Free Fugitives of Time: Sequel to Emperors of Time by James Wilson Penn Page B

for this sort of thing are about the size of a
human cell.”
    “And they can perform plastic surgery?” asked Tim, both
flabbergasted and creeped out.
    “Yeah,” said Paul.  “It’s perfectly safe.”
    “Have you ever had it done to you?” Julie asked.
    “Nothing major,” Paul said with a laugh.  “Everybody
uses it to combat acne when they’re in their teens.  Nothing like a couple
hundred nanobots to wipe out an outbreak.  Of course, those are kind of
low-tech compared to the model you’ll be using.  They can do all the
standard stuff like changing your hair and eye color, even shading your skin
tone, but these are more advanced.  These can get to your vocal cords so
you sound like they people you’re mimicking, and they can muscle their way in
through the skin cells and get to the bone, because your face’s bone-structure
will have to be changed.  Only slightly of course.”
    “Wait!  These things are going to be taking away my
bones?” Rose asked, alarmed.  “How is that something that can just be
changed back afterwards?”
    “Well, we’d use artificial tissue again afterwards to put
everything back to normal.  You’re really not going to be able to tell
much of a difference.  It’s not that big of a deal.  I haven’t even
gotten to how they’ll change your body,” said Paul, pausing as he got another
anxious look from Rose.  “Which again, is not a big deal.  My nephew
picked people who were the same height as you all, or at least close enough
that no one will ever notice.  So it’s just a question of adding some fat
to some places, sometimes taking it away from others…”
    He trailed off because it was at that moment that Hopkins
walked in.  As soon as he saw the generally appalled facial expressions
from the teens, he raised his eyebrows at Paul.  “I had them talk to you
because I thought you could make them feel better about having their
appearances changed.”
    Paul was about to answer his relative when Rose beat him to
it, “He said he’s going to take away my bones!” she accused hysterically. 
Tim fought to stifle a laugh. 
    He’d had some moments of high anxiety over the last few
days.  All the teens had. 
    Hopkins gave his great-uncle another look.  “No one is
going to take away your bones.  They will only be altered a bit.”
    “My point is,” Rose said,  not calming down, “that I’m
always going to have weird bones that aren’t all mine in my face, even when you
change things back.  ‘Cause you can’t put any of my bone back in there,
it’s just ‘artificial tissue’ or whatever.”
    “Right, but you’re not going to be able to tell the
difference,” Hopkins said.  “Besides, once I reprogram all the Domini
Temporis, everything will turn back to normal, including your face.”
    “Yeah…  but Rose’s face will never be normal,” Julie
joked.
    Rose glared at Julie.  “What, so you’re just okay with
this?”
    “As okay as I am with any of this.  We’re traveling
through time to save the future, so if we’ve got to change our faces to do it,
well…  whatever,” said Julie.  She looked around to Tim and Billy to
see if they’d back her up.
    Tim shrugged.  “You guys know I’m in.  I just want
to go back to 1854.  I’ll let nanobots make me look like anything they
want if it means I get to travel back in time again.”
    Rose sighed.  Tim knew she liked history just about as
much as he did.  “Okay, I hear you.  But it’s still just super weird,
right?”
    Billy said, “I’m still going to be tall, so if there’s a few
artificial bones in my face or something, my height’s my only physical
characteristic I’ve ever really cared about.”
    “Boys...” said Julie, with an eyeroll.”  “But
seriously, Rose, you’re in, right?”
    “Yeah, yeah, I’m in.” Rose paused, then said, “But let’s get
to it before I change my mind.  How about we knock me out and get
started?”
    Hopkins smiled, but