Copy paste

"Oh, I have an idea." OG Yu excited taps you on the shoulder. "Chase, do the same thing to Gho-"

"-that you did to me," finishes the other Yu, coming to stand by you as well.

"We'll come up with a plan for how to turn Ai and Gho back later without hurting the two new me's -"

"- and another copy of me won't freak out before we're done testing."

It's not your first plan, but if it'll prevent Aiden-Georgia from flipping out, it's better than nothing. "Hey Georgia?"

Georgia turns around from beside the hot tub. "Thank god, what did you do with Ai?"

"You're about to find out," you tell her. "Turn into Yu's physical twin."

Georgia groans and doubles over as she morphs in the same way the copy of her changed before. She shortens, exchanges her sharp features for Yu's cherubic ones, and becomes another Yu.

Georgia gawks at her hands, turning them over, realizing she's in Yu's body now. Aiden's vest and ripped jeas fit even worse than before. "How was I Yu the whole time?" she asks, startled at her unfamiliar voice. "What's going on?"

You finish the transformation. "Now I command Yu's mental self - that is her personality, memories, and mind - to copy itself over yours in the same way I asked it to before with the other Georgia, till I say fully reverse to Georgia now. Your mind will retain its knowledge and memories, but in all other ways, let it become Yu's mental twin, except that it will link up to Yu's other two minds, and become a single mind with theirs."

Aiden-Georgia spazzes out. "Huh? Wha, w-whuuh... hhhuhh!!" she gasps and seizes for breath. Her eyes back in their sockets, eyelids fluttering rapidly. And just as suddenly, she stills.

Taking in a deep breath, the new new Yu pats herself down, squinting for lack of glasses at her puffy vest and loose, raggedy jeans. "Oh. Wow. So now I'm the fork me."

"Yu-3," provides the old new Yu, from beside you.

"Yu-3?" you ask, frowning at her. "You already came up with a naming scheme?"

Reflexively, all three copies of Yu reach up to adjust their glasses, though only the original actually has a pair. The two Yu's who used to be her cousins spare OG Yu envious glances, while the original Yu explains. "It's the standard terminology when you're talking about different instances of a person. I'm Yu-1, or, Yu-Prime."

"The first fork you made from Ai's mind with Gho's original body is Yu-2. That's me," says Newer Yu, onw Yu-2.

"Which makes the second fork we made from Gho's mind, with Ai's original body, Yu-3," says Newest Yu, now Yu-3.

You're impressed. "Thank god you're on my side."

Yu-Prime giggles, and hides a smile. "You learn how to deal with weird things when you read a lot of science fiction."

Yu-2 squints down at herself. "And I read a lot of science fiction."

Yu-3 squints at Yu-2. "Unfortunately, copying my body and mind didn't copy also copy glasses."

A simultaneous idea occurs to the three of them. "I have a couple old pairs my room!" they say in chorus triplicate. They speak with just slightly different timing and emphasis, though.

Yu-2 and Yu-3 regard Yu-Prime uncertainly, though.

The original motion them on with a smile. "It's your room as much as mine," she says. "Go ahead."

Yu-2 and Yu-3 head back into the house, so fascinated with one another they barely pay you any mind. "Do you think one one of us can watch movies while the other one does homework...?"

Yu-Prime watches them go, fascinated. "Incredible, I can still sense everything. Their thoughts, what they're doing, how they're feeling. When you linked our minds, Chase, you linked everything! I feel a tangible psychic connection between us, which should be impossible, but there it is! This could totally revolutionize psychology as we know it..."

Good old Yu. The more things change, the more they stay the same. "Still kind of a mess though, isn't it," you say. " I didn't really intend to turn your cousins into more you's."

"Ah, they're fine," says Yu, with a dismissive wave. "Undo button, remember?"

You're unused to Yu being the one cheering on your antics, but you could get used to it. Claiming away her fear about your powers was the right move.

"That was weird," says Lina.

Both of you jump.

Lina, who had almlost fully blended into the background by this point, stood by in silence, watching everything transpire.

"I almost forgot you were here!" exclaims Yu. "Sorry, there was just so much going on..."

You feel similarly embarassed. "That whole show didn't freak you out too much, Lina, did it?"

Lina shrugs noncomittally. "Would have been worse to see three Gho's. Hanging out with thee Yu's instead for the rest of the week being up here? Sounds like a good time to me."

"Aw, favorite cousin confirmed," says Yu. She makes a heart with her hands. "You're my favorite too but... don't tell anyone I said so."

Lina smirks. "So long as you tell the twins when they come back."

Yu turns sheepish. "Technically, they already know. They're me right now. But Yu-2 and Yu-3 - the other me's - they want me to say that you're they're favorite too." She holds up a finger. "Same rules apply though, don't tell any of the grown ups, especially not Mom."

Lina flashes a thumbs up. "I have your back. I wouldn't worry any of your pretty little heads about the twins, either." She nods toward you. "If your friend owns their minds, and he can turn a person into another person, then it should be pretty easy to make Ai and Gho forget a little detail such as, say, who our favorite cousins are."

So Lina was paying attention.

"You're probably right," says Yu, "but we haven't had a chance to test memory modification yet."

You cough conspicuously. "Uh huh. Yep, we've been really busy. Could work, but might not. No idea."

Lina checks her phone again. "So, are wrapping things up here, or...?" She gestures vaguely at the empty backyard. "Can't help but notice I'm the last one standing. How long is a moment of my time, exactly?"

You look to your small, cute, recently cloned and hive-minded assistant for permission.

Yu gives you the green light. "It's cool with me. We already know she doesn't mind, and I'm here to help you, not get in your way." She bows aside from her ocousin. "I'm happy with your progress for now, but if you have more ideas... sketch away, Chase."

Lina rolls her shoulders, stretches out as if preparing for a run. "Don't know if he takes suggestions, but if it'll speed this up," she says, "if you need to test memory changing to prep for Ai and Gho coming back, you could try it out on me."

It would be a more attractive offer if you didn't already have experience moulding Pearl and that book slut - er, Zoe's memories. Though, checking out Lina's thin, limber build, it's not necessarily an unattractive offer, either. And since you claimed Yu's holdups about using your powers however you'd like, she shouldn't be too against it if you messed around a little with her cute, favorite cousin...

(Comissioned chapter)