Mark Fullerton was a pretty average normal American man. He was 6'3 and weighed about 200 pounds. Not overly muscular, not fat, just average. Mark was a recent college graduate who was disappointed with where the world was taking him. After completing years of rigorous academic work, Mark received zero of the job openings he had applied for. Wanting to help pay off the incredible mountain of student loans he had accumulated in just 4 years, he took a position as an assistant manager at the local Wal-Mart. The work sucked, and Mark constantly felt that he was not being pushed enough mentally.
It was at work when he found out about "The Town". One of his co-workers, a 60 year old Vietnam Veteran named Jack would not stop talking about it, "I'm telling you guys! This is gonna be the way of the future. $20 and you are set for life. Never have to worry about getting sick or anything!"
Most of Mark's co-workers ignored Jack, but Mark had to admit that the proposition of The Town was promising. Mark didn't have the $500,000 for a guaranteed spot, but he sure could afford a $20 lottery ticket. Mark didn't particularly enjoy his life, and this seemed like a way to drastically alter it. Mark decided to buy a ticket online and was optimistic about a result.
Mark only had to wait a few hours before he got a reply from The Town informing him that he had won a spot in the experiment. The e-mail contained instructions on what he would have to do. Included was a box acknowledging that he had read and understood the contractual conditions that come along with joining the experiment. One who was quick to ignore such things, Mark clicked yes and returned his acceptance of the position.
The e-mail informed Mark that he didn't need to pack anything, but simply be at his local bus station the following morning.That night Mark could barely contain his excitement in preparation for this life altering event.
The next morning Mark was at the bus stop when a black van without any windows pulled up and slid open its door. Mark heard an electronic voice greet him, "Please enter Mr. Fullerton."
Mark obeyed and entered the vehicle. The interior was dark and like a typical van. Once inside Mark was greeted by a familiar face, "Jack is that you?"
"Oh hey there Mark!" replied Jack the Vietnam Vet. "You won too! This is so crazy! You ready to get a new life?"
Mark nodded in response, "I think I'm going to be a business owner or something when I get there."
Jack raised his eyebrows in response, "You must not have read the contract man. It said that we are going to be assigned a random life. We might end up as anyone."
Mark's stomach sank, "I thought we got to choose. That's what the website said!"
"Not if you are a lottery winner. We don't get to choose. Thats only for the people who pay full price. Don't worry though. The company set aside 1,000 positions that are no better or worse than the remaining 4,000. We can still get a good life once we get there."
"If that is the case" Mark replied, "Couldn't we both end up as women or something?"
Jack nodded with a smile, "That would certainly be a change of scenery."
Mark's hear raced. He couldn't be a woman. That is not at all what he expected or wanted. Mark quickly turned to Jack, "There has to be someway to cancel this. I don't think I can do this anymore."
Jack's voice spoke with concern, "You probably should have read the agreement then. If you back out now they can charge you $500,000 for a replacement."
"I can't afford $500,000. I'm broke as it is!"
Suddenly a woman's voice rang throughout the van, and a tv screen at the front of the van turned on. On the screen were various aerial photographs of what looked like a picturesque California coastal community. The voice began to speak, "Congratulations on being selected to participate in The Town. Mark, Jack, you two will now be assigned your life roles at this moment. Since you are both lottery winners, these selections will be random. We will first tell you your gender, age, and then a brief description of your new life."
"First up will be you Jack." The video screen then showed a mug shot of Jack's face. The voice began to speak once again, "Jack, you have been re-assigned to be a woman."
Jack's face contorted with the news. At first he looked disappointed, but he seemed to come to terms with it, "This will be interesting. Get to see if the grass is greener and so forth."
The voice then announced Jack's new age, "You will be 16 years old." With this announcement then came a 360 degree rotating image of a teenage girl's body in a cheerleading outfit.
"Your new name is Jessica Sanders. You are the daughter of Tim and Mindy Sanders. You are a high school cheerleader whose interests include music, boys, television, and gossip."
A large packet of documents emerged from the front of the van, "These are additional pieces of information about your new life. You should read these and try to memorize your new role in the Town. Included are biographies of your family and friends as well as a brief life story that should help describe your goals, interests, and habits."
Suddenly Mark's face appeared on the screen, "Now for you Mark. You will be re-assigned as a woman also. You will be...
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