The Daemon Conflict
By: LadyBard
Chapter 11 - Split Nano
"Hide!" Melissa
grabbed Enzo by the collar and pulled him behind a nearby building.
A bulky transport moved
ponderously through the city streets. It pulled to a halt and the rear doors
opened. Soldiers poured out, wearing red and black armor and heavily armed.
Enzo jumped, as one of
the bugs crawling down the wall near his hand. Melissa speared it with her
claw.
"Ew, gross,"
Enzo said.
Melissa shook the bug off
and stamped on it. "Come on, it's not safe here."
"Where is?"
Enzo asked as he followed her.
All net had broken loose
after General Ashar's announcement and Enzo had yearned for the safety of the
Principal Office. They had been afraid to travel on zip boards for fear of
being seen by the fighters that now filled the skies. Unfortunately, the bugs and
soliders made ground travel even more treacherous.
At one point, Enzo looked
up and had seen Ray streaking through the sky, but the surfer was too far away
to hear him. Enzo suggested they try and find some of their ground troops and
Melissa had reluctantly agreed.
Enzo didn't know what to
make of the viral girl. She seemed at lot older than her hours, yet sometimes
she seemed like she was the same age as him.
"We can't let them
catch us," Melissa said. "They're hostage-takers."
"I get it," Enzo
said, "the bugs drive the people out and the soldiers round them up and
secure the sector."
"It always
works," Melissa said. "The bugs have a very lethal venom. It seems to
have no effect at first, but it hits you hard later."
"I guess you're
immune?"
Masses of bugs were on a
wall. Melissa raised her hand and closed her eyes. The bugs dispersed.
"You might say that."
Above them, the fighters
battled in fiery explosions. Enzo stopped to look up, "Why do people have
to fight?"
"What a perfectly
ridiculous question." Melissa said.
"What's that
supposed to mean?"
"It means the strong
are destined to rule," Melissa said, "The weak destined to be ruled
by them. In order for the strong to expand their rule, it is necessary to use
force."
"Now's who's being
ridiculous?" Enzo pressed his back against a wall when another transport
rolled by. "You've got some really screwed up ideas you know that? No one
has a right to take what doesn't belong to them. Just because you happen to be
stronger doesn't mean you hurt people. You should try working for what you want
instead of just taking it."
"Who told you
that?"
"My sister," he
glared at her daring her to insult Dot.
She shook her head,
"You will see how wrong you are when my mother takes control of this system."
"No," Enzo
said, "you'll see how wrong you are when my sister stops her."
"Ssh," Melissa
suddenly said, "Someone is coming."
Now Enzo heard it to. It
sounded like a group moving towards them, but there was another sound that Enzo
soon recognized as crying.
"Wait!" Melissa
hissed as Enzo stepped around the corner. A group of citizens were moving at a
hurried pace. They stopped almost as one when they saw Enzo. The group
consisted of mostly elderly sprites and binomes and children.
"Hey!" Enzo
said, "Is everybody all right?"
"Enzo, is that
you?" Ms. Brodie of all people stepped forward.
"Ms. Brodie am I
glad to see you."
"Enzo Matrix,"
Ms. Brodie said, "what in the net are you doing out here? I'd have thought
you'd be in the Principal Office."
"Believe me, Ms.
Brodie, I want to be there. We've been trying to get there, but -,"
"Oh yes, we were
surprised we got this far," Ms. Brodie said. "Oh this is so horrible!
Those awful bugs and those soldiers! They've taken so many people."
An explosion above and
falling debris caused the group to panic.
"This way, hurry
up!" Enzo waved them back into the maze of buildings.
The children were openly
crying as Enzo led them into a narrow alley.
"Ms. Brodie see if
you can calm the children down," then Enzo blushed. Here he was giving
orders to his teacher! "I mean you're so good with kids."
Ms. Brodie winked,
"I'll see what I can do, Sector Warden."
"Sector
Warden?" Melissa asked. "You have a position of power here?"
"Um - well, yeah. I play
the games, since Bob is away."
"You actually play
the games?"
"Well - yes."
She regarded him for a
moment, "You're very brave."
"Oh - well -
um," He turned away and felt his face burn. He was grateful when Ms.
Brodie approached.
"Do you think we're
safe here for now?"
"For now," Enzo
said.
"Um Enzo, I've
wanted to ask, who is your pretty young friend?"
"Oh," Enzo felt
himself blush a second time, "this is Melissa."
"Hello, young
lady," Ms. Brodie smiled at her. "My but you resemble Hexadecimal."
"She's my
sister," Melissa said.
"Sister! How
nice!" Ms. Brodie said, "But - it seems you chose to visit at a bad
time. Do - do you know about your sister, young lady?"
"That she's in the
infirmary? Yes."
Enzo decided it was time
to change this uncomfortable subject, "Ms. Brodie, how many do we have
here?"
"Twelve including
the children. We're all from the same neighborhood. When the bugs came, we all
ran. Oh they're horrible things. Is your friend all right?"
Enzo turned to find
Melissa standing rigidly with her eyes closed. After a few nanos she looked up,
"The bugs won't bother us."
Ms. Brodie gave her a
confused look.
"Ms. Brodie do you
know what that crash was that we heard earlier?"
"Floating
Point." She said, "One of the tiers dropped. Crashed right down on
the enemy camp. It was on purpose."
"Dot," Enzo
said.
"Your sister did
that?" Melissa said. "Perhaps I was wrong about her too."
Enzo stopped himself from
saying, you were. "We can't stay here. We have to get to the
P.O."
"I'll get everyone
ready," Ms. Brodie said.
A little sprite girl
clutching a green-skinned teddy bear wiped at her tears. Enzo smiled at her,
"Don't worry," he said. "Everything will be all right."
"My brother is
missing." She said. "He was with me and he's gone."
"I'm sorry,"
Enzo wiped away her tears. "When this I over, my sister and I'll try and
find him."
"Really?" The
girl smiled up at him. "Thank you."
Enzo was suddenly aware
of Melissa watching him. When he turned he found her looking at him with a
slight smile. "Let's go," Enzo's voice sounded a little rougher than
he would have liked.
Enzo led the small band
through the back streets of the city. As much as he wanted to head straight for
the P.O., circumstances prevented it. Many times, they had to backspace and go
down levels. They ran into other groups trying to escape the soldiers and the
bugs. They accompanied a family down to Level 31 to search for a missing child
only to find him at Al's, which was actually still open. Enzo ordered rest and
energy shakes for everyone and when Al's waiter protested at Enzo's lack of
units the little sprite replied, "Come on you know Dot'll reimburse you
for it."
He slid into a booth
across from Melissa. She said, "I've never had one of these."
"You've never had an
energy shake?"
"No," Melissa
took a long sip. "It's good."
"Dot's Diner makes
them better."
Melissa looked out the
window.
"What?"
"Do you really think
everything will be all right?"
"Yes," Enzo
sipped at his shake.
"I hope so, for your
sake, Enzo."
"Thanks," the
little sprite blushed again, "Come on, we'd better go."
Some of the group decided
to stay and hide out at Al's. Enzo didn't stop them. It was getting late and
Enzo wanted to be above level before the cyber-sun set.
The group made their way
down another alley between two warehouses. Enzo shuddered when he realized
where they were. The place where the web creature held the citizens- including
Dot, prisoner to use for food. He had only learned of it by over hearing a conversation
that he knew he shouldn't have. Enzo was so deep in thought that he nearly
cried aloud when Melissa grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. She
pointed.
Across an open space, two
enemy transports waited. They were herding in another group of prisoners; many
were woman, the elderly, and children.
Enzo turned sharply and
hissed, "Go back!"
"Andy!" The
little girl that Enzo had spoken to cried, "It's my brother Andy!"
Then before Enzo could
stop her, she dashed out into the open.
"No, stop!"
Enzo screamed and ran after her.
"Oh my
gracious!" Ms. Brodie yelled.
Enzo shot across the
clearing but it was too late. The guards spotted her just as Enzo reached her.
"Halt in the name of
General Ashar!" One guard, who was armed with a laser rifle, yelled at
them.
Enzo turned and dashed
for cover not daring to look back.
"Andy!" The
girl cried, "No! Andy!"
"Move!" Enzo
was screaming as the laser blasts started, "Run, all of you!"
Something hot slashed
near his ear. Enzo screamed, and nearly dropped his precious cargo. Then out of
the mouth of the alley came blasts of red-hot energy and as he ran by, Enzo had
a glimpse of Melissa attacking the advancing soliders with her viral powers. He
set the girl down, "Run! Melissa come on!"
Then Melissa was right
beside him.
"But what about
Andy? I have to go!" The girl turned and ran the other way.
"No stop!"
"Enzo there's
nothing we can do!" Melissa said, "We have to save ourselves!"
"I won't leave
her."
"It's too late,
see?"
They looked back at the advancing
guards. One held the struggling little girl and the others were coming for
them, "We have to run now!"
Sick to his core-com,
Enzo ran alongside Melissa, back down the alley. The advantage was Enzo knew
the twists and turns of Mainframe, so they managed to keep ahead of their
pursuers. As they rounded another corner, they were brought up short by the
sight of a third transport blocking their path. The soldiers now had their
group, including Ms. Brodie and were forcing them into the back of the vehicle.
"Oh no! We have to
help them!"
"How?"
"We have to follow
them, see if we can get a chance to help."
"Enzo --,"
Melissa said, "it's no use."
"What do you
mean?" Enzo's voice rose hysterically.
"We -," she
said, "that is, my mother never keeps prisoners, unless they're of some
use to her."
"So you're saying we
shouldn't try?"
"I'm saying they're
already as good as deleted."
"I'm going to
try," Enzo's voice was firm. "You can do what you want."
"I'll go with you
Enzo. If only to protect you. To keep them from getting you to."
* * *
General Ashar leaned over
the portable consol and examined the reports coming in from the various
sectors. He didn't even look at the soldier who stood before him.
"You're certain?
Melissa was with the Matrix boy?"
"Yes, sir."
"And you let them
escape?"
The soldier sighed,
"Yes sir."
"And you realize the
penalty for failure?"
"I do, sir."
Ashar looked up at the
soldier for the first time. He hated it when a soldier begged for his life.
This one seemed resigned to his fate and was willing to accept it. "Very
well."
Ashar raised his hand and
made a fist. Four thorny tentacles shot from beneath his skin at his knuckles
to wrap around the soldiers throat. The soldier gave a strangled gasp. Ashar
retracted the tentacles and the soldier collapsed, already deleted.
"Find Melissa and
the boy," Ashar ordered a nearby soldier. "Make certain they are
brought to me alive."
Ashar then turned to the
sprite standing at his left, "So the escape transports have been
sabotaged?"
"Yes sir."
"And what of their
captains and crew?"
"The majority of the
crews are deleted. Those that escaped will not survive."
"Excellent,"
Ashar said. "You will take a detachment of soldiers with you and help the others
search for the boy and Melissa. You have done well. Succeed in this and there
will be great rewards. How does Lieutenant Daverage sound?"
Kurt Daverage smiled
evilly, "It sounds very pleasing, my dear general."
* * *
The transport came to a
halt before another group of terrified binomes. Enzo watched as six soldiers
exited and surrounded the group.
"We surrender,"
one binome said.
"No," Enzo
whispered.
"What do you plan on
doing?" Melissa asked from behind him.
"Following them. I
won't mess up this time." He was glad when Melissa didn't reply.
The transport started up
and the sprite and the viral followed until it stopped again at an intersection
where another transport sat. The soldiers disembarked and began to talk. They
seemed in no hurry and were actually relaxing. Then the transport they had been
following opened its doors. People from the second transport were transferred
from one vehicle to the other. Neither transport left right away. The soldiers
continued to converse.
"We've got to do
something," Enzo turned to Melissa. "Can you do anything?"
Her eyes narrowed,
"You want me to delete them for you?"
"Of course
not!" Enzo hissed. "Just -- I don't know. Get them away from the
transports."
Melissa closed her eyes
in concentration. Nothing happened at first, then a sound, like a soft rustling
from far away began and Enzo was shocked (and somewhat disgusted) to see
thousands of bugs converging on the area. The soldiers were completely caught
off guard as the insects covered them.
Melissa opened her eyes,
"Go, now!"
Enzo ran for the
transports and the bugs obligingly moved out of his path. The guards were too
busy trying to disengage the bugs from their person, to worry about the
green-skinned sprite. Enzo bounded into the back of the first vehicle.
The prisoners stared at
him with frightened eyes. "Come on everyone, now's your chance to
escape."
With a cheer the
prisoners spilled from the transport. Ms. Brodie came out, with the little girl
in tow. She was sullen and quiet and gave Enzo the nastiest look. Enzo couldn't
figure out why.
Some tackled the guards
despite the bugs and wrestled their weapons away. The bugs dispersed and
Melissa approached him.
"What should we do
with the guards, Enzo?" Ms. Brodie asked him.
"Put them in the van."
"We found more
weapons in this one!" A sprite yelled of the other transport.
Of the twenty or so
prisoners, at least a dozen were now armed. The first sprite, which had spoken,
handed Enzo a laser pistol. "You'll need this."
"Um - I really don't
--,"
"What now, Sector
Warden?" Ms. Brodie smiled at him.
Enzo absently shoved the
pistol into his belt, "Maybe we can use one of the transports to get to
the Principal Office."
"Or use it to cause
some mayhem," the sprite said.
"I don't think
there's much we can do. It'd be safer in the Principal Office."
"Do what you want to
do little boy, I say we fight, who's with me?" The sprite cried out.
The armed sprites and
binomes cheered their agreement.
"Wait!" Ms.
Brodie cried, "We should listen to our Sector Warden, he's --,"
" -- Just a kid.
What does he know?" The sprite broke in. "Little coward."
"Sprite,"
Melissa hissed, her eyes were on fire, "I'd take back those words if I
were you."
"Melissa --,"
"And who are
you?" The sprite eyed Melissa in a critical way that made Enzo
uncomfortable, "just a girl-child sprite yourself."
"I'm not a sprite,
I'm a --,"
"Look out!"
The warning cry of
another one of the former captors drew everyone's attention to the sky. Several
rocket cycles were converging on them. The man who was their obvious lead
struck a familiar note in Enzo's mind.
"Run!" Someone
yelled.
"No, open
fire!" The sprite screamed and those armed fired on the riders.
"No, wait,
stop!" Enzo's voice was drowned out from the sound of laser fire. The
soldiers returned fire and their superior weapons soon turned the tide of the
skirmish. Some threw down their weapons and ran.
"Ms. Brodie, run!
Take her with you!" Enzo cried.
"But Enzo --,"
"Go now! I'll catch
up with you later!"
"Be careful, young
one."
"You go to, I'll
stay and help."
"No," Melissa
hissed and raised both hands. The viral stepped forward and energy balls
appeared in both her palms. She hurled both at the advancing enemy and blasted
two of the soldiers clean off their cycles.
The fighters raised a
cheer, although some looked at Melissa with a mixture of awe and fear. Enzo
drew the pistol, hoping to get a good shot at the leader and dreading even the
thought of harming another sprite. He aimed for the cycle instead. The soldiers
expertly avoided the shots, would return fire again, and when a hit was
successful, another defender would fall. The leader seemed to stay well away
from the actual fighting. Enzo willed him to come closer so he could get a
better look at him.
Then one of the defenders
cried out as more cycles approached from the east.
"Get back!"
Melissa suddenly yelled. "Everyone run now!"
The viral took him by the
arm and jerked him away from the transport.
"Melissa, what are
you --?"
Those that heeded Melissa
survived. Because of her sensitive sight, Melissa had seen the laser cannon one
of the advancing soldiers carried, even from so great a distance. The
high-pitched whine and the flash of white-hot light was all the additional
warning the fighters received before the transport exploded. Those nearby were
deleted instantly.
The force of the
explosion threw Enzo and Melissa back. For a few moments the world went dark
for Enzo. When his vision cleared he saw that the skirmish was pretty much over.
Some of the remaining fighters fled and the soldiers took off in pursuit. The
lead sprite landed his cycle near them. He removed the helmet he wore and
observed the scene, before turning towards them.
Enzo stood on shaky legs.
He helped Melissa up and turned to the sprite. "You," Enzo whispered.
"So it is
true," Kurt Daverage smiled. "Melissa, General Ashar was very
displeased to learn of your defection."
"You're the spy
for Daemon?"
Enzo asked, incredulously.
"Of course. Who did
you think it was? Syn? Surely you can't be serious."
Daverage stepped forward,
"I still owe you one little boy. General Ashar wants you both alive, but
he didn't say in what condition."
Melissa stepped in front
of Enzo, "You'll have to get through me first, Daverage."
"Easily
arranged," Daverage reached into his belt and took out a small blue disk.
He tossed it at Melissa's feet.
"What in the net is
this?" Melissa reached for it.
"No, wait!"
Enzo warned.
The disk exploded in
Melissa's hand, bathing her in an eerie blue light. Melissa cried out in pain
and tried to fling the disk away, but it seemed to be stuck to her fingers.
"Anti-viral
field," Kurt smiled. "Quite useful don't you think?"
"No!" Enzo
snatched the disk from Melissa hands and crushed it under his boot. He grabbed
for Melissa just as she fell.
"Enzo," she
gasped, "It hurts."
"It's okay. You'll
be okay. I'll get you help, I promise."
"You're not going
anywhere but with me to General Ashar," Daverage started forward.
"Stop!" Enzo
snatched up the pistol he had dropped. "You're not taking us
anywhere."
"Oh come now, stop
these games," Kurt said. "I know you won't delete me. You don't have
the circuits for it. Now put that down."
"No." Enzo
stood.
Kurt's eyes narrowed.
"You can go conscious or unconscious, it makes no difference to me,
although I prefer unconscious."
Enzo fired once at the
ground. "Get back!"
"You lousy little
--!"
Kurt lunged forward and
seized Enzo by the arm. The pistol went off; whether it was by accident or
design Enzo was never sure; in a flash of green light and the spy was gone.
No one had seen him do
it. It didn't make a difference. Enzo knew what he had just done. He stared at
the weapon in his hand for a moment before flinging it away. The little sprite
stared at it, where it lay, unable to move, his mind and body numb.
"Enzo - help
me," Melissa's feeble voice brought him out of his trance. Help, he had to
get Melissa help. He couldn't worry about what he had done now. He would deal
with it later, but already, the guilt was eating away at him. He had done the
unthinkable.
Enzo reached for Melissa,
helping her to stand, "Lean against me, we'll take it slow, all
right?"
"All right."
Enzo didn't glance back
at the scene.
* * *
It was Frisket's barking
that alerted Mr. Pearson to the intruders. The old binome was exhausted after
fighting off enemy soldiers and killing off the bugs. The pesticide he had
created worked wonders. Now if he could only find a way to get to the Principal
Office and if they lowered the shields, he could get it to Dot Matrix.
The pounding on his front
door was a surprise, as Frisket had not allowed anyone to get nearer than a few
hundred yards. Mr. Pearson moved cautiously towards the door, "Who is
it?"
"It's Enzo, Mr.
Pearson, open up! We need your help!"
"Enzo!" Pearson
flung open the door. "What's the matter with ya --," He halted as he
saw the state both the children were in. "What in the net happened?"
"Please help
her!" Enzo was crying. "She got hit with an anti-viral field. We couldn't
get to the P.O."
"All right, bring
her in quick! That's a good lad, lay her down on the bed."
Pearson felt Melissa's
forehead, "She's running a high fever lad - Enzo?"
Enzo was sitting in a
corner, his knees drawn up to his chest, his face blank, and he was slowly
rocking back and forth. Not even Frisket nuzzling him brought him out of his
stupor.
"All right lad, ya
stay right there, we'll deal with whatever happened later."
Right now, his main
priority was helping the girl. In all his travels as a Codemaster, Pearson had
acquired many possessions. "Stay with them, Frisket, guard them."
Frisket whined in
response. Pearson left his home and made his way to the storage shed.
"Let's see now," the old binome searched through various storage
chests. He had several different types of diagnostic programs that might work.
He gathered what he could and returned to his home.
Enzo was in the same
place. Melissa was now caught in the throes of delirium. Pearson covered her
with extra blankets and ran the first program on her. She seemed to calm
slightly, but Pearson wasn't sure what else he could do. One thing was for
certain; both these children didn't need to be with him. They needed to be in
the P.O., where they could get real help. Something had happened to Enzo that
was for certain and he had a feeling the boy was having a rough time dealing
with it.
Pearson reached
underneath the bed and pulled out a locked chest. Frisket padded up to him and
whined plaintively.
"Well boy," Mr.
Pearson said, "Sometimes drastic times call for drastic measures."
Pearson unlocked the
chest and opened it. "These kids need help and this old binome isn't the
one to give it to them. They need to be in the Principal Office."
Carefully, Pearson drew
out the broken halves of his Gibson Coil Pike.
"I can get them
there," Pearson held the two ends together and concentrated. The ends
fused, becoming whole. "If they drop the shields."
Pearson closed the chest
and shoved it back under the bed. "Vid-window."
The window opened to
present a scene of the Principal Office. Pearson sat down on the floor. As he
suspected the shields were still up.
"Well boy," he
smiled at Frisket, "I guess now we wait and hope they lower those shields
soon. Don't worry Enzo lad, you'll get through whatever happened. I know you're
a strong lad."
If Enzo heard him, the
little sprite made no indication.