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"That’s not possible."
"I’m afraid so, Sir. A secondary scan of the system confirmed that Perl is no longer in the system." Another sprite appeared in the doorway, and the two conversed for a moment before the first sprite turned back. "They just checked the room she was staying in. She left this behind." He placed Perl’s keytool in Victor’s hands. "I’m sorry." With a curt nod to the others, he left the room.
"This doesn’t make any sense," Vic said, staring down at Lotus. "Why would she do this?"
"Ah don’t rightly know, sugah. Doesn’t seem t’ be any sense behind it," Mouse replied quietly.
"I can’t believe she’d do something like this. Maybe there’s something we missed. I mean, if she was planning to betray us to Daemon, why leave her keytool behind?" AndrAIa asked.
Matrix shook his head. "They’re right. She was with us the entire time, anyway, and Turing didn’t even know about Daemon until Mouse and Ray told them. Perl wouldn’t side with a virus."
"Ah’ll have t’ take yoah word for it," Victor said bleakly. "Ah’m afraid Ah hardly know her anymore."
"Still doesn’t answer the question," Ray broke in. "If she didn’t go t’ warn Daemon, what *was* she doin’?"
"I think I know." All eyes turned to Bob, who’d been silent throughout the exchange. "When we arrived at Turing, there were Guardians trying to get to the system. Daemon wanted Perl’s hacking skills. If she lets herself be captured..."
"Daemon will be distracted with organizin’ attacks on the rebel systems," Victor mused.
"Leaving us to slip in the back way," Matrix added. "it might work."
"But we’ll have to move quickly," Bob interjected. "If we wait too long, Daemon could uncover our plans and be waiting."
"Ah’ll get right on the icon problem," Mouse piped up, hopping down from the console she’d been perched on. She grabbed Matrix’s wrist as she passed. "C’mon, sugah, Ah need that icon o’ yours."
Victor shook his head as the two exited. "Ah’ll never be sure how mah brother put up with that woman..."
Ray arched an eyebrow. "Am I missin’ something here, mate?"
Victor started to reply, then saw AndrAIa grimace and shake her head sharply. "Nah," he recovered quickly. "just that Mouse an’ mah brother go aways back. Right Bob?"
"Uhh--right. You should ask her about it some time."
AndrAIa winced again. "Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t Ray and I go scout a good place to assemble all our equipment and forces for transport? We’d just be in the way of your planning anyway."
"That’s a good idea, " Bob agreed readily.
AndrAIa turned to the surfr. "Shall we?"
"Lead the way, lovely lady."
----
"So, you gonna explain that little scene back there?" Ray asked once the pair were high above the city.
"Mouse and Turbo have some history. I think she was waiting for the right time to bring it up. I guess you should probably ask her. Victor didn’t know."
Ray gave her a long glance, then nodded. "Fair enough," he said, maneuvering the board into a long, low sweep. "Think that’ll do?" He asked, pointing towards a long strip of green space bordering the energy sea.
"Looks perfect. Let’s head back and tell the others."
----
"Ah can’t do it."
"What?"
"You heard me. Ah got Matrix’s icon fixed so that it’s locked in gamesprite mode, but Ah can’t hack yours." She handed the icon back to the blue-skinned Guardian.
"How is that possible?" Matrix asked, glancing at his own--now triangular--icon. "It’s the same protocol."
"Not anymore it ain’t," the hacker said, standing from her workstation. "Near as Ah can figure, the merger with Glitch changed it somehow. It’s encrypted, and there’s no way Ah can crack it in the time we got left."
"Then you’ll have to stay here," Matrix said, looking over at Bob.
"No way. I’m not letting you guys face Daemon alone."
"Bob," Matrix said seriously, resting a hand on the Guardian’s shoulder. "She’ll be able to infect you. This is my--our life," he said, casting a glance at AndrAIa, who was watching from across the room. "But you’ve got Mainframe to get back to. Dot’s waiting for you. I can’t--"
"Dot knew what she was doing when she sent me, Enzo," he replied gently but firmly. "And I owe it to her to make sure we *all* get home safe. It’s a risk we’ll just have to take." He glanced over at Victor. "How are things going?"
"Well as can be expected. Mah people are assemblin’ our equipment now. We should be able t’ leave by next cycle."
"Good. Let’s hope Perl’s diversion works then. We’re walking in blind."
-----
Victor watched as the sprites filed out of the room, varying degrees of concern showing on their faces. He waited until Matrix passed, then called out to him. "Son, could I have a word with ya?"
The younger sprite turned, giving him a puzzled look. "Sure."
"I’ll meet up with you later," AndrAIa said, and took her leave of the pair.
"What’s up?" Matrix asked once she’d gone, unsure what the rebel leader would want to talk to him about.
"I want you ta take Perl’s keytool. Ah’m no Guardian; it’s not gonna be any use to me, and Ah know she wouldn’t leave Lotus behind without good reason." He pressed the box into the young man’s hand.
He blinked down at it for a moment. "Victor...I’m honored, but keytools won’t work for just any Guardian. I’m not sure I could even command it."
"Look, mah daughter obviously trusted you. Ah’m sure that’s good enough for Lotus." As if to confirm his words, the keytool beeped and chirped several times. "Take good care of her for Perl, would ya?"
Matrix nodded. "I will." He placed the keytool on his belt and turned to go, then thought better of it, and looked back at Victor. "Perl’s a good sprite, Victor. We had our differences but--"
The elder sprite nodded. "Ah appreciate it."
After a pause, Matrix turned and left the room.
----
"Any reply to our message?"
"No, Ma’am." Specks looked over his display. "I’m afraid some of the messages bounced. It looks like those systems went off-line sometime in the past few milliseconds."
Dot read over the information. "Those are the systems Turbo said hackers were protecting. This is not good."
Specks adjusted his glasses and looked up at the Command.Com. "There are still three systems we haven’t heard from."
Dot closed her eyes and sighed. "Let’s hope they’re out there, then." She turned away, in time to see Phong enter the room.
"You look concerned, my child. What is the news?"
"Not very good, I’m afraid," she replied. "The message has been bouncing from systems hackers were protecting. It looks as if Daemon has found away past them." She handed him a datafile.
"She is tightening her grip on the net," the old sprite replied. "Oh, dear...with the hackers defeated, she has control of most of the systems."
"What bothers me the most is that we don’t know what she wants. There’s been no message, no ultimatum... she just moves in, takes control of the system, then silence. From the information Turbo gave us, it looks as if most of the rebels don’t even know she *exists.*"
"It is a clever disguise. She uses the Guardians for protection."
"No one wants to fight against them," she mused. "It makes sense. But what will she do if she gains total control? What then?"
"Use only knows."
Dot frowned. "I think I’d rather face Megabyte again. At least we knew what *he* wanted."
"I fear Daemon represents an evil much greater than that of Megabyte. Our only hope is that Bob and the others stop her in time."
----
"What’s goin’ on?" Turbo stared down at a map of the net, watching as one by one, systems which had previously repelled Daemon’s control fell.
"Apparently, your niece is as good as her reputation claims," Elsha replied dryly.
"Ah just don’t understand it. By all accounts, she was hold up in a system without functioning ports. What in the net could have possessed her t’ just hand herself over?"
"Whatever it was, it’s given Daemon exactly what she needed. There are only a few free systems left. She’s making her final push for total control." She paused, glancing up at the Prime Guardian. "Charlie?"
"It’s a diversion."
"What?"
"Perl. She’s a diversion. Somehow, she musta hooked up with a rebel faction...maybe even Bob and his crew. She let’s Daemon capture her..."
"And the rebels strike while her attention is drawn away. But that’s insane!"
"Which is why it might just work. How long do ya think we’d be able t’ off-line perimeter security before she noticed?"
"I--I’m not sure. You think they’ll come *here?*"
"Call it a hunch. See what you can do here. Ah’m gonna go see if Ah can’t help things along." He turned and strode quickly out of the room.
Turning back to her station, Elsha brought up a vid-window. "Alert Daemon," she said to the sprite on the screen. "The rebels are on their way here."
----
"What are you doing all the way out here? We *should* be getting some down time."
"How are we supposed to sleep? In a few milliseconds, we’ll be attacking the Super Computer." Matrix turned from looking over the meager armaments they’d assembled. "I don’t know if we can win this one, AndrAIa."
The gamesprite smiled slightly. "Of course we will. Just like we beat the games and Megabyte. Have a little faith, Sparky."
He shook his head, pulling her closer and sliding an arm around her waist. "I don’t know how you can be so optimistic," he said.
"Guess it’s in my code," she replied. "Besides, brooding over it isn’t going to change anything, so why worry?" She shrugged. After a pause, she added, "It’s okay to be scared, you know. I am."
"I don’t want to lose you," he said quietly, brushing the side of her face with his hand lightly.
"You won’t. We’ll survive this, Enzo, and then we’ll go home." She kissed him lightly. "Let’s go back to the Principle Office. We’ve still got a few milliseconds before we’re supposed to meet up with the others." She pulled away, slipping her hand in his, and together they started walking back through the darkened city.
"Looks like we’re not the only ones awake," Matrix commented as they neared the front steps of the P.O.
"Hey Bob," AndrAIa called.
"What were you two doing?" The Guardian asked as they took a seat beside him on the steps.
"Looking over the equipment Script’s crew put together. It’s not much."
"I know," Bob replied. "But we obviously can’t take the Mare. It’ll have to do."
"What’s this, a picnic?" A familiar voice drawled from behind then. The trio turned to see Mouse and Ray standing at the main entrance.
"Doesn’t *anyone* sleep around here?" Bob asked.
"Apparently not," Matrix replied.
"We’re not crashin’ a party, are we?" Ray asked.
"Of course not." AndrAIa slid closer to Matrix to make room for the pair on the steps.
"Well, sure beats pacin’ ‘round indoors," Mouse commented, leaning back on her arms. "Aw, why all the long faces? In a few milliseconds, we’re gonna go whup Daemon’s behind," she grinned.
AndrAIa laughed, and playfully punched Matrix in the arm. "See? I’m right. Cheer up."
Matrix glanced from AndrAIa, to Mouse, then back again. "You two are completely random."
"They are right, you know," Bob spoke up. "We might as well enjoy ourselves while we can. Who knows when the next time we’re together like this will be."
"Well, that settles it then. So why don’t we all just sit back and relax?"
There were nods of agreement, and the five sprites all settled in to wait for the sunrise.
----
"You thought you could betray me."
Turbo made a strangled noise as tendrils constricted around him painfully. His heart was heavy, knowing that everything he had worked for was destroyed. The Guardians had hauled him before Daemon not long after his meeting with Elsha, and he cursed himself inwardly for not realizing his friend had succumbed to the infection at last.
"Your resistance amuses me." Daemon’s eyes narrowed. "Did you truly think you could defeat me?" She hissed, and the tendrils drew him closer. "Did you really think you could win?"
He gritted his teeth and said nothing, taking in, instead, the changes in the viral woman before him. She seemed rooted in place, the long thin viral tendrils winding themselves around her body, all but obscuring her form from the shoulders down. Only her face seemed animate, and her voice has gone cold and hollow. Whatever had overtaken the sprite Daemon had once been seemed to be strengthening its grip on her, devouring her slowly, just as she devoured systems. The sight was at once horrific and strangely compelling, the free tendrils undulating and pulsing with her every word.
"Answer me!" The virus roared, and he was yanked even closer, suspended mere inches away.
"Y--you’ll never win, Brenna," he choked out.
"Liar," she hissed, and tossed the Guardian against a wall, where he lay motionless. "Have him stasis-locked," she said to the guards at the door to the room. "We can’t allow him to interfere further."
Silently, the two sprites complied, dragging the still form of the Prime Guardian from the room.
----
"There had t’ be an easier way of gettin’ hold of a tear for the portal," Mouse commented as she steered Ship in a long arc over the energy sea, nearing in on the tear that bobbed below them, sending out sporadic bursts of light. "Last time Ah tried this stunt, Ah was nearly deleted. Seems like that was hours ago now... before this mess started." Her expression turned unhappy, suddenly, causing Ray to arch an eyebrow at her.
"Somethin’ up, luv?"
"Nah... well, just wonderin’ how much of all o’ this is mah fault."
"Now you’ve got me confused," her companion replied.
"It’s a long story, sugah. Ah did a few things Ah probably shouldn't have, an’ made life a whole lot more difficult for the Mainframers." She brought Ship to a halt above the tear. "We ain’t got time for it now. Can you hold her steady while Ah take care of this?"
"Sure thing." He took the controls, and frowned slightly as Mouse headed towards the cargo doors. For the first time, his lover’s tight-lipped policy towards discussing what had happened before he’d arrived in Mainframe was starting to bother him. Something was going on, and he seemed to be the only one in the dark. Pushing away the thoughts, he concentrated on holding Ship in place while Mouse worked to contain the tear.
----
"What’s taking so long?" Matrix growled in frustration, pacing back in forth in front of one of the CPU tanks assembled in the park. Script’s troops were milling about, talking amongst themselves in hushed voices as they all waited apprehensively for Mouse and Ray to return with the captured tear.
"The energy sea is a big place, Sparky. Maybe they had trouble finding one." AndrAIa laughed a little. "Try not to be so impatient. They’ll get back soon enough, and Daemon’s not going anywhere."
"I...just worry about her reaching Mainframe. We should have left someone behind to defend it." He glanced over to where Bob was talking with Victor.
"I’m sure Dot can handle it. Besides, there’s no evidence that Daemon’s harmed any of the systems she’s captured. Without Guardian protocols, she can’t infect them, and barring everything else, Hex is still there."
"Great. The fate of the system resting on the shoulders of a chaos virus," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Excuse me if I’m less than reassured."
"Oh, come off it. She’s not all that bad once you get to know her. She’s actually pretty funny."
"You’ve been talking to her? What--no, forget it I don’t think I want to--" He was cut off as an anxious murmur rippled through crowd. A moment later, Ship appeared overhead, towing the contained tear behind it. "Guess it’s show time."
"Looks like." She put a hand on his arm. "Enzo...before we do this..." She paused, a lopsided smile on her face as she looked into his eyes. "I love you, so be careful, okay?"
He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, lacing his fingers through hers. "I love you too."
At the center of the assembly, the pulsating tear transformed into a large, shimmering portal, the spires of the Super Computer reflecting from beyond it.
"Well, here goes nothing."
----
"Ma’am?"
Dot jerked her head up off her desk and rubbed her eyes, putting her glasses back on. Specks was standing in the doorway of her office. "What’s going on? Did something happen?"
"We got a reply from the final system," he replied. The tone of his voice made her heart sink.
"Did we find them?"
"They were there," he confirmed. "But the message came in too late. We just missed them."
"Missed..." She trailed off, thoughts warring with one another.
"Ma’am... they never got the message. They’ve already left for the Super Computer."
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