Digit screamed as a yet another surge of electricity was pumped through his circuits. Hacker had so far been making good on his promise of torture, finding new and unusual ways to punish him for his "sins". He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but it couldn't have been more than two or three days. He was beginning to believe the lies Hacker had told him about his friends not caring enough to rescue him. After all, they should have already come.
"No, Dige, snap out of it. They're probably still stranded on Eureeka. Yeah, that's it. As soon as they find a way off and find out what's happened to Motherboard they'll come for me."
"Talking to yourself again, Digit?" Hacker asked, entering the room.
"Better to myself than to you!" Digit snapped.
"What was that, cyberturkey?" Digit didn't answer. "That's what I thought. Without your precious Motherboard and her little earthbrats you're nothing! But then, you never were, were you? No, you're my sorriest excuse of an invention yet. I regret the day I booted you up."
Now that one hurt. Of course he knew that Hacker had never particularly cared for him, but still. To be told you weren't wanted, it hurt.
"Maybe I should up the voltage," the egotistical cyborg mumbled to himself, examining the device he had attached to the cybird.
It was designed to shock him intermittently and randomly when Hacker wasn't around. In Digit's opinion it was highly effective, and he whimpered at the thought of a higher setting. Hearing him, Hacker grinned and twirled the dial, setting it a few notches higher. Digit's screams rang through the air, music to the cyborg's ears. Buzz and Delete, safely halls away, cringed in sympathy.
Matt, Inez, and JAckie held their breath as they waited to see if the cyborg would breathe again. Her chest slowly fell and rose again, gradually beginning to create a steady rhythm. Pale purple eyelids fluttered, and they gasped.
"Doctor Marbles," Matt whispered, "I think you'd better have a look at this."
He turned around, gasping as well when he saw the cyborg moving. The cyborg twitched, eyelids fluttering more rapidly before stilling completely. Her eyes opened, electric blue sweeping across the room and taking in her surroundings. Her gaze settled on Marbles and she smiled, radiating warmth and security.
"Mother B?" Jackie asked, breaking the silence.
The woman turned to look at her.
"Hello, Jackie," she said in an extremely familiar voice.
Cheers and shouts of joy went up, Motherboard smiling through it all. She stood up and disconnected the wires linking her to the control panel, finding herself wrapped in the arms of three sobbing children. For the first time, she returned the show of affection, hugging them back.
"Motherboard, it's really you!" Inez sobbed, looking up at the woman.
"Yes, it's really me. Thank you, cybermates, you saved me." She looked to Marbles, who was also wiping a stray tear. "And thank you, Doctor Marbles. Without you this wouldn't be possible."
He coughed awkwardly.
"Yes, well, it was nothing. I'm curious though; how do you feel?"
"Better than I've felt in years. Why?" Motherboard asked in confusion.
"Because this data transfer didn't cure your virus. Perhaps your circuitry is still booting up, or maybe it's settling into the new circuits. Either way, be prepared for it, because it will happen," he answered.
"Well we can't have everything I suppose." She looked back down at the kids who were clinging to her for dear life, as if they were afraid she would disappear again. "It's okay," she soothed. "Everything will be okay."
Matt and Jackie slowly relinquished their grip, backing away and wiping their tears. Inez, though she loosened her hold, didn't let go. Motherboard didn't seem to mind, running her fingers through the girl's hair.
"I suggest we form a plan to defeat Hacker, or at the very least rescue Digit," Marbles said, bringing attention back to the matter at hand.
"I agree, but Hacker shouldn't be made aware of anything until the last moment possible," Motherboard said.
"This won't be easy. He's already proven to be extremely unstable. Keeping him in the dark will be nearly impossible, especially when we regain Digit."
"It can be done. Unfortunately, with my monitor and software destroyed I cannot locate the Grim Wreaker."
"Maybe we can," Inez said. Everyone looked at her. "What I mean is," she began, gripping the fabric of Motherboard's dress more tightly, "is that we tracked you, Doctor Marbles. Maybe we could use the skwaks for the same thing, but with Hacker. The Grim Wreaker is bound to emit a high energy signature, I bet we can track that."
"Inez, you're a genius!" Matt yelled, causing her to blush.
"That is a wonderful idea with a probable outcome. Good job, Inez," Marbles praised, reaching for a skwakpad.
Matt handed him his, and he got to work, scanning for the Grim Wreaker.
"Boss! Boss!" Buzz yelled, interrupting the torture of Digit.
"What?! Can't you see I'm busy?"
"We just thought you should know there was just a major power spike at Control Central."
"Yeah, a big one. Now their power's almost gone," Delete added.
"What?! But that's impossible! The only way they could use that much power at once is if they've rebooted that clanking cacophony of circuits they call Motherboard!"
"Maybe they did, Boss. Those earthbrats are probably there now and you know how much they love her."
"Yeah! Is that possible, Boss?" Delete asked.
"No, it shouldn't be. Unless…" Hacker trailed off. "Unless there was a backdoor."
"Huh?" both robots asked.
"Zip it! Both of you, keep an eye on Control Central and tell me if anything happens. The slightest thing."
"Gotcha, Boss!" Buzz said.
"We're on it!" Delete added.
Hacker waited until they were gone before turning back to Digit. The small cybird lay panting in the bottom of the cage, his circuits nearly fried from the constant electrical torture.
"What's going on at Control Central?" he snarled.
"I dunno! I swear!"
He screamed as one of his panels was popped open.
"One more time. What's going on at Control Central? Is there any way Motherboard could be rebooted?"
"No! You killed her, you monster!" Digit yelled, pain masking his fear.
Hacker's eye twitched and he reached inside Digit, pulling out a handful of cables. Digit howled in pain, his wings twitching and flapping sporadically. Hacker took out his frustrations on the cybird, alternately shocking him and taking him apart. He stopped just short of shutting him down, wanting him to be around long enough to witness his total domination of Cyberspace. He leaned close to Digit's face.
"If I find that those earthbrats managed to reboot Motherboard I will take you apart one wire at a time."
Digit cringed back, sparks shooting from his core. He watched the cyborg sweep out of the room, glaring weakly at his back.
"They'll stop you, Hacker. I just know they will," he muttered before losing consciousness.
Doctor Marbles had yet to find any sign of the Grim Wreaker, mostly due to the weakness of the skwakpad. Matt, Jackie, and Inez were discussing rescue plans for Digit, and Motherboard was examining her new body. She looked almost entirely different, the only similarities in her skin and hair color. She stood a little taller than most cyborgs, nearly Doctor Marbles' height, at about five and a half cyber meters, give or take a few inches. Her hair was wavy and just brushed her shoulders, highlighting her blue eyes.
Her frame was petite, and rather than the usual robotic shape of most cyborgs, she was fashioned after human women, or, considering her designer, perhaps Lady Lovelace. She supposed by society's standards she could be considered pretty, maybe even beautiful under the right circumstances, though it didn't matter to her. She was more concerned with the fact that she had a body, not what it looked like. At least she could do things for herself.
Doctor Marbles' cry of triumph drew her attention.
"I think I've got it! It appears as though the Wreaker is on course for Pyramida, though it's not traveling at its usual speed and appears to be exuding an extraordinary amount of energy."
Motherboard took a step toward him, only for a wave of dizziness to wash over her. She stopped, her vision blurring, the sounds of the children's excited voices becoming a dull roar as she began to sway. Her vision darkened, and the next thing she knew she was on the ground with everyone surrounding her.
"Are you alright, Motherboard?" Matt asked, offering her a hand.
"I...I think so," she said, accepting his help.
"What happened?" Doctor Marbles asked.
"I'm not sure. One moment I was fine and the next I was dizzy."
"Hmm, perhaps the virus is settling into your circuits. Would you permit me to examine you?"
"Of course, whatever you feel is necessary," she answered.
He led her into another room, leaving the kids alone.
"Do you think she's okay?" Inez asked.
"I dunno. Oh man, what if it's the virus? What if it makes her really sick?" Jackie panicked.
"Calm down, Jacks. We don't know what's wrong. Maybe it's just a loose wire or something. Besides, and don't take this the wrong way, at least Motherboard's back, right?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, but what if in this form Hacker's virus is strong enough to kill her?" Inez asked.
They grew quiet, the thought of such a thing never having crossed their minds. The air seemed to thicken with despair as each imagined that outcome.
"Snap out of it, guys. That won't happen," Matt said when he couldn't take the oppressive atmosphere any longer.
"You're right, Matt," Inez agreed.
"Yeah, what's the worst that could happen?" Jackie asked.
They turned, ceasing all conversation as a door hissed open, signalling Doctor Marbles Motherboard's return.
"Well?" Matt asked when neither moved to speak.
"My virus has surfaced," Motherboard sighed. "Right now it isn't creating much damage but Doctor Marbles fears that over time it will progressively worsen."
"How much worse?" Jackie asked.
"It could potentially shut her down," Marbles said.
"What?!" the three chorused.
"How long will it take?" Inez asked, glancing uneasily at the woman she considered a second mother.
"There is not enough data for me to determine." He took a step closer. "It is now more vital than ever that we find a cure. Without her firewall there is nothing to keep the virus at bay. It could be growing stronger as we speak. We must find the mineral deposit I was telling you about. But first, we must rescue Digit."
"But how?" Jackie asked.
"We'll think of something, we always do," Matt said.
"We'd better think fast, otherwise…" Inez trailed, unwilling to finish the thought.
"We'll help in any way we can," Motherboard said.
"Thanks, Motherboard," Inez said with a smile. "Alright, before we do anything let's find a floor plan of the Grim Wreaker and see what we're up against."