Summary

In Chapter 4 of "The Lifecycle of Software Objects," Derek gets work animating for television, which feels sterile after working with the digients. However, he adopted both Marco and Polo, and he finds them endlessly interesting. The small number of remaining owners have formed an active community. For example, one member programmed software allowing the digients to build craft projects within Data Earth. Every day, Marco and Polo show Derek their projects. The digients are also learning to read; they can learn to recognize words, although they do not associate letters with sounds. Ana bought the robot body at a discount when SaruMech Toys folded, and she loans it to Derek and to other digients. Derek’s wife, Wendy, thinks he spends too much time with the digients—and also with Ana. Derek speculates that if he were not married, he would ask Ana...