Cory awoke, sprawled out on the floor. She propped herself up and leaned against the wall, blinking a few times as the room came back into focus. It was still night out, she hadn't been out for too long. Pale moonlight cast shadows in the otherwise dark room. The house was still and quiet.
Cory was still wearing the ballet getup, and was still a woman. Brushing some long hair out of her face, Cory glanced at the Chronivac. It was a lump of burnt metal, seemingly destroyed. But the wave of energy released by the dying machine had altered Cory's brain. A thought tingled at the back of her mind; Cory knew how to return to normal instinctively.
Standing up, Cory pulled the tutu's straps down over her arms. She pulled the torso down past her breasts and legs, and began to step out of them. Immediately, Cory's chest shrank back to normal, male size. Some muscle put itself back onto Cory's arms. Cory winced at the sensation as his hair sucked itself back into his scalp. He peeled the white stockings down his legs and feet, kicking them off. Muscle returned to his legs, and his normal reproductive organs reasserted themselves.
***
During the blackout, the Chronivac had spoken to Cory's unconscious mind. It had been programmed to protect the subject in any way possible. However, the Chronivac had been damaged beyond repair. The advanced technology had taken the only course of action open to it to fulfill its prime duty. After completing some calculations and computations, it had put its essence, or energy, into Cory, altering him in a way such that the shape-shifting powers became a part of Cory's abilities.
But the damaged computer was imperfect in its method. Aside from returning to normal, which was the Chronvac's intention, Cory would have no control over subsequent changes. The trigger for a new change could therefore be an outfit of clothing, an electronic device, a piece of metal or wood, or even another animal.
Cory could always return to normal by discarding the trigger object, but he had no idea what might trigger a change and what might not. He also knew, now, that discarding of a trigger item might be difficult or impossible in a transformed state. He had regarded these new powers as a curse. After learning of these things, Cory had awakened on the floor of his room.
***
Naked, Cory carefully selected from his dresser a pair of shorts and t-shirt, which he put on. Exhausted, Cory flopped down on his bed and entered a fitful slumber, unsure as to weather or not he would wake up human in the morning.