Written by Lady Sita
Disclaimer: ReBoot and its characters are owned by Mainframe Entertainment. The characters of Zara Mavis, Maxell, and Michael-Angelo Compton were created by me and are not to be used without my permission. This fic is also not to be posted without my permission. Any comments, questions, suggestions, or flames are to be sent to enchantress51@hotmail.com.
Notes: Telepathic messages are in [brackets] and thoughts are in italics.
Rating: PG13 (mild language, violence, innuendo)
Summary: A young AndrAIa and Matrix land in a system and are befriended by the local Guardian Zara Mavis and her companion Michael-Angelo Compton; their lives become more intertwined than they could ever imagine.
Time Conversion:
User Time ~ ReBoot Time
Second - Microsecond
Minute - Nanosecond
Hour - Cycle
Day - Megacycle
Week - Second
Month - Minute
Year - Hour
Chapter I:
The Game
"No rest for the weary." The Guardian rubbed her temples, feeling a strong headache coming on. She looked up into the darkening sky, as the portal for yet another game cube opened high above. These Users must not need downtime!
"Zara!"
She turned as she heard someone shout her name. That someone was rapidly approaching on a zipboard. "Wait up!" he called out, coming to a stop before her.
Zara scrutinized him as he compressed his zipboard. "Michael, what are you doing here? Don't you have something else to do? Like, I don't know, your job?"
He grinned at her. "Break time."
The system warning bells chimed, alerting citizens to clear the area. She sighed. "You might as well play the game…there's no way out of it now."
Stepping up next to her, Michael gazed up into the sky. "Like you could make me leave, anyway."
She shoved him. "Don't make me try." She pulled out what looked to be a small silver road with a globe on one end. Zara held it out in front of her and placed pressure on a small hidden indentation in the center. The rod expanded several feet, while the end opposite tampered to a deadly point, and gold filigree spiraled from each end to meet in the center.
As always, Michael watched with fascination. "When do I get to use it?"
"When are you going to quit asking?"
"I know I should have become a Guardian just so-" Michael's word were cut off as the game cube landed on top of them.
From a very young age, Zara Mavis had dreamed of the glory and glamour, of being a Guardian: the thrills, fighting the bad guys, saving the day, and being the hero.
Finally, when Zara was ten hours old, her parents sent her from her home system of Arun to the Guardian Academy, hoping she would lose her zeal for such a hazardous line of work. Zara quickly saw that underneath the polished surface of every Guardian was hours of training and dedication. She learned the real qualities a Guardian need were a sharp processor, fast reflexes, and most important, a good heart.
But she stuck to it, and through hard work and diligence, she rose to be one of the top students in her graduating class. She finished her training at the age of eighteen, and was chosen to be a System Guardian. Zara hoped to be sent to her home system, Arun. Instead, she was assigned to a far off system on the other side of the net, called Compaq. There, she was warmly welcomed by Command.com Maxell, who informed her that they were in dire need of a Guardian, for the User had been inputting games more and more often, and many had already suffered.
Soon after she had settled in, a resident walked up to her, just after she had beaten a game. "Greetings, Guardian Mavis," he said, reaching out and warmly shaking her hand. "I'm Michael-Angelo Compton. But everyone calls me Michael."
She gave him a quick look over. His silver skin, along with his black hair, made his vivid green eyes stand out. He wore the silicon ear clip that seemed to be the trend among the locals. He had a slight build, but he stood at least a foot over her, and was clearly had more strength than she had thought at first. Michael flashed her a humble smile.
She smiled back. "Well then, Michael, would you mind calling me by my first name, Zara? 'Guardian Mavis' just sounds way too formal."
To Michael, Zara was perfect, the vision of an angel. She was well endowed, and had the body of warrior, due to her extensive and vigorous training at the Academy. Her skin was rosy pink in color, and a peppering of spots ran down the sides of her arms neck, and face. Her hair was of a bronze hue with blonde streaks running through it. And to Michael, the most remarkable element of this Guardian were her eyes: they were completely blue. He seemed to sink into them as he started into those azure depths, rendered totally motionless.
Zara blinked her liquid sapphire eyes, thrusting Michael out of the trance he had sunk into. His processor went blank for a moment, then he remembered he had the ability to speak. "Uhhhhh…I didn't just want to meet Compaq's new Guardian." Zara looked at him questioningly. He rubbed the back of his neck absently, almost losing control under the scrutiny of her gentle gaze. "Well, ever since the User started inputting games, things had been getting…bad. Every second, the deletion toll went up. My sister and our parents included." He paused, trying to regain what little composure he had left. This woman and the memories of his family were unnerving him.
In that split-microsecond, she saw him for what he truly was: a honest, benevolent grieving man, not the haughty businessman she had perceived him to be at first. It touched something inside her. "I'm sorry."
Michael gave her a small smile and continued. "I tried my best, but one untrained sprite is no match for a game cube." He stretched out his hand in an welcoming gesture. "I just wanted to thank you for coming to Compaq. It means a lot to me, and my home." She smiled back at him again and shook the offered hand.
For a microsecond, Zara was slightly alarmed. She and Michael were under water. Calming herself down, she quickly double-clicked her icon. Michael followed suit.
[Alphanumeric!] Zara turned to look at her companion, surprised to see he was now a fish-like creature, perhaps what the Users called a merman. His skin was a dark, scaly green and his normally black hair was a bright blue. His eyes were slightly unnerving, for they were red with a black slit down the middle, like cat's eyes. He looked down at were feet used to be and saw that they had been replaced by a tail ending in a shark-like fin. Zara looked down at her now clawed hand. Her own skin was an electric blue, her hair had morphed to black, and her eyes were yellow. They both were some kind of strange metallic armor, and gills ran up the sides of their necks.
Michael looked back at her. [Why is it that I'm talking, but my mouth isn't moving?]
[We must be telepathic.]
[Does that mean you can read my processor?] Michael was beginning to look a little uncomfortable.
[No, fortunately not. I don't think I'd want to see in there, anyway.] She studied him closely, crossing her arms. [Now, what were you saying before the game dropped on us?]
[Uhhhhhh…]
[Something about being a Guardian, perhaps?] she teased him. [It doesn't matter; you'd never make it as a Guardian anyway.]
He grunted. [Enough with the teasing, okay? Let's just get this over with.]
The Guardian laughed before looking to the trident she held, the form her keytool had taken. She spoke aloud: "Presario: Game stats."
Presario was silent for a nano. Then it whirred and chirped to her, as she listened intently.
[So?] asked Michael.
[The game is called The Lost Treasure of Atlantis. Our objective is either to destroy the User, or reach the treasure first.] She leaned her pointed ear toward Presario as it added more information. [The treasure is this way,] Zara said, swimming off.
[Hey, wait for me!] Michael hurried after her. He came up beside her. [You look pretty good,] he commented, a broad grin spreading across his face, allowing his many pointed teeth to show.
[Well, you look pretty bad.]
[Will I forever be the bitmap of your lame jokes?]
Zara ignored him. [Now, we both have special abilities that come with our game characters.] Michael began to look interested. [You can create whirlpools and electrical currents.]
Michael smirked and raised a hand, about to try out his new powers. Zara, rolling her eyes, reached out and grabbed his arm. [Not now!] she said sternly, glad of the dark scales that hid the blush she felt flooding her cheeks. [Your power is limited, so you'll want to save it for the User. Besides,] she continued, releasing his arm, [you have lousy aim and I would prefer not to get electrocuted.]
[Well, Miss Pessimistic, what can you do?]
[Let's see…] Zara examined the display on her keytool's globe. [I can shoot explosive spines with my trident, and generate piranha mines.]
[Piranha mines?]
Zara didn't get to answer. The User's nefarious submarine had appeared in the distance. [There's the User!]
[Got him!] Flipping his tail, Michael sped ahead and created a whirlpool in the User's path. The ship was helplessly caught in it and smashed into the ocean floor. Michael pumped a fist in victory. [Yes!]
[Wait, the game hasn't ended yet.] Zara glanced down at her keytool. [Uh oh.]
Michael looked troubled. [It's never a good thing when you say that.]
She looked back to her friend, her face aghast. [The User has 15 lives.]
[Here comes his second life!] Michael shouted a warning as the User reanimated.
They darted behind a large rock. [How many is that?] he asked wearily.
[Six down, nine to go.]
Michael leaned against the rock, putting a hand on his head. He rarely felt so exhausted. [I don't know if I can last much long. I think I'm out of power.]
[Me too.] Looking into his face, Zara reached out and placed a clawed hand on his shoulder. [Maybe it would be better if you were to stay behind until I win the game,] she said gently.
He narrowed his eyes at her and stuck out his bottom lip, almost growling. [I am not leaving you!] He abruptly turned and peered over the rock. [The User's heading this way!]
She sighed. I'm supposed to be protecting him, not the other way around. With a flip of her tail, she moved out from behind their hiding place. Michael followed close behind as she explained their new plan of action. [If we can't defeat the User, then we must beat him to the treasure.]
[Good idea.] Michael glanced behind him. [Uhhhh…Zara? The User's catching up with us!]
[Keep going!] They were so close… She looked up as the submarine sped overhead. Oh, User…
Zara stopped, and looked back at Michael, her shoulders sagging. Her expression was one he never would have thought he might see on her face: utter and complete despair. [I'm sorry it had to end this way,] she said mournfully, her eyes cast downward.
[Zara, I-]
A sudden deafening crash forced them both to turn back to the User. A small, fishlike vessel had collided with the User's submarine. Both ships floated listlessly, powerless.
Zara snapped back into her Guardian programming. [Come on!] she said, swimming straight for the treasure.
They passed the two lethargic ships. Inside the one with the apparently suicidal pilot, they could see a sprite holding her arm, her face crumpled in pain. Another sprite in a form very similar to Zara's and Michael's appeared, swimming up to the ship and looking inside. He had dark red scales, and eyes of two different colors.
[Get to the treasure before the User comes back to full power!] His tone was very authoritative, the voice of a leader. The stranger then turned back to wounded one, presumably anxious about the other's condition.
[Who was that?] Michael asked as he and Zara reached the treasure.
[I don't know. We'll find out when the game ends.] She looked back at the two ships once more, then reached out and touched the treasure.
