|
|
There was a strange beauty to tears; the way they flashed, sparked, revolved, changing rotation every split-nano. It was a mesmerising effect. Bob would usually watch tears for a little while before repairing them, feeling the sheer energy as it bathed him in its flickering light; as though he could somehow absorb that energy for himself.
This time, however, Bob felt nothing but frustration as he watched Megabyte’s captured tear spit and hiss in its prison. He had a vague idea of what he had to do, but he wasn’t sure it would work. And with the PO under the guns of the ABC’s, ready to fire on Megabyte's command should he screw up, the Guardian found himself wondering just how in the Net he was going to pull this off - and save everyone to boot.
"I'm waiting, Guardian."
"I want your word on this, Megabyte. I give you the portal, you call off your ABC’s and let - " he paused for a nano, as if searching for the right term - "my friend - go."
"Yes, yes, yes," the virus answered, waving a hand dismissively. He stood at the bottom of the ramp with the Guardian, Hack and Slash not far away with his captive.
"Megabyte!"
"Very well. You have my word."
Bob steeled himself. This had better work, he mused, as he raised his keytool to face the tear.
"Glitch - portal!"
* * *
"Easy as she goes, Specky - if they sense a power buildup we're history. We just need enough power for the forward shields. Are the CPU's standing by?"
"Yes sir- ma'am."
Dot tapped her screen anxiously. She had to time this just right - just as the power levels peaked...
* * *
The random chaos of the tear dissolved, leaving in its place a shining globe that reflected its destination.
"The SuperComputer!" Megabyte breathed, his eyes widening.
"The deal, Megabyte," Bob cut in, not wanting the virus to glean any more pleasure from the experience than was necessary. "Let her go."
Megabyte gestured with a nod to Hack and Slash, and they released the Guardian’s doppelganger. She snatched her arms away from their grip, glaring at them before she moved to approach Bob.
"And now, Guardian... I thank you for your time."
Bob frowned at the virus as he walked past him, towards the portal. He couldn't help but ask.
"Megabyte - why? Why go to so much trouble? Why did you create her?"
Megabyte stopped, and turned to look at the Guardian.
"Why? Why, indeed. Perhaps it was simply to see the look on your face when I did *this* - "
Time seemed to slow down for Bob as, in one swift movement, the virus swiveled, claws extended, and -
"NO!"
There was no time -
-a gasp -
Silence.
Bob was too shocked to move. His double was staring into Megabyte’s face, every muscle in her face registering pain and horror. A single claw protruded from her back, having penetrated her chest dead centre. Slowly she looked down, then up at Bob, a confused expression on her face.
"Bob...?" she whispered.
The virus retracted his claw, leering at Bob as she collapsed to the floor, her slumped form flickering.
"Yes... I rather thought I would enjoy that," he mused.
It was all Bob could do not to respond, his hands balling into fists in an attempt to control his rage as Megabyte turned, and strode towards the portal. *Not yet...* he thought. *Let him go, then you can help her.*
Despite his anger, he focused his attention on the virus, waiting for the right moment -
*Now.*
* * *
"Now!"
Dot hit the controls, and mentally counted down. "Five... four... three..."
"ARGH!"
Lt. Chauncey turned to the viral binome beside him, who had just thrown his headphones off and was clutching his head in pain.
"What is it?"
"Feedback, sir!" the binome winced, "can't... monitor..."
"Sir! Our sensors have gone offline! They can't handle the frequency!"
"Those rebel scum..." he growled. "Prepare to fire!"
"We can't lock on! Too much interference!"
"...one. Here goes. Specky, get me those shields! Squadron Alpha! Move in on those ABC's!"
"Yes, sir - ma’am!"
"Now we either win or get shot to pieces," she murmured, then looked to the vidwindow. "Bob... I hope you've got your ASCII covered over there."
* * *
Just as the virus crossed the threshold of the portal, Bob sprang into action.
"Glitch - collapse portal!"
The keytool chirruped, and sent out a narrow beam to the globe, forcing the portal to shrink, then pop into thin air. With Megabyte gone for now, the Guardian used the opportunity to dash over to his counterpart.
"Hey..." he said softly, seeing her move slightly. Her eyes were open, but she was still flickering, energy bleeding from the open wound in her chest. Gently he moved to lift her, to take her away from the Tor, get her medical attention, but he found her resisting him, pushing against his shoulders with her hands. It was a weak effort, but an insistent one.
"Come on, I have to get you out of here!" he urged. She shook her head weakly, pushed him away again.
"No," she rasped, "leave me. Leave me alone."
Bob looked exasperated. "This is no time for being stubborn! You’ll die if we don't get you to the Principal Office!"
She simply looked at him. Bob met her pained gaze, then realised. She *wanted* to die.
* * *
The CPU’s took their chance, and as the Principal Office’s forward shields came online, they began pummeling the ABC’s with rapid fire, running rings around the temporarily incapacitated enemy.
Dot exhaled, not realising she’d been holding her breath.
"Bring them down!" she ordered.
* * *
Bob's stomach turned. He shook his head defiantly. "No... no! I can't let you die!"
"Please - "
"No!"
"Please, Bob. I’ve never asked anything of you. Just do this one thing for me. Let me go. I’ve no desire to live like this."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"I’m sorry. I can’t. It’s against my code."
He lifted her gently into his arms, despite her increasingly strained protests.
"Crash it, leave me!" she cried, pummeling his duty armour, the strength draining her all the more. She winced, convulsed, fresh pain coursing through her body as Bob stepped onto his zipboard.
"Save your energy," he said, as he flashed a warning glare at Hack and Slash, who wisely kept their distance.
"I’ll never forgive you for this, Bob," she said hoarsely, a look of pure hatred darkening her pained features.
"Better get in line," he murmured in reply, as he took her out of the Tor.
* * *
"Specky! Report!"
"Three ABC’s down, ma’am. The others have been incapacitated or are retreating."
Dot allowed herself a smile of satisfaction before getting back to the task at hand. "Any news from Bob?"
Just as she said it, a vidwindow popped open in the war room. "Bob!"
"Dot! Phong! Get the medlab ready! Hurry!"
"What - " Dot started.
"It's -" he trailed off, uncomfortable using his own name for his female counterpart. "It's my double," he finished. "I’m bringing her in - she's hurt - badly!"
Dot exchanged looks with Phong. Bob noticed their hesitation.
"Guys! Come on! She's not viral! I'll vouch for her! Please! She'll die if we don't do something!"
Dot nodded at Phong, who inclined his head in acknowledgement and left the war room for the medlab.
"Bob - what happened with Megabyte?"
The Guardian allowed himself a smirk. "I gave him a one-way trip to Lost Angles," he replied. "I used an archived image to fake a view of the SuperComputer. As soon as he crossed the threshold, I closed the portal - by the time he realises, it'll be too late."
Dot looked relieved as she returned the smile.
"Well done, Bob. Will... will she be OK?"
"I don’t know, Dot."
* * *
"How is she, Phong?"
"I have done all I can for her injuries, my son. I cannot vouch for her mental state, however."
Bob glanced into the medlab through the plexiglass. His double was sitting at a table, head resting in one hand, staring into space. He sighed, living the moments in the Tor over again.
"I'm going to try and talk to her," he said. "Thanks, Phong."
The sprite nodded, and trundled away. Bob took a deep breath, and opened the door. He wasn't surprised that she didn't react to his entrance.
"Hey," he said, walking up and sitting across from her at the table. She didn’t look up, her brown eyes fixated on the tabletop. They sat in silence for several nanos, Bob uncertain what to say, his double reluctant to even acknowledge his presence. Her face was drawn, pale; dark circles beneath her dark eyes.
He thought he had the right words, when -
WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.
He cursed inwardly, and stood up from the table as the sky outside turned purple once more.
"I'll be back later," he said to the sultry sprite, and turned to leave the room.
"I meant what I said, Bob."
The Guardian glanced back at her, surprised. She was actually looking at him now, a hard, cold stare that betrayed no sign of familiarity.
"You said you wouldn't forgive me," he replied carefully.
"All you had to do was walk away! But you couldn't even do that!"
She was crying now, every intake of breath punctuated by a stab of pain in her chest. Bob broke eye contact.
"I'm sorry," he said, and he meant it. "But I couldn't go against my code."
"I hate you, Bob."
He looked faintly shocked.
"Look, I know you're upset, but - "
"What am I supposed to do here?" she spat. "Be another Guardian? You know as well as I do that this place doesn't need two Guardians, much less a copy of you."
"That's not true."
"Get out. Go play your Game."
She buried her face in her hands. He reached out, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Get off me." She wrestled away from him. He withdrew, hurt. Then he remembered. The Game.
"I *will* be back later. Like it or not," he said, not willing to let her get to him.
"Suit yourself," she shrugged, wiping her face absently with the back of her hand. He sighed, and left the room.
Dot was waiting for him as he left the medlab. Her expression turned to one of concern as she saw his face.
"Bob? Is she OK?"
He turned, and gazed back into the room briefly. Dot followed his gaze, saw the sullen sprite idly scratching at the tabletop.
"To be honest, Dot... I don't think she is. I don't know if she'll *ever* be all right."
Dot gently laid a hand on his arm. "Come on, Bob. Let’s go kick some User ASCII. Take your mind off things. She'll come around." She glanced in once more at the doppelganger. "Time is the great healer, right?"
Bob blew out his cheeks as the two headed out of the medical facility.
"I hope you're right, Dot. I hope you're right."
In the medlab, Bob's twin lifted her head briefly to spot the two sprites outside heading towards the Game. Beneath her fingernails, the tabletop bore five small, scrawled letters:
A d e n a.
End