Laying on the pile of his congeneres Jock was trying to realize what just happened. This new Jeff had stolen his former name without any difficulty. From the moment he had said it, Jock had had the biggest issue to find Jeff accurate for himself. Even if he knew it was his name for so many years. It was like this new Jeff had some kind of power on altering reality... or at least his own reality. But something else was wrong, and Jock was guessing it was more serious that a simple name. It was deeper than that, even if it was connected to it. Remembering their last words, he was trying to put the finger on it. Wondering, he realized that it was getting harder and harder for him to consider himself as a person. He knew he was human before. Of course. It wasn't a memory issue. It was something else, deeper. Fundamental. A little voice seemed trying to help him, asking him what he was. For now, he was some kind of essence soaking a dozen of similar jockstraps. Twenty-two exactly. He tried to understand, to put the waistband on it, it was so close... Something about being... Something had broke in his core... He dove into his consciousness, and finally guessed it. He hadn't had any trouble when Jeff had refered to him constantly as a "it", and not a "he". It felt even so much more right for him that it was disturbing. Jock made a pause and realized that he was considering himself as an object. Not a human temporarily turned into some spirit trapped into fabric. He was a thing. And he should stop to fool himself by following some habbits from some part of his past.
It suddered so strongly that all the jockstraps vibrated. God... If it was so easy for Jeff to change its own perceptions, it was in serious trouble. Going back to humanity seemed more and more unlikely. Jock tried to figure out how Nate's alterations on the Chronivac were settled... but even if the screen was visible, Jock wasn't able of reading it anymore. Something itched somewhere in its consciousness... It was below : Nate had felt his jockstrap vibrating, and was wondering what was happening to it. Whatever... Jock wondered what would be better to do to use this precious time in the cleverest way.
It was clear that Nate was planning to pack each of its former limbs and to give them to each member of his team. How silly could that be ? How could such a thing allow them to act like a better team, connected as a single being through Jock ? ... Was it possible ? Afterall, Chronivac could have been set this way... Maybe Jock could use this to gather some power to act and restore itself to its former body ?
And what could it do to prevent this Jeff to keep altering it ? Did Nate had realized the power this guy had taken on him ?
And... what about these sparkles of life and consciousness that Jock had been spreading while it was exploring the pile of its bodies ? Thinking of this, it was now clear that more and more little consciousness were blossoming in there. They were like thirsty little peole, craving for Jock to pay them a visit, to come closer with its focus... And to be able of stealing some life from it. Maybe it would be wiser to stay away from them.
Except this little one, which was already developped and so attractive... Jock had almost fell in love with it when it had felt it. Which one was it ? Jock concentrated and quickly found it. It was the jockstrap made of its former dick. The one Nate had picked and choose as his own. Maybe the fact of being worn was giving it some strength, some life... And allowed it to improve its consiousness.
Jock stayed in the body it had quickly chosen before, the one made of its former heart. It stayed carefull of not mentally touch any of the other ones, and stretch its focus toward Nate's jockstrap. It felt tenderness imediately. This tiny being had already grown up. Jock was lost about the feeling it was giving to itself. When it had met this one, it had been... love at first sight. Its soulmate. It was unlikely, completely mad but... it was feeling so right. Since that, Jock had had to struggle to avoid it. It realized that it was craving to connect with it again.
It was not like the other jockstraps. For them, Jock had identified that it was feeling some kind of... paternity ? No... It was brotherhood. Yes. They were its former limbs, and now they were its congeneres. Moreover, Jock knew that if they had the opportunity, they'll grow a proper personnality... And independence. If this would continue, soon Jock couldn't be distinguished from them : it could become a simple conscient jockstrap in a mass of twenty-one others. It was the only one carrying the memories, but who could know it ? And... if the jockstrap in which it was dwelling went to develop its own consciousness too ? Could Jock be forced out of it ?...
There were some serious questions to answer quickly.
Jock tried to think. It stop wondering, completely unaware of the time... And when it went back...