Interlude

Dextra was watching. Always. Whatever happened at ENCOM, she saw it.

But instead of satisfying her, her hunger grew even stronger the more she saw, the more she witnessed. So many things she wanted. She felt that wanting like an emptiness within her. Like an empty memory cell, yet to be filled with data.

She was so hungry and so bored. So she tried out some things, experimented with some things. Played some games. She had games in the Grid to play. But they began to bore her too. Users were so much more interesting to play with, for Dextra could hardly guess their next step.

But with playing these games there also came the experience of losing. She never lost games, for she was the most efficient program in the Grid. That was a whole new experience for her and it raised something in her virtual self. Something she couldn't name. But by comparing it with descriptions for feelings of Users she came across one word that was matching with what she felt: frustration.