NOTE: In this chapter Bob get's a new outfit, and we meet (or re-meet) some other characters. So click here to get a basic idea of what BOB3000, Mike, the TV 3000, and Kalika Chase (AndrAIa's and Surfr's grandaughter) look like, and a short description of them.
Please keep in mind that these were the best I could do without actually drawing them and having them look funny, so enjoy the rest of the fanfic, and comments are always welcome! ^_^
I could feel the darkness envelop me and Dot. Freefalling through the empty space gave me a rush of fear and impending doom. I looked for the ground, straining my eyes to see anything other then black, but that was all I could see. I could feel Dot's grip start to slip from my hand. I tried to yell out but it was as if my voice had been stolen. I could feel an object rushing up to meet us and in instinct I looked towards it then in horror looked away.
***
"-groan-" I could hear Dot stirring because we had just collided with the darken ground.
"Dot? Are you okay?" I couldn't see her face, but I could feel her presence next to mine. "Where are we?"
"Bob? Are we dead? Is this the afterlife?"
I thought about this for a few moments, but decided that my body was in too much pain to be dead.
"No Dot. I think we finally hit the ground."
"Oh. At least we escaped the Guardians."
"But Hex didn't." I sat up and tried to make out a distinguishable shapes but couldn't. I racked my brain trying to figure out how the Guardians found us, and how to get out.
"I'm sorry Bob. They must have followed me. There's no other explanation. It's all my fault."
"Why would they follow you?"
"I don't know. It must have something to do with Macro. There's no other reason they'd follow me."
"Unless they were after me."
"You?"
"They said they wanted to capture me."
"Do you think they figured out your registration was illegal?"
"Maybe. Or else..."
"Or else what, Bob?"
I looked in her direction with fear in my voice.
"They must have traced my original PID. She knows I'm here."
"Who are you? Where am I?" Hex looked around dazed as she regained consciousness.
"Ah. I see you have awakened Hexadecimal. Allow me the pleasure of welcoming you to your destiny. Your future. Project 1724. And you. You will be our first test subject."
"Test subject! Never! I never have nor ever will be anyone's test subject!"
"I beg to differ Hex. May I call you Hex?"
"You'll be doing much more then begging once I am through with you! You'll wish I was never processed!"
"No need for idle threats Hexadecimal. Data, please suspend her animation."
A lanky guardian with glasses pulled out a needle and injected a red fluid into Hex. Hex screamed for a few moments before blacking out and becoming limp.
"Rather temperamental isn't she. We'll work on that, won't we Data?"
"Yes Mr. Matrix."
"Please Data, call me Macro. After all, we're partners. Aren't we?"
"Yes Macro."
"Good, now let's prepare for Guardian 452. He's in this system, and I'm determined to find him."
"Bob? We've been wandering around in the dark for milliseconds! What are you looking for? And more importantly, how are we supposed to get out? Bob? Bob!"
"Right here Dot. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I'll know it when I see it."
"And how is that? It's pitch dark down here! I can't even see my own hands!"
"Don't worry Dot! I'm a Guardian. I'll get us out of here! Relax."
"Relax! Why! My whole future depends on a basic guardian!"
"Basic!"
"You've been here less than a second and already you think you know everything!"
"I'll show you who's basic! Glitch! Map!" As Bob shouted these words, a map with a light attached appeared in front of Bob. Dot and Bob squinted their eyes for a few moments adjusting to the new light.
"Is that green dot us?" Dot peered over Bob's shoulder, as Bob gave an uncomfortable cough.
"Uh, yes. And that red dot is the exit."
"What? That's impossible. It's right next to us! I don't see an exit anywhere!" Bob and Dot looked around for a door but couldn't find one. Bob adjusted the light on the map and shone it around looking for an exit. Bob gave a small chuckle as he shone the light.
"I should've known. Hexadecimal always was one to keep things simple."
We walked towards a metal door with the word in red print 'exit' on it. As we walked through the door, the light from outside hit our eyes and caused us to recoil in shock.
"I never noticed how bright it was outside before! Even with all the pollution in the sky!"
"You know, Dot. Now that I think about it. I never did see a door there before." We turned around to look at the door, but when we did we were no longer in Lost Angles. Somehow we ended up on the bridge right outside. "Weird..."
"I think we better get out of here Bob. Who knows what may happen next!"
"Right! Good plan!" Bob and Dot set off back to her apartment to think things out.
"Speaking of plans...what's yours?"
"Huh?"
"Your plan." Dot's tone turned sarcastic after she saw Bob's blank look. "I mean after all, you're a Guardian. You know everything. Surely you must have a terrific plan to get us out of this mess!"
"Oh, heh heh. That kind of plan. Well, the funny things is..."
"Don't say it!"
"I don't have a plan. I usually take things as they come. Grab the bull by the horn. Fly by the seat of my pants. Dodge the -"
"I don't believe this. The all knowing Guardian 452, is completely random!"
"Random! Hey!"
"How in Mainframe did you ever survive! You always need a plan! Along with a backup plan in case your plan doesn't work! And then you need a backup for your backup! And a backup -"
"At least I'm not pre-programmed like you!"
"Pre-programmed! How dare you call me -"
"I bet you were educated at the best of schools!"
"So!"
"Made the honor roll every year since kindergarten!"
"What's your point?"
"And you probably own your own business and try to control everyone's lives because you're a controlling control freak!"
"-gasp- Bob!"
I stopped flying and tried to calm down. I know I was frustrated, but that gave me no right to take it out on Dot...Dot. She always had the plan. I know I'm a little random, but Dot was the Ying to my Yang. We completed each other. We were balanced. Without Dot...where would I be? She saved my bitmap, more times then I can count, with her cool logical thinking. But I'm not saying I'm useless! I saved her bitmap just as much as she saved mine. So what was I supposed to do now. This new Dot is just like the old Dot. I guess she could be my Ying...for now.
"I'm sorry Dot. It was wrong of me to take out my frustrations on you."
"No Bob. I'm to blame. I keep forgetting that everything is different to you now. You have a lot of adjusting to do, and I'm not making it any better. It's my bad, and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
I gave her a smile and agreed. "So what should we do now? You seem to have a million plans all stuffed inside that head of yours. So how about you come up with one for us? Huh?"
"Us?" Dot gave a disbelieving look. "There is no us! You're on your own Guardian. I may have helped you this far, but I'm not prepared to risk my own life for your silly crusade! I hardly even know you!"
"But you know a lot about me! I'm sure Hex told you lots before she was taken!"
"That may be so, but still. For all I know this could be some big conspiracy to get me in trouble and have my brother take the blame! Then he gets fired and I get in trouble! And I have enough troubles as it is! So I don't need any danger-seeking Guardians throwing their problems on me! So forget it!"
"But Dot!"
"Don't 'but Dot' me!" I didn't understand what was happening. One nano she's all smiles and helpful, the next she trying to verbally gouge out my eyeballs! "Look Bob. I'm sure you're a great guy. Mr. Hero-Worship. But I can't take any more chances with Guardians. I don't even know what kind of trouble you're in! But if it involves Daemon...Not one Sprite or Binome in their right mind is going to go up against Daemon for anybody, or anything. Sorry."
She shrugged her shoulders and started to fly away. I had to get her back. Without her help, I'm sunk. I don't know anything about Mainframe now. Everything is so different from what I'm used to. Daemon would catch me in a nano without her help!
"Dot! Please. I need your help. Without it, I'm nothing." I saw her pause for a few moments, and I was sure she'd help me out. But she just continued on her way, without a word. After she had gone out of site, I flew down to the streets below, and sat down in an alleyway. I needed a plan, and I needed it fast!
"Ok. Ok, so I don't have Dot. So what if she's the only person I know in Mainframe. I can't go to Macro, because he's likely to blow my head off. And the Guardians are out searching for me, so I'll have to disguise my PIN. Well, that's the simple part."
I clicked my icon, and it went into game mode. This way the Guardians won't be able to track me.
"Ok. Now I need to see the Chip. And rescue Hexadecimal! But I don't even know where either one is! And who was that masked Guardian who whisked Hex away! I'm never going to make it. I don't even have any money, and I'm starving! Plus my outfit does not blend in at all with anybody! I can't go back to Dot. I have nobody. What am I too do now."
I put my head in my hands and started to calm down before I freaked out. I jumped up in a panic when I heard a rustling beside me.
"Hey! Get off of me you lout! I'm not a sofa! The whole systems gone nuts, but that doesn't mean you can get away with treating me like this!"
I looked as a shape began to take form underneath the garbage I had been sitting on. When he had stood up and I was able to see who it was, I recoiled in shock and fear! Of all sprites, why him!
"It-it can't be! No! It is! 'He's baaaaack!' Here to save this system, and more importantly me, from utter despair and destruction, the one, the only, Guardian 452, --"
"Mike!"
"Bob! Oh it's so good to see you! -boohoohoo- I've been so lonely in this system, and everything is so disgusting! I just wanna go home! And you're finally here to take me back to Mainframe!"
I gave a shudder but then smiled, because attached to my leg was Mike the TV. Another familiar face was always good. And maybe he could help me out! I guess I don't need Dot after all!
"Mike. It's good to see you too!"
"Oh Bob! It's so horrible! After the reboot I found myself here in this system of bronze looking scum! I've been here a whole minute! Why didn't you find me sooner! -sob sob-"
"Mike! Get a grip! And not on my leg! I hate to tell you this, but...we are home."
"What! This decaying system! Never! Mainframe is a beautiful gleaming white system... at least before Megabyte took over! No! Don't tell me! The reboot didn't work and Mainframe's been turned into this!"
"Well...not exactly."
"What do you mean "not exactly!""
"This is Mainframe. The reboot did work. But it's a month since we were last there."
"A whole month! Get out! You're serious? How's that possible?"
"I don't know. I just wound up here today. But you've been here a whole minute! I guess were lucky we ended up in the same system at the same time...more or less..."
"That's right! Together again! Side by side! Fabulous TV host and slightly random Guardian starring again in -"
"Mike!"
"Sorry."
"Look, I've been trying to figure out a way home, and I'm beginning to think that we're here for a reason. Now Dot and I saw Hex, and she started explaining everything to me, but -"
"Excuse-me? Did you say Dot and Hex? They're here too! Wow! Let's get the whole gang together! To think everyone fell through the same time travelling loop that we hit! Amazing!"
"No Mike. Hex is over a month old. She's been alive the whole time. No time travelling for her. She's been in Mainframe all along."
"Wow! A woman actually admitted her age! This must be some sort of record!"
"And Dot is really a descendant of the Dot we knew. They're not the same person."
"Oh."
"So I think that maybe we're here to help Mainframe out. I know it's starting to fall apart, and everyone's infected by Daemon, so maybe we're supposed to get rid of her to save Mainframe! And then we'll get transported home! That's the only theory I can think of! Besides, Daemon's already looking for me, so I might as well look for her!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did you just say Daemon? The virus who was after global net domination? The same one who's been trying to infect you and Matrix with some virus? That Daemon?"
"Yup."
"Why am I not surprised. So... it's up to us to save the entire system from destruction?"
"Yup."
"We'll be up against evil guardians?"
"Yup."
"Booby traps?"
"Probably."
"Viruses and possible deletion?"
"Most likely."
"Just the two of us?"
"Yup."
"Well. I guess there's only one thing left to say."
"What?"
"Bring'em on! We can take them! Yee-haw! Back in business! We're going to kick some serious bitmaps!"
I couldn't do anything but laugh. Mike may be a coward at times, but he loves excitement and adventure! Finally an ally on my side!
"Kalika's log. I've just escaped the Guardians once more. Luckily for me, they were preoccupied with someone called Bob, Guardian 452. Must be really old to have a number that short. But I'm on my way to rendezvous with the escape ship. It may be my only way to get out to the Web. Once there I'll be able to hide from the Guardians until they've forgotten why they want me. Even I don't remember that. So soon I'll be able to - hello? What's this?"
A slender female sprite was looking down on what appeared to be a Binome and a sprite of some sort. She pulled out a small device, which she put up to her eye and peered through. She confirmed her suspicious, a talking TV and a random Sprite.
"Now who in their right mind would wear all white! And glowing! The Guardians could spot him off a mile away! That boy is either crazy, new, or both! I better check this out!"
She used her purple surfboard and zoomed down towards them. She hid behind some garbage to scope out the situation before she decided to barge in.
"So you've heard that some chip is in the Principal Office?"
"That's right. The Guardians suddenly have some big interest in it all of a sudden, so it's being put under intense watch. That room is surrounded by guards. There's no way to break through!"
"Interesting. I guess we'll have to lure them away while one of us sneaks in and grab's the chip! Then we-"
"Shh! It's not safe here! They're probably spying on us right now! Garbage has ears you know!"
"Speaking of spies...Ah ha!"
I had swung around knocked several boxes to the ground revealing a familiar looking sprite. She had shoulder length purple hair and eyes. She had several fins on her arms, and her nails had extended in attack. I noticed a surfboard behind her and realized why she looked so familiar.
"AndrAIa?"
"Die scum!" she lunged at Mike and me, but I used a beam of energy to contain her and prevent her from moving. She tried to break free and started shrieking. "Let me go! Arrg!"
"No doing. Now who are you! I demand answers or else we'll have to get rough! No who are you working for? Who sent you? Was it the Guardians? Were you sent to kill us? Where's the Chip and how do we get into the P.O.? Answer me!"
"Mike! Log off! Let me handle this."
"I tell you nothing!" She spat at the ground near my feet. Yuck!
"What's your name?" She refused to answer and looked away. "If I let you go, will you promise not to run or attack?"
"Bob! She tried to kill me! Er...Us! You can't let her go! What if she goes off and warns the Guardians!"
"I spit on the Guardians like I spit on you!"
"So I take you don't get along with them very well. Am I right?" She gave me the weirdest look, like she wanted to murder me and confess her life story all at the same time. "Please. Tell me your name."
"I-I cannot trust you."
"Sure you can. We're against the Guardians too!"
"I-"
"Please." She gave us a look of pure spite as though we had somehow defeated her, but then she heaved a sigh and began to talk.
"My name is Kalika Chase. My friends call me Kalika, but you can call me Chase. I saw you from up above, and came down to investigate. It's not often that sprites here glow."
"Kalika! As in AndrAIa's child!"
"I am named after my mother."
"Oh."
"But her mother was named AndrAIa. Please, tell me how you know her name?"
I looked at her earnest face, and realized she was just defending herself when she attacked us. But she really wanted to know about her grandmother's connection to us. So I let go of the beam, and she collapsed on the floor.
"Bob!"
"It's alright Mike. Chase...AndrAIa was a good friend of ours."
"Impossible! She died almost a month ago! You're liars! You'll pay for this!" she pulled out a trident which I knew must have been AndrAIa's.
"That was hers! You said she died a month ago, but that would make you almost as old! We really did know her! We're not from this time!" she lowered her trident.
"But...How?"
"We don't know. We somehow found ourselves here. We're from 011111 001111. Before your mother was born. Somehow we must have gone through a rip in time and now we're here. We don't understand it, but I'm not lying! You have to believe me!"
"Why should I. How do I know that you're not trying to trick me?"
"I don't know. My name is Bob. I'm Guardian 452. But I'm not an evil Guardian like all the others!"
"Guardian 452! The others are after you! I thought you'd be older... Wait! How do I know for certain?"
"Here's my Icon. Scan it if you like."
She hesitated for a few moments but took the icon and put it in her surfboard. A few nano's later she returned it to me with a disbelieving look.
"I don't believe it! You really are Guardian 452! You're ancient!"
"Hey! I'm not that old! I fell through some sort of a time loop. So I haven't changed, only Mainframe has."
"Ahem!"
"Oh. And Mike fell through too."
"Well. I owe you my freedom Guardian."
"What? No you don't. I haven't done anything."
"The Guardians were after me and I would have been caught, but then they were sent after you. Because of you I'm free from the Guardians. And for that, I owe you."
"Oh. Well thanks."
"Is there anything I can do to help you? Repay you?"
"Oh, no. That's ok."
"Ahem! Bob!"
"Oh! Oh right. Can you get us into the Principal Office? We have to see the Chip."
"The Chip? No one, except the Guardians have seen the Chip. It's practically a myth."
"We know he exists, and he's in the Office. We need help to get inside."
"I think you guys need more help than that!"
"What do you mean?"
"Look at yourself! You're glowing! You totally need a new look! Otherwise the Guardians will catch you for sure!"
"I suppose I am a little... bright..."
"You're brighter than most lights! But I think I can help. I know a Sprite who can hook you up with some new threads. You'll blend in a lot better. Trust me."
"Alright. If you say so."
"What about me!? You two seem to forget that I, Mike the TV, am here too! What do I need to blend in?"
"A bath."
"What!"
"Let's go, Guardian 452."
"Bob. Please call me Bob." She gave a small smile, then nodded her head. She jumped on her surfboard and we flew off towards her friend's place.
"HELLO!! I'm still here! Need help! Cannot fly! HELLO!"
"Yikes! Andr-Er, Chase. Do you suppose..."
"No prob. Bob." She swooped down and picked up Mike. We then continued to fly at relatively low to the ground, just so the Guardians wouldn't spot us.
"What am I doing?" Dot was pacing her living room back at her apartment. She was feeling horrible about leaving Bob, especially since he didn't know anybody else. "How could I just leave him there. He needs my help, but I really can't afford to be caught by the Guardians. I've taken the rap for Macro so many times, and if I got caught, they'd execute me for sure! Why'd my brother have to be such a troublemaker! Why couldn't he have continued his studies in chemistry! He had such a promising career, and now he's just a stupid Guardian! Of all the basic-Wait. I'm supposed to be feeling guilty about leaving Bob! I...I gotta find him! But what if the Guardians have caught him. It'll be all my fault! How could I have been so - so - Arg!"
Dot paced in silence for a few more minutes, silently yelling at herself. She knew she didn't have to help Bob. If anything, he owed her favors, not the other way around. But she felt as though she should be there for him. It was some unexplainable feeling that seemed to intertwine their destiny together. She could fight it all she wanted, but she knew that she'd help him out in the end. There was just something about him...
"I gotta find him. I don't care what the Guardians do to me, but I have to help him." Dot grabbed her jetpack and gun, then raced out the door in search of Bob.
"Ow! Looking stylish Bob! Black is definitely your color!"
I had just stepped out of the change room wearing an outfit similar to the one I had on before. Now it was in black, and seemed to suck in light instead of glowing. I had a gun on my side, and a knife hidden on my other. I don't like violence, or weapons, but Chase convinced me that it was the only way to survive, and beat the Guardians.
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course!"
"Mainframe on the Catwalk would like to present best dressed male of the season: Bob, come on down!"
"How much?" Chase looked towards the salesclerk (who looked a lot like Cecil), and began to pull out what I assumed to be a wallet.
"53,000 units."
"53,000! You've got to be joking!" If it was possible, I swear my eyes would have popped out!
"Joke? I never joke about money."
"53...No..."
"Don't worry Bob. It's okay, that's not a lot of money nowadays." She handed him a card (oops! Not a wallet) which he swiped through a small machine then returned. Chase then took my arm and dragged me from the store. I guess I was in shock. If I had that kind of cash, I'd buy a new car! Mine would probably take more than that to fix!
"Chase...I don't know how to thank you."
"No worries Bob. Now we're even. So what's our next step?"
"What? You still want to help me? Even though we're even?"
"Sure Bob. We're both against the common enemy. Besides, I like you. I get this feeling around you, like I've known you before. Kinda like an older brother...forget it, I'm probably not making much sense."
"No, I understand. And thank-you, again." She gave me a smile and we set off.
"Wow! These things are really awesome! Thanks Chase!" She gave a nod over in Mike's direction. She had also bought him his own jetpack, and an addition to his icon that enabled him to change colors. He had chosen the color black, to match with me. But that's Mike. He never likes to be left out of anything.
"Bob! Bob? Is that you?"
I looked behind me and saw Dot flying towards us. She seemed rather confused and kind of angry. I wonder why she came back?
"Dot? Yeah it's me. Why'd you come back?"
"What are you doing with that!"
"Who, Mike? I know he's a little annoying, but he's my friend from the past."
"Not the TV, her!" She pointed towards Chase who got offended and started to reach for her trident.
"Chase? She's helping me -"
"Ahem!"
"-Us out. Do you two know each other?"
"More then I would like." Chase pulled out her trident and came closer. "Stay back Bob. She'll only turn you in. Her brother is one of them!"
"Macro?"
"Get away from her Bob. She'll only get you in more trouble than you need or want!"
The girls lunged at each other, but (sort of) luckily for me I dived in-between the two of them and they had to draw back to prevent hurting me.
"Bob! Why are you protecting that trouble maker!?"
"What's wrong with you! She's practically a Guardian!"
"Stop it! I don't know or care what happened before me, but you're both my friends, and I don't want you two deleting each other. We're supposed to be fighting against the Guardians, not each other."
"Sorry Bob, but it's either her or me." Dot folded her arms and looked me straight in the face. Chase did the same.
"Dot, please. Um...why'd you come back? I thought you couldn't afford to get caught by the Guardians?"
"I felt guilty about leaving you, so I came back. I'm going to help you. It's the right thing to do."
"Bob! Did'ja hear that! She's only here because she feel's guilty! I'm helping you because I want to!"
"What about the debt of your freedom?" Mike gave her an innocent look and got a cold stare in return.
"I repaid that debt."
"Look Bob. You can't have us both helping you, so make a choice. I saved your life. So who are you going to choose?"
I gave a nervous laugh and looked at them back and forth. I probably would have found some excuse to escape if it hadn't been for Mike.
"Ladies, please. You both obviously want to help Bob, and he needs all the help he can get, just look at him! So why don't you both put aside your feelings of spite to help this poor guy defeat the common enemy: Daemon. There's no way he can defeat her on his own, or even with the help of one of you. I'm sure with your combined talents and his good looks and charm, we'll be able to win, and triumph victoriously for all Sprites and Binomes combined! Long live the rebellion! Yea!"
The two girls looked at each other then back at Mike, then me, then at each other again.
"I guess I can forget that she's a guardian wannabe... for Bob."
"News flash virus! He's a guardian!"
"I know that lil'miss pre-programmed! But he's not evil! Anyway, Bob and I are a team."
"We were a team before you two! And I don't care if you are a walking ad for deletion! I'm helping Bob and that's final!"
"Fine! Then we'll both help him!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"See girls, look at what potential for good can be accomplish when you just put aside your feelings!"
I heaved a sigh of relief. I guess I was going to get the help of both of them. I just hope they didn't waste each other before we got to Daemon. Everything seems to be coming together. Maybe, just maybe I'll -
"Ahem!"
Sorry. Maybe, just maybe Mike and I will get home afterall...