XI.
The warlike 'Hero's Duty' crew
and Felix, did the pod pursue;
to GCS they went in haste
in hopes that they were not too late.
Arriving there they learned the news:
the pod had bounced around a bit,
then in a different game did flit.
Outside the gate of 'Sugar Rush'
the group did stand, and ponder things.
Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun—
our Amazon—spoke first. "This news
is grave: upon a fluffy game
as this, would cy-bugs feast as if—
a hawk intruded in a coop
of crippled birds—grave news, indeed!"
Felix wondered at her speech.
"What's that, you say?" "What are you, thick?
You saw that cy-bug, no?"—A nod.
"Does 'cy-bug' mean a thing to you?"
"No, ma'am." "Well, let me tell you this:
the cy-bug is a virus—they are
not like you or me—in that
they don't know they are in a game.
They eat, they kill, they multiply;
they never stop; and with no beacon,
will consume this game. And then?
You think they'll stop?" "Why, yes!"
"No dice: a virus does not stop;
they'll keep on eating games until
there are none left. None will escape."
At this, she asked one of her band,
"Kohut! My cruiser!" In a trice,
he did produce—a skateboard—but,
on air it flew. To Kohut, Felix
queried: "Is she always this—
intense?" "It's not her fault.
Her program does, alas, include
a tragedy that does not fade.
She was to wed—and on that day,
forgot from out her daily round
to check on the perimeter.
Upon the very altar—at the
brink of bliss—there did appear
massive cy-bug, which consumed:
love of her life, one Brad—the groom."
"My land!" said Felix. "'Scuse me, ma'am—
I'm going with you." "The hell you say—
you die outside your game, and you
will not come back: you know the rule."
"I might well say the same to you.
Now, hear—my daily task is that of
fixing what my colleague wrecks;
and I will not allow you to
risk life alone—I'm coming, too."
He crossed his arms; she looked at him,
and with reluctance, did give in;
and down the wire they did speed
to find the pod—Ralph—and that bug.