Sorry for the inconvenience, I was at ACEN 2013 yesterday and didn't get home until 2AM, plus being hungover a bit. For this, I will be releasing four chapters instead of three like usual; back to three chapters on Saturday. Thanks for the wait.
Matt felt more alive and decide to drive the vehicle with Inez beside him. More sure he could protect her and succeed finding anything important.
"We should probably head to that ghost town we stopped at. There wasn't anybody around; I wonder if we can get some clues of what they left." Inez said.
"This is not right; we haven't seen any civilians since we got here...well...I had made contact with a friendly." Matt admitted. Inez whirled at him.
"You what?" Inez had to clarify.
"When I went down there to the old military base, a friendly help me out with getting some documents." Matt was surprisingly walking around with as he pulled from his back pocket. "I don't see much use to them thought...just makes me more angry at the vile things Hacker has done."
Inez glanced at each document, aware that these were reports of missing civilians that could be actually still missing, or KIA. She read out loud an article that was prior to Hacker's regime and the Cyberspace's downfall.
"'Cyberspace doomed in downfall of Motherboard: Hacker is King.'" She paused, looking at Matt. "That's the headline. This was dated back 20 cyberyears ago. Around the time Max was created; around the time before we were exiled."
"Read some more." Matt insisted. Then he added, "Even though it's disgusting me." Inez's eyes went back to the paper.
"The citizens of Cyberspace mourns of the execution of Motherboard; who had to be put down due to a terrible virus that made her wreak havoc upon Cyberspace. It was stated that the earthlings contributed to this when they had tried finding a chip that would upgrade her systems. It was rumored that they wanted to take over Cyberspace and outsmart Motherboard and made her malfunction." Inez said bitterly.
Mat growled. "That's a load of bullshit. Right there! That's Hacker!"
Inez agreed. "He made a flawless plan to convince the people who we helped that we were traitors. Why would we-"
"No Inez." Matt grimaced pointing below them. "I mean, there he is."
Inez looked down and saw his ship parked below them. Her eyes widen.
"Drive slower." Inez said lowly as if Hacker was standing behind them. Matt's knuckles were white around the wheel. He couldn't stand it. He had the perfect opportunity to charge Hacker, but with Inez along it would be selfish and too risky.
"Oh, I'm so going at Mach 1." Matt said sarcastically. He drove at a normal speed. A normal ship flying normally in the all-but-not-so-safe haven of Cyberspace. Then Matt's bones shivered and the hair on his neck stood up.
"You up there! Stop now!" Called one of Hacker's drones. The two teens held to their seats as Matt had to choose between running away or holding out. Quickly, do something. Hesitantly, Matt parked the vehicle in the suspended space.
"Matt, we can't be seen." Inez tried to keep calm. "I'll go look for anything useful in the back." She got up and looked in crates in the next room.
Matt looked around before he saw the button to darken their windshield. They had to disguise themselves somehow.
"Inez? I would really like to know one of your brilliant plans while your hiding away in the next room." Matt hinted that she should hurry up. Inez rushed out holding two packs of what looked like silver foil suits.
"Put these on. Let's hope they actually work." As Inez slipped the suit on over herself, placed the helmet over her head, and pulled on the yellow rubber gloves. Matt quickly did the same. They sat back as the drone approached their ship with a light.
"You're in violation for bypassing the one true king of Cyberspace without acknowledging his authority." The drone reported. "Do you realize you are guilty of treason?" Matt scoffed.
"My ass." He muttered behind the mask, forgetting he was on microphone. The drone pointed his light at him.
"You have something to say peasant?" The drone threatened. Matt held the urge to snicker. Peasant? Who designed these things?
Inez turned to Matt, indicating to improv. Matt gritted his teeth as he put on a sorry-act. He sighed loudly, impersonating a weirder voice.
"I'm so very sorry! You see, we were rushing to work and usually I'm not very aware of my surroundings. So I have my clumsy partner look out and she was distracted and didn't warn me!" Matt spoke into a mic that translated his voice to be more masked and filtered.
The drone contemplated, "Well, the king will forgive you if you return to his presence at once and hail him."
Matt growled, then took a breath, "At his mercy."
Matt turned the ship around as he glanced at Inez carefully watching as the drone's ship escorted theirs to Hacker's. Matt forgot how massive his ship was; realizing it wasn't the old Grim Wreaker. Streaked with purple, green, and red, it provided several levels of occupancy that could hold thousands of people. It was a flying Titanic.
Matt parked the ship besides the massive ship. The drone parked before them; still flashing a light at Matt.
"Your Majesty, these workers would like to apologize for their absent-minded pass over on your behalf." The drone attempted to communicate.
At once there were silence, not a word or movement of any sort for a minute. Matt reached over and held Inez's gloved hand firmly. Let us pass, please please please.
Hacker's ship lit up and then Matt heard a voice. "I'm waiting."
Matt flared; for sure it was Hacker. His voice creep on his skin and made him burn with fury. He sighed irritably as he gripped the wheel.
"We are so sorry for passing by not noticing your presence!" Inez acted along. It was Matt who was silent. Hacker was probably sitting on his throne awaiting the other one to speak.
"If I'm still sitting here, expecting something else." Hacker's voice was growing irritated, "It's obvious that there is two people occupying this ship. Which means there is two apologies I expect! Or do I expect treason?"
Matt flinched. His head snapped up to the direction of Hacker's ship as he breathed in deep. He couldn't make a bold move as he constantly thought of Inez as a driven engine to crawl away from his insanity. So that he doesn't do something like call Hacker a crude name and fly off; creating more problems. He had to be smart about this.
"I'm very sorry sir. Forgive me." Matt said in the filtered mic, almost ached with bitterness. Hacker sighed as he seemed to sit back to think of his decision.
"Good. Now get out of my sight. Before I change my mind." Hacker said as Matt turned the ship and continued at a faster speed. He clutched the wheel.
"Matt?" Inez took off the helmet. "What was with you?"
Matt groaned, "You just don't know Inez...a lot went through my mind when I heard him. I wanted to..." he paused trying to focus on driving as his blinked his burning eyes. "I wanted to just kill him right there and then. And not just the old-fashioned way, no... I wanted to kill him brutally and..."
"Shh." As Inez rushed beside him holding his hand. "You're still traumatized. After what Hacker did to you..."
Matt released his grip on the wheel, forgetting where exactly they were and letting the ship go auto for a moment "Where are we going?"
Inez leaned over on the deck, pointing ahead, "Nowhere specific. Any place that could help us find a clue."
Matt reached an arm around Inez and held her close to him. "If you weren't here, I wouldn't be alive now."
Inez rested a hand on his back, still standing, "We're here for each other."
Matt gained himself again and gripped the wheel. Wherever the ship took them; they would find something. Some sliver of hope buried in the deep debris left by battles and old cities and civilians.