Fiktion Korner

"A sharing economy is a caring economy"

The other day while walking down the pedestrian guideway to the Subaru Dictatorship I ran into an old friend who said, "hey, what do you think of this for a science-fiction-mystery-type story? What if in the not-so-distant future technology has evolved to the point where one's entire mind, memories, consciousness, unconsciousness, in other words, their 'self' can be extracted and implanted into the brain of another body? And then a whole industry emerges around people renting out their body's for others to use. People would do this because the world has become increasingly inhospitable because technology and policy innovations to stem the tide of environmental and societal disaster haven't kept pace with, say, technology to decouple someone's consciousness from their biological matrix and map it onto somebody else's. With the income from temporarily housing the portable selves of others, one could afford the vast price of living a full and happy life in one of the planet's heavily gentrified 'climate havens.' Part of the cost, however, is that you only get to live in your body for about two months a year and you rent it out to 'hosts' the remaining time with your self stored in stasis, which would feel to you upon returning to your body as waking up from one night's dream. Sort of a quality over quantity thing. But then some science fiction thing happens, like you wake up with fragments of memory or personality left behind by previous hosts and question the nature of being and the 'self.' Or, for something more dramatic, one of your hosts commits a heinous crime while inhabiting your body and a taut thrill ride unfolds. Ethical questions abound. Seems like pretty good social commentary, no? Plus just an exciting story, potentially. I should write this. Has this been done? I'm sure something like this has been done. I haven't quite worked out why people would rent your body in this what-if scenario. It's probably been done."
I replied to my friend, "what an intriguing idea. I recommend you follow your dreams. Good day."
We parted ways. What an insightful and rewarding friendship transaction.
Minutes later, a Subaru Ambassador said to me, "hey, didn't I sell you an Impressive last week? As I recall, the transaction was both insightful and rewarding."
"Must have been one of my hosts," I replied. "I only just came out of stasis this morning."

--Known Universe