VIRUS

                                 Chapter 3


     Being the microscopic-size creature he was, Virus didn't really
  need a mate to reproduce (It's just more fun that way), so he did,
  right between the CPU and the Co-processor of Michael's computer,
  that hot night in June.

     Michael didn't sleep very well that night, for some strange reason.

     Meanwhile, back at the ranch (The Smart Fellows BBS), both Hack
  and Lock had started families of their own.  The young matured
  quickly in the warm confines of Benny's computer.  Their favorite
  pastime was learning how virus simulators worked.  But how they
  yearned for the real thing.  Hack assured his sons and nephews that
  they too would soon leave the nest and start colonies of their own.
  These darn bugs must be a cross between cockroaches and rabbits.
  They could reproduce faster then silverfish in your kitchen cabinet.
  I try not to think too harshly of the little critters, as they would
  soon make up for some of the misery they were causing.

      They began to build a ship in preparation of their first
  journey.  The vessel would be a stout one built from silicon scraped
  away from the computer's CPU.  An 80386 made a pretty good ship.
  Larger and stronger then previous boats, it had the dimensions of a
  small grain of sand.  A real star class vessel in a manner of
  speaking.  It would be a long and perilous trip to Don's house.
  There would be many cracks and crevices they could fall into.  As
  fast as the new craft was, it would still take many time periods to
  make the journey.  Hack knew the trip would be worth while.  If
  Don's computer was only half as good as he said it was, it would be
  well worth the effort.  Hack dreamed of tender young bytes that
  night on the eve of his greatest adventure.

      The trip took less time then expected, and in only 20 time
  periods they were climbing the telephone line into Don's computer,
  the home of The Outer Reaches BBS.  Don slept fitfully that night,
  with some bad dreams.  When he awoke the next day he had only a
  fleeting memory of his dreams.  But he did remember that they were
  bad ones.  When he turned the beeping alarm clock off, nothing
  happened.  The beeping would not stop.  It wasn't the clock beeping,
  it was the computer making the noise.  It was the emergency chat
  call.  (Don only had one phone line, and it was hooked up to the
  computer at night) Don's fleeting memory of bad dreams wasn't the
  only memory that was fleeting last night.  The caller was about to
  get a good piece of his mind.

      The caller was Mike.  "What's up Mike?"   "Turn on the voice
  line!"  Mike made several typos before he had finished the short
  sentence.  The writing on Don's screen actually said, Hoke up tao
  teh voicr lime!  He went back and corrected the typos.

      Don toggled the switch to the telephone and picked up the
  receiver.

      "I can't logon to your system from the remote,"  said Mike.  "I
  tried all night long.  All I got was ringing with no connect."  "I've
  been having a little trouble with my term program locking up, but I
  have been able to logon to other systems."  What's wrong with your
  end?" Don assured Mike there was nothing that he knew of and said,
  "Hold on, I'll check."  (pause) "All seems well on this end...
  Wait, what's this" (long pause) "Don, what is it?"  in a concerned
  tone.  "Don, are you still there?"  "I don't know what it was Mike,
  there was a pinging noise, then it stopped.  It seems O.K.  now!"
  "That's strange", said Mike.  "Mine was making that kinda noise
  yesterday!"

      Hack and Lock were stretched out on Don's Mother board, dozing
  after a snack on the ROM bios chip.  What a great life it was
  thought Hack.

                                Continued

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