New Diggs

[a1enzo]

Once the transferring van is unloaded at his new apartment in System Diggs, and the futon is more or less where he wants it, and Welman has gotten to work reinstalling the portal, Enzo drives over to the Principal Office. He meets the COMMAND.COM, who officially welcomes him and then hands him off almost immediately to a fellow Guardian only slightly older than himself and nearly as tall, although wirier.

"Newline," the young man introduces himself as they shake hands. "Flash Newline." He seems friendly, but awkward. "Junior Guardian in this subnet, up 'til now."

"Enzo Matrix, nice to meet you." He gestures over his shoulder. "And this is Minus. It's not a problem if I bring him, is it? My dad's at my new place installing something, and I don't want him to get underfoot. So to speak."

Newline's brow furrows. "I mean, I don't think there's any rule against it? It hasn't really come up since I've been here. He's a cutie, though. Hey, li'l guy!" Minus accepts the greeting with his usual enthusiasm. "C'mon, it's not far to the office, but first, you get to join me on a mission."

"A mission? Right now?"

"Oh, yeah, absolutely vital."

* * * * *

"Diode, here's your tea."

The senior member of the squad accepts the StartUps cup from Newline, while Enzo deposits his armful of donuts and JavaBean sacks on the table next to the percolator. Diode is rail-thin, with spiky hair and a look of suspicion which is currently directed at Minus but which Enzo will find never actually goes away entirely. "Thanks, Newline. Matrix." She nods curtly at Enzo. "Welcome aboard."

"Thanks, ma'am. Uh, Enzo, though, if you don't mind."

"Suit yourself." She sniffs her drink intently before taking a sip.

"Tilde, one Java with quad compresso. You know this stuff's gonna delete you."

The dark maroon woman takes her cup wordlessly and chugs half of it at once.

Newline shudders and moves on. "Virgule. Your hand coded artisanal blend, milord."

Virgule raises his cup in a sardonic toast. "So you're the prophet?" he says to Enzo. "You might actually make things interesting around here."

"Where's Bit?" Newline asks, handing lattes to two binomes with headsets.

"She'll be back any nano," says the 1. "Hertz had another tear. So what else is new." Newline nods and goes to put Bit's Cocoa on the hotplate.

"Nice to meet you," the 0 tells Enzo. "I'm Perl, and she's Ruby. We're your dispatchers."

"Diode may be senior," Ruby puts in, "but you go where we tell you. Got it?"

"Settle down, or we'll switch you to decaf," Perl tells her.

"If you want to see this place go off the rails, just try it."

Enzo hides his smile behind the energy shake Newline passes him.

"So what's your pet?" Virgule asks.

"That's Minus," Enzo explains, herding the nautilus away from the donuts. "He's a chat client. He came from Milliways, you know, the nexus I visit? So he's got a, let's say, wider range than vidwindows, although he only does text. I can leave him at home if I have to, but he could be useful around here?" His last statement becomes a question, directed vaguely at both the dispatchers and Diode.

Ruby and Perl exchange a glance. "I guess if he behaves himself..." Perl begins.

Just then, the final member of the squad returns. Bit is tiny, barely coming up to Enzo's chest. "Hey, new kid! What are we talking about?"

Tilde points at Minus. "Office pet."

"Office pet?!" Bit is jubilant.

"Office pet," agrees Virgule, who is probably just as thrilled but lower-key.

Ruby objects, "We haven't actually decided..."

Bit is already cuddling Minus. "If it leaves, we mutiny."

Perl sighs. "Oh, fine."

"On a trial period," Diode adds.

Bit skips across the room to kiss Perl on the cheek. "You're a peach."

"Does this mean no mutiny?"

"Sorry, Tilde. Maybe next time."