Annihilation
Disappearances
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On the outskirts of a western Ameropean network, a lone small navi wandered about icy blue passageways heedless of the dangerous terrain. There was a Net Square high off in the distance, covered by a misty haze in the white sky. Most of the online visitors to this area were concentrated there, where things were safe and warm, but this one was headed in the opposite direction against her better judgement.
"Are you sure you're headed the right way?" The curious voice of the navi's operator rang in when she noticed her partner did not seem to be making any progress with their mission.
"Hey, you're the one who can see the PET's compass. Am I in the north side of the area or not?" The little navi responded with a carefree tone.
"Y-yeah...but I have a bad feeling all of a sudden. You didn't just get lost on purpose so you could play in the snow, did you?"
"'Course not!" The girl in the parka asserted while quietly brushing out a picture drawn below her with her boots. "'Sides, the snow isn't fresh enough, it's all ice around here. At least it seems like the right place for the scavenger hunt."
The girl watching her PET became suddenly upset. "Argh, don't call it that! You make it sound like a game!"
"Well, that's what it is, isn't it?"
"It's a serious Official test! If we don't find the Snowball Data and return it to the proctor with the Riceball, Baseball, and Butterball Data, we'll never get that Maroon License that will let us...um...access the Maroon Level areas and accept the B-Coded missions...and stuff." The operator tried to recall the specifics of their challenge.
"I just don't get why we gotta do this anyway. They already made us Officials, didn't they? We passed the psych evaluation, beat their survival battles, even managed to recite the oath without tripping over our lines. This just feels like a hazing ritual."
"Be that as it may, we're not declining missions lightly. We're going to show everyone which side of the law we're really on someday, aren't we IceChan?"
"Of course, Ku-uh-Hoshiko. I came this far, I'm with you all the way. I'm just saying though, if I get back there and those guys ask me to grab any other 'balls', I quit."
"Right. Just as long as you quit um...lawfully." Hoshiko smiled.
"Lookin' for somethin'? Brrblrbl..."
IceChan yelped and spun towards the sound of the creepy and unexpected voice. It was deep and gutteral while somehow also high and nasal, like two people speaking at once from the same mouth. She stood on a thin, iced-over walkway suspended over the abyss, and the one that approached her was not in front of her or behind here on the path, but floating through the mist from over the edge. He did not quite come into view, but through the white haze Ice could make out a short figure, about the same size as herself, wearing some kind of long garment that hanged below him like a cloak. She didn't like the looks of things at all and pointed an ElemIce cannon at the ominous figure. "Don't try anything buster, you don't wanna find out how much tougher I am than I look!"
"BrgllBlrrglBlrr." The obscured visitor gurgled something like laughter. "Relax toots, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I was just passin' by and I don't see too many other navis roam these parts brgl. If they do, it usually means they're tough, and they're lookin' for somethin' special. Bglrr..."
IceChan eyed the shadowy figure suspiciously. "Um...yeah...I don't think I'm supposed to get help with what I'm looking for, least of all from someone like...you."
"Like me? What, helpful? Glbrll. It just may be that I have what you're lookin' for blrlrlrl." The eerie navi reached a stubby hand into the folds of his coat while glancing around carefully. He pulled something out just far enough that it peeked around his lapel and let a small purple light glow through the thickening mist. "If that thing you're lookin' for is...power?"
Hoshiko's nervous voice interjected. "IceChan, if that chip is what I think it is..."
Ice nodded and shot a cold glare at the pusher. "Shouldn't you remember to ask if we're Officials first? Because you just made a big mistake, pal."
There was the sickening gurlged laugh again. "What does it matter who you are? Everyone could use a little extra power in today's world blluglru. I can tell you think you're strong enough already though. I'm sure you're aware of the Undernet entrance nearby, I think you know where to find me if you change your mind. Bggllrlhhh..." The dark navi then floated backwards into the mist.
"Ohh no, you're coming with me!" The rookie Official finally fired her ElemIce at the retreating figure. She heard the shot connect and could see the stream of bright blue flame flaring against something solid, but the only sound she heard in response from the target was that disgusting laughter fading into the distance.
"We lost him, IceChan, sorry." Hoshiko sighed.
Ice was irritated that she missed her chance to make her first arrest. "Darnit. We may want to omit this encounter when we report back to the Officials."
"Afraid not, we can't be sure this wasn't part of the test! We'll just have to be honest. We did everything by the book, didn't we?"
"Um...I think so. Maybe I should have fired sooner though." IceChan judged herself with uncertainty.
"I don't think it would have mattered. He had some kind of advanced barrier. I'll fix up our folder for next time though. I guess as Officials, we'll have to face creeps like that on a daily basis. Better be ready!"
"Read you loud and clear, Hoshiko! Now I'd better get back to finding that last ball thing..."
As IceChan resumed her appointed search, the fedora-topped Darkchip dealer hovered somewhat dejectedly back towards the Undernet. Then another navi caught his eye from a lower platform. This one was staring right back, expectantly. Spirits raised a little, he floated down to meet the potential customer.
"Well well welllrrlbl. Don't see many Normals around these parts." He greeted the plain-looking Normal Navi that stared back at him blankly. "Now why do I get the impression you're a repeat customer? Blhh blhh bl."
The Normal Navi did not speak, but the frigid female voice of its operator responded in its place. "Cut the small talk twerp, tell me where the Darkchips are."
"Hmmblgl, I like a woman who's direct. Why not try this on for size?" He tossed the Normal Navi the chip he showed to IceChan earlier. The Normal examined it, then tossed it back.
"I'm not interested in samples." The operator stated impassively. "Tell me where I can find what I'm really looking for. I've heard some things about the local Undernet recently and you had better be connected to it."
"You don't mean the disappearences, do you? Why, of course I have nothing to do with that." The sleazy figure stressed unconvincingly. "Though if you're after a real premium stashhhgl, there happens to be a spot in the Undernet known only to yours truly. I could give up the directions for a small price, bllghhglrlrrr."
"Just tell me already." There was no sign of fear or doubt in the woman's voice, only impatience.
Somewhere deep down below, creatures of the dark hungered, and there was at least one person willing to feed them.
* * *
The next day, in a quiet online midwestern suburb, a young boy navi was walking his pet virus when his quiet morning was shattered by a sudden crash right in front of him. The black-furred Spikey crouched down and growled as its owner held it back on its leash and looked ahead in shock at the authoritative visitor that had landed in his path.
Kingman folded his arms and looked at the pair sternly yet calmly. "Are you sure this is the one?" he said to someone approaching the frightened pair from behind.
A female navi came storming up and pointed an accusing finger at the two pinned between her and Kingman. "That's them all right! That awful virus burned my prize garden to ashes with its breath! Delete that nuisance and his awful dog too!" she shouted at Kingman impatiently.
The boy panicked, "Woah! I never saw this lady before!" he stammered at the still-stoic Kingman, then immediately turned to his accuser. "I can't believe you would hire a mercenary over this you old dingbat! It was an accident!"
"He confessed, you heard him! Now do what I'm paying you for!" The woman screamed her orders again.
Kingman held his hands out and spoke softly, "Now just calm down, both of you. I do not think this is a matter to delete anyone over. I am certain we can come to a mutual underst-"
"Just kill the darn dog, Kingman. It'll take two seconds." the voice of King's operator interupted.
Kingman winced in frustration. "Leave me alone. I can handle this. My way."
Nijubu was taken aback. This wasn't the first time his circumstantial partner had expressed that wish, but he was getting more direct and insubordinate every time. The young man was not in the mood for another argument so he just set the PET down on the table and stood up to stretch his legs. If the legless wonder got into trouble, he could get himself out of it, Nijubu thought.
He walked slowly around the bench at the lonely bus station. Out the windows he could see regular people making their way to work on a busy weekday with suits, jackets, briefcases, and everything. He could see his own reflection in the window as well, slumped and aimless, decked out in a wrinkled grey and black outfit with some spiky leather accessories. His face was twisted with annoyance over Kingman's attitude, but as he saw a familiar look on the worthless people rushing past the window, his signature smile slowly crept back. Despite all the things that had happened to him lately, something about the situation felt right.
"Nijubu!...Nijubu!" Kingman called out from the abandoned PET. The reflective operator considered ignoring the cries, but soon gave in and picked up the device in case the navi needed something important.
"Well? What happened?"
Kingman held up a data packet and gave Nibubu a dry look. "I completed the mission. I can jack out now."
Nij was a little surprised. "So you actually deleted the dog like the lady wanted you to?"
Kingman scoffed. "Of course not. Low as I have fallen, I do not waste my strength on mere children and domesticated viruses. Instead, I convinced the boy to do the right thing and donate his time over the next while to help her repair her cyber-garden, as well as neuter the Spikey."
By this point Nijubu had accepted navi-children and even cybernetic flower gardens that were apparently more complicated to maintain than simply activating something like a GrassStage chip, but the passing comment about neutering a virus nearly shut down his brain. "...Huh?"
"The important thing is the client felt compensated in the end, we were paid, justice was served, and there was no needless loss of life." Kingman summarized.
"What about all the puppies the poor dog is never going to have?" Nijubu muttered. He shook his head and jacked Kingman out as suggested, then headed straight out the door and aimed his body towards the nearest convenience store. "Whatever, at least that's over with and I'm never taking a ridiculous mission like that again."
Kingman rolled his eyes from within the PET, holstered to Nij's side. "I figured you would be pleased with this mission. There was nothing you had to do, and you seem fond of doing nothing."
Once again, the smile was lost. He continued to walk down the sidewalk, more briskly and bitterly. "There is a lot I would like to do, you just refuse to help me do it."
"You would have me hack ATMs and steal zennies from innocent navis that would glady pay us willingly if we just help them, like that woman and the other people on the Request BBS."
"Look, I have to eat, and this path of justice of yours is barely covering that requirement! After dealing with that shrill client I fail to see how innocence means they don't deserve to be robbed blind." Nijubu didn't put these feelings to words often, even when he was with the Acid Hackers, but then again the AH rarely provoked him like Sam's navi could.
Kingman was not happy with the arrangement either. He felt bound by servitude, and abandoned by his previous operator. He had no choice but to go with Nijubu, and it was all he could do to struggle to put the boy on the right path, but there was resistance every step of the way. "If you don't like relying on me, you could always find a real job..."
"With 'netcrime' the only thing on my resume? Yeah right."
"Weren't you some kind of bodyguard before that?"
"Can't get any useable references for that, either."
"Well don't just give up so easily. You have potential! Moreso than your former teammates at le-"
Kingman was finally cut off by a forced sleep-mode. Nijubu continued to hold down on the button white-knuckled until his anger faded back to the point of reason and he re-holstered the unwanted hardware. Few operators would use such a feature if they wanted to keep the trust of their partners, but Nijubu knew that was already not an issue.
Alone with his own thoughts once more, he thought about what he really should do, and what he wanted to do. With his departure from the last of the Acid Hackers, he considered finding Cam again, but was still worried about the reaction he would get. His thoughts would constantly jump back to his old teammates. It had been weeks since he parted ways with Jake, and Stuart was long gone. Jeremy and Matt were in hiding and didn't want to be found, and Johnny...Nijubu couldn't stop wishing things didn't end the way they did with him, or with all of them. He had been so close to them for so long. But more than any of the other AH operators, he missed his own navi. Desertman was taken too suddenly, too unfairly. The others chose to break up, but he and Desertman had no choice in the matter.
As Nijubu spent a portion of the zenny Kingman had just earned on sustaining junk food, he wondered why after all these months, that one navi stuck out in his mind and seemed to call out to him? Was he just dwelling needlessly on the tragedy, was it a feeling simply accentuated by his dissatisfaction with Kingman, or was he sensing that his long-lost partner was really still out there? Something told him he would need to figure it out soon.
* * *
In an suburban network of the midwestern hub known as Plains City, another cyber-garden was flourishing on a platform off the beaten path. This garden was no imitation flowerbed, but a miniature virtual jungle with grass, trees, flowers, vines, and other exotic wood-elemental constructs. The sight brought much admiration from passersby on the walkways across from it, but few actual visitors due to the naturally increased presence of KillPlants, Vineys, Shrubbies, and other dangerous wood-type viruses within the vicinity of the natural wonder. It would almost be considered a viral hazard, except the garden's position did not impede traffic, and its groundskeeper kept it from spreading any farther, so the Officials left it alone.
Occasionally, intrepid navis did brave the dense foliage and hidden viruses to visit the garden's interior, and to an outside observer it only seemed like they were seeking to collect rare wood-elemental battlechips, but most often these navis had an ulterior motive.
One such navi, a weary F-type, staggered his way into the center of the platform and looked around desperately, calling out with a raised whisper for the one he expected to be there.
"Yes, hello. Can I help you?"
The F-type was startled to find the groundskeeper standing just a few panels in front of him. This navi unsurprisingly blended into his surroundings, a green and red plant navi with a flower for his head. He turned and looked at his visitor with a gentle expression. "You must have had some trouble getting here, do you need something?" he said, unbothered by the heavy pollen haze or the lurking plant viruses.
The fire-elemental normal navi looked about nervously and rubbed his face with a sniffle. "Uhm, yeah my op read about this place on a BBS. You're Plantman, right? You're good at making plants grow in both worlds?"
"Why yes, correct on both counts. Beautiful work here, no? I wanted to set up a place like this where people could see it, rather than on a homepage navis would never visit." Plantman answered with pride.
"I heard you set it up here so's they couldn't trace it back to your op..."
Plantman gave his visitor a sly look. "Now why would we do that? It's not like we have anything to hide..."
The red navi chuckled a bit. "Yeah whatever. Soo...we hear your op's got...special plants? Is there a place where my op could...uh, purchase some?"
Plantman smiled. "Certainly. Just give me your e-mail address and I will forward you the directions. Our operators can discuss price when they meet."
"My addy!?" The navi was unsure about giving that information out to someone like this.
"I assure you, it will be used in the strictest confidence." Plantman said soothingly. His customer was still nervous about it, but through some combination of the seductive plant navi's charms and the will-eroding effect of the pink pollen saturating the air, he soon surrendered the address and left quickly and quietly. Plantman laughed and relayed the information back to his operator.
Stuart was hard at work in his dimly lit basement, a table with flasks and bunsen burners in front of him, a rack with rows of leafy plants to his side, loosely assembled security monitors to his other side, and a variety of weapons, plastic bags, locked metal boxes, and other supplies behind him. On the nearby desk, his PET hooked to a wireless laptop beeped to alert him of Plantman's customer. He smirked and rolled his chair over to meet his navi. "Well, what do you have?"
"Seems like a genuine customer to me. He had too much trouble getting through the viruses to be an Official." Plantman reported.
"It's not the Officials I'm worried about though. If Black Storm ever figures it out..."
"Well hiding in plain sight seems to be working nicely for now, and we can always relocate quickly if we're found out."
Stuart nodded. "Of course. Hmm, imsohigh999@heatmail.com...a little obvious, worth a background check anyway. Run it then send him the directions to the usual spot, 11:30pm."
Plantman sighed. "Right away Stuart. Things are a lot more...challenging these days, aren't they?"
"Of course." Stuart replied grimly as he wheeled his chair back to his lab table. "Having Black Storm looking for us is much more threatening than the Net Guardians ever were."
"Yes. Plus, we also had some extra help back then...Have you considered searching for the others again?"
Stuart slumped his shoulders and shook his head. "Can't afford it right now. They could be anywhere, and either trying to let them know where I am or tracking them down myself will just make it easier for Black Storm to zero in on me. Maybe when I build up enough funds with our business here or the Black Storm thing dies down...then we can try searching for them."
"Understood." Plantman bowed his head and went to initiate his task. Their business so far had consumed all their time and effort and as traffic increased, they were only getting busier. He quietly wondered how much longer they could hold out like this, and whether their pursuers would arrive at any time to end it even sooner.
* * *
