.hack//Virus Buster
FILE 04: Starry Twilight
Tai stood, leaning against the wall next to the gate. He was in Mac Anu, The Water Capital. He watched the sun slowly move towards the hills, more and more people came to the gate and logged. Tai was waiting for Molly. Once a month, Tai and Molly would log onto The World, and spend the entire night together in a special field they found on the Gemini Server. It was their hiding place from both the Real World, and the game World...
Tai spent most of his time logged onto the World. There wasn't anything at his real home for him. His father was long dead, and his mother was either at work or out with her friends at some bar. So in the real World, Tai spent much of the time by himself, he had to take care of himself. However, he did have Molly.
Molly lived with both of her parents in a large white house near Tai. They loved Tai as if he were a son. They knew about the problems with his mom, and who he had to take care of himself alone. So often, they wouldn't mind if Molly would invite him over for dinner or something. Also, they just thought he was a very polite boy.
Tai heard someone approach him, he thought it was Molly. He opened his eyes. It was Mai, the Administrator who had helped Tai before.
"Well, well," She said, "How are you today?"
"I am doing well. Except..." Tai looked away from her, and at his arm.
"What is it?" She asked.
"My arm. How long are injuries supposed to be visible in this game?"
"I don't know," She said, "Not long. Why?"
"Ok, thanks. It is just that the cut is still there. Are you heading off?"
"Yeah, I have to go to sleep sometime, right? By the way," She said, "I want you to have my Member Address in case anything ever comes up. Okay?"
"Sure."
Mai walked up to the gate and logged off. Tai rolled up his sleeve. The scar was still there, but Tai noticed that it had a faint blue glow to it. This was strange, because Tai had never heard of any sort of Status Effect like this before.
Molly logged on and approached Tai.
"Sorry I am late," She said grinning, "I got home late."
"It is okay." Tai said, rolling his sleeve down.
He didn't have his bulky armor on anymore; instead he cashed it in for some special armor from an Administrator who ran a shop hidden in one of the fields. Tai had bought a light chainmail-like armor which was very strong. And over top of it, he now wore a long sleeved red shirt, with a black vest over top. His pants were now also coated in Chainmail, and they were black. He also now had some special boots. His sword was also now much thinner, but now it was even stronger. All of this armor was great for Tai.
"I see you decided to get that new armor and sword." Molly said.
"Yeah, it works great." He said back, "You ready?"
"Anytime."
The two approached the gate and teleported to some distant field.
They arrived on the field next to a large barn, and a small outpost. The outpost was just where players would hang out, and the barn was the Puchiguso barn. Tai and Molly each had their own Puchigusos. Tai had a black one, with white and gray stripes. Its name was Zero. Molly had a small pink Puchiguso, which she named Hikaru.
The two went to the outpost to see if anyone they knew from past visits were there. There was nobody of interest. So they two of them decided to head out to the field for the night. Every month, at least once a month, they came to this field and spent all night. They would just stay somewhere and talk, and wouldn't have a care in the world.
They approached a large lake. There was a cave nearby, but they stayed along the shore. By now, they were far from the Outpost. The sun was down, and now there were many stars high in the sky. The moon shone bright down onto the lake, and reflected on the ground.
The two sat there, side by side, just watching the lake. They talked of the real world, but that was to frustrating, seeing as there were many problems. So they talked about the game World. The talk mostly about past adventures, and future dreams.
"Tai?" Molly finally said, after a long silence.
"What is it?" Tai said, looking over at her. The moon reflected light off of her golden hair, and the stars reflected in her eyes.
"You are about ten levels higher than me, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well, will you always be with me? To help me?" She looked down to the ground.
"Of course I will. What makes you think different?" He said.
"Well, I have heard that if there becomes too big of a level difference that many parties split up. I was just worried."
"There is no reason to worry; I will always be with you. That's a promise."
The two continued to talk for a couple of hours, until Molly fell asleep. She lay against a tree stump, quietly sleeping. Tai didn't want to wake here so he walked out into the nearby opening and sat by himself watching the stars.
"I love it here," He said to himself, "Everything is perfect. I don't have to worry about a thing. I can leave all of my worries behind in my old life." Tai trailed into thought.
"Perfect." He said to himself.
He heard something behind him, and thinking it was Molly, turned around. There was nobody there. "Hm, better go check on Molly."
"You're wrong." Tai heard a voice from behind him, "It is not perfect."
Tai turned around. A cloaked figure stood there, "The World is not perfect. There are many problems. Including viruses."
"Who are you?"
"I have no name. I am but a guardian of the World."
"So, you are some sort of NPC?"
"No."
"You're a player?"
"No. I am neither."
"Then, what do you want with me?" Tai said, drawing his sword.
"To warn you." The figure replied.
"Of what?" Tai asked.
"The infection."
"What infection?"
"A virus has been released into the system. It will soon take over The World. And only one person can stop it."
"What?!" Tai shouted. He didn't understand, "I better go tell someone!"
"No!" The figure snapped, "Only one person can stop the Infection. That person is you."
"Me?" Tai said, "How can I stop something like that, I need to get an administrator."
"Your arm. That is how you defeat it."
"You can see the glow? Not even Mai or Molly could see that." Tai rolled up his sleeve. The cut was gone, but his entire arm still had a green glow.
"Yes. I can see it. It is the same Infection that will take over the world."
"How? How can I defeat the virus, if I have the virus? And how did Kaito give it to me?"
"Kaito is a man who fell to the darkness. The one responsible for the Virus gave the power to him. In exchange, Kaito was probably promised some great power or something. He is slowly infecting everybody he meets."
"Still, how can I stop a virus with a virus?" Tai asked less confused now.
"I have vaccinated it. It is no longer a virus, but rather more like a Vaccine. I did this while you were logged off. I must go now." The figure said, vanishing.
"Wait! Who is the one that gave Kaito the power?!" Tai looked around frantically.
"I.cannot tell." The figure had left. Tai was alone again. Usually Tai wouldn't have believed something like this, but his arm had an even more powerful glow now. He didn't know what to do.
Then Tai heard something from the river. It was a scream. It was Molly.
FILE 04: Starry Twilight
Tai stood, leaning against the wall next to the gate. He was in Mac Anu, The Water Capital. He watched the sun slowly move towards the hills, more and more people came to the gate and logged. Tai was waiting for Molly. Once a month, Tai and Molly would log onto The World, and spend the entire night together in a special field they found on the Gemini Server. It was their hiding place from both the Real World, and the game World...
Tai spent most of his time logged onto the World. There wasn't anything at his real home for him. His father was long dead, and his mother was either at work or out with her friends at some bar. So in the real World, Tai spent much of the time by himself, he had to take care of himself. However, he did have Molly.
Molly lived with both of her parents in a large white house near Tai. They loved Tai as if he were a son. They knew about the problems with his mom, and who he had to take care of himself alone. So often, they wouldn't mind if Molly would invite him over for dinner or something. Also, they just thought he was a very polite boy.
Tai heard someone approach him, he thought it was Molly. He opened his eyes. It was Mai, the Administrator who had helped Tai before.
"Well, well," She said, "How are you today?"
"I am doing well. Except..." Tai looked away from her, and at his arm.
"What is it?" She asked.
"My arm. How long are injuries supposed to be visible in this game?"
"I don't know," She said, "Not long. Why?"
"Ok, thanks. It is just that the cut is still there. Are you heading off?"
"Yeah, I have to go to sleep sometime, right? By the way," She said, "I want you to have my Member Address in case anything ever comes up. Okay?"
"Sure."
Mai walked up to the gate and logged off. Tai rolled up his sleeve. The scar was still there, but Tai noticed that it had a faint blue glow to it. This was strange, because Tai had never heard of any sort of Status Effect like this before.
Molly logged on and approached Tai.
"Sorry I am late," She said grinning, "I got home late."
"It is okay." Tai said, rolling his sleeve down.
He didn't have his bulky armor on anymore; instead he cashed it in for some special armor from an Administrator who ran a shop hidden in one of the fields. Tai had bought a light chainmail-like armor which was very strong. And over top of it, he now wore a long sleeved red shirt, with a black vest over top. His pants were now also coated in Chainmail, and they were black. He also now had some special boots. His sword was also now much thinner, but now it was even stronger. All of this armor was great for Tai.
"I see you decided to get that new armor and sword." Molly said.
"Yeah, it works great." He said back, "You ready?"
"Anytime."
The two approached the gate and teleported to some distant field.
They arrived on the field next to a large barn, and a small outpost. The outpost was just where players would hang out, and the barn was the Puchiguso barn. Tai and Molly each had their own Puchigusos. Tai had a black one, with white and gray stripes. Its name was Zero. Molly had a small pink Puchiguso, which she named Hikaru.
The two went to the outpost to see if anyone they knew from past visits were there. There was nobody of interest. So they two of them decided to head out to the field for the night. Every month, at least once a month, they came to this field and spent all night. They would just stay somewhere and talk, and wouldn't have a care in the world.
They approached a large lake. There was a cave nearby, but they stayed along the shore. By now, they were far from the Outpost. The sun was down, and now there were many stars high in the sky. The moon shone bright down onto the lake, and reflected on the ground.
The two sat there, side by side, just watching the lake. They talked of the real world, but that was to frustrating, seeing as there were many problems. So they talked about the game World. The talk mostly about past adventures, and future dreams.
"Tai?" Molly finally said, after a long silence.
"What is it?" Tai said, looking over at her. The moon reflected light off of her golden hair, and the stars reflected in her eyes.
"You are about ten levels higher than me, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well, will you always be with me? To help me?" She looked down to the ground.
"Of course I will. What makes you think different?" He said.
"Well, I have heard that if there becomes too big of a level difference that many parties split up. I was just worried."
"There is no reason to worry; I will always be with you. That's a promise."
The two continued to talk for a couple of hours, until Molly fell asleep. She lay against a tree stump, quietly sleeping. Tai didn't want to wake here so he walked out into the nearby opening and sat by himself watching the stars.
"I love it here," He said to himself, "Everything is perfect. I don't have to worry about a thing. I can leave all of my worries behind in my old life." Tai trailed into thought.
"Perfect." He said to himself.
He heard something behind him, and thinking it was Molly, turned around. There was nobody there. "Hm, better go check on Molly."
"You're wrong." Tai heard a voice from behind him, "It is not perfect."
Tai turned around. A cloaked figure stood there, "The World is not perfect. There are many problems. Including viruses."
"Who are you?"
"I have no name. I am but a guardian of the World."
"So, you are some sort of NPC?"
"No."
"You're a player?"
"No. I am neither."
"Then, what do you want with me?" Tai said, drawing his sword.
"To warn you." The figure replied.
"Of what?" Tai asked.
"The infection."
"What infection?"
"A virus has been released into the system. It will soon take over The World. And only one person can stop it."
"What?!" Tai shouted. He didn't understand, "I better go tell someone!"
"No!" The figure snapped, "Only one person can stop the Infection. That person is you."
"Me?" Tai said, "How can I stop something like that, I need to get an administrator."
"Your arm. That is how you defeat it."
"You can see the glow? Not even Mai or Molly could see that." Tai rolled up his sleeve. The cut was gone, but his entire arm still had a green glow.
"Yes. I can see it. It is the same Infection that will take over the world."
"How? How can I defeat the virus, if I have the virus? And how did Kaito give it to me?"
"Kaito is a man who fell to the darkness. The one responsible for the Virus gave the power to him. In exchange, Kaito was probably promised some great power or something. He is slowly infecting everybody he meets."
"Still, how can I stop a virus with a virus?" Tai asked less confused now.
"I have vaccinated it. It is no longer a virus, but rather more like a Vaccine. I did this while you were logged off. I must go now." The figure said, vanishing.
"Wait! Who is the one that gave Kaito the power?!" Tai looked around frantically.
"I.cannot tell." The figure had left. Tai was alone again. Usually Tai wouldn't have believed something like this, but his arm had an even more powerful glow now. He didn't know what to do.
Then Tai heard something from the river. It was a scream. It was Molly.