Part IV
Dot's front room was in shambles, and it was only just midnight. No one felt ready to send the boys off and go to sleep, so they just hung out and talked.
"Hey!" Mouse spoke up, "let's do karioke!"
"Uh...no." AndrAIa replied.
Hexadecimal turned to Dot. "Hey, maybe Dot can do her little Alphanumeric number for all of us. Instead of Enzo being Alphanumeric, Bob can."
"No way," AndrAIa grinned, "as much as I love your voice, Dot, but I'd love to see Bob playing the big fancy guitar. I mean, that was what 'BFG' stands for, right?"
Bob looked away, guiltily. "Uh...yeah."
Dot smiled. "Yeah, Bob! Play for us!" The all looked at him.
"I would, but...in this especial circumstance in which I am in at this trice, it would be eminently unlikely that I would be adequate to render that phenomenon. I retain the intellect to fathom that if I were to utilize my intensely intellectual in addition to eminently cybernetic, not to specify indestructible, keytool consonant to which you have insinuated, the statistics would be extremely disastrous, not to specify dangerous, prodigious, and convey uncertainty peril. Suppose I was to call up Glitch, my superior crony here, that happens to be within me, thereupon not exclusively will it gyrate into a mandolin, but I shall, correspondingly."
The others stared at him.
Hex looked around, confused. Was she the only one who didn't understand what the guardian had just said? "Uh..." she said.
"I said-" Bob began again.
"Guys, I think he's trying to say that if he were to tell glitch, which happens to be permanently downloaded into his system, to turn into a BFG, then he would too, since Glitch is inside him," Ray explained.
"Oh."
Dot frowned. "But...can't you just...I don't know, use your powers and make a guitar appear in your hands?"
Bob thought for a minute. "Oh yeah, that's right." He concentrated his powers, and a big, fancy guitar appeared in his hands. "Here we go!"
"And Bob?" Dot asked, smiling.
"Yeah?"
Her smile disappeared. "Don't every use words longer than two syllables around us again."
"Okay."
"You know," Mouse spoke up, "I heard that BFG didn't just stand for Big Fancy Guitar."
"It doesn't," AndrAIa pointed out. "It stands for Big Fu-"
"Okay!" Bob interrupted, "that's enough! Let's...I don't know, talk about something else."
Matrix wasn't able to sleep this time. He kept tossing and turning in bed, not able to find a right position. He checked his clock several times, but the microseconds barely moved along. Finally, he gave up and trooped down to the family room.
Boom, boom, boom.
Someone was knocking on the door. The sound echoed through the house. Matrix got up slowly, and as if in a trance, walked up to it. Looking down, he could see smoke filtering from under the door, making the floor look all misty.
A cloaked figure was at the door. It was really tall, much taller than Matrix himself, with a huge cloak that covered its whole body.
Matrix's eyes widened. "No!" he cried, "It can't be! Not you! You're-"
Before he could finish speaking, the figure threw off its cloak, revealing itself as Ray. He was using stilts to make himself taller, and he was having trouble keeping the cloak on.
Matrix's expression turned bored. "Oh."
'Ray' smiled at Matrix. "Hey, mate! What's up? You've been through all the representative deal, so let's not go too deep into that. Can you...help me?"
The renegade frowned. "I thought you were supposed to help me."
"I know that. But right now, I can't do that because these bloody stilts are putting cuts into my bloody leg!"
"Your leg is bloody?"
"Why, yes it is."
"Why? It's not wounded."
'Ray' paused. "Uh, mate? 'Bloody' would be slang."
"...Oh."
'Ray' reached out, and putting his hand on Matrix's shoulder, jumped off the stilts. "Ah! That's better! Now then, ready to get going?"
"Wait! Where are we going?"
'Ray' hesitated. "You don't know?"
"No."
"So you do know."
"No I don't."
"But you just said you did know."
"No, I said I didn't know."
"You didn't. You said 'no'."
"I know!"
"Not I no! No!"
"What?"
"No!"
"What no?"
"Exactly!"
Matrix howled with anger. "Okay. Where are we going?"
"The future, duh!" With that, Ray took Matrix by the shoulder and pushed him out the door.
Matrix was shocked to find himself standing in the middle of Mainframe- or, was it Mainframe? It didn't look like it at all! The buildings were the same, but the sky wasn't it regular blue, everything was dark. No one was out in the street except hobos, and Mainframe wasn't even supposed to have them. What happened to the peaceful city he grew up in and loved?
He turned to 'Ray.' "What's going on?"
'Ray' shrugged. "We can look around, you know."
Matrix nodded. "Dot's Diner."
The walked into they reached the diner, but instead of seeing the regular restaurant he had spent most of his days in, the building was dark, and the sign had been changed to 'Enzo's Diner.'
"Enzo's Diner?" Matrix cried, surprised. Without another word, he marched right into the restaurant, hoping to find some answers.
The diner lights were pretty dark inside, nothing was bright and cheery. The tables and chairs were all painted darker, and the bar was bare, except for a teenage boy leaning against the cash register.
Matrix walked up to him. "Excuse me," he said, "do you know the owner to this diner?"
"You're looking at him," the teenager replied, "name's Enzo. You new in town? Don't remember your face."
The renegade looked at him, shocked. Enzo? But it couldn't be! The little boy he once was and ran around back then, stood there, taller, a bit stockier, his hair spiky. His right eye wasn't missing, though, except for the eyebrow ring right above it. His clothes weren't the regular jumpsuit he always wore before. Black, baggy jeans, and a white, sleeveless shirt. His shoes were identical to Matrix's.
"Enzo?" he cried.
Enzo nodded. "That be me. What'll it be?"
Matrix started to say something, only a teenage girl walked in from the kitchen. She was beautiful, and he couldn't help but tell how much she looked like AndrAIa. Her hair was green with natural, light orange streaks, and her skin was an orangish-tan. She wore short shorts, boots, and a blue tank top. Her lips were purple, just like AndrAIa's. Matrix stared at her too. She seemed so familiar, but at the same time, not.
The girl walked right into Enzo's arms, and Enzo smiled at Matrix. "This is my girl, Tania," he said, "Yeah, I know she's a year younger than me, but who cares? I love her."
Tania giggled, then said, "Are you new here? Because if you are, my father, Ray, can give you a tour...that is, what's left of the city. Mainframe's been dead, pretty much, ever since Bob, our guardian...well, disappeared."
Matrix's eyes widened. "Your father? Bob disappeared?"
Just then, the sky grew dark, and a cube started dropping down. "WARNING, INCOMING GAME. WARNING, INCOMING GAME." Matrix almost had to fight the urge to run after the cube, and had to remind himself he was dreaming.
Enzo sighed and turned to Tania. "Better go after it," he said, kissing her. "You know what happens. One lost and this whole city is offline." With that, he turned and left the diner.
Matrix turned to Tania. "You're just going to let him go out there, alone?"
Tania shrugged and started wiping down the counter. "He's fine. So many things has happened, and it's effected him pretty badly."
Matrix paused. "What did you mean, Ray's your father? And what happened to Bob?"
"No one knows what happened to Bob. And Ray and AndrAIa are my parents."
Bob yawned.
Dot sighed.
Mouse frowned.
Ray scratched.
"Okay, you guys," AndrAIa said, standing in the middle of the room. "Try to get the clues, okay?" Clearing her throat, she made a 'peace' sign with her fingers.
"Two words," Dot said, bored.
"First word," Mouse added.
AndrAIa thought, then scrunched herself up on the floor.
Bob stared blankly at her. "What?"
"I don't get it," Mouse muttered.
Dot thought. "Little!" she cried.
"Yes!" AndrAIa shrieked, clapping her hands together and jumping to her feet. Clearing her throat again, she struck into a feminine looking pose.
"Um..." Everyone was puzzled.
"I give up," Ray finally said.
AndrAIa got back to her feet. "Well...it's Little Women."
Silence.
"Little Women," she tried again. "Get it? It's this really good book, and it's..." she trailed off.
"Okay..." Mouse whistled and looked away.
Matrix didn't know where to go first, but he finally decided to go to the Principle Office and see if Dot and Phong were there. Sadly, that building was almost off line, apparently gotten hit by a game cube in the past. Looking up at it, he went inside. The inside looked pretty much the same. The only difference was that there weren't as many people.
"Dot?" he called out. "Dot? Are you here?" He approached the main room to see his sister leaning against the main computer console, her back to him. She was wearing the regular black outfit she always had, only instead of hugging her once perfect body, it sagged here and there, showing signs of old age. Her hair was thin. Her skin was a light green.
"Dot," he said, shocked and sympathetic.
The woman turned around to look at him, and Matrix almost cried out in surprise. She was much older, like as if she were in her fifties. Wrinkles on her face, and her arms were skinny. Apparently, she hadn't seen him, and had only turned around to lean against the console and look out in the distance, sadly.
Matrix turned to see 'Ray' standing beside him. "What happened to her?" he asked.
'Ray' sighed. "Well, you know the part when Bob disappeared. Apparently, he effected her pretty badly. She kept on with her job and title, but it never meant anything more to her, ever since he disappeared."
"So this is her fate?" The renegade asked, "to live and die an old, miserable maid? But why?" He looked at Dot again, sadly. "Oh Dot," he said, "what could ever cause this to happen to you?"
Just then, the door slammed open and two figures walked into the Principle Office. He turned, and was surprised to see a middle-aged Ray and AndrAIa walk up to Dot.
"Hey Dot!" AndrAIa cried, cheerily. "Works done, ready to come home?"
Dot smiled at them gratefully. "Thank you for coming."
"Hey, it's no problem, love," Ray grinned, "it's all we can do to welcome you into our home. Our Tania loves you!"
"What!" Matrix cried.
AndrAIa helped Dot up. "Hey lover!" she called over to Ray. "Help me out a bit!"
Ray smiled and walked over to them. "Okay Mrs. Matrix," he said, "off to home we go!"
"No!" Matrix cried, watching as AndrAIa and Ray helped his sister out the door. "AndrAIa and Ray couldn't be married! What about me? Whatever happened to me?" He turned to 'Ray', angrily. "You did this! You went behind my back and married AndrAIa, didn't you?"
'Ray' looked at him, shocked. "Matrix, remember! I'm not the real Ray! I'm only a representative of him!" Before Matrix could say anything more, he disappeared, taking Matrix with him.
Matrix suddenly found himself off in Los Angles, the twin city of Mainframe, and looked around for 'Ray'. He wasn't around.
"Where am I now?" He asked aloud.
Crash! Boom!
Matrix whirled around to see a very old, boxed sprite wheel over to him. He peered down at him, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Phong!"
The old sprite looked up at him, surprised. "How is it that you know my name, but I don't know yours?"
Matrix couldn't believe his eyes. "I don't believe it! Phong, what are you doing here?"
"Then again," Phong continued, apparently not having heard Matrix, "how is it you know my name when even I don't know my name?" He burped and held up a beer can. "Want some?"
"Uh...no thanks," Matrix replied. "But what are you doing here?"
Phong shrugged, and nearly feel down in doing so. "I don't know. People at the big white, bally looking building said I was getting too drunk. I don't get drunk, I don't know what they're talking about!" He took another long chug from his beer can, then threw it over his shoulder. It crashed behind him. "I used to be the Command.com, I tell everyone that, but no one believes me!"
The renegade looked at him, speechless. "What caused you to start drinking?"
Phong shrugged again, and this time, he did fall down. Matrix helped him up, and then he spoke. "A big, purple looking thingy came out of the sky and fell down on two of my friends! Those two of my friends weren't getting along very well at the time, and so they fought a lot. Then suddenly, 'GAME OVER, USER WINS' comes out of the game cube, and it disappeared, leaving the place it was at totally broken down! I think it was the big bally white building."
"What!" Matrix cried, "the game was lost! Is that what caused the whole city to look like this too?"
Phong was about to shrug again, but Matrix stopped him. "I guess," he replied. Suddenly, he brightened up. "Do you want to meet the friends that lost the game?" Before Matrix could reply, he whizzed off, then returned with a cage. Inside, were two nulls. One was silver-blue, the other was dark green. (Gee, I wonder which is which!"
"That," Phong pointed at the blue one, "is Matrix, and this," he pointed at the green one, "is Bob."
(Uh...... Sorry Phong, got it backward there!)
Matrix's eyes widened, looking at the two nulls that were supposed to be him and Bob. "No!"Phong frowned. "What do you mean no? This is Matrix, and this is Bob!"v
Just then, Matrix felt a flash of light, and he was standing back in his house again. 'Ray' was there, waiting for a response.
Matrix stared at him. "What happened!?" he cried.
"Since you refused to be nice to people, and are so gruff to even the ones you love," 'Ray' explained, "that will gratually result into a fight with them. You and Bob will never be friends again. One day, while you guys were fighting, a game cube dropped down. Since you weren't able to work cooperately, the game was lost, thus triggering a system failure. You two were turn into nulls, and Mainframe nearly crashed. Since you weren't around, AndrAIa went with Ray. Gradually, Mouse, whom you didn't get to see, was heartbroken and got lost in the web. Since Bob was gone, Dot became depressed, like the way you saw her. And Phong became depressed also, thus turning to beer. He was kicked out of the Principle Office, and that was when you met him."
Matrix looked at the representative in shock. "All that, because of me?"
'Ray' nodded.
"Do I still have time? I mean, before it happens?"
'Ray' checked his watch. "Not much, but you do."
"Okay." Matrix nodded, then ran to get his clothes changed. When he came back down, 'Ray' was gone.
Everyone was totally beat at the slumber party. Bob and Dot were snuggled up on the couch, AndrAIa was sleeping on one of the arm chairs, Ray was sleeping on the floor, and Mouse was sleeping next to him, snoring louder then anything a mouse could ever do.
AndrAIa, being probably the lightest sleeper there, (come on! Bob couldn't possibly be a light sleeper) was awakened by a soft knocking at the door. Sleepily, she got up to answer it.
Matrix stood there, holding flowers and a box of chocolates in his hands.
AndrAIa looked at him, surprised. "Matrix! What are you doing here?"
Matrix looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "AndrAIa, I was wrong and everything to be so gruff to everyone. You were right. I should change and be nicer to people. I love you, and I was afraid to lose you." He held out the flowers and candy.
AndrAIa smiled and took the presents. "Thank you. I'm glad that you're okay and everything, that you decided to come by. Why don't you come on in?" She kissed him, then took his hand and led him inside.