An Eye for an Eye- Part 1

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by Al's Waiter
(between the episodes 'Game Over' and ‘Icons’)

Nano-second = Second
Nano = Minute
Micro-second = Hour
Second = Day
Cycle = Week
Minute = Month
Hour = Year
Day = 24 years
Month = We won't go there! :P

1-1-0-1 = 13 <---(Just remember this for later ^_^)

Part 1

The User advanced towards Enzo as he changed his icon into game sprite mode. As the User did it’s finishing move, a tear
appeared in Enzo’s left eye. Not because his right eye hurt, but, because of his heart ache.

"Game Over....The User Wins...."

The female voice of Mainframe seemed to echo inside Enzo’s head as the tear rolled down Enzo’s cheek and onto the ring
floor.

....Dot....

*~*~*

"Warning....Incoming game.....
Warning....Incoming game....."

The robotic male voice announced to the entire system as a figure on a zip-board
raced towards the purple cube while others fled from it. His short, cobalt blue hair
waved on each side of his pure white face. His jet black eyes scanned the entire
sector. His new Keytool on his silver wrist guards, he wore proudly on his arm and
he loved his new sky blue uniform. He was fresh from the Guardian Academy and
new to this system.

Guardian Rom had told all the inhabitants of Power Grid to either work hard in the
game or stay out of it. Most choose to stay out, to avoid getting nullified. Rom liked it
better that way, it made it easier for him to win the game.

When will the User ever stop inputting games every minute? he thought to
himself. You’d think that the User loves them!

Just as Rom got beneath the game cube, it slammed onto the ground level. When the
game materialized, he saw that he was in a floating arena with stained-glass windows
all around him. Rom looked at his wrist. "Desktop! Game stats!" And the key-tool clicked and wurred in response as it turned
into a tiny screen and displayed the game’s information.

Tournament style fighting game, huh? No Problem! Rom thought to himself. But then as he read on ... Wait a nano... 5
OPPONENTS! The User only has to beat 5 opponents?! And there’s 12 opponent to choose from... Rom made a face.
Perfect! He thought sarcastically. Just perfect! and I’m the only Sprite in the Game! Then he got an idea. If I don’t reboot
right away, I could choose my character in the middle of the game. Rom, you’re a genius!

The windows began to light up in sequence as the User began to choose it’s character. The light stopped on the Angel window
as the game announced in a deep voice, "Angel"

This shouldn’t be too hard. Rom said to himself.

Then the User began to pick Its first opponent.

*~*~*

Enzo looked at the stained-glass window that AndrAIa and Frisket were behind.
I wonder what system we’re in, he thought. Far from Mainframe no doubt. He winced from the pain that once was his right
eye, and grit his teeth. He was still mad at himself for loosing the game. Now they were just two small Sprites and a dog lost in
the Net. He was also mad at himself for failing Bob.

Bob had given Enzo the responsibility of protecting Mainframe. Enzo wasn’t even in Mainframe now. How can you protect a
system if you’re not even in it? he thought sadly to himself. If the User picks me, and if I can defeat it, we’ll finally be out
of this game. I'll beat this User, even if it deletes me!
Enzo had seen a lot of binomes try and defeat the User during the time he had been stuck in the game. None had been
successful. I can’t always depend on anyone in any system to win the games for me. Before Bob came to Mainframe, no
one knew how to beat the User. Maybe it's like that in other systems. I guess I’m on my own. Enzo concluded.

*~*~*

AndrAIa looked at Enzo’s window. Poor Enzo. She thought, I hope he’s OK. and AndrAIa felt a tear fall down her cheek.
She had never cried before. She was a warrior and didn’t usually show her emotion. She quickly wiped it away and patted
Frisket on the head.
Frisket had been trapped in the window with her, and he was glad of the company. He didn’t know exactly what was going on,
but he knew something terrible had happened. He looked sadly at AndrAIa and whimpered.

*~*~*

The User had defeated Its first opponent with a little difficulty, and began choosing Its second. The light stopped on Enzo’s
window. Enzo’s figure came out of the window the game announcing him; "Matrix!" Alright, Enzo thought Let’s do it!

*~*~*

Rom looked at the Game Sprite that was the User’s second opponent. He was dressed in a yellow and black uniform with his
mouth and the top of his head covered. Small black leather spikes poked out of his boots and while he fought the User, green
streaks followed his blurred appendages. But he was awfully short! All of the game sprites that he’d ever seen had been as tall
or even taller than himself.
This should prove to be very interesting. he mused and waited for his turn. Then his eyes opened wide in amazement. This
Game Sprite good! He might not even have to reboot or fight at all.
Round I to the Game Sprite and Round II began.
Rom sat down for the first time in a game. He’d seen Game Sprites fight before but they had always never had given the User
any real trouble. They were mostly there to stall the User, maybe stop it for a short time, but this Game Sprite was winning.
Just as the Game Sprite was about to pounce on the User for the last time. It stopped.....touched the left side of its
chest.....something moved and then it jumped.....landed hard and .....

"Game Over......................."

The game cube shot up into the sky and is was gone as quickly as it came. Rom turned to go to the Principal Office, when he
saw two young sprites, a girl and boy, and a dog standing in the game sector.
I’ve never seen them in Power Grid before.
The girl sprite had her arm around the shoulders of the boy, who was gently holding his right eye. They looked about to be
around the age of 1-1-0-1. Then Rom took a second look at the boy. He is wearing a Guardian uniform! He’s a young
cadet!
As Rom walked towards them, the dog, who was red and yellow, looked at him and started growling. The girl patted the dog
on the head. "Easy Frisket" The dog stopped, looked at her and whined.
Rom knelt down beside them. "I’m Guardian 694 of the system of Power Grid. State your names and functions." he said
quietly.

The girl looked up at him. She had orange skin that was marked with pale white stripes in places, her hair was a beautiful
aqua-green with a starfish on the left side of her head. Her clothes and earrings consisted of seashells and other marine objects,
and fins protruded out of her shins. But Rom loved her eyes. They matched her hair but they sparkled like newly formatted
emerald gems. Then Rom looked at her left arm. She had a small crossbow strapped to it. Why would such a beautiful,
young sprite need a weapon like that?

The young sprite smiled at him, and pointed as she introduced. "My name is AndrAIa. This is Enzo Matrix and his dog Frisket.
Our format?...Enzo’s a Guardian, and I’m a Game Sprite."

Game Sprite?!

Then Rom looked at Enzo. He worn the navy uniform of a first level Guardian. His skin was bright green and he had a mass of
short, dark green, layered hair. The only eye that Rom could see, which was his left, was a deep, dark purple.
He was shaking his head, still holding his right eye. "No..." he whispered quietly "No..."

"Well, AndrAIa, Enzo and Frisket - Welcome to the System Power Grid!" Rom smiled "Is there anything I can do for you?" he
asked.

"No, thank you." Enzo replied a little louder. "No one can help us. No one. Not even Bo..." and Enzo’s voiced trailed off.

Changing the subject, "Enzo, what happened to your eye? Is there something in it?" Rom inquired.

"I don’t want to talk about it." he murmured and turned his head away from Rom.

"No, really. Let me look at it." and Rom reached over to turn Enzo’s head back.

"NO!" Enzo said almost shouting. "We don’t need your help! I don’t need your help!" and he pulled out of Rom’s reach.

Rom backed up, surprised at the sudden anger of the young sprite.

AndrAIa look at Rom then at her companion. "Enzo, he’s just trying to help. He’s not going to harm us. He’s a Guardian like
you and Bob. He’s here to help."

Enzo was shaking his head again. "I know AndrAIa, but, I’m not a Guardian." he said in almost a whisper. "I’m not."

AndrAIa turned her head to one side with a curious look on her face. "What in the Net are you talking about?! Of course you
are a Guardian! Bob made you..."

"NO!" he replied sternly. "I AM NOT A GUARDIAN! A real Guardian would have won that game. A real Guardian would
have protected Mainframe from Megabyte. I didn’t do any of those things! I don’t even have a working Keytool! Glitch is
broken! I CAN’T call myself a Guardian. Not now, not ever. I’m logged off. End Guardian Program! Quit without saving!"
Then he finished in a sad, hushed whisper, "....without saving anything...." and he put his head in his hands and said nothing else.

AndrAIa looked at her sad friend in silence.

As for Rom, his head was trying to scan what he had just heard. ...he LOST a game?!....and they aren’t nullified?!.... Things
weren’t networking. But...Mainframe?!...Glitch...?!...Bob...?! Could it?... Rom shook his head. No...it couldn’t be...!
He bent forward. "Enzo," he said very quietly. "You lost a game?!"

Enzo winced. "Don’t rewind it and play it back for me!" he uttered, "but, ‘Yes’ I DID lose a game."

"But," Rom stammered. "If you lost a game, why weren’t you nullified?"

"It’s a long text file, and I don’t want to talk about it right now. Maybe later." Enzo stood up, covering his eye.

"Alright," Rom said as he smiled, placed his hands on his knees and pushed himself up. "I don’t know what exactly happened to
your eye, but I do know that it may need extreme medical help. I’ll take you to the Principle Office." Looking at his Keytool,
"Desktop. Medical Patch!" and out popped a small roll of soft gauze. Rom gingerly placed a few strips over Enzo's right eye.
"There." he said and he turned and looked at AndrAIa and Frisket. "And you’re welcome to come along as well."

End of Part 1

To be continued in...

Part 2