dgreenAnt Normal dgreenAnt 2 2 2001-11-08T18:27:00Z 2001-11-08T18:30:00Z 5 1703 9708 Epiphany 80 19 11922 9.4402

COMING HOME

CHAPTER III

There was someone groaning.  It sounded close, too.  Enzo wished they'd shut up so he could sleep…  Why was someone else in his bedroom?  The boy opened his eyes for a fraction of a nano, then squeezed them shut again as the light sent searing pain through his head.  Dimly, he realized that he was the one doing the groaning. 

The memories came back then – he was in G-Prime.  The nulls, the light, the laughter…  What had happened?  "Crash!" he moaned, his voice echoing in his head.  "This… is…basic…"  The boy tried to stand, then almost immediately thought getter of it.  His neck felt like rubber – he didn't even want to know what his legs would feel like…With a great force of will he rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself onto his hands and knees, panting from the exertion.

The boy felt panic rising in him, a strangling presence in his throat.  Desperately he fought it down, trying to reason out what was happening to him.  Clearly it was very wrong, whatever it was.  Some kind of bug, it had to be…  Like the Melissa, when he was a kid.  That's why he was so weak.  But bugs didn't make you…  Do the things he'd done.  To the nulls, to the I-Mac in the junkyard. Did they?

Enzo felt his breathing begin to slow, gradually.  The pain in his head was still throbbing, crippling – but he tentatively tried to move, to shift his weight.  He managed to push his hands away from the ground but was unable to stand. Finally, the boy settled back on his bitmap with a groan and buried his head in his hands, trying to block out any noise or light.  He couldn't take any noise or light…

He sat motionless, each heartbeat thundering in his skull, sending shockwaves of pain down his arms and legs.  After a time there was a rustling on the ground around him, a slithering that broached his arms and assailed his ears.  He could hear them squeaking now – it didn't sound like a lot of them, but they were there.  "Leave me alone, please.  Please leave me alone…"

Another sound joined the skittering and squeaking; a kind of hum, almost like a zip board but quieter, lower in pitch.  "Yaaa!  Get away!"

"Stop shouting!" Enzo moaned.

There was an increase in the skittering and squeaking, then it slowly receded into the distance, not out earshot but more remote.  The boy felt a hand on his shoulder.  "Enzo?"

"Stop shouting, please…"

"Enzo!  What's wrong, Mate?  Eh?  What you doing out here?"

"R-Ray?" 

"Yeah, Kid.  What you doin' out here?  You OK?"

"Yeah." Enzo rasped.  He didn't know the blonde sprite well, but he found his accented, friendly voice comforting and familiar.  He ventured to open his eyes, just a crack.  "What…  What're you doing here?"

"Saw ya, Kid.  From up there."  The surfr pointed skyward.  "Doin' a system survey – saw you laid out like a gutted fish on the ground.  What happened?"

"I…  I don't know.  Where are the nulls?"

Ray crinkled his nose disgustedly and looked over Enzo's shoulder.  "Just over there, Mate.  Chased 'em away but they're hanging back, like.  Revolting buggers…"

"Thanks." Enzo whispered.

"No charge." The blonde sprite smiled tentatively.  "What's wrong, Lad?  You look like the wrong side of a dog!"

"N-nothing, I'm fine."  Enzo tried to push himself to his feet and fell back, hard.

Ray gently pushed down on his shoulders.  "Whoa!  Don't try and stand.  What's the story?  Did you wipe out and hit your head?  I don't see your zip board…"

"No." Enzo rasped.  "I…  I just need to rest a minute, OK?  I've just got a bug or something."

The surfr settled on his haunches next to him and draped a lanky arm around his shoulder.  "What are you doing in G-Prime, anyway?  If I hadn't seen you those nulls might've drained all your energy."

Wouldn't take long. Enzo thought glumly.  Why are they following me around?  "I was just takin' a walk and I…  Ended up out here I guess.  Thanks for…"

"No worries."  Ray smiled, but the concern was plain on his face.  "I don't like the looks o' you right now, Kid.  Think we better get you back to your sister ASAP-"

"No!" Enzo interrupted.  "Please, Ray – just lemme rest for a few nanos and I'll be fine, OK?  Don't tell Dot about this!"

"But-"

"Please?"

Ray frowned at him for a nano, then sighed.  "Can't resist that face…  But why, Mate?  Why don't you want me to tell Dot?  If you're sick-"

"You don't know Dot.  If she knows I was out here she'll be mad.  And if she thinks I'm sick she won't let me leave the diner or play with Bob or go into games or anything else!"

"Only 'cause she's worried about you, Little Guy.  If you're sick you shouldn't be in games anyway-"

Enzo felt tears forming on his cheeks and tried to discreetly wipe them away.  "Just don't tell her, please.  Let me rest for a nano and I'll be fine, I promise."

"All right." The blond sprite sighed.  He ruffled Enzo's hair gently.  "It's OK, Mate.  No worries – I won't tell."

"Stay with me, all right?  Until…  Until I can go?"

"Yeah, promise."  Enzo lowered his head onto the surfr's shoulder and breathed deeply, trying to calm himself.  "What's wrong, Lad?  Where does it hurt?  Is it that bad?"

"No.  My head hurts a little, that's all."

"Right." Ray replied dubiously.  He squeezed the boy a little tighter and tousled his hair again.  "I won't tell your sister this time, Enzo – but you have to promise me you'll tell her yourself if this happens again.  And that you'll be careful – don't go into games if you're sick.  And no joy rides in empty sectors.  OK?"

"Yeah.  I promise."  Enzo swallowed a sob and let his weight fall against the surfr.  At that nano he'd have believed Ray could've wiped out Daemon's army himself, that's how happy he was the blonde sprite had showed up when he did.  "Thanks."

"Yeah, Mate.  Come on now – everything's gonna be fine.  Right?"

"Right."

"Good lad." Ray grinned.  "Just lay out for a few nanos – I'm not goin' anywhere so there's no rush.  You ever been surfing, Enzo?"

"Surfing?  No."  The boy perked up a little.  "Is it cool?"

Ray laughed.  "You bet your bitmap it is.  How'd you like to take a ride on my board?"

"Really?"

"Sure.  Want to?"

"Awesome!" Enzo grinned, wiping his eyes.  "All by myself?"

The surfr laughed again.  "No!  Not yet, Mate.  Gotta have a few lessons before you fly solo.  I was just gonna give you a lift back to the diner, if you want.  That 'd be a good plan, right?"

"Sure.  That'd be alphanumeric."

"Rock on." The blonde sprite smiled. 

"Can we just tell Dot you were giving me a surfing lesson?  In case she asks.  You won't have to carry me or anything, I'll be OK…"

"I guess."  Ray squinted at the boy, held his gaze.  "You made me a promise, Enzo – and we're mates now, right?"

"Yeah!  Definitely."

"Well – you wouldn't break a promise to a mate, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't.  Honest." 

"Mmmm.  OK, then."   Ray grinned and tweaked Enzo's nose.  Enzo dimly thought he might've been a little insulted under different circumstances, but he wasn't – he giggled.  "You're a good lad.  Think you can stand up?"

"I think so."  Enzo gritted his teeth and gathered his legs under him, still leaning most of his weight on the surfr.  With a grunt he swayed to his feet.  His legs felt like jelly under him, but his knees locked and he stood, forcing a grin.  "See?  I'm fine."

Ray shook his head and sighed.  "You're something else, Kid, you know that?  Maybe you should go see Phong about this."

"Already did.  He says I'm fine."

"You already did?  This has happened before?"

Enzo felt a rush of panic.  "No!  I mean – I've just been kinda tired for a couple cycles that's all and Dot took me to see Phong.  I wouldn't lie to you Ray, honest I wouldn't!"

"All right, all right Kid!  I'm just asking…"

"We're still mates, right?" Enzo panted.

"Yeah!  Still mates, Enzo – no worries.  Just remember your promise."

"I will.  Thanks." The boy smiled, wiping his eyes.

"Right, then.  All set?"

"Yeah."  Enzo noticed the surfboard hovering a few microns away for the first time.  "Double-sided!  That's your board?"

"Not half.  Best mode of transportation there is."  Ray grabbed Enzo under the shoulders and gently placed him atop the board, hopping on behind him.  "Hup!  Here we go.  Comfortable?"

"Yeah."

"Best seat in the house, right up front."  He securely wrapped one arm around the boy and the board gracefully lifted up from the ground.

Enzo looked down and frowned, seeing the small pack of nulls skittering towards the patch of ground where they'd been a few nanos before.  "Stupid nulls."

"Must be confused without Hex here, I guess.  Don't know where they're goin'.  You OK up there?"

"Yeah.  This is totally cool."   Enzo grinned down at the expanse of the city below them.  "Will you really teach me how to…  How to surf?"

"Don't see why not, Mate.  Let's just get you home for now though, right?"

"I guess.  Promise you won't tell Dot what happened?"

"You don't break promises to mates, Kid."  Enzo figured Ray was just about the coolest sprite that ever processed.  He understood!  Why didn't all the grown-ups understand?  "How's your brother?"

"Matrix?  Phong called him that, too.  Is everyone doing it?"

"I don't know what else I'd call him, Enzo.  'Twin' doesn't sound right.  I mean – look at the two of you!  Is he OK?  He looked a little shook up when I first got back."

"I think he's OK.  I haven't talked to him, really."

"He's a broody bugger." Ray said softly.  "Uh - No offense!"

"That's OK." Enzo smiled, and craned his neck so the surfr could see he wasn't insulted.  "I know I'm not…  Not him.  It's hard to explain but we're – we're different.  And that's cool."

"You sure are different." Ray grinned.  "He's a good bloke, Enzo – sometimes he tries his damndest to make you think he ain't, but he is.  Don't let him get you offline, all right?  He's just the way he is, and that's that.  He be all right for you when it counts."

"I know."

"Good lad, you're a good lad.  Looks like we're almost home."  The surfr began to guide them on a slow downward arc.  Enzo found himself not wanting to be home, not wanting the ride to end.  He wanted to be over the city, soaring above it, all of the nulls and the sisters and everything else far below him, out of reach, Ray's arm securely keeping him safe.  "Here we are.  Pay the driver on your way out."

The board hovered to a stop, and Enzo gingerly stepped to the ground.  He looked up at Ray and smiled.  "You gonna come in?  Dot has the best energy shakes in Mainframe!"

"I'd rather not." The blonde sprite frowned.  "Not mentioning something is one thing, but if I see her…  Are you all right to walk in on your own?"

"Yeah!  I'm fine, honest."

"Let me see you walk a couple steps."

"Jeez-"

"Go on, Mate."

Enzo sighed.  He took a few steps – slow, but determinedly keeping them steady – towards the diner, then turned and grinned.  "See?"

The surfr shook his head.  "All right, Enzo.  You remember your promise, all right?  I kept up my end of the deal."

"I will.  Thanks, Ray."

"No worries."

"Seriously!  Thanks a lot.  You're the best.  If you hadn't…"

"Just lucky." Ray grinned.  "See you soon, right?  We'll get you that surfing lesson."  The blonde sprite waved and was airborne again, circling above Baudway for a nano before turning towards the Principal Office.

"Bye." Enzo called, watching him depart until he was a speck against the bulk of the P.O. dome.  With a sigh, the boy turned and walked, wincing, into the diner.  Relieved at not finding Dot at home, he wavered over the energy bars on the counter, decided against it and headed downstairs to the apartment.  In a few nanos he's kicked off his boots and crawled into bed, asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.