4.04: Touched by a virus.

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The task that Daemon lays out for Mouse and YT is simple enough: allow the Word to spread to its fullest extent. To that end, YT is sent off into the 'Net carrying a list of IP addresses and a copy of Mouse's encryption codes.

One by one, YT visits the systems Mouse has firewalled off. One by one, the firewalls drop, allowing the Word to spread to the systems beyond them.

Soon, only one firewall remains.

This one is special. What lies within this system is too important to be entrusted to an underling. There have been too many false starts already.

Surrounded by a fleet of Guardian transports, Daemon and her new entourage fly toward System Mainframe.

Comments

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"How is Enzo taking your transformation?" enquires Phong. It's a lot to get used to, after all, having his father back - and in such a strange form - especially piled on all the other adjustments the child has been forced to make in recent minutes.

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Welman hesitates. "Well..."

[a1enzo]

"Hi, Phong," exclaims little Matrix breathlessly, running up. "Dad's a null-monster now, it's soooooo cool! He can change shape and things! Hey," he adds, his attention diverted by a hailing bark, "there's Frisket!" And off he goes.

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"...quite well, actually," he continues with a shrug.

Kids. Go figure.

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Phong's amusement (not to say relief) at this is cut short by the noise of a squadron of CPUs taking off. "Now what?"

As Phong and Welman watch, the tanks head for the firewall. Each fires off its payload - a sender - to be embedded in the sky next to the firewall, and swings around to return to base.

"A second firewall!" says Phong, pleased, as it goes up over the first. "That should slow Mouse down. Clever girl!"

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"Who, Dot?"

Welman is having a hard time adjusting himself. Not only is his little girl a grown woman now, but she's in charge of the entire system. He never doubted her capabilities, but seeing her in action is something else entirely.

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"You should be very proud of her," Phong mock-admonishes Welman, with a slight twinkle.

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"I am," Welman replies, completely sincere. "And Enzo. He's a fine boy. He's grown so much..."

[nofileext]

Oh dear. Well, he had to address this sooner or later. But how in the 'Net to put it...

"Ah, well, there's... something else you should know. About Enzo, or... or should I say Matrix?"