***
Epilogue
Oceans of Stars
***
Warmth.
It was a gentle warmth. Like laying out on a sandy beach.
No sand though. No waves either.
Just warmth.
Maybe that was a machine whirring in the background.
Slight pain in some areas. Not too bad. He'd felt worse before.
Where was he anyway?
Memories started coming through. Just barely. A dying system, a virus.....
He was afraid to open his eyes...err....eye. What if he looked, and
everything was the same? What if he opened his eye to find himself in
that awful alternate world?
What if everyone was dead?
What if he was dead? Was this some kind of dream from a brain that was
shutting down? Or some kind of afterlife?
His curiosity got the better of him.
Something felt strange about waking up. It felt too natural. His vision
was too clear. He was staring up at ceiling tiles.
Maybe it all had been an awful dream?
Not likely. Glancing down to the corner, he discovered Carrot
slumped in a chair, asleep, a bit of drool hanging from her mouth.
Darn. But if Carrot was here then they had made it. How much had he
missed?
Ugh....he had to stretch.
He sat up, surprised at how little effort it took. His fever was gone, his
chest didn't ache as much as before, and he felt much stronger. He looked
around to find himself in a hospital room.
He panicked. Andraia wasn't there. What if she hadn't made it?
"Andraia?" he called out. "ANDRAIA?"
Carrot woke up with a start, nearly falling out of her chair.
"Sheesh, kid, you're supposed to stay quiet in a hospital."
"Where's Andraia?"
"Don't worry. She's just getting some food. She'll be back any
nanosecond."
He sighed and settled back into the bed. At least she was alright. He felt
nervous though. If they were really in a hospital, how the heck was he
going to pay for it? He and Andraia didn't bring much more than pocket
change with them. How long had he been out?
"How's your vision? Any better?" Carrot asked out of nowhere.
"It's better. Much better. Were they able to fix my eye?"
"Not really. They had to take it out. The infection was killing you and
it was too badly damaged anyway. They put a glass one in. It won't
work, it's mostly just decoration. But at least you won't have to squint
to see like you were earlier."
She held up a mirror. Aside from a scar on his face, he looked almost
perfectly normal. He broght a hand up to his face and felt where the
glass was. His eyelids didn't react as they should have when he put a
finger on the glass. He couldn't see his hand.
"They sealed it up with lazers," Carrot said. "So you don't have to worry
about extra damage from stitches."
"How am I gonna pay for this? I don't have anything........."
Carrot sighed. "I had a vault full of stuff back home. City treasury
wasn't gonna do anybody any good in an empty system. I figured I'd bring
it with me."
Carrot held up a bulging backpack. "Same OS, same money system. I
practically got enough cash in here to buy the whole system. You know, if
you kids want, you could live here with me. I don't have a home to go
back to, and I'm afraid your chances of finding your home system are next
to none. Andraia explained some of the stuff about the 'net to me. With
all those systems out there......."
Enzo sighed. It seemed that Carrot had everything covered. He almost
wondered.......
Did he really want to leave?
He thought about it. They were in what looked like a perfectly stable
system. Looking out the window, he saw a clear sky. Cars flew by, honking
horns and getting into traffic jams in as normal a setting as possible.
"I'll think about it. I'm not sure though.............."
"I understand."
The door opened, and Andraia walked in. It was a happy reunion, despite
the seemingly hopeless situation.
***
It was a nighttime setup. A darkened twilight sky, with some sparkles in
the sky to imitate stars.
It was funny. Despite how little sprites knew about the users, it was
strange how much they modelled their life after them. Most of what they
learned was from the games. And that wasn't much.
There was a large grass field, with a few hills. Enzo lay on top of one,
staring at the sky. Past that skydome, was the net. A huge void that would
lead to an infinite number of systems.
Most of them were closed. Even if he could get past it..........
He wondered how many systems a game would pass by.
Would the game evengivehim half a chance to get home?
He thought about Bob......lost in a place he wouldn't recognize. Their
situations were similar. He was sure of that.
"Enzo?"
Andraia interrupted his thoughts. He sat up and turned around?
"Enzo? What are you doing out here so late?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"Had enough sleep to last forever, huh?"
"Yeah." They both laughed, sat in silence, gazing upward.
"Carrot asked us to live with her," Andraia said.
"I know."
"What do you think?"
"I'm not sure. I mean, it's so easy...............but I miss Mainframe. I
don't know our chances of getting back, and they've most likely given us
up for dead anyway. But I feel like If I don't try, then I've lost
something."
"The question would always be hanging. Would we have gotten back?"
"Yeah. I don't want to live here with that hanging over me. It'd be
torture. Besides....." He turned to her, looking into her eyes. "I made a
promise."
Andraia hugged him.
"So, next game comes......."
"And we're outta here."
"I hope we get back soon."
"I don't know. I have a feeling we're gonna be gone for a very long time.
I hope we're up to it."
"I am if you are."
They sat there awhile. Just staring at the sky. Enzo felt like he could
fall asleep right on the grass. His eyes were starting to close when
something jumped on him. He was greeted with some big wet doggy kisses.
"Eep! Frisket!"
Andraia laughed at the scene, but suddenly stopped as a sound reached her
ears...
"Andraia? What is it?"
"I hear something........."
***WARNING! INCOMING GAME!***
They both looked at each other, smiling. They both got out zipboards and
raced for the game, with Frisket trailing behind.
That was the last time they were ever seen in that system. When the game
lifted, a hastily scribbled note was left behind.
Carrot,
If you find this, We just
want you to know that we're
on our way home. Someday we'll
make it. Dunno when. Thank
you for all you've done for
us.
Andraia
***
A game may travel many places. This particular one was seated right in the
middle of the supercomputer. While the game was running, a flash of light
came from the side of the cube as the virus emerged. Her target was now
right in front of her.
She could easily detect the greatest power source in the system by her
senses. Flying towards the principal office, through hovering
neighborhoods over an endless horizon of sand dunes, she landed right on
the steps of the principal office, claiming the city with only a touch.
"I am Daemon!"
***
The End? Never!
Epilogue
Oceans of Stars
***
Warmth.
It was a gentle warmth. Like laying out on a sandy beach.
No sand though. No waves either.
Just warmth.
Maybe that was a machine whirring in the background.
Slight pain in some areas. Not too bad. He'd felt worse before.
Where was he anyway?
Memories started coming through. Just barely. A dying system, a virus.....
He was afraid to open his eyes...err....eye. What if he looked, and
everything was the same? What if he opened his eye to find himself in
that awful alternate world?
What if everyone was dead?
What if he was dead? Was this some kind of dream from a brain that was
shutting down? Or some kind of afterlife?
His curiosity got the better of him.
Something felt strange about waking up. It felt too natural. His vision
was too clear. He was staring up at ceiling tiles.
Maybe it all had been an awful dream?
Not likely. Glancing down to the corner, he discovered Carrot
slumped in a chair, asleep, a bit of drool hanging from her mouth.
Darn. But if Carrot was here then they had made it. How much had he
missed?
Ugh....he had to stretch.
He sat up, surprised at how little effort it took. His fever was gone, his
chest didn't ache as much as before, and he felt much stronger. He looked
around to find himself in a hospital room.
He panicked. Andraia wasn't there. What if she hadn't made it?
"Andraia?" he called out. "ANDRAIA?"
Carrot woke up with a start, nearly falling out of her chair.
"Sheesh, kid, you're supposed to stay quiet in a hospital."
"Where's Andraia?"
"Don't worry. She's just getting some food. She'll be back any
nanosecond."
He sighed and settled back into the bed. At least she was alright. He felt
nervous though. If they were really in a hospital, how the heck was he
going to pay for it? He and Andraia didn't bring much more than pocket
change with them. How long had he been out?
"How's your vision? Any better?" Carrot asked out of nowhere.
"It's better. Much better. Were they able to fix my eye?"
"Not really. They had to take it out. The infection was killing you and
it was too badly damaged anyway. They put a glass one in. It won't
work, it's mostly just decoration. But at least you won't have to squint
to see like you were earlier."
She held up a mirror. Aside from a scar on his face, he looked almost
perfectly normal. He broght a hand up to his face and felt where the
glass was. His eyelids didn't react as they should have when he put a
finger on the glass. He couldn't see his hand.
"They sealed it up with lazers," Carrot said. "So you don't have to worry
about extra damage from stitches."
"How am I gonna pay for this? I don't have anything........."
Carrot sighed. "I had a vault full of stuff back home. City treasury
wasn't gonna do anybody any good in an empty system. I figured I'd bring
it with me."
Carrot held up a bulging backpack. "Same OS, same money system. I
practically got enough cash in here to buy the whole system. You know, if
you kids want, you could live here with me. I don't have a home to go
back to, and I'm afraid your chances of finding your home system are next
to none. Andraia explained some of the stuff about the 'net to me. With
all those systems out there......."
Enzo sighed. It seemed that Carrot had everything covered. He almost
wondered.......
Did he really want to leave?
He thought about it. They were in what looked like a perfectly stable
system. Looking out the window, he saw a clear sky. Cars flew by, honking
horns and getting into traffic jams in as normal a setting as possible.
"I'll think about it. I'm not sure though.............."
"I understand."
The door opened, and Andraia walked in. It was a happy reunion, despite
the seemingly hopeless situation.
***
It was a nighttime setup. A darkened twilight sky, with some sparkles in
the sky to imitate stars.
It was funny. Despite how little sprites knew about the users, it was
strange how much they modelled their life after them. Most of what they
learned was from the games. And that wasn't much.
There was a large grass field, with a few hills. Enzo lay on top of one,
staring at the sky. Past that skydome, was the net. A huge void that would
lead to an infinite number of systems.
Most of them were closed. Even if he could get past it..........
He wondered how many systems a game would pass by.
Would the game evengivehim half a chance to get home?
He thought about Bob......lost in a place he wouldn't recognize. Their
situations were similar. He was sure of that.
"Enzo?"
Andraia interrupted his thoughts. He sat up and turned around?
"Enzo? What are you doing out here so late?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"Had enough sleep to last forever, huh?"
"Yeah." They both laughed, sat in silence, gazing upward.
"Carrot asked us to live with her," Andraia said.
"I know."
"What do you think?"
"I'm not sure. I mean, it's so easy...............but I miss Mainframe. I
don't know our chances of getting back, and they've most likely given us
up for dead anyway. But I feel like If I don't try, then I've lost
something."
"The question would always be hanging. Would we have gotten back?"
"Yeah. I don't want to live here with that hanging over me. It'd be
torture. Besides....." He turned to her, looking into her eyes. "I made a
promise."
Andraia hugged him.
"So, next game comes......."
"And we're outta here."
"I hope we get back soon."
"I don't know. I have a feeling we're gonna be gone for a very long time.
I hope we're up to it."
"I am if you are."
They sat there awhile. Just staring at the sky. Enzo felt like he could
fall asleep right on the grass. His eyes were starting to close when
something jumped on him. He was greeted with some big wet doggy kisses.
"Eep! Frisket!"
Andraia laughed at the scene, but suddenly stopped as a sound reached her
ears...
"Andraia? What is it?"
"I hear something........."
***WARNING! INCOMING GAME!***
They both looked at each other, smiling. They both got out zipboards and
raced for the game, with Frisket trailing behind.
That was the last time they were ever seen in that system. When the game
lifted, a hastily scribbled note was left behind.
Carrot,
If you find this, We just
want you to know that we're
on our way home. Someday we'll
make it. Dunno when. Thank
you for all you've done for
us.
Andraia
***
A game may travel many places. This particular one was seated right in the
middle of the supercomputer. While the game was running, a flash of light
came from the side of the cube as the virus emerged. Her target was now
right in front of her.
She could easily detect the greatest power source in the system by her
senses. Flying towards the principal office, through hovering
neighborhoods over an endless horizon of sand dunes, she landed right on
the steps of the principal office, claiming the city with only a touch.
"I am Daemon!"
***
The End? Never!
