Phil had been skeptical of the Techno-Mediums at first. He hadn't liked it one bit when he heard his wife, Ellen, had answered the door for two of them, and was now meeting once a week to discuss their beliefs.

Everyone knew they were a cult.

Phil could understand some of their waste-not, what-not logic. It seemed strange that basically everyone had brain implants these days, but no one was using it to tackle the question of immortality.

But he also didn't think the Techno-Medium's macabre rituals were truly immortality.

As much as the TM's liked to say that people's memories shouldn't live on a cold, dead computer for the rest of time, Phil didn't think turning someone's life, their memories into a tourist attraction was much better.

Ellen had tried to tell him that it wasn't tourism. She had begged him to meet with the two TM's she had been meeting with, and discuss what they actually believed. But Phil flatly refused.

Frankly, the whole thing creeped him out.

But Ellen continued to go. Continued to come back to Phil, and tell him all about the lives of people long deceased.

Phil was just happy that she hadn't uploaded any memories to her brain, herself.

She was content to speak with the TM's who had.

But even so, as the weeks turned into months, Phil thought it was inevitable that Ellen was going to come back with some old man in her head. Or a child who was lost in some tragic accident.

"Phil," Ellen said one morning. "I think I want to try it."

Phil looked up from his phone, and looked at his wife in the eyes. He sighed.

"You can't be serious," he said.

"I am, Phil," Ellen said, looking down at her fork. "I just... It's not enough to just hear other people talk about what it's like to experience someone else's memories."

Phil shook his head. "Ellen, be rational about this. Is this even safe?"

Ellen frowned. "I was hoping you would be more supportive of my decision."

"Is it safe?" Phil said.

Ellen shrugged. "It seems safe enough. It's not that different from Minute Courses."

"Minute Courses aren't memories that were once in someone's head," Phil said. "Let alone a whole lifetime of memories and experiences."

"I know," Ellen said, rubbing her shoulder. "I know it's different. But I've seen the ways the channellers have grown as people. Being able to see so many lives... I want to have what they have."

Phil didn't know what to say. He knew it was pointless to argue at this point.

"Okay, Ellen," he said. "I can tell this is something you really want to do. I'll support you, but I want you to promise me that you won't overdo it."

"Don't worry," Ellen said. "Each upload is only one week, so that other members can have a chance with the memories."

Phil stood up and walked up to hug Ellen.

"I'm sorry if I've been overly skeptical of this whole thing, Ellen," Phil said. "But you know it's just because I love you, and I don't want to see you get hurt.

She smiled up at him. "Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen."

* * *

When Phil next saw Ellen, she seemed different somehow.

"Did everything go alright?" Phil said.

Ellen paused, before nodding.

"Who did they upload into your head?" Phil asked.

Ellen shifted uneasily.

"She was a hooker who liked to be called Candi," Ellen said.

Phil's eyes widened. "A hooker? Why didn't you get a rich an succesful business man, or a banker or something?"

Ellen shook her head. "Everyone deserves to be remembered, Phil. That's what the TM's believe, at least."

Phil wanted to criticize his wife's crazy decision, but he took a deep breath, and tried to focus on being curious instead of judgemental.

"Do you feel any different?" Phil said.

"Not really," Ellen said. "I'm still the same old Ellen, I just have twice as many memories in my head."

Phil shook his head. He loved his wife, but he was having trouble meeting her halfway here.

"Okay, can you tell me a bit about her life?" he said.

Ellen proceeded to tell Phil about Candi. Candi, originally known as Guadalupe Navarro had never really done well in school. As soon as she could, she dropped out and started turning tricks on the streets. It wasn't the most glamorous work, but she honestly felt that it beat her high school retail job, which had been absolute hell. And Candi was sexy, and managed to fall in with a good pimp who made sure her customers were never too rough with her.

Then Candi had discovered drugs, and everything was a bit of a blur after that. Apparently, Candi had eventually died of a drug overdose.

Phil shook his head. "Why would anyone want her memories in their head? What good are they?"

Ellen sighed. "It's not about that, Phil. Look, can we talk about something else for now?"

And so they moved on to cheerier topics.

But Phil could sense the distance between the two of them. He knew he had said the wrong things. He would have to apologize, and make it up to Ellen.

All of this was just so new, and Phil didn't know what to make of it.

A day or two passed, and Phil was almost able to forget about the whole crazy fact of his wife having a dead hooker's memories in her head.

They had a lovely dinner together, and chatted and enjoyed themselves like old times.

Afterwards, his wife had cuddled up to him like she used to, and Phil had decided to give her a back massage.

Which had quickly become the two of them fucking.

God, Phil had missed this with Ellen! It seemed like the two of them had drifted apart in the last few months.

But then he had to go and open his big mouth. "Ellen, did you learn any new tricks from Candi?"

Ellen had pushed him away, and stopped things right there.

She pulled her clothes on, and walked away without a word.

Fuck.

Phil had really screwed up.

He got up to chase her, and he got out of his room just in time to see her miss a step at the top of the stairs. Her hand tried to catch the railing or stop her fall, but she went tumpling down the flight stairs, landing on the first landing.

Phil ran out to see if she was alright.

He rushed to Ellen's side, and saw that she wasn't moving.

"Are you okay?" he said.

Ellen looked up at him, but she seemed dazed. He was about to ask her again whether she was okay, but then she opened her mouth.

"Ay! Getcha hands off, mista. This body is for paying customers, and I'm sure ya don't want Culebra to give ya no trouble."

Phil took a step back, his wife's whole demeanor had changed. She wasn't moving with the poise and dignity of a rich and distinguished business woman, but in a more sensual way, as if every movement was made to entice. And the way she was speaking, she was using a lower class street accent, instead of her usual eloquent speech.

"Why are you talking like that, Ellen? Are you okay?"

"Ellen, pfft! Who the fuck's Ellen, gringo?" she said. "I'm Candi."

She stood up, and looked around. Phil tried to process what she was saying. It couldn't be could it? He had never heard of anything like this happening. Sure, you could upload the memories from one person to another, but...

"Where are we?" she said, looking around. "Did you kidnap me or something?"

"No, no, no, nothing like that," Phil said, trying to think quickly. "I'm just, uh, a customer."

"A customer, huh?" she said, rubbing her head. "Man, I musta hit my head real hard to have forgotten that. I already gave ya the pitch and everything, right? Hundred dollahs, and I'm yours for the next hour."

Phil nodded, and led his wife up the stairs. He didn't know what to do. He had just been worried about her falling in with a cult, not - whatever this was!

Was Ellen gone forever? The woman he loved, no matter how strained things had gotten recently?

"Hey, there's no need to freak out, mista. Your Candi is right here," she said, pressing herself against him.

Phil wanted to worry about Ellen. Wanted to worry about the possibility of this being permanent.

But those emotions were being pushed out by the way Candi was moving against him.

It was his wife's body, she had never moved so seductively. Touched him so sensuously, emphasizing her amazing body with each movement, leading him along her desired path.

He was helpless now to resist her charms. Things had cooled off so much in the bedroom, and he was still coming down from their disappointing encounter from minutes earlier.

He kissed her, and she kissed him back.

They made their way to the bed, clothes hitting the floor as they moved, until the two of them were tangled with the sheets, fucking each other like animals in heat. Candi was a pro, and it showed in her every movement. A part of Phil's mind was expecting the same old love he always got from Ellen, and was constantly being surprised, as he reached new heights of arousal.

He didn't know it was possible for someone to move this way, and it wasn't long before the last dregs of worry in his head gave in to the pleasure.

It was incredible.

And the way she moved under him, the way she moaned.

It wasn't long before Phil grunted, and filled Candi up with his cum.

He rolled off of her, and was ready to cuddle with her. But she was already getting up, and getting her clothes on.

"Wait, you said I got an hour?" he said.

Candi rolled her eyes. "Ya think ya got a second wind in ya, big guy?"

Phil grabbed his wallet, and put $100 in 20's on the bedside. Then he patted the bed next to him.

"We need to talk, Candi," Phil said.

"Oh no, not this," she said. "You ain't one a dem guys who thinks fucking me once means we in love, are ya?"

"No, nothing like that," Phil said. "It's just, uh, you're not who you think you are, Candi."

Candi looked strangely at him. "Whaddya mean?"

"Look in the mirror over there?"

Candi walked over, and then when she realized what she was looking at, she ran over.

"No way? I'm a white bitch now?" she said, cupping her breasts. "These are natural? How is she this big without implants!?" She turned around, examining her ass.

"I don't know how to say it," Phil said. "But that's my wife's body you're in. Do you remember anything about Ellen?"

Candi closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Oh, wow. That's freaky, I think I got all that girls memories up in my head."

Phil couldn't have been happier.

"Look, something happened. I don't know what to tell you, but you're not who you think you are. The real Candi died years ago, and my wife just put you in her head."

Candi took a step back. "You don't mean..."

"Yeah, I know it can be hard to take, but it's the truth."

Candi looked like she wanted to run. But she realized that it was useless, that it wouldn't fix things.

"I want my wife back, Candi," Phil said. "Can I take you somewhere to get you fixed?"

Candi looked down at her feet. She clearly didn't want to give up on this second chance at life, but she also didn't want to steal another person's life just so she could live.

"Okay, take me where ever you need to to get this fixed."

* * *

Things did not go as Phil expected at the Techno-Medium Society Headquarters in town. They had never heard of something like this happening either.

Phil and Candi had to wait for hours as they heard people debate about what could be done.

"Can't you just take Candi's memories out of her head?" Phil said.

"Of course not!" the Chief Seneschal said. "Since your wife hit her head, it seems that Candi's memories have become the central locus of her consciouness. If we take Candi out, your wife could be left as an empty shell full of her own memories but no self."

And so the conversation raged on, back and forth and no resolution was had.

Phil and Candi had to go home with no result.

Phil let Candi sleep on the bed, while he slept on the couch.

In the morning, Candi called in sick to Ellen's work. She might have been able to fake things with Ellen's memories, but Phil didn't think she had the right attitude and bearing for such a thing.

Phil was distracted at work all day, wondering what he was going to do if he had lost Ellen forever.

When he got home, Candi told him she had gone back to her old neighborhood to see what her old and friends and loved ones were up to.

"That's dangerous, isn't it?" he said, angry that Candi had put his wife's body in danger like that.

"I had to know okay?" she hugged herself and looked at the floor. "They all had moved on. Nobody needs Candi in their life."

"Look, I'm... I'm sorry, Candi," Phil said. "I'm sorry you have to go through this. It can't be easy."

Candi hugged him, and to Phil's surprise, she started crying in his arms.

It wasn't Ellen, but seeing his wife's body cry like this, he did what he always did, would always do for his wife. He hugged her tight, and promised her everything would be alright.

* * *

After a week, nothing had changed. The Techno-Mediums had no idea what to try, and some of them were even against the idea of fixing things, calling it a true miracle that Candi had been revived. Luckily, most of them seemed sympathetic to Phil's plight.

But Phil started to feel strangely lonely.

His wife's body was there, but he missed her. Missed the woman he could talk to every night.

If he was honest, he had missed her for much longer than when Candi had shown up.

As he was eating ramen noodles, watching TV, Candi came around.

"Hey, uh, I know it's not much, but for what's it's worth, your wife really loved ya," Candi said.

Phil looked over at her, and smiled sadly. "I know."

"I mean, I've been going through her memories. That time you guys went to Disney world, I wish I had had someone who made me feel the way she did about you," Candi said. "Maybe things wouldn't have ended the way things did for me..."

And they talked together. Candi wasn't Ellen, but she could remember moments that Phil and Ellen had shared together, things that no one else could.

And it was strangely comforting.

Phil liked having someone to talk to, and Candi seemed like she wanted to provide the small comfort that she could.

Eventually, their talking turned into something else. On the bed, Phil wondered if this was okay. Was it cheating?

But Candi was the only person who could understand what he was going through, and he was so lonely.

So he found comfort in her arms that night. In her kisses, her caresses, and so much more.

It wasn't like Phil and Candi's first encounter, and it wasn't like it had been with Ellen before.

But Phil felt like it was what he needed in that moment.

* * *

It was so hard to mourn for someone who was alive, and right in front of your eyes. But after several months, Phil had to admit that his strange situation would never be resolved.

Candi had done her best to fill Ellen's shoes at work, and with her old friends. But while Candi had Ellen's memories, she didn't have her keen intellect. She had been forced to resign in disgrace from her management position, and her friends had hated her sudden and unexplained change in personality. She wasn't invited to fancy dinners anymore.

Still, Candi was doing her best, and found a new job as a secretary, where it didn't matter that she wasn't highly educated, and she had made new friends.

Phil and Candi were sleeping on the same bed lately.

Candi might not have been Ellen, but the two of them had bonded over the months, helping each other through their difficult adjustment periods.

Aside from the TM's, Phil was the only person Candi could talk about her issues with, and vice versa. Phil felt bad that he was falling for her. He tried to tell himself it was just because it was his wife's body, but eventually, he had to admit that he loved Candi for herself.

He loved the way she talked when she wasn't pretending to be Ellen for the rest of the world. Loved how she cared for him. Loved how she loved him.

After two years had passed, Phil asked Candi to marry him.

"Aren't we already married?" she said.

"I know, but I want to marry you again," Phil said. "It'll be a new start, a sign that we can move on."

Candi hugged him close.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, I'd love to marry you!"

Phil was so happy Candi had agreed. And he looked forward to all of the things their shared life would have together: cuddling on the couch and watching Netflix, talking about their day, maybe having a kid. And from time to time, maybe Phil would ask her about Ellen's memories. It was important to Phil to keep her memories alive.