Fate, Love, and a Little Bit of Destiny

Author's Note: Hello folks! Don't mind me, I'm just passin' through. Well, my last fic was a major flopperoonie, I'll admit. But this one is one of the best ones I have written so far. It's all about Bob, Dot, and their lives together. Hope you like it! ~The Dark Tigress

As he opened his deep brown eyes, Guardian 452, Bob Marcon, had no idea of what fate had in store for him. He brushed his teeth, rebooted into his clothes and placed his faithful key tool on his arm. Glitch murmured in excitement, as if he knew that something big would happen today. Bob smiled at his keytool's chatter. "Calm down, Glitch, we're going to a new system today, and I'm just as excited." He dreamed of the people and binomes that would be in his system. He was going to be the only guardian the sector had seen in hours, their last one having been deleted in a system crash. He grinned happily. "Maybe they'll have a cute sprite or two." Glitch protested that they were going to the system to mend and defend, not to pick up chicks. Bob smiled. "Hey, it might be an extra bonus." Glitch made an exasperated sound.

***

"Turbo sir, Guardian 452 is here for assignment."

Turbo put away his papers. "Send him in."

The door opened and a guardian with blue skin came in, a look of pure control on his face. But his eyes hinted of joy and excitement, and a bit of nervousness. This boy would make a great guardian one-day.

"Guardian 452 reporting for assignment sir."

"Ah, Bob Marcon, I have your system assignment right here. You are being assigned to a system called Caterna, at 23 by 45b. I trust you will leave immediately?"

The guardian nodded. He outstretched his arm. "Glitch, portal." A portal, showing a lovely city appeared. The guardian saluted and leaped in.

Turbo smiled then flicked on a screen. "He's on his way to Mainframe. Are you sure this is right?"

"Turbo, we all agreed. If Mainframe, and the entire net system is going to prosper, the guardian and the girl must meet."

Turbo nodded, then grinned. "Wonder how he is gonna to try to explain going to the wrong system?" The woman grinned. "The young lady will probably take care of that. She is a rather good planner." Turbo chuckled. "Thanks for the reassurement Alexia."

"Where would you be without me, Turbo?" He chuckled and she closed the window.

***

Bob leaped through the other side of the portal. He looked around. "Glitch, return." The keytool closed the portal and became whole again on his arm. Then he sighed. "Well, better get to the Principal Office." He threw down a zipboard. He paused. The symbols were not the icons of Caterna, which were supposed to be a square with two interlocking C's on them. He looked at the icons of the binomes around him. They matched his own! He was still in this User's system. Then he looked up at the signs. He felt his gut tighten. "Matrix and Tate, fastest delivery in Mainframe, and the net." In fact, the name Matrix seemed to be used almost everywhere. He cursed. "I'm in the wrong system! Glitch what happened?"

Glitch replied tartly that he had followed the directions to the letter, and that it was Bob's fault, not his. Bob sighed. "Well, maybe the principle office can tell me how to get to Caterna. Oh, Turbo is gonna delete me! My first field assignment and I screwed up already!" Glitch seemed to find the situation extremely humorous, for he chirped and whirred happily. Bob scowled. "I'm sure you find it funny." The keytool replied he did find it rather amusing, and thanked Bob for being his entertainment for this evening. The Guardian scowled and climbed onto his zipboard, speeding off to the Principal Office at an alarmingly fast rate.

***

As Dot sat in a chair in the read-me room, she looked over the data again, then sighed. At this rate they would have a system failure with in an hour. She would have to call the Super Computer for a guardian. The Mainframers were rather pathetic when it came to fighting, and she was not a skilled as a guardian would be. She did require help, since her main function was not to fight but to plan and think. And although she could hold her own very easily in a fight, she was more comfortable with the schedule and graphs than a sword or a gun. She was a thinker first off, then a fighter. Each generation of Matrixes had two offspring, and they were suited just as she and her brother were. Her father was a scientist and the Command.com. Her mother had been a great guardian. Dot took after her father, and was the File Manager and a planner. She was also one of the wealthiest people in the system, although no one seemed to know that. She owned over 3/4 of all of Mainframe, and jointly shared at least half of the remaining quarter. She smiled softly as she realized Enzo was probably at the Diner annoying her waiter, Cecil, by now. She felt a twinge of pride as she thought of her little brother. He was turning out all right. Even at this age, it seemed he was getting the brawn of the Matrix clan. Not the brains. But that was all right. She didn't need her little brother feeling as if he had to live up to her standards.

Her reverie was interrupted by the current Command.com, Phong. He rolled in, a slight look of disapproval on his face. "Dot my child, you have been working non-stop for far too long. You must take a break."

She knew when to pick her battles. "Just let me finish this file. I promised the importers at the docks that they'd have this by the end of this minute." He sighed and shook his head. Then he rolled out, his gold body seeming slightly sad. She knew she had been working hard, but it was her job. And she loved it. But still... "Dot," she chided herself in a mute whisper, "don't think that way. You know you and Enzo are the last sprites in Mainframe. It's no good depressing yourself about not being able to get a date. It's not like Prince Charming is just going to come up to you and ask you to marry him. And even if that did happen, you'd say no." She sighed and went back to work.

***

Bob slipped inside the Principal Office. "Hello?" he called out. He walked a bit farther in. "Hello? Any one here?"

"Just a minute!" Called an old and slightly eccentric sounding voice. An old and kooky-looking sprite that barely came up to his waist rolled in. The sprite had a square shaped torso, long and thin arms with claw-like fingers and a long gold neck. His head was shaped like a sideways rotund football, a little silverish brown judge's wig on his head and a pair of reading glasses with pink tinted lenses perched on his nose. A twisted beard came down from his chin. Bob looked at him.

"Yes, I'd like to speak with the Command.com."

"I am he. What is the problem my child."

This guy was the Command.com?! Weird system. "I'm Guardian 452. I came here thinking this place was Caterna. I was wondering if you could give me the proper coordinates for the Caterna system?" He gulped a bit.

The Command.com nodded. "Ah, and I take it you would also like an excuse to give to the Prime Guardian when he asks where you were?" Bob gasped at the little sprite. How did this guy know his thoughts?!

The sprite smiled softly. "Well, I am not sure of the exact coordinates, but I know of someone who will, and who will know of an excuse to give to Turbo."

Bob looked at him with pathetic glee. "Really? Where is he? Who is he?"

The sprite smiled complacently. "The File Manager. I believe that-"

"Phong!" a little kid with green skin and a backwards red cap yelled. Phong looked. The kid ran over at an alarmingly fast rate. He was going to tackle the guy to the ground, Bob realized. He stepped in between them. The kid tackled him, and he fell to the ground, the babbling little kid still on his chest. "Can I have an energy pop? Please? Dot said I could if I behaved! Oh please? Hey, who's the new guy? Has Dot met him, maybe it'll cheer her up! Hey cool outfit! He's a guardian! Maybe that'll really cheer Dot up! We need a new one!" Then he took a breath. "Hey, can I have that energy pop now?" Phong nodded and pointed to another room. The kid grinned. "Oh boy!" He leaped off and jumped into the room, picking a wrapped pop out of a large glass jar.

Phong sighed and shook his head. "That is Enzo Matrix." Bob's mind clicked. "Is he the one who owns all these businesses I see?"

Phong smiled. "No, that would be his sister, Dot Matrix." Then Phong motioned for him to stay put. He pressed a button and a window popped up. But it was one sided, and angled so Bob could not see the face. Phong said a few words that were too low for the Guardian to hear, then closed the window. "The File Manager will be here shortly." Bob nodded, a bit of relief filling him. It was quickly diminished when he heard a menacing growl. He gulped and looked towards the doors. A huge dog was there, his teeth bared and his ears flattened against his head. He walked up to Bob and growled. Phong smiled. "Ah Frisket, this is Bob, Guardian 452." The huge dog sniffed at him, then barked and tackled him to the ground, one paw pinned on his chest and his mighty jaws just inches from Bob's throat. He growled at Bob, angry enough to tear him to shreds.

Frisket felt fury overcome him. THIS man was going to be the mate of HIS girl!? He wouldn't allow it! Forget the message he had heard from the Guardian Alliance, he was fuming! They would not put this man anywhere near his girl if he had anything to say about it! He was just about to bite this sprite's jugular and rip out his throat when a command came. The voice of his girl.

Bob heard a very commanding and strong voice say in a tone that clearly stated not to disobey, "Frisket, heel." The dog looked up, his ears drooped and his eyes sad. "You heard me. Go play with Enzo." The dog lolled its tongue and strolled in to see the kid, now engorging himself on a energy pop. The voice sighed. "I'm really sorry about that. He just doesn't like strangers."

Phong smiled. "Ah Dot, so good of you to come." Bob looked over his shoulder. He felt his heart rate increase and his mouth begin to salivate.

***

Dot attached her minimized organizer to her hip and rose from her chair. Phong had said there was someone at center room that needed her help. She smiled happily. Maybe it's the import designer. About time she showed up. Yet deep down, she knew it probably wasn't the designer. And she secretly hoped it was a sprite. Binomes were nice, but they were nothing compared to the feel of a sprite's hand in her own. She really missed being able to talk to someone who would understand what she was saying, maybe even sympathize or offer her an alternative. She smiled and walked down the hall.

When she got there, she was shocked and horrified to find Frisket on a stranger's chest, growling with a murderous glare in his eyes. She felt herself become rather angry at his lack of discipline. "Frisket, heel." Her voice was cold and controlled, authoritative and strong. She smiled inwardly at how proud her father would be of her composure. The dog looked at her with pleading eyes. "You heard me. Go play with Enzo." He shrugged his big shoulders and ran into play with her little brother, who didn't look up until the dog licked his face.

Then Dot turned to the newcomer. "I'm really sorry about that. He just doesn't like strangers."

"Ah Dot," Phong greeted, "so good of you to come."

The stranger looked over Phong's shoulder and she felt her throat close up a bit. He was a blue-skinned sprite with unruly chrome hair. And man he was cute. She smiled professionally and offered him her hand. He took it a bit hesitantly. She pulled him up without a problem, thanking her Matrix ancestors for their strength in both academic and physical categories. The man seemed surprised she could support his weight without falling over. She smiled. He smiled back.

***

Oh USER, she's beautiful! Bob's thoughts were not at all work related as he saw the woman. She had light green skin and deep purple eyes. Her hair was black and her lips were ruby colored and lush. She was the kind of sprite that every boy had a picture of on his wall or in his locker, barely clothed. And the kind that every single male in the Net fantasizes about. He was no exception.

Phong began to make introductions. "Bob Marcon, this is Dot Matrix, the File Manager and entrepeneur. Dot, meet Guardian 452, Bob Marcon." They shook hands.

How can she be so soft, yet so strong at the same time? He smiled. "Charmed."

"Likewise."

Phong smiled. He'd seen that look on young sprite's faces before. These two may not want to admit it, but he knew that it was not going to be long before they both realized it. He sighed happily. Ah, young love. He crinkled his eyes and smiled. "Ah young Guardian, you see, though this isn't the Super Computer, we do have our perks, yes?" Bob looked at him and Phong smiled knowingly.

Dot rubbed her hands together. "So, what's the problem?"

He looked slightly embarrassed. "I was just assigned to the Caterna system-" He stopped as a light and alarm came on. She looked at him and raised a finger. "Gimme a nano." She tapped the organizer on her belt and waited. Three Vid windows came up, all chock full of binomes. They saluted as they saw her. She spoke authoritatively. "Commander Lotus, what's wrong?" He relaxed a bit.

"It seems that Hack and Slash are coming your way Ma'am."

She smiled and laughed. "Well, get a clean up crew ready. Oh, and just blast them out of the sky. But don't hurt them too much. They're not that bad."

The binome saluted. "Yes Ma'am. Anything else?"

"Yes. Place extra security around the Centers at all six sectors. Where there's Hack and Slash, there's Megabyte." She closed the windows. Then she smiled at Bob.

"Sorry about that. Now, about Caterna, you need the coordinates?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Call me Dot." She looked at her organizer. "It should be at 27 by 58."

"Thanks-" Another, a much bigger Vidwindow popped up. A rather angry Turbo was there.

"Guardian 452!" Bob saluted, nervously. "Why aren't ya at Caterna?" Bob gulped and opened his mouth. He was practically quivering in fear.

Dot looked at him, then at Turbo, and then back at Bob. She rebooted silently into her business outfit and intervened. "If I may sir?"

He looked at her. "Who are you?"

"Dot Matrix, the File Manager of System Mainframe. I would just like to thank you for the way you teach your guardians to follow their training. Why, if it hadn't been for Mr. Marcon here, we would all be nullified."

Turbo looked at Bob critically. "Really..."

"Yes sir, he was passing by when a game landed right on top of the Principal Office. He was able to get in the game and beat the User. We were all saved because of him, for without his strong tactics, the core would have been neralized and we would have taken the rest of the system with us! I was just thanking him when you called."

Turbo looked slightly impressed. "Really..."

"Yes sir. And I have a small business proposition..."

"Yes?"

"We are requiring a guardian. And since he's already here, I was wondering if it would be too much of a imposition to have him made our guardian. I'm sure that someone else could be located to go to Caterna. That is, if it isn't too much of an imposition."

Turbo nodded and smiled. "Ah like the wah ya think Mz. Matrix. 452, you are now assigned to Mainframe. Protect it with your life."

Bob saluted. "Yes sir." The window closed.

***

Dot smiled. Bob stared at her, open-mouthed. "How in the Net did you do that? Turbo was angry enough to delete me slowly and painfully!"

She shrugged. "It's a gift."

Phong cleared his throat. "Dot, perhaps you would show Bob around Mainframe for me? I have a file that desperately needs an update."

She looked at Phong, then at Bob. "Sure. I guess I'm finished around here." Then she called out. "Enzo." The green skinned kid who had knocked him over came in, the dog following obediently. Bob gulped as he saw them. Dot ruffled the kid's hat covered head affectionately. "Did you finish your Homework Files?" He nodded. "Fine. You can go zipboarding through the city. But be home before dinner. And pick up a pizza at Fedachinni's."

The kid grinned. "Alphanumeric! Can Frisket come too?"

"No, remember the last time you took him zipping? He leaped into an office building and chewed up the desks. Electra still won't return my calls. Now go play." He ran out. She placed her hand on Frisket's head. He looked up at her. "Go to the diner. But don't kill Cecil!" The dog grinned his canine grin and ran out.

Dot sighed and cringed. "I am going to regret that, I just know it." Then she turned to Bob. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Good. Come on." She threw down a zipboard and sped out.

Bob looked at Phong. "How does she do that?"

He smiled and shrugged. "Dot is a very strong and untamed individual. She can be gentle, but do not get on her bad side, my son. Not many have and live to tell of the horrors she can inflict." Bob gulped, then realized that he was slipping far behind her. He looked and threw down a board. "Hey! Wait up!" He sped out after her. Phong smiled.

***

"That's Lost Angles. Don't every go in there on your own free will."

"Why? What lives in there?"

"Nulls and Hexadecimal."

"A virus!?"

"Class 6 chaos virus. Very jaggy and very random. Extremely weird. But she usually keeps to herself, so we don't bug her. The other one on the other hand..."

"You've got two?"

"Yep. Hex and Megabyte. You don't wanna meet Megabyte in a dark alley, or even meet him anywhere for that matter."

"Power hungry?"

"Extremely. He's the main virus in town. Very crafty and very dangerous. Try to avoid confrontation. It'll delay the inevitable."

"I'll remember that." He noted how burnt and destroyed Lost Angles looked. "What happened to all the sprites who were nullified? Did they all lose in games? Or where they killed somewhere else?"

He felt like killing himself as he saw her reaction. A single tear lingered in her eye, and she brushed it away irritably. "There was an explosion a few hours back. The other half of Mainframe was destroyed."

"Other?"

"The Twin City. That's where all the sprites were. Only Enzo and I remain."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She remained silent for a few nanos, then cursed. He looked at her questioningly. "I think I left the Diner's memory banks off-line."

"Diner?"

"Oh, I own several businesses in Mainframe. One of which is Dot's Diner. Fastest energy in the system."

Bob felt his stomach rumble at the idea of food.

She smiled. "Come on. We'll stop over." She zipped over the area expertly, leaving him to follow. He had noted something's about this sprite, and now he was anxious to process it all to form a mental picture of her.

But first he needed to eat. His stomach was protesting its hollowness angrily. He rubbed it and sped up. They soon came to a Diner. "Dot's Diner" was proudly proclaimed in bright lights on the roof. They landed and turned the zips back into small round yo-yo things. They attached them to their hips and walked in. Bunches of binomes were in there, all sitting and eating. They looked surprisingly happy. Bob shrugged and looked towards Dot. She motioned to a booth and they sat down. She looked around. "Cecil!" The kitchen doors swung open and a snooty looking waiter zoomed over. He had no legs, and looked rather like a TV with arms. Dot sat down. "I'll take an energy shake. And for the guardian..."

"The same."

Cecil looked at Dot. "Very well Madame. But I must say, I do detest guardians!" He put his nose in the air and zoomed back into the kitchen.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't give it any thought. Cecil pretty much hates everyone who doesn't speak French and act like he does."

A voice came from the kitchen, "I do not! And it's Ces-cil!"

Bob chuckled. Then he looked around. "Pretty cool place."

"Thanks."

"So tell me, how'd you get to own this place? I mean, isn't it time consuming?" She smiled and looked out the window.

"Guardian 452-"

"Bob."

"All right, Bob. I own 3/4 of all the businesses in Mainframe. I jointly share half of the remaining quarter. This diner is the least of my work. And yeah, it kinda is time consuming. But it's worth it. And everyone in my family has always been a leader. My father was the Command.com and both my parents were well known scientists-"

"Wait, you're related to Gif and Win Matrix!? THE Gif and Win Matrix?!"

"Didn't you know that? I'm their eldest child." He gaped at her.

She shrugged and smiled a bit self-consciously. Then she reached over and gently closed his mouth with one slender finger. She rolled her eyes. He grinned sheepishly.

Cescil came out with two energy shakes. He placed one next to Dot. "Mz. Matrix." Then he looked scornfully at Bob. "Guardian." He put the shake down and left.

Bob chuckled and sipped his energy shake. Cool and sweet power rolled down his throat and tickled his insides. It tasted like heaven. He sighed blissfully and opened his eyes. "Now that's an energy shake." She grinned and sipped her own complacently. Then her watch beeped and she looked at it. "What is it?"

Dot looked up at Bob. "Sorry, but we're gonna have to cut this short. My reseller just called... Wanna go see your apartment?" He looked at her. "I don't have one."

"Now you do." She got up. "Come on. It's not too far." He grabbed his shake and Dot tossed a bill on the table. Then they walked out.

***

Bob looked up at his apartment building. It was a wide and rather tall cylinder with a rotating eight ball on the top. Dot took out a key and opened the front door of the building. There was no one around, so she stepped into the elevator compartment and he stepped in next to her. They went up at an alarmingly fast rate, and Bob's stomach sank to his knees. Dot looked unfazed. The elevator stopped and Bob's organs quivered. The doors opened, and they were left at an apartment door. Dot opened it and stepped inside. Bob came in and gaped at the area. "This place is HUGE!"

Dot smiled and looked around. She hadn't been in here since she was little and would play with Tommy Window's kids. She remembered how her friends had taught her to play video games and jet skate when she was still only 0.8. A tear came to her eye, but she suppressed it and smiled at Bob. "Well, I've got to go calm down my reseller. I'll see you later, okay?"

He nodded and smiled. "Thanks a million Dot. If it weren't for you, I'd been deleted for sure."

"Yeah, just don't get on my bad side Bob. You won't like me when I'm angry," she teased. He smiled as she left. This place has advantages.

***

Bob lay in bed that night, thinking. He took out a blank word processing document and an energy pen and began to write. Dot Matrix... What can I say about this woman? She's in control all the time, even when things seem to be hopeless. Her parents taught her well. And she has a cute little hyperactive brother and a bloodthirsty dog who would rather chew me up then look at me. But Dot... She's got brains, beauty, humor, and a sunny disposition. The perfect woman. And she's all mine.

I know that sounds kinda chauvinistic. And it's really wrong of me to speak of her as if she were something you could own. She's the most fantastic creature the User has ever graced the Net with. She really can't be owned. She's wild, a little scared, and extremely strong. The only question is, if she's so perfect why would she ever go for me? I really don't have much to offer her, I'm just a rookie Guardian who owes her his life. Turbo would have deleted me for sure if she hadn't saved my bitmap. I'm here, alive, and under a roof all because of her. I owe her everything. And I have absolutely zip to offer her. *Sigh* Maybe she goes for pathetic guys.

I am getting very depressed. And that's not the real reason I'm writing, so I'll get off the subject of me. I want to focus on her.

Dot Matrix is obviously a workaholic. I can deal with this, for she loves to work and whatever makes her happy is what she deserves. But my poor friend is almost to the end of her wit. She needs something solid in her life. Something she can know will always be the same and will never leave. I could use something like that too. It's so reassuring to know that one thing that means so much in your life will always be there, always be the same. And if I'm luckier than any one deserves to be, maybe she'll let me provide that security.

Maybe someday we'll date or even kiss. I don't care if it's a total flop and she tells me she never wants to see me again. Just one little taste of her skin or lips... I must be a masochist. I keep toturing myself with images of her. Images I know will probably never be anything but images, dreams.

Bob sighed wistfully and lay back, turning off the light. He looked out the window, seeing the star-speckled sky. He looked at the brightest one and made a silent wish. User, just once be kind. Let me just have one taste of heaven. And let me always be here for her. She needs some stability in her life. And maybe if I'm luckier than I deserve to be, I'll be able to provide that stability.

***

Dot felt her heart ache. She had found her one true desire in the world. And right now she knew that he would always be untouchable to her, a distant wish that would never be answered. She sniffed and rolled onto her stomach. She whispered silently into the pillow. "User, please let me have my wish just this once. Let me have him." Then she looked out the window and focused her wish on one extremely bright star. Then she sniffed and closed her eyes.

***

Time went by, as it must. And the pair began to trust each other with more and more information and stuff. Soon Bob had created a total picture of Dot Matrix, forming her psyche down to the last insignificant detail. He had pretty much explored every section of her mind mentally, and had come to one very depressing conclusion. She was deserving of only the best, and with a click of her elegant fingers, she could probably get anything she desired. He had also come to the conclusion that she was deserving of someone who could give her everything she ever wanted and rightfully deserved. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized he had nothing to really offer her except devotion and words of love. And so he tried to put the perfectly featured sprite out of his mind. But the more he tried, the more she found her way into his thoughts.

Dot had long since come to the painful yet rather obvious conclusion that he was never going to be hers. So she tried desperately to put him out of her thoughts. He's a Guardian, Matrix. Why would he want a workaholic from a small, two-bit system when he could easily have any girl in the Super Computer, or the Net for that matter? Yet, she still was painfully aware of how close he was to her every day. And the fact that he seemed to be getting closer and closer to her. He was practically a part of her now, and she could never get him out. Not like she wanted to. The small part of pleasure in her day was knowing that he was right there with her, willing to go anywhere with her if necessary.

The stars looked down at them, as did the Guardian Council. Unbeknownst to the pair, they had become the hobby of the guardians, almost like the entertainment. They were always the topic of gossip and interest, and commonly, one of the guardians would make a joke about their current situation and everyone would laugh at the stupidity or humor in the predicament.

All in all, their fates had been decided long before they knew it.

THE END

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