Imagine there was a service where people could, temporarily or permanently, trade bodies with another person. Memories and personality would remain intact (as would learned knowledge) but physical skills and abilities would be traded - including mental elements like synesthesia, or photographic memory. How would your MC write a personal ad for such a system? What would they be looking for, and how would they advertise themselves for potential swappers? Here's an example: Young dancer looking for musician/perfect pitch (temporary) I love mixing music, but I don't have an ear for it. ...and I guess I'd like to be someone who isn't me for a while. I've got good hearing, I'm in good shape, and I'm trained in most varieties of modern dance. I've got some anxiety, but there's medication that helps.
Maybe the classifieds could be headed (no pun intended) 'Body Swaps'. I guess this would be a recognised trade in your story-world? Maybe: subhead it with age ranges, gender and whether cash would travel one way or the other (depending on whether a character is up or downgrading). Body Swaps F Dancer 22 fit, 130lbs wltb M Musician 40 – 50 (skill more important than looks)... Actually poss strike the above...the more I think about this the more difficult I reckon it would be. I see such trading being regulated, I see contracts...what about health? relationships? use of swapped body? And what about lengths of time the swap is agreed upon? Very wormy canny.
@SethLoki Worm canny is an apt description! But it's a can I think might be fun to keep opening, at least to a certain extent. (Or perhaps to glaze over, in the case of a short piece where the emphasis is elsewhere. Not that I'm brainstorming or anything...)
You have to think that an industry like this would quickly become McDonaldized. Creativity wouldn't be a factor for these people anymore, I could see entire factories where all people do is practice a skill, day and night. It'd also be harder and harder for them to be seen as 'people' and more like objects. They're a tool, with a specific use, for those with money.
Body Traders Are you tired of being you? Is there someone else you have always wanted to be, but never could? Well good news Sirs and Sirettes, now you can. We are having a special ongoing at the moment for half our usual fee. If you choose to take this limited time offer, you can then spin our wheel of all the options we have available and let fate do the choosing for you. Lets be honest, you deserve to not be you, but it will be the 'New You'. So whether you have something specific in mind, or are more daring. We look forward to getting you into your new body, and we hope that it will be to your satisfaction. Motto: You can be anyone you want to be, but you can't be me.
