6:30 AM
Mark saw Jay leave the bathroom, looking the slightest bit depressed. Mark felt bad, so he decided to check in with his friend.
"Hey, Jay," said Mark, grinning reassuringly. "You sleep well?"
Jay shrugged. "Good, I suppose," he muttered.
"You look a little down, there. Anything I can do."
Jay shook his head and smirk wryly. "Not unless you've got a way to turn back the clock. It only seems like yesterday Danny was drawing crayon family portraits. Now he's growing his first beard and he's graduated high school."
Mark felt a pang of guilt. Jay had been the one to discover the Chronivac's power and show him its secrets back in high school. Now Mark seemed to have made him completely unaware of its uses. In fact, Mark was fairly sure he was the only one who knew what it was capable of. Though, he had noticed Simon's awareness level was still higher than Jay's and Bryan's...
"Well, that's life, brother," Mark said. "Danny will grow up to make a fine man."
Jay looked at his brother. "You think so?"
Mark nodded. "Sure. He'll be a man of his own in no time."
Jay sighed. "Yeah. You know he really looks up to you, Mark."
"Does he, now?" Mark asked. Searching his memories, he found he was almost like a second father to Danny, talking with him about things he didn't feel comfortable talking with Jay about.
"You guys and your morning jogs..." Jay muttered. "Well, I'm going to get some coffee."
Mark nodded. "Yeah... morning jogs... See you at the shop today?"
Jay looked confused and shook his head. "Today's Sunday. We're closed. I like working there as much as you, but you have to take at least one day off in a week."
"Right," said Mark. He had completely overlooked what day it was. Was it really already Sunday? Maybe that Chronivac was causing some issues with the calendar...
Mark suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Danny wearing workout shorts, a t-shirt, and running shoes.
"Hey, Uncle Mark," said Danny. "Ready for our run?"
Mark nodded. "Sure. Let's go."
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As they jogged, Mark couldn't help but look at how Danny had developed. He'd gone through the same process with Jay just a couple days before, but it was different looking in from the outside.
Danny, now almost twenty, had grown to be very tall. He was even taller that Mark. He had definitly inherited his family's musculature. He was toned in every extremity. However, his body had an overall softness to it, and his stomach pushed out the smallest bit, the beginnings his his genetic gut. His whole body was just coated in hair. His arms and legs had generous coatings. You could even see hair poking out the front and back of his shirt collar. Danny's facial hair was developed and thick, and he had shaved it into an extended goatee, which was akin to a full beard without the sideburns. The look suited his face, Mark thought. However, Danny had definitely also inherited his father's hairline. It had receded somewhat, but wasn't immediately noticeable.
Danny looked troubled as the pair jogged. Feeling paternal, Mark couldn't help but ask him a question.
"What's eating you, Danny?"
Danny shrugged and stopped next to a fence line. Mark stopped next to him, waiting for an answer.
"It's... It's nothing," Danny said.
Mark crossed his hairy arms and looked up at Danny, unconvinced. It was a little unnerving having someone half your age be taller than you, but Mark was still more muscular.
"You know you can tell me anything," said Mark.
Danny shrugged again and rubbed his fingers through his beard. He paused briefly, as if expecting the hairs to be shorter.
"Do you remember when I was eight? And I drew that picture of our family?" Danny asked, fidgeting.
"The one your grandfather keeps on the 'fridge?" Mark asked. "Sure. What about it?"
"Well, it doesn't feel like it was all that long ago," Danny said. "In fact..." Danny hesitated. "It kinda feels like it was yesterday."
Mark knew what Danny was getting at, but decided to play dumb for the time being.
"Yeah," said Mark. "I know the feeling. It felt like it was only a couple days ago when your father and I were your age."
"No," said Danny, looking embarrassed. "I mean like, LITERALLY yesterday. It's almost like... like I aged a decade overnight. But, that doesn't make any sense!"
Danny quickly turned his back to Mark before he could reply and began jogging in place. "You know what?" said Danny. "Nevermind. Forget I said anything. It's silly."
"Now, hold on just a minute," Mark said. "I think I know what you're talking about."
Danny stopped and turned back to look at his uncle. "Really? You do?"
"Sure," said Mark. "Though, I don't think I can explain it right now."
Danny looked confused and incredulous. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Mark smirked. "It's something that has to be seen to be believed. Just trust your Uncle Mark on this."
Danny looked confused. "Alright. Show me, then."
Mark shook his head. "Hold your horses, kiddo. Let's finish our jog, first. I'll show you when he get back home."
Danny looked a little frustrated, but he nodded. "Alright."
"Oh, and Danny," said Mark, before he could start jogging again. "I think this might be something we should keep between us, alright?"
Danny nodded, and the two set off.
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The pair jogged for a little while, taking in the morning air and seeing their small town waking up. Mark's memories told him this was something the pair did often. He knew Danny was also remembering this fact, though he was probably still very confused.
Mark found that he sort of enjoyed the odd looks of confusion on Danny's face. He then chastised himself. Danny was his nephew, one way or another. As his uncle, it was his responsibility to help and guide Danny. Still, a little teasing now and then wouldn't hurt the kid. Though, this was probably more than just a little teasing.
As the pair jogged, time wore on. Mark knew that for each hour that passed, Danny aged a year and a quarter. He wanted Danny to progress as far as possible before he revealed the Chronivac to Danny. Maybe Danny would make a better accomplice than Jay had been. Jay was hesitant to use the machine's power. With Mark's encouragement, Danny might be more willing to tweak things. So, Mark was determined to make this morning jog last as long as possible.
As they jogged, Mark was sure to lead the pair to meander through the town. Mark could see Danny's legs slowly getting more and more toned and developed. However, his stomach and overall softness didn't seem to be diminishing. Though, it didn't seem to be advancing, either. He would probably end up being his father's son.
On occasion, Mark positioned himself behind Danny and let him lead for a while. Mark could see that Danny's hair loss was proceeding rapidly. The hair covering the back of his head went from full coverage, to thinning, to showing a growing bald spot. Danny's frontal hairline wasn't faring much better. His hair steadily receded backwards, until it took on the classic M-shape that balding men commonly had. The peninsula in the middle looked like it was coming close to becoming an island.
Danny must have felt the difference, because at one point and ran his hand through what remained of his hair and stopped dead in his tracks. Mark stopped as well and looked back at his nephew, who had a look of shock and terror on his face.
"Uncle Mark!" said Danny, his voice pinched. "W-What's happened? I feel..."
"You're losing your hair," Mark said, matter-of-factually. "Happens to all of us in the family. Usually have a bald spot like that by the time we're twenty."
"But, when I left the house," Danny started, looking confused. "And I'm not... Uncle Mark, what's going on!?"
Mark could tell he may have gone a bit too far. Danny was panicking and they were a ways away from the house.
Mark stepped toward Danny and put a large, hairy hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Danny. Calm down. I know exactly what's going on. Follow me back home and I'll explain everything. I promise."
Danny gulped back his panic and nodded. The two set off for home.
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10:00 AM
Along the way home, Mark saw Danny's bald spot slowly grow larger and larger. When they finally reached home, there was only a thin strip of thin hair separating his badly receded hairline from the spot. There was also a small batch of thin hair above his forehead that had been separated from his hairline. Checking his memories, Mark knew Danny was now 24 years old. Well, 24 and a half, to be precise.
Danny rubbed a hand over his scalp. "It's gotten worse," he muttered, somewhat panicked.
Mark shrugged. "It's hereditary. You'll get used to it."
Danny glared. "I know it'd hereditary! I just thought I still had a few years of having hair left."
"Amazing how time flies, isn't it?" Mark said wryly. "Follow me."
As the pair passed through the living room, Bryan raised a hand to them.
"There's my favorite great grandson!" the old man called out to them. He must've seen Danny rubbed his scalp. "Feel's good, doesn't it? Don't worry, it goes quickly in our family."
Danny was unsure how to respond, so he merely shrugged.
Bryan patted his stomach. Though it wasn't as big as it had been in the past, it was still substantial. "Just get yourself one of these and you'll fit right in."
Mark could've sworn Bryan shot him a stern look as he said that. He quickly ushered Danny along into Simon's room, where the Chronivac sat.
"Here we are," Mark said.
"Grandad's room?" Danny asked. "But, what's in here?"
Glancing at the wall clock, Mark said "Well, he won't be your grandad much longer."
Danny merely gave Mark a quizzical look.
"Well," Mark said, "unless the Chronivac has a weird expectancy on the age gap between father and son, any minute now you should-"
Mark was interrupted by a soft bleep from the Chronivac. Mark could see Danny looked suddenly uncomfortable. Danny's facial features, specifically all those he had in common with his father, Jay, suddenly began to deform and shift.
"Right on cue," Mark muttered.
Danny peered into a nearby wall mirror. At first he was shocked by his retreated hairline, but the fact his face was partially melting quickly took the majority of his attention.
"What's happening?!" Danny sputtered.
"Check your memories," Mark said calmly. "They'll tell you everything."
Danny face quickly reformed. It didn't actually look all that different, save for the shape of his nose and positioning of his ears. And possibly the color of his eyes. They looked similar to Simon's now.
"Grandpa Simon's my... FATHER?" Danny sputtered again. "But, that makes even less sense that before? Uncle Mark, this doesn't explain anything!"
"First of all," said Mark, grinning slightly. "I'm your brother now, as is Jay."
This only seemed to earn a glower and clenched fists from Danny, who was clearly reaching the end of the crazy-rope.
"Secondly," Mark proceeded quickly, gesturing at the Chronivac. "This is the answer to all your questions. Go ahead. Take a seat and also a look. Trust me. As your brother, I promise I'm telling the truth."