Attack of the Clones
Chapter 3 – Another Discovery
AndrAIa had cooled down slightly from her argument that morning with Matrix. That sprite! As much as she loved him, he could get on her nerves once in a while. But she really couldn’t fault him. So much had happened to him and his family…correction. Their family…that it was ridiculous.
The wounds from Megabyte’s charade could and probably would put Bob and Dot adrift for a long time and would never be fully mended. That in itself was hard for all the Matrixes to deal with. To know that happiness had been in their grasp, at their disposal, and to have it all shattered was heart breaking.
That’s why when AndrAIa had awoken that morning, she had hoped her news would
make some sort of amends.
But she had to be sure. That’s why she was heading over to the Principal Office to see Phong. She had seen him at least five times that cycle, needing someone to talk to, seeing as she and her best friend were on again, off again. She also had to tell him the weird flu she was going through, something she thought was causing some of the tension with her and Matrix.
So, she was back again, having some tests done just in case. As Phong said, she was a sprite yes, but a game sprite and the symptoms may have some effects on her that wouldn’t be evident with someone like, say Mouse.
Little did she know this second, she was being watched.
“There she is.”
Matrix and Enzo stood around a nearby building, watching the tan game sprite zip towards, and then land on the steps of the Principal Office.
“She’s been there every second this cycle,” Matrix sighed.
“You think something’s wrong?” Enzo asked, looking up at Matrix.
“User, I hope not.” he whispered. “And I really hope you’re wrong about this clone thing as well. At least with AndrAIa. I would know.”
“Dude, she’s a clone,” Enzo insisted. “We couldn’t even tell the difference between Bob and cloned, evil Megabyte Bob!” He grabbed the renegade’s pant leg.
“Megabyte would’ve been our brother-in-law. Think about how many times she kissed him!”
Both shuddered at the horrific facts and continued to watch as AndrAIa entered the P.O.
“Let’s go.” Matrix said, as they left their hiding places and sprinted after her.
The two reached the steps and Matrix punched in his code and they were let in. They looked at each other and tried to figure out where AndrAIa had gone. They soon got a glimpse of her though, as she continued straight down the hall…towards Phong’s office and the examining rooms. The two quietly followed and stood outside.
“Hi Phong.” AndrAIa replied, walking in and seeing the wise sprite.
“Ah AndrAIa,” Phong said, returning the greeting. “Always a pleasure seeing you. I take it you are here for what we had discussed.”
“And I take it everything is in order?”
“Yes, my child.” Phong replied. “The readings are perfectly fine and your predictions were correct.”
AndrAIa sighed and smiled. “I can’t wait to get Enzo and Matrix in on this.” she said.
The brothers looked at each other in horror. They were next!
“Hopefully Bob and Dot will feel the same,” Phong replied. “It will not do us any good if they remain like this.”
“I agree.”
“I don’t believe it!” Enzo cried in a hushed whispered. “Bob and Dot too! And we’re next!”
“I just can’t believe it,” Matrix replied. “AndrAIa, my girl, my best friend. How could I not…”
“Phong, did you hear that?” AndrAIa asked, her head turned towards the door.
Matrix and Enzo immediately shut up.
“What is it, my child?”
AndrAIa listened, but all was quiet. She turned back to Phong and said, “Nothing. Probably someone passing by.”
“Everything is set up for the viewing, my child.” Phong replied.
“Remember Phong,” she said, as the two headed for the examination room. “No one can know until we’ve taken care of everything.”
Matrix and Enzo gulped.
“Oh geez. Oh geez. What’re we gonna do? What to do?”
Matrix and Enzo quickly found somewhere within the Principal Office to hide from those sprites they believed were clones. In the time they had left, the two had formed the basis of their paranoia.
When Ray and the Bob formerly seen as Bob entered Mainframe from the portal, small, undetected aliens had crept in. Using Megabyte as a host, they were able to get to some of the sprites involved in the wedding, hence the real Bob, Dot, AndrAIa, and Phong had kidnap the real sprites in order to be clones and then to take over the system and the known Net.
A bit of a stretch, but the boys were convinced this was the source of the strange behavior of their family and friends.
Where Mouse and Ray came in they weren’t sure, but Matrix had the feeling that Ray was the alien and that he had kidnapped AndrAIa first and then she had cloned Bob, Dot, and Phong. Either way, the brothers now stood out of view and tried to think of a way to save their city.
“I got it!” Matrix said. “All we do is get back the originals.”
“How?” Enzo asked.
“The clones will tell us.” Matrix stated.
“Uh huh,” Enzo retorted. “Again, Big Me, I ask how.”
“We’ll kidnap them,” Matrix said, an evil gleam in his eye. “And we’ll make them talk.”