With the current spate of stories highlighting somewhat the tragedy that many find at this time of year (all well written) I hope this lighter tale will be just as well received.
I had planned a slightly different plot during this stories inception whereby the protagonist had been a war hero but ultimately it added too much detail most unneeded. However that left me with no title. It was however written on New Years Day and thus is:...

A New Years Tale

by JC

I'm not sure where this idea popped up from, it just appeared in my head one morning while attempting to get the full eight hours that my body demands (I'd only slept about four at that point and my over active imagination wasn't happy about my efforts to sleep). I did sleep on the idea for a few days and while I made another attempt at writing it failed and deleted that effort. (After two pages of waffle about things that had no bearing on the story...)
One of my New Years resolutions was to try and write (or in my case type) for an hour each day, and this story was my output for New Years Day. Hopefully in the coming months I can add to my collection. This story is finished however. I hope it is enjoyed and would as ever appreciate comments and thoughts.

Eighty-nine years old and arrested. That’s me that is, and I suppose its not really arrested, taken into custody by a store detective would be a better description. It’s years — at least fifty — since I was last in this shop, back then I was something of a thug and I have no doubt that its due to things I did in those days that have caught up with me now.

In those days I was as I said something of a thug, back then I was dirt poor, lived in rented accommodation and seldom had enough money for both booze and food so I stole one or the other. This store is at least 80 years old, says so right above the door, “Founded in 1969…” now if that had been 1869 it might have conferred some respectability but 1969 was too recent. Still it was older than most of the shops round here. And I’d stolen from it as a youth.

I’d been around thirty last time I was in here, which was before the Afghan crisis that saw my signing up as a soldier, before the whole world went mad. Before I became rich. And now here I am sitting in a small nearly empty room waiting for what might happen.

The room is empty apart from a table, three chairs and a computer console. The computer console is made by myself… well my company. Mirotek, I founded it with the money I got when I left the army. I ran it for nineteen years before passing it on to my nephew we’re one of the largest European distributors and manufacturers of terabit chips. Ninety percent of computer consoles in the UK are either made by us or have our chips in them.

Of course I no longer have much involvement with the company, Mike had fifteen years at the helm before passing it on to his daughter. I’m still the life president but have no input really. If the store police here knew who I was I’m sure they let me go, after all fifty years have past since I was last here.

~@~

“Nelson Gamble?”
“That’s me, look…”
“Hold on sir, we’ll do this by the book shall we?”
“Look…” I sighed, “Very well officer, by the book.”
“Thank you Mr Gamble. This meeting is being recorded as detailed in the 2024 RPO accords, do you have any objections?”
“No.”
“Registered Officer Malcolm Start and Nelson Gamble present, Nelson has been detained for earlier shoplifting offences.”
“Look…”
“Mr Gamble I will be asking you a series of questions, I will require you to answer them to the best of your ability. You will be under Truthscan™, any questions?”
“Look this is a farce, these accusations are fifty years or older, surely they can’t be substantiated?”
“The fact that the offences took place is enough for me to question you. Now please answer my question.”
“Very well ask your damn questions.”

Truthscan™ is a clever bit of kit introduced by the Chinese in 2040, while under the effects it will read your memories as you’re asked questions. It can’t be evaded or misled and has made criminal law virtually fool proof. One in a thousand people have a natural in-built protection against it. I’m not one of those. Even if you have forgotten a detail from your conscious mind the unconscious will remember it and the device will know.

“Very well Mr Gamble. In 1998 did you shop in this store?”
“I think so.”
“TS is showing that you did.”
“Very well I did.”
“Good, now at anytime during that year did you leave the store without paying for items?”
“I might have, look I was going through a bad patch in those days, I did shoplift and I regret it now I’m happy to pay whatever fine you deem appropriate.”
“TS is showing that you left this store on more than forty nine occasions without paying. Our records indicate that you stole net value of four hundred pounds which with inflation and monetary changes in the intervening time is now worth in excess of fifteen thousand dollars. However you have now attempted to bribe a registered officer of the law…”
“Wait… what?”
“You offered to pay any fine I deem appropriate, that is known as a bribe.”
“When I said you I meant you as in the whole system. Fifteen thousand dollars does seem a little excessive however.”
“We have further proof of your guilt.”
“I admitted my guilt why do you need more proof?”
“Please turn your attention to the computer screen Mr Gamble.”
“Oh very well,” I turned to watch the film clip, rather than the frankly shoddy old fashioned film clip I was expecting I saw a thoroughly modern high definition security film, in it a young man walked into the store picked up several items, stowed them under his coat and walked out. “I don’t understand what has this got to do with me?”
“You don’t recognise yourself then?”
“That kid was maybe twenty… I’m eighty-nine, and even having admitted the shoplifting I was in my late twenties at the time.
“Further more that film wasn’t made at the time; it’s a modern security film. How on earth can you be using that as evidence of my guilt?”
“The computer made the film based on several reports on you and your past behaviour. We know a lot about you Mr Gamble.
“I hope you realise the severity of your position Mr Gamble.”
“Why? You have no direct proof other than fifty year old memories, the film you say represents me looks nothing like me and is on current media. No judge in the country would take this case seriously. You’re simply someone who is trying to take advantage of an old man.”
“That may be as you say Mr Gamble; I wouldn’t know however I have been authorised to use this which will make you fully eligible for prosecution.”

This was an obvious child’s toy, a small bright blue plastic gun. Malcolm stepped back and braced himself as though he was about to shoot me with something that kicked like a mule.

“Wait what is this? You’re going to shoot me with a toy gun? Is this some sort of joke?”
“No joke sir, and this isn’t a toy. In a moment you will understand.”

~@~

FOOM…

~@~

A beam of pure red light was emitted from the business end of the toy gun striking me somewhere in the torso. From there waves of pain like I have never felt before, nor hope to feel again washed out into the rest of my body. I wondered briefly if this was some form of torture, but couldn’t work out why. After a few moments the beam winked out but rather than the pain diminishing it began to get worse.

The original point of pain began to move around my body, from my chest down to my groin then back upward to my head were it remained till the pain caused me to black out.

~@~

Coming round I found the pain gone, in fact I’d never felt so healthy, even the aches and pains that a nearly ninety year old body picks up where missing. Malcolm still stood looking at me now with a wide grin on his face. I was diminished though, my clothes had seemingly shrunk with me and still fit but the chair that had, when I was first seated, been only just big enough was now too big, and my view of the room was lower, Malcolm now towered over me.

“What have you done?” My voice was lighter too, almost child like.
“I used this Substantiator™ on you, don’t worry sir it is entirely legal as is the evidence you were so worried about. Company policy dictates that we don’t pursue anyone who we don’t have a chance of actually successfully prosecuting. The computer evidence system and the Substantiator™ make prosecution so much easier.”
“But you can’t just change me to match the criminal you have invented.”
“Your DNA hasn’t changed, just your apparent age. With the current zero policy toward all crime you should be looking at a full fine and probably ten years in suspension (author: Cryogenic suspension futuristic jail system), which is better than a criminal like you deserves.”
“It was fifty years or more ago, people change. I said I’d pay any fine… this is just madness.”
“People don’t change sir, which is scientific fact. You were born a criminal and are still one today. While in suspension you will learn to be a better person and contribute properly toward society.”

I sat and thought about the whole situation for a bit longer, though I now was not only hungry but also in need of a call of nature, I didn’t feel safe with this madman, what if he tried to remove my ‘criminality’ with his toy. If it was now okay to change people to match a wanted suspect how much further would he go…

“Look Malcolm…”
“That’s Mr Start to you Nelson.” His whole attitude to me had changed since I had; this whole situation was too weird…
“Mr Start, am I allowed to get my solicitor here?”
“Of course, you may even contact him yourself; however your call will be monitored.”
“Very well.”
“Use the console there, don’t worry the computer will automatically monitor anything you say.”
“Thank you.”

“Good afternoon, Marvin, Melvin and Parks. How may I direct your call?”
“Afternoon Mary can you put me through to Melvin Junior please, tell him Nelson is on the line.”
“Certainly Mr Gamble, and may I add you sound awfully well today.”
“Thanks Mary.”
…
“Melvin here Nelson how can I help you?”
“I’ve been arrested by a RPO for shoplifting, it’s an old offence, but they say they have enough evidence to get me sent to suspension.”
“What evidence, and how long since it happened?”
“Truthscan, some sort of doctored computer recording and the RPO used a Substantiator on me. As for how old, near as I can work out, fifty or more years.”
“Substantiator? I though you sounded quite good, they aren’t supposed to use them except in serious crimes. The rest though that’s going to be hard to counter. Are you guilty?”
“Did I shoplift from this store fifty years ago? Probably, I wasn’t a particularly well behaved young man in those days. Can you do anything to get this Substantiator fixed, I don’t mind being younger but I’m practically a teenager now.”
“If we can get you off then yes, no problem, and we can sue them into the ground. But you’ve admitted… Look I’m going to come down there straight away I’ll see what I can get sorted. We can probably get the sentence commuted to a fine at least bearing in mind the minority of the crime.
“Have they given you your food and toilet break yet?”
“Food?”
“Cellular starvation, the change is so rapid your body needs to replace electrolytes rapidly, get them to give you the meal they are required by law to give you after using a Substantiator. That or you might die… Now I’ll be ten minutes.”

~@~

“Mr Start, my solicitor informs me that your are supposed to provide me with a meal to prevent cellular starvation and access to the facilities.”
“Of course Nelson, we use a concentrated electrolyte drink to replace missing elements and the facilities are the first door on your left as you leave this room. For your protection you will be monitored automatically at all times. I assume your solicitor is on his or her way?”
“He’ll be here in ten minutes.”
“Use the facilities and your meal will be on the table when you return.”

~@~

The facilities consisted of a sealed chemical shower unit, which looked factory new, and an old ceramic toilet and washbasin. By now I need the toilet somewhat desperately and while I was more used to a modern replumbing unit this old fashioned water based solution was within the bounds of what I could use. Luckily for me I sat.

The clothes I now wore were not entirely the same as those I’d started out in, there were far more modern than I was used to. My own fashion style still sat somewhat at the late 2030s. Clothes, stylish clothes, after that point all seemed a little too daring. And even then I’d looked old and tired. These clothes were what a subbie might have been issued with.

The tight trousers and underwear came down though as I’d have expected and I sat down. As I said luckily I sat down first. The Substantiator hadn’t just taken 70 years off my life it’d changed a fairly fundamental part of my body too. My immediate thought was now I’ve got you where I want you. Obviously the change made by the Substantiator was a change too far; I started wondering how much I could sue them for…

However my thoughts turned to the seventy missing years, was that too much to throw away? I knew the first thing they’d try and do would be to switch me back… of course knowing that the technology existed to make such a huge difference to my life I could always use it again…

I’d worked in high technology for more than thirty years; I knew that such radical changes to in organic components led to fairly basic loss of function, and the cellular starvation hinted at by my solicitor hinted that while the device obviously worked it might be able to do so over and over. I was still wondering what implications this change held when a knock on the door heralded the arrival of my meal in the next room.

~@~

The electrolytic shake tasted much like a chemical strawberry milkshake had done when I was a kid. It was quite filling, especially in my new smaller form. It took a couple of minutes for me to work my way through the tall glass. By which time my solicitor had arrived.

“Ah Nelson, Mr Start has disabled the monitors while we meet. I need to take a DNA test to ascertain you are who you say you are.” He held out a slim-line tester which I stuck my finger into. The machine let out a small beep and the display lit up, Marvin read it and looked at me with a puzzled smile. “Okay you’re not quite who I was expecting. And as I know Nelson was childless, unless you’re a love child I think we can get you off.”
“Marvin that would be a good idea except… no I think I have a better idea. Here’s what I want you to do…”

~@~

Mr Smart re-entered the room a short while after my solicitor had left, Marvin would have told him that I was in no position to fight my guilt and anyway couldn’t afford his fees. Malcolm had gone though a remarkable transformation, from an unsmiling drone he’d become a grinning fool who though he had me precisely where he wanted me. In fact he was so bold as to walk around the room and eventually stand behind my chair before leaning down and resting his hands on my shoulders. The baggier top disguising my changes.

“So Nelson your solicitor didn’t stay?”
“No he didn’t think he could offer me any insight, besides I doubt I can afford his fees now.”
“So I’ll arrange a flimsy of your aggregate statement which you will sign.”
“I’m not the person you want in regards to these alleged offences, I’m far too young.”
“Your solicitor told you to say this? And you can’t afford him? He was either winding you up or he’s vastly over charging people. We know who you are; and your DNA confirms it. The Substantiator is a legal device, what it has done to you cannot be changed without substantially altering your life expectancy. You should be thank full that we made you young again.”
“No you have made a big mistake…”
“Don’t be stupid, we don’t make mistakes.”
“And if you don’t take your hands off me right this minute I will not be responsible for my actions.”

He stood up straight and went back round the other side of the table, “Look Nelson I don’t know why you have suddenly changed your tune, you have admitted shoplifting here, it’s all on tape.”
“Was my arrest taped?”
“Only by the security cameras in store why?”
“Do they have sound pickups?”
“Yes but we don’t use them it takes up too much storage.”
“So you don’t have the bit on tape about doing as I’m told or you’ll get what you’re asking for?”
“What?”
“Or the threat to rape my ass?”
“What are you talking about? Why would I say that? More to the point you’re eighty nine years old and a man to boot. Even after your change I wouldn’t touch you with a barge pole.”
“What do you mean my change?”
“I made you younger.”
“Oh that, maybe you don’t like young women.”
“Nelson you aren’t a woman.”
“Care to bet on that?”
“What the hell are you talking about? You’re a man; did that phoney solicitor say you should take this track? Easy way to confirm things. Stand up and remain still.” He went over to the computer console and began hammering in instructions, he was obviously feeling the pressure as twice he had to back up and re-enter. “What the…” He turned to look at me and I smiled a very condescending smile… the sort you give to the village idiot.

He began keying in more commands, muttering something under his breath. The machine again refused to give him the results he wanted. Cursing louder now — I was grateful that my company design that particular terminal for hard use as anything less would be at the point of breaking — he once again hammered in a sequence of commands.

Suddenly he turned to me and forced my backward onto the table, then with brutal strength pulled my trousers and under things down…

~@~

“I’m extremely sorry for any inconvenience Miss Gamble.” The manager was extremely unctuous, and well he might be; false arrest; false imprisonment; assault; use of improper technology… the list was long and were it to come to the attention of the proper authorities would cause serious repercussions, something I didn’t want. Due to the nature of my change and the fact that under severe scrutiny it could all be tracked posing as my father’s daughter was the best option.

“I will of course see that Mr Start is relieved of his duties and reassigned to something more fitting.”

~@~

It was all a sham of course, I was Nelson Gamble, I did do what I was accused of but the sentence didn’t fit the crime that was my only excuse. Well that and a new chance at living a nearly blameless life. I still had umpteen million dollars in the bank, all of which I had made legally. I made sure that all the businesses that I had stolen from in the past were compensated, even Mr Smart got off lightly he is still an RPO, but less used in the investigation of offences and more in prevention.

As for me I went back to work for the company I started, we have branched out into molecular modifiers and are putting the finishing touches to our first consumer model. It won’t make you seventy years younger in a single use, but prolonged use will leave you younger. And for those people who feel they have been trapped in the wrong body — something I had no clue about till this happened — with a suitable disclaimer signed we can even swap your apparent gender.

This document is ©2009-'10 by JC. Characters and situations herein are intended as a fantasy any relation to real people or places are happenstance.

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