Hybrid .4 (Book One of The Upgrade Trilogy)

After All This Time

Let me tell you a quick story. This story doesn't really have to do with 0.4  or Upgrades, but rather, is something more sentimental to me.

On the first date Maddie and I went on, I was determined to  impress her. I brushed my hair, freshened my breath, and even wore  borrowed one of my Dad's super fancy tuxedos in order to look good.  told me before I left that I looked stupid, but I ignored his advice. Maddie had to know I wasn't like other boys, that I could be romantic.

We went to eat at a super fancy place I'd gone on a special  occasion with my family once. I didn't even enjoy the food there, but  that didn't matter to me. As long as my date enjoyed it.

Her father pulled up to drop her off at the restaurant, and as she stepped out, my jaw hit the floor.

She looked gorgeous. She had on a light purple sleeveless dress, and wore glittery tights and a gold charm bracelet on her right arm. Her blue hair had been tied back in a neat ponytail, and her mascara made her gray eyes glow. Compared to me, she was a goddess, and I was the troll under the bridge.

The first few moments we spent together were quiet and awkward. Truth  be told, I had no idea what to say to her. Normally, she was just a  nerd with glasses and blue hair, but now...it was like she was a  different person.

Finally, I'd gotten my courage together. "Um, Maddie?"

"Yes?" She'd glanced at me shyly.

"I hope you're enjoying the..uh..." I had cleared my throat. "You look very pretty."

Maddie had looked away. "Oh. Um, thanks."

I'd been losing her interest. What was I to talk about with her?  "You know what-I can't take it anymore. I'm not this romantic in real  life, but guess what? I don't care. Because I love you  Madeline Ervin, and you mean the world and back to me. You're not just  pretty, you're funny and cute and I know you hate your laugh but I think  it's the best thing ever. So either you accept me for who I am, or  don't accept me at all. But this-all of this fancy stuff-this isn't me."

She'd stared at me with wide eyes for a few seconds, and I'd been convinced I was a goner. But then, to my surprise, she'd begun laughing.
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This is not about you, 0.4, this is about us.

Vindex had been going on for the past ten minutes like that. Something about religion, and how some people didn't believe in 0.4. Whatever the case was, nobody was interested.

I knew that we'd been trapped inside by Kira, Nat, and Vindex. Problem was, for some reason, they couldn't tell I was there. I'd tried yelling at them, but the others didn't approve.

So we were stuck in a glass dome like hamsters in a cage. And the  people outside of it were too tired and too scared to look for a way to  get us out.

"Is he going to shut up already?"  Heidi groaned.

I rolled my eyes. "He'll stop when pigs fly. Which means no, never."

"You never know." Eric spoke up. "Maybe The Programmers also created pigs, and in their next Upgrade, they'll get wings."

"I can no longer tell if they're trying to bore us to death or not." Lilly muttered from the other side.

Please stop speaking, 0.4. Vindex ordered. For the sake of all Strakerites.

Wait a minute...what?

I might have been tripping over the lack of oxygen, but I was pretty sure Vindex said Strakerites.

I glanced over at Kyle, who was sitting against the back of the dome. He noticed me staring, and avoided eye contact.