Jasper looked around his new surroundings. Well… John’s old surroundings. So much of it was strange. Memories drifted in and out of focus. It wasn’t disorienting as much as it was frustrating. The memories were there, he just couldn’t focus on one long enough to hold onto it. Something had come to him; John was a “Software Engineer” – whatever that was. Apparently, it had to do with computers, which were not his strong suit. He had learned much since being released from the Abyss, but computers always vexed him. If he could get more of John’s memories to stay firm, perhaps he could pick it up.
The house itself was nice by modern standards. The middle class being what it was these days, it seemed John was decently well off, not rich by any means, but definitely not poor. The theme was modern and tasteful, though it came across as slightly utilitarian, as if John didn’t really understand how to decorate – he just copied what he saw others do. Thinking for a moment, that felt right. John had been worried about appearances. He wanted to seem normal, or at least what John had thought of as normal. There were a few plants scattered around, plenty of sunlight, large windows and glass doors. Even a few skylights.
The bedroom was functional; nice new furniture that looked rarely used, but a bed that was extremely comfortable. He cared about getting good sleep. Again a thought fluttered by, John didn’t sleep much, so the quality of his sleep had been important to him. The “office” room was a sight, the computer with its multiple monitors and blinking lights dominated most of the room. Directly across from it though was a bookshelf, covered floor to ceiling with books. Most of them technical in nature, programming language, operating environments, and the like. There were some others, mostly science fiction, but also the odd political title.
The kitchen was rudimentary, John didn’t cook much but there were a lot of takeout menus in a drawer. The fridge was now loaded, thanks to the Trish girl. She was nice, Jasper noted. He liked her, and she could be very helpful getting back on track in this new body.
This body was fit, more or less, not overly athletic, but in good shape for someone who lived off fast food. Another memory. Workout equipment, expensive, tucked into the closet and under the bed. A daily workout routine to keep in shape. John had cared about his health, though not obsessively. Thanks to Jasper’s influence it had healed nicely; there weren’t even going to be any scars. He decided to avoid the chair, and instead climb up onto the memory foam mattress of the bed, sat up, crossed his legs, and began to meditate, in an attempt to clear his mind, to claim what thoughts he could. Tomorrow he’d call Trish and invite her over, try to get help with the confounded computer. He had a feeling once he could get access to that, John’s real identity would reveal itself