Matrix jumped into his pants, rushing to get dressed. He was late; it was already 15:00. He usually didn't sleep in, but the midnight shifts had completely messed up his sleep cycle. AndrAIa watched from her side of the bed as he ran back and forth across the small room, frantically gathering his things. She yawned. Matrix had been making a habit of staying at her place overnight. A shelf in her bathroom belonged to him and he even had a few work uniforms hanging in the closet. She assumed he spent so much time there because it was closer to the dump, but in truth he was just worried about her being alone in the heart of G - Prime. Her house was dangerously close to level 31.

He threw on his vest and handed a small card to AndrAIa, who was still half asleep.

"What's this?" She yawned again.

"An invitation."

She forced herself into a seated position in an attempt to wake up faster. As her eyes darted across the card, Matrix watched her. He eagerly waited for a response.

"What's an open house?"

"Something spoiled, rich kids like to do to show off the nice stuff they have." He shrugged.

"You make it sound so enticing." She laughed, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity for you to meet my family… If you wanted to."

Her smile slowly fell.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Of course, you're my girlfriend and I want everyone to know it." He said as he sat next to her.

"I'm not really accustomed to fancy parties. I don't want to embarrass you."

"Hey," He leaned in and gave her a kiss, "You don't have to worry about that. If you feel uncomfortable then we can always leave. I really just have to make an appearance, this is Dot's thing… So, be my date?"

"I'll think about it. I have work early tomorrow, so I probably shouldn't stay out too late."

"Okay," Matrix tried to hide his disappointment as he stood, "well I should go. Dot needs my help setting up."

Matrix left, leaving AndrAIa alone with her thoughts. She looked over at the invitation again. It was printed on heavy paper with a gold edge and metallic script. It looked expensive. At the bottom it read 'formal attire'. She wasn't even sure if she had anything nice enough to wear.

The easy choice for her would be missing the event all together, it's not like Matrix would hold it against her. She sighed. He wouldn't have asked her if he didn't want her to go, though. AndrAIa rolled over, burying her head in her pillow screaming into it. She had a decision to make, and she had no idea what she was going to do.

# #

Usually Dot was a micromanager. It was one of the things Matrix hated about her. Even when they were kids she took it upon herself to boss him around. She had always justified it because she was ten seconds older than him. He couldn't remember a birthday or party of any kind where she didn't make all the decisions. So, naturally, Matrix was genuinely shocked to see her just sitting on the couch while Bob did all the work. She sat, idly scrolling through her organizer, not saying a word. She hadn't even acknowledged his arrival.

"Hey, sis." Matrix called.

Dot looked over at him.

"Should I be lighting candles now? You had some last year."

"No candles. This year I'm going with a garden theme. Help Bob with the flowers." She said dismissively before looking back down at her organizer. Matrix turned around, every inch of the apartment had a sprinkling of rose petals. Large potted plants sat in the corners and there were lush garlands strung against the walls. She had definitely gone all out with the theme, as usual. The scent of shrubbery was almost overbearing. In Matrix's opinion she didn't need anymore flowers, if anything some should be taken away.

Bob passed by, walking into the kitchen. He carried a large vase of roses; Matrix followed behind, not sure what to do with himself. Usually Dot would be barking orders at him. Without her instruction he was a little lost.

"Is Dot okay?"

"She's fine," Bob lied, "Why?"

"I don't know, she just doesn't seem like herself."

Bob looked over at a sheet that sat on the marble countertop. Dot had given him a detailed list of all the sprites in attendance and who they were. She mainly did the open house for networking so he had to be nice to everyone, even if he wasn't fond of them.

"Megabyte." Bob groaned, "why does she invite this virus every year?"

"You got a problem with viruses?" Matrix teased.

"Not all viruses, just the ones with bits for brains."

"Well, unfortunately for you, Megabyte's loaded."

A few sprites in suits wandered around the kitchen as they spoke, setting up platters of food. Matrix wasn't one for such a fussy event, he hadn't even celebrated his birthday in cycles. Dot was the complete opposite and loved to flaunt what she had. He couldn't hold it against her though, she worked hard for what she had. Even if Welman Matrix wasn't her father everyone was certain that she would have eventually become the command..com. Dot was naturally gifted and ambitious.

"Don't remind me. I can already hear him mocking me once he finds out I took a leave of absence." He cleared his throat to do his best Megabyte impression, "oh dear, who will mend and defend?"

Matrix laughed, impressed. Bob had Megabyte's voice almost perfectly. After a second Matrix frowned.

"You're not working?" He inquired.

Bob looked around before grabbing Matrix by the arm and dragging him down the hall to the bedroom. He locked the door behind them and whispered.

"No, I'm not working right now."

"Why?"

"... Listen, Dot just needed me to stay home for the time being. If anyone asks just say-"

"Wait, is something wrong? What's going on with her?" Matrix asked, worried. Dot was the one sprite who always had everything together.

"That's… Something you'll have to talk to your sister about. But wait until after the open house. I just want her to have a good time."

Matrix nodded.

"Guests will be arriving soon." Bob said.

"Yeah, I guess I'll go put my suit on."

They both gave each other a nod before leaving the room. Matrix wasn't satisfied with any of the answers Bob gave him, but it was a conversation for another time.

# #

Hexadecimal sat next to Megabyte in the back of the black limo. She was dressed in a red, silk dress with an extravagantly high collar. Hex loved dressing up and attending parties. She was delighted when Megabyte offered to bring her as his plus one. Usually he had a date for such events, so she was surprised when he asked her. She didn't really know anyone who would be there, but was never one to turn down free food and drinks. The best part of gatherings was just how unpredictable they could be.

"I've got a good feeling about tonight." She said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Do you?"

"Yes! Come brother, aren't you excited?"

"It's merely a formality. A room full of entrepreneurs trying to convince me to invest in their low density ideas. It's quite exhausting, really."

"Why so negative?" Hex flashed an angry face before retreating to the other side of the limo.

A smile slowly crept over Megabyte's stoic face.

"Well, I hate to ruin the surprise, but there is a specific reason why I asked you here."

"Really? Oh, fun! Do tell."

"Construction is nearly complete on our little project. It is time to seek out the last piece of the puzzle… Or should I say pieces?"

"I knew it!"

"But you have your end of the bargain to keep to."

"Oh don't you worry, I've got that covered." She smiled.

"Is that so?"

"The sprites in this system are so gullible. I'll have what you need soon enough."

"Excellent."

The limo pulled over and the driver got out to open the door for them. In a nano they were inside and waiting in the elevator heading to the top floor. Megabyte adjusted the collar of his shirt, loosening his tie slightly. In the silence of the elevator Megabyte couldn't help but notice the smile on his sister's face. He didn't usually work with her on projects, given how random she could be, but he didn't have a choice. He hated that he needed her, because deep down he couldn't stand the fact that she had so much power. More power than he could even imagine. Megabyte always had to be clever and work harder to achieve what his sister accomplished with ease. He resented her for it. Regardless, it was a partnership that he had to endure. Hex could be truly insufferable, but she was family. He knew she was one of the few viruses he could actually trust.

Hex on the other hand didn't resent her brother, she admired him. Hexadecimal was very self aware and knew she wasn't the brains in the family. When she pitched him her idea she was almost certain he would reject it. But he didn't, which shocked and amused her. If everything went as planned she would finally have his respect; the one thing she wanted, but somehow could never get.

The elevator dinged as it reached its destination. The doors slid open and the pair walked down the corridor. They could hear the buzzing of conversation from outside. As they got closer the commotion got louder. They could even hear the faint music of a piano, the clink of glasses. Dot really didn't spare any expense with her gatherings. Megabyte knocked and the door opened in seconds.

Matrix looked up at the virus and smiled. He didn't particularly like Megabyte, but enjoyed seeing his brother in law squirm.

"Megabyte." He said in a gruff voice.

"Matrix."

The two stared each other down before erupting in laughter.

"Come in, and who's this?"

"Hexadecimal," He said, "my sister."

"All these years and I didn't know you had a sister."

"She just moved to the system so I thought it would be pertinent to show her around."

Matrix led them inside. Beings of all formats wandered about in formal attire, sipping champagne and chattering. Phong, Speckie and a few more of Dot's colleges were there. Mostly it was influential members of Mainframe in attendance; millionaires, doctors, businessmen. They all walked with an air of superiority that Matrix hated.

Hex looked around, and the moment she laid eyes on Dot broke away from her brother. Dot wore a champagne coloured gown. The train dragged behind on the floor. It wasn't hard to spot her, you could see the sequins glistening from a mile away.

"Dot Matrix!" Hex cooed.

"Hexadecimal?" Dot was shocked, "What a surprise."

"Small net, isn't it?"

"Definitely, who are you here with?"

"My brother." She waved a hand over at Megabyte who had already found Bob and was boring him with a long story.

"Very small net." Dot laughed nervously.

As a waiter walked by, Hex picked up two glasses, offering one to dot.

"I shouldn't." Dot said. She had promised Bob that she wouldn't drink anything but water. It was the only way she could prevent her event from being completely dry. He had kept a watchful eye on her all night and she didn't want to disappoint him, even though she desperately wanted to have a drink.

"Oh, come on, where's the fun Dot from the other night? Honestly that's the best time I've had since coming to Mainframe."

"Really?"

"Yes! We must go out again some time." Hex waved the glass in front of Dot's face, tempting her. No one ever described Dot as fun. Her family would probably say that she's a workaholic, or anal, maybe even a control freak. Never fun.

She glanced over at Bob. He was preoccupied, and what was the harm in one glass? They wandered over to the kitchen, where the wall kept her hidden from Bob's sight. Against her better judgement she quickly took the champagne, chugging it. She threw the glass in the waistband next to her. It shattered on impact.

"There she is!" Hex laughed, following her friend's example.

# #

Matrix had stationed himself at the door. Every time someone knocked he eagerly answered hoping it was AndrAIa. But after a few hours he gave up, resigning himself to the couch. He watched the sprites that circled the condo. They were all dressed sharp and well spoken. Many of them had traveled to systems on the other side of the net, but he didn't find anyone as interesting as AndrAIa. He'd much rather be talking to her.

Welman finally arrived, late as always, with Maxine trailing behind him. She wore her best dress, a skintight black number that followed every curve of her body. The room hushed the moment she entered, a reaction she was accustomed to in smaller systems. Most sprites had never seen a search engine before.

She looked around until she spotted Matrix on the couch. Even when covered up by a suit it was apparent how fit he was. His jacket could barely contain his muscles; it was practically bursting at the seams. She smiled, allowing Welman to lead her to his son.

"Matrix," He got his attention, "I'd like to introduce you to Maxine."

Matrix stood and shook her hand out of politeness. He had no idea who she was or why his dad was introducing them.

"Hi, Maxine."

Welman did nothing to encourage conversation between the two. He merely stood there smiling looking back and forth at them. Maxine cringed. She knew exactly what he was doing and hoped it wasn't too obvious to Matrix. Luckily for her, Matrix was completely oblivious. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of AndrAIa so he hardly gave notice to Welman's poor wingman skills.

"Your father tells me you fought in the games." Maxine said.

"Yeah I did… You're a search engine, aren't you?"

"I am."

"So I take it you've never been in a game before?"

"I wouldn't dare. I've always been quite fragile. When I was young I got sick very easily." She admitted.

"You don't look fragile to me."

"Really? My parents hardly let me go out as a child. I was never allowed to play with the other sprites."

"That sounds… Lonely."

"To be honest it was." Maxine got a little nervous and looked for Welman, who had slipped away at some point. She hadn't even noticed.

"So how do you know my dad?"

"He's my employer. I just got hired as a consultant."

"... And you two are dating."

"What? No! That would be unethical."

"It would."

"We are just friends." She took a step closer, trying her best to look up at him with doe eyes. Usually it didn't take much effort to get a guy's attention. Still, Matrix was oblivious to her flirting.

"Sorry, he's just never brought a coworker before- I kind of just assumed.

"That's all right… He talks about you a lot at work, and I wanted to meet you."

Maxine sat and Matrix did the same. Usually it was a pain talking to anyone at one of Dot's gatherings. Her guests were always so snooty. Conversation with Maxine was easy. Nearly an hour went by and they joked and laughed. He answered all of her questions about games and she shared some insider knowledge on how net travel worked.

"Working for my dad must be… Interesting."

"It is, he does tend to ramble a bit though."

"A bit? That's an understatement." Matrix laughed.

"My job isn't exactly exciting, and his lectures don't help." she chuckled, "But enough about me, what do you do for work?"

"Waste management, I guess. I work at the data dump."

"In G - Prime?"

"The one and only."

"And you like it there?"

"It's something to do. Don't tell my dad I said this, but I'd much rather be playing games."

Maxine smiled, admiring his honesty. Every sprite just pretended like the war never happened. No one even mentioned games out of fear. It had been so long since the user damaged systems with them, it had all just become a distant memory.

The front door opened and Matrix glanced over. He completely lost his train of thought after seeing AndrAIa walk in. She wore a dress the colour of starlight and heels to match. There wasn't anything luxurious or flashy about her outfit, but Matrix couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Her hair was pinned up in a loose bun, a few curls cascading in front of her face. Her makeup was simple and unassuming. He had never seen her all dressed up before. Matrix was awestruck. Maxine continued to talk, but he didn't process a single word she said.

AndrAIa awkwardly walked in, looking around. The moment she entered, AndrAIa felt out of place. The sprites around her all wore the finest clothes and walked with confidence. AndrAIa often tried hard not to be noticed, out of fear someone would discover what she was. She took a few deep breaths before shutting the door behind her and starting her search. It was late and she hoped Matrix wasn't too upset with her. She had decided not to go and then at the last minute changed her mind.

The condo was packed with bodies, most of which were taller than her. Even in her heels there was no chance of her spotting Matrix right away. Matrix watched as she wandered into the kitchen.

"Isn't that right?" Maxine laughed.

"What? Oh, yeah."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes… I'm going to go mingle. Excuse me," He muttered as he stood. He took off in the direction AndrAIa had gone in, leaving Maxine behind.

# #

Hex smiled as Dot pounded back her tenth glass of champagne. She clapped, encouraging her.

"Dear, maybe you should slow down." Welman warned. After leaving Matrix and Maxine he had found Dot and was surprised by the state of her. Dot never was a heavy drinker.

"You're right. One more drink then I'm done." Dot said. She had decided to remain in the kitchen not only to hide from Bob, but so she would have something to lean on. She used the countertop as a crutch, already feeling the effects of the alcohol.

Suddenly Hex's eye was caught by a sprite with aqua coloured hair. It wasn't a very common hair colour. The sprite carried a bottle of wine in her arms, cradling it like a child. She very obviously looked out of place in the room, like a deer caught in headlights. Hex watched as Matrix came up to the sprite from behind, taking her hand and kissing her on the cheek. Hex also noticed Maxine trailing behind the pair and the look of sadness in her eyes as she watched Matrix being lovey dovey with someone else.

Hexadecimal could barely contain her excitement. Maxine quietly made her way to the other side of the room, shoving hors d'oeuvres into her mouth as she watched Matrix quietly.

"Interesting." Hex commented.

"Hm?" Dot looked over at her friend.

"Nothing dear."

Hex was certain that the entertainment for the evening had just arrived.

Matrix walked up to them, AndrAIa on his arm.

"Sis." He spoke to Dot, "This is AndrAIa."

"Thank you for having me. I brought this for you." AndrAIa tried to speak up, but her voice came across as soft.

Dot looked AndrAIa up and down before accepting the gift.

"No, thank you." Dot forced a smile, "It's so nice to see young people getting involved in bettering Mainframe. What field are you training in?"

"Oh," AndrAIa glanced over on Matrix, "I'm actually-"

"Who are your parents?"

AndrAIa wasn't prepared for any of Dot's questions. Thankfully, Matrix was there.

"Dad, Dot; this is my girlfriend." He chimed in.

"I see…" Dot reached for the top drawer and missed. Hex waved a finger and the drawer slid open on its own. "Thank you."

"Anytime, dear." Hex smiled.

Dot pulled out a corkscrew. It wasn't until after she got it out that she realized it wasn't even needed. The bottle had a twist off. She put back down the opener and twisted the cap open. She refilled her empty glass. Dot gave it a cautious sniff, glancing at the label on the bottle. She had never heard of it before. She took a small sip before setting her glass down.

"Cooking wine." She said under her breath.

Hex laughed.

"Dot!" Matrix scolded.

AndrAIa felt her cheeks grow warm from the embarrassment. She had been debating on whether a bottle of wine or flowers was a better gift. After walking through the condo she noticed that it looked like a forest in there. It seemed she was doomed before she had even made a decision.

"So, AndrAIa," Welman attempted to lighten the mood, "What do you do for work?"

"I'm a sushi chef." She tried to make her job sound impressive.

"Oh, what restaurant?"

"... Well… Nullzilla Sushi."

"At the mall?"

"Yes."

There was an awkward silence where no one knew what to say. AndrAIa knew what she did for work wasn't nearly as important as anyone in that room. She was in the presence of the brightest minds in all of Mainframe.

"That must take a lot of… Skill." Welman smiled.

"Two weeks of training." She instantly regretted saying anything.

Dot waved over a waiter. She dumped out her glass in the sink, placing it on the server's tray while taking a full one. She started gulping it down.

"Dot." Welman warned, "I think you should slow down."

"It's too late for that, isn't it?" Bob scoffed as he walked into the kitchen.

"Bob, I - uh-" Dot stuttered.

Bob walked past, not saying a word. He went into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Dot flinched from the noise. AndrAIa squirmed uncomfortably. She already felt awkward around so many people. Her heart was beating so hard she thought that it would burst. All she had to do was make a good first impression and she was failing miserably.

Matrix gently squeezed her hand and she let out a deep breath. He snaked a hand over her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible. Somehow that act alone was able to calm her nerves.

"Oh dear, I wonder what's got him all cranky." Hex exclaimed.

"Don't mind him." Dot shouted. "He's just upset that I'm having fun and he isn't!"

The entire condo went silent, even the pianist stopped playing. Everyone stared.

"Why wouldn't I have fun?" Dot continued, "I'm here with the greatest sprites in Mainframe. Good food and good company, what more could a gal need?"

Dot slowly circled the room, making her way to the front door as she spoke. Welman hastily went over to the pianist, trying to get him to start playing again. He knew his daughter and once she got going she wouldn't stop.

"But you think you know everything- well you don't! You think that you're better than everyone because you're a guardian… To mend and defend? What a joke."

The music started up again, but it wasn't until Dot stormed out that the party continued. Upon slamming the door the train of her dress got caught. Rather than open the door she pulled, ripping it before storming off. A piece of sparkling fabric sat stuck, wedged in the corner.

Everyone whispered and gossiped, wondering when their host would return and what that meant for the guardian and their marriage.

"I am so sorry. This isn't what I had in mind." Matrix apologized.

"It's all right. At least I got to see what you look like all cleaned up. No grease stains in sight."

"Don't worry about my family, you did great." He whispered in AndrAIa's ear.

She smiled. Even though she didn't agree, he was happy and that's all that mattered.

Hex slowly wandered over to where Maxine stood.

"Life isn't fair, is it?" Hex said.

Maxine jumped. She hadn't even realized anyone was standing next to her.

"Excuse me?"

"It's obvious you've got a thing for the green brute."

"Is it that obvious?" Maxine sighed.

"Oh yes."

"It looks like he's taken; by a game sprite of all things."

"Game sprite?"

"I've travelled countless systems. After a while you can just tell by the look of them. I guess his heart's already spoken for."

"Interesting…"

Hex smiled.

# #

Matrix and AndrAIa stayed until all the guests had gone. His dad had left a while ago, not wanting to get involved; a first for him. Dot had just returned and Matrix could hear her and Bob screaming at each other in the bedroom. He had just finished cleaning up from the party when he noticed AndrAIa laying on the couch, fast asleep. He smiled, wondering how long she had been out.

"Hey," He nudged her gently, "Come on, I'll take you home."

"Is Dot okay? Has she come back yet?" She asked groggily.

"You're not listening to me!" They heard Dot scream.

"How can I listen to you when you don't say anything? I want to talk to you about what's going on and you brush me off. You storm out! You need help, Dot." Bob yelled back.

"I make the decisions in my life, not you."

"Are you listening to yourself right now?"

The shouting continued, but what exactly was said was hard to make out.

"We should go." Matrix helped AndrAIa to her feet. She leaned on him as she took her heels off.

"So how bad was that first impression?"

"Don't worry, you'll get a do over. Dot's pretty drunk," Matrix sighed, "I doubt she'll even remember meeting you."

"Yeah… You're probably right."

End Log