"What, what do you mean I have to report back to the academy?," Asheera said in horror.
"I mean that you have been away from the academy for several cycles now, and I think that you have received enough training from Guardian Matrix, and that it's time for you to come home now."
"But grandpa, I like it here, I have friends, and I go Jet Balling and Circuit Racing and. . ." she was cut off by Turbo.
"No buts you're coming back home tomorrow, and I will go to Mainframe and escort you home, to make sure that you don't pull any stunts, and that's final!" Before Asheera could come back with a rebuttle Turbo logged off, and all was settled. She was to go back to the Super Computer with her grandfather at first light. Enzo, overcome with sadness, ran out of the diner and to his and Asheera's 'secret' place at Floating Point. Asheera knew immediately where he was headed, and went to follow him, when Bob stopped her.
"Asheera, why don't you want to go back to the Super Computer? Most people would kill to just spend a day there."
"I have no freedom.," she said weakly.
"What"
"Grandpa, for some reason or another, is so worried about me all the time. He follows me into games, or makes sure that I don't go into them at all. He always has me escorted everywhere, and makes me train constantly, he watches me like a hawk, and worst of all I've been starting to see him as more of a warden, than a grandpa."
"Why is he so worried?"
"I don't know, but could you please talk to him. Maybe he'll listen to you. Please, it's my only chance to stay here with Enzo. Please.," Asheera pleaded.
"I'll try"
Asheera was out of the diner and on her zipboard heading towards Floating Point in a shot. "Enzo," she said looking down lovingly at her best friend, her only friend.
"I should have guessed that it was too good to be true. I should have known that you were going to leave me. But I was stupid and tricked myself into thinking that we could really be friends. . .or something more."
"Enzo Matrix," she said sternly, "I do not want to leave you. You have done so much for me. I was hungry when I first came here, and you fed me. I was all alone in this world, without a real friend, and you supplied me with the best friendship. I've always wanted to feel that someone loved me for me and I've always wanted to have someone to tell everything to. You have been all those things, and more to me these past few cycles. And, and. . ."
"And what?"
"And, oh nevermind, you've already given up on me. . .on us."
She left for Dot's apartment where she had been staying. She stayed there thinking about the conversation that had just went on and everything else that had happenned between her and Enzo. And she came to a realization. She realized that she did, in fact. . .NO it didn't matter! She was only going to leave tomorrow anyway, weather she told him or not, it wouldn't change the inevitable. The next day Turbo, as promised, came to Mainframe to personally escort Asheera back to the Super Computer. Bob tried to talk to him, but Turbo refused to listen. Within a few nanoseconds Asheera was back in the Super Computer, training, and alone. "Enzo didn't even come to say goodbye to me. Maybe he doesn't feel the same way about me, as I feel about him!" she thought as she trained that afternoon.
"I mean that you have been away from the academy for several cycles now, and I think that you have received enough training from Guardian Matrix, and that it's time for you to come home now."
"But grandpa, I like it here, I have friends, and I go Jet Balling and Circuit Racing and. . ." she was cut off by Turbo.
"No buts you're coming back home tomorrow, and I will go to Mainframe and escort you home, to make sure that you don't pull any stunts, and that's final!" Before Asheera could come back with a rebuttle Turbo logged off, and all was settled. She was to go back to the Super Computer with her grandfather at first light. Enzo, overcome with sadness, ran out of the diner and to his and Asheera's 'secret' place at Floating Point. Asheera knew immediately where he was headed, and went to follow him, when Bob stopped her.
"Asheera, why don't you want to go back to the Super Computer? Most people would kill to just spend a day there."
"I have no freedom.," she said weakly.
"What"
"Grandpa, for some reason or another, is so worried about me all the time. He follows me into games, or makes sure that I don't go into them at all. He always has me escorted everywhere, and makes me train constantly, he watches me like a hawk, and worst of all I've been starting to see him as more of a warden, than a grandpa."
"Why is he so worried?"
"I don't know, but could you please talk to him. Maybe he'll listen to you. Please, it's my only chance to stay here with Enzo. Please.," Asheera pleaded.
"I'll try"
Asheera was out of the diner and on her zipboard heading towards Floating Point in a shot. "Enzo," she said looking down lovingly at her best friend, her only friend.
"I should have guessed that it was too good to be true. I should have known that you were going to leave me. But I was stupid and tricked myself into thinking that we could really be friends. . .or something more."
"Enzo Matrix," she said sternly, "I do not want to leave you. You have done so much for me. I was hungry when I first came here, and you fed me. I was all alone in this world, without a real friend, and you supplied me with the best friendship. I've always wanted to feel that someone loved me for me and I've always wanted to have someone to tell everything to. You have been all those things, and more to me these past few cycles. And, and. . ."
"And what?"
"And, oh nevermind, you've already given up on me. . .on us."
She left for Dot's apartment where she had been staying. She stayed there thinking about the conversation that had just went on and everything else that had happenned between her and Enzo. And she came to a realization. She realized that she did, in fact. . .NO it didn't matter! She was only going to leave tomorrow anyway, weather she told him or not, it wouldn't change the inevitable. The next day Turbo, as promised, came to Mainframe to personally escort Asheera back to the Super Computer. Bob tried to talk to him, but Turbo refused to listen. Within a few nanoseconds Asheera was back in the Super Computer, training, and alone. "Enzo didn't even come to say goodbye to me. Maybe he doesn't feel the same way about me, as I feel about him!" she thought as she trained that afternoon.