Wild Boot: The Net Games
By David Farr
	
   Tenchi Muyo is copyright of AIC : Pioneer LDC, INC. ReBoot is the
property of Mainframe. Ranma 1/2 is copyrighted by Rumiko
Takahashi/Shogakukan,Inc. All are used here respectfully for the purposes
of fanfiction. This story may be redistributed only if unchanged and no
fee is charged.
   The prequel to this story "Wild Boot", other parts of this story and
my other works of fiction may be found at:
   http://www.homepages.co.nz/~djfarr/

-----

   "Game over." The system voice, normally passive and disinterested, had
a sinister tone to it, as if mocking the four sprites standing below.
"User wins."

   The tall blue sprite spun, looking for a way out, any way. Only the
sight of scenery dissolving into purple pulsating energy greeted his
eyes. The dark walls seethed and crumbled, swirling away into the energy
haze, then slowly the floor was eaten away. Closer and closer the glow
came, approaching from all side, till at last even the ground beneath his
feet vanished. Then the energy consumed his feet, and the sprite screamed
soundlessly as his very code was torn apart.

   "RRRRAAAANNNNNMMMMMAAAAAA!!!!!" Akane Tendo sat bolt upright, sending
the blankets flying from her. Confused moments passed until she
recognised where she was, her own room in the Principal Office.

   Sobbing quietly, Mainframe's once proud defender pulled her knees up
to her chest and hid her tear streaked face. It was the same nightmare.
The one she'd been suffering every time she went offline, ever since...
since... she had lost him.

*****

Nabiki: He came from the Net,
        Through Systems, Peoples and Cities,
        To our home,
        Mainframe.
        Now,
        He's gone.
        In the wake of his loss
        Comes a new threat,
        But also a new hope.

v 2.1.1 : Aftermath

*****

   The first explosion surprised everyone, shattering the silence that
had followed Akane's scream and sending the assembled CPUs into disarray.
Like a hungry pack of nulls the ABCs had risen out of G-Prime and swarmed
in towards the vehicles, bolts of blazing death searing the air itself.
Many binomes had lost their processes in those first few seconds, others
had simply turned tail and run.

   Akane's driver was the best Nabiki had been able to find, but even he
was having a hard time keeping his car in the air. "Madam Defender, what
should..." his words died in his mouth as he saw Akane curled up her eyes
wide-open and unseeing of the devastation outside the car.

   The communicator flashed to life, and Nabiki Tendo, Mainframe's
Indexer, appeared in the panel. "Akane what's happening?! Report!"

   The zero binome looked between the communicator and the withdrawn girl
in the passenger seat. "Ah, Indexer, ma'am, the Defender is ah...
off-line at the moment."

   Nabiki glared out at the poor binomee. "What?! Never mind. I'm taking
combat command. You get her back here. Understand? Her survival is your
only concern."

   The driver acknowledged her with a nod and a salute. "Yes, ma'am." He
arced the car away and started weaving at high speeds through the lethal
energy being exchanged by the two opposing forces.

*****

   The Vid window snapped shut, revealing the system displays beyond
them. Things did not look good. Akane was down, she didn't know why, but
Kasumi had hurried out the moment she had heard, leaving Nabiki with a
control room full of scurrying binomes.

   With a deep breath Nabiki got to business. "Get the civilian reserves
into the air NOW!" she snapped at the nearest binome, who hurried away,
grateful for some direction. Nabiki turned to look at the map table that
dominated the War Room. Her eyes darted across the images, focusing only
momentarily on each of the vehicle icons. "Send a message, I want the
first and fourth wings to rally at the grid reference beta-one-three-nine
by charlie-nine-two-three, the second and ninth move to Baudway and all
others to retreat to shore up the Principal Office's defences."

   "Yes ma'am!" the binomes on the floor cried before directing their
attentions to their work.

   That done Nabiki turned to the binome that had taken Kasumi's place.
The spectacles that framed his eye had a loop of tape securing them
together and red spots covered the block that held his mouth. It was a
look that did not inspire confidence in her. "Enty Esscy, get the
Principal Office's shields up as soon as Akane's car's  in then I want
all emplacements ready to fire."

   "Of course Nabiki," Enty replied in a nasal tone.

   That done, Nabiki turned her attention back to the windows floating
above the system map. Through them she could watch the battle taking
place outside and the useless waste of function that accompanied war.

*****

   Within the Silicon Tor the virus Kuno stood before a collection of
windows smiling in satisfaction. His virals were winning against the
poorly organised Central Police Units, and if he knew Akane Tendo, then
her only reaction would be to strike back with force, a plan that would
lead her to disaster. Yes, everything was finally falling into place. The
plans delayed by the Guardian's arrival were once more on track.

   A Vid Window popped open, obscuring his view of the battle. Kuno
scowled menacingly at the binome general as he reported. "Lord Kuno, the
CPUs are on the retreat!"

   Kuno smile froze. "That is unlike the defender. Where are they moving
to?"

   "The Principal Office sir!"

*****

   The War Room's door slammed open with alarming force and Mainframe's
new Command.com charged in, sending personnel scattering. She marched
straight up to Nabiki, then paused for a second, collecting herself.
Nabiki found the smile directed at her slightly disturbing.

   "Nabiki, you've been raiding my workshop," Kasumi accused in her kind
voice, sending shivers up the spines of the assembled binomes.

   "It seems to be something this family does," Nabiki muttered, not
taking her eyes off the windows. "How's Akane?"

   "Her bitmap's fine and she's still running, but she's not responding.
I've left her in Dr Tofu's capable hands."

   Nabiki nodded. "Good."

   On the window before her, the wings of CPU's shot over the tramway,
followed moments later by a horde of ABCs. Nabiki tensed, watching as the
camera followed the ABCs. "Get ready," she directed the binomes. Silence
fell, various staffers holding hands over controls. "NOW!"

*****

   Baudway was deserted as the twelve CPUs hovered above it. The sounds
of battle carried across the distance, growing closer as the ABCs pursued
the CPUs heading for the Principal Office. As the echoes of Nabiki's
command died in the War room klaxons and the grinding of heavy machinery
broke the relative peace of the street.

   Passers-by, if there had been any, would've been surprised to see an
otherwise solid section of the street suddenly drop a number of pixels
down, then grind apart, revealing a massive tunnel leading deep into the
system's structure. With a final clunk the doors vanished, leaving only
oppressive silence. A silence broken only moments later by the explosive
arrival of a massive purple mecha.

   Larger than the buildings about it, it was a horrific thing, tall and
thin, as if malnourished. The lines of the body looked as if the designer
had used a ruler, yet the effect made the monstrous robot appear even
more demonic. Its entire form spoke of strength, but also restraint, as
if it was something more powerful and that the thin form was all that
kept it in check. Along both arms "EVA-01 TEST" was written.

   Under the control of its pilot, the mecha lifted the cannon held
loosely in one hand and aimed it. Across the city the scene was
re-enacted by a second mecha, this one blue and with a more rounded form.
On some unheard cue both started firing out towards the swarm of box like
ABCs.

*****

   Kuno's fist shattered the window. "Nabiki!" he hissed, then turned to
face a cowering viral. "Have our forces retreat." The viral saluted and
scuttled off. Kuno returned his attention to the cracked pane of the
viewing window. "I will avenge myself for this loss Nabiki Tendo, I
promise you that."

*****

   Nabiki's nose tickled for a moment. "Achoo!"

   "Bless you," Kasumi said automatically as the elevator doors opened.
She stepped in and turned as Nabiki pushed past her. "Engineering level
4." The doors hissed shut and turbo lift hummed to life. The only sign of
movement were the lights flashing past the window on one side. "I do wish
you hadn't used the Evangelions."

   "It was a desperate gamble," Nabiki returned. "Kuno's little surprise
had us overextended and my options were very limited."

   Kasumi nodded. "Yes, I understand, but I hadn't managed to stabilise
their power source yet. They are quite literally consuming their own
resources."

   Nabiki let out a string of oaths. "Great, so what'll it take to get
them online again?"

   The lift came to a halt and the doors hissed open. "I don't kno--"
Kasumi's reply was drowned out by the screech of tearing metal, followed
by a massive crash. Before them was a scene of utter devastation, both
mecha looked like they had been through a war, and lost. The blue one
leaned against its support cage, its leg having buckled under its own
weight. Next to it the purple EVA had been disarmed, quiet literally, as
both of its upper limbs had torn free of their mounts and come crashing
to the ground.

   Kasumi sighed. "Code degradation is extremely advanced, I'm afraid
they're nothing but scrap."

   "SPAM!" Nabiki swore. "We'd better keep this quiet. Those things are
going to have to be symbols of safety until we find better ones."

   "Any candidates in mind?" Kasumi inquired, already knowing the answer.

   Nabiki smiled as she answered. "Just one."

*****

   "It is not good enough!" The energy blade hissed through the air, its
tip stopping just short of zero binome's nose. With a gulp the viral
looked up the glowing sword to the massive form of the virus lord. "How
dare you say you did not know?! It is your job to know!"

   "B-but sir," the binome spy stammered, wishing he could vanish into
his overcoat. "Nobody can get into the Lady Kasumi's workrooms. It's
simply impossible."

   "Nothing is beyond my reach!" Kuno exclaimed, turning and pacing away.

   "Except maybe Akane and the pig-tailed-girl," the binome muttered.

   The virus spun and fixed glowing red eyes on his servant. "What did
you say?!"

   "Er, I think I have a plan, sir!" the spy glanced about, thinking
fast. "We can track the resources she's using and that'll give us an idea
of the size of whatever she's working on."

   "Excellent idea, I charge you with carrying it out." Kuno turned his
back on the binome. "Do not fail me again, you will not get a third
chance."

*****

   The sounds of her hurried footsteps echoed off the grey metal walls of
the corridor. In the middle of an emergency searching the entire
principal office for a single sprite by herself was not something Nabiki
wanted to do. Certainly Dr Tofu was surprised to find that he had lost
one of the patients from his infirmary. Unfortunately the battle had
almost literally filled the room with patients, so no one had noticed
Akane quietly slip out the door.

   That left Nabiki with a problem. According to both Kasumi and Dr Tofu,
Akane was in a bad state and that was something Nabiki wanted to keep
quiet. Meaning that a full scale search was out of the question. So it
fell to Nabiki to run through the endless maze of the principal office
while Kasumi worked with the repair crews.

   Mainframe's Indexer glanced down one the darkened corridors, and took
another five steps before registering what she had seen. The door to the
simulation room. Nabiki shook her head, that was the first place she
should have checked for her missing sister. The simulation room was shut
down during the emergency, the energy was needed elsewhere, and that made
it the prefect place to hide.

   The door clanked and groaned open as she approached, revealing the
yellow striped black walls, and the gi clad figure standing in the
centre. Nabiki stood for a second, watching as Akane struck violently at
the air. It took a few seconds for her to realise that her sister was
performing one of the basic katas their father had taught them all when
they were young, but with such ferocity that it was almost 
unrecognisable.

    "You know, that can't be doing your training any good, sis," Nabiki
commented, leaning against the door frame. Akane continued punching the
air angrily.

   Nabiki gave a deep sigh, then wandered over to her sister. "Do you
want to talk about it?" she asked, stepping in front of Akane, just out
of range of the blows. Akane glared silently back then kicked out forcing
Nabiki to step back. "Hey, watch it."

   "Go away," Akane grunted between thrusts.

   "Do you really think beating up empty space will ease the pain?"
Nabiki sneered. "He's gone Akane, you've got to deal with it, we have
bigger problems."

   Akane snorted and stopped her exercises. "Right, he screws up and I
have to deal with it. That's hardly fair."

   "FAIR?! AKANE HE'S BEEN DELETED!" Nabiki raged.

   "So?" Akane pulled her belt tight them turned away. "I never wanted
him here in the first place."

   Nabiki grabbed the back of her sister's gi and jerked her off her
feet. Surprised by both the anger and violence her normally reserved
sister was displaying, Akane stumbled across the room until she reached
the wall.

   "Don't give me THAT!" Nabiki exclaimed, stalking over to where Akane
leant. "YOU are a GUARDIAN, REMEMBER! It's was HIS parting gift to YOU!"

   Akane turned her face away, refusing to look at Nabiki. "I'm not a
Guardian, I'm just a cadet."

   Nabiki's eyes tightened. "I'm not basic Akane, don't treat me as if I
am. This isn't about your skills. You are missing him and hate yourself
for all the insults. You've got to forget about all of that and process!"

   Akane sniffed, tried to turn further away.

   "You can't abandon the system, it would dishonour his memory. The
system always came first with him. Will you let it fall? Unless you want
his sacrifice to be for nothing you will learn to live with the pain."
Nabiki fell silent, there was nothing more to be said.

   Nanoseconds passed, then Akane turned to her tear streaked face to
look at her sister. "How Nabiki? How?"

   Sadly Nabiki closed her eyes. "I don't know Akane. I simply don't
know." With a sad smile Nabiki turned and walked, shoulders slumped,
towards the door. Stopping to wait for the door to open, she glanced back
she to see Akane there, eyes closed, arms wrapped about herself.

   Nabiki stepped through the door and waited for it to close before
breaking into a smile. "Guess those drama lessons paid off after all."

*****

   Baudway was busier than ever. A yellow repair hut sat in the centre of
the road, covering some of the damages from the recent battles. Holding a
microphone Mike stepped in front of the camera aimed at the tent.

   "Inside this hastily erected tent the zeroes and ones of Mainframe's
system works department are busy at repairing the damage caused by the
recent viral assault," Mike whispered. "Let's go in and surprise them."

   The intrepid reporter grabbed the edge of the tent flap and jerked it
aside, revealing two binomes in overalls and hardhats kneeling on either
side of a low table. Between them sat two cups and saucers, which one was
filling from a kettle. Unfortunately Mike's sudden appearance distracted
the pourer, causing her to overfill the cup.

   Mike let the flap fall back. "Aha, he he," he laughed weakly.
"Apparently they're hard at work on a tea ceremony." A cry of pain issued
from the tent behind him.

   Recovering Mike turned and started crossing the street, ignoring the
vehicles swerving to speed past him. "Why don't we try asking some of the
business owners in this area what they think of the problems." He stopped
outside the oriental building that was the Nekohanten. "Here we have one
of Mainframe's most successful businesses. Unfortunately the business has
recently changed hands, so we'll be talking to the new owner--"

   The swinging doors of the Nekohanten crashed open as the remains of a
table were ejected from the restaurant. Mike had just enough time to do
an impression of "The Scream" before being flattened.

   Once again the doors opened, this time less violently, as Mousse swung
his monitor out. "CLEAN UP!" he yelled before vanishing inside again.

   Only moments later the two binomes from the construction hut walked in
and picked up the table. "Ya know, I'd 'ave thought they'd go through
fewer o' dese with 'er ladyship gone," the man commented as they carted
it off.

   Mike's hand rose from the hole in the pavement. "Back to you in studio
Al," he groaned before the hand collapsed back into the hole.

*****

   The doors hissed open with surprising urgency, letting a serious
looking Nabiki into the control room. Not even waiting for the doors to
finish opening she dove through them and strode purposefully up to her
sister. "What is it this time?" she demanded.

   "Kuno's attacking again," Kasumi replied calmly, placing a cup of
energy tea on the console top.

   Nabiki's eyes widened in shock. "ALREADY?! Where?!"

   There was an explosion that shook the room, sending Kasumi's mug
smashing to the ground. "Oh my," the command.com muttered, looking down
at the mess. She returned her attention to Nabiki. "He's attacking the
Principal Office directly."

   "I guessed." Nabiki spun on her feet and charged towards the door.
"Get the CPUs in the air and tell the armoury to expect me. We'll stop
him, even if I have to pull the trigger!"

*****

   Kuno smiled as he looked across the Access Bridge to the Principal
Office. For once his spies had been right, the defenders were indeed
unprepared for another attack so soon. The massive robots would be
unusable so close to their power source and the CPUs were still
recovering from the earlier battle, something he had not needed to do. He
hadn't been foolish enough to risk his entire force on a single gambit.

   Proudly he strode across the bridge towards the prize, virals on
zip-boards flanking him and ABCs cruising above. He reached the foot of
the stairs and looked up, straight into the barrel of a very large gun.

   "Don't take another step virus!" Nabiki snarled from beneath the
weapon. A pair of shaking CPU binomes emerged from behind her and pointed
there own little pee-shooters at Kuno.

   "Indexer, do you really think that will work?" Kuno asked, arrogance
dripping from his words. "You may delete me, but my virals will destroy
you and your precious system."

   Ominous clicks issued forth from the gun. "Maybe I'm just desperate
enough to risk that or maybe I have a plan."

   "I'd be surprised if you didn't," Kuno raised his energy sword,
"however it'll come to naught." He dove forward, his sword slicing
through the weapon and sending the two halves spinning off.

   Nabiki stared in shock at her now empty hands. She looked up as the
two CPUs cried in pain as viral blasts slammed into them. "Oh, spam!"

   "Admit your defeat Nabiki Tendo and grovel for your process!" Kuno
snarled.

   Instinct alone saved the virus' bitmap. He threw himself back moments
before the ground he had been standing exploded in a series of small
detonations. All eyes rose to look for the source of the attack. There,
hanging onto the wall of the Principal Office like a giant red spider,
was the Fuchikoma, its gun ports fixed on the virus below..

   A circle of light formed around the top of the mecha's dome and a hiss
escaped as the hatch unsealed. Slowly the hatch swung open. At first all
that could be seen was the edge of the pilot compartment, but then the
operators glossy black hair crested the lip of the hatch. Next followed a
serious expression, pure hate directed straight at the virus, and finally
the pilot sat up, revealing the navy blue uniform and the gold and black
Icon on her breast.

   "If you want to function, be somewhere else!" Akane Tendo, Guardian of
Mainframe, sneered.

   Kuno laughed. "Do you really think one lone mecha can stop my army?!
Especially that toy!"

   He was answered by a mocking smile. "Fuchikoma, destroy the ABCs."

   "Yes MA'AM!" the mecha cried and launched a set of missiles from its
rear. Each projectile spun and wove through the air, striking a single
carrier, destroying it in a blaze of light.

   "As you can see, I upgraded the weapons."

   Kuno paused for a moment, then leapt upwards at the red mecha. The
Fuchikoma's manipulators spat energy at the virus, however at the last
moment a black blur shot past, pulling him from the path of the deadly
barrage.

   "Got ya boss!" Gosunkugi and Sasuke chorused as the trio shot away.

   "I will yet prove my worth Akane Tendo!" Kuno cried as he was carried
back towards the Tor, his army following.

   The Fuchikoma pushed off from the wall and dropped lightly to the
ground beside Nabiki. Its pilot swung herself out.

   "So what was the plan?" Akane asked, staring after the retreating
virals.

   "Ahh..." Nabiki started. "Never mind that, I'm glad to see you're back
on-line!"

   "Yeah well, some of the things you said made sense," Akane turned and
walked back into the Principal Office, Fuchikoma clattering along behind
her. "Even if you were just acting."

   Nabiki stood, hands on hips, watching her sister leave. "Well, we have
ourselves a Guardian again, even if she is just a cadet."

*****

   The chapel of full binomes, all murmuring quietly. Akane and Nabiki
sat at the front, either side of the podium where Kasumi stood, Akane in
her Guardian cadet's uniform and Nabiki in her best business suit. The
Command.com wore an elegant white dress that accented her quiet beauty.

   A boom echoed throughout the room as the doors closed, bringing a
silence as the conversation stopped.

   "We are gathered here," Kasumi started softly, "to honour the memories
of the four sprites that sacrificed themselves to defeat the invading web
creature and save our system from the web's infection." Kasumi paused for
a second before continuing

   "Ranma, as a Guardian, always put the system before himself and it was
his fate to quit file in its service. He had found a home and a family,
and in the end gave his process to protect them." Sniffs and sobs came
from about the chapel.

   "Living in the games, RyoGA never knew friendship, yet here in
Mainframe, I am glad to say, he found it, at least for a while. He owed
us nothing, but gladly joined his new friends in their battles for all
they loved.

   "Shampoo came to us as a vagabond and settled here to become a
successful sprite. Never did we ask her to do more than produce fine
food, but she too came to our defence. She deserves much more than we
ever gave her.

   "Finally Ukyo who, despite the distrust her reputation and skills
brought, proved to be worthy of both our thanks and our friendship.
What set her on the road she chose we shall never know, but that it
brought her to us shows that she was right to travel it.

   "In passing these four leave us both weaker and stronger. Weaker in
that we can on longer rely on their strength when we ourselves fail, but
stronger, having known them and seen what is possible. They have given us
something to aspire to, and aspire we must, for now there are none other
to aid us." Kasumi, like the assemblage, fell silent.

-----

-----------
Rarstarr,
David Farr
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~djfarr/
djfarr@ihug.co.nz