"Remember, Jeremy. The 'Upgrade' option is available whenever you're ready, which I urge you to be as soon as possible." A man wearing a slimming black suit and tie floats alongside a young boy about sixteen years old. The man, with his sleek facial hair and an aura that absolutely oozes coolness, looks eerily similar to Keanu Reeves. But as much as he looks like a late-90's/early-2000's movie star, his voice is harsh and robotic He puts a finger to his chin, deep in thought, and opens his mouth as if to say something, but stops himself.
The boy, Jeremy, pauses for a moment. He seems unable to think of the words to say- er, think. The constant intrusions of the Squip on his mind can be tiresome, but it's a far better way of communicating than saying everything out loud. Since Jeremy is the only one who can see or hear the Squip, it's much less awkward for him to just direct his thoughts towards the bot, although it can lead to some long periods of silence when he tries to listen to both the Squip and people in the real world at the same time. 'I know, it's just that…'
"That…?" The Squip floats closer to the teen, staring down at him expectantly. Jeremy feels a slight sense of unease, as if any answer he gives will just disappoint the Squip. He does his best to quiet his mind, as to not give himself away, and chooses his next words carefully.
'I can't just… betray Michael like that. I've known him for twelve years, now. I can't just give all of that up so quickly.'
"I see." The Squip falls silent for a while, probably to complete some calculations. Jeremy doesn't pay it any mind. In fact, he's kind of relieved that his mind is finally silent. The Squip soon has an intrigued look on his face, his brow furrowed as he focuses on something Jeremy isn't able to discern.
Unfortunately, this silence only lasts for a moment.
"Hey, uh, are you okay, Jer? You seem to be spacing off a bit." Another boy, one slightly shorter than Jeremy, taps him on the shoulder. This teen is wearing a look of deep concern, as well as a red sweatshirt that looks far too big for him and a pair of large silver headphones.
"Hm?" Jeremy had completely forgotten Michael is there with him. Walking home from school. A normal Friday afternoon. Jeez, he's been really out of it lately, but this is inexcusable. The Squip raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything. "Oh, I- I'm fine! Don't worry about me."
Michael isn't convinced. He shoots Jeremy an incredulous look and speeds up his pace to walk beside his friend. "You know I can tell when you're lying."
The taller teen brushes it off. "Michael, it really isn't a big deal. I'm just…"
"Vague excuse."
'I don't need your help for this!' Jeremy is administered a quick shock to the spine. He jerks involuntarily, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"OW! I'm- I'm just tired, all right?" That came out a bit harsher than intended, but it got the point across. Jeremy rubs the back of his neck and continues walking.
Michael casts Jeremy a worried look, but doesn't press the issue further. Jeremy really has been acting strange since he's gotten the Squip. Michael doesn't know much about the technology at all; Google hasn't turned up so much as a single forum post about the damned things, but he isn't sure this whole thing is great for Jeremy's mental health. Physically, he's in the best shape he's been in, well, his entire life, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything is peachy.
The Squip floats directly in front of Jeremy, as if to block his path. "I'm starting to get the feeling you don't want me around. It would be better for both of us if you immediately rid yourself of that mindset."
'It isn't like that. I just need some time to process everything, all right?' The taller teen is momentarily stunned, but he waves his hand through the Squip and continues walking. Right. He's a hologram. Walking through him is about as difficult as walking through an open doorway.
The Squip simply turns and follows the boy. "Think about it, Jeremy. If you want to take things to the next level with Christine, we need to act before it's too late. Unless you would rather be a loveless, lonely, lamentable loser for the rest of your life…"
Jeremy huffs in annoyance. 'I never said that! I only-'
Michael swiftly cuts him off. "Maybe we can get your mind off all this. Maaaybe we can go to the mall and clear your head, hm?"
"Oh, uh, yeah! There is a new record shop I've been itching to check out," Jeremy says.
Michael's eyes light up with excitement. "Right? I was thinking the exact same thing! Do you think they have the new-"
"Biff Maverick vinyl? I wouldn't exactly call it new, since it came out-" Jeremy easily matches his friend's level of excitement. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad, after all. If he just continues to refuse the Upgrade, and finds a way to force his Squip to keep the Optic Nerve Blocking off, maybe he could be both popular and friends with Michael. Nothing would have to change.
The shorter of the two cuts the other off without missing a beat. "In the eighties, I know, I know. But it's new to me, at least. They just released the remastered version!"
"Man, I can't wait! My collection has been getting pretty dusty lately," Jeremy says.
"We'll definitely check it out." Michael pauses for a moment, and his expression changes to something in between cautious and almost anxious. He puts one hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "You're not gonna bail on me like last time, though, right?"
Jeremy pauses, waiting for any objection from his Squip. To his surprise, the bot announces, "Non-committal agreement."
Jeremy pauses for a second, unsure if he heard that correctly. 'So you're actually going to let this happen? No objections?'
"Think of it as a learning experience. This will show you exactly how your life will turn out without the Upgrade." The Squip is facing away from Jeremy, so his expression is unknown to the teen. He briefly considers calling out to the bot, but decides not to push his luck.
Still a bit uneasy, Jeremy gives his response to Michael. "I'll try my best, okay? Just stick by my side, and I'm sure no girls will bother us."
The shorter teen lightly slugs Jeremy in the arm. It isn't enough to hurt very much, but Jeremy still rubs his arm where he was hit. Michael gives a half-joking response. "Ouch, dude. There's no need to be so harsh."
"I'm just messing with you." Jeremy throws an arm around his friend. "Come on, let's get going."
After a quick ride in Michael's P.T. Cruiser, with the Squip staying strangely silent aside from a few quips here and there, the two arrive at the mall nearest to their neighborhood. Since it's so close to the weekend, the mall is absolutely crawling with families shopping for Halloween costumes, college students home for the weekend, and more importantly, teenagers who go to Michael and Jeremy's school. With any luck, they won't run into anyone they know, so the Squip won't force Jeremy to put on some sort of show to impress them.
"I know what you're thinking, and I'm not going to force you into anything you're uncomfortable with." The Squip interrupts Jeremy's thinking, floating in between him and Michael as they walk.
But Jeremy isn't convinced. 'No? Not even if someone like Brooke or Chloe shows up again?'
The Squip is quick to respond. "You need to learn exactly what will happen if things stay as they are. I'll only forcefully intervene if things become… irreversibly out of your favor. Don't expect you'll be getting off scot free, though. I'll still be giving you minor instruction throughout."
Jeremy audibly sighs in relief, then realizes how strange that must look to an outsider, sighing for no reason. He covers it up as a cough, then walks with Michael to the local hipster record store.
As if an afterthought, the Squip offers one last comment. "Get, ready, Jeremy. We have much work to do."
Ignoring the steadily growing sense of foreboding in his chest, Jeremy steps into the shop with Michael at his side.