Free Program 13 Book One by Nicole Sobon

snored from down the hall, reminding me of just how inhuman I’d become. I thought back to this morning, to how I started off as a useless Program, before Hayden managed to bring me back.
    This morning, I was technically dead.
    But now I’d be ending the day alive.
    And while I was more than happy to receive a second chance at life, the concept terrified me. Underneath my flesh, metal rods, and ropes of wire ran throughout, connecting to my core. Yes, my memories were intact – well, at least some of them. And yes, I might function like any other person. But even still, I knew that I didn’t belong.
    What would Colton think of me if he knew what I was? I wanted to tell him. I wanted him to see me for what I was. I wanted to be able to live my life, an honest life. The problem was that Programs weren’t welcomed with open arms in our society. And no one had even known that I’d died.
    People had their own beliefs concerning Vesta Corp, mainly conspiracy theorists. Most actually believed it was where they brought organ donors, and I supposed that was because McVeigh was rather charming when he wanted to be. But for the most part, no one quite knew what went on at Vesta Corp, or that most of the people that vanished had been turned into Programs.
    How would I even begin to explain that even though I looked human, I was actually a computer?
    I didn’t know.
    I glanced up at the gray wall, adjacent to the couch. A small, black LCD clock sat to the right of the television. Large, red numbers flashed the time: eight o’clock at night. Way past my Pod plug-in time. I could feel my Program slowing down, desperate to enter standby mode.
    Colton was sound asleep, and I didn’t see him waking anytime soon. I decided to head off to the Pod while I still had the chance. I moved from the couch slowly, making sure to avoid making too much noise. Given how heavy my new body was, any small step would echo throughout the house. And I honestly didn’t want to risk waking Colton .
    Walking into the room, I was surprised to see that there weren’t nearly as many computers as I had become accustomed to while at Vesta Corp. Next to the Pod, a small silver cart held a laptop, which connected to the back of the Pod.
    The Pod itself was a replica of the ones I used at Vesta Corp: It was white and oval shaped. A folded letter was taped to the glass window.
    Written in a neat lettering, the letter was addressed to Emile.
    It was from Hayden. I could tell by the hand-writing. I pulled the letter off the Pod’s glass door and opened it carefully.
     
    Dear Emile,
    I wish I could be there with you. I wish I knew that you were safe. But I can’t and I hope you can understand why. I miss you, Emile, and I hope to see you soon. For now, be safe.
    Love,
    Hayden
     
    I wanted to cry, but tears wouldn’t flow from my eyes. No matter how hard I tried.
    My family would now become my past. At least for now. I needed to keep them safe, and, therefore, I couldn’t see them. No matter how much it hurt. I would need to push forward and create a new life – one that didn’t involve them.
    The idea of them no longer existing to me was heart wrenching, but I didn’t have a choice.
    Did I ever?
    When Hayden brought me back, he brought me back so that I could live out the life I had lost. He didn’t bring me back so that I could spend my time moping around. He wanted me to experience everything that life had to offer, to take back what was taken from me. And yet, here I was wasting it.
    “I’m sorry Hayden,” I whispered, reaching for the latch on the Pod door.
    The door swung open, exposing the white interior. I climbed inside carefully, making sure not to bump into anything as I did. Once inside, I could feel my hard drive connecting to the port in the back. A slight clicking sound echoed throughout the Pod.
    The familiarity of the Pod, though reminiscent of my time at Vesta Corp, was comforting. It was something that I couldn’t run from, something