Digital Collapse
By
Psycho King

Story Disclaimer: Psycho King does not own Digimon Tamers and is not trying to make monetary profit off of this story. Those rights had belonged to Bandai (which have sense been sold to another company).

Chapter 1: Not so Happy New Year

It was strange, so strange.

It was suppose to happen thirteen years ago. All the fanatical groups had gathered to celebrate 'the end of the world' at the dawn of 'the new millennium' (which was strange in itself because the new millennium wasn't supposed to begin until the year after that…). Paranoid groups and pessimist alike were expecting the governments of the world to collapse.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Nothing happened…

Or at least, nothing that could be seen.

In this modern world, humans have grown use to things happening instantly, forgetting that some things occur slowly.

Slow…

In its own time…

Timed out…

Like a bomb…

A time bomb in the system…

Tokyo… one of the cities in this world that never sleep. It is refereed as such because, even in the dead of night, some activity is happening. Thanks to technology, people can work late, have a night on the town with friends, or just sit at home and do nothing.

However, on this night of the New Year, this bustling city of lights is quiet and dark.

(error, error)

"Riley, explain!" came a rough voice. The room they were in was completely dark.

"I'm cough not sure Yamaki. We were scanning the network coughcough, something strange happened deep within the digital world, and the power went out." A young woman's voice replied.

Someone finally opened up a door, letting moonlight shine in from outside onto a tall man in a black business suit while holding sunglasses and a lighter in his hands, Yamaki. "Speculations on the incident observed before power loss."

As more moonlight filtered in, there could be seen in the center of the room a raised platform with two command stations facing back-to-back. A woman with dark-red hair was climbing out of the station closest to Yamaki while another woman with dirty-blond hair paused in her more cautious climb down.

"From what I could see, sir," the blond said, while looking like she hoped someone would bring a ladder. "It looked like a wave of deletion spreading from where the kids described as the land below the Digimon Sovereign's domain."

Yamaki became agitated, rapidly opening and closing his lighter. "Are you suggesting that this was the work of some remnants of the D-Reaper?"

The red-head, Riley, took over explaining as her coworker fell out of her terminal and onto a male-programmer below. "No sir," she tacitly shook her head. "While operating in the Digital World, the D-Reaper was very slow and meticulously, deleting one factor of data at a time, almost viral-like. This is more equivalent of a deletion BOMB, taking out entire areas at once!"

A long pause ensued, with the only noticeable sound being the click of Yamaki's lighter.

"Sir…?" the blonde asked.

With a final click, Yamaki broke from his musings and faced his subordinates. "Tally! I want you to catalog all technological systems that are still functional. Also, find out how extensive the blackout is."

"Yes, Sir!" the blonde woman, Tally, exclaimed before hurrying out of the room.

"Riley, get in contact with the Monster Makers in any way necessary. I want them working with you to breakdown this Digital Bomb theory of yours and formulate evidence for it!"

"Of course," she replied but paused for a second. "Sir… shouldn't I also contact the Tamers? They may be needed to fix the problem."

Yamaki paused for a second. "No, not until we're sure that they are needed. Don't try and hide what information we have, but unless they come to us leave them to their own devices."

"Right," before Riley could leave though, a security guard came running into the room.

"Sir, we have several civilians in the lobby asking for you…"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Anyone from the press is not to be let into the building!" Yamaki growled.

Nervously, the guard continued, "…but sir, they're not from the press. They are family members of those kids who fought the D-Reaper."

"What?" both Yamaki and Riley exclaimed.

"They want to know what happened to their kids when…"

Before the guard could finish his sentence, Yamaki was already out the door and heading toward the stairs, Riley hot on his heals.

(error, error)

In the dim candle/kerosene-lamp light of the lobby, Yamaki rubbed his forehead, trying to keep the forming headache from getting too bad. For the past five minutes, he's been listening to the various parents yell at him about "what happened to their son/daughter".

Mr. Matsuki, Mr. Katou, Mrs. Hata, and Kazu and Kenta's fathers were the ones really yelling. Jyanyu Wong, Mr. Akiyama, and Ai and Mako's father were being quiet, possibly waiting for him to offer an explanation. The remaining parents were huddled around the kids in the back, crying their eyes out about how "their baby's too young to die". The two older Wong children were trying to comfort the crying parents.

"ENOUGH!" yelled the normally reserved woman beside him; nearly knocking the composed look off of Yamaki's face.

The blonde businessman smirked to his associate, "Thanks Riley," then he faced the parents. "First of all, Mrs. Wong. I ask that you and the others move aside so that the medics can take the Tamers to the medical ward."

With their concentration broken, the crying parents were guided to their spouses by Rinchei and Jaarin, Henry's older brother and sister. The medical team, no longer afraid of being mobbed by hysterical mothers, laid the Tamers out on stretchers and began carrying them back up the main staircase.

Though he didn't show it, Yamaki was relieved when Tally showed up, folder in hand, which she passed to him. Quickly scanning the contents, he returned his attention to the parents. "Now, at 23:59:59, our systems recorded some unusual activity in the Digital World. Shortly there after all systems in this building, and in all observed parts of Tokyo, shutdown in what was assumed was a power outage. Further investigation shows that while simple electronic devices such as flashlights still work, anything requiring the city's power grid or rely any form of circuit board technology is non-functional."

Mrs. Hata, Rika's grandmother, walked up to him and demanded. "While that is all fascinating, young man, what does it have to do with the Rika and her friends' sickness?"

Riley stepped forward, "We won't know for sure ma'm until the medical team have completed their examination. Although it would help if you told us what they were doing at the time of the incident."

Jyanyu spoke for the group, "We were all at the park for the New Year fireworks. Kazu and Kenta were wrestling Ryo; Suzie, Ai, and Mako were cheering Ryo on; Takato, Henry, Rika, and Jeri were sitting with us. Then about the time you said the 'incident' happened in the Digital world, they all stopped, cried out in pain, and fell to the ground."

"Were they near any significant electronic system?" Yamaki asked in his normal stagnant voice.

Most of their parents instantly shook their heads, but Jyanyu paused before saying, "The D-Arks!"

"Thought so," Yamaki said as he turned to head to the medical ward, motion the parents and Riley to follow. "Jyanyu, go with Riley. She may need your help in contacting your associates, the Monster Makers."