The room felt tense as Mike—still convinced he was the real 16-year-old Jeff—stared down his supposed “impostor.” Jeff, now just turned back to his true teenage form and mike thort it was wrong he was jeff and this guy now has his body?, was seated at the computer, scrolling through the Chronivac’s settings. He wasn’t thrilled about sharing the same appearance with his dad, who now firmly believed he was Jeff, but he was determined to fix this mess.
Mike paced the room, his voice rising. “I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m Jeff! I don’t care what kind of weird machine you’ve got there. You’re the fake. I’m the real Jeff Hodges, and you’re just some creep trying to mess with my life!”
Jeff groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Dad—no, Jeff—listen to me. You’re confused because of the machine. It overwrote your memories when you accidentally used it. You’re not Jeff. You’re Mike Hodges, my dad. The real Jeff is sitting right here!”
But Mike wasn’t having it. He folded his arms and glared. “You don’t get to talk to me like that, imposter. I don’t know how you even got my face, but I’m not falling for your stupid tricks.”
Jeff stood, trying to stay calm. “Okay, fine. You’re Jeff, right? Then explain how you know about this room. What about my friends? My school? Hell, what about the Chronivac? You don’t even know how it works!”
Mike scowled. “Stop trying to confuse me! This is my room, my life, and my machine. And you’re trying to mess it all up because you’re jealous I’m Jeff and you’re... whoever the hell you are!”
Frustrated, Jeff stepped forward. “Dad, just stop for a second and—”
Before he could finish, Mike’s fist shot out in a clumsy, desperate swing, connecting with the back of Jeff’s head. Jeff crumpled to the floor, dazed and groaning.
“Damn it,” Mike muttered, rubbing his knuckles. “I didn’t want to do that, but you left me no choice.”
He dragged Jeff—who was still groggy and struggling to stay conscious—over to the chair by the computer. As he sat Jeff upright, his eyes fell on the Chronivac interface. He didn’t remember ever using the machine before, but he was convinced it was all part of some elaborate scheme by this imposter.
“I don’t know how you did it,” Mike muttered, clicking through the Chronivac’s settings. “But I’ll make sure you never mess with me or my life again.”
The screen displayed Jeff’s profile. Mike’s eyes narrowed as he clicked on it. It wasn’t enough to get rid of the faker—no, he needed someone to keep things normal. Someone who could be the dad this family needed while he, the real Jeff, lived his life.
“That’s it,” Mike said, grinning. “If you’re so desperate to be me, then you can take my dad’s place. Every family needs a dad, right? But I’m Jeff. I’m not giving that up for anything.”
Without a second thought, Mike adjusted the settings. He ensured the profile he was working on matched everything he remembered about his dad—down to the slightly receding hairline, dad bod, and work history. He even selected a setting to lock the machine with a password when he was done, making sure no one could ever challenge his identity again.
“Perfect,” Mike said, hitting the final confirmation.
The transformation was immediate. Jeff, still slumped in the chair, began to change. His youthful face grew older, lines forming around his eyes and mouth. His hair thinned and lightened with streaks of gray. His body bulked out, losing its teenage leanness and settling into the slightly softer frame of a middle-aged man. His clothes shifted to a dad’s wardrobe: a polo shirt and jeans that were just snug enough to emphasize the slight paunch around his middle.
When Jeff finally came to, he blinked blearily, feeling the weight of his new body. He looked down at his hands—hands that were rougher, larger, and undeniably older.
“What... what did you do?” he croaked, his voice deeper and gruffer.
Mike stood tall, arms crossed and defiant. “I fixed everything. Now you’re not just pretending to be my dad—you are my dad. Someone has to keep things normal around here, and that’s going to be you. Because I’m Jeff, the real Jeff, and I’m not letting you ruin my life.”
Jeff stared at him, his mind racing. His body felt alien, heavier, and slower. He realized with growing dread that he now was his dad—at least in every physical sense.
“Mike—Jeff—whatever you think you are, you’ve made a huge mistake,” Jeff said, his voice laced with desperation.
“No,” Mike snapped. “The only mistake was letting you near this machine in the first place. But don’t worry—I’ve taken care of that too.”
Mike turned back to the Chronivac, entering a password to lock it. He smirked as he hit the final key. “There. Now no one can mess with my life again. I’m Jeff Hodges, 16 years old, and that’s how it’s going to stay.”
Jeff stood slowly, his new body stiff and unfamiliar. “You don’t understand. You’ve locked yourself into this lie. You’re not me. You’re my dad!”
Mike rolled his eyes. “Nice try, but you’re not fooling me anymore. Now, why don’t you go to bed, Dad? I’ve got school in the morning, and I don’t want to deal with your nonsense.”
Jeff opened his mouth to argue, but Mike had already turned away, heading toward his own room.
Jeff—now physically and functionally Mike Hodges—stood in stunned silence, his mind reeling. He couldn’t believe what had just happened.
He was his dad now, and there was no easy way to undo it.