COMING HOME
PART II
Morning came bright and perfect, a cycle that any other would pale in comparison to. Enzo squinted as he opened his eyes, a pale ache seeming lo lurk deep in the recesses of his head, behind his eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder, realized that Dot was gently shaking him. With a groan, he rolled onto his side and stared at her through slitted eyes. She smiled. "Morning."
"Morning." His throat still dry, his mouth still sour.
Dot cocked her head slightly as she looked at him, moving her hand from his shoulder to his hair. She tousled it softly and left it there. "Are you sure you're all right, Honey?"
"I'm fine." A weak smile. "What time is it?"
"Nine-fifty." Enzo dimly registered her words, feeling muzzy and disoriented. Nine-fifty? He'd been sleeping for a long time. But he was still so tired…"Enzo? Did you hear me?"
"What? Yeah…" More dim recollections. "Were… Do you still want to go out for breakfast?"
"Of course. You must be famished – you've hardly eaten anything for two cycles!"
Enzo was aware of a conspicuous emptiness in his stomach, though he felt strangely ambivalent about it – none of the frantic hunger pangs he was used to when he woke up in the morning. "Yeah. Guess so."
"Good, good." She bent and kissed his forehead. "You need a shower first, though. You stink."
"Dot!"
"Go on, then." She swung his legs out over the bed the way she sometimes did when he refused to get up for school, forcing him to sit up. "I'll meet you upstairs in a little while, OK?"
"K." He yawned. Jeez – he hadn't eaten or showered or anything in almost two cycles. Weird… More dim recollections. "Is Bob here?"
"He's meeting us upstairs."
"He's coming with us?"
"Sure."
"Cool." Enzo smiled. He was excited at the prospect of spending time with Bob. His Bob. He felt a pang of disloyalty at the thought – weren't they both Bob? "How… How's Bob? The other one?"
Dot sighed. "Phong says he'd doing pretty well – just need to get his energy recharged and he'll be fine." Enzo knew her well enough to know she wasn't telling him the whole story, but he wasn't sure what she was hiding. She always knew when he was hiding something, too – the difference was, she usually knew what. "Don't worry about Bob, Sweetie. We'll stop by the P.O. after breakfast and see him. I want to have Phong take a look at your icon, too."
"My icon?" Enzo felt his sluggish processor slowly catching up with him, as if it were a few steps behind in a race. Of course – Hex. He felt a knot form in his stomach. "Why?"
"Just to make sure you're OK, that's all. You haven't been yourself… We just want to see if we can figure out what Hex might have done, that's all. Don't worry – there won't be any needles or anything!"
"I'm myself!" he rasped defensively.
"I know!" Dot chuckled. "I'm sure you're just tired from saving the net and all…" She winked and patted his cheek. "But better safe than sorry, you know? I just want to know you're all right."
"OK, I guess…" Enzo yawned and stumbled out of bed, almost fell as he stood.
"Whoa!" Dot caught him under the shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing! I… I guess must've been lying down too long. My legs didn't wanna work…" He didn't tell her about the wave of nausea that had washed over him.
He managed a smile. "Pretty basic, huh?"
She cocked her head thoughtfully again, like she had a few nanos earlier. "Maybe we should head straight for the P.O. now…"
"No! I'm fine, honest. I'm just really hungry. I wanna have breakfast with Bob, please?"
"All right… Get yourself together and come on upstairs. We'll go as soon as you're ready."
"Cool, Dot. Thanks." He managed to get to the bathroom without any further problems, his dizziness and weakness fading into a more manageable achy malaise.
Enzo was picking at his German pancake, enjoying the company of Bob and Dot more than the food in front of him. Dot cast worried glances at his plate occasionally, then at Bob. The Guardian seemed less concerned than she did - he wolfed down his waffles like a man who'd been trapped in the web for minutes. Finally, Enzo got the nerve up to ask him the question that had been troubling his mind all morning. "Bob? Where… Where have you been all this time?"
"Long story, Pal." He sighed. He glanced over at Dot, who returned his stare wordlessly. "Plenty of time to talk about that later."
"Bob! Please tell me – I wanna know! C'mon…"
"Enzo-"
"Just give it some time, OK Kiddo? We've all had a rough time of it, and things are still pretty weird around here. Let us figure some stuff out first, then we'll talk about it."
"Were you in the web?"
Bob sighed. "That's where Ray found me, yeah. You weren't here when I got hosed by Megabyte, huh?"
"No." Enzo grumbled. "Phong showed it to me on a DVD, though. There was this really cute girl there, too…"
"AndrAIa. Yeah, She's still pretty cute." Bob laughed. "They grow up fast. Dot tells me you've been back since the system restart, huh?"
"Uh-huh." Enzo didn't like being reminded he was a backup.
"Pretty damn smart of me to think of that – even if I say so myself." The Guardian chuckled. "Two of you and two of me – pretty basic stuff. So… I hear you saved the cycle, Pal."
"Uh…" Enzo felt his cheeks burning. "Maybe."
"He did." Enzo could hear the smile in Dot's voice, but he didn't want to look at her right then. "We're all proud of him."
"Good job, Kiddo." Bob grinned. He leaned over the table and ruffled Enzo's hair.
"Thanks, Bob." The boy giggled.
"Let me take a look at that, Enzo."
"My icon?"
"Yeah. Just for a nano."
"OK." Enzo handed it over, feeling that knot in the pit of his stomach again. Bob held it up to the light, turned it over and over. "Well, I'll be a null if I can figure it out…"
"Bob?" Dot said softly.
The Guardian shrugged, smiled crookedly. "Never seen anything like it. Maybe Phong can figure it out. Don't think it's doing him any harm…"
"Of course not." Dot sighed.
"Who knows with Hex?" Bob said with a shake of the head. "I never saw her as a sprite, but I'd bet my last credit she was never predictable." He handed the icon back to Enzo, who returned it to his chest. "Sounds like she took a shine to you though, Kiddo. I don't think she'd do anything to hurt you."
"I know she wouldn't. She was nice…"
"Enzo-"
"She was, Dot! She helped save the net too, y'know!"
"Of course she did, Sweetie. I didn't forget. I just think… Maybe she didn't always realize what she was doing. It's not her fault – she wouldn't hurt you on purpose-"
"Dot-"
"Come on, guys – let's just let Phong worry about it, OK?" Bob interrupted. "He'll be able to figure it out. Why worry about it in the meantime?"
Dot smiled. "You really are Bob, aren't you?"
"Who else would I be?"
"These cycles, I don't know how to answer that." Dot sighed wearily. "Come on, Sweetie – finish your breakfast. Got to get your strength up…"
"Where to first?" Enzo asked as the trio of sprites entered the medical unit at the Principal Office.
"I'd like to get Enzo checked out as soon as I can." Dot answered, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.
"Dot, I'm OK…"
"Sounds like a plan. Listen – you guys go ahead and see Phong. I want to go have a talk with myself, if you know what I mean. I'd like to have a few micros alone with him, OK?"
Enzo, curiosity burning out of control, really wanted to be there for that – not to mention his usual trepidation at any trip to the medical unit. "Bob, can't I go with you?"
"Not this time, Enzo. I'll wait for you over there, OK? Promise."
"All right." The boy sighed. Bob winked and departed jauntily. Enzo watched him as he strode towards his clone's room, then felt a warm hand grasp his own and gently lead him off. "Dot, do I have to?"
"It'll be all right, I promise." Dot smiled as she opened a vidwindow. "Come on – act your age. You've been to the M.U. lots of times."
"But-"
"Phong? I'm here with Enzo. Are you ready?"
"Indeed, Child. Bring him to exam room 4.05, if you please."
"Thanks, Phong." Dot looked down at her brother. "You're not scared, are you?"
"No!"
"I won't let anything happen, Sweetie. We just want to make sure whatever Hex did isn't hurting you, that's all." Enzo allowed himself to be led into a small exam room, busy with flashing instruments and sensors. Phong was already there, spectacled eyes looking up from a data pad as the siblings entered. "Hi, Phong. All set?"
"Yes, Dot." The old sprite smiled reassuringly at Enzo and whirred over to them. "It is good to see you, My Son. You've had a most exciting few cycles, have you not? Indeed…"
"I guess so, Phong." Enzo replied dubiously.
"Hop up on the table, Child. We will mostly be talking today, I think. Nothing to concern yourself about."
"OK." The boy pushed himself onto the cushioned examining table, as he had many times in the past, only to slip back to the floor as his arms gave out under his weight. "Crash!"
"Here." Dot smiled, and easily lifted him onto the table. Enzo glared at her and rubbed his arms. The muscles ached as if he'd tried to life Matrix over his head. He saw Dot cast a quick glance at Phong, thinking he didn't notice.
Phong whirred to his side, adjusting his glasses. He grasped Enzo's wrist in one gnarled hand and started a timer on the data pad with the other. "I don't have to get undressed, do I?"
"No, Child - not this cycle."
"No shots?"
"No shots, Young Guardian." The old sprite smiled warmly and tapped his data pad. "Be happy – at least today's visit is not because someone has invaded your brain, yes?"
"What?" Enzo was used to not knowing what Phong was talking about, but it was a very odd thing to say…
"Never mind Child, never mind…" Phong tittered. "Hmm. Clock speed is a little elevated. Have you been running, Young Guardian? Playing with Frisket?"
"He's been having breakfast with me and Bob, Phong. No running at all this morning."
"I see. I see. And how have you been feeling, Child? Any complaints?"
"I'm fine, Phong."
"Enzo!" Dot said sharply, in the tone that always made Enzo's spine snap taut. "Don't lie to Phong – he's trying to help you, silly boy!"
Enzo sighed. "I guess… I guess I've been a little tired since - I guess I've been a little tired for a couple cycles."
"He's barely been out of bed."
"Child? Tell me more, please." Phong shined a light into Enzo's eyes, forcing him to squint.
"I guess I've been sleeping a lot. And my muscles feel kinda… I dunno. Weak or something."
"Have you been eating, My Boy?"
"Nothing at all yesterday, Phong. And he barely touched his German pancake today."
"I can talk for myself…"
Phong frowned. "Any stomach pain?"
"I just haven't been very hungry, Phong. And yesterday I just wanted to sleep."
"Hmmmm. Most interesting." Phong patted Enzo's knee amicably and whirred off to stand directly across from him. "Anything else? Any other symptoms?"
Enzo stared back at him for a nano, indecision causing what little breakfast he'd eaten to roil, then down at his boots. "Naw – that's all Phong. I'm fine, honest."
"You're sure, Enzo?"
"Yeah, Dot – I said I was fine! Why's everybody making such a big deal?"
"Enzo…" Dot let out an exasperated sigh. "I told you – we just want to make sure you're OK. A sprite your age should be out running around, not lying in bed for cycles at a time! And you usually eat like a boy twice your size."
"Mmm. May I see your
icon, Child?"
"Yeah." Enzo handed it to the old sprite, who nodded and sped off to a bank of machines along one wall. He placed the icon on a scanner and tapped a few buttons with spindly fingers. "What're you doing?"
"Seeing what I can see, Child, seeing what I can see."
"Anything, Phong?" Dot asked nervously, sitting down next to her brother on the exam table.
"Mmmm. Hmmm. I have already perused the system logs quite carefully, Child. File records, even the temp files. Whatever our friend Hexadecimal did to Enzo's icon – and Matrix' for that matter – it didn't register in any of the system scans. Matrix' seems to have survived unchanged – I believe that she extracted some of his Guardian codes in order to spread them with her as she fragmented throughout the net. Enzo's icon, however, has clearly been altered in some fashion. Interesting coloration…"
"Maybe that's all she did – just changed it so it'd look pretty to her." Enzo offered hopefully.
"I don't think so, Sweetie. Remember what she said?"
"Indeed. And what was that, again? 'A gift, Young Guardian – so you don't grow up like him.' Wasn't that it?"
"Something like that." Dot sighed. "A gift from Hex – why doesn't that reassure me?"
Phong scooped the icon up and briskly rolled across the floor, handing it back to Enzo. "She was indeed enigmatic, to the end. However, I feel comfortable in assuming that whatever she did, she did it out of affection – to help Enzo, at least as she saw it."
"I still don't feel reassured."
"Stop it, Dot! Stop saying that stuff about Hex!"
"Please, Children – let us not argue over such matters. Let us simply strive to determine the truth."
"Right… Right, Phong. Did your scans show anything?"
Phong frowned and lifted his data pad. "Nothing conclusive, I am afraid. Despite Hex's use of the title, Enzo, it does not appear that your icon has been upgraded with the Guardian protocols."
"Crash it all! Really?" He'd known it in his heart, of course, but it was still disappointing…
"No, Child – which makes your remarkable efforts in rallying resistance to Daemon's infection that much more impressive." Enzo cracked a half-smile at Phong's words, a little of the sting lifting away. The old sprite patted his shoulder. "Clearly, whatever Hex did she did to help you – in her view – differentiate yourself from your brother, Matrix."
"My… brother?" He'd never really thought of it that way before… It sounded nice.
"Indeed. How, exactly, she thought to do this I cannot say. I will continue to study the results of these scans – perhaps something will become apparent. In the meantime, please keep me informed of your condition. I need to know if any other symptoms present themselves. All right?"
"Sure, Phong. No problem."
"Dot – you will make certain?"
"Of course." She draped her arm around her brother protectively.
"I don't need her to-"
"Good, good. I do not think we need concern ourselves at this time – merely be vigilant. And you, Child – you must eat, and rest, and do not push yourself if you feel weary. If indeed your body is being affected by your altered icon, you must allow it to build its strength. You will do this?"
"Yeah, Phong. I promise. Can we go see Bob now, Sis?"
"That is good, My Boy. Go see Bob now. Both of him."
Dot stood from the table and took Enzo by the waist, as if to lift him to the floor, but he shook her off. "I can do it myself!"
"Sorry." She mumbled. Enzo sighed and looked at his feet.
"Thanks. I don't need you to help me, that's all." He slid off the table, stifling a wince as his feet made contact with the floor. "Let's go see Bob."
It was a short walk to the emergency ward of the medical unit, and neither sibling said anything as they traversed the hallway. Dot knocked on Bob's door when they arrived, and a pair of voices – similar, yet oddly distinct – called for them to come in. When Enzo slipped through the open door it was quite a shock – he'd never seen both Guardians together, awake. Like their voices their faces were eerily alike, yet also distinct in ways that were harder to pinpoint. And then there were the more obvious web scars and long hair… Enzo wondered what people thought when they saw he and Matrix together – not that it had happened very often, the renegade had made sure of that – but of course, they were so different that a stranger would have had no idea they were the same code. That sure wasn't the case with Bob.
"My two Bobs." Dot smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"Never been better." Bob smiled. Enzo's Bob, as he'd come to think of him.
"Well. I suppose I've been worse." The other Bob – Glitch-Bob – said ruefully. "Imagine my surprise when I woke up and saw this ugly mug!"
"I don't think so, Scarface." Enzo couldn't help giggle at that.
Dot walked across to the bed and Enzo's eyes followed her. Suddenly, he was nervous. She hesitated, stroked Bob's hair with a smile, then bent and kissed Glitch-Bob on the forehead. "How are you feeling, really?"
"I'm OK." He cast a quick glance at Enzo. "The transfusion seemed to do the trick for now. I won't be stabilizing any web portals for a while, though."
"Here's hoping you don't need to!" Dot sighed.
"Was Phong able to figure anything out about Enzo?" Bob asked.
"Not really. He doesn't see anything wrong with him, thank goodness. He's going to study the scans of his icon and we're gonna keep an eye one him."
"Come on over here." Glitch-Bob smiled, beckoning to Enzo. As the boy returned his smile and approached, he could see that the older man was sallow, thin in comparison to the younger. He looked tired. Of courser, that Bob always had looked tired to Enzo – at least a little. It was weird, how different he was, even though he was undeniably, just… Bob. "Hey, Kid."
"Hey." Enzo slid onto the bed and the older Guardian grasped his hand in his clammy one. "How you doing?"
"I'm OK. Just tired. How are you?"
"Kinda tired too."
"Tired? Doesn't seen like Enzo to me!" He grinned and squeezed the boy's hand. "We got through everything though, huh? That's what matters."
"Sure." Enzo smiled. "I'm glad you're OK, Bob. I was pretty worried."
"I'm fine." Glitch-Bob sighed. "I'm sorry about Hex, Kiddo. If there'd been any other way-"
"I know. She wanted to do it, though. She really did."
"Yeah…" he said softly, closing his eyes for a few nanos. "Looks like she left you a little something to remember her by, huh?"
Enzo looked down at his chest. "No one seems to know what she did. But I know she wouldn't hurt me." He giggled. "She could never eat a whole kid…"
"I know she'd never hurt you." Glitch-Bob squinted and stared at Enzo's icon. "Basic. Well – it's pretty, anyways." He looked up at Dot, then across at his younger clone. "I should be out of here in a cycle or so. Then- Well…"
"Then what?" Bob frowned.
"Uh…"
"We'll find plenty to keep us busy." Dot sighed. "Sometimes I'd give anything to be bored for a while… But it seems like that's never gonna happen."
"Hey Scarface – mind if I take Enzo out of here? I think he could use some circuit racing. What say, Kid?"
"Sure – I guess." He looked down at Glitch-Bob guiltily. "I mean…"
"Go on." The older man smiled gently. "Give me a few cycles to rest up and I'll beat both your ASCIIs."
"Bob!"
"Sorry, Dot – bitmaps."
"OK…" Enzo sighed. In a flash, he realized Bob wanted Dot and his clone to be alone. Maybe because he'd been alone with her earlier. It seemed fair, in a weird way… He squeezed Glitch-Bob's hand. "Get better, OK? I'll come back and see you later."
"OK, Kiddo. Thanks."
"You be careful, Enzo – you haven't been feeling well. Bob, make sure he takes it easy, OK?"
"Sure Dot – no prob." Bob grinned. "C'mon, Pal – duty calls. We-"
WARNING – INCOMING GAME
WARNING – INCOMING GAME
"Oh, great!" Glitch-Bob scowled.
"I got it." Bob smiled. "Just like old times." A vidwindow popped open in front of them, Matrix face glowering out.
"Hey. Who's in?"
"Me." Bob said. "I'll meet ya there." Matrix looked a bit uncomfortable for a nano, then nodded.
"Dot? Can-"
"No!" she didn't even let Enzo finish his sentence before grabbing his arm. "Not until we know what's up with that icon."
"But… That could take microseconds! It could take a whole second! Even longer!"
"Sorry, Pal – no time to discuss. Next time." Bob sighed, and with a flash was zipping off.
"Sis, please?"
"No, Enzo!" she scowled. "We don't know what's up with that icon – we don't even know for sure that you can reboot! I can't risk allowing you in a game until we know exactly what you're dealing with."
"Great! Crash it all…"
"Use your processor! How would you win a game if you couldn't reboot? You might not even be able to leave the game for all we know! You could get stranded in there – is that what you want?"
Enzo felt a burning rage, starting from behind the eyes. In a flash his weakness was a million spans away, the ache in his muscles gone. "No – it's not what I want…"
"Enzo!" Dot gasped.
"Never mind. Fine. Whatever." The boy pulled his hand free from Glitch-Bob's and stormed out of the room.
"Enzo, stop it!"
"I'm fine!" he shouted back. "I just need to go for a walk. Bye." She shouted at him again, and he heard Bob's weaker voice too, but the boy didn't stop. He never broke stride until he was out of the M.U., out of the Principal Office, out in the bright warmth of the day and in the emptiness of a deserted sector. He looked up balefully at the game cube, seeming to mock him from its purple depths, Matrix and Bob inside having fun. Fun he was left out of.
"Crash!" he snarled. He looked around him. With a start he realized he's walked all the way to G-Prime, and sweat was dripping from his forehead, stinging his eyes. He looked up, expecting to see the Tor, before realization caught up with him. With a sigh, he trudged off across the empty sector, glad to be alone.
"Crash. Crash, crash, crash it all!" Enzo felt his anger building inside him, lifting him. It was exhilarating – his weakness was gone, he felt like he could snap Megabyte in half if he wanted to. He wasn't a little sprite in that nano – he was a force, something no one could send to his room or tell what to do. He'd do what he wanted, when he wanted. No one was gonna stop him – least of all, Dot…
"Get away!" A few nulls were skittering through the empty streets, their sickly squeaks unnerving as they slithered around him. "Stupid nulls! Why are you following me?" He walked faster, but it was no good – they kept on his tail, relentless. Were there more of them, or was he imagining it? There was a rising heat behind his eyes, light-headedness. Didn't the deleted things know he wanted to be alone?
"Get away!" he growled. He felt that strange sense that he wasn't a boy, that he was a doorway – like in his dream, his exhilarating, scary dream. He was blinded by a flash, deafened by a strange, gleeful laughter that he only vaguely recognized as coming from his throat. When his sight returned the nulls were gone, dim specks on the horizon, disappearing. He was breathing heavily, panting.
All at once, standing was too much of an effort. His legs were weak, weaker than they'd been before. He hurt all over, deep inside. He was on his knees, he was on the ground. Groaning softly, unable to even lift his throbbing head. And undeniably, completely alone.
