With Jenny not available Jeff considered making more changes to Irene. He decided that he was at least going to make himself and Rachel (He refused to think of her as Becky) Irene’s children. He got a chance to return to his room and restart the computer when Irene decided to make lunch.
Jeff was able to spend 10 minutes reading the manual. Even so there was a lot of capability of the Chronivac he still did not understand. He particularly read about the “Awareness feature” He was correct. With the settings the Chronivac was currently on, only people within sight of the computer would be aware of the changes as they happened. That explained why Jenny was unaware of the change he had made to her last night and why his Mom was unaware of all the changes Jeff had made to her. He decided to leave the awareness setting as it was. He imagined his Mom could be a bit upset if she became aware of the changes to her life in the last 24 hours.
Jeff was itching to make a change again and bought up the page of possible candidates. As he guessed he could see the stats for Irene and himself but not for “Becky”, she was in the old office, cleaning, before they moved in a bed from the shed for her.
Jeff decided to make Irene his mother again. He bought up her stats, and made a couple of tweaks.
Name: Irene Hansen
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Hair Colour/style: Brunette shoulder length
Eye Colour: Hazel
Weight: 120 pounds
Build: Hourglass
Relationship Status: Single
Social Status: Popular
Sexual preference: Straight
Bust size: C-Cup
Occupation: Physiotherapist
He again didn’t notice that her Relationship status and Sexual preference tabs were now available, nor that her education tab had dropped off.
Jeff changed Irene’s Relationship status to “Mother of Jeff Hansen”. Also as a visual cue he decided to change her hair colour to “Redhead”. He could always change her back to a brunette if she didn’t like it. He hit the execute button, then went to see if the changes had worked.
It had. He found a now red-headed Irene making toasted sandwiches in the kitchen. Tentatively he asked ‘Mom?’
Irene immediately turned around and smiled at him. ‘What is it Jeff?’ confirming that she was once more Jeff’s mother.
‘I was just wondering how satisfied you are with your life?’
‘Satisfied with life? That’s deep and meaningful’ she paused for a moment to think ‘Life has its ups and downs. I’m very much looking forward to heading off to Mozambique. As you are well aware I’m a restless spirit and life as a housewife doesn’t suit me, but I’ll ring and let the crew know that I will need time off to return for the wedding, so it will only be a short absence this time around’
Jeff wasn’t aware that “Bridget” had joined them in the kitchen. She chimed in and asked a question herself, having heard Irene’s reply.
‘Isn’t Jeff going with you to Mozambique?’
‘No Jeff will stay here with JJ, and I guess now Jennifer and yourself. It would be too disruptive for his schooling to come with me. It’s third world where I go and there are no good education options’
‘So we will sort of be like brother and sister?’ She made eyes at Jeff.
‘What would your relationship be? Cousin-in-laws if that is such a thing’ Irene replied.
‘Could I have your room when you are in Africa?’
‘As far as I am concerned you can. But that’s a decision for your mother and JJ. It’s his house.
Lunch was ready, so Jeff didn’t have a chance to make more changes. He sat down with Irene and Rachel and listened as Rachel/Becky asked Irene all about her travels. It appeared that in this reality his mother did have an adventurous life. It seemed that whist in Myanmar, she and her team had been arrested by the junta before being deported. His mother had spent two nights in a military prison, accused of spying. It was actually quite fascinating but Jeff had to refrain from asking questions himself as he should have already known this.
Irene finished her harrowing tale be saying ‘That all happened in September 2022. I came home and have had a year of being a housewife and carer, but now I’m ready to resume my career’
‘I know this is a personal question and don’t answer if you don’t want to but what happened to Jeff’s father? Were you ever married?’
‘No never married. I’d broken off my relationship with Jeff’s father and was in Europe starting a new job when I discovered I was pregnant. To this day he doesn’t know Jeff exists. I believe he’s happily married with 3 daughters and lives in New York’
‘Aren’t you curious Jeff?’ Rachel/Becky looked at Jeff. 'Don’t you want to meet your half-sisters?’
‘Ummm… Maybe in time…’ Jeff didn’t know what to say. Unlike Rachel, he knew exactly who his actual father was. This was followed by a minute of awkward silence
‘Well I’ll clean up the kitchen. Why don’t you fetch the bed for Becky and assemble it where she wants? Make use of his muscles Becky. Show her the old furniture out in the shed Jeff and bring in anything Becky wants. I know it’s only for a couple of days before she’ll have her own furniture but no-one likes their belongings in boxes’