Users. The playmates of the Anidexes so many hundreds of hours ago. Once again they come to play with us. Of course, we ALWAYS win! Numerous Users started popping out of tears in Mainframe. I withdrew my whip and bared my fangs. Girl and Boy slid down my legs to find their own prey to kill. Mouse gripped her katana tightly and bared her own fangs which were duller that mine and didn? have poison. I was up against five Users. Even though that it seems I was against impossible odds, it was really no big deal for me.

I went through the old routine: strike, kick, punch, whip, punch, and the killing bite. All of that in less than a nano.

The five Users were soon lying dead around me. I looked around for other Users in case any of them were giving our side any trouble. I looked at Mouse and laughed out loud. A User has her in a headlock! I went up to the offending User and tapped her shoulder. She turned and I gave her a blow that knocked her unconscious.

Since no one else seemed to need my help at that time, I started gorging myself on one of the dead Users. Girl and Boy showed up to help me finish the carcass. Pretty soon all the the Users were dead or unconscious thanks to me and the other fighting Mainframers. I wiped blood off my face as Girl and Boy climbed back up on my arms.

During the next micro or two, I was quite confused at the situation because everyone was busy and I couldn? find Mouse. No body stopped to explain to me what was going on. Everyone was talking about ?owering down?whatever that ment. I also saw that Guardian, Bob, merge with his keytool. At first I was wondering why he did that. Then I realized that he needed the extra protection to go into the core of the system.

***
I was woken by the slithering of Girl and Boy who were fighting silently with each other, trying not to wake me. I realized that I have dozed off. Just to annoy my two companions, I stood up suddenly so that Girl and Boy almost lost their grip on my arms. Ignoring the snakes? insults, I wandered around hoping to find someone who would explain the situation to me.

I found the majority of the sprites all gathered in one room. They were talking about their precious system and how it long it was going to last under these circumstances. I agree that the system was not going to last very long.

"Warning. Incoming Game." The disembodied voice echoed through the stillness of the terrified Mainframers. Game! They were always fun to play in. But I was tired from everything that happened and didn? bother to rush in. Bob and Matrix, the two guardians, were arguing whether or not they should enter the game. Bob said that a lost game might force a re-start. I didn? entirely agree with that opinion but I didn? really care about their pitiful little system.

To make a long story short, the game was lost, system crashed and then restarted. Some people were cheering, some were hugging each other and others were crying from relief. I was quite amazed at how magnificent the system looked like when restored. I also felt a bit of pity for that brilliant virus went through so much work destroying the city only to have it instantly revived. Unlike some systems I?e seen restored, this system didn? delete infection off viral property. The infected remained infected and viruses were uneffected.

I toured around the system with Girl and Boy. Mainframe looked much bigger on the ground than it did in the sky. The majority of the population consisted of binomes instead of sprites. I noticed that both of my snakes were eyeing the nulls which were adbundant in some areas of the city.

Before I realized it, I was in a part of the system that would make a perfect lair. It was deserted, full of nulls and isolated from the rest of the city. It was the place where the rebles were hiding in the war.

Suddenly, Mouse zipped towards me on her zip board. "Where have ya? been?" She asked accusingly, "Ah?e been looking for you and you?e not supposed ta be here in the first place!"

I pointed at my ring. "It would be a lot easier if you would?e just called me telepathicly!" I didn? wait for a reply but I looked at the wonderful buildings of this sector. "What is this place called?"

"Lost Angles" Mouse said, "C?on! Let? go!"

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"The Mainframers have made a play ta congratualte us ?eroes?for saving the city. C?on! You?e invited of course."

I wanted to decline but I felt the Mainframers would be insulted if I didn? come. I sighed and followed Mouse on the new zipboard I was given.

Sigh?The tortures I have to endure to pass as a sprite. I think I slept through most of the preformance though I did see a little of the first part. Nobody complained that I should not be asleep because as far as they know, my eyes were open and that ment I was awake. I can? close my eyes for more than 5 nanos so I keep them open while I? asleep.

When the preformance was over, Mouse took me to her apartment and told me I could stay there as I long as I wanted to. As we neared her apartment, I noticed her ship that was parked outside.

She turned to face me and smiled when she saw I was looking at her ship. "Yeah. Ah?e had a few problems with that ship but she can still fly!" She continued walking towards the apartment. "That was the best gift you?e ever given to me, honey."

"Well," I replied, "You deserved it after turning into an Anidex. For a few hours, I was very upset because I was the only Anidex in the net, with no one rule over me and no one for me to rule."

We had reached Mouse? apartment. She provided me with a few things to eat but she looked at me strangely when I said I had already eaten. She started reading a book, waiting for me, the leader of the Anidex, to decide what we have to do next. I stared at nothing, unblinking, thinking of what could be our next move that would benifit the Anidex race.

Mouse finished the book and asked me if I was done thinking. I blinked once and stood up. "C?on, Mouse, we?e going to Lost Angles"

"Lost Angles? Why?" Mouse seemed shocked at the decision I made.

I looked at her emotionlessly. "Think about it, Mouse, there are only three Anidexes left and we have to find the last one. Since that is almost impossible, we should let the third Anidex come to us. This is the only system left with an uninfected guardian. I?l bet that he or she will try to smuggle in. Besides, I like Lost Angles."

"Why can? we stay here?" She asked me. "Ah?e been living here for a couple of minutes and there? nothing wrong with it."

In one swift, liquid motion, I grabbed her by her throat and opened my mouth a little to reveal my fangs in threat. Her hand was on her katana but I know she wouldn? attack. I have seen Mouse fight before, when we deliberately fought each other for practice. She wouldn? stand a chance against me, since I was a rank higher than her. I hissed at her and bared my fangs. "Mouse," I hissed at her in a venomous tone, "You are an Anidex, not a sprite! Don? you understand? Only family can be trusted. Though those sprites seem hospitable, but only to their own advantage. True friendship is only for the weak. It? too much of a risk staying here where the Mainframers can turn on us any nano-second."

I could see it in her eyes that she wanted to argue but it wasn? her place to argue with an Anidex of higher rank. She reluctantly packed a few of her posessions and loaded them on her ship.

I faced Lost Angles and flicked my forked tounge to taste the air. "We leave for Lost Angles immediately."

TO BE CONTINUED