Chapter 3

Crystal's New World

It took several seconds --nearly a minute-- for Crystal to get get used toAndrAIa. Gradually, Crystal's mind connected feeding time with the sea sprite, and the baby accepted AndrAIa as her mother.

It did not take long for the rest of Mainframe to find out about Matrix and AndrAIa's wedding and about the baby User -- primarily because of Mike, the T.V.

"And now, a Special News Flash, straight from the Principle Office," Mike had announced the day after the event. "Two of Mainframe's favorite sprites --the orginal Enzo Matrix, and that darling of the games, AndrAIa-- have finally tied the knot!

"Yes, you heard right: Matrix and AndrAIa have gotten married! To each other, of course.

"But wait -- there's more! Not only have our formaly game-hopping lovebirds formed a major merger, but they have also added a new addition to their little family! That's right! Introducing, for the first time in any system: Crystal Matrix! But Crystal is no ordinary baby, no siree! It has been disclosed to this reporter that Crystal Matrix is, in fact, a User!"

The reactions of the citizens of Mainframe varied from happiness to awe to amazement and to even fear. Crystal was a User, after all.

Most, however, were happy for Matrix and AndrAIa, and they welcomed little Crystal with as much enthusiasm as the sprites had.

Matrix and AndrAIa took Crystal everywhere in Mainframe, showing her (and showing her off) the beautiful world Crystal had landed in. One or the other would carry her, pointing out things like birds, trees, daisy wheels and prism blossoms.

They took her often to Dot's Diner, where Crystal could spend time with her Aunt Dot and Uncle Enzo, as well as "Uncle" Bob, "Uncle" Ray, and "Aunt" Mouse. The sooner Crystal got to know them, the better!

"Where are we going, today?" AndrAIa asked, one second. She was nursing Crystal for the baby's breakfast.

"Well," her husband said, "this may sound a bit random, but I think it's time Hexadecimal met Crystal."

"Hexadecimal?" This worried AndrAIa. Although Megabyte's sister was cured of her insanity --thanks to Bob-- could she still be trusted?

"Don't worry. We'll both be there." When he saw her skeptical look, Matrix added, "We'll ask Bob to go with us, if it'll make you feel safer."

"Yes, please." AndrAIa knew that Hexadecimal liked Bob, and the computer witch would behave herself if the Guardian was with them.

Matrix openned a vid-window to Bob's appartment. Luckily, he was still there.

"Hi, Matrix!" Bob smiled.

"Hi, Bob. Could you do us a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"We're planning on taking Crystal to Hex's today, and AndrAIa would feel better if you went, too. Hex would surely be on her best behavior if you were there."

"Of course. I'll be right over and we can start off together." Bob closed the connection.

In nanos, a silver portal appeared in the Matrix house. As soon as Bob stepped from the gleaming orb, the portal shrank and disappeared behind him.

"Hi, Matrix!" Bob grinned. "How's things going?"

"Pretty well," Matrix grinned back. AndrAIa joined them, carring Crystal securely in her arms.

Crystal brightened when she saw Bob. She reached for him, and went to him when Bob held his hands out for her.

"Well, she's used to you, now, Bob!" AndrAIa laughed.

"I think it's his armor," Matrix chuckled.

"Has she ever gone for your eye?" Bob asked.

"Several times. And my icon. Guardian icons are shinier than other icons."

Sure enough, Crystal began grabbing at Bob's icon. The icon was encased in such a way that only Bob could actually remove it. Crystal's tiny fingers kept sliding off the disk's sleek surface.

"Hey, now!" Bob laughed softly. "What do you want with my icon, Crystal?" The baby just gurgled and kept trying to snatch the gold and black icon from Bob's chest. After a while, she tired of the game, and lifted her head to look at Bob's face.

Bob smiled as he looked into her big, blue eyes. Leaning his head foreward, he kissed her forehead. Then, he handed her back to AndrAIa.

"Ready to go?" Bob asked.

"We're ready," Matrix smiled.

"I'll portal us there," Bob said. A golden beam of energy shot from his hand, forming a silver sphere. Crystal gurgled happily s AndrAIa carried her through the portal, followed by Matrix and Bob.

They came out in a Gothic-style mansion. Red velvet drapes hung at every window and the floors were covered with rich tapestry rugs. Hex's living room, alone, had beautiful, expensive-looking furniture, and even an organ in one corner! Across from the organ, in another corner, was an old, grandfather clock.

"Welcome, welcome," Hexadecimal said as she sauntered into the room. "Whatever brings you to visit my humble abode?"

"We thought it was time to bring Crystal for a visit," Matrix answered.

"Ohhh...the baby User!" Hex gushed, bending to gaze at Crystal. "I've heard all about her from Mike!"

"We would have invited you, but it was all so quick..." AndrAIa began.

"That's quite allright, dear," Hex smiled. "I'm just happy I finally get to meet the baby."

"WARNING! INCOMING GAME! WARNING! INCOMING GAME!"

"Uh, oh," Matrix said.

;"A game would have to drop, now!" Bob added.

"You two go on. I can't go in with Crystal. I'll stay here with Hex," AndrAIa said.

"Okay," Matrix replied, giving his wife a quick kiss on the lips, then kissing Crystal on her cheek. He and Bob then headed for the game.

"Now, let's see: What shall we talk about while they are away?" Hexadecimal smiled. Then, she offered, "Biscuits and tea?"

Bob and Matrix were in a Fortune Teller's tent at a carnavel. Outside, they could see the various rides, booths and visitors.

The tent was darkened, the only light coming from two lit candles on the round table and what light that streamed in from outside. The tablecloth was blue, trimmed in gold and covered with gold stars and silver moons.

Sitting behing the table was a young, Gypsy woman --a game sprite, like AndrAIa. She wore a blouse with a ruffled neckline so wide, it hung off one shoulder. There was a purple scarf around her head, and gold jewelry covered her earlobes, fingers, wrists, and neck. Even though they could not see it, she also wore a large, purple skirt.

In a chair opposire the Gypsy was a man dressed in a three-piece suit. The User.

"REBOOT!" Bob and Matrix said, tapping their icons. They were dressed in t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. Typical carnavel-goers attire.

"I know this game," Bob siad. "It's called 'Fortune's Favor'. She will lay out seven cards, and we each must choose one. What happens depends on the cards we choose. We may have to fight a monster, the User, or even each other. Or we could automaticaly win --or lose-- the game."

"Great," Matrix muttered. They sat down in the remaining two chairs.

The Gypsy laid out seven cards in a semi-circle on the table. The circle's arc was toward her. She then leaned back and waited for one of them to flip a card.

Tentatively, Bob moved his hand to turn over the middle card.

While Bob and Matrix contended with the User, AndrAIa and Hexadecimal were about to have problems of their own. As the two were talking and visiting with each other, a portal formed just outside Hex's house, and a virus emerged.

His head was football-shaped and orange, a pair of large, round-framed glasses sitting on a round, red nose. A pair of buck-teeth protruded from his mouth. He was dark blue and skinny, but had an orange pot belly. The viral face on his chest had round, green eyes, a round, red nose, and a mouth with buck teeth.

"So this is where Hexadecimal lives," the virus said in a nasally, whiny voice. "Maybe she'll tell me where the User is." He rang the doorbell.

"I wonder who could that be?" Hexadecimal asked when she heard the doorbell. "Scuzzy!"

The small, football-shaped cat scurried up to the ex-virus. Hexadecimal waved her hand over Scuzzy's dome screen.

"Of all the...It's Morton!" Hexadecimal sounded exasperated.

"Morton?" AndrAIa asked.

"He's a Class One virus, but he thinks he's a Class Three. A Megabyte wanna-be. He's harmless, but very annoying,"

"Still, we need to do something to get rid of him," AndrAIa said, thoughtfully. "When Bob and Matrix return, and they find him here..."

"...and both would be able to detect him as a virus..."

"Who knows what they would do!"

"Hexy!" Morton called.

"Ugh! I hate that name!" Hexadecimal snarled.

"Hexy, can you tell me where the User is?"

"What User, Morton?" Hexadecimal asked sweetly, but continued to snarl.

"The baby User, Hexy!"

"He's after Crystal!" AndrAIa gasped, holding the baby to her with her right arm and extending the nails of her left hand protectively.

"He shan't have her! I have a plan." Hexadecimal whispered urgently to AndrAIa. The sea sprite smiled as she listened.

Meanwhile, inside the game, Bob had gotten lucky. The card he chose was "The Lovers", a young man and woman holding hands and looking very much in love. In game terms, it meant that he did not have to do anything.

Now, the User flipped the card just to the left of Bob's card. This card had a crystal ball with a red question mark in the middle.

"Fortune's Favor Card," Bob said. "She gets to choose a card. Whatever she chooses, that's what will happen to the User. You may not even have to flip a card, Matrix."

The Gypsy turned over a card as Bob, Matrix, and the User watched breathlessly.

"GAME OVER!"

"Talk about lucky!" Matrix grinned. He and Bob walked back to Hexadecimal's house.

"Yes," Bob grinned back. "She chose the 'Death' card --an Automatic Lose."

"Just out of curiosity, Bob --what would have been an Automatic Win?"

"The Emperor or the Empress."

They recieved quite a shock when they saw AndrAIa and Hex sipping tea, while, suspended overhead in a staus field, a Class One virus kicked and shouted.

"Let me go! I, Morton, the Scurge of the Net, demand to be set free! Awww...come on, Hexy! Let me down!"

"Who is that?" Bob asked, a grin replacing the shocked look on his face. Matrix was laughing behind his hand.

"Meet Morton, a Class One virus that thinks he's a Class Three," Hex said.

"A little virus with big virual dreams!" Matrix laughed.

"Morton, these are Guardians Bob and Matrix."

"Guardians?" Morton's indignity vanished, replaced by panic. "Uh, oh." he gulped.

"We'll dispose of Morton. If you'll excuse us, ladies," Bob said. Matrix helped Bob ease the staus field down and headed out the door.

When they were gone, Hexadecimal smiled at AndrAIa.

"No need to tell them that Morton was after Crystal." she said.

"Of course not," agreed AndrAIa. "Wouldn't want Matrix to get mad at the little pest!" Both women laughed merrily. They knew Matrix's temper. Morton would be properly disposed of without the green warrior shooting at him with Gun.

Later, Bob and Matrix returned to take AndrAIa and Crystal home.

"Thank you for coming to visit, AndrAIa. And for letting me meet the baby."

"I'm happy to have come," AndrAIa answered.

"Please come again. I don't get to see you enough."

"We will. Goodbye, Hex."

"Goodbye, dears."

Back at home, AndrAIa gave Crystal her supper. Bob had returned to his apartment and the family was alone.

"Quite a day, wasn't it" AndrAIa asked.

"Yes," Matrix smiled tenderly at his wife and daughter. "Our little one grows more and more each second." He reached and let Crystal grasp his finger. She squeezed it hard. Matrix knelt down on one knee and lifted her hand. Gently, he kissed the tiny hand and rubbed it against his cheek.

Smiling into AndrAIa's eyes, Matrix kissed her as she continued to nurse Crystal. His family was safe, and that was what was important.


Next: Chapter 3: Crystal's New World