A short while later, the entire group of the Principle Office
regulars: Dot, Bob, Matrix, AndrAIa, Mouse, and RayTracer to name a few,
sat around as the unfamiliar guest chatted warmly with their wizened and
respected friend.
Phong sipped from a handle-less cup of tea and he asked the woman, Phylaina, what had happened to her after she had last seen him. They had been speaking as if no one else was present, and for the first time she lifted her head up to gesture towards the still confused people surrounding them.
"Perhaps you should explain first who I am, Phong. I think they would appreciate it greatly."
He set down his tea.
"I am certain that there is much to be explained. However, I feel it should be explained by you, my child. It is time for you to tell your own tale."
She sighed and swiveled her chair to face the sprites gathered in Phong's office.
"I'm Phylaina; although if you hadn't grasped at least that much by now, I would be sorely disappointed in your intellectual capabilities."
Phong cut her off with a warning glance. She sighed, and obligingly continued.
"Very well. I am called Phylaina; never Phyl, and you may find that you have indeed heard of me. I was the Unbeatable Beater; the only girl to ever win any of the three boxing titles offered in Mainframe's sad excuse for a boxing scene. I was, and as far as I'm aware also the only fighter to win all three in one season. Ah, the resilience of youth.."
She trailed off momentarily, and cleared her throat before resuming.
"Anyhow, I grew up here. I was left to fend for myself as a little sprite, and sometime before I can remember I wound up here. I was taken in by an old trainer, the owner of Mike's Knock-Around Gym. I doubt if the place is still around. Somehow, I can't imagine it surviving without him barking orders and taking bets from the back. He raised me and trained me right alongside his son, David, as if I were his own kid."
She paused and briefly turned her face away from the onlooking listeners, trying to collect herself and willing herself not to cry.
"Dave and I left Mainframe so long ago I can barely recall just how long. Even if I could, I certainly wouldn't care to admit how long ago it really was."
Phylaina had to pause again, trying desperately to choke back the tears rising from deep within her. She took a few deep breaths, and closed her eyes for a few moments before speaking again.
"It was foolish, really. Phong, there were times I wished you had made me stay, truly. I know, I know... Nothing would have made me stay. Not after I discovered what I was. I had to leave; I had to try and figure out who I was and where I fit in, and of course Dave was too foolhardy and lovesick not to go with me. We hopped around, from system to system, avoiding Guardians and crooks alike.
"After we grew up a little, and I got enough of the wanderlust out of my system, we settled down. Got married. Tiny house in a backwater system, whole kilo o' bytes."
She paused, seemingly lost in her own world of memories. Her audience waited patiently as she sipped the now cold tea in front of her and gathered the strength to continue.
"But then a Guardian had to show up in our sad little excuse for a hometown. Infected with some kind of... Thing. I should have never even thought about it; just deleted him and let it go at that. But no, I had to be the hero again. Looking back, I know my programming wouldn't have allowed me to act any differently, but I should have. I should have, for Dave's sake, and goodness knows for Calder's."
Phong sent her a questioning look, and an icy edge added itself to her voice.
"Calder, my son. I should have - Look, it doesn't matter what I should have done. We are who we are, right? And what is done is done, and can't be undone."
She stood up, and fully faced the group of sprites before her.
"Are you going to help me?"
Bob spoke up.
"Help you do what?"
Phylaina paused, as if it hadn't occurred to her that he might not understand. "Save the world, what else?"
Phong sipped from a handle-less cup of tea and he asked the woman, Phylaina, what had happened to her after she had last seen him. They had been speaking as if no one else was present, and for the first time she lifted her head up to gesture towards the still confused people surrounding them.
"Perhaps you should explain first who I am, Phong. I think they would appreciate it greatly."
He set down his tea.
"I am certain that there is much to be explained. However, I feel it should be explained by you, my child. It is time for you to tell your own tale."
She sighed and swiveled her chair to face the sprites gathered in Phong's office.
"I'm Phylaina; although if you hadn't grasped at least that much by now, I would be sorely disappointed in your intellectual capabilities."
Phong cut her off with a warning glance. She sighed, and obligingly continued.
"Very well. I am called Phylaina; never Phyl, and you may find that you have indeed heard of me. I was the Unbeatable Beater; the only girl to ever win any of the three boxing titles offered in Mainframe's sad excuse for a boxing scene. I was, and as far as I'm aware also the only fighter to win all three in one season. Ah, the resilience of youth.."
She trailed off momentarily, and cleared her throat before resuming.
"Anyhow, I grew up here. I was left to fend for myself as a little sprite, and sometime before I can remember I wound up here. I was taken in by an old trainer, the owner of Mike's Knock-Around Gym. I doubt if the place is still around. Somehow, I can't imagine it surviving without him barking orders and taking bets from the back. He raised me and trained me right alongside his son, David, as if I were his own kid."
She paused and briefly turned her face away from the onlooking listeners, trying to collect herself and willing herself not to cry.
"Dave and I left Mainframe so long ago I can barely recall just how long. Even if I could, I certainly wouldn't care to admit how long ago it really was."
Phylaina had to pause again, trying desperately to choke back the tears rising from deep within her. She took a few deep breaths, and closed her eyes for a few moments before speaking again.
"It was foolish, really. Phong, there were times I wished you had made me stay, truly. I know, I know... Nothing would have made me stay. Not after I discovered what I was. I had to leave; I had to try and figure out who I was and where I fit in, and of course Dave was too foolhardy and lovesick not to go with me. We hopped around, from system to system, avoiding Guardians and crooks alike.
"After we grew up a little, and I got enough of the wanderlust out of my system, we settled down. Got married. Tiny house in a backwater system, whole kilo o' bytes."
She paused, seemingly lost in her own world of memories. Her audience waited patiently as she sipped the now cold tea in front of her and gathered the strength to continue.
"But then a Guardian had to show up in our sad little excuse for a hometown. Infected with some kind of... Thing. I should have never even thought about it; just deleted him and let it go at that. But no, I had to be the hero again. Looking back, I know my programming wouldn't have allowed me to act any differently, but I should have. I should have, for Dave's sake, and goodness knows for Calder's."
Phong sent her a questioning look, and an icy edge added itself to her voice.
"Calder, my son. I should have - Look, it doesn't matter what I should have done. We are who we are, right? And what is done is done, and can't be undone."
She stood up, and fully faced the group of sprites before her.
"Are you going to help me?"
Bob spoke up.
"Help you do what?"
Phylaina paused, as if it hadn't occurred to her that he might not understand. "Save the world, what else?"