(Author's note: A data storm is like a hurricane. The Principle Office is quite safe from the data storm.)
"I can't believe it's been almost an hour since Crystal came to Mainframe!" AndrAIa smiled. The young family was having supper at Bob and Dot's house. Crystal sat in a highchair between Matrix and AndrAIa. Crystal was finally weaned from mother's milk onto semi-solid foods. Formula was given to her with a baby bottle.
"Yes. One whole hour since Crystal came to us," Dot smiled. She watched as Matrix spoon-fed the baby her applesauce.
"Come on, Crystal," Matrix spoke softly to the baby. "A bite for daddy..."
Crystal closed her mouth around the spoonful of the green applesauce. Gently, the renegade removed the spoon to dip it again in the baby's food bowl.
"Da...da..." Crystal gurgled.
"Did you hear...?" AndrAIa smiled in pleased surprise.
"Yes!" Dot laughed happily.
"Da...da..." Crystal reached for her father. She held out her tiny hands, wanting him to pick her up.
Matrix grinned and lifted his daughter in his arms. She cooed as he held her close.
"Da...da..." she said again. She gurgled and cooed, reaching for Matrix's golden eye, trying to grab the shiny ball.
AndrAIa smiled at her husband and child. The renagade --he who fought the User in games as fiercely as a cornered tiger-- held the baby User as gently as he would a baby sprite or baby binome.
AndrAIa moved to stand with Matrix, reaching out to catch hold of Crystal's tiny hand. She was careful not to scratch the baby with her paralyzing nails.
Crystal leaned her head on her father's shoulder. She gave a tiny, contented yawn, stuck her thumb in her mouth, and closed her eyes.
"She looks like she knows she's safe," Bob smiled.
"She knows that her daddy is a big, strong man who would not allow any harm to come to her," AndrAIa smiled. She reached out her hand and gently stroked the baby's soft hair.
Bob and Dot watched the young family happily. They hoped to have their own little one, soon.
"Come on, Crystal," AndrAIa coaxed. "Go to daddy. Go on. Can you walk to daddy?" AndrAIa held Crystal so that the child's feet touched the floor; the baby's little hands in her slender ones. Matrix sat on his knees a few bits away. Not too far, but far enough that Crystal would have to take three or four steps just to get to him.
Crystal lifted one tiny foot and put it unsteadily down, a little in front of her. With AndrAIa guiding her, Crystal took her first steps toward Matrix. She managed a few steps, then fell into her father's waiting arms.
"Good girl!" Matrix grinned, lifting her up in his strong arms.
"Da...da!" Crystal laughed.
Suddenly, a vid-window popped up. Bob's worried face appeared in its flat surface.
"What is it, Bob?" AndrAIa asked.
"There's a data storm headed for Mainframe. You and AndrAIa get Crystal to the Principle Office, immediately. We'll have a place set up for you in Dot's office!"
"Okay, Bob," Matrix said as he stood up with Crystal. AndrAIa also stood up, pausing just long enough to pack Crystal's diaper bag. Then, the young family left for the safety of the Principle Office.
Dot had their spot ready for them --her sofa pulled out into a bed.
"Are you sure, Dot?" Matrix asked. "What about you and Bob?"
"We'll be alright, in Bob's office," Dot smiled.
"Bob has an office?" Matrix asked in surprise, grinning at the blue Guardian.
"Of course he does!" Dot's smile got wider.
"I am leader of Mainframe's defenses," Bob grinned. "Don't I rate at least a small office?"
"I can't argue with that!" Matrix laughed.
Crystal gurgled, reaching for Bob. The Guardian's armor shone brightly in the light of the office, his icon sparkling like a star.
Grinning, Bob took his niece in his arms. She giggled as he held her close. She played her game with his icon, trying to pluck from his chest. When she tired of that, Crystal began grabbing for his steel-coloured hair. Her tiny fingers tangled in the once-chrome strands.
"OWW!" Bob cried. Gently, he pulled her fingers from his hair.
"Hey, Crystal," AndrAIa smiled. "Let's not go pulling on anyone's hair!"
Crystal now reached again, this time, for Matrix. Grinning, he gently took her from Bob. She gurgled as she looked into her father's eyes.
"Da...da..." she laughed.
There was a loud crash and a roar as the data storm hit Mainframe. The Principle Office shook and the light blinked off, but came back on in the next nano.
Terrified, Crystal started crying and clung to Matrix.
"Oh, sweetheart...don't cry," Matrix whispered gently. He moved over to the bed and sat down on the side. He rocked her gently, whispering a lullaby.
Crystal quieted down, although she was still frightened.
"Data storms usually lasts for several seconds, up to a cycle," Dot said.
AndrAIa checked Crystal's diaper bag.
"I don't know if I packed enough baby food and diapers to last a cycle," she fretted.
"Don't worry," Dot smiled. "I have plenty here in the Principle Office. I planned it, in case something like this happened."
AndrAIa sighed in relief. Dot plans for EVERYTHING! AndrAIa thought. But that was Dot. The Mistress of Plans. Rarely did anything escape her keen eyes and sharp mind.
"We'd better go check on the rest of the Mainframers," Bob said. "You'll be okay in here, won't you?"
"Of course, we will, Bob," Matrix said. AndrAIa went to join her husband and child.
"We'll be fine, Bob, really," the game sprite smiled.
"Okay," Bob replied. "See you guys later."
"Bye. Later," Dot smiled. She and Bob left the room.
Matrix and AndrAIa double-tapped their icons, changing into their night clothes. AndrAIa then double-tapped Crystal's icon for her pyjamas. Laying the baby down in the middle of the bed, Matrix and AndrAIa climbed in on either side of Crystal, and covered themselves and the baby with the blanket.
"Da...da..." Crystal said softly, tears still in her little eyes. Matrix leaned over and kissed his baby on the forehead, then rose a little and leaned to kiss AndrAIa.
The family then snuggled down for the long night ahead.
They awoke to another loud crash and the shaking of the Principle Office. AndrAIa grabbed up Crystal, and Matrix moved to stand beside them. He reached over to stroke Crystal's hair in an attempt to soothe her fears.
Crystal was whimpering, almost ready to cry again as another crash was heard.
"It's okay, Crystal," Matrix said softly. Hr held both of them close to him.
Bob rushed into the office, concern on his face. "Are you three alright?" he asked.
"We're fine, Bob," Matrix assured him. "The storm is scaring Crystal, though."
"The eye of the storm should reach us tomorrow, possibly in the early morning."
"What time is it, now?" AndrAIa asked.
"About three o'clock in the morning," Bob answered her. With his codes merged with Glitch, Bob always knew what time it was, no matter where he was.
"That means another second of this!" Matrix groaned.
"'Fraid so," Bob said. "Then a second of calm, followed by a couple more seconds of the storm. Then the storm should clear out of Mainframe."
Matrix and AndrAIa both groaned, now.
"Go back to bed and try to get some sleep," Bob smiled. "We'll see you at breakfast later."
"Okay, Bob," Matrix smiled. "See you later."
"Later, then." Bob left the office.
Milliseconds later, Matrix and AndrAIa brought Crystal to the Principle Office kitchen, where they sat down for breakfast with Bob, Dot, Ray, Mouse, Little Enzo, and Phong.
"Sleep well?" Dot asked.
"Not very," AndrAIa admitted. She opened a jar of baby food and began feeding Crystal.
"Would it be possible to have a little party tomorrow, at least, among ourselves?" Matrix asked.
"A party?" Bob asked. "Why?"
"Because tomorrow is Crystal's one hour old birthday," Matrix grinned.
"Ya mean it's been an' hour already since ya got hitched an' adopted Sugah Crystal?" asked Mouse. AndrAIa nodded.
"That does call for a celebration, mate," Ray grinned.
"So, could we?" Matrix asked.
"YEAH,DOT!COULDWE?HUH?COULDWE?" chimed in Little Enzo, as hyperactive as Matrix used to be.
"I don't see why not," Dot smiled.
"YEAAAA!" Little Enzo cheered.
"Something simple, though," Dot said. "We can't have presents for her until after the storm blows over and everything is back to normal. But we can still have cake and ice cream."
"Okay, sis," Matrix said. "A nice, simple, little party here in the Principle Office tomorrow."
The next second, it was calm, just as Bob had predicted. Tomorrow, the storm would start up again. But for now, everything was peaceful.
A perfect day for a baby's one-hour-old birthday party.
Crystal sat in a high chair, a little paper crown on her head. On one side of her was Matrix, and on the other, AndrAIa. Bob, Dot, Ray, Mouse, and the others were all around her. Each had a piece of chocolate cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on their plates. They watched happily as Crystal ate her cake and ice cream like any other baby -- with her hands.
Phong snapped pictures of the event, even using the camera timer so that he could be in a group picture with the baby and the sprites.
It was a festive day, a welcome respite from the fierce and frightening data storm outside.
For the rest of the cycle, the storm raged outside. The Mainframers, safe inside the Principle Office, made the best of a bad situation.
Before long, the storm had passed and the citizens were busy fixing things up. Crystal got the delayed presents that she had coming from the sprites.
Soon, Mainframe was back to normal.
Chapter 6 The New Arrival
