1Multitasking

As Dot felt herself hit the door, a cheerfully bright light hit her eyes. She opened her eyes which had been clenched shut in anticipation of the impact, and found herself standing in her Diner. "What the..." As she was collecting herself, a jovial voice from behind her called out.

"Hey, Dot!"

She spun around, only to see Bob, alive and well, walk through the door she had just entered as if he did it every cycle of his life. "What in the net?" she gasped.

"What? Aren't I allowed to be here?" There was a note of sarcasm in his voice as he stepped towards her. "Is Enzo home from school yet, or am I early? I promised him we'd all go to the data slide together when he got home."

Bob was acting like nothing was wrong or out of place. He was just standing there, grinning at her, and Dot was staring back. "The data slide," she repeated stupidly.

"What's wrong, Dot?" He peered at her intently. "You don't look so well. Maybe we should go see Phonge."

It had to be some quirk in the Game that was allowing her to see him. She stared around her, breathing hard. Outside the window, Mainframe was alive and in full swing. The Diner was full of people, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cecil yelling at some poor binome over in the corner booth, and Frisket was snoring beside the doors, apparently waiting for Enzo to return. This was everything she wanted, everything she loved...this was home.

Dot shook her head to clear it, trying to ignore Bob's worried face next to her's. Yes, it had to be the Game. This had to be a level where each player was shown exactly what he or she wanted.

Bob's frown deepened. Quickly, he leaned over and planted kiss on her cheek.. "What's wrong, Dot? Overworked?"

Dot felt her body go ice cold while her cheek felt hotter than the Mainframe Central Core. He had not just done that. "Bob! What the..."

At that exact nano, Enzo flew through the doors and into the diner, nearly toppling over a stool. "What's up, Dot?" Seeing the astonished look on Dot's face, he continued, " Did he bite you or something?"

Slowly, Dot turned her head to see her younger brother grinning broadly with his hands on his hips. He was still the little whirlwind of a sprite she loved, with his baseball cap on sideways and his yo-yo on his belt. "Enzo," she uttered, fighting the urge to pass out. "Enzo..."

Bob wrapped one arm around her waist. "Dot, are you okay?" Dot turned and looked at him blankly, trying to wrap her mind around the insanity of it all. "You've been working since before Enzo went to school, no wonder you're tired." He jerked his head towards the door. "Come on, a nice relaxing picnic is just what the doctor ordered."

"But Bob!" Enzo interjected heatedly, "You promised we were going to the data slide!"

Bob narrowed his eyes. "Enzo, your sister's tired. We can go later, kay?"

Enzo glowered at the guardian, and scuffing his sneakers as he went, walked back out the door and headed for Bob's car.

Despite the ridiculousness of it all, Dot smiled as she watched him go. Enzo was always the same, a fast-paced, easily pleased and easily disappointed kid. That had changed after Bob left. He had grown up, and she had had a hard time watching it.

"Should we go?" asked Bob. Dot had almost forgotten he was there in her awe at seeing her younger brother alive and well. How had she forgotten when he still had his arm securely around her waist, making her feel more comfortable than she had in a seconds?

"Lead on," said Dot, trying to feign that a picnic was just what the doctor ordered. His arm moved from her waist to her shoulders, sending chills up and down her back. Why was he acting like this? "...there aren't any rules. Anything could happen and it would be fair play." That had to be it; the Game was showing her exactly, exactly what her wildest dreams were. Everything was back to normal, except Bob. He treated her exactly the way she wanted him to.

Bob reached forward and pulled the door open for her, pushing slightly on her back. She smiled, relaxing into him as he led her over to his ever-troublesome car. As the fresh air of the outside hit her, contrasting sharply with the familiar and comforting smell of her Diner, she realized sadly that she had to escape. In the meantime however, she would savor every last milli-nano of her time with Bob and Enzo.

With some protest, Bob got the car in the air, and soon Enzo was leaning forward to the front seat, telling Bob animatedly all about the ball game he'd played in class that day. Dot stared out over the city, half wondering how to leave it and half wondering how the Game had gotten the smell of Bob's car exactly right. It smelled like his garage and a bit like his apartment. When was the last time she had been in his apartment? When was the last time his apartment was still standing? She looked out over the city, sighing to herself. When was the last time any of Mainframe had been standing?

Maybe that was it; she had to leave Mainframe. By turning her back on her fondest desires, she would probably cue the next level of the Games, where, hopefully, she could find Mouse again.

Thunk. Enzo had rammed the front seat. Dot blinked and turned back to her brother and friend.

"We totally wiped the field with their bitmaps, Bob! It's that awesome?" Enzo concluded his lengthy story. He was grinning at Bob, eagerly awaiting the praise he was sure would come. Bob wasn't one to disappoint.

"That's great, Enzo!" Bob congratulated, smiling at Enzo. "Isn't it, Dot?"

"Yeah," she agreed, though she hadn't heard a word of Enzo's story. She had been too busy musing over the Game's quirks and plotting escape. The nano they landed and the boys were busy, she would have to slip away and leave. How, she had no clue. She couldn't get very far on her zipboard, but that was all she had with her. The boys would chase her, she knew it, but maybe if she sabotaged Bob's car, she could get a head start.

Before she knew it, the car was landing smoothly on the lawn of their favorite park, and Enzo was jumping out to greet Frisket, who had been running along below them.

"Hey, boy!" Enzo shouted and grabbed Frisket, petting him enthusiastically.

Bob chuckled. "Same old Enzo." Turning to Dot, he asked, "So, what were you working on that has you so tired?"

The question caught her off guard. "Oh, you know business, there's lots to do," she said, trying to sound nonchalant, all the while forcing herself to decide which direction it would be easier for her to escape. Of course, Bob could track her with Glitch. She'd have to take Glitch too and drop it somewhere along the way.

Bob slid over in his seat, putting his arm behind her. Dot's stomach flopped. Ignore it, she told herself sternly. "So, what have you been up to all day?" she asked, fishing for a way out.

He shrugged. "Oh, this and that. Not much. I try to stay out of the way until you're ready to take a break from work, remember?" He kept sliding closer.

"Really?" she asked.

He nodded and let his arm drop around her shoulders. "Yeah. Have to let you get all that work done sometime. It was part of our deal, remember?" he asked, leaning in.

"What deal?" she asked automatically, pulling away ever so slightly.

"That whole lecture you gave me about how our relationship couldn't get in the way of your work."

Her resolve tore in half. They actually had a 'relationship?' "Yeah...um..." she fished around for a random topic, heart thudding loudly. "Where's AndrAIa?" she asked quickly, before he could get too close.

"Who?" he asked. "Dot, you really should get some rest before you hurt yourself."

His worry, however, didn't seem to stall his progress in crossing the space between them.

Dot turned her head, looking around for Enzo. "Where did Enzo get to?" she said, trying

to distract herself from the fact that she feel the energy from his body.

"Who knows?" said Bob. "Give him a nano and he'll remember we've got lunch."

He seemed very uninterested in what he was saying. Glancing down, Dot saw Glitch attached to Bob's left arm. If she could just distract him long enough to get it... It clicked. Dot took a deep breath and looked back up at Bob, smiling sweetly. "I hope he doesn't remember that we have lunch too soon."

Bob grinned at her. "Now that's more like it."

Accomplished business woman though she was, Dot Matrix had never found it so difficult to multitask before. It was several moments before she remembered she was supposed to be confiscating Glitch from him. Even when she did remember, doing it took quite a while. She had just nabbed it and attached it to her belt when a voice interrupted her very busy thoughts.

"Heh, hem! Paging Bob and Dot! Where's lunch?"

Bob pulled away from her abruptly, and she saw Enzo leaning on the hood of the car looking vaguely disgusted.

"Do you have to do that when I'm watching?" Enzo sounded grossed out. He glared at Bob as if betrayed. "Aren't you afraid you'll get cooties or something?"

"I've had my shots," laughed Bob.

"Lunch is in the trunk," said Dot, jerking her head toward the rear of the car. "Come on, I'm starving," she said truthfully, and hopped out of the car before Bob could do anything else.

Fifteen nanos later, Enzo had cajoled Bob into playing frisbee with him and Frisket, and they were running around the park shouting. Dot looked up at them from the blanket she was sitting on, grinning with giddiness and feeling like she had a null squirming around inside her.

She had no right to feel this happy, not when there was a Game to be won. She shouldn't be sitting here, selfishly enjoying herself while Mouse might be in trouble elsewhere in the Game. Dot swallowed hard, a dread of losing everything a second time making the pleasant squirm in her stomach turn to a hard knot.

You have to leave, Dot. You've got to. Do it, get up. Get up now! Dot took a deep breath, pulling her legs under her. And where are you going to? asked another voice in her head. She took a deep breath and a long last glance at the boys, who were now chasing Frisket across the park. She had almost stood up when Frisket did a U-turn and headed right towards her, the boys in tow.

"Dot, catch Frisket!" shouted Enzo, panting. "He's got our frisbee!"

Automatically, Dot knelt down, holding her hand out and inviting Frisket to come to her. He ignored her and barreled on past, frisbee dangling from his jaws. Enzo came panting along a short distance behind, eager to catch his dog. Bob stopped once he reached the blanket and bent over, gasping for air.

"Enzo...I think it's time to do something else now," he huffed.

"Come on, Bob," Enzo begged, standing at the edge of park. "That's my only frisbee, and he'll eat it."

"No he won't," replied Bob, and he began to reach for his keytool. "I'll just get Glitch to...Glitch?" Bob grabbed at his wrist. "Where's Glitch?"

Thinking fast, Dot asked, "Do you think Frisket got it?"

Bob glowered at the receding form of the dog. "I bet he did when he knocked me over...come on, Enzo. We've got a dog to catch!" And Bob started after Frisket once more.

Dot smiled sadly as they ran off. She had to say goodbye...get in one last word... "Stay frosty, boys!" she shouted. Bob waved his arm to show he had heard, but spared her no glance, and continued chasing Frisket.

There was nothing else to do now but leave. Resigning herself, Dot pulled out her zipboard and mounted it, steering herself away from the boys and towards Bob's apartment. The air whipped past her as she headed out over Mainframe. In almost no time at all, Bob's apartment appeared below her, and she glided down, landing by his front door. Looking around to make sure she was alone, she slowly lifted Glitch from her belt and placed it by the door. Standing back up, a huge lump swelled in her throat and tears burned her eyes as she remember the last time she had touched Glitch. She'd been torn from Bob then, too. With tear- stained eyes, Dot turned and left.

All she could see on three sides was the data sea, churning and rippling away. Behind her was Mainframe, where Enzo and Bob would have finally noticed her absence and be looking for her. Not for the first time, Dot wondered if she shouldn't just give up. It would be so much easier to just go back and stay with Bob and Enzo, even if they weren't exactly the way she remembered them. She'd have them, wouldn't she? It would be much easier to stay here and be happy for a few more nanos, and then simply be nullified, where, if the User was kind, she would find herself with them again.

Because she had given up. She had given up on ever seeing Bob again in this life. All of her friends and family were gone; she alone remained to fight a losing battle. Crying herself to sleep night after night, the image of the afterlife had become quite clear. She would fall down one cycle, utterly spent and drained of all energy and life, and when she opened her eyes, the first thing she would see would be a pair of boots. Looking up, she would see Bob grinning down at her, stretching out his hand to help her up. She would take his hand and he would pull her up and hug her, and everyone she had ever lost would be around her, welcoming her home.

As Dot's thoughts strayed into an abysmal future, a thick mist began to swirl around her. Alerting her to the present, she almost panicked. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. She had thought that once this far away from Mainframe's clone, she would have left this level behind. The mist became blacker and blacker, obscuring everything from view. She could no longer feel the zipboard below her: she seemed to be flying along into oblivion with no control over it.

"Dot! Dot, can you hear me!"

Dot jerked her head frantically towards the voice. Somewhere, out in all the darkness, she could hear Bob yelling, the same words she had heard garbled through a vidwindow when Hexadecimal had painted the city.

"Dot! Dot, can you hear me!"

The words were frantic and loud, and Dot spun this way and that, trying to locate their source.

Every moment of anxiety she had ever felt came flooding back through her mind: Phonge was telling her that Bob had lured the Codemaster into a Game to delete him. Megabyte was threatening to make her use her exoskeleton suit to crush Bob; a bomb had just exploded and she was sure Bob was deleted; Bob was speeding away on his zipboard, trying to get rid of the Web creature before it hurt anyone else; Megabyte was holding Bob by the neck, crushing Glitch; Hexadecimal was keeping Mouse and herself from helping him out of the capsule...

"No!" She was losing him over and over again... She screamed and found herself falling forward, forward into nothingness.