A/N: I know I haven't submitted anything for a while, but my comp went haywire and I lost all of my writing except for what is here. So I had to hunt down people I gave hard copies to and I started to get some of them back. Here you go everyone, enjoy.
Chapter 10: The Search for a Sign
Jasmine logged on and emailed Balmung about what had happened to her friend. He wrote back saying that it was unfortunate and that he would help in finding Helba in any way he could. Jasmine met with Lan later at Mac Anu to hear what Lan had to say about something she had heard.
"Our worst fears have been confirmed about Jon," Lan said depressingly.
"What do you mean," Jasmine asked.
"I heard on the news that another person had fallen into a coma, and when they showed who it was, you can guess who it was."
Jasmine lowered her head because she could do anything to help her friend or anyone else who was in a coma. An hour later, David and Kelly came and told them that they had seen the news report too, and wondered what Helba meant when she said that Jon would be alright.
"I called some people I know to see if they've seen Helba lately and I'm just waiting for replies," Jasmine said.
"She's not someone that anyone sees," Daivd pointed out, "We're lucky if she shows herself to us, much less anyone else."
"What about Kite," Lan asked, "He said that Helba and him meet often and he gets email from her often."
"But that mail is usually telling him how to use the bracelet and we got that mail too," Kelly said.
"What about trying the message boards to find her," Jasmine asked.
"It's better not to just put that we looking for Helba because she is a famous hacker that administrators aren't to fond of," David said.
"I've seen some posts get deleted off the boards about some controversial issues," Lan said.
"That must be to make sure that no one gets involved in these kinds of things," Jasmine said.
"Why don't we go back to the dungeon were we fought Skieth," Jasmine brought up," It's not likely that Skieth will be there now and we can search for anything suspicious."
They went back to the dungeon of Theta Frozen Deadly Devil. It was a fitting description for the monster Skieth. The demon who has been terrorizing "The World" and putting players into comas with the strange power of Data Drain. The field was strangely silent, nothing made any noise except the footsteps of Jasmine and her friends. As they reached the bottom level of the dungeon they noticed something was different about the whole layout of the dungeon. The map from their first visit was different from this time.
"The administrators must have found out that Skieth was here and changed the layout so that no one could have found that room again," David stated.
"But why change the whole layout and not just delete or alter that room," Jasmine said.
"Either way, without that one room, anything that we could have found is gone for good," Kelly said.
"I wouldn't say that it's good entirely," a calming voice said from behind them.
Everyone turned around to see that Helba was standing behind them, with her strange scepter.
"What are you doing here," Jasmine scowled at her.
"I've come to examine this dungeon and what and see why Skieth chose here to wait," Helba grinned at them.
"Have a nice time trying to find that room again, the whole layout was changed," Kelly told her," We've been here for hours and still can't find that room where Skieth was.
"I can lead you there."
"How can you do that," Jasmine asked.
"I am a hacker after all. I can recall deleted messages, break through protection on protected areas and you think that a little rearrangement of this dungeon rattles me," she chuckled slightly, "You underestimate my capabilities."
She raised her staff above her head and it the rings on the end of it started to glow. The world seemed to stand still for a moment, no one could move and everything was frozen in place. When everybody could move again, Jasmine checked her map display and it was back to the way it had been before.
"How did you…" Lan stood amazed at what had just happened.
"That should alert the system that someone was here. If you want to search this place you had better do it quickly before the administrators re-write this data again." She started to head into a door that had appeared near them.
"What did you do with our friend," David asked.
Helba stopped and turned, "You mean to fool who jumped in front of the Data Drain," she eyed Kelly," All I did was send him out of this field and into another, keeping Skieth from finishing him off."
"Then why did you say he would be fine? He is in a coma and now lies in a hospital bed," Jasmine shouted.
"So that's what happened to him. I figured that he would be fine, being he did not fade away at first like the rest."
"Well he's not, where did you send him anyway?"
"That, I don't know. I chose a random place to send him to and I don't remember where that was. It doesn't matter since he's in a coma."
Lan swung her ax to Helba's neck while her wand was suddenly engulfed in flames. A dark pit started to appear below Helba's feet and large fangs came from it.
"It matters to us because we can at least know where he died," Kelly said.
"I see that you want to save him being that you all show your rage over what I said."
"You're damn right we care, he's our friend," Jasmine said.
"If you're going to find a way to help him, then it is wise not make enemies of people that can help you." She waived her wand and blew back everybody away from her, "I'll come back when you have calmed down a bit."
She left through the door and paralyzed everybody to keep them from following her. After they recovered, Jasmine, Kelly, David, and Lan went in the door as well. They were transported to the battlefield where they last saw Skieth. Everything was the same as last time except there was sign of Skieth or Jon. During the search, everything started to shake violently, and the scenery surrounding the battlefield started dissipating.
"That must be the administrators re-writing the dungeon data again, we better escape or log out," Lan said.
"Hey, what's going on," David's body became surrounded by the gold rings that would normally cause him to log out but for some reason, he didn't, "The log out command isn't working."
"How do we get out of here if we can't log out?"
"You don't," Aloud booming voice the sounded like it surrounded them.
Bunches of data swirled around the field and started converging on one spot. The scenery melted away to white and instead of looking like they were outside, it looked like a padded room. The data formed into the shape of a man, and the man had a very displeased look on his face.
"You won't escape from here, because I won't allow you to leave," the man's voice still booming throughout the room
"Who are you and why are you going to keep us here," Kelly asked.
"My name if you must know is Lios, and I shall not allow you to leave because you are partially responsible for the virus spreading throughout "The World".
"How do we spread the virus that we are fighting?"
"It's because of those bracelets you wear on your wrists."
"How is it you know about the bracelet as well," David asked.
"I'm of one of the head administrators of CCcorp. It's my job to monitor illegal activity in 'The World'. Those bracelets are illegal equipment and, it is a part of the virus."
"But how are we spreading the virus. We're just using the bracelets to defeat virus infected monsters."
"The bracelet itself is part of the virus and every time you use it, the virus spreads throughout this game."
"Fine we get that you hate us for having these bracelets, but we can just leave by turning off the game and taking off the headset," Jasmine pointed out.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Why do you say that?"
"Every time you play this game, part of brain in transferred to the game character, if you were to turn off the system without logging out, you would be shutting down those parts of your brain."
"But how is that possible?"
"You were wondering how a game can put a person into a coma, well there is your reasoning."
"I get it now," Kelly said, "When I person has Data Drain used on them, their brain is drained from them, and without the brain, the body goes into a coma."
"But then why would the person be put into a coma instead of die," Jasmine asked.
"I told you," Lios interrupted, "only parts of the brain are put in the game."
"So if we turned off the system we would put ourselves into a coma."
"Exactly, and the headset is the transfer medium. Removing it would be like severing a simple connection and will have the same result of turning off your system."
"But we need to save our friend. He was put into a coma from the horned monster Skieth," Lan said.
"So that monster has been given a name, and your friend, he was drained by this Skieth."
"Yes and we're searching for a way to return him to normal."
"I will allow you to leave and let you find a cure for the coma virus, but only certain conditions."
Chapter 10 End
A/N: I hope my little plot twist doesn't completely kill my story I wanted to give a reason for the whole coma thing during the games so I made one, it makes sense doesn't it? Oh well if you don't like it then tough. Still hunting for all my hard copies so I will post another chapter when I can. LATES people.
