Brenda and Meiko sat for a long time, waiting for Tiffani to make the first move. There were countless ways they could have used either the Chronivac or their budding power to resolve the situation, but their discussion made them realize that the stakes were higher than simply making Tiffani feel better. For them, this was a test to determine how far they could push their changes to the world.
Tiffany did not make it easy on them. She rebuffed Brenda’s offer to talk by saying she was still working through her thoughts. So all that was left to wait and talk about hypothetical situations that would have sounded deranged a half-week ago.
So when Shannon returned early from work, Brenda regarded the intrusion as another problem she would rather not have to deal with at the present. Meiko was slightly more welcoming, having received a warm hug and a quick kiss on her girlfriend’s arrival. Shannon looked much as Brenda remembered her, with curly red hair, freckles playing across a button nose, sparkling green eyes, and a slender, athletic figure. Enough to turn heads in any college, but in the company of the three goddess-level beauties who now shared Tiffani’s house, she seemed downright plain. Brenda thought briefly about giving her a boost, but her doubts about Tiffani’s feelings made her decide to wait.
“Why don’t you two ever check your phones?” Shannon said in exasperation. “You would not believe the day I had!”
“I think I can guess,” Meiko muttered.
Shannon ignored her and turned on the TV. There was a news report from Shady Hills, the retirement community where Shannon worked. A reporter on the scene was relaying details of the story to the anchor desk.
“That’s right, Kyle. Doctors and scientists who have arrived on the scene remain at a loss to explain the medical phenomenon that many are starting to call ‘The Fountain of Youth Virus.’ So far, fourteen residents and two staff members, all women as far as we can ascertain, have experienced a rapid de-aging, reverting in age to their late teens or early twenties. All seem to be in good health and good spirits. Early reports of the phenomenon have drawn a crowd to the community, not just of friends and family, but of outsiders hoping they might be the next to discover the ‘Fountain of Youth.” More details to come in the next half-hour as we learn more. Now back to you, Kyle.”
Shannon turned the TV off. She turned to face the others (Brenda noticed that she seemed able to withstand their blinding beauty. Perhaps familiarity helped her build resistance). “I think I did that. This morning, as I brought her breakfast to her room, I gave Elsie McHutchins a little kiss on the forehead. The next thing I know, she’s dancing around like a teenager, looking just like the pictures she had on her dresser of when she got married. She actually tried coming on to me, and when I gave her a gentle brush-off, she ran out into the rec room and starty to show off to her friend group.”
“Let me guess. They all got the Hot Girl Flu, too,” Brenda stated.
“Exactly! Once the administration caught on what was happening, they tried to get everyone back to their rooms like during the Covid lockdown, but the genie was out of the bottle, so to speak. Only when the county health department showed up, followed by the media, did stuff settle down.”
“How did the men in the community take it?” Meiko asked.
“You know what horndogs they were. A few were disappointed that they weren’t getting any younger, but most of them were more than happy to ogle their former neighbors. A few even tried to get grabby, but the women didn’t seem to have any interest in them.”
Brenda and Meiko shared a look. “At least they managed to contain whatever virus caused this,” Brenda said.
“I’m not so sure,” Shannon said. “It was a pretty chaotic scene in the early hours. I couldn’t say for certain that some of the visitors didn’t get transformed before they were rushed out by security.”
“Well, that complicates things,” Meiko said.
Shannon’s eyes narrowed. “You two don’t seem too surprised by something that is clearly a miracle. Or by my news that I might be patient zero. And, Mei, you had suggested that I show affection to some of my patients today. How much do you two know about what is going on?”
Brenda decided to take the lead. She invited Shannon to sit down, and Meiko brought her a can of seltzer. Then Brenda told Shannon the same story they had told Tiffani, about the powers at their disposal, and how they had conspired to turn the world into a sapphic paradise. Needless to say, Shannon had questions.
“So I used to be a guy?”
“Yes.”
“Who was Meiko’s boyfriend?”
“Not before I had made the first changes to this family. She used to be called Robin.” This was actually news to Meiko.
“Did I even exist before you used your machine?”
“I’m not entirely certain. I could use the machine to find out.”
Shannon scowled. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Best case scenario: I find that I have been manipulated to play a role in your pervy lesbian scenario. Worst case: I find that I am a toy created to fill in the narrative in your fantasy world.”
“I realize that you’re probably really angry…” Brenda hated that she had to have this conversation twice in one afternoon.
“I don’t even know how I feel. I have memories of my entire life. How Meiko and I started to date last summer. I have a whole life, and I kind of like it. I can’t decide if I want to give all of that up because of some ‘actual reality’ that I don’t even know. That I might not actually exist in.”
Meiko gave Shannon a hug. “I’m sorry you have to go through all of this. Don’t feel like you have to make a life changing decision right now.”
“What decision is there to make? I have the hottest, sweetest girlfriend on the planet. I’m apparently going to live forever. I just have two questions, if you guys can really change reality. One: why are my boobs so much smaller than yours? And two: why am I still working a job that pays $13.50 an hour?”
Meiko squeezed Shannon tightly. “I think we can fix both of those problems.”