Aftermath: Daemon's Chosen
By: LadyBard
Chapter 15 - Malicious Intent
The present
Matrix kept a safe
distance at the rear of the crowd and allowed his eyes to scan the circular
room. The air was thick with the cloying scent of narcotic smoke and unwashed
bodies.
He stood in a raised
platform that surrounded the sunken fighting pit. Most spectators stood around
the rim while a select few who had the money and power sat in ordinate chairs
on a raised dais. One of the people who held this coveted position was the
mercenary Flame.
Sprites taking wagers
moved through the crowd. One approached Matrix who immediately retreated when
Matrix glared at him. They disappeared down a long tunnel to Matrix’s left,
where Matrix supposed the money changed hands.
Matrix wasn’t concerned
with any of it. He moved between the raging throng and for a moment the bodies
parted and he witnessed the carnage within the hole. Flame sat on her makeshift
throne and cheered and Matrix figured she had a lot of money wagered. What
puzzled him was Bob had said she was competing, not that she was one of the
spectators. The crowd had quieted somewhat. Matrix assumed the fight was over.
Matrix finally found
himself beside the dais. A brutish sprite stood guard, his arms crossed over
his bare torso. He wasn’t as tall or bulky as Matrix, but the former renegade
could see the power within his compact frame. He made no indication that he
noticed Matrix was there.
“Flame,” Matrix said.
The man raised an
eyebrow, “Who are you?”
“Mind your business,”
Matrix said, “I want to talk to Flame, now.”
“Well then,” the man
reached behind the dais and took up a wicked looking war hammer, “You’ll talk
to me first.”
“Gun,” Matrix raised his
formidable weapon.
“No there’s no need for
that.”
Matrix looked up at the
sound of the voice. The woman who leaned over the dais was not attractive in
the slightest. Her burgundy skin was marred by dozens of scars. She had small
mean-looking eyes and a pinched mouth. Her nose was set at an odd angle, broken
more than once, Matrix surmised.
“Well, well,” she ran her
tongue over her lips, “Aren’t you a big fella? You here to fight for me
handsome?”
“I’m looking for another
mercenary,” Matrix said. “Is there someplace we can talk in private?”
“If you like,” Flame
said. “Cracker?”
The brutish sprite laid
down his hammer and helped Flame down.
“Follow me tall, green
and luscious,” she said.
Matrix grunted his reply.
Flame led him down the hall he had observed earlier, past betting cages and
closed doors. One she opened with a keycard. Stairs ascended into darkness.
Matrix’s infrared revealed a door at the top.
“Guard the door,
Cracker.”
“You got it, Flame.”
Matrix didn’t know what
to expect when Flame opened the door but the richly furnished room wasn’t it.
Flame closed and locked the door behind them.
“Now then,” she walked
over to a sideboard and poured two glasses of wine, “shall we begin?”
“You can begin by telling
me where I can find Raven.”
He could see the change
in her stanch. Her shoulders stiffened and she had the glasses in a
white-knuckle grip. Matrix thought she might break the stems.
“I see,” Flame made a
vain attempt to relax, “So which one of your relatives did he delete?”
Now it was Matrix who
tensed, “He didn’t delete anyone. He kidnapped them.”
“Same thing,” she
approached him and offered the wine glass.
“No,” Matrix said. “Do
you know where he is?”
“I might,” Flame said,
“What’s in it for me?”
“What do you want?”
She licked her lips
again, “How about a tumble?”
Matrix didn’t have time
for this. Gun flew into his grasp and was pointed at Flame, “How about I let
you live?”
“Now, now, let’s not get
testy,” Flame said, “Besides the fact that you’d never get out of here alive if
you deleted me.”
“You’d be surprised at
what I can do,” Matrix smiled. Flame shuddered.
“That’s what I’d like to
know,” Flame said. “You seem to think you’re in control here, but I’m the one
holding the winning hand. You could delete me if you like but you’d never find
out where Raven is.”
“I’m sure someone else
knows. You probably don’t anyway.”
“I may or may not, do you
want to chance it that I do and you’ve deleted me?” Flame said. “And how much
time do you have to find someone else? The longer this person is with Raven the
shorter his processing will be.”
She leaned back and
sipped the wine, “So, let’s deal shall we?”
Matrix holstered Gun, “I
happen to be married with a daughter and a baby on the way.”
“What’s your point?”
Matrix glared in disgust
at her.
“All right,” Flame said,
“There is one thing you can do for me.”
“And that is?”
“Fight in the pit,” she
said. “Once and only once. An opponent of my choosing. I’m going to make the
largest bet imaginable. If you win, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“And if I lose I’m
deleted.”
“Basically,” Flame said,
“I hope you can fight bare handed. They don’t allow guns in the pit.”
“Don’t you worry about
that,” Matrix said. “You want to tell me about my opponent?”
“Now that would spoil all
the fun. I will tell you that he’s never been defeated.”
“Perfect,” Matrix said,
“When?”
“The next fight starts in
a millisecond. So do we have a deal?”
For Enzo, Matrix thought.
“Yes.”
* * *
Seven hours into the
past.
“Dot, get up now!”
Dot struggled to pull
herself from the warm darkness. The voice that had screamed within her
processor sounded terribly familiar. She could just ignore it and drift deeper
into that place.
“Dot! You must get up.
Enzo, Ronnie, the baby!”
Dot’s eyes opened and she
immediately began to cough from the thick smoke that filled the Diner. The
memory returned. The transport careening to a halt, the flash of white light,
the explosion, the wave of heat and then darkness.
The Diner was burning
down around her.
Enzo, Ronnie, and Baby
Dot were still upstairs. Dot forced herself to move towards the back. Her eyes
and lungs burned as she half stumbled half crawled away from the merciless
flames.
From somewhere far away,
she heard a siren but she knew they’d never get there in time. Dot stayed low
and crawled up the back stairs. The door was open -- maybe they had gotten out?
Dot didn’t want to take the chance. The smoke wasn’t as bad in the apartment,
“Enzo? Ronnie?” She checked both rooms and was thankful they had gotten out.
Now she had to give herself out!
She stumbled to the front
door outside, dashed down the stairs and ran around to the front of the Diner –
then stopped cold.
“Dot!”
Dot stared in mute horror
at the scene before her. Captain Syn, holding a laser pistol to Enzo’s head.
Five other heavily armed sprites stood nearby, two held weapons on Ronnie and
the baby.
“No!” Dot screamed,
lunging for Syn, not seeing the sixth sprite until it was too late. Something
slammed down hard on the back of her skull. Then there was pain and darkness
again.
* * *
The malicious tittering
woke Dot from her forced sleep. Her brow furrowed from the pain radiating from
the back of her skull. The world around her slowly came into focus.
From what she could
gather she was in a basement somewhere. Her first guess would be Level 31. The
room was semi-dark, stacked with crates of various sizes, with exposed pipes in
the ceiling and walls.
It was to one of these
pipes that ran horizontally along the wall that Dot realized she had been tied.
How long she had been
standing there, bound by both her wrists above her head, she wasn’t sure. The
six sprites (damn it all, why hadn’t she seen the sixth one?) were lounging
around against or on top of the crates. Two were engaged in a card game.
Captain Syn was leaning back in a rickety old chair, apparently dozing.
Then she saw Enzo and
Ronnie.
They were both sitting
against a crate, their hands bound and someone had stuffed an oily rag into
Enzo’s mouth.
“He was getting on my
nerves.”
Syn was now awake and
staring at her.
“You sorry piece of null
fodder.”
“Better mind your
manners, Ms. Matrix,” Syn spat, “You’re not exactly high on my list right now.”
Dot looked at Ronnie,
“Where’s the baby?”
“I--” Ronnie had never
looked so stricken. “I don’t know. They took her away.”
“Syn,” Dot glared
hatefully at him, “If you’ve hurt that baby – if anything happens--”
“I’d be more worried about
what happens to you,” Syn approached her. He moistened his lips and stared
lecherously at her. “Your Guardians ain’t here to protect you. You’d better be
real nice to me if you want to live.”
“Syn, where’s the baby?”
“Don’t you worry none
about the brat. She’s fine for now.”
“Please,” Ronnie begged
from across the room, “Let me see my baby.”
Syn didn’t even look at
Ronnie, “Now you’re gonna do something for me Ms. Matrix.”
“And that is?”
“You’re gonna call that
old coot in the Principal Office and have him get your Guardian here.”
“So I’m the bait in a
trap for Bob?” Dot said, “Not very original, Syn.”
“It’ll work,” Syn grinned
with his rotted teeth, “If they want to see you – Syn motioned to Ronnie and
Enzo – those two and the baby alive again.”
“No!” Ronnie screamed,
“Oh please, not my baby!”
“Do what you want to me
Syn,” Dot said, “But leave them out of this. This is between you and me. I’m
the one who humiliated you.”
“Yeah, you did,” Syn
growled pushing his face close to Dot’s, “And I’ll get back at you for that in
my own way.”
Syn turned away, “Get
that old fart in the Principal Office on a vid-window.”
The moment the window
came open and Phong answered the call, Dot screamed, “Phong!”
“Dot? My User! What has
happened?”
Syn stepped in front of
the window, “You’ll be talking to me, old man.”
“Captain Syn,” Phong said
darkly, “What is the meaning of this?”
“Getting senile in your
old age? This is a request to have the Prime Guardian join us. You know the
drill. Get him here in two milliseconds or well --,”
“You will not harm her!”
Phong warned.
“Not just her,” Syn
switched the vid-window to double-sided. “The baby is here too.”
“Not even you could be
that calloused and cruel,” Phong said.
“Don’t push me old man.
Get the Prime Guardian here now. I’ll contact you in two milliseconds and no
funny stuff or rescue missions. And you tell that renegade brother of hers not
to try anything either, understand?”
“Yes, understood,” Phong
said. “Now you understand this, my son. Hurt any one of those sprites and I
will be forced to delete you.”
The vid-window closed.
Syn snorted, “Big talk from a senile old man.”
“You don’t know Phong,”
Dot said.
Syn turned back to her,
“Now I wonder how we can make those two milliseconds go faster?”
“Syn!”
The captain turned
abruptly. A dwarfish sprite, followed by two other sprites and a binome strode
up, “What in the net do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you mean? You
wanted Dot Matrix I got her for you. I’ve already been in contact with Phong--”
“You basic idiot! You
could have used her to get into the Principal Office and caught the old sprite
unawares! Now he knows all about you. We’ve lost the element of surprise!”
Syn looked completely
taken aback, “I – I thought this is what you wanted. I told them to have the
Prime Guardian here in two milliseconds. Besides, I wasn’t about to face that
renegade.”
“Yes,” Dot smirked, “I’m
looking forward to watching Matrix break your spine in half.”
“Shut up!”
“What’s the matter, Syn?”
The dwarf said, “You’re not afraid of the renegade, are you? There is no room
for cowards with the Chosen.”
“So I take it, you are
the leader here?” Dot addressed the dwarf.
“Ripper at your service,
Ms. Matrix,” Ripper inclined his head. “I’ve been wanting to meet the woman who
defeated General Ashar. You are quite impressive.”
Dot ignored his words,
“Syn took Ronnie’s infant. Where is it?”
“The baby too?” Ripper
looked at Syn with something akin to respect, “Maybe there’s a place for you in
the Chosen after all and perhaps we can make this plan of your work Syn.”
Syn looked inordinately
pleased, “See!” He pointed a pudgy finger at Dot. “I told you I’d get back at
you!”
“You haven’t done
anything yet,” Dot said.
“Not yet,” Syn was
leering at her again.
“You want her, Syn?” Ripper
said, “Well I’m certainly not going to stop you. Might be fun to watch.”
Syn took a step towards
her but halted when from across the room, Enzo started screaming around his
gag. Syn turned and walked over to him. “I’ve got a score to settle with you
too, Little Freak!”
Syn yanked Enzo up by his
collar and swung a meaty fist to strike him across the temple.
“No!” Dot screamed, as
she struggled against her bonds, “Syn don’t you touch him again! Do you hear
me? I’ll delete you myself!”
Syn reached for Enzo
again and in a desperate act, Dot changed her tactic, “Syn! Why are you
bothering with him anyway? I thought we had unfinished business?”
Syn paused. He lowered
Enzo to the floor, “What?”
“Why are you wasting time
with a little boy? That’s not what you really want is it?” Dot purred.
Syn moved carefully
towards her. “No.”
“I’m tied up and
helpless,” Dot said, “And you have an audience. Don’t you want them to know how
a real man does it?”
Syn was standing before
her now. “I always knew you wanted me.”
“Well?” Dot said.
Syn grabbed her by the
back of her neck.
Dot smiled sweetly at him
and rammed her knee into his groin.
Syn gave a sort of
strangled whine, like a newborn kitten and pitched onto his side.
The other gathered
members of Daemon’s Chosen burst out laughing.
“Well done, Ms. Matrix,”
Ripper said, applauding. “I like a woman with fire.”
“If you want to end up
like Syn, come a little closer,” Dot hissed.
“Oh you won’t do anything
to me,” Ripper’s voice was dangerous. “Unlike Syn I have no qualms about
shooting certain sprites between the eyes.”
Ripper looked down at
Syn, “Somebody get him out of here.”
Two of the sprites helped
Syn up and half dragged him away.
“There will be plenty of
time to get to know each other Ms. Matrix,” Ripper said, “For now, we await
your true love. He’s the real objective after all.”
“You won’t get him that
easy.”
“Oh it will be quite
easy. You see that was Dariem’s problem. He was too honorable.”
“His – name – is – Bob,”
Dot enunciated every word, “Don’t forget that.”
“It doesn’t matter what
his name is, you’re all going to be deleted anyway. So enjoy your last few
milliseconds of processing.”
“You won’t get away with
this!” Dot yelled as Ripper walked away. She looked at Enzo and Ronnie and
thought of the baby. She had to do something. She wasn’t going to give up yet.
* * *
Phong watched Matrix pace
through the War Room. The venerable sprite was again trying to make contact
with Super Computer. If they couldn’t, it would be up to Hexadecimal to try and
open a portal. They didn’t have much time.
“Matrix, my son, please
calm yourself,” Phong said.
“Calm myself?” Matrix
threw his hands up in frustration, “How can I be calm? That son of a virus has
Dot!”
Hexadecimal, who was
sitting across the room, holding Melissa in her lap cleared her throat loudly.
“Oh--” Matrix said,
“Sorry Hex – nothing personal.”
“Yes,” Hex said sounding
rather putout. “Any luck, Phong?”
Phong leaned over the
console, “AndrAIa?”
AndrAIa was poking around
the inner workings of the console trying to boost power, “Give me a nano and
I’ll let you know.”
The game sprite climbed
to her feet and walked over to one of the workstations and began programming,
“I’m going to tap into the core energy and divert it to the portal generator.
Think the boost will help, Hex?”
“Immensely,” Hex smiled.
“You’ll lend me your power, my sweet treasure?”
“Yes,” Melissa said, “I
hope Enzo is all right.”
“Don’t worry Melissa,”
Matrix said, surprising everyone in the room, “We’ll get him back.”
Phong nodded his
approval, “Then let us hurry to the Portal Generator and let us all pray to the
User that we succeed.”
* * *
“Prime Guardian, what are
you doing here this early?” Rule stepped into the office.
Bob clutched at his
stomach, “I wasn’t feeling to well, so I figured since it will be dawn soon,
I’ll get a leg up on some paperwork.”
“Listen,” Rule smiled,
“It doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe the storm passed. I hope to call my parents
soon. I know they’re worried.”
“Try it now. I’m sure
they won’t mind.
“Thank you,” Rule said,
“Um sir, are you all right?”
“Well I could use an
antacid,” Bob said. “Must have been that five alarm chili of mine.”
“I have some in my desk,”
Rule said.
Bob sighed with relief;
glad the storm seemed to be passing. He had been worrying himself, about his
friends in Mainframe and at the factory. He had received a garbled message from
Mouse and Ray about AndrAIa and a portal appearing but then communications had
cut out again.
To make matters worse, he
had been up all night with nausea. Plus, he was pretty certain he had a fever.
He hoped he wasn’t coming down with the stomach flu or something. That was all
he needed.
Rule re-entered his
office. “Here you go sir. Um – I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds Prime
Guardian, sir, you look rather flushed.”
“I think I have a fever,”
Bob said.
“It’s probably the flu
from being out in that weather. Why don’t I make you some tea?”
“Thank you, Rule,” Bob
said. “Maybe I’ll nap a bit.” Bob put his head down on his desk.
The next thing he knew
Rule was shaking him awake, “Prime Guardian!”
“Yes – what?”
“An urgent message from
Mainframe, sir!”
Bob activated the
vid-window. The picture was still distorted somewhat but Bob could make out Phong’s
worried face. “Phong?”
“Oh Bob! Thank the User!
You must – to Mainframe – have Dot--”
“What?” Bob said, “Phong,
you’re breaking up. Rule, try and increase the power.”
The picture distorted
wildly for a moment, then Phong’s voice came through loud and clear, “Daemon’s
Chosen have taken Dot!”
Bob’s world shattered,
“No! No it can’t be!”
“Must return – two
milliseconds – time running out – portal.”
“I read you Phong!” Bob
said, “I’m on my way to the portal generator room now.”
“Hurry Bob! We will be
waiting.”
The window closed, “Prime
Guardian?” Rule said.
“Contact Katiyana and
tell her where I’ve gone. She’s to assume control until I’ve returned,” Bob was
already running from the room.
* * *
“Come on, come on, what’s
taking so blasted long!” Bob said.
“We’re trying to increase
the power now,” Zif said. The Chief of Operations had been called when the
technicians had been unable to get the generator to work. “We’ll get you there,
I promise.”
“Dot,” Bob whispered. They
had better not have laid a finger on her!
The portal came to life.
“Good luck, Prime
Guardian!”
Bob stepped through the
portal and could sense the energy was unstable. No more portal travel would be
possible until the storm was completely over. Then he was on the other side and
Matrix and AndrAIa was waiting for him.
“Bob!” Matrix said.
“What happened? Where’s
Dot?”
“Come on,” AndrAIa
started away and Bob hastened to follow, “Daemon’s Chosen have her. Captain Syn
is one of them.”
“Captain Syn is a member
of Daemon’s Chosen?” It was too incredible to believe.
“Yes, and they’ve given
us two milliseconds to bring you here,” Matrix said. “And time was up twenty
nanos ago.”
As they entered the War
Room they found Phong at a vid-window. Bob had never seen the dwarf before, but
Captain Syn was in the background holding a laser pistol on Dot, who was tied
by her wrists to an exposed pipe.
“Was Captain Syn not
clear, old man? The Prime Guardian in two milliseconds or Ms. Matrix dies.”
“I’m here!” Bob strode
forward, “Let her go, you miserable sons of nulls.”
“Just her?” The dwarf
smirked, “What about the others?”
The vid-window rotated to
the left to reveal Enzo and Ronnie Lore.
“Enzo,” Bob’s voice was
an agonized whisper, “What do you want?”
“Why you, my dear General
Dariem,” the dwarf was tremendously pleased with himself. “Alone, on Level 31.
Behind Al’s Wait and Eat. You’ll be contacted then, and please Prime Guardian,
no rescue attempts, or tricks, or having Matrix back you up. The baby is here
too, hidden, and I have no qualms about deleting it, understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” Bob
spat, “I’m on my way. I should be there in ten micros.”
“Very good,” and the
vid-window closed.
The questions started
immediately.
“Bob you’re not going
alone are you?”
“You’re really going to
do it?”
“Is it wise, my son?”
“Let me back you up,”
Matrix said, “They’ll never know I’m there.”
“No,” Bob donned his
Glitch armor, “You heard what they said, any tricks and they’ll hurt the
hostages. I have to go alone.”
“Bob – please,” Matrix
whispered.
Bob placed his hands on
Matrix’s shoulders, “Don’t worry Matrix, I promise I won’t fail.”
“We will be watching your
every move, my son,” Phong said. “Good luck to you and may the User protect
you.”
* * *
By the time Bob reached
Sector 31 he felt awful. His skin was clammy, his body feverish and his stomach
roiled unmercifully. Yet he pushed himself on. Dot and the others were counting
on him.
WARNING: INCOMING GAME
“No!” Bob hissed, “Not
now.” Then he realized it was going to land right where he was supposed to be.
Would they allow him to
finish the game? Surely they knew that if he didn’t they’d all be nullified. He
would have to wait until the Chosen’s representative met him then hope he was
allowed him to finish the game. If not they were all deleted sprites.
The cube slammed down
with an ominous finality.
* * *
“Where do you cowards
think you’re going?” Ripper demanded.
Four of the six sprites
were heading for the door.
“That’s a game cube,
Ripper, I’m not staying for that!” One of them tossed the remark over his
shoulder.
“Cowards! You are banned
from the Chosen!” Ripper screamed. “And what of you Syn?”
Syn, having recovered
somewhat from his injury, said. “I go to meet the Guardian,”
“And you two?” He said of
the remaining.
“For the Glory of
Daemon!” One of them said.
“Good,” Ripper said, “I
am glad I have a few loyal comrades left.”
“Ripper!” Dot said, “Let
Enzo, Ronnie and the baby get clear of the cube! If Bob doesn’t make it in time
--,”
“He will and you know he
will,” Ripper said, “He doesn’t want to see any of you nullified either.”
When the field passed
over them, the room abruptly changed. No longer were they in a basement
storeroom, but a forbidding dungeon. Oily torches burned in scones on walls
coated in slime. The exposed pipes became wood timbers. The crates treasure
chests. Dot now found herself tied to a wooden wheel, etched with archaic
symbols.
“Fascinating,” Ripper
said, “This is not the first game I’ve been in though, yet it amazes me every
time.”
Ripper approached Dot,
“Syn, do you think you could find your way up to the Prime Guardian?”
“Yes.”
“You had better reboot,”
Dot warned.
Syn ignored her and kept
walking.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn
you,” Dot muttered.
“Not a bad idea,” Ripper
said, “I believe this is the way one does it?”
Ripper tapped his icon,
“Reboot.”
The greenish glow
enveloped him and he found himself in a plain brown tunic and pants, with a
leather belt around his waist and a small dagger in a sheath.
“Well this isn’t very
flamboyant,” Ripper said. “Let’s see what you come up with, Ms. Matrix.”
Ripper went to reach for
her and must have noticed Dot’s look, “Keep the laser pistol on her brother. If
she does anything, shoot him between the eyes.”
Dot’s teeth ground as
Ripper reached over and tapped her icon, “Reboot.”
Dot closed her eyes
against the light and when she opened them –
Ripper was giving her a
look even worse than Syn’s. Dot looked down and saw she wore nothing more than
a leather loincloth and halter.
“How sweet,” Ripper ran a
finger along the edge of the halter.
Dot recoiled from his
abhorrent touch as bile rose in her throat.
“Maybe I’ll just have my
revenge on you, hmm?” Ripper smiled evilly, “For your sake, your Guardian had
better come soon.”
* * *
Bob knew the game, Spire
of Infinity. The object was simple. You started at the top of the tower and
worked your way down to the bottom and rescued the sacrifice that the owner of
the tower, an evil necromancer, was going to use in a dark ritual. Each floor
of the tower had greater dangers. Bob rebooted into an armor-clad warrior, with
a glowing broadsword and four daggers in a sheath across his chest.
Bob knew he was not up to
his full power. He felt lightheaded and ready to vomit. Still he forced himself
to wait a few more precious nanos for the Chosen’s contact. He knew the User
was stuck on the floor below him. He had to get to him before it was too late.
When he sensed the User
moving, Bob entered the Tower, hoping to both stop the User, end the game and
get to Dot before the Chosen decided Bob had double crossed them.
Bob made it to the second
level, missed the User taking the door to the third by a nano and was trapped
having to solve several complex riddles. He dashed from the room, dodging traps
and game sprites, but missed the User again on the third level when he was
seized with agonizing muscle spasms.
For the nth time, he
wished Matrix were fighting alongside him. He nearly caught up on the fourth
but missed again. His strength was ebbing at an alarming rate and now he was
fighting just to keep going.
So it went on like that
for eleven levels. Then on level twelve, he managed to trap the User. If he
could get to the damsel first (and he had a hunch about that) the game would be
won and hopefully, he would be where Daemon’s Chosen was holding Dot.
Bob practically dragged
himself down the long hall and was astonished to hear voices, one familiar.
“Looks like we’re all
going to be nullified,” Dot was saying.
“No! Your Guardian is
here! He will come for you!”
Bob heard someone crying
and he realized it was Ronnie. He couldn’t begin to imagine how terrified she
must be. Keeping his back pressed against the wall. Bob moved closer to the
dungeon entrance.
“Face it,” Dot was
saying, “You’ve lost.”
“Shut up, wench! I’m
going to enjoy taking my revenge out on you.”
“You can try, but you’ll
regret it.”
“You try something, Ms.
Matrix and your brother and the woman will get a shot between the eyes,” the
dwarf said, “Relax. You may just enjoy this.”
Bob peered around the
wall into the room. Dot caught sight of him first.
“It’s a shame about your
other two companions,” Dot said, “While you have all the fun, they get to stand
there and guard the prisoners with their nasty lasers. No rest for the lackeys
eh boys?”
Good girl, Bob thought. Now he knew how many
he was dealing with.
“We gonna get a crack at
her, Ripper?” One of the guards asked.
“Of course, just wait
your turn,” Ripper’s hand seized at Dot’s breast cruelly.
Random fury, nothing like
Bob had felt in some time, came to explosive life in his core-com. With an
animalistic cry Bob rushed into the room two fiery blasts dealt severely with
the other sprites.
“What in the net --?” It
was all Ripper had a chance to say before Bob blasted him with a bolt so
powerful it knocked the dwarf several feet.
Bob was across the space
of the dungeon in a split nano. As Ripper was struggling to rise, Bob threw
himself at the dwarf and began to beat him senseless.
“You never,” Bob growled,
punctuating each word with a blow to Ripper’s face, “ever -- touch her again!”
“Bob!” Somehow Dot’s
frantic voice broke through his bloodlust, “Bob stop!”
“What?” Bob stared at his
balled fists, which were smeared with Ripper’s blood. What in the net am I
doing? He looked up at his love, “Dot?”
“It’s okay,” Dot said.
“Bob -- Enzo and Ronnie!”
“Yes,” Bob fought to
compose himself. He left Ripper there and stumbled over to Enzo and Ronnie.
“You two all right?”
Bob pulled the gag from
Enzo’s mouth and the little sprite doubled over and heaved. Bob held him, “It’s
okay. You’re safe now.”
“B-Bob – I tried to stop
them but they came into the apartment and--” Enzo said.
Bob cut his bonds, “Enzo
I need you to do something for me.”
“Okay.”
“Take Ronnie and look for
her baby. I’m going to free Dot and end the game, all right?”
“All right Bob, you can
count on me,” Enzo said.
Bob went to Dot, “Baby I
was so worried,” he kissed her over her face, “Did he --?”
“No,” Dot said. “Bob are
you all right? You don’t look well at all. You’re burning with fever.”
“I--” Bob realized, with
the adrenaline rush fading, how really very bad he felt. For a moment, he
leaned against Dot for support.
“Bob you’re sick,” Dot
said, “Why hasn’t the game ended?”
The ominous sound of
footsteps echoing down the hall and the User stepping into the room answered
Dot’s question.
“That’s why,” Bob said.
“I thought this would happen. You’re the damsel, the sacrifice. If he frees you
first, we’ll lose the game.”
“Sacrifice?”
Bob drew one of his
daggers and began to frantically saw at Dot’s bonds.
“Bob!” Dot suddenly said.
Bob turned. The User now
held a blood-red gem that glowed with an ill-omened light. His body suddenly
became as smoke, which passed through the gem to coalesce on the floor. It
began to reshape itself but not in its original form.
“No, not a shape
changer!” Bob drew his sword and waited.
When the transformation
was complete a golden gryphon with razor sharp beak and talons and burning red
eyes stood before him. And without preamble, it struck.
* * *
Captain Syn dashed
through the halls of the spire, clutching Baby Dot in his sweaty grasp. He had
to find a place to hide until the game ended. The storage bin in which he had
laid the infant had transformed into a treasure chest in the game, which he
found ironic because of the tremendous wealth at his grasp that he could never have.
He had almost expected not to find the baby there after the cube landed. This
little brat may be his one chance to still come out on top. He could ransom her
back to the mother, or steal off of the system and sell her on the black market
at System 998.
He had almost been
deleted several times by the game sprites. Now panicked beyond belief, every
corridor held a hideous beast or deadly trap. They wouldn’t catch him, they
wouldn’t!
“Syn.”
The captain came to a
screeching halt at the sound of his name. The hall was empty when he turned to
look behind him.
When he turned back again
Phong was standing in his path.
“What the --?” Syn cried,
“How in the hell did you get in here?”
“Give me the baby, Syn,”
Phong held out his spindly arms.
Syn laughed, somewhat
hysterically, “Out of my way you senile old fool!”
As Syn went to move past
him, Phong reached out and tapped Syn at a certain spot on his left arm. Pain
shot up the appendage, followed by a numbing of his whole left side.
“What – what did?” Syn nearly
dropped Baby Dot, but Phong reached out and lifted the baby from Syn’s arms,
opened his built in file drawer and created a makeshift cradle.
“Now will you surrender
peacefully?”
Syn reached for Phong
with his good arm, “I’ll delete you!”
Phong’s arm extended and
he tapped another spot. Syn’s right side lost all feeling. The captain toppled
over.
“You – you – old --!”
Phong leaned down and put
his face close to Syn’s, “Remember my son, there is only one path to success
but many paths to failure.”
And the elderly sprite
left him there.
* * *
Bob leapt and rolled to
his right, bringing the sword up and the beast roared in pain as steel sliced
through golden fur and flesh. The gryphon leapt and the ground shook when it
landed. Bob was running for the exit, hoping to lead it away from Dot but it
leapt again and blocked the way. For a tine they stood staring at each other,
man and beast, then the gryphon’s mighty head darted forward and Bob had barely
enough time to leap out of the way, but in doing that, Bob didn’t notice the
beast’s tail. It whipped around catching Bob in the face and the monster
smashed the crown of his head into Bob’s torso.
“Bob!” Dot was screaming
as Bob hit the floor hard. He rolled, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the
beast’s great paw. Bob chanced a glance at her and saw that she was trying to
free herself. He had no idea what would happen with the game if she did, but he
did know he couldn’t let the gryphon near her.
He was on his feet as his
enemy leapt again and Bob did a forward roll, came up and slashed at the
gryphon’s underbelly eliciting another howl, as burning blood spattered on the
floor. The gryphon whirled around, its eyes filled with murderous rage.
Bob beckoned to it in
challenge with his hand. The gryphon roared and lunged, but Bob wasn’t fast
enough that time and the hooked beak closed around Bob’s arm. Now it was Bob
who roared in defiance and pain. The gryphon lifted him up, shook him like a
dead carcass, and tossed him aside. Bob hit the floor hard and rolled several
feet
Unconsciousness was
stealing upon him, but Bob fought against the urge to merely lie down and
sleep. He was a Guardian, to mend and defend. The gryphon was circling again
and Bob drew two of his daggers. When the gryphon charged again, Bob hurled
both daggers into its eyes.
The gryphon screamed a
high-pitched wail that had Bob falling to his knees and covering his ears, then
the beast fell on its side, trying to paw out the daggers. Bob dashed across
the room, avoided its thrashing body and plunged his sword into its side. The
gryphon gave one last dying scream and went still.
Bob collapsed against the
carcass that was already beginning to cool. The darkness was calling to him.
“Bob! The game!”
Dot’s voice sounded like
she was millions of sectors away. With much effort, Bob climbed to his feet and
stumbled over to her. He drew his third dagger and sliced through the rope.
“Dot,” he said hoarsely,
“In order to win – well – you’re a sacrifice.”
“Bob--”
“Give me your hand.”
“But Bob --”
“Trust me.”
Dot held out her hand and
Bob pricked her finger with the tip of the dagger, then pressed her finger
against the wheel.
GAME OVER
“Oh Bob,” Dot went to
kiss him but he was slipping away, falling down a dark tunnel and Bob welcomed
the oblivion.
* * *
“Oh man, this is getting
ridiculous,” Bob said. He came to in what he immediately knew to be the
examination room of the infirmary. That had to have been one of the roughest
games he had ever played and he felt every bit of his time within.
He thought he should get
up. He wondered where everybody was. Yet he didn’t have the energy to make the
attempt. So he lay there, slipping in and out of consciousness, wondering why
no one had come to be with him.
Finally, the door came
open and Bob managed, with much difficulty, to raise himself up on his elbows
and was surprised to find it was Rose Norton.
“Rose,” Bob said, trying
to concentrate around the throbbing pain in his skull “What are you doing here?
Is the storm over?”
“Yes,” Rose moved up to him
and gently pushed him back down. “Lie still, you’re busted up pretty bad.”
“I can feel it,” Bob
muttered. His stomach was still protesting, though not as badly. “So why are
you here and where is everybody?”
“Dr. Chancery called me.”
Rose opened her Notepad and examined it critically, “As to where everybody is,
I asked them all to stay in the waiting room until I finished my testing.”
“You still didn’t answer
my first question,” Bob said, “Why did Dr. Chancery call you?”
“He found something he
couldn’t identify on some routine tests he did, so he had me called in. You’ve
been unconscious for six milliseconds.”
“Six milliseconds?”
“Bob there is something
important I need to tell you and I need for you to listen to me, understand?”
Rose asked.
“Yes.”
“After Dr. Chancery
called me, I decided to run my own tests,” Rose unexpectedly laid her hands on
Bob’s own, “We're sure of your diagnosis although we're not sure how you
contracted it yet. You have Hybrid-X.”
“T-the – viral
infection?”
“I’ve run the test four
times to be sure,” Rose said, unexpectedly, her eyes filled with tears. “Bob, I
consider you a friend and I promise you you won't find better care than what
I’m going to give you. I will do everything in my power to find the answer.”
“Rose,” Bob whispered,
“You’ve got to tell me – is it contagious? Can I infect others?”
“No,” Rose said.
“You’re certain?” Bob’s
voice rose in panic, “I’ve been with--” He halted, feeling sick, but not
because of the illness.
“Yes Bob, we’re certain,”
Rose said, “Since examining you, we’ve made some new discoveries. This is not
so much as a virus, but a virulent strain of poison. I’ll need to run more
tests on you.”
“You’re saying poison,”
Bob said, “So this was deliberate?”
“It would seem so,” Rose
said, “So we’re going to have to figure out who has the knowledge and
technology to create such a thing but for now, we have more immediate problems
to address.”
Rose glanced towards the
door, “Did you want me to tell her?”
“No,” Bob said. “I will.
Are they all waiting out there?”
“Yes,” Rose said. “I’ll
have a orderly bring in a wheelchair.”
She left him then and Bob
lay back down on the bed and tears escaped from under his lids.
My User, he had the
infection. How in all of the net was he going to tell Dot?