CHAPTER THREE

HELLO AND GOOD-BYE, PART 2

Hexadecimal couldn't think of a time before or after the system reboot that she had been happier. Having Tessa in her lair was like having a child, or a sister, that she watched over and who looked up to her. And the girl loved to paint, which was a bonus.

"What do you think of this one, Hex?" Tessa asked from her spot on the floor, where she was mixing and applying paint with her hands to a canvas.

Hex looked over from her mirror to see. She stared at Tessa rather than the painting, though, her face registering complete shock.

"What is it, Hex?" Tessa asked. She reached up a hand to wipe her face, and Hex caught her wrist, turning it over so she could be sure of the mark in the child's dark gray skin.

"What in Kilobyte's name," she whispered.

Now Tessa was getting nervous. "What's wrong?" she repeated.

Hexadecimal looked up at her charge without releasing her wrist. "Tessali, I think you need to see the sprites."

Del sat on one of the Diner's booths, watching, bored, as Dot typed in her organizer. "C'mon, Dot," she pleaded for the fourth time. "Let's go the docks and get some ice cream, like old times."

Dot glanced up with a stern glare. "I can't, Del. I have to plan."

"Plan, plan, plan," Del groaned, earning another look from Dot. "Is that all you do these seconds, Dot?"

"If Daemon takes over Mainframe, she's sure to go right to the Twin City after," Dot reasoned with her friend.

Del made a sound of disgust and hopped off the booth. "I don't like the way you've gotten, Dot," she complained. "You're not fun anymore."

"It's been a while since the carefree seconds of the Twin City," Dot retorted.

"Yeah, four hours," Del said. "I wish you hadn't grown up. Maybe then we'd be closer." The 2.6-hour-old sprite stormed out of the Diner in a huff.

Dot sighed and returned to her work, but a nano later Enzo came with another interruption. "Dot, something really weird's happened," he began.

"Not now, Enzo," she sighed, waving a hand at her little brother. "I have work to do."

"Dot, it's really weird," Enzo said, his voice edged with panic.

Tessa's voice spoke up. "Dot, why does Enzo say something is the matter?"

Dot looked up to answer; then she froze as Hex had. Next to Enzo stood a girl sprite clad in a jumpsuit. She looked the same as the past cycle, when she was a 0.3-hour-old sprite, with gray skin and black eyes; except that today there stood a 1.0-hour-old, gray-skinned, black-eyed, not to mention, bald girl sprite. On her exposed wrists were strange markings:

ÎÅ´ÂØ

The remarkable marks were more like strangely accurate letters. Dot felt a chill race up her spine. She gazed at the child for a few nanos.

"Tessa?" Dot asked cautiously.

The girl nodded, not understanding. Dot quickly checked Tessa over and discovered that the same marks on her wrists were also on the back of her neck.

Dot looked back at Enzo, who looked scared out of his circuits. "I found her in Lost Angles, just walking; and I thought she looked different, because she wasn't that old yesterday," he began to babble. "So I brought her here. How come she's like this? I mean, she's that weird color, and she has no hair, and something really random's going on —"

Dot held up her hand for Enzo to be quiet, because Tessa's eyes had begun to fill with tears, as she listened to the sprites talking about her as if she were a creature. She looked up at Dot, dark eyes shining. "Dot, am I all right?"

"Of course," Dot quickly assured the child. "We just need to take a trip to the Principle Office. There's something Phong wanted to ask you." She guided Tessa outside, with Enzo following; and they hopped on their zip-boards and sped to the P.O.

"Sweet User!" Mouse gasped when she saw Tessa.

So much for hurting her feelings, Dot thought with a sigh.

"Hello, Tessali," Phong said pleasantly to the child. "Do you remember me, Phong?"

Tessa shook her head, and glanced at Mouse, who, for her part, stared with a frown, trying to understand the situation. AndrAIa was watching from her own station, amazed.

"When did ya find her like this?" Mouse asked Dot and Enzo.

"Just today," Enzo said. He frowned. "Wait, I remember that about a cycle ago — six seconds, I think, Tessa looked 0.4."

"Ten seconds since we found her," Mouse mused. She snapped her fingers and grinned. "That's it; the kid's been aging an hour per second. She's 1.0 now."

"Your guess from the other second was right," Dot said. "But just ten seconds! We had no idea she could have aged that quickly."

Mouse continued, "What we need to know is: Why?"

Dot knelt by her brother. "Enzo, think hard. Where exactly did you find Tessa that second?" Tessa listened intently.

"It was at the docks. I was just walking around, and I heard crying. When I looked down, I saw baby Tessa floating in the water. I took her out, and then I saw a portal closing."

"That was the second we had the power surge, or whatever that was," Mouse said. "It must've been linked to her appearance."

"Why?" Ray voiced the question that was on all of their minds.

Phong brushed a hand over the markings on Tessa's neck and wrists. "Maybe there is an answer in these," he said.

The others clustered around, and Tessa backed away a step, frightened by the many faces.

"Here," Phong said, pushing his way through. "I have something for the girl." He held out a shiny, new icon to Tessa. "Take this, my child, and you will be registered in Mainframe."

Tessa shyly took the icon from him and pinned it onto her shoulder. As it came in contact with her skin, she shrieked, and green light washed over her wrists and neck, highlighting the markings. It burned through her skin, making her scream louder. She collapsed into Dot's arms, her face ashen.

"Tessa?" Dot asked worriedly. She placed her finger on the girl's neck and was relieved to feel a weak pulse. She looked up at Mouse, her face clearly displaying her shock. "What was that, Mouse?"

"The Norton program," the hacker replied grimly. To ward off more viral infections for the citizens of Mainframe, Mouse had installed a smaller version of the anti-viral program in the PID of each Mainframer, and for any new icons. "It didn't take too kindly to her codes. Looks like little Tessa here has a viral connection," she continued, bending down to inspect the child.

Enzo stood to the side, watching as the sprites studied his newfound friend, and he was afraid of what the consequence would be of Tessa's viral connection.

Mouse ran her fingers over Tessa's wrists. The Norton program had burned the markings away, and now Tessa's wrists were covered in ugly welts. The same was on her neck, where the others markings had been. "She only had a small connection, as ya can see from the marks on only her wrists and neck — but maybe her skin color has somethin' ta do with a virus."

AndrAIa found some cream, which she dabbed on the welts to soothe the pain. Tessa's face contorted, then relaxed.

A flash of light, and Hexadecimal appeared, her face twisted in worry. "Oh, my poor Tessali," she moaned, taking the unconscious child into her arms. "What have you done to her? And what happened to the Sign?"

"What sign?" Dot asked, standing up to face the registered virus.

Hex indicated the welts. "The ancient Viral Language shows those marks are the Sign of Daemon."

Any activity screeched to a halt. Enzo sucked in a shuddering breath.

Tessa's eyes fluttered open, and she stared confusedly at first Hex, then the others. "What's happening?" she murmured.

"It's all right, my dear," Hex soothed.

"Is that why you took her in, Hexadecimal?" Mouse accused. "Because she was one of your own? A fellow virus, or at least a viral?"

"I don't — I don't know any viruses," Tessa protested her voice small and frightened. "Really, I don't."

"Are you sure, Tessa?" Dot asked, her voice gentle but firm. "Are you positive that you know nothing of any viruses, especially Daemon?"

Tessa shook her head; and her eyes showed she wasn't lying.

Mouse sighed. "Well, this has got us nowhere. Tessa, honey, Ah fixed yer icon, so now ya'll grow the same as the rest of us."

"Thank you," Tessa whispered shyly.

"Tessa will be coming with me," Hex announced; and without further ado, she and her charge disappeared.

The CPUs and other binomes went back into action. The remaining sprites tried to understand the reason for what had just occurred.

"It's almost like Game time," AndrAIa spoke up, "when you age an hour for every minute. I've never heard of it developing this fast, though."

"We'll have ta see if we can get Tessa from Hex one second and find out more," Mouse said.

Dot nodded. "I hope that's our only problem." She smiled wryly, as if she had spoken too soon, but no one said anything, and Dot relaxed. "I've been working too hard. Maybe Del is right; we all should get out more."

"Speaking of," AndrAIa said, "I better get to the Twin City. Matrix should be returning by now." She waved good-bye and zipped away.

Dot frowned. "Enzo was gone?" she murmured to herself. She must have really been deep in work. "I was hoping to spend some time with Dad."

"You go, Dot," Mouse assured her. "It's nearly time for all of us to be goin' home, so Ray and Ah'll just finish up."

Dot shot her friend a grateful look and rebooted back into her red-and-peach-colored jumpsuit. At the door, she turned and asked, "By the way, when are you two planning to go?"

Mouse grinned ruefully. "Ah had wanted ta go a full cycle ago; but with all the repairs, I doubt we'll be able to go fer another cycle. Don't worry, Dot; we'll be out and getting information on Daemon soon enough."

Dot nodded and left. The others started to wrap up their work for the second.

"I knew the girl was trouble," Rasta Mon announced, as he and Stripe materialized behind Mouse.

The hacker jumped instinctively; when she saw who it was, however, she glared and rubbed her neck. "Ya two are a right annoyance, ya know," she muttered.

Stripe rolled her eyes, which only increased Mouse's temper, but Rasta Mon went on, "She's got viral codes; or, at least a little. Look what Mouse's Norton program did to her." A slow smile spread across his face. "Stripe, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No, and I should be thankful," she answered.

Rasta Mon turned to Mouse. "Say, can you install the Norton codes on an existing PID?"

"`Course Ah can," Mouse scoffed. "They don't call me the Mouse fer nothin'. It's child's play."

"Great," Rasta Mon said, smiling.

"What do you want that for?" Ray asked.

Rasta Mon shrugged. "You'll see. I have a little theory concerning the citizens from the Twin City. Stripe, dear, if you could go tell Dot we've got a . . . ceremony planned for tomorrow?"

"I expect an explanation soon, Raster Monitor," Stripe said before she left.

Rasta Mon smiled at the two sprites. "I've got my own business to attend to; if you'll excuse me?" He disappeared without waiting for an answer.

Ray shook his head. "Are things in Mainframe ever uncomplicated?" he asked with a rueful smile.

"Not much," Phong surprised them by answering Ray's rhetorical question. "Do not expect much peace, my children."

Dot sat in one of the Diner's booths. She was drinking her energy shake, but also keeping an eye on her father. Welman sipped his own shake, but his attention seemed elsewhere. When he realized Dot was watching him, his eyes quickly focused, and he smiled at his daughter. "You have no idea how much I enjoy sharing a drink with you, Dot," he said.

Dot returned the smile widely. "Me too, Dad."

Welman took a breath. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, honey," he began. "You see, the Twin City was your real home, for both you and Enzo; and I think you three would be better off to come live there with us. Permanently."

Dot coughed into her shake, surprised and a little shocked. "But — Dad — Mainframe has been our home, for longer than the Cities. We couldn't leave it."

Welman shrugged. "It's only across the data sea," he tried to reason. He leaned over and clasped her hands tightly. "Dot, as your father, I would advise that you come to live with your family and friends — in the Twin City. With that super-virus around, I can't afford to let you be deleted."

"Dad," she argued, her voice rising ever so slightly, "all of our friends, and protection, are in Mainframe. By the way, I'm a grown woman now, and I can make my own decisions."

"Little Enzo isn't," Welman said calmly.

Dot felt her energy run cold; was this what her father had wanted to talk with her about? "Do you mean you want to take Enzo?"

"He is so young. I'm his father, and I could let him live a normal life, with real parents."

Welman's words struck Dot hard. She almost voiced her thought of, "Are you saying that I wasn't enough of a mother and father for Enzo?" She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from speaking.

Welman went on, "Dot, you know I'm right."

Dot shook her head, pulling her hands away. "No, Dad. I was Enzo's mother and father for four hours; and I understand that you're back. But Enzo's real family is in Mainframe, with Bob and Matrix and AndrAIa and Mouse and Ray and Phong."

Welman slowly withdrew his hands. His face had turned hard; it was scary how he and Matrix shared the same expressions, Dot realized ironically. "Dot," he said, his voice stern and demanding no argument, "I am Enzo's father — and yours. What I say goes; and I'm telling you that you all belong in the Twin City."

"Why don't you ask Enzo?" Dot countered quietly. "You can't do anything without his consent."

Her father trembled with anger. "You'll see just how much I can do," he murmured. He said no more, and they finished the meal in tense silence.

As Dot escorted her father back to the Twin City, Welman seemed to have dropped the argument, for he discussed other topics with Dot nonchalantly.

The pirates escorted them to the Twin City. Upon arriving there, though, they saw a portal open, and a small, rickety-looking ship come gliding on a crooked course towards them. To Dot's surprise, binomes were waving the ship down into the harbor. It slowly jerked down and docked in the data sea. The door slid open with a hiss.

Dot stared in confusion at the unfamiliar ship in the harbor. Welman, however, walked on to where Harm stood, as sprites and binomes unloaded supplies from the ship. After a quick glance around, Dot rushed over to where her father and Harm were talking.

"They're right on time, Mr. Matrix," Harm was saying. "I told them to go ahead and take out the . . . supplies," he added after a pause as he noticed Dot.

Welman nodded. "Good job, Harm."

Harm nodded and turned away.

"Dad," Dot said, "who are these people?"

"Traders," he answered. "The Twin City was doing business with them. We were expecting them."

"Expecting them? When? Back four hours ago, or now?"

"Now," Welman replied. "They carry some valuable supplies in exchange for a place to rest."

Dot rubbed her temples. In all of the time she had lived in the Twin City, she never remembered traders coming by. Was it coincidence that this had occurred just when the Cities were resurrected, and when Daemon was taking over the Net? Dot hoped so.

"Dot!" The Command.com looked over in relief to see AndrAIa and Matrix zipping toward her. They touched down, watching the scene with the same confusion.

"What's going on?" Matrix asked with a frown.

Dot explained what Welman had told her. She shrugged helplessly. "Dad and Harm acted as if this was normal, but it's not. At least not how I remember."

"Enzo and I'll help them unload," AndrAIa suggested. "Maybe we can find something out from those traders."

Dot watched them go. As she turned, though, a figure melted out of the air right in front of her. She jumped back in momentary surprise, then raised her eyebrows at Stripe. "What is it?"

"Rasta Mon has developed a plan," Stripe said, and began to explain. When she finished, she said, "Come to the Principle Office. You should be there; as Command.com."

Dot nodded and headed for the pirates' ship.

"Hello," AndrAIa greeted the sprites emerging from the trading ship. "Welcome to the Twin City. Do you need help?"

"That would be nice," a man with dark green skin answered brusquely. He pushed past the two sprites, carrying a large crate. Matrix's eye glowed red in annoyance.

"Some people," AndrAIa commented, lest Matrix come up with something more colorful.

" Some people,' indeed," a young woman spoke up. The two sprites spun around to face her. Her young, golden-colored face was creased, and the light in her eyes was weary. Her hair was a pale lilac color, but there were already gray streaks visible. AndrAIa's mouth opened to apologize, but the woman shook her head. "It's all right. Rif can be a real jerk. I'm Kirstie Acos," she said, releasing one hand from the 0.6-hour-old by her side.

"AndrAIa," the game sprite said, shaking Kirstie's hand. "This is Enzo Matrix," she said as Matrix shook the woman's hand.

"Matrix," he corrected, with a glance at his partner, who only rolled her eyes.

A boy of almost 1.0 sped by Kirstie, nearly knocking her over. She recovered herself and snapped, "Eric!"

At his mother's tone, the sprite stopped in his tracks and turned, his face sheepish. His shaggy hair was a darker purple, and his skin was a pale teal tone.

"What did I say about getting in the way when we're unloading the ship?" Kirstie asked, one hand on her hip.

Eric looked down and drew little circles in the ground with his right foot. "To stay out of the grown-ups' way and not get in trouble," he recited under his breath. "Sorry, Mama."

Kirstie leaned down and brushed his bangs out of his face before kissing him on the forehead. "It's all right, honey. Now, go with Midi and stay out of trouble."

Eric took the hand of his 0.6-hour-old sister and led her away.

Kirstie sighed as she watched them go. "Those little rascals . . ." she murmured.

AndrAIa and Matrix watched silently. Kirstie seemed around Dot's age, but she looked so much older.

"Here, let me help you with that," AndrAIa offered, when she saw Kirstie's grip slip on the wooden chest she was carrying. She helped the woman set it down.

"We'll help you unload the rest," AndrAIa said. Matrix nodded.

Kirstie thanked them and led them inside, where they brought out more boxes and a few pieces of furniture.

"So, where are you from?" AndrAIa asked.

Kirstie started to answer, then stopped as the captain — the dark-skinned Rif — approached them. He glanced at Matrix and AndrAIa in disgust and kept going on his way.

After a pause, Kirstie spoke again. "I'll tell you, when we finish unloading," she said.

Half a micro later, the three sat by the small ship, taking a break. Kirstie held a small rucksack, its straps she twisted in her fingers as she talked.

"Eric, Midi, and I are from a system called Lycos. My husband --" Her voice broke, but she recovered herself. "My husband, Eric Acos -- for whom our son is named — is, or was, a Guardian. As you can guess, he was infected by Daemon. The kids and I found this ship; its crew is made up of people who have no home and go to and from systems. We've been traveling with them for about an hour."

"We've had our run-ins with infected Guardians," Matrix spoke up for the first time. He gave a brief description of what had occurred in the system where they had first learned of the new threat to the Net.

Kirstie smiled when he finished. "So, you understand what we're going through? Most of the sprites in the other systems weren't so sympathetic."

"So," AndrAIa asked, trying to sound casual, "have you been here — as in the Twin City — before?"

Kirstie nodded. "A few times. The people here have been very hospitable. Do you live here?"

"You could say that," Matrix replied vaguely.

Kirstie took it as a hint to end the conversation. She stood up and looked around. "I tell the boy to go somewhere; but he never tells me where." She sighed and put her head in one hand. "Hopefully he and Midi found some other kids. . . . Oh, there's more to unload. Would you guys mind helping?"

"Hi! I'm Enzo Matrix; who are you? We don't get many sprites in Mainframe. Are you visiting — or gonna stay? Who'd you come with? Is that your sister? Huh, huh, huh?"

Eric grinned at the string of questions coming from the energetic green sprite. "I'm Eric Acos," he said, "and this is my sister Midi. We came with a trading ship; it's in the Twin City."

Enzo smiled enthusiastically and shook the other boy's hand. "Hi, Eric."

"Call me Ric," Eric added. "Eric is a boring name."

Enzo nodded. "You have no idea how cool it is to have a sprite my own age here," he enthused.

"Yeah, we don't see a lot of other kids in the systems we've been to," Ric replied.

"Enzo," Tessa said, approaching the sprites, "who are your friends?"

Ric and Midi backspaced, eyes wide. Enzo gritted his teeth and turned to Tessa. "These sprites are with a trading ship, from another system, Tessa. Ric and I were just going to go talk about stuff," he added, trying to gently hint to her that he didn't want her around.

"What is it?" Ric asked in a hushed whisper.

Enzo grimaced in annoyance at Tessa's interruption, but at the same time he disliked Ric calling her "it." "This is Tessali. She came to the system about a cycle ago, and the local virus adopted her."

"Virus?" Ric repeated, even more frightened.

Now Enzo was growing more exasperated. "It's fine," he told Ric hastily, "she's a registered virus. Tessa just started following me around last second. Come on, let's go. I know a really cool place."

They had no choice but to let Tessa and Midi follow them. Ric and Enzo walked farther ahead, though, having their own conversation.

They traded stories of their family histories; Enzo's of the Twin City explosion, and Ric's of his father enslaved, and their system destroyed. The boy was extremely talkative about his father.

"He had black hair and teal skin, and he was the coolest dad. Also, he had a pixelacious keytool, and he was the best Guardian in the whole Net."

Enzo smiled; though he wondered, who could be better than Bob? "Is that why you and Midi look so different?" he asked. It was true. While Ric had dark purple hair and teal skin, Midi was entirely different in looks, with black hair and her mother's goldenrod skin.

Ric shrugged. "Yeah. I guess the family genes got mixed up a bit. So," he added, "tell me more about the Twin City and Mainframe."

Enzo gladly complied, and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking. When the sky began to darken, they returned to the harbor. They arrived just as the sprites from the ship were going inside the Center, where there were extra rooms for travelers.

"Hey, guys," Kirstie greeted her children, hugging them and kissing each on the top of the head. "Let's get inside and find us some dinner."

"`Bye, Enzo!" Ric called, waving, as he followed his mother and sister inside.

Enzo turned to Matrix and AndrAIa. "It's so cool, having other little sprites here! I had a great time with Ric, and —"

AndrAIa laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me while I bring you home, Enzo," she said.

"Okay, Andi," he said, beaming at her. He began to relay the afternoon's events as he and AndrAIa zipped off.

Matrix was the only one in the harbor, as the rest of the Twin City prepared for downtime. He absently scanned the area around him with his eye, when he froze. He narrowed his eyes at the ship, as he saw a shape move behind it. He slowly crept around the edge of the ship, watching for the shape he had seen.

There it was: something pink, and a lot of it. Matrix frowned and quickened his pace. He followed the shape around the edge of the ship, until he reached the end. With a hand on the holster on his leg, he stepped forward to confront the mysterious figure sneaking around —

"Hey, hey, calm down!" Rif said, holding up his hands as he found the muzzle of Gun in his face. "I was just closing down."

"Sorry," Matrix muttered, as he placed Gun back in its holster.

Rif rolled his eyes and stepped past the sprite. Still shaking his head, he walked into the doors of the Center.

Matrix hung back a moment. What had he seen? There was no one there but Rif, and he certainly wasn't pink. Was his processor playing tricks on him, like those puzzling — he couldn't think of anything to call them but hallucinations — he had experienced before?

Matrix groaned and rubbed his temple. This was what happened when he returned home, huh? A few nanos later, he went inside the Center.

From the other side of the ship, a slender blue-gray hand holding a small blaster emerged. The blaster jerked from side to side, tracking for any sprites or binomes, but there were none. The next moment, the owner of the blaster came into sight: a young female sprite with soft blue-gray skin and a long dark pink braid that fell to her knees. Over the tight black halter she wore, her gray shoulder-pads were painted with the Guardian icon, like the one on her chest.

"The coast is clear," Blair Steyx called in a hushed voice. She waited for her partner to come from his hiding place.

Covin Permut stepped out from an alley between two tall buildings. His skin was the color of cinnamon; but for his young age of 3.5, his hair was a shockingly bright white. Although he wore a Guardian icon and shoulder-pads like Blair, his golden-trimmed jacket showed that he was higher in rank than she. As well as her partner in this mission, he was the commander. His eyes quickly scanned the area before he took his place at her side.

Covin took a small communicator from his belt and switched it on. "Attack Team Five reporting in. We've arrived in the selected system, Mainframe," he said in a soft voice, then waited for a reply.

"Attack Team Five," the general acknowledged, his voice thick with static, "good work. How was your ride?"

Covin's mouth twisted into a small smile. "Bumpy, to say the least," he answered wryly. Then his viral programming took over, and he continued in a cold, emotionless voice, "Proceeding to Step 2 of the plan: initiate bomb."

"Go, and report back next second."

Covin affirmed the statement, then turned off the communicator and replaced it on his belt. He turned to Blair; his eyes, once a pale blue, but now clouded with yellow-green veins, met hers. "We'll go to Mainframe for a spot to lay the bomb."

Blair nodded to the commander, and pulled out her keytool; its name had been Diode, but that fact was irrelevant now. Most of the keytools had been lost, or refused to work for their Guardians after the Infection, but Blair's was one of the few that had. Covin shot an empty crate, creating a tear that Blair used her keytool to make a portal. The two infected Guardians stepped into the portal, and it closed into a small speck that sped across the sky towards Mainframe.

AndrAIa watched the small ball of light that shot across the darkening sky.

A shooting star . . . she thought with a smile, then stepped onto her zip-board and hurried towards the Twin City, where she reached her and Matrix's apartment.

When she entered, she found Matrix in the small kitchen, waiting for her. He crossed through the living room to reach her, and wrapped her in a hug.

"Miss me?" AndrAIa teased, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him playfully.

Matrix smiled. "Of course," he replied, kissing her in return.

They sat down on the couch together, and AndrAIa began accessing windows about other systems, work from the Principle Office. Matrix looked over her shoulder.

Conversationally, AndrAIa said, "So — how was your day with Harm? Did you two get to talk?"

Matrix raised an eyebrow. "Who told you — oh, Del." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was fine. He mostly caught me up with everything that had happened since the Twin City were destroyed. I think he was a bit uncomfortable about the fact that I'm his age now, and not a little boy."

AndrAIa was studying the windows while she listened; but when she looked up at Matrix, her forehead creased in a frown. "I see."

"Jealous, are we?" Matrix asked.

"No, of course not, Enzo," AndrAIa replied. "I just wish you would have told me — before you went off with one of your Twin City friends."

"And you didn't spend some time with Kode today?"

AndrAIa frowned at the counter-statement. "He's been following me around, and it's getting on my nerves. You remember he used to do that, when we were in the Games." She sighed. "Fine, you win. I won't nag."

"Thank you," Matrix said with a small smile. He leaned over to kiss her.

AndrAIa leaned back against the couch. "Have you heard about what your Protector is planning?"

Matrix frowned. "No, I wasn't told. What?"

"Today, Tessa reacted badly to the anti-virus program Mouse installed on an icon, that we gave to her. Rasta Mon wants to try the program on the PIDs of the Twin City citizens." She searched his face, looking for his reaction.

Matrix said nothing, thinking over what he had been told. "Because he thinks they're viral?" he finally asked a hint of unconcealed anger in his voice.

AndrAIa shrugged. "I don't know. That may not have been his intention, but Rasta Mon sounded like he had a good idea."

Matrix was silent again. AndrAIa sighed. She was afraid that he would take offense; but who wouldn't, if it were their family that wasn't trusted?

"He'll probably want to test the traders, too," she said, trying to make it sound unimportant. "Non-residents of Mainframe."

"Hmm . . . maybe I'll have a talk with Rasta Mon tomorrow," Matrix said in a low tone that showed how irritated this had made him.

AndrAIa mentally scolded herself for bringing up the subject. They looked over the systems in silence for about a micro and a half. Finally, they closed the last window and went to their room. AndrAIa settled down on the bed, and Matrix joined her.

She leaned over and kissed him. "`Night, Enzo," she said. She lay back on her side.

A few nanos later, she heard, "Good night, AndrAIa."

She smiled to herself and drifted off to sleep.

At the door, a Protector watched the two. There were some things that Rasta Mon loved about being invisible.

"`Night, kids," he murmured, fading into a red light.

Mouse sat with her elbows propped up on the table in Ship. Ray hovered over her, concerned.

"Are you all right, love?" the Surfr asked. "You've been in that spot for milliseconds."

"Ah'm fine," Mouse assured him tiredly. "Ah just can't work out this problem in mah head."

Ray took a seat next to her, his Baud propped beside him. "What's the problem?"

Mouse bit her lip anxiously, her eyes clouded in thought. "When Daemon attacks, Mainframe is gonna be like a sitting duck. We're gonna need some real security if we want to defeat her, both here and there. What Ah mean is, a shield for Mainframe, and shields for our fighters. . . ."

"I think you've got something," Ray said.

"You're right; Ah do!" Mouse lurched up and switched on a VidWindow to the Principle Office. Dot was just closing down; when she saw Mouse's face, her weary expression was replaced by one of surprise. "What is it, Mouse? Is something wrong?"

The hacker shook her head emphatically. "No, nothin's wrong, Dot. Ah just had a great idea —" Before she could speak any more, she looked around her in suspicion. "Mind if Ah come ta you?"

Dot shook her head, still looking surprised. "No — that'll be fine."

Mouse turned off the window and turned to Ray. "D'ya mind givin' me a ride, Sugah?" she asked.

"Not at all," he replied. Mouse climbed onto Baud behind him, and they flew off to the Principle Office.

Covin pulled out his communicator and contacted Blair. "I've found a spot," he reported.

A few milliseconds later, Blair appeared. She pocketed her zip-board and studied the empty junkyard. She glanced at the sign that read MAINFRAME DATA DUMP. "Perfect," she said, nodding at Covin. "They'll never think to look here." She detached a small, shiny, egg-sized orb and threw it into the air. It hovered, then dug into an inconspicuous-looking dumpster. Soon, there was no sign of its appearance.

Covin contacted the general, affirming that they had planted the bomb. He snapped off the communicator and looked first at the spot where the bomb lay, then at Blair.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now all we have to do is ride this out," she said calmly.

Covin nodded. "For the glory of Daemon."