Disclaimer:
The story was written solely fort the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and it is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Godman/Rosen Productions, New Word Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.
Victoria stared at her display. "NO, that CAN'T BE!"
Ann, her colleague came to her: "Why are you getting upset?"
"Look here!"
"I only see your computer doesn't work!"
"Don't say that, I know. Look here. What do you see?"
"Your computer has crashed, or?"
"No. It's a Blue screen. Microsoft says the new Windows will not crash and especially will not crash with a Blue Screen."
Ann shrugged her shoulders. "And what can I do?"
"Not you." Tom had heard their talking and went towards them. "I think that's time for our superhero!?"
"Oh no, Tom," laughed Ann. "Not him."
Victoria was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Of course, you have only worked for two weeks here in this company, so you can't know. Superhero or Superman, that's Diego, our computer nerd. We call him like that sometimes. Do you remember him?"
Victoria nodded. Of course. That man she would always remember. This man with ruffled hair and ugly glasses reminded her sometimes of a boy, not to an adult. He was polite but also boring, because talking with him meant talking about computers and online gaming after a few minutes. But, of course, he was the specialist for their network and the computers.
So, she picked up the phone.
"Dial 4535, it's his number. The number of superman," kidded Tom.
"Shut up. It isn't funny" Ann was bugged on him.
Anyway, Victoria used the number. She waited 4 times, then she heard a "Diego, yes?"
"Hm... Diego, here is Victoria. I don't know if you remember me? A new colleague of you."
"Yes, I think so. Why do you call?" he mumbled.
"Diego, my computer doesn't work. I have a Blue screen."
"No, that can't be. New windows, no Blue screens."
Victoria whispered triumphantly to the others. "So, what did I say?"
Ann took her telephone. "No, Diego, that is a Blue screen."
Victoria shouted. "I need the phone, please. – Sorry, Diego, I'm back." She retained the phone again.
"Ok, Ok," answered Diego. "When did you make the last backup of your files?"
"Oh... I beg your pardon?"
The man sighed. "I see I have to meet you. I'm just here at the cafeteria. I'll come the next minutes." He stopped the conversation.
"Why? He isn't in his office?" Victoria wondered.
"I don't know, that's Diego. I think he was awake the whole night and now has his first meal, maybe something like a snicker or so," Tom explained. "He has connected the telephone in his office to his smartphone.
'Snickers instead of eating something normal? That guy is strange' Victoria said in her mind.
Strange or not, it didn't take long for Diego to appear. His glasses weren't thick – but what the heck why he was wearing such nasty glasses with old-fashioned frames? No wonder they called him "Superhero" or "Superman" like Clark Kent.
"Hi." He said. without looking at the others, he stared at the monitor.
"As I said- Blue screen," Victoria explained.
First, the "boy" didn't answer. Then he said: "I don't think this is a Blue screen. Or not the same blue tone MS used before. I think it is a blue with a little green inside, isn't it?"
'Bad joke' Victoria thought and looked at Tom and Ann. Both looked seriously. So, Diego wasn't kidding? It must be a joke, or not?
Ok, so she will make one. "Diego, you should buy new glasses. Glasses that show you the right colors on the monitors."
"You are right." He answered seriously. Victoria realized he didn't really listen to her. He looked at the monitor and kept silent.
"Diego…"
"Huh?"
"Diego, can you help me?"
"Yes, I think so."
She smiled. Tom and Ann looked interested on Diego's face.
"You know what that is?"
"Yes, it's the power button of my PC. Why do you ask such silly things?"
"This is the solution of your problem. Press is for a few seconds and the computer will stop working. After that you can use the power button again and the PC will restart, so you can continue working."
Victoria didn't answer. At least, she could speak again: "You are joking, aren't you? YOU are our specialist for IT and YOU say to me just to use the interrupter? No special thing? No trick? Nothing?" She was getting angry and started to speak louder.
Diego looked at the wall, not looking in her eyes. "No. And because you didn't make a backup, you have to write your files again."
Tom laughed. "I'm so sorry, Vic. But this is Diego. Our hero, you know?"
Diego ignored him. "Ok, I will have to go back to my office. I have a lot of work because our head, Mr. Miller, wanted me to check our security system."
"It is because of the mysterious online robbery? I saw it this morning on TV."
"Oh," Victoria asked curiously. "I didn't hear. What happened?"
Tom laughed. "A very strange story, almost like Robin Hood. You know Mr. Carter, he is a multimillionaire. The man with the dubious dealings. Yesterday, a mysterious operation happened on his online account. 100.000 dollars disappeared, and nobody knows how and why."
"100.000 Dollars! I don't think this is really much money for someone like him," Diego explained. "But anyway, Miller is afraid of happening the same to our company. But I don't think there is a real danger for us".
"Carter. There were legal proceedings against him last year," Tom remembered.
"Yes. And last week he got his judgment. Everything he did was according to the law," Ann answered.
"To have the right to do something doesn't mean that it is right thing to do. Sometimes our world is so bad," Victoria said sadly.
"Don't be so depressed. Look, at the same time there was a generous donation for the children hospital. Online and anonymous. People are not so cruel like you think," soothed the nerd.
"No Diego, you don't understand. I think Victoria likes that point that someone stole the money from a multimillionaire" betrayed Tom.
"Ah yeah? Please tell me Victoria: Do you admire the person who stole the money?" Diego asked and now stared at her.
"Hm. Yes…. No… what a silly question."
"Of course, she does." smiled Ann.
Diego was still looking at her. "Do you want to meet him?" he wanted to know.
Victoria's head changed to red. "No!"
"That means Yes." Ann laughed.
Tom didn't agree. "And now? Another man has the money. So, there is no difference. Still, the money doesn't belong to those who should have it."
"Nobody knows that. But I have to continue my work now. Victoria, one last question?"
"Yes?"
"Are you going to visit the party "Emmas Fasent" tonight?" he asked. Again, he was staring at her.
"Yes, of course" Victoria answered surprised.
"Why are you asking," wondered Ann. "Do you want to come with us this evening?"
"Huh no. I was just curiously. I don't like such parties because I don't like dancing. For me that is horrible."
"You are like most men," Victoria sighed. "The best way for a woman is to dance alone or with another woman when she wants to avoid someone standing on her feet permanently."
"But you like dancing, don't you?" Diego was curiously today.
"Yes, I like it if it is good dancing. I love to relax and feel the rhythm," she declared.
"And she likes to lie in strong arms of a man while she is dancing, of course" grinned Ann.
"Ann. Please shut up. I just said most of men are NOT able to dance."
"Oh, if you like to dance there is a new virtual reality game there you can dance with several… ok I see you don't like it." Diego stopped talking. "By the way I have to return to my office. See you later bye-bye."
Quickly, he turned away and went out of the door.
Victoria was confused. "What the hell... I don't understand this."
"Well, never mind. That's Diego. Like he always uses to be. Don't care about him…. He is a computer nerd and not interested in women at all. I think he would like to have a date with a computer and marry this machine If this would be possible. "laughed her colleague.
"A strange man, yes."
"Come on, let's continue our work, too. Then we have enough time to go to the party."
Emma was born in southern Germany and later she moved to the middle of Germany. For several years she lived in the USA. She was the owner of "Emmas Tanzlokal" Emma's dance hall. It was a dance hall, also with a small bar and some ordinary meals.
She also wanted to show the Americans some traditions of Germany, as she always said. And so, after Halloween, she started with her German carnival events. She made parties with ordinary disguise, almost like Halloween parties. Or she had very special nights, where she showed costumes of the "Swabian Allemanic fasnet" (South Germany) or explained the carnival of Cologne. She said she would like to show German culture, but primarily it was a possibility for her to arrange festivals and earn money.
The party Victoria was to visit this evening was a very ordinary party of costumes.
Victoria didn't know if she would be able to finish her work. She was very angry about the computer crash and she would have a lot of work because of it.
She sighed and turned on the PC.
At this moment, her telephone rang. It was an intern call.
"Yes, Victoria speaking?"
"Hmm, yes, here is Diego. I could find some of your files from today on the server. They are not all up to date, some are before one hour or earlier and some I couldn't restore but I think this will help. I'll send them to you by mail. Bye".
Victoria was surprised because she didn't think he cared of her problem. "Thank you, Diego,- Diego?" But the man had already hang up the phone not waiting for her answer.
The woman shook her head. A strange man – a very strange man.
At eight o' clock in the evening, Victoria, the pirate, was waiting in front of "Emmas" for Tom and Ann.
Ten minutes later, the two arrived.
"Eh, Victoria, nice to see you again. Shall we go in?" Tom looked like a cowboy and Ann was disguised as a cat.
Inside, they talked to some friends, had some drinks and danced. Today, there was no program, so they were free to do what they wanted.
Victoria was glad to relax because it had been a lot of work although Diego had sent her the files. She was tired and was sure she would go home before midnight.
And she was dancing alone or with Ann as she said this afternoon. There was a little band and they were playing good music for everyone. Music to dance alone, to dance together, slow and fast. And very different styles, fox, slow fox, disco, waltz and so on.
But sometimes, she had a strange feeling. The feeling that someone was observing her. Of course, that was nonsense. Each time when she looked around she couldn't see someone who was looking at her. It was an imagination, not more.
After several drinks, she wanted to go to the restroom. Ann was flirting with a cowboy (but not Tom), so she went there alone.
And she was very happy she didn't have to wait. at the women restrooms. She seemed to be very lucky today.
After she wanted to go back inside, a man came to her. He was staggering and singing. Singing when he came in front of her.
"Hey, nice lady. How are you?" he babbled.
Oh no!" He was really drunk. Victoria wanted to go past to him, but he caught her right arm. Scary she tried to get rid of him. "Leave me alone," she shouted. "Don't touch me."
His breath smelled of Whisky "Oh no, Lady. I will touch you. We will have a lot of fun."
She tried to get rid of his hand, to run away from him. But he only seemed to be amused by her wanting to escape and laughed loudly.
"Stop pestering the young Lady!" Suddenly a dark voice sounded, and a dark figure appeared from the shadow right toward Victoria and the drunk man.