Jason watches the worker run off. He's glad he met someone friendly in this cold facility. Then he looks down at his exposed genitals and wonders about his own fate.
Jason is able to move a little bit. He thinks about Jeff and other inani he's known. All inanis can move as long as their movement does not interfere with their function. Jason's function is to be a backpack, therefore his arms and legs want to wrap around someone even though there is no one to wrap around. He cannot stand but since there is no one to wrap his arms and legs around, he can scoot around on the table. He fears falling off the table because his arms and legs might not be able to protect his body from the fall.
The worker comes back and Ryan is with him wearing a robe. Ryan asks, "Jason, are you okay?"
Jason says, "Well other than being naked, unable to walk, and a backpack, I'm okay. What about you."
Ryan says, "They started to turn me into a beverage fountain but John here stopped them in time."
John, the friendly worker said, "Not quite true. Listen, you will have to face some facts. As much as we'd like to restore the two of you to normal, that may not be possible. We stopped the process for Ryan before full conversion but Ryan can still fill his bladder with beverages if he chooses to. Jason, you are fully converted into a backpack. You are fully an inani now. We'll have to let the lawyers figure out a settlement but no amount of money will completely restore you to your former life. You have some decisions to make."
Jason asks, "The inanis I know can still go to movies and live normal lives."
John says, "Except when on duty. Inanis get some programming that prevents them from doing anything but their duty. Ryan wasn't programmed but you were. Therefore, you need an owner because only an owner can release you from duty and only after your owner releases you from duty can you move about freely."
Jason says, "Okay, I want Ryan to be my owner."
Ryan asks, "Really, after all the trouble I've put you through?"
Jason says, "I willingly followed you into trouble but you've been there to pull me out. I trust you more than I trust my family."
John says, "That works for me. Ryan, hold his penis and repeat the passcode I tell you. It will set his program with you as owner."
Ryan says, "Yuck, I don't want to touch his penis."
John says, "Then he will remain an ownerless backpack."
Jason says, "Please, Ryan, hold my penis."
Reluctantly, Ryan holds Jason's penis. John says, "Repeat after me: orange yacht bolt sherbet eskimo giraffe. I release you from duty."
Ryan says, "Orange yacht bolt sherbet eskimo giraffe. I release you from duty."
Immediately, Jason can stand up and shake out his arms. He can move about like a normal person.
Meanwhile, Jeff's dad sleeps in because it's his day off. He comes outside to see Jeff still standing on the curb but now he's naked with graffiti painted on him. "Damn all teenagers. Damn your brother for not bringing you in this morning and damn the hoodlums for vandalizing you. I release you from duty. Go inside and get cleaned up and then clean up the mess in the yard."
Jeff runs inside. He finds he still has a bedroom. He must have been dizzy last night when he couldn't find his bedroom. Then again, his bedroom is a little different from what he remembers. He can't find the Chronivac. His bedroom is smaller as well. Without a bed, his bedroom is about the size of a utilty closet. It has a linoleum floor instead of carpet and it has a washer/dryer instead of a desk. Jeff realizes that in this reality, the utility closet is the perfect bedroom for a living garbage can. But Jeff does find that he still has clothes he can wear.
Back at Genetilabs, Jason asks, "Can I get some clothes."
John says, "That's up to your owner. I think it's kind of funny when owners decorate their inanis to look like people. It's like people dressing up their pets or decorating their mailboxes. It's not necessary. Besides, in your case, clothes would restrict your owner's access to one of your openings where he could keep some gear."