Sam looked at the three men and machine huddled in the small space of the vent and made a decision that she hoped she would not later regret.
"There is a third option." She said out loud.
"Yeah go on." Said Lister looking hopeful.
"Before the virus took hold, I had friends, friends in the Holo Hat circle." She said, but was interrupted by Rimmer.
"OH really how very nice, friends huh, and how does this help us exactly!"
"Well, my friends were hologram program hackers and they were working on a cure before." She stooped going quite and looking sullen.
"Before what?" asked the Cat.
She pulled herself together and continued. "Before they got infected too." She finished.
"And did these dudes finish the cure?" asked Lister.
"I think so, I was left this by them." She said holding out a small computer slug in the palm of her hand.
"What is it?" asked the Cat.
"I believe it's a Mainframe computer slug, more commonly used for Mainframe program enhancement uploads." Said Kryten inspecting the device.
"Yes that's right, but I have not been able to up-link with the Mainframe to try it, but you might be able to help." She said looking at Kryten.
"Mechinoids have a mainframe interface socket do they not Kryten." She asked.
"Why yes, standard issue on the 4000 issue mam." Said Kryren looking pleased at being helpful.
The others all looked at him until he twigged.
"Oh, well spin my nibble nuts, I can upload the cure can't I. Let me see, I'll need a Mainframe terminal."
Sam intervened. "Should be one about three rooms along in the local security office."
Kryten continued. "a screwdriver set."
Lister chipped in. "Easy, there is bound to be something lying around."
"and a wet wipe." Finished Kryten.
"A wet wipe, what's that for?" inquired Rimmer.
"I'm not sticking my interface into any old dirty socket." Replied Kryten.
Lister and the Cat smirked and Rimmer chastised them. "Oh come on you two grow up."
"Sounds like a plan to me, let's find Kryters something to interface with." Said Lister still smirking.
Lister, Sam and Kryten peered out of the ceiling vent down into the security room, behind them the Cat fidgeted while Rimmer muttered to himself.
"Hey what can you see?" asked the Cat trying to get a view.
Lister turned around and made a motion to be quite.
"Hey Shhhh man, the coast looks clear but we don't want to invite any friends to the party."
The Cat frowned. "Hey, we are having a party, why did no one tell me, I'm not dressed for partying and anyway aren't we meant to be finding this Maingame thingy?"
Rimmer sighed. "No you stupid moggy, he means the Zombies, we don't want to invite the zombies."
The Cat raised his eyebrows. "Hey I'm not stupid, of course we don't want to invite the zombies. I mean they would ruin the atmosphere for one, all that moaning and groaning."
"I'm going down there guys, be ready to pull me back up at the first sign of trouble." Said Lister dropping down into the small security room below.
He looked around at the banks of blank security screens and panels with lights and zone numbers. He started to search the draws, paper clips, rubber pencils, half eaten boiled sweet, bingo, screw driver set.
He looked up at Kryten and Sams faces in the vent. "I've got the set, it looks clear Kryters come on down.
Kryten, Sam and the others each dropped to the floor, Rimmer took the longest, half dangling in mid air as he refused to let go. In the end Kryten and Lister had to hang on his legs to get him to drop.
Kryten turned to Lister who appeared to be sucking something. "Err sir, that's not what I think it is in your mouth is it?" said Kryten looking slightly disgusted.
Lister raised his hands in protest. "What? Findsee keepsee is my moto."
"Well I just hope you don't catch anything, now if you would step to one side, I will see if I can interface with this terminal."
Lister moved aside and rolled the sweet from one side of his mouth to the other.
"Arr yes here we go. Mam can I have the slug please." Said Kryten snapping open one of his fingers to revel a socket.
Sam passed him the small slug and watched as he slotted into his finger housing.
Kryten twitched for a second then pulled a small lead from his waist and plugged it into the terminal.
"Not long now, just need to run my interface program. Interface program complete, downloading software. Won't be long now." Said Kryten tapping his fingers together.
Rimmer tutted. "I hate this bit, always takes forever downloading, now matter how fast you think your connection is, somehow it takes too dam long."
The Cat who had wondered off stuck his head around the corner of the entrance door. "Hey, I don't mean to be all down beat, but I agree with goalpost head. It's just I think we've got company."
A low moan resonated down the corridor outside the room.
"Smeg, they have found us. How long Kryten." Said Lister.
"Two minutes." Said Kryten.
"Rimmer help me move this cabinet in front of the door." Said Lister grabbing one side of the large metal frame.
They half slid half dragged the cabinet into position as the first thuds rained down on the door from outside.
Rimmer had a thought that troubled him. "How long will this cure take to work?" he asked.
Sam shook her head. "I don't know."
Lister turned to Krytern. "Any ideas Kryters?"
"It seems it should be fairly quick once the cure reaches the infected code. There all done, the cure is uploaded" Said Kryten unplugging the interface lead from his finger and snapping it back into place.
"So we sit here and wait do we, and hope that Mr and Mrs Zombie out there don't make it too us before this cure makes it to them." Said Rimmer crouching on the floor.
The banging on the door seemed to grow louder. Then they noticed that Sam had started juddering in the corner. Slowly at first but now was almost a blurr of mixed colour. Finally she stopped, and clasped onto the floor. The banging outside stopped too.
"Has it worked?" asked the Cat.
"Either that, or they have decided to go for a pizza?" said Rimmer sarcastically.
Lister looked at Kryten who was bending over Sam. "Best guess some sort of Hologramatic sleep cycle." He said to the questioning look on Listers face.
Rimmer and Lister pulled the cabinet aside and Lister slowly opened the door to the smallest of gaps. He peered out. Outside he could see two figures lying still and on their backs.
"Great so until they and she wakes up we are not going to know if it's worked or if we are locked in here with a newly made zombie. I say we move her outside and close the door." Said Rimmer.
"Smeg off Rimmer, no ones moving anyone. It'll worked OK." Said Lister firmly.
Ten minutes pasted until finally a groan came from Sams lips.
"Oh smeg, see I told you." Said Rimmer.
"Wait a sec, that's not a zombie moan. Sam can you hear me?" said Lister leaning over her.
Her eyes flicked open and she grinned. "Yes thanks, what about the others?"
Lister looked back to see the Cat looking out of the door and grinning.
"I'd say things are just fine." Said Lister seeing the excited look on the Cats face.
The Mall bustled with holograms. Everywhere they looked someone was going to or fro from shop to shop or person to person. The place had really come alive. Sam walked over from her friends to Lister and the crew.
"Is that them then, the holo hats?" asked Lister nodding to the group she had just left.
"Yes, that's them, they say thanks." Said Sam giving Lister a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey what's that for?" said Lister smirking.
"That's thank you from me, if you and your friends had not come along I would still be hiding under that counter. But now look, the Mall is alive again." She said looking around.
"Shame we can't stay." Said Lister.
"Why not, after all you are exclusive customers now." Said Sam winking.
"Let's just say I think we have had enough of shopping for now." Said Lister looking to the others who nodded.
"Well if you ever change your minds, we will be here." Said Sam, turning and re-joining her friends.
Kryten moved closer to Lister. "Sir, there is no reason why we could not stay for a while."
Lister turned to face him. "Yes there is, shes out there somewhere and I'm going to find her." Lister turned and walked towards docking port D and Starbug.
The others shrugged and followed.
The End.