Part 2: Plans and Understandings

            Bob sat there for what seemed like a cycle, staring at the black planner.  Slowly he got up off of his zip board and walked around the storage room of the diner before pausing with a deep breath.  He shook his head and then pushed the power button on the pad, followed by the "receive message" icon.  The pad lighted up and began to shake abit.  It shook itself free of Bob's hands and landed with a gentle thud onto the ground.  Bob took a few steps back, nearly falling over his zip board as a life size holo-image of Dot flickered into existence.  The image smiled gingerly at him, then sighed.  Bob stood in stunned silence as the visual playback began.

"Bob, if you are seeing this image, that means that so far, things have gone as planned.  And yes Bob, I have a plan.  It’s a plan that might work, but I am going to need you to trust me for it to work, and do everything that I say."  The image flickered abit as the holo-Dot moved down and pushed a button on a display pad.  The holo image of Dot was replaced by an image of a program code, complex, and unlike anything Bob had ever seen.  Dot's voice played in the background as the image of the program matrix flickered.

"This is A.v.A., an Anti-Virus-Agent.  It is a complicated program that Phong, Mouse,  and I have been working on ever since our encounter with Daemon.  Daemon made us realize that there are new, stronger, and more destructive viruses out there, and that Mainframe is unable to defeat them with our current tools.  Daemon would have defeated us if it had not been for Hexadecimal, as much as I hate to admit it."  The image flickered again and as structure that looked like a DNA strand made of binary code formed and spiraled in the air.  "A.v.A. , we hope, is our solution.  It may have the potential to defeat any virus.  I have decided to give A.v.A. its first test subject, Megabyte." 

Bob marveled at how complex the program was.  It was unlike any anti-virus program that he had ever encountered.   He had heard rumor that such a program had only been theorizzed by the SuperComputer's experts.  Mouse must of been up to dat on the studies, and as usual she was also ahead of them.   This new programe was even more complex than the anti viral program that Glitch contained.  The program seemed geared toward repairing damaged codes, not deletion of codes, and it had an A.I. that allowed it to learn and deal with unknown virus types. Bob shook his head slightly, not quite believing what it was that he was seeing.  With this program, they may have had a chance at changing Daemon's programming, instead of sacrificing Hex.  The image flickered again and the holo-Dot reappeared, her PID icon now containing an extra small blue circle in its centre between the two triangles.  Bob raised an eyebrow and began to ask why, but then remembered it was a holo-image and wouldn't be able to respond.

"Well Bob, what do you think? Do you think it will work?"  The holo-Dot gave a less than confident smile. "I sure hope you are saying yes right now.  I have left detailed instructions for you as to what I need the rest of you to do.  I need you to follow the plans exactly.  As for me, I have taken A.v.A. and integrated its program into my file system.  I am going to get A.v.A. to infect Megabyte, hopefully weaken, and maybe even fix him, and I am going to use myself as the connection so that A.v.A. can infect him." 

"What! Dot no!"  Bob shouted at the holo-image before he realized it didn’t matter what he said, it had already been done.  He stood there, wanting to shut the pad off and go after her, right then and there, forgetting whatever plan she had.  First she had used Enzo and himself as an expendable option to defeat Daemon, and now she was using herself as one against Megabyte. *Why is she doing this?* 

Then it dawned on him.  Dot was no longer Dot.  Dot was Command.com.  The Command.com is defined to protect and maintain the system at any cost. At any cost.  It was in her code now.  Bob sighed and sat down on his zip board as the holo-Dot continued, slightly hazed at this new revelation and understanding of Dot that he had come to.  A Virus is programmed that way, its not their fault.  Dot had been coded to be the Command.com, it isn’t her fault. He turned his eyes back to the image.

"I know, it sounds completely random.  It even sounds random to me, Bob, but it also feels like it is the right thing to do.  I have to stop him, no matter the cost.  He is a virus, in my system. "  The holo-Dot paused a moment, and Bob watched as her face changed in expression.  She was using every ounce of strength to keep her composure, but she was fighting a loosing battle.  After a time of silence, she bit her lower lip, frowned, and then continued. 

"I want him to pay, Bob. I want him to suffer.  I want him to feel every ounce of horror, of shame, of unspeakable pain that he has caused me."  Her face relaxed, as for once she said what she felt, instead of hiding behind her code.  "And how he hurt you, us, our friends, our system.  He took everything away from me.  You, my brother, my home, and then…then as if that wasn’t enough to feed his destructive passion, he took our love and made it into a freak show, making me hurt you and feel so ashamed.  Oh Bob, I am so sorry. I gave up on you.  I thought you were never coming back.  And when you did, I pushed you aside, because I was afraid. I was so afraid.  And just as things were feeling right, I throw you aside, because I was afraid again.  The other Bob reminded me of the old times when things were good.  You reminded me of the times when we had to struggle, and the horrors of the fighting, and the painful memories of everything that I...that we had gone through. I am so sorry Bob, but I was so afraid of the truth that I wasn’t able to see that you were the real Bob all along."

Bob watched the image in silence, now fighting his own emotions from overflowing to the surface.  He understood now why she had chosen the other Bob.  No matter how badly it hurt him, he understood why.

"You are the real Bob.  The Bob that has been there, with me, through everything, the good and the bad.  I now realize that I have to take the bad times with the good…. but, I may have realized to late.  Mouse said that you would forgive me, but I cant even bring myself to ask you to.  I was so horrible to you, and all I can think to say is how sorry I am." 

The holo-Dot turned around and yelled in a cracking voice "Yes Hack, be there in a kilisec".  The Holo-dot paused before turning around, heaving a small sob. The image turned back around, now full of tears, her emotional gates no longer able to withstand the force of her sadness.

 "I don’t know if this will work Bob.  If it does work, I don’t know if I will still be around to celebrate."

"Please don’t say that Dot." Bob stood and interjected, his own voice choking slightly under a throat full of sorrow.  But the holo-dot continued to talk, stumbling over the words with a few sniffles.

"All I know is that I have to try. And I also know, that I love you Bob.  Even if you would rather just be friends now, I don’t care.  I just dont want to loose you, at least not completly. Oh Bob,I love you.  I am so sorry, for everything.  Good…goodbye….Bob…" 

The holo-Dot crumbled into tears and fells to her knees to turn off the recording.  The image froze, with her crying on her knees, the message playback at an end.  Bob stared at that image for the longest time, ignoring the blinking icon on the planner screen.  He wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her, and promise her that everything was going to be alright.  But she wasnt there,  it was only a holo-image.  He looked around the silent storage room, and then back to the image.  Never before had he felt so alone, so helpless, so empty.  He sat back down on the zip board, covering his face with his hands.

"I love you too Dot." he whispers.  And with that, he began to softly weep as his emotional walls fell.

*********                               ************                          **********

The talk amongst the group died immediately as they heard the door from the storage room close.  They each exchanged glances and shruged or nodded as the footsteps approached the table.  Looking at the expression of Bob's face, it was obvious that things were not good.  Mouse and Enzo scooched over on the booth seat to let Bob sit down.  Bob sat down slowly, in need of an energy shake, but not even near in the mood to fight with Ceasal.  Mouse plopped down what was left of her java down in front of Bob, who only noded to her.  Mouse glanced around the table with a deep sigh, realizing she was going to have to be first, as usual, to open her big yap.

"Well, Sugah? what's the verdict?"  Mouse placed a hand on his shoulder.

Bob slowly glanced up at her, then looked around the rest of the table.  He sighed softly and cleared his throat.  "We, or rather Dot, has a plan, and we have instructions to follow."  Noticing the less than satisfied and confused looks on the faces of his friends, he sighed and began to tell them about A.v.A. and Dot's plan.  The reactions among the group were nothing less than the expected.

"What! Has she gone completely random!"  Matrix growled as he slammed his fist against the table.

"Matrix!" chided AndrAIa.

And for once, Mouse was speechless.

"Now, I know it sounds random," Bob continued as he watched Matrix's anger grow, "but it may also work.  So we are going to do exactly what she wants us to do."

"Wait! Now I know you two are missing a few algorithms!" snarled Matrix.  "I cant believe I'm processing this.  Dot is going to use herself as bait for that virus, and you are going to go along with it?"

"Yes Matrix, I am."

"But why Bob? She's the brains, we 're the muscle.  Its not supposed to be the other way around."  Matrix continued to argue.

"Because Matrix, I trust her.  This time she is going to be the main player, the bait.  That’s why it may work.  Megabyte is so used to us just running in to save the day that he is almost certainly expecting us.  Dot is our surprise.  We are still going to be the muscle, if you would let me give you the instructions, that is."

Matrix just harrumphed and crossed his bulky arms, leaning back in the seat.  AndrAIa's touch calmed him slightly, but he gave Bob an angry glare.  Enzo just sat quietly in the corner of the booth, not really knowing what to say, convinced that it was all his fault in one way or another.  Bob looked around the table to see if anyone else was going to put in any input before he continued with the plan.  After a few nanos of silence, Bob continued. 

"Now, according to the information on this pad, AvA worked quickly under lab environments and simulated viros.  Mouse, Dot said you helped develop it." "

"Well ya Honey, but it wasn’t even in live testing stage last time I worked with it."

"So, how well AvA will perform on Megabyte is uncertain.  Dot knew this, so part of her plan is to give us a few cycles to prepare for the effects of AvA, which with any luck, will weaken Megabyte enough for us to succeed with an all out frontal attack."  Bob paused to glance at Matrix, who only grunted his approval at the attack.  "She is going to hold off infecting Megabyte for three cycles, which should give us enough time to complete our orders.  Then it could take anywhere from a few kilisecs to a full second for AvA to take effect.  We just aren't sure."

"Pardon me Sugah, but just how is Dot plann'n on infect'n Megabyte?"

Bob looked over at Mouse, knowing this explanation was going to have to be made sooner or later.  He looked up at Matrix and readied himself for a fight.  "Dot is going to cooperate with Megabyte for those three cycles.  After the three cycles are up, she will stop cooperating, and then, if it all goes according to her plan, she will.."

"She will be droned by Megabyte!  You have gone random!"  Matrix stood with another pounding of his fist on the table.

"Sparky, calm down"  AndrAIa placed a hand on his arm, but removed it after getting a look from Matrix.  She looked to Mouse who just shook her head as Bob rose from the table.

"And when he tries to drone her, he will be infected by AvA."  Bob concluded.

"Then what? I have a drone null for a dad and a drone random for a sis? This isn’t a plan, its suicide.  She is going to get herself deleted, and you are fine with it?  This doesn't make any sense.  Your not making any sense."  Matrix began to storm out of the diner.

"Matrix wait!"  AndrAIa called after as she started to get up.

"Matrix, where are you going?"  Bob took a few steps to block Matrix's exit.

"Outta my way Bob.  I'm going to do what everyone else should be doing. I'm going after Dot before she gets herself deleted."  He glared at the guardian.

"No Matrix.  Look, I know it doesn't process right at the moment, but if you let me tell you what the rest of her plan is, it might."  Bob tried to reason with him, his patience with the renegade getting thinner by the nano.

"Outta my way"  Matrix reached down to his gun, his voice deep and corrosive.

"Matrix, "  AndrAIa spoke sweetly and earnestly as she wraped her arms around the arm that was reaching for his gun.  "I think Bob is right this time.  I know how you feel about Megabyte, but don’t you think we all feel that way?  Megabyte is too strong now, even for you.  I think that this A.v.A. program may be the only weapon we have.  Dot is in there, risking her ASCII for this plan.  I think we owe it to her to see it through.  She is the Command.com, remember, not just Dot." 

Matrix looked down at her, the only person in the entire web that would be able to calm him down.  He sighed, angered slightly at how well she could talk him down from his rage bouts.  He looked at Bob, and the glare returned, but with less intensity.

"This had better work Bob, or it wont be Megabyte that I will be going after"  Matrix left it at that and frumped back down in the booth, crossing his arms.  AndrAIa gave Bob a slight *sorry*,  noded and then took her seat. 

Bob looked around the room in silence for a nano, feeling the thickness of the tension.  He knew that Matrix wasn't the only one with doubts.  He even had doubts.  The plan, however, had already been set in motion by its creator, and at that very moment, that plan was all they had to go on.  He took his seat beside Mouse again and began to tell everyone what their individual instructions were.

*********                 ************                        *****************

The yellow and blue reflections from the screen danced in the unblinking eyes of Dot as she sat huddled over several digital pads and vid windows.  She could feel his eyes on her back.  No matter how much she tried to ignore that creepy feeling, it was starting to wind its way up her spine, hitting every last file nerve on its way up.  She bit her lower lip and furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make her mind focus on the pad.

The virus smiled to himself, knowing exactly how much he was bothering the sprite sitting across the room from him.  For a small nano, he found himself admiring her, how much she had changed.  Still a pain in the ASCII, as were all the sprites of this  insignificant system, but she had grown.  He chuckled to himself as he watched her get more and more fidgety with every passing nano.  Oh how he loved being loathed by her. 

"Oh Miss Matrix?"  He grinned wider as he watched how his voice made her jump slightly.  "How are we coming?" 

"Still no access to the net."  She didn’t look up from what she was doing.  It was bad enough to have him look at her, much less have to look at him back.  She smiled inwardly at not being able to get connected.  That meant that the first part of her instruction had been carried out.  She looked at one of the windows and had to control herself to keep her composure as she read the complex incription codes that had Mouse's usual signature. 

"Well, that is too bad."  Megabyte thought to himself for a moment before a dark expression washed over his face.  "Looks like I will have to find something else to occupy my time while we wait.  Heir Doctor, get the list!" 

  "Ya mine hier Megabyte!"

Dot finally turned to face the virus with a raised eyebrow. "List?"

"Yes, my list.  The good doctor here has been working with Phong, or at least his programming codes."  He had to laugh at that.  "You see, I cant get into the net, so I am going to go back to my original plan."  His crocodilian grin widened.."and you Miss. Matrix are going to cooperate." 

"Cooperate how?"  She didn’t like where this was going.  Something was happening that she hadn’t planned.  This virus was obsessed with getting into the net.  Why was this part of his programming changing.

"You, Miss. Matrix, are going to help me as I begin the hunt!"  He smiled darkly at her, loving every kilisec of this game.  He looked to the doctor as he laughed his usual small quips, then back at Dot. 

Dot just sat there, with her mouth slightly open.  She then quickly closed it and turned away from him, returning to her windows.  Her mind raced with how she could work this into her plan.  How could she cooperate in this? Cooperate in a hunt?  Megabyte was doing this on purpose, and she new it.  He was trying get under her code, to rattle her files.  He wanted to see just how far he could push her before she went random.  She furrowed her brow again and vowed not to let him win this one.  She would just have to speed up her plan and hope the rest of them were ready.

  Part 3