On the way out, Jeff realized that if he went out looking the way he did, everyone would notice. He'd forgotten to set the Global Knowledge preferences. He brought up his stats again and adjusted the settings so that when encountered, everyone who knew him would remember him the way he was. He was about to hit enter when he looked in the mirror on his dresser.
"Hmmm… I look good, but… a nice thick blond goatee might be in order." Jeff said.
He made the facial hair adjustments to his stats, the avatar of Jeff on the screen changed. He went up to the tools function to options, just poking about to make sure he had everything the way he wanted, and a drop down menu popped up.
"Hide/Unhide" was one of the options under 'Tools'. This intrigued Jeff. He hit the help function while highlighting Hide/Unhide and a text box appeared.
"This function allows the user to hide the chronovac in the minds globally, select groups, individuals or even the user (not recommended)."
Jeff gave that a thought… He could set the machine so that everyone at the party tonight wouldn't see the Chronovac. That could be bad, if he set it down in a chair and someone sat on it. On the other hand, uncle Mike had built a tree house for Pete years ago that was no longer used. He could set it up in there. He also found that the Chronvac could be set so that it activated it's hide function on particular people upon coming into range. Hmmmm…
Jeff heard the bikes roaring down the street. It was the third Friday of the month and that meant club meeting and barbeque night in Mike's huge back yard. Jeff, and Simon when he was around, were always welcome since they were just kids. Uncle Mike seemed like a real uncle even to them at times. The only part that got exclusive was when Mike and his bros would have the meeting in the basement. That was definitely club members only and now that Pete was a club member, he didn't hang out with the biker chicks/"ol' ladies" and teenage sons and daughters of the members anymore.
Jeff also thought about his previous idea, changing one or two of the bikers into biker babes… it had a certain appeal and that made him briefly question his own sexuality… enough so that he decided to simply alter a couple of the member's daughter's bodies… and minds.
He didn't want sex slaves, but if they found him attractive, it could be a very good evening, especially if he also altered the father's minds a bit so they wouldn't pound him into dust for being interested in their lovely, buxom progeny.
"First things first though!" Jeff thought. He hit execute on his own modification with a 5 second activation
Jeff watched with some pleasure as a thick blond goatee burst forth from his chin and upper lip and came into full bloom. It was thick, dense and sexy.
The adjustments so that everyone he knew would remember him this way had been executed and he placed a 'Hide' command on Simon, Pete and Mike for proximity of fifty feet. When he came into range, they wouldn't even remember he'd been carrying the machine. The BBQ was just getting started, only a few people had arrived and he heard Pete call up from downstairs.
"Hey Scooter! Ya done with yer homework bro'? Uncle Mike's home an' he wanted me ta tell ya ta come on over for dinner if you were done with yer studies." Pete's deep bass boomed from below.
"I'll be there in a minute, I'm just finishing up math." Jeff lied.
"OK, see ya there." Pete said and a second or two later he heard the front door close.
Pete was attracted to him, he knew… and perhaps the machine could fix that too. He didn't want to change his friend's sexuality, Hell, that would be as bad as someone making Jeff gay in his opinion, taking away their birthright to love whom they would, BUT if he could find another man at the cook out tonight who was also gay or bi… he COULD shift Pete's attentions over and adjust the other guy's preferences for big, furry and friendly Pete.
The battery was fully charged on the chronovac. He slipped it into the carrying case, put it over his shoulder and headed over for the BBQ. It was still on and waiting to 'Hide' from those he selected.
He stopped at the hall mirror on the way out and looked at himself. He was a nicely built, handsome blond, tanned surfer with a bitchin' goatee if he did say so himself. Some of those biker's daughters might fall for him without the machine.