Cookies

A Cyberchase Fanfiction

By WriterfromWarDrobe

Disclaimer: I do not own Cyberchase.

"Okay, this is hands-down the coolest shopping center in Cyberspace!" Jackie declared, staring around at the diverse population of cybercitizens, standing in front of kiosks along the green hall of the cybershopping-center, Amazin'.

Matt's wife Shari sighed. "I actually find it rather impersonal. I miss being able to shop and actually converse with real cyborgs at the cash registers. Or being able to try on clothes before purchasing them, not having to deal with promises of 'We will gladly accept all returned items without question, but there'll be a delay in returning the money to your credit card. Shouldn't have lied about your measurements. Be honest now!' Ugh! I don't like having to admit that my curves didn't come back after having the twins."

Just then, two little boys with red hair, purple eyes, and wearing identical teal shirts zoomed by on small dustpan brooms.

"Slow down! What have I told you about riding your brooms in crowded spaces!" their mother hollered.

Not slowing down as requested, the two made a sharp aboutface, returning the way they had come. However, one of them tipped to the side, nearly falling off his broom. Shari quickly hauled out her wand and gave it wave. Instantly, the boy was set to rights, speeding over Jackie's head. The other one, meanwhile, knocked off a Poddle's hat. "Watch it!" the Poddle warned, looking up angrily.

"That does it!" declared Shari. With another wave of her wand, a purple portal appeared directly in front of the twins. Unable to stop or veer out of the way, the two boys flew into the portal which instantly vanished.

"Where'd they go?" Jackie asked.

"I sent Red and Gorge home to their father. It's Matt's turn to be the parent."

Jackie chuckled as she turned back to her kiosk and purchased the items in her "cart." "Where do you suppose Inez has got to?" she wondered aloud. "I'm just about ready to leave." With the push of a button, the kiosk screen displayed a yellow message that read "Transaction Complete." Next second, a wrapped package rolled off the conveyor belt beside the kiosk and dropped onto the top of a waiting drone. Jackie typed the parking space number into the drone's keypad, and the little drone sped out of the store towards where the cyberpod was parked.

"Inez is over there," Shari said, pointing to another kiosk a little ways down the hall. A short, dark-haired woman wearing glasses was tapping on the screen.

"Oh, Inez, you just about ready to leave?" Jackie asked, walking over to her friend. Inez glanced over her shoulder, startled.

"Y-yes, just about done."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right, Inez? You don't have to be scared of us."

"I'm-I'm not."

Shari took a step closer and Inez shifted to block the kiosk screen from view. The wizard just shrugged at Jackie, then looked around with disinterest. Just then, her eyes alighted on a silvery cyborg walking toward them.

"Here comes Allen Gorinthm."

"Who's he?" asked Jackie.

"He's the one who designed Amazin'," Shari explained, adding under her breath, "He's probably going to try to sell us something." She nodded toward the angular figure as he drew closer. "Hi Al."

"Good afternoon, Shari, and who are these lovely companions of yours?"

"This is Jackie, and that's Inez."

"Ah, members of Motherboard's Cybersquad," Al said in recognition. "It is an honor and a privilege having you here. I hope you found everything you were looking for. We have everything here! Amazin' is you're one-stop shopping destination because we're just amazing!"

"And humble," whispered Jackie to Shari. To Al, she said, "This is a really cool space. I found everything I was wanting."

Swish! Ding!

"What was that!" cried Jackie as a little circular drone appeared beside her head, making a funny noise.

"That is my latest invention, meant to improve your shopping experience," Al said proudly. "It's a cookie. It takes note of the items you've purchased in the past, so you can more easily purchase them again. It also alerts you to related items you might like based on your previous purchases. Let's see."

Taking the "cookie" into his wiry hands, Al tapped the screen on its underside. An image of a pair of gold hoop earrings appeared on the screen along with the words "Suggested Item." "It would appear that your cookie thinks this item would go along well with something else you've already purchased," Al said.

Jackie took a look at the image. "You're right. Those would look great with the dress I just bought. And they are so cute."

Al smiled. "You can press the blue button and it will be added to your next order."

"All right!" Jackie exclaimed.

"Now is there anything else I can help you ladies with?" Al asked.

"I really think we should be leaving," Shari said, looking at the watch she hastily made appear on her wrist. "Thank you all the same."

"My pleasure," the cyborg said, bowing and walking away.

Shari rolled her eyes at Jackie. "You don't know how lucky you are. He'd have kept us buying related items for half an hour or more." She turned to Inez. She could see the "Transaction Complete" message was up on the kiosk screen. "All set?"

Inez's package dropped onto the waiting drone, and Inez programed in the parking space number. "All set," she replied, following her friends out of Amazin'.

o.0.o

"So, what are your plans for the rest of your stay in Cyberspace?" Shari asked over her shoulder to Inez as the three rode to Radopolis in the cyberpod.

"Date night with Slider tonight," Inez answered, grinning.

"I love how you two still go out even after being married," Jackie responded.

Just then the squakpad on the dashboard of the cyberpod lit up and Matt appeared on the screen. "Jacks, is Shari there?"

"Whatever happened to 'hello'?" Jackie wanted to know.

Crash! Something broke off-screen. Matt's face was red. Shari leaned over to see the squakpad.

"Shari, you need to come home right away! They're tearing the place up!"

"Don't know how to handle your own kids?" Jackie could not help teasing.

Matt frowned. "Any child-rearing training I got was on how to raise human kids, not wizards!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of purple then a frog with red hair appeared on the screen.

"Yeek!" Jackie shrieked.

"Stay calm, Matt," Shari advised. "I'll be home in a few minutes." Then to Jackie, she added, "I must admit the twins are getting better. Last week they turned him into a feathered puffer-fish."

A fox tail swished behind the frog just before the screen went black. "I won't go congratulating their accomplishments yet," Jackie remarked.

By now, the pod had pulled up in front of the apartment building where Inez and Slider stayed while visiting Cyberspace. Inez gathered up her parcels and hopped out. "Thanks for the lift," she said.

"No problem," Shari returned, waving. "Have a good evening."

Within a moment, the cyberpod was zoomming away through Cyberspace towards Control Central where Shari was going to drop off Jackie before continuing home. Jackie was already gathering up her things to make a hasty departure the second they landed.

"I think I'm missing something," she realized. "Did I get those yellow shoes? Maybe I forgot to add them to my cart. I wish I could look back over my order."

Swish! Ding!

"Huh?" Jackie gave a startled glance over her shoulder, surprised to find the cookie drone there. "Great!" Jackie quickly flipped it over to look at the screen and review her order.

Meanwhile, Shari had a horrified expression. "What's that doing here? The cookies aren't supposed to leave the cybersite! Can you imagine all the kinds of trouble those things could get you into if someone else was to get hold your search history?"

"Oh, man, you're right," Jackie agreed. "We need to go complain to Allen Gorinthm right away!"