After the last class has ended, Greg heads to the garage to pick up his “Jeep”, he unlocks the car and gets in. He then inserts the keys into the ignition and turns them, the engine roars to life and Jeff’s voice is heard over the speakers, “WHOA… man… I’ll never get used to this kind of “waking up”,” he groans.
“Hey Jeff,” Greg says, “I know I promised to drive home immediately, so that you can become yourself again, but there is something I would like to do before we leave.”
Jeff notices something strange about the way Greg talks, his voice sounds slurry and dreamy, “what’s up, Greg,” Jeff asks, “you sound kinda… weird.”
“Hm? Oh, just tired,” Greg says, “has been a long day. Now, enough talking, there is someone I’d like you to meet. Don’t worry he knows about you, he finds it cool and would just like to have a little chat.”
Jeff thinks for a while, “okay… but you still need to fill me up with petrol on the way home!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Greg says as he backs out of the garage and drives around to the back of the building where Dan is waiting.
Dan hears a car coming, when he looks up his eyes widen when he sees the Jeep driving up, “whoa,” he says when Greg stops and gets out of the car, “what a beautiful Jeep, I really like the color!”
Greg nods, “yeah,” he says, “Tyler chose the color, before that the color was just boring beige, almost skin color.”
Dan chuckles, “well,” he says as he walks around the “car” taking it in from every angle, “I guess that would be expected if IT was your brother before the transformation.”
“Hey,” Jeff says over the speaker, “I am NOT a “IT”!”
Dan jumps a little in surprise, “he, sorry Jeff,” he says, “I didn’t know you were able to hear us.”
“I can not only hear, but also see,” Jeff replies, “the “headlights” are actually my eyes.”
“I see,” Dan says, “can you only see forward?”
“Yes,” Jeff replies, “I can not see sideways nor back, it is a weird feeling to not be able to move.”
Dan nods, he gets in the driver’s seat, “tell me, Jeff,” he says as he checks the interior, “how does it feel to be a car?”
“I… it is weird,” Jeff says, “I am not keen of being a vehicle. I didn’t want to be one at all, but my brother and dad… well,” he trials off.
Dan nods, “Greg told me, that he and your dad kinda… “talked you into it”,” he says.
“Yeah,” Jeff says, sounding not to happy, “I had nothing to say in the matter. I want to be myself again!”
“Okay, Jeff,” Dan says, “I just need to talk to Greg for a bit and then you can be on you way. Oh, yeah, almost forgot to ask: are you always aware?”
“No,” Jeff says, “once the key is removed from the ignition, and the power shuts off, I am sent into “sleep-mode” and in that state I am 100% unaware of what is going on. That is one reason why I hate being a car!”
“I understand,” Dan says, ‘good to know,’ he thinks to himself. The 15-year-old then gets out of the car and walks up to Greg, pulling him aside. “Your brother, really does make one fine Jeep,” he says quietly so that only Greg is able to hear, “but, you should really not have him control the radio and be all talkative. It could be very distractive and dangerous.”
“I know,” Greg says, “but I dunno… Jeff would be mad if we’d change more about him.”
“Greg, Jeff is nothing more than a car,” Dan says, “and cars should not talk, only if there is an AI installed, and even THAT has just some slim functions, like greeting the owner, accessing the system only when commanded and saying “good-bye” or something similar.”
“I know,” Greg says, “but I really want him to keep at least one part of his humanity.”
Dan sighs, ‘looks like I MIGHT have to help a little, but first things first,’ he thinks to himself, he then asks, “Greg, would it be okay if I’d sync my phone with your Jeep?”
“Why,” Greg asks.
“Oh, just so that a third person would be able to fix issues or help in an emergency,” Dan replies.
Greg shrugs, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” he says, “besides, I trust you a lot, so go ahead.”
Dan grins, “thanks, Greg,” he says, he then walks back to the “Jeep” and gets in the driver’s seat, “hey Jeff,” he says.
“Hey Dan,” Jeff replies, “can Greg drive me home now? I really want to have my body back and be myself again, besides: I am running low on petrol and I am starving!”
“Yeah, sure,” Dan says, taking out his phone, “I just need to do one more tiny thing,” he says and holds his phone to the car’s computer.
“Wh…,” Jeff starts to ask, but as soon as Dan’s phone makes contact with his computer, which is Jeff’s brain, Jeff’s world goes black as he looses consciousness.
Dan smiles, he watches as his phone starts to download all of the operation codes, including the ignition override, the codes for the alarm and the remote controlled garage door code at Greg’s home. After downloading every single operation code, a message pops up that reads, “do you wish to create a copy of the Chronivac? If confirmed, an App-Version of the Program will be installed to your phone. You are able to not only access already existing files, but also create your own!”
Dan grins and confirms the copying of the Chronivac, after that is done, the App, which Dan used to sync/hack Jeff’s “computer”, resets the “car’s” memory, by re-calibrating the computer clock 10 minutes earlier.
Jeff blinks when he finds himself suddenly aware, Dan still sitting in the driver’s seat, “hu? I feel… weird,” Jeff says, “kinda dizzy… as if something is missing from my mind.”
Dan grins, “not to worry, Jeff,” he says, “I guess you are just tired.”
“Ye-yeah,” Jeff says, “I guess that will be the case. So, can we go now, please?”
“Of course,” Dan says, he gets out of the “Jeep”, “it was nice getting to know you, Jeff,” he says.
“Same,” Jeff replies, “you seem to be a cool guy.”
Dan chuckles, “thanks,” he says, he then walks up to Greg, “thanks again for allowing me to sync my phone with your car’s computer. The data will come in handy, you are free to head home, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Greg nods, “yeah,” he says, “see ya tomorrow,” with that, Greg gets into the car and drives off, Dan grinning to himself as he watches them leave.