Chapter Nine

Helba, Queen of Darkness

When we went through the doorway with the red door, we warped from Lambda Pulsating Worst Core. The warp was different then the normal warp I could tell that it was no warp made by the administration, it seemed the same yet was different, I don't know how to explain it. What ever is ahead of us I hope is answers, we cannot turn back now, not when we're so close, I just hope Helba will be able to help me help my brother.

When the area loaded up, I though, what the hell, the place was like a dump, the buildings where run down looking buildings like what you'd see in a rundown part of a city. The buildings where blurred in places and had pictures of all manner of things, on the corners, I could see boxes with a crossed out circle on them. I looked at the ground and noticed that each square on the floor had an unmatched patterns and colors.

I turned around and saw rubble of buildings and blocks floating around over nothingness.

"What on earth, where are we?" Drako asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you" Draconair replied.

"Is this paradise?" I asked.

"Doesn't look it to me," Drako said back to me, he looked at me and said, "Is this where Helba is?"

"Drako, please don't ask a question that is apparent, how should I know is Helba's here, I have no idea where we are"

"Well, it's nowhere the administration has made, or knows about for a matter of face" Draconair said back.

"Anything you can tell us Draconair"?

"Nothing, all my programs are being blocked, even my data recording programs"

"It seems Helba wants this place to be left unknown," I said looking at the arch that we warped under. I walked forward a few steps, "Lets look around, and Draconair, turn off all your data recording programs".

"K"

Why is this place called paradise, it looks like a trash heap, after leaving the arch, we encountered someone. The appearance of this person made me shout out "What the hell!"

He looked like the default wavemaster look, but his appearance was full of holes, he was dragging his weapon on the ground.

"Ok, this is getting weird" Drako said.

"I have no idea what to think, this is, just, I don't know" Draconair said apparently lost for words.

The character didn't seem to notice me, "Maybe we should keep looking, something tells me that isn't Helba," Both agreed.

Around the corner where more weird characters, several had flat faces like a face you type in a E-mail, another had a screen for a head that flickered with a sad face on it. There was one that really caught my attention, he wore a red robe and had a gas mask for a face, "What the hell is this place, it's really starting to creep me out".

"I know the feeling Drako" I replied back.

"I feel that Helba might have been playing us for fools" Draconair said.

"I don't think so, Come on, maybe she's just ahead" I said back, but what if she's right, why hasn't Helba appeared yet.

We walked around another corner and found a dead end, "Now what?" I moaned.

"May I ask just who you are?"

We turned around to see how said that, it was a small hairy creature, he had a large head like a pill, a long beard that curved forward, he had hair all over his torso, and his skin was purple and blue.

"Who, what are you?" Drako asked, I could tell the first words that came to mind for him where "What the hell".

"No one of any importance, I can only assume your looking for Helba"

"Helba! You know where she is?" I asked demandingly.

"Yes, but why are you looking for her?"

"Well, I'm looking for an answer for a question that I feel only she can tell me"

"But how do you know she can tell you, or will tell you for that matter"

"What?"

"Helba only tells you what you need to know, she never tells you anything you don't need to know, it's just the way she is"

"…" So all of this was a waste of time, Brother.

"What is this place exactly?" Drako asked.

"This is Net Slum, this is where all trash data is, data from characters, monsters, even fields and servers is thrown away"

"A recycling bin?" Draconair interrupted.

"Precisely, this place was made by Helba, for all unsuccessful data, so to us, this place is paradise"

"Paradise, now it all makes sense" Draconair said.

"Yes, and now you know, The World is larger then you thought, for even in this world there are outcast"

I turned my head towards the voice, for it was different, it was female, the person I saw was floating in the air, she wore white cloths, a white jacket with pointed shoulders, a white gown and a white hat that covered her eyes, her hair was long and golden, her lips purple.

"Helba?"

"You're correct little boy, I'm Helba, and welcome to paradise." She looked at my party, "What a band of players, a Hacker, a player, and an administer of The World, that pig head is getting sloppy"

"Your talking about Lios" Draconair assumed.

"Well who else is a pig head, but you play a dangerous game, you risk your job just like someone else at CC Corp."

"But these problems must be dealt with, we shouldn't stand by ignoring this"

"Very noble," She came down and walked over towards Drako, "and what about you, why are you helping him out, your violating the Software usage agreement by helping him and using what isn't natural to the game"

"Why else wouldn't I, I could care less what those dicks think at CC Corp, my friend needs me, that's all that matters right now"

"But are you willing to cross the limits to help your friend, the punishments would be more then just a banded account"

"…" Drako went silent, I wondered what he was thinking.

"Helba, what about my brother, is there anything I can do for him"

"As you've been told I might not know, and I don't, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you"

"Why!" I demanded.

"Because you need to figure it out for yourself, only then will you be able to help out your brother"

"But I don't know where to go from here, Please Helba, I want to help him, I want to help Draco!"

"How far are you willing to go though to help him?" She asked.

"Dractaros, go, NOW!"

"Draco, what is it?"

"GO NOW!"

Those word echoed in my head when she said that.

"I'll got as far as I can, as far as I have to, to save him, if it weren't for him, I'd be the one in the hospital, I care not for what I have to do."

"So your determined then?"

"You beat"

"And what about you two, no matter who it is, one person cannot do everything alone, are you willing to risk everything for him?"

Both looked unsure of themselves, I want them to help, but I won't risk their lives, for me.

"I don't want them involved if it means ruining their lives, it's my problem, I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me"

"Like Hell you're going to do this alone!"

I looked at Drako, he looked really sure of himself now, "No Drako, you have a wife, I won't ask you to risk your future with her"

"You should know by now that I'm not going to listen to that, we are sworn brothers, I won't let my best friend, no, my brother go through this alone"

"Drako I, … Thank you"

"And what about me?"

"Draconair, but you have just as much at risk, your job is the highest at risk"

"I don't care if I lose my job, it's just a job, nothing will stop me from helping you"

"No I won't ask you to do it, you know what happened to my brother, I don't want the same thing to happen to you to"

"And who's going to stop me? I've helped you this far, I'm not going to quit now"

"But, oh, you're just as stubborn as Drako, ok then, but what do we do now, Helba was our best and only lead, what do we go on know"

"You should know by know that it will come to you when it comes, However, I'll help you some" Helba said to me.

"Really, but I though you said"

"I said that you must figure it out for yourself, but it doesn't mean that I can't hint you something, however right now I have nothing to tell you"

"Thank you Helba, but I must ask, Why are you interested in what's happening to The World right now"

"That I won't tell you, sorry, however, should you need to come back here, us Lambda Pulsating Truth's Core, it will take you here instantly, but it doesn't mean I'm be here every time, I have things to do else where"

"I understand Helba, Thanks"

"I'll see you soon them little boy"

With that she gated out, I turned towards my teammates, "Well, lets go"

"Sounds good, I got to take my girlfriend out to dinner, but why did you call her my wife?"

"Because she is pretty much, isn't she?"

"Ya, I guess your right"

We gated out and disbanded.

So we now know Helba has no idea what happened, at least not right now, however I feel she will soon. It's up to me to figure out what happened and how to stop it, no one else should have to deal with this. I will keep looking for a way to help my brother, no matter the cost.