In Jeff's haste to become Caaliyah's husband, he didn't consider any consequences that would come from his alterations. Jeff had told the Chronivac how to change himself and his relationship with Caaliyah, but he didn't bother to change anything else. Essentially, he had left the Chronivac to take care of the rest on its own. This could have simply resulted as Jeff appearing out of nowhere to become Caaliyah's husband, but the Chronivac was now set to change the rest of the family. And since Jeff didn't put anything down for them, the results could be more unpredictable.
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David, Jeff's older brother, drove to his high school. It may be a Saturday, but there was still practice. The 18-year-old climbed out of his car, already in his football uniform. David was very pleased with himself for being such a successful quarterback. Not only was he helping carry the team to the finals, but there were plenty of scouts from the NFL who'll be interested in recruiting him as soon as he graduated. Not to mention he was very popular with the ladies, the cheerleaders in particular fawning all over him. Still, he didn't get this good by just admiring himself. He had to practice to stay at the top of his game. He grabbed his spare football and tucked it under his arm. He was about to grab his helmet when suddenly, his mind went blank.
The Chronivac's reality alterations washed over David and started changing him. The most obvious difference was the changing of his skin. His outstretched hand went from the tan from the result of playing outdoors so often to a much deeper color. His facial features also changed, his nose getting wider, his lips a little plumper, his hair changing from brown to black. But David was still half-Caucasian so his new African pigmentation didn't get too dark. Another noticeable change was to his physique. As a quarterback, David had built up plenty of muscles. The muscles were still there, but now they were adapting to a leaner physique as his body grew a few inches taller.
There was a drastic change to his uniform as well. The shoulderpads collapsed and disappeared as his jersey became looser. His pants went up his legs to become looser shorts. The cleats on his football shoes disappeared as they became designed for another sport. As if there were any doubts about what David's new sport was, the football he was carrying rounded out and turned orange as it became a basketball.
David blinked as his mind caught up with the changes. He now had different parents: Jeff and Caaliyah. Quite clearly, he inherited a lot of his height from his mother's side. That's what made him want to do basketball instead of football. And remarkably, his life was mostly the same. As starting forward for the team, he was considered their MVP and helped carried his team to the finals. The ladies still adored him, especially the cheerleaders. Scouts from the NBA would interested in recruiting him after graduation. This was actually an improvement considering basketball had less risk for injuries than football.
David finally came out of his stupor and realized what he was reaching for: his water bottle. He grabbed the bottle and took a long drink from it. He needed to stay hydrated. He closed the trunk of his car and headed for the basketball court. Being tall didn't make him a basketball star, getting plenty of practice did.
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Meanwhile, Katie had gone out to play. But she soon got bored of playing by herself. Fortunately, her friends didn't live too far away from her house. Katie knew that Caaliyah didn't mind her going to her friends to play. As Katie walked out of the backyard and down the street, she thought about Caaliyah. She really liked her new mommy, even if she did miss her old mommy. Caaliyah was super nice and friendly, always so happy. And Katie thought she looked really pretty too. There were times that Katie wished she was more like Caaliyah.
She was still in the midst of this wishful thinking when the Chronivac's reality energy caught up with her. Because Jeff hadn't put any specifications for his family, the Chronivac was open to reinterpretation. It sensed Katie's desire to be like Caaliyah and granted it. Katie kept walking, oblivious to the changes that were happening to her. The most obvious changes began with her skin, turning a rich chocolate color. Her hair became darker and curlier as it became a mass of dreadlocks on her head. Her face also changed to reflect her new African mother.
However, Katie’s ethnicity was far from the only change. As she walked down the street, her stride became bigger as her legs grew longer. Her height stretched upwards as her torso and arms grew longer. Her baby fat was starting to fade from her face as Katie entered the double digits. Her clothes were also changing with her. Her pants went up her legs as they turned into shorts, the cotton toughening into denim. It seemed her green t-shirt wasn’t growing with the rest of her at first, but then it became obvious that it was meant to expose her midriff. That might have been a little scandalous if Katie was going to remain 12 years old.
As soon as Katie turned 13, puberty began in earnest. Her remaining baby fat melted away, leaving her face thinner and becoming more ovoid. Her midriff became trimmer as her shirt pushed up higher. Her shirt also became more pushed out as mass built up behind her nipples. Pubescent mounds pushed further and further out until Katie’s new halter top were holding a pair of C-cup breasts. Her jean shorts became tighter as her hips and butt filled out into a pleasing shape. Her trainers remained mostly the same, Katie preferring comfortable shoes over fashion. Though they were stylish than before. And there were plenty of accessories to make up for them, including bangles on her wrists, hoop earrings, and beads woven into her dreadlocks.
Now instead of an 8-year-old white girl, Katie was now a 16-year-old black girl. Her halter top and jean shorts showed off her curvaceous body and sizeable rack, showing that she was definitely taking after her mother in looks. Her thoughts had also matured with her body. Earlier, she was thinking of going over to her friends’ houses to play. But she had a new set of friends, those who she’d go shopping with and hanging out at the café. A pleasurable buzz started inside her bra. Katie reached into her considerable cleavage to pull out her phone. She got a text from one of her girl friends, wondering if she wanted to go to the salon. Katie ran a hand through her dreads and said, “Yeah, might be time to update this do. Not as many guys into dreads around here.” She tucked her phone back in, next to her wallet. A slight change of course and she was heading for the salon.
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Unaware of how much has changed, Mike had gone back to his job at the office. For some reason, he was having more trouble focusing on his work than usual. His mind kept drifting way, sometimes to Caaliyah, and yet it had trouble focusing on her. It was like she kept shifting in and out of existence and it was becoming hard to focus on the image of her as his wife. But possibly one of the bigger reasons he had trouble focusing was because of how bored he was. This paper-pushing tedium was starting to get to him. He wished he could have pursued a more interesting career. Though most prominent in his mind is the wish to be able to have fun more often and not be burdened with so much responsibility.
When the Chronivac’s reality energy reached him, Mike unconsciously welcomed the shift. Just before the shifting began, he had switched to a desktop game to relieve his mind of the boredom. He became more engrossed with the game as the Chronivac started siphoning the age off of him. He could feel the burden of age and responsibility sliding off him, even if he didn’t consciously register it. He paid no attention to how his skin was darkening, his beard was disappearing, and his surroundings changing.
As Mike was reentering his teens, he wondered if he should switch to a more entertaining game. Looking through the apps on his computer, he found something that seemed more fun to him, never mind that it was meant for younger kids. Mike was soon enjoying himself as he played, not noticing he was no longer in the office, but back home. And he wasn’t in his old room either. That room belonged to his new mom and dad.
Mikey was now just an 8-year-old boy happily playing on his tablet. He had no idea he had gone from the patriarch of the family to the youngest member. Soon to be second youngest after his mom has his new brother or sister. If he felt any difference, it was a subconscious relief. Being a single father of three was hard work and made him feel older than he really was. He might have enjoyed having a wife again for a while, but being a kid again was a lot more fun. He wouldn't have even minded becoming the youngest instead of taking his former son's place. Little boys didn't have to worry about the pressures of high school, girls, and responsibilities that teenagers had.
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In short, in Jeff's haste to become Caaliyah's husband, he has drastically altered the family around him. He was now a father of three, with a fourth on the way. But he would soon find his maturity and mentality adjusting to be able to raise and support his family. He will certainly need it for dealing with a teenage Katie and a young, energetic Mikey. Not to mention the hassle when the new baby arrives.
As for the Chronivac itself, it was still around the house. Of course, considering how things were drastically shuffled around, it may not end up in the same computer that it was installed in before. It might have been forgotten unless someone stumbles across it while looking at their computer.