body! Come on!" Ah come on!" "Jacqueline" (=Randy), who has made progress, raised her slender legs for half a day and opened them wide; then she put her hands between her thighs, making movements like a stripper. "How is it? How is it?" "You...you remember!" "Alan" (= Jacqueline), who gritted his teeth and had bloodshot eyes, clenched his fists and trembled all over.If it wasn't her precious body in front of her, she might have given her a flying kick. "I won't forgive you...I will never forgive you! I will take revenge, I will definitely take revenge, just wait and see! I will make you regret insulting me like this until you die!" "Hey!" "Jacqueline" (=Randy) raised her nose with her fingers, making a pig face.Just because Jacqueline's beauty is so powerful, it is even more hilarious to put on a pig's face. "Why don't you spare me? Come if you have the ability! Anyway, this body is already mine!" "—It's a pity, Mr. Cobray." The doctor with a serious look showed a little smile just like when he showed the miscellaneous allusions of "office worker". "That body isn't always yours." "Jacqueline" (=Randy), who had been devoting herself to humiliating "Alan" (=Jacqueline) like no one else, suddenly stopped. "What... what do you mean?" "...Jacqueline Tucker, born in Nottingham, England." However, the doctor ignored him and continued: "Twenty-four years old, actress, but not popular, almost unknown, only worked as extras in movies and TV dramas As a passer-by character, the most shot in the past was a headache medicine advertisement.” "My stardom is about to start, just wait and see!" "Alan" (= Jacqueline) seems quite disapproving of the doctor's detailed exposure of her disreputable information here. She adjusted her breathing and sat back on the chair. "I will enter Hollywood, become a popular actress, and star in movies screened around the world. At that time, even if you don't want to, you have to see my face on the big screen!" "She came to America to audition for the second lead role in one of America's iconic soap operas. Her body is as you can see, and her personality has been transferred to the body of that Alan Panhe over there." "Since you know, hurry up and find a solution!" "Alan" (= Jacqueline) was furious at the doctor who explained calmly, and kicked down the seat again. "Give me back my body, right away! My body is different from ordinary people, it is my important 'capital', it is a 'commodity'! And it is still a high-end product that makes people spit out eyeballs! It is so important I can't bear to let my money-making tool be at the mercy of that old man who doesn't know where he came from. It's blasphemy, it's a crime! Change me back to how I was, hurry up!" Of course, English and Japanese are different. Strictly speaking, there is no difference in the use of words for men and women.However, for me who is used to American English, the British accent sounds feminine when a man speaks it, and it is probably the habit of "Alan" (= Jacqueline) herself (that is, her personality) when she is angry!She clenched her knees as she spoke, twisting her waist and twisting her arms vigorously, looking like a hysterical shemale. "Alan Panhe, twenty years old, has only been in the United States for three days." However, no matter how she yelled, the doctor still did not change his usual attitude. “国籍为法国，出生于巴黎，但由于家人的工作关系，大半思春期都是在日本的横滨度过，因此日文和母语法文一样流利。原就读日本的私立教会学校，但现在休学。这次为了学习英文，预定就读S市的英语学校（ELS）半年，入学手续才刚完成。当然，由于他的肉体被塔克小姐的人格占据了，因此人格'转移'到这边这位哈尼·薛地德的肉体上。” 正当博士如此说道，并指向坐在“6”号座位上的阿拉伯美男子哈尼·薛地德时—— “呃……对不起。”“哈尼·薛地德”（＝亚兰）怯生生地举起手来。 他说的是日文，一对圆眼不是朝着担任主讲人的博士，而是望着“我”（＝巴比）。 “我从刚才听到现在，完全听不懂这个人在讲什么。你是日本人吧？你在那家汉堡店说过日文，能不能……” Yes!亚兰才来美国三天，倘若是日常生活的只字片语也就罢了，以他的英听能力，还跟不上这种复杂诡异的事态说明。 喂喂喂，这家伙在叨念什么啊？——受他求助的“我”（＝巴比）带着这种表情耸了耸肩，而“蓝迪”（＝我）则替他接过话来，以日文对“进入”哈尼身体的亚兰人格说道：“我在这里。” 横看竖看都是个半老白人男性的“蓝迪”（＝我）竟然吐出了日文，似乎令“哈尼”（＝亚兰）大为震惊；他半张着嘴，目瞪口呆。 "What, what's going on?" “发生在你身上的现象，也同样发生在我和其他人身上。你等一下——” 我用英文询问有没有人懂得法文。从“鲜鸡屋”的风波，可知地震生还者们是“全军覆没”，因此我将希望寄托在博士、红发女子及戴夫、韦格这对CIA搭档身上。可惜的是，并未有人自告奋勇。 “德文的话我很流利，西班牙文在高中学过皮毛，只会听。其他的除了意大利文、希腊文、希伯来文和世界文以外，我全都一窍不通。日文我倒懂一些。” “您学了这么多种语言，”对于博士这番带着些许炫耀意味的辩解，戴夫忍不住苦笑：“为什么单单不懂法文呢？” “因为我最讨厌法国。”博士在法国人眼前如此斩钉截铁地说道：“我年轻时到法国旅行过一次，吃了不少苦头。那些家伙到底以为自己是谁啊？明明懂英文，看到人家有困难却装作不知道，根本不把不懂法文的人当人看，跩得二五八万，自以为是什么东西啊？俗话说臭不可闻，就是在说这种人！那个时侯我真的在心里发誓，要是我有按下核弹发射钮的权利，我一定毫不犹豫地赏巴黎一颗。” “请控制不当发言啊，博士，现在这里就有位法国人了。幸好他似乎不太懂英文。” “那你咧？你有资格说别人吗？” “过去因职务需要，我曾学过俄文和中文，但没机会学法文。” 看来每人能依靠。无可奈何，我只能用日文将方才的人格转移相关说明略述给“哈尼”（＝亚兰）听，但他也不知道有没有听进去，似乎觉得这些话题根本无关紧要，只是以性急且忿忿不平的语气问道：“我的同伴在哪里？” “我的同伴为什么不在？”他瞪着我追问着。 “啊！这么一提……” 直到此刻，我才发现那个名叫小绫的日本女孩不见人影。可是，她不在这儿，就表示……我蓦然联想到最自然的结论，不由得黯淡起来。 但转念一想，也不见得便是如此，因此我便以英文询问：“应该还有个叫小绫的女孩，她人呢？” 然而，戴夫终究如此回答：“窪田绫子小姐过世了，很遗憾。” “她果然……” “似乎只有她一人没来得及逃生。在通往'第二都市'——抱歉，我们是这么称呼你们误以为是避难所的'房间'——的楼梯前，我们发现了她的遗体，全身都被埋在瓦砾下。” “所以，她是因此而……” “是的，崩落的大块水泥直接击中她的头部，这是直接死因。” 对于戴夫的“这是直接死因”一言，我虽然有些无法释怀，还是先将小绫死于地震之事告诉“哈尼”（＝亚兰）。 "how come……" 他端正的容貌宛如扭曲的橡皮般皱了起来，似乎受到相当大的打击。威什么？怎么挥发生这种事？他茫然地自言自语，接着更抱着头屈下身子。 艾克洛博士看了他一眼，又再度开始说明。面对自己公然宣称厌恶至极的法国人，一瞬之间，博士的脸上似乎浮现了不知该如何出言安慰的表情；但或许只是我的错觉，他看来也像是担心若做了这种有违平时作风的行为，会损及自己刚毅的形象。我突然觉得，也许他常因外貌可怕而招人误解，但其实是个刀子口豆腐心的人呢！ “哈尼·薛地德，二十八岁，阿拉伯人，原本出生于阿布达比，由于父母是传教士而游遍世界各地。目前受某个基督教会援助，在S市市区经营外国留学生专用公寓。” “你的，正确，资讯。” 以喉间咕哝般的阿拉伯独特腔调说着片段英文单字的，是“巴比”。当然，进入他体内的人是哈尼·薛地德。 “6”号座位上的“哈尼”（＝亚兰）又紧邻着“1”号座位上的“巴比”（＝哈尼），正好围成了一圈。 “不过，感觉，我，一点都不好，很可怕，这个身体，不是我的，跑进来。” "Hey Hey hey!" “巴比”（＝哈尼）想说的应该是“待在不属于自己的身体之中很可怕”，但由于他使用英文单字的顺序之故，听在“我”（＝巴比）耳中，活像是在说巴比的身体很可怕。 “你说话客气一点，不然小心我扭下你的头——”横眉怒目的“我”（＝巴比）转眼间便泄了气。“……不能扭啊，混账！那是我的身体。” “快点把我变回来！” 见圈子绕回起点，说明已告一段落的“亚兰”（＝贾桂琳），又咄咄逼近博士。 “既然能转移，应该也能变回原状吧？快把我的身体还来！” “用不着慌张，”博士刻意买了个关子。“只要等上一阵子，就算你不愿意，也会回到自己的身体。” "How long is a while?" “等到'循环'一周后。” 突如其来的沉默犹如下曳气流般，朝众人落下。这并非因为众人不解博士之意，反倒是由于立时领悟了“循环”一词有何含义之故——除了不懂英文的“哈尼”（＝亚兰）之外。 我们六人被要求依序坐到“1”到“6”号的座位上，围成一个圈。是的，依序；究竟是依什么顺序？不言而喻，就是依“人格转移”的顺序。虽然博士尚未明说，但这种刻意的安排还能有何其他意义？一思及此，可怕的想象便诱发了更为可怕的想象—— 从“1”号肉体转移出的人格，将会转移到“2”号肉体；而“2”号肉体转移出的人格，将会转移到“3”号肉体；“3”到“4”，“4”到“5”，“5”到“6”，“6”到“1”，依此类推。 莫非所谓的“转移”并非就此定型，而是会持续下去？而且还是以循环方式，每个号码依次往下一号递补……其他人我不清楚，但我却有了这种可怕的预感……遗憾的是，这预感正中红心。 “慢、慢着！”“亚兰”（＝贾桂琳）由于过度惊慌，声音变得如笛声般嘶哑。“你说的那个……那个'循环'，难道是指我们还会一一往下……” “没错，塔克小姐。下次'化装舞会'发生时——我们如此称呼这种连锁性的'人格转移'现象。你的人格将会转移到你隔壁的……”博士以下巴指了指一脸茫然的“哈尼”（亚兰）。“薛地德先生身上。当然，潘赫先生无法继续待在薛地德先生的肉体中，因此会转移到隔壁的韦伯先生身上。你们会如此依序一一往下转移。” 这么说来……我不禁回头看了身边的“贾桂琳”（＝蓝迪）一眼。下次那种叫做“化装舞会”的人格转移现象发生时，我的心灵将会移到“贾桂琳·塔克”的肉体上。 然而我可没时间慢慢惊讶，因为每当博士追加说明，我就必须以日文详细翻译给“哈尼”（＝亚兰）听。 “再下一次的'化装舞会'发生时，你们还会继续往下转移；这么反复之下，只要转移满一周，总有一天你能再度回到自己的身体。当然，届时不只塔克小姐，其他所有人也能一度回到自己的身体上。” “一度？一度是什么意思？不是回到自己的身体后就结束了吗？” “不，过一阵子后，'化装舞会'将会再度发生。以你的情况而言，你会再度转移至潘赫先生的肉体，每发生一次'化装舞会'，就会依序往下转移。这种情况会一直持续下去。” “一直……到什么时候？” “当然，到死为止。”博士以冷淡，不，该说是冷若冰霜的语气说道。“一旦踏入'第二都市'，一辈子都无法逃离'化装舞会'。这是命运。” “为什么……”“亚兰”（＝贾桂琳）先是茫然地喃喃说道，慢了半拍才开始猛烈怒吼：“为什么啊？为什么？为什么？一辈子都无法逃离是什么意思？到底是什么意思？少开玩笑了，我不要，我才不要！你给我想办法解决！” “他”（＝她）的怒吼正是我们的共同心声。事实上，我也正想表示自己很遗憾地无法接受这番毫无道理的说法；不过，想说的话全由“亚兰”（＝贾桂琳）替我发声了，而她的来势汹汹也让我难以从旁置喙。我想，其他人应该也处于相同状态。 “很遗憾，无法可想。” “为什么？为什么啊？既然能转移，怎么可能无法复原！你们要负责！” “说什么负不负责？'第二都市'并不是我们建造的啊！” “那是谁盖的？” “不知道，我想八成是外星人吧！” “外星人？别闹了，又不是科幻电影！” “那发生在你们身上的又是什么？不正是科幻电影的剧情吗？” “你们有义务尽最大的努力将我和其他人变回原状。从现在开始努力把我们变回来！” “我们早努力好几年啦！结果在二十几年前宣告失败。无论使用何种方法，都无法停止'化装舞会'——这就是我们的结论。” “说不定还有没试过的方法啊！” “要是有这种方法，我还想请教你呢！” “——喂，可以问个问题吗？”趁着“亚兰”（＝贾桂琳）无言以对时，“我”（＝巴比）插了话。“博士，你刚刚说会持续一辈子，代表到我们死掉为止。可是，我们六个人不可能同时死亡啊，对吧？我们的年龄也都不一样。那到时会变成怎样？” “你想问的是？” “假如其中一个人脱队了，讲白一点，就是因意外死亡或其他因素而脱离这个'圈子'，会变成怎样？说不定'循环'就会停止了啊！” “不，就算少了一个成员，转移还是会跳过'空位'继续下去。” "why?" "You ask me, who do I ask?" “哪有这样的啊？照理说，应该是少了一个，游戏就结束啊！” “所以我不是说过了？建造'第二都市'的人，是不按我们这个世界的牌理出牌的。” “那……死的会是谁？”慌忙插入话题的是“贾桂琳”（＝蓝迪）。“俺是在问，假如有人死了，那死掉的肉体会和人格一样吗？就是，呃……”他似乎说着说着便混淆起来了，只见他心急地跺脚。“要怎么讲？就是……” “比方说，”博士简洁地加以说明。“假如现在塔克小姐的身体死了，一起灭亡的便是占据该身体的灵魂，也就是你的灵魂，柯布莱先生。” “你刚刚说过一阵子——”此时，我也受一种莫名的受害者意识驱使，仿佛不发言就会吃大亏，因此姑且问了个问题。“那下次'化装舞会'会是什么时候发生？” “不知道。”博士的回答冷淡得足以让我后悔发问。“完全无法预测。或许是一小时后，或许是数天后；也可能是一星期后，甚至可能半年内都维持现状。简单地说，就是不得而知。唯一知道的，就是'化装舞会'确实会发生，且会持续一辈子。” “荒诞不经！神啊！”“巴比”（＝哈尼）仰天叹息：“毫无道理！神啊！这，不可思议，难以接受又荒诞不经，无法预测，我们该何去何从，您的旨意，神啊！这是试炼，混沌……” “既然提到该何去何从——”突然，有道初次听见的声音打断了断断续续的祈祷。“那就进入正题吧！唉！真是的，又突然来了。挑在这种时候，还真会选时机啊！” 一看之下，原来是方才一直端坐于中央的无号码座位上、一言不发的红发女子。见了她徐徐起身的模样，我满脸错愕。因为方才那种神秘且清丽脱俗的感觉宛如海市蜃楼般地消失无踪，活像是…… “我想诸位应该已经了解自己身处的状况。” 红发女子手扠着腰，双腿大开，睥睨着众人；她的神色与方才大相径庭，换上了一副眉头深锁的不悦表情。没错，活像是别人的魂魄附身似地截然不同。 而对照之下，艾克洛博士却完全沉默下来，往方才红发女子的位置上一坐，随侍于她的身后。虽然五官并无改变，但刚才看来还像是恐怖电影主角的脸孔，现在却宛如迪士尼电影中登场的善良动物一般温和。 “我再重新强调一次，诸位的'症状'在有生之年是绝无法'痊愈'的，因为没有'治疗'方法。听清楚了吗？没有。刚才我不只一次地说过，'化装舞会'会持续一辈子。只要诸位运用些许想象力，应该就能轻易地推测出这对人生会造成什么影响。比方说——苫先生。” “啊？”极为自然地由博士手中接下说明工作的红发女子突然点名，让正为“哈尼”（＝亚兰）翻译的我一时不知所措。 "What... what's the matter?" “假设'循环'一周后，你和其他人都回到自己的身体，而你们放心地各自回国、回家；这么一来可就糟了，下一次的'化装舞会'发生时，原本应该在东京公司里打着电脑的你，却突然发现'自己'身处于千里之外的佛罗里达州甘城仓库里，四周尽是毛毯。” “是啊……”红发女子的异样魄力，和我熟知的某个人物相似，但我却想不起究竟是哪号人物。“'顺序'是这样没错。” “你在说什么傻话啊？你以为自己能胜任布料清洁服务业吗？这可是吃重的工作喔！没雇用多余的人手，从送货到清洗全都要自己一手包办；当然，是从早做到晚。要拿订单也不轻松，因为大部分的公共设施和旅馆不光是毛毯，连所有需要更换的毛巾和床单都是一起委托大公司处理，想抢生意，门儿都没有；所以只能一步一脚印，挨家挨户地拜访私人住宅。所谓的生存竞争，可是严苛到会缩短寿命的。以你这种软弱白领阶级的薄弱精神力，能承受那种繁重的工作吗？” “应该……”面对这段临场感满分的说明，我不光是手脚，连全身都被一种痉挛过后的疲惫感侵袭。“没办法吧！” “然后，正当你手足无措时，下一次的'化装舞会'又发生了；你突然发现自己处于某个摄影棚中，镜头正对着你。你能演好肥皂剧的第二女主角吗？说不定还得和男演员接吻呢！” “绝对没办法，饶了我吧！” “就是这样，懂了吧？各位。简单地说，结论就是——” 红发女子刻意地卖了个关子，而从她卖关子的方式，我终于明白她像的究竟是谁。 可是……不会吧？ “诸位已无法回到自己原来的生活。” 我原以为“亚兰”（＝贾桂琳）等人会发出慷慨悲愤之声，没想到座位上却是鸦雀无声，甚至稍嫌静过了头。 “以我们人类的医学及科学能力，是无法改变这种情况的。换句话说，诸位今后将永远活在这个名为'化装舞会'的牢笼之中，懂吗？假如用这种表现方式也无妨的话，我必须要说——诸位已经死了。至少就原本的意义层面上，你们的社会存在已经消灭了，再也无法回到原来的人生，请认命吧！” 或许是由于现场实在过于安静，此时突然有个奇异的想法钻入我的脑中——咦？慢着，应该还有一个办法可以变回原来的自己吧？ 循环式人格转移的科学原理既专业又复杂，我当然不清楚。但是综合艾克洛博士及红发女子所言，不就可以导出这个结论？亦即—— 博士曾明言，“循环”成员若是死亡，便会从圈子中剔除，而转移会跳过“空位”继续进行。那么，假设成员一一减少，最后只剩两人；再比方那两人正好是巴比·韦伯与我。 当然，人格转移仍会持续在剩下的巴比及我之间进行。此时只剩两人，或许该以“人格对换”来形容；总之，“巴比”（＝我）与“我”（＝巴比），以及“巴比”（＝巴比）与“我”（＝我）的状态将永远交互反覆下去。 关键就在后者，也就是当我们恢复到“巴比”（＝巴比）与“我”（＝我）的状态时，巴比碰巧死亡的话，会变得如何？ 能移转的肉体只剩一具，我就能额手称庆地取回“我”自己的身体及原来的人生，不是吗？就理论上而言，我认为是的。倘若博士等人还隐瞒任何情境上的“规则”，那就另当别论：但若非如此，我们平安回归社会的方法应该只剩这一种。 当然，这纯粹是纸上谈兵，完全不切实际。姑且不论这个方法有“六人只能救一人”的致命缺陷；其他五人死亡时，自己的心灵正好在自己原来肉体的机率，就算不到沧海一粟的程度，应该也是微乎其微吧！ 更何况，“化装舞会”的发生时间是无法预测的。以刚才的例子而言，假如巴比在“巴比”（＝巴比）与“我”（＝我）的状态时病危，此时我暗暗松了口气，心想要是他就此归西，我就能回自己的身体里“定居”（很抱歉，用这种幸灾乐祸的口吻）；然而，巴比死亡的瞬间，“化装舞会”却再度发生，会变得如何？ 后果不言而喻。我的灵魂将幽闭于“巴比”的身体中，跟着灭亡；而同样地，巴比必须关在“我”这个别人的身体里，度过余生，两者都一样悲惨。 “从结论而言，诸位在户籍上其实业已死亡；当然，是因地震时购物广场倒塌而死。” “你讲什么鬼话，我们的身体明明在这里啊！”“我”（＝巴比）以抗议口吻指摘：“没尸体怎么能算死亡？” “诸位的尸体，被当作仍埋在瓦砾之下。事实上，地震造成了莫大的损害，救难工作也停滞不前；前往商场购物的客人，还有大半活埋在里头。” “不过我们倒是很快获救了嘛！啊？从那个叫做'第二都市'的鬼地方里！” “那当然，因为你们是活生生的国家机密，怎么能放任你们到'外头'乱跑？” “清问……”一直静听我翻译来龙去脉的“哈尼”（＝亚兰），突然以日语问我：“小绫——窪田绫子依经死了，对吧？那尼能帮窝问问，塔的遗体怎么了码？” “……绫子·窪田？”以英文转达这个疑问后，红发女子恍然大悟地点点头。“那个被杀的女孩？她的遗体现在应该已经到日本了。” "Killed?" 我不禁扯高了嗓门。“被杀”——红发女子的确是这么说的，而非“死亡”。 “她被杀……是什么意思？她不是因建筑物崩塌而死亡的吗？” “伤脑筋啊，丹尼！”戴夫责备的对象不是艾克洛博士，而是红发女子。“我不是已经拜托过您，为了'避免将事情复杂化，请别提及这件事'的吗？” “你要是对我贫乏的记忆力有意见，就自己来对他们说明。”红发女子冷冷地瞥了戴夫一眼。“还有，要我说几次你才懂？别叫我丹尼！”