I am an orphan. My species are few and unknown except by a few. I am a servant to my master. Not that I am a slave, my mistress and my mate are the only family I have ever known. I was abandoned at birth because I was injured. My master found me and nursed me back to health. The same thing happened to my mate.

Who am I? My species are unnamed because we haven't been officially discovered yet. I might be called a Web creature but I am too small to be a common one. I am a species of snake but different than known ones. I have three protruding spikes running from my head down my spine. I have the power to stun and heal with my fangs. I am known as Boy.

I got sucked into a portal while completing a errand for my master. I woke from unconsciousness to a desolate, metal world.

The ground, walls, and ceilings were all made of metal. Several life-forms, called binomes, ran into the room I was in. I quickly hid in a corner.

By overhearing their conversation, I knew that some security function detected the portal which I came from. I also knew I was in the "Tor" and there is this important person named "Megabyte". The binomes were all viral colored so I guessed that this Megabyte is a virus. I decided to find him.

I searched the Tor for a while when a monster snatched at me! It missed, luckily. Using my lightening reflexes, I turned to the attacker and bit him before it could even think of attacking again. Once it was paralyzed, I was able to get a close look at it.

"Scuzzy!?!" I said in my own language. I knew him from a long time past. I haven't seen him since my mistress regained her memory and decided to travel. Scuzzy used to be my hunting partner. I bit him again to revive him.

"Scuzzy! I haven't seen you for hours! What are you doing here!?" I asked him.

"I'm keeping my owner company while she is kept here. How did you get here? I thought you were something to eat!"

"Hisssss..." I said, "I was in the Web when a portal sucked me into this place. My mistress was lost in the Web and found a way to go back. We were separated on the way. Do you know where this Megabyte is? I have the feeling that he is the leader here."

"Megabyte?" Scuzzy sounded distressed. "I don't think you want to see him. He took over this entire system. In fact he is holding my owner captive!"

"I'm ssssorry," I replied. "I have to find my mistress first. I'm afraid we'll have to go our separate ways." I turned to leave.

"Wait!" Scuzzy called," Perhaps I can at least show you the way out." Scuzzy showed me a crevice in the wall and gave me detailed instructions on how to get out.

Scuzzy was always good at spying and sneaking so I thought the path he showed me was the safest path. Unfortunately, the safest was not safe at all. I was careless. A binome saw me.

"Ack! Eet iz a vermin! Get rid of eet!" he yelled.

I instinctively striked at the binome. He fell gasping for air. A dark, rich voice responded to the attack from the other room.

"Heir Doctor? What's going on in there? Heir Doctor!! Must I do everything myself!?"

The owner of the voice entered the room. I could tell he was Megabyte, the virus dictator in here. His power and evil reeked in his presence. Looking at him you could see the confidence over all that he owns. I knew my fangs couldn't penetrate his metallic skin. I was defenseless.

I tried to get away but he caught up to me in two running steps. He stepped on my tail and looked at me as if he was going to eat me alive.

In a moment like this, any other life-form in my place would have been terrified. But not in a hundred, million hours have my ancestors ever experienced fear! Instead, I was ANGRY!!! With this level of anger comes a deadly reaction that has been passed down to me through the generations. I grew about twice in size. My fangs extended more. I could feel myself becoming faster than the eye can see. To adjust to this speed, my eyes widened incredibly and made everything seem like slow motion. Only I was moving at normal speed.

I squirmed and bunched up so that Megabyte wouldn't notice the changes to my body. He extended his claws and reached down to slash at me. Just before I was impaled, I struck his eyes. He howled in pain. I managed to get free of his foot. I whipped him with my longer, stronger tail. But there was no damage. The next few microseconds I was trying to inflict some damage on him. I bit him, whipped him and slashed at him with my spine blades. But only his eyes were vulnerable and it is too high for me to strike when he's standing. In the end, he had me cornered. I hissed and threatened with my fangs. But Megabyte took no notice. He advanced towards me. I shrunk myself, looked at my would-be assassin in the eye, and prepared to be deleted with honor.

There was a faint growl from behind the virus and something hit him with so much velocity that he fell over. I took off before he could collect his wits. The next thing I knew, something picked me up in its jaws and was hopping all over the place. It took me a nano to make sense of everything. I realized that Scuzzy charged at Megabyte, picked me up and he was now running for his life.

Scuzzy was so much faster than me but he could not out run Megabyte. I wasn't used to constant speed and it made me dizzy. In desperation, Scuzzy shot vertically up a wall. Megabyte was not ready for that, but it only slowed him down a little.

Scuzzy's strength was ebbing, I could sense it. He was zooming along one of the edges straight at a wall. He was going to hit! But he stopped for a moment and spat me out. Then he shot along the other edge of the wall. Megabyte ignored me and went after Scuzzy.

I noticed a small crack near where Scuzzy deposited me. I squeezed myself into it. I was thinking of attacking Megabyte again when I heard a snarl and a flash behind me. I looked through the crack. I saw Scuzzy in file-lock and several viral binomes pulling him away.

I decided to find my master and ask her to help Scuzzy. I slithered through the crack and found my way out. I seemed to be on the top of the Tor. This is such a vast city. I doubt I can ever find my mistress myself. I decided to wait here. If she was in the same system, she would try to take the system back from this viral leader.

I flicked out my tongue and surveyed the air. I can sense it. My master was here. So was my mate. What the...? I sensed someone new. A stranger but so familiar... Who is this new life-form? I didn't worry. All will be answered in time. My master, and possibly this new creature, will come for me. I will wait...

TO BE CONTINUED...