The Network.
Dr. Tadashi's legacy has changed over the years and decades since its creation. From a flat plain that data runs through to the towering data blocks and now the cities that emulate the real world, it leaves the impression that the Network is, in fact, alive. That being the case there are pieces of the network that haven't changed in the slightest over the years.
While the correct terms would be Lost Grounds, most just refer to them as "ruins".
Stepping into one of these places, one that certainly looked like the interior of some cavernous ruins. A netnavi couldn't help sigh to himself as he looked around, his attention drifting from one place to the next as he took in the sights. "Zael, can you hear me?"
"I hear you, how's the place looking, Nero?"
"About as one would expect." The Navi stated as they walked on, glancing at the walls that looked to be stone with a 'cracks' that showed the code beneath them. "Dead and deserted, but in mostly good condition." He stated putting his hands behind his head. "Can make out a lot of the statues here." He admitted. "I gotta say most of them look like they can come alive at any moment." He admitted. "Still this the right place?"
"Yeah, this is where our client directed us, so this is where we'll find what we're looking for."
"Agh~" Nero grumbled as he walked forward, dropping his hands as one went about rubbing his neck. "What a pain…" He muttered. "Of all the places this thing could be, why does it have to be here in some dusty old ruins? I hate going down these kinds of places."
"I know, I know, but it can't be helped, mean we got a job to do, so~"
"Right, right…" Nero muttered as he started walking down the paths as a 'ping' went off in his ear.
It always happened when his operator backed up his data.
"Still, why couldn't send one of the others?"
"We lead by example; no point in sending someone else on a job if you aren't willing to go out yourself."
"Ah~ right." Nero grumbled as he continued walking before noticing what looked like spikes sticking out the walls. "Zael."
"I see em, what do you want me to send you?"
"Nothing right now." Nero stated cracking his knuckles and continued walking forward as the spikes from the wall freed themselves and started walking towards him. "Just sit back for now and let me handle these guys."
"Go!"
Shell ran, darting across the Server course as he smiled. He turned down a path and vaulted over a block before running before jumping to grab onto a ledge and climbed up. Turning to another he scaled it, before making for the next platform and jumped over the gap. Ahead there was what could amount as a pipe he could either climb over or dive beneath. He went low; sliding under the pipe before getting back to his feet and breaking into another run.
He reached the next platform by jumping over to it, scaling the wall for a short second and pulling himself upward. Without breaking stride he turned down a path and went for one of the walls, running alongside it to get over the gap that was presented.
Looking up he saw what looked like a floating circle and snapped his arm out, the grapple beam shooting out as it latched onto the circle and started 'climbing' towards it. Swinging through the air he released it, 'flying/diving' across the sky before summoning his chain again to pull himself towards a false building and adjusted himself to hug it. That done he started sliding down the wall as he smiled. Seeing another pair of false buildings he lept towards them using his chain to latch on to one. Reaching it he kicked off, diving off the building as he made towards the one opposite of it before he started bouncing between the two before hitting the ground.
"Nice work." Sitting at his computer Allen couldn't help smiling at Shell's actions. "You're getting the basics down pretty fast."
"That's because I run the tutorials course almost two hundred times whenever your sleeping!"
"Yeah that would definitely do it." Allen mused as he leaned back in his seat and seemed to think about something. "I should have you cut those numbers down every night, but you look like your having fun when you do them."
"Fun?"
Allen nodded his head.
"So this is what fun is like."
The Netnavi continued running the courses.
"It feels~"
"Good?"
"Yeah, it's a real pleasant feeling."
Allen just smiled as he crossed his arms. 'He still doesn't quite get it, but he's getting there at least.' He thought to himself, his smile starting to fade for a moment. 'The Emotion Progit requires outside stimuli to fully calibrate itself, so the more he's exposed to, the easier it'll be for him to get a grasp on what he's feeling.' He thought. 'Still, I don't think I can handle teaching him everything on my own.'
"Allen, your friends are here!"
'Thankfully I won't have to…' "Alright Shell, time to head out." Allen stated, pulling himself from his chair as he heard his netnavi whine.
"Do we have to?"
"Yes shell, we made plans with the others, it wouldn't be right to leave them hanging at the last minute."
"Well, can they at least wait five minutes?"
"Shell, I'm pausing the timer and pulling you out."
"But - wait!"
Before Shell could finish Allen did as he said he would, pulling Shell from his PC and shut it off.
"Party Pooper."
"Save it." Allen chuckled, grabbing his shoes and headed downstairs.
"Every party needs a pooper, that's why they invited you."
"Party Pooper."
"Party Pooper."
Allen took a moment to snicker as he grabbed his PET and started walking out his room and through his house. "Where did you hear that?"
"Apparently I can open up your computer browser and look through your saved stuff."
"So you watched TFS when I wasn't looking."
"Yep."
"Hey Allen." Dex stated, waving at the other boy as Yai and Mayl took a break from talking to his mother and smiled at him.
"Good morning."
"Hey guys." Allen greeted as he walked up to the trio. "Were you waiting long?"
"Not at all." Mayl stated. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah." Allen nodded his head as he turned to his mom. "Mom, we're going to head out for a bit."
"Going somewhere?" The house matriarch asked.
"Just around town, maybe visit a few stores and show Shell the sights." He admitted.
"So should I translate that into you're going to go take him netbattling or~"
"Maybe?" He wasn't too sure. "I mean, we might, but I can't say for sure."
"Well, do you have your folder just in case?" Allen just gave his mom a weak smile as he scratched his head. "Right, I forgot."
"What is it?" Mayl asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Allen… well." His mom looked at him, seeming waiting to see if he wanted them to know something or not. He just sighed, scratching his head as he did.
"I don't have battle chips at the moment." He admitted to the others' surprise.
"You don't?"
"I mean I used to, but, I had to sell them to get the extra zenny I needed to get all the software I wanted to install into Shell." His mom crossed her arms and made a noise.
"I told him he could have bought them all in a few more months when his allowance added up enough but no~ he had to be stubborn and take a shortcut in getting the zenny." His mom stated, staring down at her son who just looked away in embarrassment. Out of nowhere she elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow!"
"Honestly, the one time you decide to take a shortcut and it's for zenny, I don't think that's a good sign honey… if you wanted money that badly why couldn't you have just taken up a part time job?"
"It would have gotten in the way of working on his software." Allen grumbled as he rubbed his rubs and started walking towards the others. "Anyway, I'll see you later mom." He muttered as he walked outside and the others followed after him.
"So you really don't have don't have battle chips." Dex asked as Allen sighed.
Ruins
Nero yawned his arm transforming from a weapon to its normal state as he flexed his fingers. "Alright, that should do it." He muttered as something behind him started to disappear into data. "Now that security's taken care of, we just need to… find that data and head back."
"Well, your in luck then, just one room left to explore."
"One room left huh?" Nero muttered as he continued walking forward, his attention forward to see what seemed to be a closed door in front of him. "That means what we're looking for should be inside." The Netnavi muttered, placing his hand on the closed door and seemed to feel it before closing his eyes, his hand glowing as data started to circle around his hand.
/ROOT
/ACCESS_REQUEST
/ACCESS_REQUEST_SUCCESS
/COLLECTING PACKET_1…..COMPLETE
/COLLECTING PACKET_2…..COMPLETE
/COLLECTING PACKET_3…..COMPLETE
/COLLECTING PACKET_4…..COMPLETE
/LOGIN
/LOGIN_SUCCESS
/
/UNLOCKING
/UNLOCKING_SUCCESS
"And doors open." Nero muttered with a smirk as the door started to slide upwards and reveal the room that was closed off not too long ago.
Room he found looked an awful lot like an altar, from one of those fallen cultures. Couldn't really say if it was more attuned with mesopotamia or aztec or even old egyptian. Guess it didn't really matter in the end, It was here he found what he was looking for after all. A piece of data, something looked like a floating crystal that casually spun in place. Looked a little off from the traditional data you were used to seeing floating around the Network, this thing looked more like a crystal than anything.
"Looks like this thing could fetch a pretty zenny." Nero stated, walking up to the crystal as he stared at it for a moment. 'Still…' He paused. 'This chamber feels… strange. The air is heavy, and there's a strange odor." "Hey, Zael, what's the readings say?"
"Honestly, I can't really make sense of them."
His operator admitted.
"Its just like the client said, this this abnormal… Its not a bug or a program - least not one that I'm familiar with and…"
"It doesn't feel like Dark Data either…" Nero muttered as he reached for the crystal, stopping himself from before he picked it up. "Still, is it safe?"
"Well, these readings don't make any sense, but the fact that it won't corrupt your data is one thing I can admit."
Zael stated as his partner picked the data crystal up and held onto it for a minute as it started to dissolve, breaking down to be put in 'storage'. "No problems?"
"None, you're good."
"Good." The Netnavi muttered as he started walking off back down the path he had come from.
"GiVe ThAt BaCk."
Stopping the Netnavi turned, looking around as he saw that a part of the room was starting to glitch, jacked lines of code seeming to form across things before suddenly disappearing. "Hm?"
"Nero?"
"Company." The Netnavi stated as he looked ahead, the distortion growing as she saw something appear at the edge of the altar.
"GiVe ThAt BaCk."
"You the tomb guardian?" The netnavi asked as he rolled his shoulder. "Well, I guess it makes since since I'm robbing the place." He muttered as the apparition stepped forward.
"ThAt MuSt Not LeAvE tHiS PlAcE."
"GiVe ThAt BaCk."
"Zael, guess we're going to have to take care of this guy if we wanna keep this thing." Nero muttered.
"You could just run. The exit is right behind you."
"Nah~" Zael made a noise.
I figured as much. Anyway, ready when you are."
"Then let's go."