Upgrade Degrade (3 page)

“I don’t think you get it. Duke Hall is one of us. He is programmed. All I have done has been programmed. And pretty soon you’ll serve your purpose, too, Alice Collins. For we are all children of Francis. Everything else is a charade. Francis has a plan and you have always been part of it.”

“You’re insane.”

“Don’t be so naïve,” he said. “I’m full of hope.”

“You’re full of the crazy.”

“I’m not the one with my ex-boyfriend’s voice in my head. That’s right—we know all about you, Alice. We know what you have done. We were just hopeful you were smarter and not an early defect in selection.”

I hit something that didn’t need to cause pain, it knocked Samuel Winter out, and that was fine with me. It made what I did next a little easier. Because if he had kept talking I might’ve done something…

Well, I still regretted what I did, ever since I walked away. I let Samuel Winter live. I chose to disappear. I didn’t know what was going on. Between Libby’s school for wannabe superheroes and Samuel Winter’s made plans of winning the presidential election, stuff didn’t make sense. Why did Francis make so many of us? Did he really have a plan? And the way Samuel Winter talked, it sounded as if he was alive still…

And how come every one of his upgrades insane? I count myself among the insane. In psychology they told us that crazy people don’t know they’re crazy. But I think some of crazy people do know. I know.

If I had been sane, I might’ve killed Samuel Winter. Only a crazy person or a complete idiot would let the villain live.

But something I had heard Duke Hall say echoed in my head. As I walked down the street, turned on a computer, or looked at a television. It’s there in red, white and blue. And I want to believe it.

We’re better than this.

THE END.

(For now…)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Daniel J. Kirk is a resident of Richmond, Virginia. He has written and published westerns, horror, and science fiction short stories throughout the digital world.

He has several ongoing series, including the urban fantasy series: THE HATCHBACK WOMAN and the alien invasion series: INVASIVE SPECIES and superhero saga: UPGRADE.

His first novel, THE FORGOTTEN PRINCESS is available now.

He can be contacted at:
[email protected]

And visit
www.brideofchaos.com
to keep up to date with new releases featuring Mr. Kirk and many more authors.

©2014 Bride of Chaos

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