I woke up and saw Christine smiling at me in her hoverchair.

“Hi, Shark,” she said.

“Hi, Christine.”

Diana leaned over from behind and pressed her cheek on mine. “Hi, Shark.”

Although she soothed my cheek, I felt a bit uneasy with her intimacy. Christine watched me as if I were a bug under a microscope.

“Sorry, Christine and I weren’t here last time,” Diana said. “I needed to take Christine to the doctor for a checkup. Reginald said everything went fine, though.”

“I missed both of you.”

Oh, God, why did I say that?

“We missed you too,” Christine said.

Diana traced her long fingernails across my cheeks.

“It was strange losing myself in another person’s body. I felt every moment of being eighty-three and cycling a hundred and eleven miles. The Zenzooma was nice, though. But after I transferred out of his body, I didn’t feel it anymore.”

“How did you like the woman’s daughter?” asked Christine.

“Fine,” I said. “Kids teased her because of her stuttering. I could relate. Kids said I’d never stand alone. I’d still like to prove them wrong someday.”

“I get bullied too,” Christine said, “but I give it right back.”

“I’ll bet,” I said. “But why should you have to? I’d rather just be alone and skip the problem.”

Diana’s breath warmed my cheek. “Want to be very young again?”

That sent a chill through my paralyzed body.

“No.”

Max stepped forward with a flashing head. “He said no, Diana.”

“Are you flirting with me?” I asked.

Max’s head flashed in a schizophrenic algorithm of the visible spectrum. “She’s not just flirting, she’s seducing you.”

Diana faced Max. “Nonsense. I’m simply putting Shark in the right state of mind for his mind transfers.”

“I dare to disagree,” said Max.

Christine moved forward in her hoverchair. “You’re a big bully, Max. Leave her alone.”

Diana held the mind-transfer cap over my head. “Your choice, Shark. The fun way or the safe not-so-fun way? Which do you prefer?”

Max’s head flashed like an exploding quasar. “No, Shark. Diana is trying to manipulate you into undermining Blake’s mission.”

“Don’t listen to Max,” Christine said. “He’s just a—”

“Just what?” asked Max. “A robot? That’s discrimination. For that matter, you’re just a little girl.”

“Everyone be quiet,” Diana said. “This is Shark’s decision, so let him decide. Remember, Shark, you can quit any time. What do you want to do?”

I reflected on my life of quadriplegia. A life of no control. But in other people’s bodies, I at least experienced being able-bodied.

“Remember,” said Diana, “you can quit any time.

I looked into her sweet eyes and felt a desire for life I’d never known before. “Okay, Diana. I’ll do it.”

“No!” said Max.

“Yes!” Christine said.

Diana wrapped her arms around me, rubbed her cheek against mine, and then placed the cap on my head. “Don’t worry. You’ll grow from being very young,”

“I’ll be very young? And who will I be?” I asked.

Christine started singing. “Que sera sera. Whatever will be will be.”