Dot led Captain Capacitor and the pirate crew to the Mainframe docks. "Gavin, if you would allow it, we have a ship for you to use," Dot explained. "I know it's not . . . the most powerful ship, but it's small, and fast; the perfect ship for scouting."
Capacitor slowly circled the ship docked in the shallow Data Sea, tapping his chin thoughtfully. The ship was sleek and bullet-shaped, with dark crimson insignia painted along the sides. Finally, his scrutiny ended, and he turned to Dot with his verdict. "It's not the Mare," he decided, ". . . but it will do. Thank you, Dot."
She smiled back. "My pleasure. And thank you for volunteering for the mission; I know it's a pretty dangerous thing to do."
Capacitor waved a hand. "Me crew and I are lookin' for some excitement!" he chortled. His expression soon sobered. "But I wish – and I know that they all agree with me – that the war will be over as quickly as it begins."
Dot's shoulders sagged. "Me too."
* * *
Dot spent the two seconds after the meeting for Daemon with the tech-binomes and Phong. Together they had planned the strategies for the upcoming battles with the super-virus.
Before going to the Diner, Dot had visited the lower levels of the Principle Office to see how things were going with the vehicles and weapons they would need; in reply, the tech-boys had given her their newest gadget.
When Dot arrived in Baudway, she saw her brother – Little Enzo – running around with Frisket, laughing with the fun of whatever game they were playing. Matrix and AndrAIa leaned against the wall of the Diner. Though Dot knew Matrix didn't have much interest with his backup, she noticed that the renegade was watching Enzo closely.
Dot entered the Diner and took a seat at the booth. She surveyed the binomes eating in booths, proud that her business still thrived as the most popular eating spot in Mainframe. Even the rowdy pirates were having lunch at her Diner; so were Mouse and Ray, talking amongst themselves and smiling at one another.
Back outside, Frisket, having tired of bounding around behind Enzo, went over to Matrix. He nudged the big sprite's hand, confused; Frisket had spent a long time with Enzo in the Games as they grew older, yet he had just been playing with the one who was also Enzo, but younger. The dog whined and nudged Matrix's hand again.
Matrix patted Frisket's head. "It's okay, boy," he murmured. "Go play with Enzo."
Enzo approached Matrix and AndrAIa warily. "Sorry," he muttered, grabbing a hold of Frisket's collar and trying to drag him away. "He doesn't usually like strangers," he added mostly to himself in a puzzled tone.
Dot turned her gaze to the sprites standing outside the Diner and called, "Enzo, AndrAIa – Matrix," she added, "come in here." They silently entered the Diner.
"I'm glad you're all here," Dot said to the six sprites and the binome pirates once everyone was comfortable. "Before Ray and the pirates leave, I have something that the boys made for all of us to use." She pulled out a handful of wrist-communicators with blank screens.
"These communicators will help us to keep in touch both around the system and when we separate," Dot explained as she passed them out to the other sprites. "Here, Enzo, you get one too," she added, handing one to her little brother.
The sprite strapped the communicator onto his wrist and beamed. "Cool!"
Most of them put the communicators on their wrists like Enzo; Matrix strapped his to Gun, at his side.
"Thank you, Miss Matrix," Ray said, taking his communicator and putting it on his Baud. He looked to Captain Capacitor. "If that's all, we should be leaving."
The sprites left the War Room and stood in the docking bay of the Principle Office. They watched as Ray and the pirates prepared the ship.
Soon, all the preparations had been done. Capacitor waved his hat from the deck of the ship and called, "We be seeing you, Dot!"
"Good luck, Gavin," Dot called back.
Ray stepped onto his Baud and was about to fly after the ship. At the last moment, he turned back and flew to Mouse. "Hope you'll be waiting up for me, Love," he said, and kissed her full on the lips.
They finally parted; Mouse was surprised and a little embarrassed at the public display of affection, but at the moment it didn't really matter. "Net protect you, Ray," she answered softly.
The Web Surfr waved and flew back to the pirates as the ship rose into the air.
The Control Tower shot a beam into the sky and opened a portal to the Net. With one last wave and many boisterous shouts from the pirates, the ship and Ray passed through the portal. The Control Tower shot again, closing the hole in the sky as if there had been no tear.
* * *
The sprites slowly dispersed, heading for wherever they were needed. Instead of going to school, Enzo trailed behind Dot and Bob. The little sprite persisted the other two with insistent questions as they headed for the Diner.
"That Matrix guy sure is weird. What's up with his attitude? And what did he mean by what he was saying to me? Really, that guy is intense." Finally, Enzo hit on the point that had been bothering him for the last few seconds. "And you guys all knew something. What happened at the restart?"
Bob spared a worried glance at the small sprite, but he said nothing.
"Something happened – I want to know what! What happened?"
"I –" Dot knew that she had to tell Enzo the truth. "Sit down, Enzo," she said softly. When he did as she asked, she joined him in the booth.
"What happened?" Enzo asked again, but his voice was quieter.
"You and Matrix – you're the same sprite," Dot said. What a random thing – but it was true. "Enzo, I know this seems impossible – I think it's impossible – but it's true: you and Matrix are the same code.
"There was another Enzo," Dot tried to explain. "What I mean, is –" she sighed. "Look at it this way, Enzo. When the war with Megabyte started, before Bob got shot into the Web, he made Enzo – you, in a sense – into a Guardian. Do you get it so far?" Enzo nodded, and Dot went on. "Later, Enzo went into a Game and lost it, getting him, AndrAIa, and Frisket trapped in the Games."
"Dude," Enzo breathed, his eyes wide.
"Game time was accelerated," Bob picked up the explanation, "so Enzo grew up into a sprite called Matrix." Enzo's eyes widened even further, and he made a small gasping sound. Bob went on and finished, "Matrix, AndrAIa, and Frisket – all grown up now – found me in the Web, like we told you, and we all went home to Mainframe. But when the restart occurred, Matrix left his icon in game-sprite mode – and you, Enzo, were brought back by the system."
It really was an amazing story; and very hard to swallow, especially when Enzo just discovered his part in it. Dot watched Enzo carefully for what he could be feeling.
"So, Enzo, what do you think?" Bob asked, but he got no answer.
A few nanos later, Dot said, "Well, Enzo?"
"Give me a nano!" the boy cried. "It's still processing.
"Sweet User!" he shouted a few nanoseconds later. "This is totally offline – high-density, pixelacious --! How come you guys didn't tell me right when I asked?"
"We weren't sure how'd you react," Dot answered carefully. "It's a new development, and we figured you – and Matrix – would be unsure of what to do."
"How come Matrix hasn't talked to me yet?" Enzo continued with his questions. "Is he as confused as I feel?"
"Why don't you go see him and AndrAIa and get all the details?" Dot suggested, a sudden idea coming to mind.
Enzo shrugged uneasily; he would have been surprised to discover that he was mimicking Matrix. ". . . I dunno," he muttered. "I don't think Matrix likes me very much."
"Nonsense, Enzo," Bob assured him. "This is as new to Matrix as it is to you."
"He's you," Dot added.
"Fine," Enzo huffed, jumping off his seat and heading for the door. "C'mon, Frisket." He and the dog left the Diner, the boy muttering, "Why's everybody on his side, anyway?"
* * *
AndrAIa wrapped her fingers around Matrix's big hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. His arm slid around her waist, and he pulled her closer to him as they walked through the quiet, peaceful setting of Floating Point Park. Binome citizens passing by smiled at two of Mainframe's heroes, but the couple took no notice of the attention.
Matrix gazed around at the park and the sectors beyond, a thoughtful smile playing over his features. "Everything's like I remember it," he commented softly; his tone carried an expression of near awe. "Everything that is my home; it's all here."
AndrAIa looked up at him and asked, "Are you happy to be home?"
After a few moments, Matrix replied, "Yeah, I guess I am." AndrAIa felt him shrug. "A lot of it isn't the way I hoped it would be – but I'm glad to be home." AndrAIa, seemingly satisfied by his answer, didn't press any more, and they continued their walk.
Matrix felt Little Enzo's presence even before he turned around. The little sprite hesitated by a bench and stared silently at his older self.
AndrAIa spoke first. "Enzo, what's up? Does Dot or Bob need us?"
"Um, no, everything's fine," Enzo said. "Actually – uh, Dot and Bob told me about me and Matrix . . . you know, about how we're . . . the same sprite."
Matrix's eyes widened, but he had known that soon enough the news would be revealed to Enzo.
"Are you all right?" AndrAIa asked. "I know it's hard to adjust to Enzo – are you okay?"
Enzo nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm okay, I guess – thanks." Matrix sighed, unhappy because he hadn't thought of asking; but he had nothing to contribute now, so he remained silent.
Enzo stared at them in the growing silence; then he suddenly burst into a barrage of questions.
"What were the Games like? Is that how you lost your eye, Matrix? What did you guys look like when you were teenagers? How did you make it through the Games? So, it was like twelve hours for you --?"
"We'll have time to answer all of your questions, Enzo," AndrAIa told him with a smile. Enzo was effectively silenced.
Matrix groaned inwardly. From the moment Enzo had met the Game-hopping couple, the youngster had developed a crush on AndrAIa. Matrix personally wouldn't exactly blame him, but now that Enzo knew how he and Matrix were connected, he was probably going to follow them around: asking questions, bothering them – Matrix didn't think his patience could hold against his younger self.
Meanwhile, AndrAIa was answering some of Enzo's questions.
"AndrAIa," he asked, "why do you call him Lover' and mushy stuff?"
AndrAIa traded a glance with Matrix, then she bent down to Enzo and answered, "Well you see, Enzo, I love Matrix very much, and I show that I love him by calling him by those nicknames." And to annoy him every once in a while.
Enzo grinned; if he were to grow up into Matrix after all, he would definitely have a babe for a girlfriend! "He's lucky to have you," he said shyly, then cast a glare at Matrix.
"Hey, you're not so bad yourself," AndrAIa commented with a small laugh that made Enzo grin again. "You're Sparky too, in a way; you're like a Little Sparky. Little Sparky," AndrAIa giggled. "It suits you."
Enzo beamed at the attention, but his counterpart wasn't quite as happy. He narrowed his eyes and growled softly under his breath with irritation and a hint of jealousy.
AndrAIa walked over to where Matrix stood, her hands on her hips. "Well?" she demanded.
"What?" he shot back.
"What bug is messing up your processor?" AndrAIa asked.
He shrugged uneasily and glanced at Enzo, who was watching with some interest. "Can we talk about this later?"
Sensing the reason for his attitude, AndrAIa sighed and cupped his face in her hands. "Don't worry, Matrix," she teased with a gleam of amusement in her eyes. "I won't let Enzo come in the way of our relationship."
AndrAIa grinned. "But if you think about it, he is you, Sparky," she said, grinning even more when he rolled his eyes. "Really – what's bothering you?"
"Things just . . . don't feel right." Matrix shrugged again; it was a gesture he used to try to shake off feelings, AndrAIa had noticed in their time together.
"Matrix." AndrAIa sighed again. Staring straight into his eyes with her calm blue ones, she softly proclaimed,
"When I first saw you, I saw love.
And the first time you touched me, I felt love.
And after all this time, you're still the one I love."
A shadow of a smile crossed Matrix's face, comforted by her words, and he pulled AndrAIa closer to him. He watched with interest as AndrAIa wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her face close to his, singing softly:
"Looks like we made it.
Look how far we've come, my baby.
We mighta took the long way.
We knew we'd get there someday.
"They said, I bet they'll never make it.'
But just look at us holding on.
We're still together, still going strong."
AndrAIa's singing grew stronger.
"(You're still the one).
You're still the one I run to,
The one that I belong to.
You're still the one I want for life," she assured him.
"(You're still the one).
You're still the one that I love,
The only one I dream of.
You're still the one I kiss good night."
Matrix's smile broadened; a rare act, indeed. AndrAIa leaned back slightly but continued to sing:
"Ain't nothin' better.
We beat the odds together.
I'm glad we didn't listen.
Look at what we would be missin'.
"They said, I bet they'll never make it.'
But just look at us holding on.
We're still together, still going strong.
"Enzo, you know this," she whispered. He leaned in to kiss her; their lips brushed, but AndrAIa pulled back playfully. Though close enough to kiss him, she continued to sing:
"(You're still the one).
You're still the one I run to,
The one that I belong to.
You're still the one I want for life.
(You're still the one).
You're still the one that I love,
The only one I dream of.
You're still the one I kiss good night."
AndrAIa slowly pulled away from Matrix and paused in her singing. She smiled at him and swayed in a slow, gentle dance. Three female binomes enjoying picnics stood and danced behind her, their movements mimicking the game sprite's.
AndrAIa slowly spun back toward Matrix.
"(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to,
The one that I belong to.
You're still the one I want for life.
(You're still the one)
You're still the one that I love,
The only one I dream of.
You're still the one I kiss good night."
AndrAIa let herself be pulled back into Matrix's arms. Smiling at her lover, she sang the last lines in her soft, lovely voice that always made him smile.
"I'm so glad we made it.
Look how far we've come my baby."
"Blech!" Enzo hissed in disgust, sticking out his tongue. "Mushy stuff."
His older self and AndrAIa didn't hear; they were caught in a deep kiss.
* * *
"Matrix and AndrAIa; just the sprites I wanted to see," Phong said as the two entered the Principle Office. "Hue – down in the labs – needs to talk to you." He sent them in the direction of the P.O.'s underground laboratories; then he wheeled along on his way.
A small binome with dull gray hair greeted Matrix and AndrAIa as they entered. "Hello, hello, I am Agent Hue. Now, I heard you two were going to be scouting around systems for Daemon, right?" They nodded. "Well, you're going to need good transports, and I have just the things." Hue led them past binomes in lab coats; some were testing inventions, while others were reviewing those from the war, like the firewall.
Hue, AndrAIa, and Matrix entered a garage where ships of various shapes and sizes stood. "Here we are," Hue announced. "We have all kinds of ships; now, I was thinking you could use –"
"I have an idea," AndrAIa said. Hue looked slightly irritated to be interrupted, but he let her continue. "What about bikes?" the game sprite suggested. "They're easy to maneuver, and we could still take a good amount of weapons."
Matrix grinned and shook his head, amused by his girlfriend's obsession with motorbikes.
Hue's eyebrow raised. "That is – a fantastic idea," he said. "I'll have the boys convert some transports immediately."
* * *
Bob burst into Dot's office, his abrupt entry making her nearly jump out of her seat. "Dot," the Guardian said in a calmer tone, smoothing his hand over his hair, "hi. I was hoping to find you away from work."
"Really?" Dot asked, sliding her organizer under a file folder. After a silence that stretched for a few uncomfortable nanos, she added, "Please, sit down."
Bob settled into a chair in front of her desk and leaned forward. "Dot," he said, catching her eyes with his, "I was wondering . . . how about we go and get an energy shake?" At the surprise in her eyes, he quickly added, "Or something else; hang out by the docks, maybe?"
Dot dropped her gaze and stared at the wood-grain pattern of the top of her desk. "Bob, I – I need to work on the plans against Daemon," she said.
Bob groaned under his breath and leaned back. "Dot, I'm telling you, you need to relax a little. Remember in the seconds before the war, when Enzo and I convinced you to take a rest? Didn't you enjoy that?"
"Bob, I don't have time to," Dot argued.
"Dot, please, take a break!"
His urging made Dot take a pause. She glared at him. "Don't you care about Daemon?"
"Of course I do!" Bob shot back. "Dot, more than anything I want to send that virus back where she came from. All of the Guardians she controls are my friends. I want nothing more than to win this war against her."
"I have to plan, Bob," Dot repeated.
Bob pushed himself up and began to pace. "You know that's not it," he accused, turning to Dot and stabbing a finger at her. "What is it, Dot? I thought we were . . . closer after the restart; but now you've been acting so icy. What's wrong?"
"Bob," Dot sighed, her irritation conveyed in the one word. She pulled out her organizer and keyed in a command; her organizer, always her excuse when she didn't want to talk.
"Dot," Bob tried again, and she could hear the mounting anger in his voice. But the Guardian wasn't one for nasty outbursts, and he calmed himself; nevertheless, his voice carried annoyance when he said, "You're taking this planning too seriously – and you're not taking me seriously enough.
"Come on, Dot, you can tell me!" Bob repeated. Dot had always been stubborn, but now it was exasperating that she didn't feel she could trust him.
Bob turned away and tried to compose his thoughts. How could he get Dot to believe that everything he was saying was totally true? As he was trying to grab onto an idea, the perfect option came to mind.
Dot looked up, startled, when Bob suddenly spun around. He swallowed, then began to sing. His tone carried no anger or fury, as she had thought, but instead his voice was gentle and sincere.
"When you need a friend, don't look to a stranger.
You know in the end, I'll always be there.
But when you're in doubt, and when you're in danger,
Take a look all around, and I'll be there.
"I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say.
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be.
But if you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me.
I promise you, I promise you I will.
"When your day is through, and so is your temper,
You know what to do, I'm gonna always be there.
Sometimes if I shout, it's not what's intended.
These words just come out, with no gripe to bear.
"I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say.
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be.
But if you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise you, I promise you . . .
"I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say.
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be.
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me,
I promise you, I promise you I will.
"Dot," Bob whispered, his eyes boring into hers. The anguish in his voice made her core-com nearly shatter.
"I gotta tell you, I gotta tell you, I need to tell you . . .
"I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say.
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be.
But if you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise you, I promise you . . .
"I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say.
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be.
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me,
I promise you, I promise you I will.
"I will. I will."
Bob finished his song, his voice radiating with his dedication to her. He looked to Dot for any indication that she had been moved by his display of emotion.
Dot tried to avoid his eyes by staring at her organizer. She barely noticed the figures scrolling down the screen, as she whispered to herself:
"I wonder how's it going to be
When it goes down.
How's it going to be
When you're not around.
How's it going to be
When you found out there was nothing
Between you and me.
Cause I don't care."
"What did you say?" Bob demanded, whirling around.
Dot shook her head. "Nothing, Bob. It's nothing." She abruptly pushed herself up from her chair and strode out the door.
Bob considered following her, but in the end he shook his head and sat back down. With a sigh, he commented to himself, "What a woman. . . ."
* * *