II

"I awoke the next morning, feeling good. Well... as good as could be expected in my circumstances. I felt like I could take on Mega-breath and his whole viral army by myself... and win.

"After my breakfast I exited the diner; a little less cautiously than I should have. The darkness of the alleyway surprised me; Level 31 had never been this dark, but maybe I just thought that because Bob was always with me. I looked up and I could see amidst the tall buildings a small piece of sky; it was grey. Mainframe's sky was never grey...

"I got on my zipboard and tried to stay between the buildings so not to be seen.

"My first stop was Dot's Diner. Nothing had changed. Nothing... except that there were no customers. Even Cecil wasn't there. Fled away on a zipboard no doubt.

"From my hiding place near the diner, I could see the Principal Office was being guarded by, at least ten - maybe more - viral ABCs. The large flying tanks patrolled around the spherical building. Probably getting dizzy by the looks of it.

"I left Baudway, and made my way to Kits Sector and toward the docks.

"The boardwalk along the energy sea was deserted; not a binome or number in sight. It unnerved me. The scene was almost surreal.

"A piece of paper blew by me on a silent wind. I reached out and grabbed it; it was a sheet from someone's homework. Math problems were scrawled on the smooth surface and underneath each problem was a solution, whether it was correct or not.

"No one was in school anymore. No one cared to give or get an education. Everyone was worried. About their survival. About their individuality. About being infected.

"I let my hand drop to my side as I still held tightly to the paper with the math problems on it.

"Math problems. Math solutions; whether right or wrong.

"Mainframe problems. Mainframe needed a solution; the right one.

"I backed up into the shadows and looked at the docks again.

"Still there. Still empty. Still deadly quiet.

"Mainframe used to be really busy. Now, after my tragic loss and Megabyte's gain, Mainframe had turned into a ghost system. It was creepy.

"I finally let go of the math sheet, allowing it to blow in the wind currents again. It looked so free. So liberated.

"I almost envied it, but, then I thought, it's just a piece of paper. It doesn't have feelings, emotions or family.

"Then again, at that moment, neither did I.

"I left the docks and headed to Bob's apartment to see if there was anything I could salvage. The apartment was silent. My feet padded on the soft carpet as I walked from room to room. In the bathroom, the white porcine seemed dull and cold. I checked in the medicine cabinet for anything that I could take back with me to Al's. I took several bottles of pills and stuffed them into my backpack. Bandages, antiseptic saves and rubbing alcohol found their way into my bag.

"Bob's bedroom was fairly bare and didn't have much furniture or possesions.

"I checked in the kitchen. I grabbed a few plates, mugs, sets of cutlery, one sharp knife and a few more odds and ends. In the fridge, I found a bottle of mustard, a half eaten can of spaghetti sauce and an expired jar of olives. No wonder Bob was always at the diner; he didn't have anything in his fridge."

Enzo smiled a little at the memory. It seemed to me as if he hadn't smiled in minutes. He looked a little more relaxed than he did before.

I glanced around the room. It seemed darker now then when I had first come in. Was the light fading? Or an energy drain somewhere?

Or maybe it was just the mood in the room. The darkness and desolation of the sad tale was spilling out and filling this room... just like it had filled Mainframe.

"After I left the apartment," he continued, "I flew back to my new home. Al was expecting me and had a meal for me. I ate it even though it was cold. I went back to my room and began organizing my things, trying to make it feel more like a living quarters instead of just a storage space.

"I succeeded... a little.

"Then I set myself to think of a plan of attack that was worthy of Dot. I didn't come up with one 'cause I fell asleep on my floor bed.

"The next cycles were surprising uneventful. No one around me was captured, infected or even hunted. My life turned into a little more of a routine: getting up, eating breakfast, talking to the binomes that dared to come out for food about what was happening and what they had seen, eat dinner, talk some more, go to bed.

"After the first cycle, I actually got a mini underground rebellion going. We got an information line moving, found out who was infected and who was not and food was distributed to those who needed it. Fortunately, Megabyte loved Al's food and allowed the food orders to continue to come in.

"Plans of an attack were organized and set. Everything seemed to be moving in our favour.

"But... that didn't last long. Megabyte's infection began spreading in the sectors. Names of sectors and binomes that had fallen made it to Level 31.

"Emma C, Ol' Man Pearson, and my teacher, Ms Brodie were among the names.

"The underground info line had to adjust every time someone new was infected. It was hard but we managed somehow.

"As the cycles went on, more names were being deleted off the underground list and were added to the viral one. My army was disappearing to the enemy even before I could make my move. I had to act and soon.

"The day before my attack to the Principal Office, I got up early to get my notes organized and to get the word out. I wanted to give the binomes enough time to prepare but also to allow the spontaneous of the attack to be effective.

"I stayed in my room for a few microseconds to check and re-check my maps and diagrams, to be sure I wasn't overlooking anything.

"When I was sure I had thought of every situation from every different angle, I emerged from my room loaded down with a small pile of read-me files and my well thought out maps of the Principal Office. On top of the pile was my sister's organizer. I had remembered her password from a few cycles before she was nullified and lucky for me, she hadn't changed it. I got several ideas and strategies from her detailed log book. I would have thanked Dot if she was still around.

"I dumped the piles of files onto a table and walked up to the counter where Al's waiter sat. He handed me a shake and a plate of pancakes that were still hot. I sat in the booth surrounded by my files and began eating.

"Halfway through my meal, Al's waiter groaned loudly and doubled over in pain. I jumped to see if I could help him but he put his hand up in a warning.

"'Stay away.' he said. 'It's Megabyte. He's infecting my PID. Get out of here as quickly as you can!'

"I stood there, not wanting to leave him. He had become a close friend during my stay there and I had grown to care for him.

"But he was right. I couldn't stay there. I rushed upstairs and grabbed my things that were already packed in my knapsack, ran back downstairs and stuffed my read-me files into the top. I then grabbed my plate of food and bolted out of the front door.

"Where was I to go? I had no idea; I just had you get out of there. I finally stopped running in a dark alley in Level 31. My heart was pounding in my chest. Pounding for two reasons: one - I had ran for five nanos straight and two - fear. I'll admit it, I was scared. I had just turn 10. I wasn't a man - just a kid with a grown sprite's job.

"I tried to eat to keep up my strength. I wasn't easy. I had lost my appetite, so I forced myself to finish my breakfast.

"I sat with my head in my hands for what seemed like microseconds. It all seemed helpless. How could I fight a tyrant who could infect anyone, anytime, anywhere without even being present to see it?

"He could even have infected me at that moment.

"I took off my red baseball cap that dad had given me and looked at my icon; it was still black and white - not infected. I breathed a sigh of relief, when there was a crash of trash cans in the neighbouring alley. I quickly put my hat back on, grabbed my bag and I cautiously went to investigate, leaving the dirty dishes where they were.

"I peaked around the corner, not knowing what to expect. What I saw was my school mate, Cordy, searching through the trash cans for something to eat. At that moment, I wish I hadn't forced myself to finish my breakfast - that way Cordy would have something to eat.

"I called him, causing him to automatically run and hide. I couldn't blame him; I'd probably do the same thing. When he saw that it was me, he joyfully but silently called out my name. I answered just a quietly. He was so glad to see me and I him.

"While we hid behind a dumpster, Cordy told me what had happened to him since Megabyte's takeover. He told me three cycles into the the takeover, his parents were infected right in front of his eyes; first his mother, then his father. I was glad I didn't have to see Bob and Dot get infected. I still don't know how or if nulls think, but I guess Bob and Dot are lucky; even if they see Mainframe fall apart, Megabyte can't get to them.

"I gave Cordy a snack from my pack and left him in the alley; he was as safe there as anywhere in the system.

"I had other things to do.

"I met up with Ms. Nully and Modem to get the word out about the attack and to be careful who the news was told to; Megabyte was still infecting.

"In two micro-seconds, everyone was at their correct attack positions. We were few, about sixty in number against several hundred but we were prepared.

"But it turned out not as prepared as Megabyte. It was as if he had expected the attack.

"I couldn't believe it! In all my intricate plans and thinking I had the upper hand on Megabyte, I had forgot to place spies to find out what was happening at the Principal Office. Though I don't think I would have found anyone brave enough.

"After the order of 'retreat' was called, Megabyte released a horde of viral ABC's and they all headed straight for me.

"I flew as fast as I could on my zipboard, but compared to ABC's, it wasn't fast enough. In a desperate act to get away, I ducked in-between the buildings. Even then they found me, shot and broke my zipboard and chased me into a corner.

"I couldn't escape.

"I had no place to go."