-----, 2075

I walked into Alel’s office with the intention of replacing him both in his mind and in the minds of those he works with.  I clearly had the advantage in the situation since I knew I was not losing my mind and he had no idea what was going on.  When I asked Alel what he was doing in my office, all he could do was reply in kind.  Having recourse only to proofs of identity that I could mirror--driver’s license, social security card, passport, credit cards, house keys, id badges, even the recollection of key dates and personal information related to family members--it became a question of who would flinch first.  

With no objective proof of identity to distinguish the two of us, it was left to the emotional evaluation of those witnessing the scene to judge who was the “real” Alel.  And, as I predicted, the one who betrayed the slightest sense of doubt was the first to be suspected of some kind of fraud.  Since I had no reason to doubt either the situation or myself, I was necessarily at an advantage.  I knew what was going on.  In the absence of ever having been asked to prove that one is that one which one calls oneself, doubt very quickly sets in. 

-----, 2075