Story 6
Bob & Dot -- Home Again
It was two cycles before Bob and Dot returned from the Super Computer. All their friends were there to welcome them home.
Little Enzo and Andri were very excited about seeing them again. When you're very young, two cycles can be an eternity.
"BOBBBBBB!!!!!!!!!!" Little Enzo screamed. The small, green sprite ran at full speed, knocked Bob down and sat on his chest. "BOB!AMIGLADTOSEEYOU!WAITUNTILLYOUHEARABOUTOMEGAANDTURBOANDMONITORANDMOUSEANDRAYAND..."
"'Fast Talk' strikes again!" Jo Ann laughed, using little Enzo's Net Native name.
Dot hugged everyone, gently lifting her littlest brother off her husband.
"Calm down Enzo..."
"DOTTT!!!!!!" little Enzo gave his sister a huge hug.
Dot swung the little sprite around, laughing happily. "I missed you too..."
"We all did, Dot," Jo Ann smiled, hugging her new sister. "Mainframe just wasn't the same without you two."
"Thanks!! We missed you all. We brought presents back!" she smiled.
"Preasents?!?ALPHANUMERIC!" little Enzo cried happily.
"For everyone..." Bob smiled.
"Pixelacious!" cried Andri. Her grin was almost as big as her young friend's.
Dot hugged the young game-sprite. "Let's go to the apartment and then we can give out our gifts...then we need to sort out living arrangements..."
"Okay," Jo Ann smiled, "Bob's?"
Bob smiled, "Actually, neither of our apartments are really that big. But we were living in Dot's before we left so there I think..."
"Okay." Jo Ann slipped her hand into Wild Card's and followed Bob and Dot to the eight ball apartment.
Matrix helped with the luggage and Dot and Bob opened the suitcases in the lounge -room. In the cases, as well as clothes and belongings were lots of brightly wrapped parcels.
"Ooooo...Pretty!" Andri smiled, her eyes wide.
"Wait til you see whats inside," Dot promised as Bob put on the java-machine.
"No java for me, thanks, Bob. If you have hot chocolate, I have some of that, please," Jo Ann said.
Dot threw Bob a small packet of hot chocolate from the cases.
"Luxery stuff!" she grinned at Jo Ann. "I got addicted to it!"
"It's good, though. Maybe I'll ask Charlotte to bring a box of the French Vanilla flavored hot chocolate next time she comes," Jo Ann smiled.
"Sounds wonderful!" Dot smiled.
"Tastes wonderful, too. And maybe I'll get her to bring some herbal tea, too. I don't like coffee, but I love hot, herbal tea. Especialy peppermint!" Jo Ann sighed, remembering how good the peppermint tea tasted.
"Can we get on with the presents?!" Enzo asked.
"Hey! All in good time, Enzo!" Matrix grinned. "Bob and Dot just got here. Let's give them time to unwind before bugging them for presents."
"Yeah...well..." he pouted.
"Don't worry, Enzo," Bob smiled. "We'll get to the presents soon, I promice."
Dot smiled, and sat cross-legged on the floor. "So...any news?"
"Well, let's see...Jo Ann not only saved Omega, she upgraded it..." AndrAIa began.
"Wow!!" Dot smiled proudly.
"And... Monitor?" Bob asked.
"She has both eyes back, Status is alive again, Monitor will be a Guardian, and she and Turbo have a romance going!" Jo Ann grinned at her brother and sister.
"What?! Turbo?" That sly old...good for him."
"We orginally planned to do that as part of the 'Cupid Conspirisy', but as it turned out, we didn't have to do any match-making for them. They did it on their own," AndrAIa smiled.
"It's about time Uncle Turbo found someone..." Dot smiled.
"It's funny," Jo Ann smiled, "but someday --I hope-- you will actually be calling a would-be rival for Bob, 'Aunt"!"
Dot smiled warmly and chuckled.
"Come to think of it," now Jo Ann made a face of mock-I-just-thought-of-something-strange, "I'll be calling her 'Aunt', too!"
Dot laughed at that and handed a parcel to Jo Ann, "Here -- open that and quit the pondering!"
Carefully, for fear of damaging whatever was in it, Jo Ann removed the wrapping from the gift.
Inside was a picture of Jo Ann and Wild Card on their wedding day, carved onto a prism...
"Oh, Bob; Dot...It's beautiful!" Jo Ann handed it to Wild Card for him to look at, while she hugged her sister-in-law. She would hug Bob when he returned to the room with her drink.
"A special gift for two very special people..." Bob smiled. "Actually Dot picked it out..."
"Thanks, Dot!" Wild Card grinned and hugged his sister-in-law.
Dot hugged him back and smiled.
Jo Ann looked at the prism-picture again. The rainbow colors gleamed off it's surface, the figures carved in perfect detail.
Dot showed Jo Ann the holo-graph the artist had used to make their gift.
Jo Ann compared the two. Although the holo-graph lacked any other color other than green, the prism-picture matched the holo-graph exactly.
"Who took the picture?" she asked.
Dot grinned and showed Jo Ann the album she had on her organizer.
Jo Ann smiled as she looked at picture-after-picture that Dot had stored on the small computer.
"Family photos.." the COMMAND.COM explained.
Jo Ann nodded in understanding. She saw pictures of Dot and Enzo --Matrix as a little boy-- and their parents. Later pictures showed Dot' Diner, Phong, Cecil, and, of course, Bob. More recent photos added Matrix, AndrAIa --both child and adult--, Mouse and Ray. There were even a few of herself and Wild Card before they were married.
"I only had a wedding holograph...so the artist used the normal JPGs of you two for the colours"
"Well, he --or she-- did a wonderful job. It's beautiful," Jo Ann smiled. "I'm going to need to start an album of my own, when I can. I have all these wonderful brothers and sisters, and an uncle, and, of course, an incredibly wonderful husband, and I have no pictures of them."
"You can get copies of mine, if you want..." Dot saw Andri and Enzo's impatience show on their faces. She handed them each their gifts
"Thanks, Dot. I'll need an album to put them in, of course." Jo Ann watched as the two little sprites tore open their presents with all the impatiance of children.
"ALPHANUMERIC!!IT'SATOYKEYTOOL!" Enzo yelled
"Now, you can at least, pretend to be a Guardian, Enzo!" Jo Ann laughed. "That is, until you become the real thing!" She knew what little Enzo's ambition would be --the same one that Matrix had when he was a little sprite. To be a Guardian, like his big brothers.
"THANKSDOTANDBOB!!"
"You are very welcome, Enzo!" Bob grinned.
Andri, meanwhile sat mesmerised at her gift.
In her hands, Andri held two Guardian dolls, one male and one female.
"Wow!" Jo Ann laughed. "Guardian Ken and Barbie!"
"Who?" Mouse asked.
"Two very famous dolls in the User World. That's another thing I'm going to have to ask for --my Barbie Doll collection. I even have the 'Star Trek' Ken and Barbie that was made for the 30th anniversery of the show!"
"Alphanumeric..." the little game-sprite whispered, enchanted by the dolls.
"You should have a lot of fun with those, Andri," Jo Ann smiled, remembering her child-hood when she played with dolls. She looked over at little Enzo and said, teasingly, "Maybe little Enzo will play with you as Ken."
"Nah...dolls are for girls!!"
"Even 'G.I.Joe'?" she asked, giggling.
"Who?"
"'G.I.Joe' was a doll-sized action figure of military guys. Back when they were first made, they weren't called 'action-figures'. 'G.I.Joe' comes from the name given to American soldiers in World War II. 'G.I.' stood for "Government Issue', since everything a soldier had but personal stuff was given to him by the government. 'Joe --spelled, J-O-E-- comes from the most common American men's name of that time. Sandie and I each had one."
AndrAIa laughed and ruffled Matrix's hair, "I got my own..."
"You do at that!" Jo Ann agreed. "He even has the scar that all the G.I.Joe dolls had. That, and a thunb with the nail on the pad part of the digit, was how collectors can tell a real G.I.Joe from a cheap copy. Matrix is definatly a real G.I.Joe." Then, Jo Ann looked at her husband. "Come-to-think-of-it, so is Wild Card!" Jo Ann kissed her man on the lips.
"Ain't they just dolls?" AndrAIa giggled.
"Oh, AndrAIa!" Jo Ann laughed and moaned at the same time. "Yes, they are!"
Matrix tickled the game-sprite until she was literally squealing for him to stop...
"They're doing it again," little Enzo moaned.
"It's cute!" Andri told him.
"EWWW!!! MUSH!" the green boy goaned.
"Oh, Enzo!" Andri sighed in a way that was scarily similar to her older 'sister'.
"First, the two Dots are in sync with each other, then the two Bobs, then the my clone and me, Echo and Wild Card, now, AndrAIa and Anrdi. Who's next? Matrix and Enzo?" Jo Ann asked.
"Nah! Never!" Both Enzo Matrixes exclaimed.
"And the music for 'The Twilight Zone' begins to play right about now," Jo Ann quipted, her eyes darting about at her friends.
Matrix threw a cushion at her.
With sure, precese reflexes --taught to her by Matrix, himself-- Jo Ann caught the pillow and threw it right back at the green warrior.
Matrix laughed and raised a booted foot; kicking it before it came close to hitting him or AndrAIa.
Bob caught the pillow before it could hit anything.
"That's enough, you guys. If we break anything, Dot will delete us." Bob put the cushion back where Matrix had gotten it.
"You bet I will!" Dot feigned anger.
"We'll be good!" Matrix said in a faked, high-pitch voice. This had everyone laughing.
"Come on now;" Dot passed a parcel to Mouse.
Carefully, and humming a little tune as she did, Mouse opened the gift.
Inside the package was a long, strap-sleeved navy evening gown. Sleek and elegant, it would look amazing on the hacker.
Ray gave a little, teasing wolf whistle as he imagined Mouse wearing the dress.
"Oh, sugah! It's beautiful!" Mouse exclaimed, holding the dress up to get a good look at it. As the skirt fell down the split in the side became apparent.
"Ohh...and a bit sexy, too!" Ray joked.
Mouse smiled devishly at him.
"Try it on, luv! I'd like to see you in it!" Ray grinned.
"Ah'm sure you would..." Mouse stood up and headed to the bathroom to change.
"Bob, you and Dot were here when Ray and Mouse announced that they were engaged, weren't you?" Jo Ann asked.
Dot smiled in surprise, "No! We weren't!! And when were you guys planning on telling us?!"
"Oops! Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the surprise, Ray," Jo Ann said.
"Yeah, Ray; What's with the secret?" Bob asked.
"Well, we were going to wait for you to get back before we 'ad the wedding, of course," Ray said. "And it's okay, Jo. I certainly don't mind you tellin' them."
"Thanks for waiting, I -- Oh!! Mouse!! Its incredible!!" The hacker looked sensational in the navy dress.
"Wow! And the color is really you, Mouse!" Jo Ann grinned.
Mouse twirled around, giving everyone a good look at the dress.
"You're a knockout, luv," Ray smiled.
Jo Ann teasingly put her hand over Wild Card's eyes.
"No looking at other women, love!" she laughed.
Mouse chuckled at that and approached Ray, holding out a corner of the skirt. "Feel the material...it's so soft!
"I'd rather feel the material here, luv!" Ray grinned. He grabbed her arm and started kissing it up and down it's length.
"EWWW!! Gross mushy stuff!" Enzo exclaimed.
Andri giggled. On impulse, she leaned over and kissed little Enzo on the cheek.
Enzo blushed deeply and hoped none of the adults noticed.
He was out of luck, though. They all had noticed.
"How sweet!" Jo Ann said.
"Like big sister, like little sister," Matrix added.
Dot had a maternal look on her face and Bob was grinning broadly. Enzo was never going to be allowed to forget that
Wild Card hugged Jo Ann closely. He loved her so very much.
"Did you guys say that Jo Ann had upgraded Omega? How?" Bob asked.
"Yes; fill us in!" Dot urged, holding off on the other gifts in curiousity.
"I'm not sure, myself, how the upgrading happened," Jo Ann admitted. "Maybe because I wanted to help them so baddly that thought became action, and I rebuilt --or upgraded-- the whole system. Their defences are far superior now then they've ever been. They won't ever have to worry about another attack from the Web again. And, have you ever seen what their PO looked like? Like a big fortress castle?"
"Monitor showed me a picture when I was there..."
"Well, now, it looks like a castle out of a fairy-tale, like something Walt Disney would have built!" Jo Ann grinned.
"Who?"
"A guy that made a lot of great animated movies and built several theame parks. You've heard me mention him before, when we were discussing love songs."
"I remember!" Dot smiled.
"Ariel?" Bob said, remembering the reference Jo Ann had made in AndrAIa's game.
"Yep! And didn't one of you suggest, 'A Whole New World', from 'Aladdin', once?" Jo Ann asked.
"Oh, yes!" That jogged memories.
"Well, Omega's PO now looks like someplace one of those princesses might live in. You really need to see it to believe it!" Jo Ann smiled.
"Wow!! It sounds amazing!! Are you going back there? Maybe I can come..." Bob suggested.
"Well...Monitor is suppose to be in the Super Computer now, studing to become a Guardian. I don't know how Status is going to feel about Guardians being in Omega. He didn't look to thrilled to see me there," Jo Ann answered, sighing a little.
"Oh? She's there already? Status was never fond of Guardians..." Bob mused.
"He certainly didn't look like he was. I wonder what his reaction to Monitor becomeing one was..." Jo Ann mused.
"I wonder..."
"I don't think I want to find out, yet," Jo Ann said. "He may just hate Guardians, now."
"Probably..." Dot passed a package to Matrix and smiled at him.
The renagde disengaged from AndrAIa long enough to take the package and open it.
Inside the package was a keytool. A keytool of his very own.
Matrix's eyes and mouth openned wide in pleased surprise. He moved his lips to say something, but no sound came out. He just sat there, staring at the beautiful device that he held in his hand.
"Ohh...Sparky..." AndrAIa whispered.
"How'd you guys manage that?" Jo Ann asked. "I thought that keytools choose their Guardians."
Bob smiled proudly. "This is a newly processed key-tool: Packard...Packard was looking for a cadet to train with; but someone who has been around for a while...I told him about Matrix..."
"And he choose me..." Matrix said in a whisper.
"Yes...he did..." Dot leaned over and squeezed her brother's hand.
"Congrats, bro!" Jo Ann grinned and gave Matrix a hug and a kiss. When she pulled away, she saw that he was still looking at Packard. "Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she asked.
"Go on, Sparky..." AndrAIa got off his lap to let him talk to the keytool.
"H...hello...Packard. I'm...Matrix. I'm happy to meet you." Matrix was still stunned that Packard had chosen him to be his Guardian.
AndrAIa watched her Sparky, her heart full of pride and love. Last time she had seen him so stunned was just after she'd kissed him for the first time.
[Hello, Matrix. I'm sure we will work well together.] Packard said.
"I...I hope so..."
{Hello, Packard.} Pixal beeped.
[Hello...]
Packard looked at Pixal. One could almost see the hearts floating out of his screen.
[Soo...What's your sign? I'm a Hewlett.]
The Guardians in the room chortled softly at the young keytool.
"I don't beleive it!" Jo Ann laughed. "Packard is trying to get Pixal to be his girlfriend!"
"Isn't she a little old for him?" Dot wondered.
"True. Packard, do you know the legend about Athena, the First Guardian?" Jo Ann asked.
[I believe so...]
"You should!" Bob smiled. "The very first Guardian. "It's required history at the Guardian Academy!"
[I know the one...]
"Do you remember the name of her keytool?" Jo Ann asked.
[Pixal? I think.]
"Who do you think this is," Jo Ann smiled, holding out Pixal for Packard to see.
Packard swore softly in keytool, [Sorry, ma'am.]
{That's all right, child. But mind your manners, next time.}
[I mean it...I'm sorry.] Packard swore softly again in embarrassment.
{No swearing, dear. It's not polite, especially in front of a lady.}
[Aww...sh- sorry, ma'am...]
Jo Ann could not help but giggle. It was so cute! Pixal was playing "mother" to Packard!
Bob was chuckling and translating to Dot what was being said.
"You know...Pixal would be the ancesstoress of all the keytools, wouldn't she?" Jo Ann said thoughtfully.
"I think so," Bob smiled.
"Athena was the first Guardian; Pixal would have been the first keytool," Wild Card reasoned.
"Its only logical," AndrAIa agreed.
"Packard, do you remember what Athena's prophcey was? Who would inherit her keytool, icon, and Guaridan uniform?" Bob asked.
[I'm...I'm afraid not; sir...] the young keytool sounded sheepish.
"It had something to do with a User..." Bob prompted.
[A User would become a guardian?] the young keytool asked.
"Yes..." Bob smiled, pleased that Packard knew his legends.
[Whew...]
Bob and the others waited for the information to sink into the keytool's memory.
[Wait a nano...are you saying...?]
Matrix, Bob and the others grinned as the truth was slowly dawning on Packard.
{Yes, child, they are...} Pixal told him.
"Hello, Packard," Jo Ann smiled.
[...errrr...hi...]
Matrix chuckled. Packard was at a loss for words!
[Whats so funny, Matrix...]
"Congratulations, Packard!" Dot smiled. "You've just met a User!"
[Wow...]
"Dot," Matrix asked in surprise. "How is it that you understand keytool?"
"Bob gave me the ability to understand keytool as a wedding present. After all, Glitch is a part of him, and now, is a part of my life as well."
Dot crossed the room to hug her husband.
From somewhere inside Bob, Glitch beeped a greeting to Packard.
The young keytool hadn't been expecting that and started, catching himself mid-swear.
{Packard!} Pixal scolded.
[Sorry ma'am...]
[Just watch yourself, Pack. Pix gets pretty upset when people --and keytools-- swear.] Glitch told the young keytool.
[I will attempt to stop this habit...]
{I hope so...} Pixal said.
[Sorry, ma'am.]
{And where are your manners, User Guardian One? You forgot to introduce yourself to Packard!} Pixal admonished Jo Ann.
"Opps! Sorry, Pix!" To Packard, she said, "I am Jo Ann Montgoemery, User Guardian One, Packard. I am pleased to meet you."
[I'm honoured, ma'am.]
{That's better!} Pixal said smuggly.
"See, Pack," Jo Ann told the keytool. "Pixal even corrects me!"
[I'm not going to comment...] the young keytool chuckled.
"You'd better not!" Matrix laughed.
[I said nothing!!]
"I know! I just told you that you'd better not make a comment!"
[I think that's wise...]
"Why?" little Enzo asked.
[In case Pixal gets mad.]
Matrix had to translate this, for little Enzo could not undersrand keytool.
Enzo chuckled, "You wouldn't get mad, would you, Pixal?"
{My dear boy,} Pixal huffed, pretending to be insulted, {I am a lady! I never get mad!}
All those who understood keytool laughed loudly.
"Then, why do you yell at me when I leave my socks on the floor?" Wild Card laughed.
{Touche...} Pixal smiled.
This made those fluent in keytool laugh even harder.
"What?" AndrAIa asked.
Matrix, still laughing, translated for AndrAIa.
AndrAIa laughed too...squeezing Matrix's shoulder.
[I take it that you two are more then just friends...]
{Packard!} Pixal admonished.
"Yes, Packard... AndrAIa and I have been lovers for a long time..."
[Oh...]
"What?" Matrix asked.
[Err...nothing...]
"What?" Matrix pressed.
{Packard, dear, how old are you?} Pixal asked.
[Almost 1-9...]
"Which is in User time...?" Jo Ann asked. She knew a lot about the time differences between the User's World and the Computer World, and she could translate most terms and times with ease. But when it came to ages, JoAnn was usually stumped.
"Roughly 18," Dot explained.
"Oh, okay. Thanks," Jo Ann said.
"No problem..."
{Back to Packard,} Pixal said. {Eighteen, eh? My! You are a young keytool, aren't you!}
[Yes ma'am...but Turbo thought I was ready to pick a Guardian...]
{Well, we trust Turbo's judgement, dear. But I think you should be warned: Matrix has quite a temper. Result of the games and the game-hopping, you see. Not that he would ever turn his anger on you, mind you. But I thought you should know, so that you wouldn't be surprised when he did get angry.}
[Oh...okay...]
Jo Ann giggled. Packard seemed like your average teenager --that is, if your average teenager was a highly intelligent and seninent computerized device designed to help Guardians in their task of "Mend and Defend"!
[This is gonna take some getting used to...]
"What is?" Matrix asked.
[Nothing...]
"What?" Matrix persisted.
{Packard, remember what I told you about Matrix's temper...}
[I do...nothig; honestly, sir!]
"Please, Packard. If you and Matrix are going to be working together, you need to be honest with him," Jo Ann said.
[Oh...okay... the whole Guardian thing is gonna take some getting used to...]
[Packard, my friend,] Glitch laughed, [That is something all keytools have to get used to. And getting used to your Guardian is going to take the longest of all to get used to. I've been Bob for hours, and now I am a part of him. And I'm still not used to him!]
Dot laughed loudly at that.
"Oh, Glitch!" Jo Ann laughed.
Bob pretended to sulk.
"What's the matter, bro?" Wild Card smiled.
"Just Glitch..." the blue-skinned Guardian laughed.
[Bob...!] Glitch complained.
"What?!" Bob responded.
Bob & Dot -- Home Again
It was two cycles before Bob and Dot returned from the Super Computer. All their friends were there to welcome them home.
Little Enzo and Andri were very excited about seeing them again. When you're very young, two cycles can be an eternity.
"BOBBBBBB!!!!!!!!!!" Little Enzo screamed. The small, green sprite ran at full speed, knocked Bob down and sat on his chest. "BOB!AMIGLADTOSEEYOU!WAITUNTILLYOUHEARABOUTOMEGAANDTURBOANDMONITORANDMOUSEANDRAYAND..."
"'Fast Talk' strikes again!" Jo Ann laughed, using little Enzo's Net Native name.
Dot hugged everyone, gently lifting her littlest brother off her husband.
"Calm down Enzo..."
"DOTTT!!!!!!" little Enzo gave his sister a huge hug.
Dot swung the little sprite around, laughing happily. "I missed you too..."
"We all did, Dot," Jo Ann smiled, hugging her new sister. "Mainframe just wasn't the same without you two."
"Thanks!! We missed you all. We brought presents back!" she smiled.
"Preasents?!?ALPHANUMERIC!" little Enzo cried happily.
"For everyone..." Bob smiled.
"Pixelacious!" cried Andri. Her grin was almost as big as her young friend's.
Dot hugged the young game-sprite. "Let's go to the apartment and then we can give out our gifts...then we need to sort out living arrangements..."
"Okay," Jo Ann smiled, "Bob's?"
Bob smiled, "Actually, neither of our apartments are really that big. But we were living in Dot's before we left so there I think..."
"Okay." Jo Ann slipped her hand into Wild Card's and followed Bob and Dot to the eight ball apartment.
Matrix helped with the luggage and Dot and Bob opened the suitcases in the lounge -room. In the cases, as well as clothes and belongings were lots of brightly wrapped parcels.
"Ooooo...Pretty!" Andri smiled, her eyes wide.
"Wait til you see whats inside," Dot promised as Bob put on the java-machine.
"No java for me, thanks, Bob. If you have hot chocolate, I have some of that, please," Jo Ann said.
Dot threw Bob a small packet of hot chocolate from the cases.
"Luxery stuff!" she grinned at Jo Ann. "I got addicted to it!"
"It's good, though. Maybe I'll ask Charlotte to bring a box of the French Vanilla flavored hot chocolate next time she comes," Jo Ann smiled.
"Sounds wonderful!" Dot smiled.
"Tastes wonderful, too. And maybe I'll get her to bring some herbal tea, too. I don't like coffee, but I love hot, herbal tea. Especialy peppermint!" Jo Ann sighed, remembering how good the peppermint tea tasted.
"Can we get on with the presents?!" Enzo asked.
"Hey! All in good time, Enzo!" Matrix grinned. "Bob and Dot just got here. Let's give them time to unwind before bugging them for presents."
"Yeah...well..." he pouted.
"Don't worry, Enzo," Bob smiled. "We'll get to the presents soon, I promice."
Dot smiled, and sat cross-legged on the floor. "So...any news?"
"Well, let's see...Jo Ann not only saved Omega, she upgraded it..." AndrAIa began.
"Wow!!" Dot smiled proudly.
"And... Monitor?" Bob asked.
"She has both eyes back, Status is alive again, Monitor will be a Guardian, and she and Turbo have a romance going!" Jo Ann grinned at her brother and sister.
"What?! Turbo?" That sly old...good for him."
"We orginally planned to do that as part of the 'Cupid Conspirisy', but as it turned out, we didn't have to do any match-making for them. They did it on their own," AndrAIa smiled.
"It's about time Uncle Turbo found someone..." Dot smiled.
"It's funny," Jo Ann smiled, "but someday --I hope-- you will actually be calling a would-be rival for Bob, 'Aunt"!"
Dot smiled warmly and chuckled.
"Come to think of it," now Jo Ann made a face of mock-I-just-thought-of-something-strange, "I'll be calling her 'Aunt', too!"
Dot laughed at that and handed a parcel to Jo Ann, "Here -- open that and quit the pondering!"
Carefully, for fear of damaging whatever was in it, Jo Ann removed the wrapping from the gift.
Inside was a picture of Jo Ann and Wild Card on their wedding day, carved onto a prism...
"Oh, Bob; Dot...It's beautiful!" Jo Ann handed it to Wild Card for him to look at, while she hugged her sister-in-law. She would hug Bob when he returned to the room with her drink.
"A special gift for two very special people..." Bob smiled. "Actually Dot picked it out..."
"Thanks, Dot!" Wild Card grinned and hugged his sister-in-law.
Dot hugged him back and smiled.
Jo Ann looked at the prism-picture again. The rainbow colors gleamed off it's surface, the figures carved in perfect detail.
Dot showed Jo Ann the holo-graph the artist had used to make their gift.
Jo Ann compared the two. Although the holo-graph lacked any other color other than green, the prism-picture matched the holo-graph exactly.
"Who took the picture?" she asked.
Dot grinned and showed Jo Ann the album she had on her organizer.
Jo Ann smiled as she looked at picture-after-picture that Dot had stored on the small computer.
"Family photos.." the COMMAND.COM explained.
Jo Ann nodded in understanding. She saw pictures of Dot and Enzo --Matrix as a little boy-- and their parents. Later pictures showed Dot' Diner, Phong, Cecil, and, of course, Bob. More recent photos added Matrix, AndrAIa --both child and adult--, Mouse and Ray. There were even a few of herself and Wild Card before they were married.
"I only had a wedding holograph...so the artist used the normal JPGs of you two for the colours"
"Well, he --or she-- did a wonderful job. It's beautiful," Jo Ann smiled. "I'm going to need to start an album of my own, when I can. I have all these wonderful brothers and sisters, and an uncle, and, of course, an incredibly wonderful husband, and I have no pictures of them."
"You can get copies of mine, if you want..." Dot saw Andri and Enzo's impatience show on their faces. She handed them each their gifts
"Thanks, Dot. I'll need an album to put them in, of course." Jo Ann watched as the two little sprites tore open their presents with all the impatiance of children.
"ALPHANUMERIC!!IT'SATOYKEYTOOL!" Enzo yelled
"Now, you can at least, pretend to be a Guardian, Enzo!" Jo Ann laughed. "That is, until you become the real thing!" She knew what little Enzo's ambition would be --the same one that Matrix had when he was a little sprite. To be a Guardian, like his big brothers.
"THANKSDOTANDBOB!!"
"You are very welcome, Enzo!" Bob grinned.
Andri, meanwhile sat mesmerised at her gift.
In her hands, Andri held two Guardian dolls, one male and one female.
"Wow!" Jo Ann laughed. "Guardian Ken and Barbie!"
"Who?" Mouse asked.
"Two very famous dolls in the User World. That's another thing I'm going to have to ask for --my Barbie Doll collection. I even have the 'Star Trek' Ken and Barbie that was made for the 30th anniversery of the show!"
"Alphanumeric..." the little game-sprite whispered, enchanted by the dolls.
"You should have a lot of fun with those, Andri," Jo Ann smiled, remembering her child-hood when she played with dolls. She looked over at little Enzo and said, teasingly, "Maybe little Enzo will play with you as Ken."
"Nah...dolls are for girls!!"
"Even 'G.I.Joe'?" she asked, giggling.
"Who?"
"'G.I.Joe' was a doll-sized action figure of military guys. Back when they were first made, they weren't called 'action-figures'. 'G.I.Joe' comes from the name given to American soldiers in World War II. 'G.I.' stood for "Government Issue', since everything a soldier had but personal stuff was given to him by the government. 'Joe --spelled, J-O-E-- comes from the most common American men's name of that time. Sandie and I each had one."
AndrAIa laughed and ruffled Matrix's hair, "I got my own..."
"You do at that!" Jo Ann agreed. "He even has the scar that all the G.I.Joe dolls had. That, and a thunb with the nail on the pad part of the digit, was how collectors can tell a real G.I.Joe from a cheap copy. Matrix is definatly a real G.I.Joe." Then, Jo Ann looked at her husband. "Come-to-think-of-it, so is Wild Card!" Jo Ann kissed her man on the lips.
"Ain't they just dolls?" AndrAIa giggled.
"Oh, AndrAIa!" Jo Ann laughed and moaned at the same time. "Yes, they are!"
Matrix tickled the game-sprite until she was literally squealing for him to stop...
"They're doing it again," little Enzo moaned.
"It's cute!" Andri told him.
"EWWW!!! MUSH!" the green boy goaned.
"Oh, Enzo!" Andri sighed in a way that was scarily similar to her older 'sister'.
"First, the two Dots are in sync with each other, then the two Bobs, then the my clone and me, Echo and Wild Card, now, AndrAIa and Anrdi. Who's next? Matrix and Enzo?" Jo Ann asked.
"Nah! Never!" Both Enzo Matrixes exclaimed.
"And the music for 'The Twilight Zone' begins to play right about now," Jo Ann quipted, her eyes darting about at her friends.
Matrix threw a cushion at her.
With sure, precese reflexes --taught to her by Matrix, himself-- Jo Ann caught the pillow and threw it right back at the green warrior.
Matrix laughed and raised a booted foot; kicking it before it came close to hitting him or AndrAIa.
Bob caught the pillow before it could hit anything.
"That's enough, you guys. If we break anything, Dot will delete us." Bob put the cushion back where Matrix had gotten it.
"You bet I will!" Dot feigned anger.
"We'll be good!" Matrix said in a faked, high-pitch voice. This had everyone laughing.
"Come on now;" Dot passed a parcel to Mouse.
Carefully, and humming a little tune as she did, Mouse opened the gift.
Inside the package was a long, strap-sleeved navy evening gown. Sleek and elegant, it would look amazing on the hacker.
Ray gave a little, teasing wolf whistle as he imagined Mouse wearing the dress.
"Oh, sugah! It's beautiful!" Mouse exclaimed, holding the dress up to get a good look at it. As the skirt fell down the split in the side became apparent.
"Ohh...and a bit sexy, too!" Ray joked.
Mouse smiled devishly at him.
"Try it on, luv! I'd like to see you in it!" Ray grinned.
"Ah'm sure you would..." Mouse stood up and headed to the bathroom to change.
"Bob, you and Dot were here when Ray and Mouse announced that they were engaged, weren't you?" Jo Ann asked.
Dot smiled in surprise, "No! We weren't!! And when were you guys planning on telling us?!"
"Oops! Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the surprise, Ray," Jo Ann said.
"Yeah, Ray; What's with the secret?" Bob asked.
"Well, we were going to wait for you to get back before we 'ad the wedding, of course," Ray said. "And it's okay, Jo. I certainly don't mind you tellin' them."
"Thanks for waiting, I -- Oh!! Mouse!! Its incredible!!" The hacker looked sensational in the navy dress.
"Wow! And the color is really you, Mouse!" Jo Ann grinned.
Mouse twirled around, giving everyone a good look at the dress.
"You're a knockout, luv," Ray smiled.
Jo Ann teasingly put her hand over Wild Card's eyes.
"No looking at other women, love!" she laughed.
Mouse chuckled at that and approached Ray, holding out a corner of the skirt. "Feel the material...it's so soft!
"I'd rather feel the material here, luv!" Ray grinned. He grabbed her arm and started kissing it up and down it's length.
"EWWW!! Gross mushy stuff!" Enzo exclaimed.
Andri giggled. On impulse, she leaned over and kissed little Enzo on the cheek.
Enzo blushed deeply and hoped none of the adults noticed.
He was out of luck, though. They all had noticed.
"How sweet!" Jo Ann said.
"Like big sister, like little sister," Matrix added.
Dot had a maternal look on her face and Bob was grinning broadly. Enzo was never going to be allowed to forget that
Wild Card hugged Jo Ann closely. He loved her so very much.
"Did you guys say that Jo Ann had upgraded Omega? How?" Bob asked.
"Yes; fill us in!" Dot urged, holding off on the other gifts in curiousity.
"I'm not sure, myself, how the upgrading happened," Jo Ann admitted. "Maybe because I wanted to help them so baddly that thought became action, and I rebuilt --or upgraded-- the whole system. Their defences are far superior now then they've ever been. They won't ever have to worry about another attack from the Web again. And, have you ever seen what their PO looked like? Like a big fortress castle?"
"Monitor showed me a picture when I was there..."
"Well, now, it looks like a castle out of a fairy-tale, like something Walt Disney would have built!" Jo Ann grinned.
"Who?"
"A guy that made a lot of great animated movies and built several theame parks. You've heard me mention him before, when we were discussing love songs."
"I remember!" Dot smiled.
"Ariel?" Bob said, remembering the reference Jo Ann had made in AndrAIa's game.
"Yep! And didn't one of you suggest, 'A Whole New World', from 'Aladdin', once?" Jo Ann asked.
"Oh, yes!" That jogged memories.
"Well, Omega's PO now looks like someplace one of those princesses might live in. You really need to see it to believe it!" Jo Ann smiled.
"Wow!! It sounds amazing!! Are you going back there? Maybe I can come..." Bob suggested.
"Well...Monitor is suppose to be in the Super Computer now, studing to become a Guardian. I don't know how Status is going to feel about Guardians being in Omega. He didn't look to thrilled to see me there," Jo Ann answered, sighing a little.
"Oh? She's there already? Status was never fond of Guardians..." Bob mused.
"He certainly didn't look like he was. I wonder what his reaction to Monitor becomeing one was..." Jo Ann mused.
"I wonder..."
"I don't think I want to find out, yet," Jo Ann said. "He may just hate Guardians, now."
"Probably..." Dot passed a package to Matrix and smiled at him.
The renagde disengaged from AndrAIa long enough to take the package and open it.
Inside the package was a keytool. A keytool of his very own.
Matrix's eyes and mouth openned wide in pleased surprise. He moved his lips to say something, but no sound came out. He just sat there, staring at the beautiful device that he held in his hand.
"Ohh...Sparky..." AndrAIa whispered.
"How'd you guys manage that?" Jo Ann asked. "I thought that keytools choose their Guardians."
Bob smiled proudly. "This is a newly processed key-tool: Packard...Packard was looking for a cadet to train with; but someone who has been around for a while...I told him about Matrix..."
"And he choose me..." Matrix said in a whisper.
"Yes...he did..." Dot leaned over and squeezed her brother's hand.
"Congrats, bro!" Jo Ann grinned and gave Matrix a hug and a kiss. When she pulled away, she saw that he was still looking at Packard. "Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she asked.
"Go on, Sparky..." AndrAIa got off his lap to let him talk to the keytool.
"H...hello...Packard. I'm...Matrix. I'm happy to meet you." Matrix was still stunned that Packard had chosen him to be his Guardian.
AndrAIa watched her Sparky, her heart full of pride and love. Last time she had seen him so stunned was just after she'd kissed him for the first time.
[Hello, Matrix. I'm sure we will work well together.] Packard said.
"I...I hope so..."
{Hello, Packard.} Pixal beeped.
[Hello...]
Packard looked at Pixal. One could almost see the hearts floating out of his screen.
[Soo...What's your sign? I'm a Hewlett.]
The Guardians in the room chortled softly at the young keytool.
"I don't beleive it!" Jo Ann laughed. "Packard is trying to get Pixal to be his girlfriend!"
"Isn't she a little old for him?" Dot wondered.
"True. Packard, do you know the legend about Athena, the First Guardian?" Jo Ann asked.
[I believe so...]
"You should!" Bob smiled. "The very first Guardian. "It's required history at the Guardian Academy!"
[I know the one...]
"Do you remember the name of her keytool?" Jo Ann asked.
[Pixal? I think.]
"Who do you think this is," Jo Ann smiled, holding out Pixal for Packard to see.
Packard swore softly in keytool, [Sorry, ma'am.]
{That's all right, child. But mind your manners, next time.}
[I mean it...I'm sorry.] Packard swore softly again in embarrassment.
{No swearing, dear. It's not polite, especially in front of a lady.}
[Aww...sh- sorry, ma'am...]
Jo Ann could not help but giggle. It was so cute! Pixal was playing "mother" to Packard!
Bob was chuckling and translating to Dot what was being said.
"You know...Pixal would be the ancesstoress of all the keytools, wouldn't she?" Jo Ann said thoughtfully.
"I think so," Bob smiled.
"Athena was the first Guardian; Pixal would have been the first keytool," Wild Card reasoned.
"Its only logical," AndrAIa agreed.
"Packard, do you remember what Athena's prophcey was? Who would inherit her keytool, icon, and Guaridan uniform?" Bob asked.
[I'm...I'm afraid not; sir...] the young keytool sounded sheepish.
"It had something to do with a User..." Bob prompted.
[A User would become a guardian?] the young keytool asked.
"Yes..." Bob smiled, pleased that Packard knew his legends.
[Whew...]
Bob and the others waited for the information to sink into the keytool's memory.
[Wait a nano...are you saying...?]
Matrix, Bob and the others grinned as the truth was slowly dawning on Packard.
{Yes, child, they are...} Pixal told him.
"Hello, Packard," Jo Ann smiled.
[...errrr...hi...]
Matrix chuckled. Packard was at a loss for words!
[Whats so funny, Matrix...]
"Congratulations, Packard!" Dot smiled. "You've just met a User!"
[Wow...]
"Dot," Matrix asked in surprise. "How is it that you understand keytool?"
"Bob gave me the ability to understand keytool as a wedding present. After all, Glitch is a part of him, and now, is a part of my life as well."
Dot crossed the room to hug her husband.
From somewhere inside Bob, Glitch beeped a greeting to Packard.
The young keytool hadn't been expecting that and started, catching himself mid-swear.
{Packard!} Pixal scolded.
[Sorry ma'am...]
[Just watch yourself, Pack. Pix gets pretty upset when people --and keytools-- swear.] Glitch told the young keytool.
[I will attempt to stop this habit...]
{I hope so...} Pixal said.
[Sorry, ma'am.]
{And where are your manners, User Guardian One? You forgot to introduce yourself to Packard!} Pixal admonished Jo Ann.
"Opps! Sorry, Pix!" To Packard, she said, "I am Jo Ann Montgoemery, User Guardian One, Packard. I am pleased to meet you."
[I'm honoured, ma'am.]
{That's better!} Pixal said smuggly.
"See, Pack," Jo Ann told the keytool. "Pixal even corrects me!"
[I'm not going to comment...] the young keytool chuckled.
"You'd better not!" Matrix laughed.
[I said nothing!!]
"I know! I just told you that you'd better not make a comment!"
[I think that's wise...]
"Why?" little Enzo asked.
[In case Pixal gets mad.]
Matrix had to translate this, for little Enzo could not undersrand keytool.
Enzo chuckled, "You wouldn't get mad, would you, Pixal?"
{My dear boy,} Pixal huffed, pretending to be insulted, {I am a lady! I never get mad!}
All those who understood keytool laughed loudly.
"Then, why do you yell at me when I leave my socks on the floor?" Wild Card laughed.
{Touche...} Pixal smiled.
This made those fluent in keytool laugh even harder.
"What?" AndrAIa asked.
Matrix, still laughing, translated for AndrAIa.
AndrAIa laughed too...squeezing Matrix's shoulder.
[I take it that you two are more then just friends...]
{Packard!} Pixal admonished.
"Yes, Packard... AndrAIa and I have been lovers for a long time..."
[Oh...]
"What?" Matrix asked.
[Err...nothing...]
"What?" Matrix pressed.
{Packard, dear, how old are you?} Pixal asked.
[Almost 1-9...]
"Which is in User time...?" Jo Ann asked. She knew a lot about the time differences between the User's World and the Computer World, and she could translate most terms and times with ease. But when it came to ages, JoAnn was usually stumped.
"Roughly 18," Dot explained.
"Oh, okay. Thanks," Jo Ann said.
"No problem..."
{Back to Packard,} Pixal said. {Eighteen, eh? My! You are a young keytool, aren't you!}
[Yes ma'am...but Turbo thought I was ready to pick a Guardian...]
{Well, we trust Turbo's judgement, dear. But I think you should be warned: Matrix has quite a temper. Result of the games and the game-hopping, you see. Not that he would ever turn his anger on you, mind you. But I thought you should know, so that you wouldn't be surprised when he did get angry.}
[Oh...okay...]
Jo Ann giggled. Packard seemed like your average teenager --that is, if your average teenager was a highly intelligent and seninent computerized device designed to help Guardians in their task of "Mend and Defend"!
[This is gonna take some getting used to...]
"What is?" Matrix asked.
[Nothing...]
"What?" Matrix persisted.
{Packard, remember what I told you about Matrix's temper...}
[I do...nothig; honestly, sir!]
"Please, Packard. If you and Matrix are going to be working together, you need to be honest with him," Jo Ann said.
[Oh...okay... the whole Guardian thing is gonna take some getting used to...]
[Packard, my friend,] Glitch laughed, [That is something all keytools have to get used to. And getting used to your Guardian is going to take the longest of all to get used to. I've been Bob for hours, and now I am a part of him. And I'm still not used to him!]
Dot laughed loudly at that.
"Oh, Glitch!" Jo Ann laughed.
Bob pretended to sulk.
"What's the matter, bro?" Wild Card smiled.
"Just Glitch..." the blue-skinned Guardian laughed.
[Bob...!] Glitch complained.
"What?!" Bob responded.