Dot's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light. She lay in the mound of pillows and silk bed sheets comfortably. Her memory was foggy from the night before. One glass of wine had turned into a whole bottle before she knew it; and consequently, there was a pain in her head that surfaced with each heartbeat. Regardless she rolled over, building the motivation required to get up. She had to go to work.
White curtains danced delicately in the breeze. The motion caught her eye and she rocked herself up into a seated position. Dot slowly stood, fighting hard against the nausea. From the window of their high rise apartment she could see all of Mainframe. Cars and sprites on zip boards flew through the air in orderly rows. She could even see the faint specs of sprites walking on the street below. They were so distant, mere zeroes and ones from such a height.
"Look who's finally awake." Bob said as he entered the room, hugging his wife from behind. He planted a kiss on her cheek and she smiled.
"You're up early." She commented.
"... Dot, it's 13:00."
"What?" Dot looked up at him, panicked.
"Don't worry, I moved your meeting."
"You did?" She relaxed slightly, "I'm sure Gavin gave you quite the earful."
"Oh he did. Something about missing out on profits."
Dot cringed, not prepared to deal with the consequences of sleeping in. She turned to face Bob, wrapping her arms around him.
"And what did you say?"
"Don't worry, I put him and his crew in a nice hotel for the day. He'll still be here tomorrow."
She smiled. Bob was never good at negotiating or business, but it seemed he had picked up a thing or two from her.
"And he's all right with the arrangement?" She asked.
"Of course, so you can spend the day here with me." He leaned in for a kiss, but she took a step back.
"I appreciate you moving my meeting, but I should still go in. I am command..com the afterall."
"Let Phong take care of things."
She was tempted by the offer. Mainframe barely had any system issues that couldn't be corrected in a few seconds. Dot ran a hand through his hair, playing with his silver locks. She could use a break.
"All right." She gave in.
In a nano his lips met hers. For one brief moment she closed her eyes, enjoying his company. That moment didn't last long, however. Dot pushed him away and ran out of the room. Bob stood stunned for a moment before following behind her. Once she was in the bathroom the door slammed. He stood outside awkwardly, listening to her gagging into the toilet.
"Dot?" He gently knocked on the door.
She didn't answer but he could still hear the sounds of her expelling energy. Bob quickly went to the kitchen, grabbing a glass to fill it with water. As he turned to the sink he saw a used wine glass sitting inside. He frowned. Bob opened the cupboard under the sink, already having an idea of what was there before even laying eyes on it. Two wine bottles sat inside the waste bin. He sighed, shutting the door in frustration.
A vidwindow appeared.
"Hi, Matrix." Bob said as he stood.
"Hey, I'm not interrupting am I?"
"No, not at all." He forced a smile for his brother-in-law.
"I need your help with something."
Bob was genuinely surprised. Matrix never asked for help, even when he needed it. It was one of the few things he had in common with his sister. Maybe it was a family trait.
"Sure, what did you need help with?"
"It's kind of embarrassing. I know I can come across a bit… Aggressive. And there's this girl-"
"Ah, I see." Bob teased.
"Meet me at the mall?" Matrix blushed.
"Sure thing, see you soon."
The moment the vidwindow disappeared, so did Bob's smile. He filled the glass in his hand from the tap and went into the bathroom without knocking. Dot was sitting on the tile floor head in the toilet. Bob looked on in bewilderment. Their childhoods were anything but normal given the war. When most gave up hope Dot rose to the occasion. Without her no sprite would have known that the Users relied on the net; her ingenuity had saved them. How could someone so young have discovered that when fully grown sprites had accepted defeat?
Upon moving to Mainframe Bob had fallen in love with her in a nano. She was stronger than most, and he admired that about her; she didn't believe in a no win scenario. But at that moment, watching her hunched over the toilet, no one would have suspected that she was a saviour of their generation.
Dot heaved, chunky bits of energy plopping into the toilet. Without a word Bob sat next to her. Once she was finished he handed her the glass.
"Don't look at me like that." She sighed before taking a few sips.
"I thought we agreed to keep the drinking to weekends?"
"It's been a rough week."
"If you say so…"
It was Tuesday.
##
Bob parked his car as far away from the entrance as possible. Before getting out he put on a baseball cap and sunglasses. He wasn't on duty so he dressed in plain clothes, hoping no one would recognize him. Bob didn't frequent shopping districts or stores often. As much as he appreciated the praise he received, it was exhausting always having to keep a smile on his face.
He walked through a set of glass double doors, entering the food court. Instantly he was greeted with the aroma of a variety of different fast food. The mall was much more crowded than he thought it would be for a Tuesday afternoon. Sprites, binomes and beings of all formats casually strolled by with shopping bags. Lines formed in front of food vendors, sprites eagerly waiting with empty trays in hand.
Bob scanned the faces of everyone sitting at the tables in the area. He wandered for a bit before spotting Matrix leaning up against a wall.
"So, who's the lucky sprite?" Bob teased, punching his friend in the arm.
Matrix pointed at the sushi kiosk sitting in the center of the food court, but before Bob could look over a small sprite called out to him.
"Guardian 452! Could I have your autograph?" The child looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Clearly his disguise wasn't as good as he thought; it didn't take very long for someone to recognize him.
"Of course."
He smiled apologetically at Matrix before kneeling down. The second he did so others began to gather around the guardian. Matrix sighed, frustrated. It couldn't be helped. Bob was the guardian with the highest record for games won. During his days as a cadet in the Supercomputer he had defeated many Users, especially during the war.
At least a dozen sprites had begun to form a line, waiting eagerly for some time with the guardian. Matrix waited, but as soon as one sprite left two more took their place. He found himself becoming more and more nervous as time went by. He knew if he didn't just go and get it over with, he'd never talk to her. Despite every part of him wanting to run away, Matrix started walking towards the sushi booth, heart pounding.
The sprite sitting behind the register looked down, playing with her nails out of boredom. She was alone with a counter behind her stocked with knives, rice and various kinds of fish. The sprite had vibrant aqua hair like nothing he had ever seen before. It was tied up in two messy buns on either side of her head. The frumpy black apron she wore did little to hide her natural beauty. Her orange skin glowed vibrantly, even under the cheap fluorescent lighting.
He stopped once he reached the register. She didn't smile often, he had noticed, but she always smiled for him. Her face brightened up the moment their eyes met.
"Hi." She greeted him.
"Hi."
"The usual?" She asked.
"Yeah."
She got up from her seat, opening a small cooler behind her, Matrix looked up and blushed as she bent over to retrieve his order. She placed it in a bag, setting it down on the counter. He got the same thing every day; California rolls. The usual portion was eight, but he could see through the clear plastic of the container that there were a couple extra, free of charge.
After she punched it in he took out his card and paid. He struggled to think of something to say. Even after the transaction was completed he just stood there, staring at her. Matrix wanted to ask her out, but couldn't find an appropriate way to do so. She was beautiful and probably got hit on by customers all the time. He didn't want to sound like a creep.
"I should go." He announced before grabbing his bag.
Matrix walked away, heading towards Bob. He cursed himself for being a coward. Just as he reached an all time low with self pity he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Matrix swallowed before turning around. It was the sushi girl.
"You forgot your receipt." She said, handing him the paper. Her fingers brushed against his. His stomach churned at her touch.
"Thanks."
It was the closest Matrix had ever been to her without the counter dividing them. His eyes looked down at the nametag pinned to her shirt. AndrAIa it read. He couldn't help but admire the name. Up close he could see every freckle on her face. Matrix had to stop himself from counting each one, admiring them. She was stunning.
"What's your name?"
"Matrix… Enzo Matrix."
"Enzo Matrix." The name sounded familiar to her.
Matrix smiled. Her sultry voice somehow made the name that he hated sound beautiful.
"... Do you have a way home- after your shift?"
"I live just a few blocks away. I'll probably be walking."
"Well do you want some company tonight? For your walk home I mean."
"Depends who would be accompanying me."
"I would. If you want." Matrix swallowed again nervously.
She paused. Matrix wished he knew what was going on in her head. He could tell she was contemplating something, maybe how to let him down gently.
"My shift ends at 20:00 so don't be late… I should get back, sushi isn't going to roll itself." She smiled before walking away.
Matrix stood for a moment, shocked. It wasn't the outcome he had expected. A smile spread across his face as he strutted back over to Bob, who had just then finished the last of the autographs.
"All right, Matrix. I'm all yours." Bob said with a sigh.
"Forget about it. Let's get out of here."
Bob looked at him confused.
"All right, if you say so."
# #
Ray spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. Two large binomes stood on either side, restraining him. They held him low so he was forced to be on his knees. He looked up at his attacker with a cocky smile on his face.
"What on earth did I do to deserve that?" He asked.
"You know exactly what you've done. Besides, I'm going easy on ya since we're acquaintances and all."
"Is this how you treat all of your friends?" Ray chuckled.
"Enough chit chat, where's the money?"
"Spent it."
Mouse smiled, her eyes wandering over to his surfboard which was propped up against the wall. The bar on Level 31 they currently occupied was empty. Once Mouse had started her interrogation the few patrons that were there exited quickly. All except for one who was still soundly asleep in the corner, several empty beer glasses in front of him.
She walked over to the surfboard and ran a finger along its edge. Ray shivered.
"My employer isn't the forgiving type." Mouse explained.
"Just delete me already and get it over with."
Mouse quickly drew her katana, bringing it down in one sure swing against the board. Ray howled in pain. The binomes released him and he fell to the floor, grabbing at his stomach. An intense, burning sensation radiated from an invisible wound.
"I'm not going to delete you, Ray." Mouse walked over and crouched down, looking at him with a smile, "If I delete you then how would my boss get what's owed? So I'll ask again; where's the money?"
"It's coming! I'll figure it out- I just need some time."
"Now that is music to my ears."
# #
Matrix and AndrAIa walked side by side in silence. He was finding it hard to make conversation. To be honest he didn't know much about her and wasn't even sure what she would want to talk about. He glanced over, admiring how long her hair was when it was down.
"So, how long have you been in Mainframe?" He finally asked.
"Not even a cycle, I don't usually stay in a system long, though."
"So you move a lot?"
"Yeah, I guess I do."
"... Do you plan on staying in Mainframe long?"
"I haven't decided yet." In truth AndrAIa had been searching for a place to call home for a long time. She was beginning to think that she didn't belong anywhere.
"I've lived here my whole life." Matrix stated.
"And?"
"And what?"
"What would make Mainframe a good place for me to settle down?"
"If you want a big system with flashy tourist attractions and an exciting nightlife you're in the wrong place."
"Wow, great sales pitch." She said sarcastically.
"But," He continued, "the sprites here make this place special. They're worth fighting for, even if it means going up against the toughest User."
"... You went up against Users?"
"Most of my childhood was fighting in the games. Those were the best cycles of my life. At least then I had a purpose." He looked off into the distance as he spoke. AndrAIa sensed a great sadness in his voice.
"Maybe you just haven't found it yet, your purpose."
"I don't have the luxury of taking my time. My twin sister, she's the command..com of this system, her husband a famous guardian. My dad's Welman Matrix- the reason we even have intersystem travel. I'm the failure of my family, whether they want to say it or not. I know that's what they think of me. I'm sure that's what all of Mainframe thinks of me." He hung his head in shame.
AndrAIa struggled to keep her composure. She was surprised that she didn't realize where she had heard the name Matrix before. His dad was famous. She took his hands in hers and they both stopped walking.
"Enzo, you can be anyone, anything. If you woke up one morning and decided you wanted to be an engineer, or ballerina your dad could make that happen. The possibilities are endless for you." She knew that she would probably stay at the sushi stand until it closed, or just quit to go to the next low density job. She didn't have any options, or friends, or family; no one to support her.
"But I don't know what I want. What if fighting in games was what I was meant to do? I was good at it- no great at it. When the war ended everything changed, it's like the net's in black and white now."
She placed a hand on his cheek, brushing away a strand of hair blocking his eye. The gold implant glistened under the street lamps. Her hand wandered over to his scar and he flinched.
"S-Sorry." She apologized quickly.
"No, it's all right."
"... Does it hurt?"
"Sometimes."
"...What happened?" She dared to ask.
"A User did this to me. It was the last game I ever played during the Disconnection war. I followed the game's rules and beat it, but when the cube left the User didn't go with it. All the sprites that helped me, some just as young as I had been, were deleted. I just watched. In games you can become bigger, stronger. Once you reboot you're equipped with everything you need to win," He looked into her eyes and she could see his despair, "I was just little Enzo once that cube left. I should have fought, but I didn't. I was too scared. I know I should have been deleted too, but the User just smiled as he did this to me. Now it's a constant reminder of my biggest failure."
AndrAIa did something unexpected. She wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace. Matrix closed his eyes, sinking into the feeling as he hugged her back. It reminded him of the way his mom used to hug him.
He took a deep breath, and let go, holding onto her hand firmly. Even as a fully grown sprite he was struggling to process everything that had happened back then. Matrix continued walking and she stayed by his side, refusing to let go of his grip. He had never talked to anyone about the way he felt because he thought no one would care. Everyone went through what he did, but why was he the only one who couldn't move on? His dad, even Dot completely adjusted to normal life as if the war never happened.
He looked over at AndrAIa. They were practically strangers, but he felt like he could trust her with anything. He could tell that she actually cared and didn't think any less of him. He thought saying out loud what burdened him would mean he was weak. For some reason he actually felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
AndrAIa led them down a residential street riddled with potholes and dug up yards. The homes were small with weather worn bricks. Some had boarded up windows. Most of the lamps along her street were broken. It was late and dark, part of Matrix worried about her having to walk through that area every day to get to work.
They stopped at a grey bricked house with a wooden porch. The entire home was slanted, built on an uneven foundation. From where they stood on her lawn he could see that one of her windows had a huge crack running down the glass.
"Is this where you live?"
"...For now." She said, embarrassed. Had she known that he was the son of the richest man in Mainframe she wouldn't have let him walk her home. She barely made enough to stay off of level 31. "The rent is cheap, and I pretty much just sleep here since I'm always at work. It doesn't really feel like a home."
"It's nice though," he lied, "cozy."
They stood for a moment standing in the dark. Neither one of them wanted to say goodbye.
"I should probably get some sleep." She said finally.
"Right… Goodnight, AndrAIa."
"Goodnight, and thanks for walking me home."
She released his hand. She walked to her front door, each step taking her further and further away from him. Before unlocking the door she looked back. He stood there waiting. She gave one final wave before disappearing inside.
End Log