Solutions
Lost Angles
The alias led them through the winding streets.
Rom whispered to Turbo, "She looks viral. How can we be sure to trust it?"
"This is what Hexadecimal's original body looked like. Listen aliases are programmed to protect their creator so there is no way she will harm us," replied Turbo.
Finally the alias stopped at an alley nearby the principle's office. There in a corner were several of other aliases surrounding a dirty greyish form. When they saw the group they disappeared revealing the deleting form of Bob.
His hair was matted and blackened. His greyish skin covered in welts as his body flickered. The dying Guardian opened his eyes and said, "Dr. Chandra, I've had a relapse."
Rom smirked "I've should have known you were involved in this mess, copy."
Hex rushed to Bob she looked with pleading eyes to Rom, "Help him, please."
"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I would need purging routines and medical buffers which I don't have and even if this place did he's too far gone too be moved."
"No! You must do something you must," cried Hexadecimal just before she fainted.
As Dr. Chandra shook awake the young girl Turbo turned to Rom. " I want an explanation, now!"
"Okay, okay when I was very young I got into a really terrible accident. Even file locked it didn't look like I would live so my parents not wanting to be left alone had a copy created- him. Eventually they found a way to repair me. And soon afterwards my parents brought me home. When they did they saw him for what he was, a soulless thing. We went to the Supercomputer and left him there. How he ended up a Guardian is anybody's guess."
Turbo said coldly, "I discovered him while in a game. A game cube landed in Dr. Chandra's Psychiatric clinic and rest home. Nobody except Bob and a little girl were even able to help me with the game. With Bob's help we won the game and I discovered he was a patient. I spoke with Dr. Chandra afterwards and discovered why Bob was there physical abuse and abandonment. It was a miracle he was even alive. Even with all that had happened to him he had the potential to be a great Guardian, which he is. He is responsible for saving the entire net at great cost to his health so don't you call him soulless."
Hex regarded the pair coldly. She turned her head and let out a shrill cry. A pack of null slithered over and she pointed to Bob. The hideous things started to suck out the poisons in Bob's body. The Guardian gasped and flickered.
"What the Dell are you doing, Chandra let go!" said Turbo.
"Don't stop her. Somehow she's using the nulls to clean out Bob's system. See Bob's much healthier now," said Chandra.
Indeed he was. Bob sat up slowly and looked at Hex. Cautiously he touched her not quite believing she was here. Upon discovering she was he hugged her fiercely.
"I kept on dreaming about you. Hex how I've missed you," cried Bob.
Turbo cleared his throat, "Now that this happy reunion is over let's get you recharged and see what we can do about your friends."
As they were about to reach the new principle's office the crew of the Saucy Mare swooped down and surrounded them. They pointed their stun swords at them.
"Have ye gone random? That there is the principle's office. It's full of loonies. Ye don't want to go in there," said Captain Capacitor.
"Old man we have to if we're to save this system. Now we have two Guardians, a surgeon and a psychologist in our group. If we can't do anything about this mess than no one can. We could really use some help. If this place is as dangerous as you say then we can use your help to protect us as we go in, " said Turbo.
The software pirates got into a huddle and whispered among themselves. After what seemed like a long time their leader came forward.
"We agree if only to protect the wee lass."
Turbo then ordered Copeland, his key tool to break open the doors. Inside the principle's office was dark as only emergency lights were on. The halls were dusty and filthy like it had been deserted for days but the sounds coming from deep inside belied that. The closest sound they heard was singing. Very cautiously Turbo and his group followed it.
The source was a small blonde female zero binome rocking and singing to a crudely made up doll. She put a finger to her lips. "Shh, my baby's sleeping."
"May I see her," asked Chandra.
Clarece nodded and handed over the doll. It made of a dirty shoebox, sting and an inactive PID. Obviously Clarece's baby had died and the mother couldn't handle it.
"How about I make a bed for her? Then you can help us find who's in charge here," suggested Hexadecimal.
Scrounging for some rocks the young girl made a crude shrine like the ones near the Null Tamer's home. Gently she placed the doll on top. Nodding to Clarece she stood up.
Through darkened tunnels and a series of doors Clarece led straight into the battle room. Inside two robots one red and one blue waited with guns pointed at them.
"Halt who goes there?" said the red one.
"Who are you?" said the blue one.
"I just asked that!"
"Yes you did. Hey is that two Bobs?"
"Yes than that means one of them's"
"MEGABYTE!" they screamed in unison.
"Which one do we shoot?"
"I do not know!"
Finally Bob had enough, "Guys, guys calm down this is my - brother. Rom Apple a doctor. He's not Megabyte and this is Dr. Chandra a shrink, Turbo the Prime Guardian and Hex who's - changed quite a bit. Guys these are Hack and Slash."
"Yes she has."
"Yes indeedie, she's a little girl."
"Daemon was a little girl."
"No, no she's not like Daemon at all," laughed Chandra. "She hasn't got her powers back yet but we're hoping to recover her memory at least. Hex where are you going?"
"Around, the aliases want to show me things. I'll be safe. This is my domain after all."
Captain Capacitor whispered an order to a couple of crewmen to follow her discretely.
Something her manner suggested this was true and the aliases hovered over protectively. However Turbo still needed to know something.
"Hack, Slash where are the others?"
"Oh they're in the boardroom planning. Dot left us in charge."
Cautiously they walked up to a set of ornate double doors. They could hear Dot on there other side shouting in the top of her lungs.
"No, no, no, people this plan has so many holes in it.."
Turbo and Bob crept in, taking positions at either side of the room behind some desks. The room was dark only, one light shone and that was on Dot.
"To start with what colour are the uniforms are going to be and Specky bicycles? Really think about it." She flung a pile of papers at a still form.
On Turbo's signal the pirates burst in and the two Guardians leapt up. Dot had been alone. In the boardroom sitting in the chairs were crudely made dolls just like the ones Clarece had. The rescuers stared in amazement, giving time for Dot to pull out a large gun.
"Die viral infiltrators!" she screamed.
She let loose with the gun firing right into Turbo. The only thing that saved him was that this was a tennis ball gun. She may have been far-gone but she was a wicked shot. Most of the shots she fired hit knocking out several pirates. She ran out the room before Bob could stop her.
She ploughed straight into Dr. Apple giving time for Bob to reach her.
"Two Bobs why choose?" she grinned evilly.
Rom looked at Bob and blushed, "I'll take it from here. All right how about we play doctor Miss. Now just come right over here and.."
Dot proved to be cooperative patient to say the least.
Meanwhile after losing her followers Hex had discovered her lair. The young girl was confused to say the least as she passed room after room.
In one huge room there stood hundreds of waist high pillars each with a white mask on a red velvet pillow. Several masks rose up and floated towards her.
"Welcome our sister, ourself, welcome," they cried rushing towards her.
Hexadecimal screamed, ran out as fast as she could and locked the door.
The next room appeared to be an art gallery there were several portraits of a masked woman, some of a cat and many of a blue skinned Guardian. In a place of honour was a huge portrait of Bob, naked and carrying a change purse.
For the first time since her recovery she laughed, " I like it here."
She was starting to remember. She was not shocked when she came across a bag of mismatched socks. One of her functions as a Chaos virus was to steal said such socks.
Finally she heard the howling and followed it to its source. When she got there she found a large dog in a large chamber. The room had only two pieces of furniture surround by a moat: a large looking glass and an ornate black throne made from the shells of web creatures.
Jumping lightly she landed just beside the throne. The dog, which she recognized as Frisket, growled at her. Ignoring him she looked under the throne. There lay a black cat surrounded by three pink kittens. Scuzzy tried to get up but she was too weak. Hex could see a seeping gunshot wound. Her pet, her familiar mewed a welcome and died.
The kittens yowled at the death of their mother. Tears welled up in the young virus's eyes.
"Now I have nobody to love," wept Hex. The kittens and Frisket surrounded her belying this statement.
"Go now. I must think for a while," she commanded gently.
When the pets were gone she fell asleep on the throne. While she slept aliases appeared to watch and guard her. They whispered to her all the secrets she had forgotten.
When she woke up she was an entirely different woman. The toxin purge had worked. Dot Matrix sat up from the infirmary bed. Turbo and a couple of unfamiliar sprites looked down on her.
"Where I am? Who are you?" demanded Dot.
"Calm down, we'll explain everything," said Bob soothingly.
Mainframe The Principle's Office
"Herr Doctor, how's our patient?" asked Megabyte.
Megabyte and his top scientist were in the old infirmary and now the new lab. Once a place of healing it took a decidedly sinister look with all the doctor's hideous equipment added to it.
"You can see for yourself," said the mad scientist. He threw a switch and a dark sobbing form was dragged out from a tank.
Megabyte smiled, the doctor had done excellent work. He walked up to the spluttering and coughing Enzo.
"As you can see my boy escape is impossible," said the virus pulling out a mirror.
"You monster! You'll never get away with this. Bob'll find me and then you'll be sorry," sobbed the child.
"Little Enzo there are only two people in this room who know exactly what I've done to you," sneered Megabyte. He unsheathed his claws and deleted his most trusted scientist. " And now there's only one but I can't have anybody else find out about my little surprise can I?"
Then the virus jabbed the boy with a needle. The boy slumped down, drugged. The virus gently, almost lovingly, carried him to the bed. In a mockery of affection he kissed the child's warped forehead. As he left the room Megabyte locked to door.
"Master, I've made you a cup of cocoa," cried Phong of in the distance.
Lost Angles
"Hex is here, in her lair?!" exclaimed Dot. "Bring her back now!"
"Ehm we can't do that we lost her and the aliases won't help find her," admitted Gavin.
"Alphanumeric, now what are we going to do?" said Dot.
"We are going to the battle room look over your data and make plans," said Turbo firmly.
The battle room was much better equipped than the one in Mainframe even the seats were better padded.
"Now let's look at these weapons," said Turbo as he sat down in one of the chairs.
Dot brought up the weapon stats, "Not good, most of the weapons were defensive only. They cannot be moved and there are no tanks or other vehicles in good condition to do so."
"How about the others? How are they can they be cured before we attack?" asked Bob.
"I've thought of that long and hard," sighed Dot. " But the energy purge required to clean the city would let down the shields and we would need Mouse to, to"
"What about purging them individually?" asked Chandra.
"That would take too long, by the time we've purged enough people to form an effective infantry we'd be insane as well," said Turbo.
There was an uncomfortable silence as they all thought of what to do. Turbo could see that the closest thing to they had to mobile weapons were the two idiot robots hovering expectantly by.
"So can we patch up something that is indestructible?" asked Rom uncomfortably.
The door opened and Hexadecimal strode in carrying some red suits of her old armour. No longer did she look confused but rather composed. Her face was set in a cold look as if she was trying to hold back her emotions. Dr. Chandra had seen that look once before in another patient and she wondered if Hexadecimal's regained memories were worth it.
"I know something that is indestructible, my nulls," said the virus. "I can control them now and I have a plan."
Then a river of the smelly disgusting things poured in.
Lost Angles
The alias led them through the winding streets.
Rom whispered to Turbo, "She looks viral. How can we be sure to trust it?"
"This is what Hexadecimal's original body looked like. Listen aliases are programmed to protect their creator so there is no way she will harm us," replied Turbo.
Finally the alias stopped at an alley nearby the principle's office. There in a corner were several of other aliases surrounding a dirty greyish form. When they saw the group they disappeared revealing the deleting form of Bob.
His hair was matted and blackened. His greyish skin covered in welts as his body flickered. The dying Guardian opened his eyes and said, "Dr. Chandra, I've had a relapse."
Rom smirked "I've should have known you were involved in this mess, copy."
Hex rushed to Bob she looked with pleading eyes to Rom, "Help him, please."
"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I would need purging routines and medical buffers which I don't have and even if this place did he's too far gone too be moved."
"No! You must do something you must," cried Hexadecimal just before she fainted.
As Dr. Chandra shook awake the young girl Turbo turned to Rom. " I want an explanation, now!"
"Okay, okay when I was very young I got into a really terrible accident. Even file locked it didn't look like I would live so my parents not wanting to be left alone had a copy created- him. Eventually they found a way to repair me. And soon afterwards my parents brought me home. When they did they saw him for what he was, a soulless thing. We went to the Supercomputer and left him there. How he ended up a Guardian is anybody's guess."
Turbo said coldly, "I discovered him while in a game. A game cube landed in Dr. Chandra's Psychiatric clinic and rest home. Nobody except Bob and a little girl were even able to help me with the game. With Bob's help we won the game and I discovered he was a patient. I spoke with Dr. Chandra afterwards and discovered why Bob was there physical abuse and abandonment. It was a miracle he was even alive. Even with all that had happened to him he had the potential to be a great Guardian, which he is. He is responsible for saving the entire net at great cost to his health so don't you call him soulless."
Hex regarded the pair coldly. She turned her head and let out a shrill cry. A pack of null slithered over and she pointed to Bob. The hideous things started to suck out the poisons in Bob's body. The Guardian gasped and flickered.
"What the Dell are you doing, Chandra let go!" said Turbo.
"Don't stop her. Somehow she's using the nulls to clean out Bob's system. See Bob's much healthier now," said Chandra.
Indeed he was. Bob sat up slowly and looked at Hex. Cautiously he touched her not quite believing she was here. Upon discovering she was he hugged her fiercely.
"I kept on dreaming about you. Hex how I've missed you," cried Bob.
Turbo cleared his throat, "Now that this happy reunion is over let's get you recharged and see what we can do about your friends."
As they were about to reach the new principle's office the crew of the Saucy Mare swooped down and surrounded them. They pointed their stun swords at them.
"Have ye gone random? That there is the principle's office. It's full of loonies. Ye don't want to go in there," said Captain Capacitor.
"Old man we have to if we're to save this system. Now we have two Guardians, a surgeon and a psychologist in our group. If we can't do anything about this mess than no one can. We could really use some help. If this place is as dangerous as you say then we can use your help to protect us as we go in, " said Turbo.
The software pirates got into a huddle and whispered among themselves. After what seemed like a long time their leader came forward.
"We agree if only to protect the wee lass."
Turbo then ordered Copeland, his key tool to break open the doors. Inside the principle's office was dark as only emergency lights were on. The halls were dusty and filthy like it had been deserted for days but the sounds coming from deep inside belied that. The closest sound they heard was singing. Very cautiously Turbo and his group followed it.
The source was a small blonde female zero binome rocking and singing to a crudely made up doll. She put a finger to her lips. "Shh, my baby's sleeping."
"May I see her," asked Chandra.
Clarece nodded and handed over the doll. It made of a dirty shoebox, sting and an inactive PID. Obviously Clarece's baby had died and the mother couldn't handle it.
"How about I make a bed for her? Then you can help us find who's in charge here," suggested Hexadecimal.
Scrounging for some rocks the young girl made a crude shrine like the ones near the Null Tamer's home. Gently she placed the doll on top. Nodding to Clarece she stood up.
Through darkened tunnels and a series of doors Clarece led straight into the battle room. Inside two robots one red and one blue waited with guns pointed at them.
"Halt who goes there?" said the red one.
"Who are you?" said the blue one.
"I just asked that!"
"Yes you did. Hey is that two Bobs?"
"Yes than that means one of them's"
"MEGABYTE!" they screamed in unison.
"Which one do we shoot?"
"I do not know!"
Finally Bob had enough, "Guys, guys calm down this is my - brother. Rom Apple a doctor. He's not Megabyte and this is Dr. Chandra a shrink, Turbo the Prime Guardian and Hex who's - changed quite a bit. Guys these are Hack and Slash."
"Yes she has."
"Yes indeedie, she's a little girl."
"Daemon was a little girl."
"No, no she's not like Daemon at all," laughed Chandra. "She hasn't got her powers back yet but we're hoping to recover her memory at least. Hex where are you going?"
"Around, the aliases want to show me things. I'll be safe. This is my domain after all."
Captain Capacitor whispered an order to a couple of crewmen to follow her discretely.
Something her manner suggested this was true and the aliases hovered over protectively. However Turbo still needed to know something.
"Hack, Slash where are the others?"
"Oh they're in the boardroom planning. Dot left us in charge."
Cautiously they walked up to a set of ornate double doors. They could hear Dot on there other side shouting in the top of her lungs.
"No, no, no, people this plan has so many holes in it.."
Turbo and Bob crept in, taking positions at either side of the room behind some desks. The room was dark only, one light shone and that was on Dot.
"To start with what colour are the uniforms are going to be and Specky bicycles? Really think about it." She flung a pile of papers at a still form.
On Turbo's signal the pirates burst in and the two Guardians leapt up. Dot had been alone. In the boardroom sitting in the chairs were crudely made dolls just like the ones Clarece had. The rescuers stared in amazement, giving time for Dot to pull out a large gun.
"Die viral infiltrators!" she screamed.
She let loose with the gun firing right into Turbo. The only thing that saved him was that this was a tennis ball gun. She may have been far-gone but she was a wicked shot. Most of the shots she fired hit knocking out several pirates. She ran out the room before Bob could stop her.
She ploughed straight into Dr. Apple giving time for Bob to reach her.
"Two Bobs why choose?" she grinned evilly.
Rom looked at Bob and blushed, "I'll take it from here. All right how about we play doctor Miss. Now just come right over here and.."
Dot proved to be cooperative patient to say the least.
Meanwhile after losing her followers Hex had discovered her lair. The young girl was confused to say the least as she passed room after room.
In one huge room there stood hundreds of waist high pillars each with a white mask on a red velvet pillow. Several masks rose up and floated towards her.
"Welcome our sister, ourself, welcome," they cried rushing towards her.
Hexadecimal screamed, ran out as fast as she could and locked the door.
The next room appeared to be an art gallery there were several portraits of a masked woman, some of a cat and many of a blue skinned Guardian. In a place of honour was a huge portrait of Bob, naked and carrying a change purse.
For the first time since her recovery she laughed, " I like it here."
She was starting to remember. She was not shocked when she came across a bag of mismatched socks. One of her functions as a Chaos virus was to steal said such socks.
Finally she heard the howling and followed it to its source. When she got there she found a large dog in a large chamber. The room had only two pieces of furniture surround by a moat: a large looking glass and an ornate black throne made from the shells of web creatures.
Jumping lightly she landed just beside the throne. The dog, which she recognized as Frisket, growled at her. Ignoring him she looked under the throne. There lay a black cat surrounded by three pink kittens. Scuzzy tried to get up but she was too weak. Hex could see a seeping gunshot wound. Her pet, her familiar mewed a welcome and died.
The kittens yowled at the death of their mother. Tears welled up in the young virus's eyes.
"Now I have nobody to love," wept Hex. The kittens and Frisket surrounded her belying this statement.
"Go now. I must think for a while," she commanded gently.
When the pets were gone she fell asleep on the throne. While she slept aliases appeared to watch and guard her. They whispered to her all the secrets she had forgotten.
When she woke up she was an entirely different woman. The toxin purge had worked. Dot Matrix sat up from the infirmary bed. Turbo and a couple of unfamiliar sprites looked down on her.
"Where I am? Who are you?" demanded Dot.
"Calm down, we'll explain everything," said Bob soothingly.
Mainframe The Principle's Office
"Herr Doctor, how's our patient?" asked Megabyte.
Megabyte and his top scientist were in the old infirmary and now the new lab. Once a place of healing it took a decidedly sinister look with all the doctor's hideous equipment added to it.
"You can see for yourself," said the mad scientist. He threw a switch and a dark sobbing form was dragged out from a tank.
Megabyte smiled, the doctor had done excellent work. He walked up to the spluttering and coughing Enzo.
"As you can see my boy escape is impossible," said the virus pulling out a mirror.
"You monster! You'll never get away with this. Bob'll find me and then you'll be sorry," sobbed the child.
"Little Enzo there are only two people in this room who know exactly what I've done to you," sneered Megabyte. He unsheathed his claws and deleted his most trusted scientist. " And now there's only one but I can't have anybody else find out about my little surprise can I?"
Then the virus jabbed the boy with a needle. The boy slumped down, drugged. The virus gently, almost lovingly, carried him to the bed. In a mockery of affection he kissed the child's warped forehead. As he left the room Megabyte locked to door.
"Master, I've made you a cup of cocoa," cried Phong of in the distance.
Lost Angles
"Hex is here, in her lair?!" exclaimed Dot. "Bring her back now!"
"Ehm we can't do that we lost her and the aliases won't help find her," admitted Gavin.
"Alphanumeric, now what are we going to do?" said Dot.
"We are going to the battle room look over your data and make plans," said Turbo firmly.
The battle room was much better equipped than the one in Mainframe even the seats were better padded.
"Now let's look at these weapons," said Turbo as he sat down in one of the chairs.
Dot brought up the weapon stats, "Not good, most of the weapons were defensive only. They cannot be moved and there are no tanks or other vehicles in good condition to do so."
"How about the others? How are they can they be cured before we attack?" asked Bob.
"I've thought of that long and hard," sighed Dot. " But the energy purge required to clean the city would let down the shields and we would need Mouse to, to"
"What about purging them individually?" asked Chandra.
"That would take too long, by the time we've purged enough people to form an effective infantry we'd be insane as well," said Turbo.
There was an uncomfortable silence as they all thought of what to do. Turbo could see that the closest thing to they had to mobile weapons were the two idiot robots hovering expectantly by.
"So can we patch up something that is indestructible?" asked Rom uncomfortably.
The door opened and Hexadecimal strode in carrying some red suits of her old armour. No longer did she look confused but rather composed. Her face was set in a cold look as if she was trying to hold back her emotions. Dr. Chandra had seen that look once before in another patient and she wondered if Hexadecimal's regained memories were worth it.
"I know something that is indestructible, my nulls," said the virus. "I can control them now and I have a plan."
Then a river of the smelly disgusting things poured in.