Interface Zero

Tatterdemalion's fingers danced over the keyboard. She was inputting code faster than her mind could come up with it.

"Dammit," she muttered.

"What the frak are you doing?" Gabriel 7 inquired.

"It's defragging!" she shot back. "There's only one thing to do!"

"Oh hell no," Gabriel 7 warned her. "You are only a watcher and not a participator!"

Tatterdemalion's fingers touched the screen and then she disappeared, as if she was beamed away by Scottie in that silly old sci-fi show she liked so much.

"Damn," Gabriel 7 swore.  

Crash Dump

COLLECTING DATA FOR CRASH DUMP....
INTIALIZING DISK FOR CRASH DUMP...

A problem has been detected and needs to be corrected.

DRIVER _IRQL_NOT_LESS_THAN_ZERO

If this is the first time that you have seen this message, restart the program. If this message appears again, follow these steps:

Check to see if any new equations have been added to the software.
Add ILLIK_NO_ZERO_ZERO_SEVEN_NOVEMBER to the coding
Restart again.

The Warning

Suki continued to wipe the sweat off Max's brow when he opened up his eyes. Angst had left to get more soup, while Frank and Dexter were tending to some other business that had to be taken care of; she didn't know what was going on but she knew it wasn't good at all.

"They are coming," he said calmly.

Virus Cleaner

1      1     0     1     0     
[  op  |  rx |  rt |  rd |shunt| funct]  R-type ii
[  op  |  rx |  rt | address//immediate] I-type ii
[  op  |        target address//insert]  J-type ii

project: initiated. virus cleaners. 

//one eight zero one//

10: activate

20: go to 10

New York, New York. June 22 1801

Travis Smite sat on a bench in the park waiting. 

It was a beautiful summer morning and the sun was cresting the skyline, though the shadows of the building were still cool.

He heard the tearing sound, and smiled. He was receiving orders. 

All was good in the world. He got up, stretched and approached the weird metal box where he put his thumb on a scanner and it declared his identity.

One Document of One - 3

TOP SECRET
 
EYES ONLY
 
ONE DOCUMENT OF ONE.
 
to: DIRECTOR


BURN AFTER READING.
 
CUBE PROTOCOL PROGRAM 333 INFECTED.

A VIRUAL INFECTION CALLED SUKI.

MIGHT BE TERMINAL. 

ADVISE TO UPLOAD CLEANERS.




ks/jl

Dance Monkeyfighter Dance!

His legs moved like a jackhammer on the pad, the colours appearing before his eyes automatically signaling to his feet. He didn't know what was going on, just that he had to keep dancing. The techno psytrance beat that was playing seemed similar to the last song and the song before that.

"How 'bout some Chemical Brothers!" he shouted to no one in particular.

"Hell," his opponent chimed in. "That would be freakin' awesome!"

It was a nightclub, Retroville, and he had been here for several hours now going through contender after contender. This new guy he was up against, The Future, was nearly on par with him...

The Nurse

Suki dabbed away the sweat on his forehead; she could see his eyes moving about like rabid rabbits underneath his eyelids. She was the nurse this time around, well whenever he appeared on the cot. It seemed his jumps were less frequent.

Each time he disappeared he reappeared, though his skin, hair, eye colour would change, as if someone was selecting a character from a video game.

"Oh, Max," she whispered. "Why can't you ever be normal for once in your fuckin' life."

Like Bottles For Soda

The Starship Silent K zoomed into view from the right side of the screen, as the camera began to track and zoom in on the control deck. We could see Max standing there, glancing out the window, as the camera seemed to go through the window and park right beside him.

He stood there on the deck of the ship, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out the windshield. He couldn't see the "camera" but he knew it was there. He could sense eyes on him as well; he felt like turning to the fourth wall and speaking his mind but he couldn't.

He heard the sound of footsteps on the metal deck and that would be his first officer, Merle, reporting about the Blue Nebula, for what appeared to be the hundredth time.

"Commander, we have picked up activity in the Blue Nebula sector," First Officer Merle stated. "What are your orders?"

Before he could reply there were several options appearing in his eyes, as if he was wearing glasses.

1. "Nothing, Let's continue on our way."
2. "Bring us about and proceed on silent run!"
3. "Bring me a danish, Merle. I'm hungry."

Max could see the selection process unfold, he wanted to say something, scream, flee, run, but those weren't the option the player had...

The Elevated

Suki took the stairs two at time; she was tired of waiting for the elevator to arrive. She had heard the news and she wanted to see for herself.

"Where's the fire?" Goner asked as he gave chase.

"Twenty-three floors up!" she replied like a kid waiting for Christmas.

"Great," Goner muttered. He should have waited for the elevator.

Avatar

Max's eyes flickered open. He could see Angst sitting by his side but she looked different, more cartoonish than before. Like a cel-shaded art style you see in those new video games that want to look retro. His eyes itched and there was a static sound ringing in his ears.

"He's coming around," Angst said to someone whom Max realized was Dexter. Though his appearance seemed cel-shaded, as well; he looked more like a knock-off version of a iconic cartoon hero he had seen in a superhero movie.

Amongst the noise in the static he could make out a voice stating, "... make his eyes bigger... greener."

"Look at his eyes," Frank said in the background. "What's happening to him?"

"Mother-frakker," Dexter swore. "It was her I saw in the diner!"

Memo X

TOP SECRET

MEMORANDUM FOR: DR. MANAN
                                         DR. NEXUS
                                         MS. KSENYCH
                                         DR. MALLY

SUBJECT: CUBE

Following the sub-committee meeting with   XXXXXX. It is reasonable to believe that there is a glitch in the genetic matrix. The Magenta Code has been aborted for unknown reasons.
                                      
Advise Yellow to try xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  prior to reform.

Additional discussions with DR. FJJKSKSK  about what to do next. fjskdjlfjsdljfkljsl jsdlkjklajkfdjkjdfjjsdf   sljkdkjadkjfdjfsdjfjsdfjlsdfjkljl. We could go with Operation: sldkjadkfjfjsdfkdj  it might be worth the risk.

fkjfdkj fkdfjsdkjfdkl sjs djfsdjfsdkfjsdl sdfjjsdlfjsdljfdkfjsdlfjsdk lfjsdlfjsdlfjsdklfjsdklfjsdlj.

AMENDED.




J.F. Beatrix

Glitch II

"How long this time," Frank inquired to Angst. He snapped open the cellphone and hit speed dial.

"He disappeared a whole fraction of a second this time!" She put down the stop watch.

"DAMN," Frank swore. "It's getting longer and longer each glitch."

Doom Trooper

Sweat dripped from his forehead and into his eyes, momentarily blinding him. He wasn't sure where the hell he was this time but he knew it was damn hot. He wiped the sweat from his eyes and he could see that he was in a corridor of sorts, a red light rotating and the sound of a klaxon going off.

"Easy there, kid," a gruffy voice told him.

"It's not everyday you get to see hell," another one, sounding like a young girl, added.

"What?" Max asked.

The bay doors opened up below and all he could make out was a sea of lava below.

"Drop! Drop!" someone ordered.

Glitch

Angst sat on the edge of the bed, applying a damp cloth to Max's forehead. He was covered in sweat, and his eyes behind his eyelids moved like satellites falling from the skies.

"He's glitching again," she yelled.

Run Through The Jungle

He didn't know what the hell had happened and he didn't care at the moment. His shirt was tattered and stained, as well as his pants. He had been on the go for several hours now. The thing of it all was that he wasn't tired, no aches, no pains and forever on the go.

Over the intercom he heard voices. 

"He's over there," someone yelled.

"Here noobie, noobie, noobie," one taunted. "We're gonna get you!"

He checked Pain & Joy to see how much rounds he had left.

The funny thing is they were always loaded.

Magenta Code

1      1     0     1     0     
[  op  |  rs |  rt |  rd |shunt| funct]  R-type ii
[  op  |  rs |  rt | address//immediate] I-type ii
[  op  |        target address//insert]  J-type ii

project: initiated. send code. 

//one eight zero one//

10: activate

20: go to 10

Kentow, Africa, 1801

Usha Bu ran through the thickets, the thorns tearing at her exposed skin. She didn't care, she just wanted to get away from the men who where chasing her. There was a sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, or that could be hearing her blood pumping through her ears.

She was sure she was going to get caught.

There was a flash of light ahead of her, she stopped in her tracks, figuring the men with the torches had forced her way here. She was resigned to give up but then she noticed the light fade and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw...

ONE DOCUMENT OF ONE - 2

TOP SECRET
 
EYES ONLY
 
ONE DOCUMENT OF ONE.
 
to: DIRECTOR


BURN AFTER READING.
 
CUBE PROTOCOL INITIATED.
 
SOFTWARE SEEMS GLITCHED.

SUGGEST MAGENTA CODE.
 
UPDATE REPORT WILL BE SENT ON THE HOUR.
 
END TRANSMISSION.




ks/jl

Reflections Of You And Maybe Me

Max blinked his eyes again, looking into the mirror, slightly older, looking mature, with a week old beard and his hair thinning. He blinked again and here he was a slightly younger version of himself, looking like a 19 year old kid with a full head of hair, his eyes a pale green colour.

"What the KLF is happening!" he shouted. His right hand balled up into a fist and he slammed it into the mirror, shattering it.

Toggle

He really didn't know what was going on at the moment; his head ached, sounding like a combination of drone and static, and his nose was stuffed up and plugged as if from an allergic reaction to something, and also he had coughed up so much phlegm that he thought, just for a quick second, that he should see a doctor. The phlegm was clear and not black, which he thought was a pretty good sign.

Angst walked into the room, carrying a tray; on it he saw soup and a huge glass of orange juice. She looked angelic, he thought he could see an aura about her, through his itchy eyes.

"Frank says you've been moody lately," Angst said as she placed the tray in front of him. "I've brought you some good old fashioned homemade cure that will battle those evil germs inside you!"

"Even you," he said out loud.

"What was that?" Angst inquired.

"Nothing," he said as he propped himself up. 

He was under the impression since he woke up that everyone was coddling him, though he felt like it was more of an act than sincere. He didn't know what was different and strange about him; even the yellow shirt he had on showed a huge coin slot with the slogan Quarters Go Here.

Iris Lens Pupil Cornea

It must be spring, Max thought. His eyes itched and were red and felt scratchy when he blinked; pollen must be assaulting his eyes and it made him a little irritable. He chugged down a coffee and was still thirsting for more.

"Not purgatory, that's for sure," he muttered, remembering the sheer nirvana of the experience.

"What you say, Maxy?" Frank asked. He entered the kitchenette with several stacks of papers in his hands and plopped them down on the table. It seemed to stir up the dust in the area; Max's eyes began to water up some.

"And when did you start calling me Maxy?" he barked.

"Whoa, buddy." Frank sensed the hostility in his voice. "You better lay off the coffee!"

Those where fighting words.