Additional cast: Laurie Paton as Mindsinger; Brock Johnson as Zone Boy

Database Journal Entry 47-8 mark 4. The Power Team has travelled to Tech City, Texas, the so-called last bastion of technology. They are looking for data on Project New Order. Tech City is populated by punks and occupied by biomechs. The team is dressed in monk-like robes and chanting "Blessed be the neon" trying to be as incognito as possible. As they walk down the main drag of Tech City (Flame Street), they wonder why Dread allows Tech City to survive. Power explains that Dread needs the interface to the city's data banks and allows the people to operate them in a kind of rogue's alliance. As the team strolls along they are confronted by a punk who calls himself Zone Boy. At first Zone Boy tries to sell the team mind-altering drugs. Power tells Zone Boy they are looking for "Mindsinger" and access to the Cyber Web computer matrix. Zone Boy agrees to take them to her. The team is led to a room with various and strange electronic devices. Zone Boy introduces Mindsinger to them. She is dressed in black and looks more high-tech than punk. Leaving them alone with Mindsinger, Zone Boy goes directly to a "telelink" booth and contacts Dread. Zone Boy tells Dread that Captain Power is in Tech City. Dread deduces Power's plan to link with the Cyber Web and sends Blastarr to Tech City. Dread pays off Zone Boy with a "neuro-charge" delivered ove the communications link. The neuro-charge produces an euphoric reaction in Zone Boy. Dread cuts Zone Boy's electronic trip short and tells him he has another task to accomplish. Mindsinger explains the Cyber Web to Power as direct mental access to data. She says its better than hologram simulations because when hooked up to the Web the fantasy is real. Mindsinger says it will cost Power 200 "stads" (Standard Units) a mintute. Mindsinger admits that Dread troopers have been hooked up to the Web. Power knows Mindsinger has stolen Project New Order data and that's what he's after. Despite Hawk's warnings, Power decides to risk it and hooks himself into the mysterious machine. Blastarr and a contingent of troops arrive in Tech City. Power, now experiencing sensations of the Cyber Web, is unaware that Blastarr is attacking outside. Hawk tries to get Power disconnected from the Web but Mindsinger explains that Power will die if unhooked from the Web mid-run. The team engages Blastarr to give Power the time he needs to finish his task and get out of the Web. At Volcania, OverMind tells Dread that Power has made it into the Web. Dread himself also enters the Web. We find out that Dread's new mission for Zone Boy is to prevent anyone from letting Power out of the Web. At gunpoint, he forces Mindsinger away from the controls and boosts the local link's power to maximum. In the fantasyland of the mind, perceived with the aid of the Cyber Web, Power is mentally drawn to the New Order data he is seeking. Power sees several different indicia for Project New Order floating in the air. He touches one of them and exclaims that he's found what he's looking for. But his success is very short lived. Within the Web he is confronted by Dread. Dread blasts Power and Jon goes down. Power is in shock, unable to understand how he could have felt pain during a mere mental projection. But Dread has the OverMind supercomputer on his side. OverMind has enhanced the mental link between Power's real mind and Power's simulation in the Web. Dread says that if Power dies within the Web his real body will die too. Power tries to fight back, but his blaster doesn't fire. Dread explains that within the Web, everything is a manifestation of thought. Dread says Power's weapon won't fire because Jon can't will himself to kill. Unfortunately for Power, Dread has no such compunction. Power tries to run, but Dread can move with the speed of thought while inside the world of the mind. No matter where Power goes, Dread blocks his way. At Tech City the battle rages on. Hawk realizes that Blastarr is not pushing his advantage, evidentally stalling. But since Hawk is unaware of what's going on inside the Cyber Web, he is at a loss to explain why. Back in the Web, Power is still vainly trying to evade the mocking Dread. Dread is controlling and directing events and Power seems helpless to prevent it but doesn't break down. He keeps fighting. Dread taps into Jon's mind and mentally shifts their location to PowerBase. Dread can see what PowerBase looks like but doesn't know where geographically it is. Still trying to break Power, Dread now shifts their location to Volcania. Dread taunts Jon with images of Scout, Pilot, Tank and Hawk, all looking dead. Finally Dread conjures up an image of Power's father. Dread tries to make Power feel guilty about not being able to save his father from death. This pushes Power to the limit. Power exerts his will to the fullest and breaks OverMind's mind link. Now Power is controlling events within the Web. Power makes Dread confront a true representation of Power's father, Dr. Stuart Power. Dr. Power calls Dread by his real name, Lyman Taggart, and taunts Dread by stating that his dream lives on in his son and that a dream can't be killed. Dread tries to destroy the Dr. Power image but he can't. Jon tells Dread he must still have a conscience, since he couldn't will the death of Dr. Power. But Dread can't accept it. Power and Dread battle furiously with PowerStaffs. At Tech City the stand off between the Team and Blastarr continues. Pilot gets an idea. She says she can use the vast array of electronic devices present in Tech City to produce an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) strong enough to temporarily deactivate any electronic equipment. Unfortunately, this includes the Team's PowerSuits, but hopefully she can disable the Cyber Web in the process. Back in the Web, Power forces Dread to face more truths. Dread is forced to confront the reality of the "New World" he has caused. Finally, Power manifests a restored Lyman Taggart, Dread's true self. Taggart tells Dread that Power is right. Dread cannot destroy the Taggart image and cannot face the truth about himself. Dread recoils, removing himself from the Web, defeated. Pilot is successful and her efforts dampen all electronic devices in Tech City. Blastarr and his troops collapse, the Team's PowerSuits deactivate and the Cyber Web computer link loses power. Jon is freed from the Web and quickly overpowers Zone Boy, who still had the drop on Mindsinger. Power tells his friends about his ordeal in the Web. Hawk tries to lessen Power's pain by assuring him that the experience wasn't real. Power is not so sure. At least Power got the Project New Order data he was after. Mindsinger interrupts the happy ending to demand payment for her services. Power hands her a large roll of bills. At Volcania, OverMind is highly displeased with Dread's failure. OverMind reveals that Power has captured important data concerning the Styx phase of Project New Order. Dread, denying his humanity to the end, again vows to OverMind that the New Order will still succeed.

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