"Why did I have to come here?" Tom Chamber asked his mother as the walked into the mall. He was a typical 12 year old boy with fair skin, carrot red hair and freckles on his nose and cheeks. He was about 4'6 and slightly chubby.
"Because I have to by a present for your uncle Zack's wedding and I didn't have time to find a baby-sitter."
"Mom, I'm twelve years old. I don't need a baby-sitter."
"Oh? The last time I left you unsupervised, the house looked like a tornado hit it."
"Mom! That was a year and a half ago!"
"None the less, I'm not leaving you alone." They stopped before the cookware outlet. "Listen, I'll only be in the store foe a few minutes. If you can wait out here and not wonder off you'll never need a baby-sitter again."
"Really?"
"Really. Just stay here at the doorway and not wonder off."
For the next two minuetes after his mother walked in the entrance, Tomm waited obediently. Soon, however, he was bored. He knew his mother; although she said it would be only a few minuetes it was more likely she'd be in the store for more than an hour.
A few inches away was what looked like a phone booth. However instead of having glass doors and wallks, it was made completely out of metal. The was no company logo or sign indicating what it was or it's purpose. Ordinarly Tom wouldn't have given it a second look; now it arroused his curiosity.
Looking inside at the cash registers Tom couldn't see his mother. 'She's looking around,' he thought. 'I promised her I wouldn't wander off, but I'll just look in for a few seconds.
Tom opened the metal door and stepped inside. The booth seemed somewhat bigger inside. Instead of a phone, there was a eight-by-sixteen inch TV screen across from the door.
WELCOME TOM HAWKINS flashed acoss the screen TO THE TRANS-BOOTH.
Tom blinked. Whatever this thing was it knew his name?
Next a detailed description of Tom appeared on the screen: his age, birthdate, parents, height, hair color eye color, weight, everything. Then appeared the words CHOOSE A TRANSFORMATION
Tom's eyes looked down to a veritcal row of puttons. Black letters were printed next to each button:
ANIMAL
AGE REGRESSION
AGE PROGRESSION
BODY MODIFICATION
INAMIMATE
SIZE
SHRINKING GROWING
MYTHICAL CREATURE
SUPERHERO OR SUPER VILLIAN
TRANSGENDER
OTHER
Tom took a breath and-