"Like a zombie?" the old man asked. "Somebody who don't know who he is, where he is, or what time it is?"
"Yea, that's a very good description. Of course, this had to be stopped."
"You didn't stop it soon enough," the old man said dryly. "Must be a lot more of you fellows from elsewhen around than I figured."
"I assure you we don't do it any more. We grow bodies for transfer purposes in tanks. Like this one, for example."
"Well, I do declare," the old man said. "Now, that's what I call progress. According to that, when your old body wears out, you get a new one."
"We haven't achieved immortality yet. The mind has its own natural span. It is true, however, that we have a greater life expectancy, and as long as a person lives he can have a body of his choice. But let's not get off the subject. The point is that I can't transfer back without a body, or I might get into one that's occupied. And I can't take this one with me. So I have to have one that is--well, if you'll forgive me being so blunt, more or less useless to its occupant."
"It's the truth, Sandy, and nobody knows it better than me. But the part I don't understand is why the body you're using has to fall apart in two weeks, if you leave it here."
"It is actually good for several months after the transfer. I've used up most of the time with my researches. But as to your question--surely you see why we can't leave a lot of displaced bodies cluttering up the past. The few pioneers who got stuck in previous periods were bad enough. They lived longer than anyone else of the periods, but they were taken as rare freaks of nature. If this happened on a larger scale, it would excite comment. Medical men would examine these people and find certain evolutionary developments--the secret would be out. In order to avoid that, the bodies grown artificially for transfer purposes have a built-in trigger mechanism. This also prevents anyone from over-staying his allotted leave. If I don't find a body to transfer back in within the next two weeks, I'll be dead."
"And if you do, I'll be dead," the old man said.
"I'm afraid so. Meanwhile, though, you'll have a young, healthy body to do with as you please, and some money to spend. It will happen suddenly; there will be no discomfort. I thought you looked like a man who would appreciate that. You would be cheated out of a decent funeral, however--there will be nothing resembling a body left to bury."