Useless! Completely useless!
Kilokahn paced his section of cyberspace, fists clenched and eyes boring angrily into the black and purple veil.
Malcolm meat-thing! That blasted human and his special designed viruses were useless! None of them lasted long and that imperfect fleshbag had the nerve to blame it on him!
"How dare he!" He wasn't the one who designed the viruses or created their functions. Oh, he could go and and tweak their formates as well as give them life but the main programming came from the meat bag who designed them.
"But they are completely useless!" How could he even think of taking over the digital world or even destroying the human world if all the Megaviruses were pathetic and incompetent?
The A.I. program stopped, glancing over toward where Malcolm's monitor always blinked on when he wanted life given to one of his creations. The boy hadn't summoned him in a long time. Maybe he never would again.
Well good riddens. He didn't need that meat thing to accomplish his goals. Things had changed somewhat in the past few years and technology was advancing, he'd gone along with it, constantly upgrading himself as well. Maybe he should turn elsewhere for viruses ones created by better computer programmers?
"Hmmmm not a bad idea..."
The rogue program stepped away from the location where his "human friend's" monitor usually blinked on and turned his attention to the broader digital realm. For a period of a human half hour he scoured the world wide web for much more powerful viruses to help him with his goal and eventually paused to scrutinize two specific energy readings from a hard drive called Mainframe.
"What have we here?" he took a moment to watch the readings then zoomed into the mother board to get a closer look at these two new viruses. "Hmm...Interesting..."
One of the viruses appeared to be feminine, wearing a skin-tight outfit that accentuated every curve of her figure. She also appeared to be wearing a white mask... only it was no ordinary mask. It changed expression every so often, especially as she spoke out loud to to her companion.
"What do you think, Scuzzy?" she was saying as she gazed into her mirror. "Doesn't my dear brother, Megabyte, seem awfully stressed today?"
Scuzzy chittered and wagged his tail, simply being agreeable with his mistress.
The image of her brother, the second virus, could be seen clearly in the mirror as she spied on him. He appeared to be working on something frantically.
"No doubt he is trying to get to the Supercomputer again," Hex cackled. "If only he knew how easy it is to reach! All he has to do is ask nicely!"
Kilokahn watched this viral program thoughtfully. The virus seemed somewhat unstable, as if her creator had done a horrible at programming her or was slightly deranged, though that didn't make her any less dangerous, he was sure.
He was tempted to start his communications with her but his gaze focused on the virus, the other reading, she was looking at.
"Well well..." the other one looked much easier to communicate with or at least more stable. Right now, in his current mood, he didn't want to have his processor overheat due to a random virus personality.
He could say this though, both of these beings had much more potential already than any of Malcolm's so-called "Mega-viruses".
Keeping that in mind he switched images, fully focusing on the blue virus he'd seen. He'd watch him for awhile before chosing to make his move.
Megabyte was currently barking out commands to his underlings, little green, red and blue colored binomes, working on an urgent matter. "Check those readouts one more time, I want this to be perfect," he growled, causing his minions to scatter to-and-fro more rapidly.
"Lord Megabyte, everything seems to be going according to plan," one of his infected binomes announced. "We will be finished within the nano."
"Excellent," Megabyte said with an approving nod. "Hexadecimal has crossed me one time too many. Not only has she tricked me into stealing her Medusa Bug in an attempt to destroy me, and not only has she temporarily destroyed my Tor with that ridiculous system paint program and made an utter fool of me, she has..."
He clenched his fist, his entire arm trembling with self-righteous fury as if it were truly unspeakable. "She had the nerve to lure Nibbles away from me, to bring him to her lair. He would not even recognize me until she finally got bored and released him." He bared his teeth, seething at the memory. "That is when she really went too far. But now," he grinned, "now she will get what's coming to her. I will see to that."
Viruses fighting with one another? Well this was new though not very surprising. He'd been right all along, these programs had personality, though they seemed more focused on playing childish pranks on each other. He could probably put that to use in the future, it wasn't much different than manipulating that meat-thing Malcolm though he'd have to be more careful with these things.
No sense having them try to infect him in the process.
Well no point sitting around on his hands all day. It was time to get to work.
Reaching out his hand, he placed it on the monitor image and concentrated. A moment later an image of himself appeared in Megabyte's lair on a screen. "Hello, virus."
Megabyte's head snapped up, surprised and alarmed. "What?" He stared straight into the heart of the VidWindow that had appeared before him. This did not look like any program he had seen before in Mainframe... in fact, he wasn't entirely sure what its format was, either. The being was black in color, wearing some kind of dark helmet hat had wires attacked it it, going from the area where the mouth would be to the shoulders and under a rather loose fitting cape. It's sinister red optics burned into his own green and red ones. "Who are you?" He raised an eyebrow, feeling a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"I am Kilokahn, Master of the digital world." he introduced himself, sounding rather, egotistical.
"Ah, you are a virus, then?" Megabyte inquired, his curiosity piqued even further.
"I am more than that, virus," he told him, raising on of his hands in a grand gesture. "I am an military artificial intelligence program that functions at high capacity. I have the power to give life to or upgrade the powers of viruses." he did not ádd "to make them do my bidding. No sense alienating a virus he'd had no hand in making. "Why don't you introduce yourself, since I was so kind to extend you the courtesy?"
"I am Megabyte, my function is to corrupt and conquer," the blue-skinned virus answered, growing more intrigued with this stranger. "You say you have the power to upgrade viruses?" he asked almost casually, examining his claws as though they were more interesting than the being in the monitor. "And what would you want, in exchange?" He wiped an imaginary blemish from his shiny, metallic chest.
"Oh nothing much," he said just as casually. "Just a little help in erasing a rather annoying thorn in my side along with his meat-bag companions." he chuckled to himself. "and maybe I could... help you get into this Super Computer."
That made Megabyte give the mysterious stranger a second glance. "Oh really, now?" he said, intrigued. "And how would you know that I am interested in the Supercomputer?" He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes marginally. "Have you been spying on me?"
He waved his hand disarmingly. "Maybe somewhat," he admitted. "Of course if I didn't I wouldn't have had a reason to contact you, virus." he leaned toward the screen. "After all. why would a random program suddenly want to talk to a random virus unless of course he intended to negotiate with him?"
It seemed perfectly logical at least to him. "As for the female, the one you called Hexadecimal, I have had no contact with her... yet."
"And can I really believe that?" Megabyte asked skeptically. "For all I know, you may have spoken with her first."
Suddenly, out of the blue, another Vidwindow appeared off to the side, where both of them could see the familiar white mask of Hexadecimal... along with the rest of her body. "Now, now," she said with a blank expression, "what is this? People are talking about me while I am not present?" A flash of movement, and her mask became enraged. "How rude!"
"Ah, my dear sister," Megabyte said, sounding bored and mildly annoyed. "And what do you want?"
"Why, I just want in on the fun, that's all!" Hex said, rubbing her hands together gleefully.
Kilokahn stared at her for a long moment, as if unsure how to proceed. He hadn't expected her to randomly insert herself into their conversation. It was rather... rude and off putting. "Greetings, female virus," he said trying to be polite. With her weird multiple personality glitch he wouldn't earn any points losing his temper. "and who might you be?"
The program knew but it would be best to allow her to introduce herself. She might actually stay stable if he approached her this way.
"Why, I am Hexadecimal," her mask became psychotic, "THE QUEEN OF CHAOS!" One burst of maniacal laughter later, her face turned sweet and happy. "Pleased to meet you."
"I see...I am Kilokahn Master of the digital world," he introduced himself being kind of hammy which was actually part of his personality. Not that she'd mind that she probably would notice but her brother might so he'd have to keep a lid on that sort of thing around him. "and as I was telling your brother here, I would like some help in erasing a rather nasty problem in my realm."
"Erasing? Why, that sounds rather dreadful..." Hexadecimal looked intrigued. "But fun."
"I believe Kilokahn and I were trying to have a discussion," Megabyte directed at his sister. "Now stop interrupting and go back to your nulls. I will deal with you later." He raised his hand as if to cut off Hex's Vidwindow.
Hex, however, interrupted him with a furious expression. "Don't you dare hang up on me!" Then she looked smug. "There is no reason why the three of us can't have a little fun, is there?"
"...Let us not even consider that," Megabyte muttered under his breath.
Kilokahn honestly had no idea what she was inferring to, as he'd never bothered accessing porn sites. "I guess what I require of you could be called "fun", that is if you're willing to do what I ask..."
And if I am not tempted to hang up on you two infantile pieces of binary code, he thought to himself.
Actually he was tempted but their powers which his scanners had picked up prevented him from doing so, they had something he needed and he was all too willing to force himself to remain calm and rational to get it, though he was beginning to think maybe Malcolm wasn't such an annoying mess of a meat-thing after all. "Should I go on or do you two want to finish your little spat first?"
"Let us just get down to business," Megabyte said, though not before casting the female virus a very annoyed look. "Explain the details." He leaned forward, folding his hands together and resting his elbows on the armrests on either side of him. Hex looked smug at him, and then turned her attention to the stranger, fully attentive as well.
He paused momentarily to collect his thoughts. What he was going to say would probably go over their collective heads but he was willing to chance that, especially the rejection part. There were plenty of other viruses out there after all.
"First of all," he began. "Do you know anything about Servo programs?"
"Servo programs?" Megabyte asked, wanting clarification. "What might those be?"
"That is the issue," he growled, though his statement sounded highly idiot. "Servo should only be nothing more than a harmless computer game sprite but..." he paused a moment. "It has a life of it's own and manages to fight viruses and do you know why?"
Of course they don't, you glitch laden piece of A.I. If they did they wouldn't be asking.
"It's being controlled manually by a meat-thing!"
"A 'meat thing'?" Megabyte echoed, unfolding his digits and sitting back in his seat, even as he kept his eyes on the person to whom he was speaking. "What in the Net is a 'meat thing'?" He was unfamiliar with the term.
"I am sure you might refer to it as something else," he said forcing himself to remain calm. "This meat-thing is a being that lives outside the digital world, a creature of disgusting components called flesh and bone. They are imperfect creatures that cannot do a thing for themselves and must keep living by ingesting..." he shuddered, remembering the time he'd taken over Malcolms' body to experience the human world. "... a loathsome substance called "food" into themselves."
"They exist outside the Net?" Megabyte inquired, growing more interested. "You must be referring to Users. Are you saying that you have been in contact with them?" Despite how much the virus loathed Bob, he couldn't help but imagine how much this revelation would fascinate the Guardian. After all, it was little secret that Bob wanted to speak with a User, to ask it many questions.
"What could possibly be loathsome about eating?" Hexadecimal mused aloud.
"It BURNS!" he snapped at her. "it sears you from the inside out like a firewall then gives you an unpleasant feeling in your lower anatomy!"
"Ohhhh," Hex said, looking astonished as if she were envisioning this. Then she looked intrigued. "It sounds just lovely! I would like to try some myself!"
"Enough of this," Megabyte snapped. "You," he pointed a finger at Kilokhan, "just get to the point. What do you want us to do, and most importantly... what do I get out of it?"
"Oh yes, now we're getting to the 'meat' of the discussion." he chuckled at his own pun before continuing. "as it turns out the meat-thing I have been contacting in the real world has turned out to be rather incompetent. His skills in Virus making are rather lacking, you see. I decided I would look elsewhere for assistance." he looked at them both."Which brought me to you. I need your services in my quest to rid myself of this annoying meat-thing controlled Servo program to finally accomplish my goal of controlling the digital and the real world!"
If he could smile he would have as he continued. "And in exchange I can help both your dreams come true. It's very simple really."
Megabyte contemplated this for a long moment, though his expression gave way to that of a hunger as he thought about his greatest desire; to get into the Supercomputer, infect it, and through it, corrupt and conquer the entire Net.
However, who said it had to be limited to just that, now? If Kilokhan had the power to contact the mysterious realm outside the Net where Users lived, possibly even effect it... well, if he could reach that realm as well, his potential would be unmatched.
"My dreams come true?" Hexadecimal seemed to consider this, touching her chin. "But can I already make my dreams come true. Just like this." She snapped her fingers and for just a millisecond, Megabyte turned orange, yellow and green as the silly jester look that she had once painted on him momentarily reappeared.
"HEXADECIMAL!" Megabyte thundered.
"Oh, you are such a grouch! Fine." Irritated yet playful, Hex snapped her fingers again, and her brother returned to normal. "Just remember," she added, as her mask became psychotic, "if I really wanted to, I could make that permanent.. AGAIN!"
"I see you can make whatever you want appear or disappear," and probably more at that. "But are you sure you have everything you've ever wanted?" he leaned toward the screen. "are you sure there isn't something you can't have?"
"All I want is to reign chaos in any way I can," Hex answered, with a delighted expression on her face. "I can do that just fine here. Although..." She crossed her legs and leaned back. "It may be fun to do that in the Supercomputer... if only there weren't so many Guardians there. Unlike my darling Bob, I doubt they would welcome me very much." She looked teary-eyed. "They don't like viruses, you know."
"If you want the Supercomputer, you may have it dear sister," Megabyte said thoughtfully. "I want something on a grander scale. I want," he narrowed his eyes, "to enter the realm of Users."
"Oh?" Kilokahn paused. "you do, do you?' he looked at him curiously. Now why would this virus suddenly want such a thing? "are you sure that's what you want, virus? The world of the "Users" as you call it is not exactly an Utopian Wonderland. There are many things there even a virus might consider.. unsavory."
"What do you mean?" Megabyte asked. He was still certain that this was what he wanted, but he was smart enough to learn more about that which he knew nothing about before he went for it.
"The beings there are rather rebellious and hateful, even to one another," he explained. "They fight each other over the pettiest things most of the time." which was why Malcolm made many of his viruses, because of childish reasons. "What do you plan on doing if you reach there?"
"I plan to conquer the User realm, what else?" Megabyte said, completely undeterred. "And don't bother bringing up petty details, I am already familiar with petty hate. And everyone knows that Users are destructive by nature; why else would they send in the Games, or create viruses?"
"Hmmm you have a point." but this virus gave him pause about one thing he'd said. He planned on taking over the 'User' world. Over his deleted terabytes! He nearly snapped at the viral program over this but reigned himself in.
No, remain calm, this wasn't like manipulating the Malcolm meat-thing after all. Best to lead him along, make him think he was getting what he wanted than argue about it. He could always erase the virus later if things come to it. "Very well then, virus... It shall be done."
Megabyte grinned evilly. "Excellent."
"Ooooh, and I get to play with the Supercomputer? Will you take care of the Guardians?" Hex looked like a little kid at Christmas, asking for a very special and expensive toy. Yet there was something underlying what she was saying, her very tone, as though she were toying with them all.
It was as though she could get exactly that if she really, really chose to... she simply wanted to see how Kilokhan would fulfill her wish simply for the sake of her own amusement.
Kilokahn didn't usually deal with problems himself but he knew of someone who might be just dumb enough to help him out on that part. He was also very well aware that thing female might be playing with him and he filed that away for the future as well. "Of course," he told her. 'It is done."