"Huh..." said Jay. "Weird. Okay, what should we do next?"
"Nothing," said Simon, tapping the power button on his monitor, causing the screen to go black. "I think we've done enough damage for one night."
"Oh, come on, Sy," urged Bryan. "Why do you always have to be such a buzz kill?"
Simon began counting off on his fingers. "One, we don't know what this thing is actually capable of..."
Bryan pumped his bicep again. "I can show you what that thing is capable of."
Simon continued. "Two, if we do any more experimentation my parents are bound to find out."
"Not if we're quiet," Jay piped in. "You can't seriously suggest we just go to sleep right now and not mess with it. I mean, I'm sixteen now! SIXTEEN!"
"Shhhh!"
"Sorry. But there's no way I'm just going to flop over and sleep. This thing has got me way too jazzed!"
Bryan nodded. "I'm with him. I mean, if we're quiet about it nobody has to know."
Simon sighed. He was, once again, outnumbered in an argument. He hadn't expected his little experiment with Jay to backfire like this. Also, he was currently the smallest of them. Even though they were all the same age, they could easily overpower him and take the Chronivac for themselves. As far as Simon figured, the best way to minimize the potential damage was if he had full control of the Chronivac while they experimented.
"Alright, alright, fine," he relented. "Just try to keep it down. They walls and ceiling might be thick, but not THAT thick."
"Yes!!" Bryan did a fist pump, then high-fived Jay.
Simon rolled his eyes yet again. "What did I just say?"
Bryan shook his head. "Oh, calm down. Let's keep messing with those age tools of yours. I want to see what I look like even older. Let's try thirty."
Simon looked at his friend incredulously. "Really?"
"You think I'm kidding?"
"No. It's just... Ugh, fine! Keep the testos-"
"Oh, hell yes!"
"SHHH!"
"Sorry. I mean, yes, please."
"Fine." Simon typed in the adjustments and clicked the "Apply" button.
The usual start-up message displayed on the screen as the beam shot out at Bryan, who couldn't help but chuckle as the tingling feeling presumably encompassed him.
Bryan began to grow taller, once again. His muscles noticeable filled out. So did his body hair, which they could all see as Bryan had lifted up his shirt as he stood in front of the mirror. His hair once again receded and his stomach pooched out almost imperceptibly as he took on his now-familiar age of twenty.
"He we go," murmured Bryan.
As he passed twenty, his hairline continued to recede at a steady pace, until it joined with his bald spot. He stayed muscular, but his stomach slowly but surely expanded, giving him a definite gut, which hung over the waistband of his now too-tight pants. His body thickened over all and his face rounded. His beard actually sculpted itself into a neatly trimmed goatee.
Then the changes stopped. Bryan just stood there a moment, staring at the gut he had spontaneously formed. He then put his shirt down, though there was no way it was ever going to fit over that stomach. He ran his fingers through what remained of his hair.
"Bryan..." said Jay, after a minute or two of silence. "You okay?"
"Okay?" Bryan replied in a deep, gruff voice. "I'm better than okay. I'm great?"
At first, Simon though Bryan was being sarcastic. But then he saw the grin that spread across Bryan's round face. "This is actually really cool. You guys gotta try this!"
"Um... okay..." said Jay, exchanging glances with Simon as Bryan simply admired his new self in the mirror. "I guess it's my turn. Uh, Simon? What else can that Chronivac of yours do?"