Before dinner was ready and before Jess and Megan returned home, there was still a little time. Mike, left alone in the quiet house, couldn’t stop thinking about the Chronivac program he had stumbled upon earlier. The curiosity gnawed at him. He made his way back to the computer desk, sat down, and reopened the program. The interface flickered to life.
His eyes drifted to the blinking tab he had seen earlier: "Preset Scenarios – Family Templates & Relationship Dynamics." Clicking it open, he scrolled through options until one stood out:
"Role Reversal: Experimental Mode"
He read the description: "Switch dominant societal roles between selected adult individuals. May include occupational, behavioral, and physiological adjustments."
"So I become the stay-at-home dad and Isabelle gets to be the breadwinner?" Mike said aloud, nodding to himself. "Not a bad deal. Let her take on the stress for once."
He clicked "Apply".
The change was instant.
Mike felt a warm rush course through him, like water running uphill. His hands shrank, his arms smoothed out, and his shoulders narrowed. His clothes reshaped to fit his rapidly changing form. Within seconds, Mike was gone, replaced by Michelle — a sharp-featured woman in smart business attire, her eyes scanning the room in sudden bewilderment.
"Wh-what?" she muttered, touching her face, then her chest. Her voice was softer but firm, her posture commanding. Michelle looked down at her tailored slacks, the faint perfume on her wrist. "No way... this isn’t... I didn’t mean this!"
Meanwhile, in the living room, Isabelle had just placed the last dish on the dining table when her body jolted. She dropped a spoon, clutching her sides as they expanded with muscle. Her entire frame bulked up, growing broader and taller. Her hair receded and darkened, her voice deepened. In less than ten seconds, she had transformed into Isaac — a square-jawed, well-built man in a loose henley and jeans, standing amid the scent of roast chicken and homemade bread.
He staggered back, breathing heavily. Then he looked at his reflection in the microwave door. A stunned silence passed. Then a smile.
"I have pecs," he said, amazed. "Real ones. Not just... ugh, finally!"
Isaac flexed an arm and let out a giddy laugh. But his celebration was short-lived. His eyes went wide.
"Wait... if I changed, that means Mike..."
He sprinted through the hall, feet pounding on the floor. Skidding to a stop at the doorway, he found Michelle staring at the Chronivac interface in disbelief.
"You clicked the reversal setting?" Isaac asked, out of breath.
Michelle turned, her expression a blend of frustration and awe. "I thought it meant switching jobs, not—"
"Swapping Genders and roles entirely? Yeah. Looks like it meant everything."
There was a pause. Then, unexpectedly