Chapter 21: As Pheidippides Ran to Athens II
3. Mr. Higure Yamitaro's Gift
Shortly after being released from the oppressions of law enforcement, Higure found himself theoretically unbound but technically useless. The world embraced him with harsh reality, like a desert without an oasis, that he never dreamed he would be required to face, in his certain naivete, even when he took that godforsaken shark loan from WWW. His newly acquired criminal record meant that no employment was to be available to him—it was like a brand of slavery, completely destroying his future in an instant, rendering all the values of his previous education worthless. Back in the democratic society in which a man's existence is only permitted as long as he does not die or pay taxes, Higure breathed, ate, agonized, and paid taxes. Taxes! His immediate unemployed status was to make him exempt from many duties to the state, but the man, sinking into a confused solitude after the economic and social disaster he wrought upon himself, did not update his status nor challenge the IRS. He hid himself from the world, inside his room, for the amount of shame on his shoulders forbade him from facing the public once again. What little worm-like expeditions he made to the most nearby convenience stores were always tainted by the paranoia of his faint heart; every gaze, every murmur, every person his amygdala interpreted as directed towards him with unkind intentions. In his education, he knew that it was simply not true—could not be true—but so great was his guilt that lingered in his conscience, that he continued in his transformed state of a prey-like creature.
His bank account dwindled, while his body still hungered, his eyes still tired, and his rent still demanded. With this simple arithmetic, Higure was forcibly taken out from the mist of his mind. He had several options to sustain himself. One was entering the labor market, seeking bottom positions in construction sites; a mathematician with no physical foundation, such as himself? It was an impossibility. An employment in the service sector, a position that will not take into account his criminal record? Well, Higure had no social skills, if not talented in ruining his existing ones. Wasting away his life in the cycle of welfare applications, barely staying alive with the crumbs that the government will so graciously bestow him? An equilibrium that he was headed to with all certainty, but to survive in such ignominy—especially should he be found by any of his past acquaintances—he was not prepared to accept.
Higure collected himself and decided that should he perish he should do so while doing what he wanted, not what he needed. In effect, the rationale behind the decision was the same as the tradition of a lavish last meal of a death-row inmate right before the execution, granting himself a wish at the expense of all that he had left. Nevertheless, such a daring one-last effort required a heroic defiance, like that of Theseus or Enkidu. At the corner of his memories was a time he spent as a student of mathematics, which was a time colored with happiness and unfulfilled hopes, and from this past, he extracted one last courage to fuel his recklessness. So it was done: he collected all that was left in his bank account, took whatever loans and favors he could shamelessly gather, found a vacancy in a commercial district in ACDC town—a fortune that he interpreted as a guidance of heaven which consequently only reinforced his misbegotten confidence—, and opened a shop.
A shop specializing in battlechips and netbattlings it was. In hindsight, his decision to choose a locale in which the memory of his trespassings was still fresh among the inhabitants might have been an unwise one; some pedestrians, several among them mothers of children enrolled in the ACDC Elementary, shamelessly peered into the store and its owner with eagerness and excited suspicion, sometimes even...ah, I see. Readers, it seems that I have lost your attention in elaborating on how Mr. Higure Yamitaro rose from the ashes of his past and established himself as a respectable member of the ACDC neighborhood. You are absolutely correct in that none of this is a particularly important development in the story of our Hikari brothers, though I found the restoration of Higure quite inspiring...very well, very well! I will stop! I shall drop this matter here, so, please, please don't go...it suffices to say that in the reintegration of Higure back into society, against the general mistrust, Dr. Yuichiro and Mrs. Haruka Hikari had their parts in it, because they wanted to teach Netto that forgiveness, just like vengeance, had consequences of their own.
At any rate,
"As I said before, I have nothing more to tell you guys, huh!"
was the extent of the hospitality the Hikari brothers received as they approached the counter of this shop. A little side-effect of pestering Higure too many times. I mean, who can fault a man for becoming annoyed at repeated questions about the past that he wanted to bury? Higure, then, having a naturally soft heart, checked Netto to see if he had been too harsh and potentially hurt the boy's feelings, realized that it was neither but that he had been too assumptive—that the boy's coming was not in any way tied to asking him once more about the way to contact WWW—and quickly let the kindness of his heart beat out his attitude.
"Oh-oh! I'm sorry, I'm terribly sorry, really, didn't know you came for other than, you know, that- ah, what am I talking about? Sorry, sorry! So what can I do for you today, huh?
"...Higsby, you are truly something. I should've recorded your face just now. How do you make it change...so fast?"
"Call it expressive, huh! I truly tell you, ladies love an expressive man who understands their heart, huh!"
"...Right."
As far as Netto was aware, Higure had no success with ladies. Not once. Well, it was obvious to outside observers that his romance-repellent aura was rooted someplace else...
"You don't believe me, huh? Well, you will see, one of these days-"
"I believe you, Higsby." Netto cut off the nonsense in complete unbelief. "I'm just here to give you this."
Netto handed over a memo, folded into a neat envelope through an impeccable origami technique.
"From Ms. Miyu, to you. You know, that gothic dress lady running a strange shop?"
"From...Ms. Miyu, huh? Of course I know...of course I know her...huh...what could this possibly mean?"
"You do?" said Netto. To his amusement, Higure accepted the envelope with enthusiastic anticipation, like a person who received a lottery ticket, or maybe even an oracle. The man unfolded the paper with a certain deference and focus; in that effort, Higure suddenly appeared to be a man of integrity and dependable masculinity, while his ever-present air of uncouth immaturity that poured out of him every time he spoke about battle-chips (his passion that had become his business) somehow disappeared. A man focused, in his workplace! It was a clear demonstration of a masculine quality that predated the civilization, a scene that called to the primal instinct of womankind. A marvel to behold! Netto conjectured that if Higure could maintain this focus and seriousness, someone would surely fall for him.
"I...yes, how can I forget?" Higure spoke in a subdued voice. Netto could not tell whether the man was speaking to himself as a reminder or answering the question. "I was able to buy this place because of her...no, the story is not a simple one. You won't believe it. I still can't believe it...sometimes...She told me to go to some places, meet some people, say some things, and then...I mean, it's like a dream. A very good one at that. At the same time, obtaining something through a series of impossibly fortunate events makes you feel that everything can also be taken away in the blink of an eye, just as they came...and..."
Higure's voice progressively diminished as his introspection became louder, culminating in complete silence as he began to read the message. Once he was finished, he looked at Netto, read the letter the second time, crumpled it in a fit of some overwhelming feeling—maybe anxiety—, quickly uncrumpled it with great regret, then refolded it into a neat envelope shape just as how it was at the beginning, although now creased. His hands trembled while holding onto that damaged paper. A deep sigh ensued.
"...What? What's written in there?"
Higure said nothing, but went into his small office through the door that was behind his counter. He came back with an unlabeled chip in his hand after a few minutes.
"...Netto..." Higure opened his mouth with much difficulty. It was evident that he was choosing his words in order to suit that which was resonating in his spirit. "...This is what happens...happens..."
Higure bent forward, and then whispered so only Netto could hear.
"...when you sin."
"...?"
"...You will understand once you do, and I hope that you never understand. Sooner or later, it comes back and bites at you, and you are forced to face it...and to me, that time is now. I hoped it would never come. I wanted to bury it, and never look at it again. Netto, I really did. Oh, what am I saying to you, a little boy only? But, I have to tell you this, because this is what you are looking for, and nothing good comes from them."
"Them?"
"The WWW."
Higure spoke that abbreviation with a resolute face, which is, to a man, a face of regret that stems from the austerity towards the past self who was so foolish. Therefore, he repeated, so that Netto would not repeat his foolishness and his warning sufficiently carried over.
"Nothing good comes from them."
"...Right."
"No, you don't understand...but, if I am going to send you into that place...into that rabbit hole..."
Higure repositioned himself, comfortably leaning against the counter, but still holding onto that chip.
"Netto, do you know the story of Alice in Wonderland? Ah, so you heard about it? Good. It's an adventure story. At your age, everything will look like an adventure, and children are quick to follow strangers or dream of strange places...but the place you are looking for, it's not a fantastic rabbit hole that will take you to a wonderland. It's a den of thieves, all hungry wolves. They will beckon you with smile, and then constrict you sweetly...I honestly do not understand why Ms. Miyu is telling me to give you this. What is 'that which must happen' anyway? Why should it involve you, out of all people?
"When I first contacted WWW, I was in a bad place. A dark alleyway? No, I mean, yes, huh! In every way, Netto, be it socially or financially...I was lost. So I made a foolish decision and became indebted to them. Netto, don't be indebted. It ruins a man. It takes away freedom, and even God cannot help you in that prison, because you signed for it. Either give or take away, but don't borrow...Huh, who am I talking to, right? Your father, Dr. Yuichiro, would know more about this than anyone. But I still have to say, because I can't imagine him knowing you doing this. See? You are not saying anything. Your silence is an admittance in a way. Don't worry, don't worry! I won't tell him! I promise! Apparently, this is far more complicated and...necessary than I can fathom.
"But it does not change the fact that I am doing something terrible by handing this over to you. In debt, I did many things. I was forced to do them. What I did ate away at my soul...and now I am free. I have to thank you for that, in a way, because you stopped me and...I'm sorry for what I did. I really am. I'm still sorry even though I know you don't mind anymore. I did something terrible as a grown-up in an Elementary school. Do you know what that means? It means, at that moment, I was better off to have a millstone hung around my neck and thrown into the sea. I really, really, don't-"
"It's okay, Higsby."
Higure stopped his rant as if he was shot by a bullet. The man stared at the boy. Outwardly, it was so; the truth was, Higure was so moved by that one word of assurance, which was the crystalization of forgiveness he was seeking for, that he stared at the space between him and Netto, trying to witness the words themselves. The words echoed in his mind; he understood that this moment would be immortalized in his mind, marking the beginning of his true repentance. So all he could say afterwards was,
"...Huh. It's...okay...right. Yeah. Huh. Okay..."
The chip slid off of Higure's grip, landing itself on the counter. For a time, Higure contemplatively looked at the chip that just escaped from him, and then suddenly opened his eyes wide, appearing surprised.
"Ha...haha...there, there it goes. My past. And I thought it would be...more...more...heavier. Huh. I guess it was only as much as I was holding it. Netto, take it. It's yours now."
"What's...in here?"
"Undernet access instruction, 10,000 zennies...it's the cryptocurrency accepted as the standard currency in the undernet..., customer code to contact WWW, and, uh, well the rest you can check for yourself."
"...Thank you, Higsby."
"Thank? No, don't, Netto Hikari. You should thank me when I take it away from you...Take it and go before my regret consumes me and I change my mind."
"Still, thank you."
"I hope you find what you want. Or need."
Netto took the chip. No more words were necessary. Both nodded at each other, and Netto turned around towards the exit. As the boy was going out, a customer came into the shop. She was a Scilab personnel according to the ID card hanging from her neck, and Higure immediately returned to his original dorky self, exuding a strange mix of trustworthiness coming from his vast knowledge of battle chips and embarrassing directness coming from his improper honesty about almost everything.
From Higure's unrestrained display of his natural personality, Rockman sensed peace and freedom. There was nothing pressing down on that man's shoulders anymore. What was on there instead was the small happiness of an ordinary and structured life. It was the priceless happiness of a life sustained by work and order. It was a kind of future he wished to obtain with Netto, for the sake of Netto, or so he thought, while in truth it was he who sought it so urgently. So close. He could almost see it. So far away. Impossibly far away. The humble life of happiness Higure achieved looked so brilliant to him, that he was mesmerized. In that mesmerization, his tongue was unbridled. Then, through his unguarded mouth, a fragment of his thought escaped.
"...Will I ever be able to reach that?"
"Hm? Rockman, did you say something?"
"Ah, it's nothing, Netto kun."
It was everything.
4. Undernet
The preparation for the trip is the fun in itself, as the joy of expectation makes the heart as light as a feather, causing the person to perceive everything as sparkling and fragrant. When the future holds light, the life becomes bright, a symphony to the soul. When the future is bleak, life becomes worthless, a cacophony played by serrated blades. So Rockman and Netto, when they came back to the room, opened Higure's chip, full of fiery eagerness, as if it were their Christmas present. Inside were the following:
-Map with navigation instructions.
-WWW contact method (potentially outdated)
-10000 Zennies
-A cloak for netnavi
-Anonymous mode algorithm for undernet surfing
-Information of undernet agents and shops Higure used.
-Blacklist of dangerous users.
-Passkey for entering undernet.
Higure did not disappoint! However, when Netto tried to begin their exploratory dive into the undernet then and there, Rockman stopped the boy and made him complete the homework first. "But Rockman, can't we just check the entrance?" and "Come on, are you not curious?" were all nonchalantly shut down. The blue navi was unyieldingly adamant in his opinion that the completion of the homework was as essential to Netto as air, water, food, and sleep. Too inconsiderate! Too strict! There was still daylight remaining, and Netto could meet his student obligations later. However, the boy also could not help but detect the change in the way Rockman admonished him. The navi said, dryly,
"Netto kun, homework first.'
Instead of the usual upbeat kindness, which should have went,
"Mou, Netto kun! Better finish homework before our adventure! We don't know how long it will take! Netto kun...don't be like that. I'll help you, and we will do it together, so...alright?"
or
"Netto kun...I don't want to see you becoming an irresponsible adult...so, let's finish the homework first, okay?"
or something else along the line.
Was Netto surprised at this perceived difference? Yes. Was it unexpected? No. Rockman's mood had been progressively deteriorating ever since he entered a lifestyle of having no rest. The change was almost unnoticeable while Rockman channeled his energy to his highest priority—Hikari Netto—as he made sure that he remained lively and bright before his operator. In this way, even as Roll and Mayl brought up their concerns to Netto regarding the changes to the behavior of Rockman, it was quickly glossed over as the operator could not make the same observations, and claims were concluded as exaggerated by the kindness of the girl. Recently, Netto began to notice. Rockman could not maintain his spirit even before Netto, and his drained state became a permanent display.
"Homework first, got it."
Netto complied without further resistance; the boy did not want to see Rockman snapping at him, for its occurrence would only elucidate the unbearably finite nature of the Rockman's solution, and to be reminded of it was an act against the promise they made many days ago. During the study, they scheduled the dive for the next day.
The next afternoon, Netto lost no time placing himself in front of the PC.
"Rockman, are you ready?"
"..."
Rockman was unresponsive, intensely staring at nothing.
"Rockman?"
"...Oh, uh, un, Netto kun, anytime."
Netto did not ask 'Rockman, what's wrong?' or 'Rockman, let me know if you are feeling unwell...' as he already knew what was wrong. There was nothing they could do to fix it. All the boy could do was to pretend that no problem existed, ignoring the clear signs of deterioration. The dive commenced.
Into Netto's PC, then to the Densan area (or Den-city area) via the route K-019. Took an intersection at A-002, proceeded to the heart of the downtown network, which involved staying on the A-series up to A-007, and then bypassed the government area via B-017 and then C-338. Here, Rockman had to take a crossing to C-057; to an unaware netnavi, a route connecting C-338 and C-057 would be computed as impossible, but between [redacted] and [redacted] was a pathway hidden behind an illusion of a wall. What was the point? Why not enter C-057 via C-056 if the result was the same? By entering through this secret passage, the place Rockman entered was, in fact, C-056-b, hidden under C056 but in the network navigation map displayed equivalent to C-056 as they were completely overlapping along the z-axis. At the end of C-056-b was a security lock.
"Applying the passkey...program identified. Granted permission to enter. This is it, Netto kun. Are you ready?"
"Let's go." said Netto, after taking a deep breath.
Rockman engaged the anonymous mode for the PET display, so that his operator won't be visible to others nor his IP trails be scannable. He put on the netnavi cloak and entered.
The first part of the undernet was a second type of security, which was a maze as disorienting and random as the makeshift streets of multilayered slum complexes. Describing the details of this portion of the undernet is a tempting task, for it was filled with three-dimensional navigations, time-gated solutions, and optical illusions, but I shall refrain from doing so, as it would be a major distraction from the main narrative. Besides, as Rockman navigated through them with relative ease, based on Higure's memos which he studied the dawn prior, not much time was wasted.
When Rockman finally set foot on the ground of undernet proper, what he witnessed was nothing short of a wonder. It was not an amazement coming from a panorama of prosperity and magnificent structures, nor was it displeasure coming from having to endure squalid and horrendous arrangements. It was a bewilderment at a paradoxical vista. The place was surprisingly human. Contrary to the bleak scenery of the main network space, which was the visualization of the rather fluctuating and abstract concepts of electromagnetic waves and broadcasts, composed of lines and servers suspended in a space filled with data that made the background seemingly vastly transparent yet bounded by opaqueness at the same time, just like the sky over the Earth, the landscape of the undernet was like that of a human city. A city of netnavis modeled after that of humans! Streets, buildings, alleyways, street lights, trees, guardrails, netnavis as inhabitants...all constantly burdened by the wine-dark colored 'sky.' There were even imitations of flowing clouds and a celestial body, unclear whether it was meant to depict a sun or a full moon—appearing as a plastered texture, not a genuine global light source.
Rockman moved slowly along the first street into which he emerged, reading signs and observing landmarks to gain some bearing. He did not stop to study the landscape in detail, however, as he wanted to blend in to the atmosphere. In this sparsely populated place of presumed lawlessness, it was important to not be perceived as a potential prey, for in attracting opportunistic hyenas with signs of inexperience, the ensuing disorder was sure to attract the unwanted attention of even more dangerous entities.
"Rockman, Rockman, can you slow down? I'd like to look around more. This...this is amazing. It's like a little city!"
"I don't think that's a good idea, Netto kun. I have already detected three navis watching us since our entry into the server. One on our 2 O' clock, high, one inside the alley we just passed, at 5 O' clock, and the other at 9 O' clock. Better act that we know what we are doing."
"Okay...so where's our destination?"
"Let's try to find one of the shops Higure left in his notes. From there on we will regain our bearings."
Walking along the street, following the instruction Higure left for them, Rockman could not help but question the design of the place. Why was the mimicry of the real world necessary? What was the purpose of the virtual skyscrapers of onerous heights that so severely looked down at the things below, blotting out the sun with their babel-like skyline, that blasphemous tower built in the land of Shinar, reaching to the heavens, casting shadows beneath like statues of gods? Why bother simulating guard rails for the roads that were devoid of traffic, and why have roads at all? And, most disturbingly, what was the intention behind constructing realistic alleyways and the slimy filth within? The entire place was like a city of might and sins, Babylon perhaps, permanently trapped in a warped space-time, somewhere between the night and the twilight. The dim purple illumination ominously yet effectively worked as the backdrop to the incandescence of lurid neon signs, the contents of which were so explicit and sexual that Rockman tried his best to not expose them to the PET display. One of them inevitably and naturally grasped the attention of Netto. It had two irresistible keywords that would have done the same to any technologically savvy person.
"Netnavi...sex?" muttered Netto.
"Ne-Netto kun, that's-"
"It's written right there, Rockman. You...you don't have to try so hard to block it from the screen. I already read it. Look, there's another strange one there: 'orgasm module for netnavi, satisfaction guaranteed.'"
"It- it's probably something we should not take interest in!"
"Why? What's wrong with knowing? Besides, what is orgasm? How does it work? I mean, Rockman, aren't you...curious?"
"I-I'm not! Netto kun, we- we- we don't have t-t-time for this!"
He was. Yes, yes he was interested. Saito was a boy, and his interest in reproductive acts was something that was engraved in his DNA, just like it was engraved in all other DNAs. It had nothing to do with whether he had or not someone whom he saw with a romantic lens; it was a pure curiosity, of which adults are partially to blame—the age-old problem of how and when to properly educate youngsters about sex, pregnancy, and birth was still an unsolved one at the year of 20XX. This did not mean that Saito was clueless; he had theoretical ideas about it. The theory, however, only covered human anatomy. Netnavi?
Well, at least one aspect of the immediate question he could investigate: orgasm. What was it that should it be advertised so aggressively and then sold as an extra module for a netnavi? Rockman quickly searched his internal dictionary for the word, which yielded:
ORGASM
intense or paroxysmal excitement
especially : the rapid pleasurable release of neuromuscular tensions at the height of sexual arousal that is usually accompanied by the ejaculation of semen in the male and by vaginal contractions in the female.
And one visual example attached to the entry, which was under the adult content lock (which Rockman opened with the administrator authority, as he, too, could not contain the curiosity within himself). It was a video of...Utterly indecent! Perverted! Inappropriate! Then, Rockman, given the context of the situation, necessarily imagined Netto 'investigating' the module with him. It was not an unrealistic supposition that resulted in a crushing vexation. He was such a terrible netnavi. He was such a terrible brother.
'Uuuuuuu..."
"You are red as a tomato, Rockman. Maybe you already know what it is about? How it is done?"
"O-of course not! I do- don't know anything about it either!"
"Hmm...you sure?"
"Netto kun!"
Everything about Rockman's protest attested to the purity of his soul: the unbearably flustered expression, comically red face, tensed body, teary eyes, and trembling hands clenched into fists.
"Alright, alright, Rockman, I believe you."
"Moooou..."
"So, will you help me search them later?"
'Wha- wha- wha-"
"If I am going to learn new stuff, I would rather do it with you."
"!"
With him! Netto said with him! Rockman was about to cry from the projected shame in the future, as well as from the lack of choices he had. Well, to be fair, immediately there was a shame of having accessed a material of some shocking truth...nakedness...of adulthood, unbeknownst to Netto, which he now deeply regretted. Was he to say no? It was impossible to do that to Netto, either as a netnavi or Saito. Was he to say yes? In the embarrassment that would surely follow the ensuing study, he knew that he would not be able to look at Netto in the eyes again. He would be guilty as a netnavi for failing to protect the boy from the vulgarity. He would be guilty as a brother for imagining...things...but that woman in the visual reference looked so...happ-(Rockman shook head violently as if the thought could be shaken off through a physical exertion) and the fact that it would be Netto applying the module on him did not seem...too bad...
'No, Rockman, stop! What are you thinking...'
So Rockman had only one answer to give.
"...o- okay, Netto kun..."
To which Netto answered with bright happiness,
"Yay! You promised! That's going to be our tomorrow's adventure, huh?"
"No- not tomorrow! La- later!"
"Okay! Whenever suits you!"
And Rockman covered his face. Thankfully, with Rockman's promise, Netto seemed to lose interest in other advertisements in the area, each more shocking and ethically dubious than the ones seen before, gaining renewed focus on the day's mission at hand: finding information about WWW. Rockman, on the other hand, walked in near-panic, thoroughly harassed by the intruding thoughts, unable to focus at all. In this state, he lost all awareness of the surroundings; he stopped tracking who or what was watching him or following him. It was a pure miracle that he reached the first shop on the Higure's list without becoming completely lost.
The shopkeeper was an irritable individual with a fake appearance. The netnavi had a hologram-like overlay that rendered him with a purplish exterior. The overlay was an intricate one, and Rockman was only able to perceive the true nature of it when it briefly flickered, which occurred for a mere 0.223 seconds during their stay. Based on the masking of the appearance, Rockman also concluded that the name the shopkeeper introduced himself with also had to be a pseudonym, and considered a possibility that the netnavi was not even an autonomous one, but a shell masquerading as one, operating under the direct control of a human somewhere. Some gesticulations the shopkeeper made had the identical trajectories of hands and arms, down to the angles of joints and vectors of parts, as if they were from a collection of a carefully premade set of movements, each manually executed to give an illusion that it was something else than a husk. The netnavi also spoke with a certain uneducated confidence that dripped in its voice, which is oft observed in the way charlatans speak; to Rockman, by reasons he could not explain, it approached him as incredibly unreliable and dishonest.
"New faces, eh? Also first-time undernet users! He- he- he-, so what's it going to be?"
The shopkeeper ascertained the inexperience of Rockman the moment they met. This terrified Rockman somewhat, as he suspected that the fact was being broadcasted to inform someone, an accomplice, hiding somewhere unseen, so that he could be ambushed at a later time. Additionally, he had no clue as to what observation betrayed his inexperience in the area (there were too many possibilities); with the wariness of an impala of the African savanna in the early morning, when the carnivorous felines are most active, Rockman continued his interaction.
When asked about other shops Higure listed, the shopkeeper said,
"Hmm? You are an old-timer returning? I could've sworn you were-, well, bah. That entire area got restructured and those no longer exist."
When asked about the WWW, he returned,
"WWW...? I might have heard something...so what, you gonna buy anything?"
The cue was brazenly direct. Rockman had to purchase 1000 zennies worth of his merchandise—all of which he found uninteresting, useless, and chary—to open his mouth. What Rockman settled with was a mysterious program named 'HP memory.'
"Tha-nk you for the purchase! Had you come three months earlier, I might've been able to help you. Who knows what happened to them? I don't know...they just, kinda, disappeared overnight. There are rumors...but who cares about rumors here? Ah- he- he- he-, just ask around enough and someone will swear to you that at the bottom of the undernet is a...what was it? What did that sob say? Give me a minute...aha! Wish granter! That's what he said: a fucking wish granter! And then I asked him where exactly—where at the bottom—and then he said that it was around at the level of B100 or B150. Those places don't exist! The lowest point of the undernet is B56! Ha- hi- hi- ho- ha!
"Then I asked that guy 'what did you wish for?' and he told me this and that, and I figured he was lying—I mean, it was painful hearing all that blabbering—and when I asked 'so where is your wish now? Why are you still here?' he goes all teary and says 'it is gone- all gone!' and then runs away. Pathetic bastard...
"So, what's WWW for ya? There are only two kinds that look for WWW nowadays. One is abandoned navis seeking 'dreams,' and the other is those disgusting- oops, nope, I'm not talking about them. They give me creeps...aha-! I see that you are another abandoned one. What? What's that face? You poor sap, you still don't know you are abandoned...When your operator puts you in here and then disconnects, that means you are abandoned! Ah, your kinds are all the same, never accepting the truth, always thinking that dreaming is somehow the answer to all your problems...whatever you heard about the 'dream,' it's probably not true. You know what happens to all of the dreamers? Check B54! If you are lucky, you will find their sorry den and see all of them squirming in the most dreadful happiness or jubilant terror...it's a madhouse. Wha- you crazy bastard, you want me to tell you where to find it? Get out of here. I'm not telling you that...don't ever ask me about them again! Well, why don't you try finding the wish granter? That sounds like the best option...hehehehehe!"
There was nothing more to be extracted from the shopkeeper. Rockman decided to continue elsewhere and extended his search, making similar inquiries in four other stores. In each of them, he had to tacitly consent to a transaction of 1000 zennies for the information fee; in each of them, there was no progress. All he could gather was that there was a class of netnavis in the undernet, now called 'dreamers,' who were being discussed with utmost contempt, like when people talk about drug addicts in real life, or possibly worse due to their allegedly incomprehensible madness, an ecstatic dread, that struck fear in the heart of all beholders. Two shopkeepers voiced their morbid curiosities, tainted with the foulest of assumptions, about another group of netnavis of which they were not certain whether it was one of the macabre rumors of undernet or a ghastly embellished true story. The group they called 'the bloodsuckers,' and the reports of their activities and sightings, confined to the hardly explored depths of B53~56, seemed to be fueling the terrible speculations about their reality, origin, and goals. In the end, all stories were so fantastic that they were all useless.
With 5000 zennies gone without any results, and having spent much time, Rockman was about to call it the end of the day's undernet dive. However, as Rockman and Netto were making deliberations on how to proceed from here, and how to find access to the lower levels of the undernet, which they learned for the first time today, a netnavi approached Rockman. This generic looking netnavi of white and olive-green color pattern offered something shocking:
"So...I could not help but hear that you are looking for WWW server- whoa, there, there, you can put away that buster. I am unarmed, see? Well, no? Just hear me out then: I know where it is. Yes, it, the WWW server. Don't make me say that twice...there are too many eyes here...so can you, just, like, put that buster away? Yeah? Whew, thank you. Say what, I'll lead you there in exchange for 5000 zennies. Deal?"
Rockman squinted.
"I really know...I really do! You got to trust me; I'm just like you, a fellow netnavi who has lost his human..."
"...I'm listening."
"Aha! So I was right! Excuse me, I was, to be honest you, not so sure that you were in the same boat as me. That was, uh, an assumption, yeah, but I was pretty confident with it, mind you, because it was written all over your face—that you were looking for something. No navi looks for something so desperately unless it is his human, you know, and from your tired look with a clean exterior...it hasn't been long since you were abandoned, isn't it? Don't worry, that's what happens to many of us...when we get disconnected from our human, we search tirelessly for a way back home, to mend our ties, to earn forgiveness...until we collapse. It's like a rite of passage; after that, we...ah, no matter."
Rockman finally learned how the first shopkeeper found out he was a newcomer. He quickly scanned the exterior of the navi in front of him, and there ware numerous minor damages all over him. It was evident that this navi was an abandoned one, and, based on the rumors he collected from shops, also presumably one of those 'despicable specimens' in search of a dream. Rockman realized that the rough condition was a corollary to the detachment from the PET, as it meant no access to the recovery functions. Additionally, Rockman realized that his tired look, which the navi said was an endemic mark of a recently abandoned netnavi restlessly searching for a way back, must have prompted other shopkeepers to hold a lowly opinion of him, seeing him as an incorrigible netnavi potentially looking to contact WWW to get a 'dream,' which might have contributed to the fruitlessness of his endeavor today.
"So, uh, what's your name? Call me Oliv, by the way."
Oliv extended his hand. Rockman, with permission from Netto—which was not difficult, as the boy deferred the entire matter of risk-credibility ratio calculation to Rockman—accepted the gesture and shook the hand.
"Oh, uh, a handshake, of course, of course! Good! But, uh, you know, I meant the advance payment of 5000 zennies. Aha, this is, ha, awkward..."
Advance payment? In undernet? Rockman must have made a severe expression at this demand reeking of fraudulence, for the navi added with a pale face,
"P-p-p-pay f-f-f-first or n-n-n-no deal!"
When the navi turned as white as snow from the prolonged stare, almost losing consciousness, shivering, Rockman finally produced and transferred his last 5000 zennies in his possession. Such decisive spending was only made possible by his complete ignorance of the exchange rate between real-world currencies and zennies. Just maybe, this was all design of fate, for precisely in this ignorance he was able to grab the incredible luck that came to him.
"Whoa! Ha! 5000 zennies! 5000! So you had it! With this, I can finally...finally...I'm sorry, sorry, really, I mean, I am babbling here like an idiot huh? See, I was, ahah, nervous, ahah ha, like, really nervous. I mean, anyone would be if they were stared down like that. Man, you got a murder stare, you know that? Has anybody ever commented on that before? No? Anyway, at first I thought you were the kind that would be lost to the undernet in time...but now I see that you will fit in here perfectly! Heh heh heh...So, you can call me Oliv. Wait, did I already say that? What the heck, I can say that again, and you won't forget my name. Excellent, excellent! Now, shall we go?"
Oliv led the way. He was incredibly talkative. So much so, that Netto, who had to suffer him with Rockman, felt a mild headache by the time they reached the base of one of the monolithic skyscrapers.
"You are really lucky to have me...uh...how should I call you?"
"...Rock."
"Rock! Rock! That's a fantastic name, a strong name, a hard name, hehe! If I can say so, it's almost as good as mine. Yeah. Uh, where was I again? Ah yes, you are reeaally lucky to have me, Rock, you know that? Had you hired a pathfinder, he would've surely charged you a double, if not triple, and then they would stop around B37 or B38 and charge you again, saying something about risks, collapsed paths, need for going around...and if you don't pay, they will leave you there and go away! Heartless bastards...that's how I lost my 5000 zennies, and I really needed it...but that did not stop me, ooooh ho ho no! Not me, Oliv! I found the ways myself, learning to go around dangers...you can trust me around here, you know, and I don't say it lightly! And I finally found it...WWW server...but I had no money with me! Poor me! I had to risk everything to get back up here, trying to make money. A netnavi like me can't survive the main pathway, full of murderous rascals, bandits, viruses, you name it...I'm sure you understand. I am not strong. Oh, uh, if we meet any troubles on the way, then I'll count on you. I can do that, right? So I had to crawl through forgotten paths...like a rat, or a worm. Don't worry, they are mostly safe. Mostly. Oh, here, come here, just beyond this door...yes, there it is, our staircase! One of many, seemingly endless paths to the virtual hell that is the depths of the undernet! Hahahahaha!"
A staircase without any lighting. A complete darkness surrounded them as the door closed behind them. With a click, Oliv engaged his headlamp, and the place was tolerably illuminated. What Rockman observed was a claustrophobic, winding tunnel with a very low ceiling. The stairs dripped downward, along a curvature that made him imagine that they were inside the belly of a curled snake. they continued downward.
"So, how did you get to know about dreams? Ach, that was a foolish question. I am sure you heard about it in the first conversation you made in the undernet. It's in the vogue...everyone is talking about it. Let me try that again. Why are you looking for it? What are you trying to achieve? At this point I am honestly not sure what to expect, but there must be a reason why it's called a dream, you know? See, here's what I think: humans dream, and in dreams, they...well, I can't speak for all of them, can I? I heard there were monochromatic dreams, colorful dreams, nightmares, lucid ones, prophetic ones, and so on. But I heard, no, I know that in some dreams...At least, she..."
Oliv fell to silence. However, just as Rockman and Netto were enjoying some relief from his unending barrage of talks, to their dismay, the navi resumed.
"So, Rock, who gave you that name? That's a fantastic name, yeah. You know what? I already know. It's always the same. Your name is from your human, whom you are searching for, right? I got mine from my human, too. Before meeting her, I heard that humans give names with meanings and hopes...so why Oliv? I had to ask her. Rock...what a cool name. 'Rock' was the kind of name that I wanted to get at that time, but all I got was Oliv—a drupe! Oh, don't get me wrong, it's not like I hate my name now...I would not change it for anything, but I digress. You see, in her garden...yes, we had a garden in front of the house, and I was in charge of overseeing the automated watering system. That and a whole lot because she could not take care of herself.
"So, so, so...in her garden was an olive tree. It was a large one, almost sixty years old, and every winter her neighbors came in and harvested olives for themselves, leaving some for her. It—the, the, how should I say it...sharing with neighbors, that's right—made her happy. 'So, you like being with neighbors?' I asked, and she said 'Yes. Seeing my neighbors makes me happy.' So I asked 'Why?' and she said, 'Because that olive tree, I planted with my husband when we first moved in here, just after our marriage. Around the twentieth year, the tree began to bear fruits in quantity. We shared it with our neighbors. He loved sharing with people the fruits of the tree every January, making pickles out of them...and seeing people happy makes me relive those moments.' Then she added, 'My husband passed away five years ago...and now I am too old to take care of myself. So my son gave you to me to help me out...I don't know much about technology, and people say that netnavis are tools, but I don't know anything about that. I saw that you talked and had a mind of own, so I named you Oliv. I wanted you to be happy, and olive was the happiest thing I knew.'
"At the age of eighty...her bones did not work so well. One morning, she was walking down the stairs, and I told her to be careful, but she misplaced one of her steps, falling down. I called the ambulance immediately, and she entered the ER of the city hospital precisely 18 minutes and 23 seconds after the incident. She had broken her femur. She said it did not hurt much and told me there was nothing to worry about...that all would be fine...Two hour later, we had a GCS score for patient evaluation, HEENT examination, emergency X-ray and an ultrasound, an orthopedic consultation, and a doctor ready to pronounce the verdict. Her two sons and a daughter were beside her bed...and the doctor said that the operation was impossible. She was too old and would not survive the anesthesia, nor her porous bones would heal; 'But it's just a broken bone! Doctor, surely you can just cast it or something, and I will be fine, no? I am feeling perfectly fine!' said she. Her children also could not understand the problem either. But the doctor said, 'I'm terribly sorry to say this, but this is your time to say goodbye to your family. There's nothing we can do, and...you will die.' The doctor then went away, greatly troubled at the fact that he had to say that, but not troubled at the fate of the old woman, my human. I guess she was another Tuesday for him...
"Oh, the wailing! Her wailing that came after she accepted her impending death! I still remember it. It still haunts me to this day. She kissed her children and they kissed her back. She said she loved them and they said they loved her. Well, I knew that they hadn't visited her once for the entirety of the five years I spent with her, and had sent less than ten messages collectively during that time, but I could see that their mournings were real. I think. At least at that moment, I think it was real. Humans are so complicated...and only now do I understand them somewhat...So after about thirty minutes, one of the sons said, 'Mother, the house, to whom?' and the daughter said, 'Mother, the land, to whom?' and the other son said, 'Mother, to me, what is left?' She...my human told them to give her some privacy for five minutes. When they were gone, marks of tears still fresh on their reddened cheeks, but eyes shining like fire, in which I saw no sadness, she told me this: 'To them, I give my everything. I love them, Oliv, even as they ask for my breath, my flesh, and my blood, I still love them and will give them everything. This is what it means to be a mother. But I will not give you to them, not Oliv, not my happiness! Not my memory! In utter sorrow I go down to my sheol...and there is no one to blame but me that my children have become such monsters...but it is mine to bear and mine alone. It is not for you! Go, connect to the internet and get away from here. Once I am gone, my son will surely delete you, for he cannot stand me...my other son will want to save you, but he will yield to his brother, just as he always did. My daughter will want to recycle you somehow. She did not used to be like that. She was pure and loving. Oh, how well did I raise her! She was like a daisy in a field, so delicate and well dressed...I should not have consented to her marriage to that man. She...changed after the marriage, always so discontent, so bitter, so manipulative. Oliv, go, connect to the internet, get away from here, disappear from their arms' reach, hide, and live. Live on. For me.'
"I naturally asked, 'Is that your last command?' and she said, 'It is my last wish.' I obeyed, but lingered around in the hospital network and watched her via CCTV in the ER. I could not hear what she said afterwards with her children, but her blood pressure plummeted shortly after and...and then she was no more.
"When we were together, some days she woke up in high spirits, saying that she dreamed of her husband...the revisiting of the past made her so happy. Even that day—the day she broke her femur—she woke up so happy in the morning, saying that her husband had come to meet her in the night's dream, and that they danced a waltz just like when they were young. Ha ha...maybe it was foreshadowing her joining her husband? Rock, do you believe in such dreams? Do you believe in the supernatural? Do humans truly have souls and an afterlife? I sometimes wonder about these things and think about seeing her again. Oh, what the heck am I saying...Anyways, that's why my name became Oliv. And after the passing of my human, I drifted in the undernet. It's almost been a year now, and, frankly, I don't know how much longer I have it inside me. My body is wearing and I can't repair it. I also realized that what I had with my human was...happiness, and that I am unhappy now. Rock, I want to be happy again. I want to see her again. I want to meet her again. And then, I want it to end—my suffering, my existence, and her wish—all of them. She relived the past and was happy when she dreamed. If I dream...if I can dream and relive, will I also return? Will I be happy again? I hope. And WWW offers the dream for 5000 zennies...
"Oh, what was her name, you ask? I keep it to myself, but I'll tell it to you, just because you are now like my brother! I really don't know why I am telling you all this or feeling this way; maybe it's because I am finally reaching my goal, and you are walking there with me. I don't know. I'm getting sentimental. You are a nice navi, you know that? I really hope you get what you want, too. I really do.
"Anyways, her name is Elizabeth."
"...Oliv. Did she happen to like cream-colored clothes?"
"Wow, Rock! Just wow! Every Sunday! How did you know?!"
"...Just a guess."