IX: The Red ROM
We had all decided to sleep on it and meet at the ruins of the Battledome.
It was about 8 AM NST when everyone had arrived.
"So, did anyone come up with any plans of action?" I asked. They all shook
their heads. So it looked like it was up to me yet again. And sure enough, an
idea came to me. "Why don't we try and find Kage?" They all looked at me like
I was insane.
"Brad… have you totally lost it?" Ryo said to me, looking like he was about
to give me one in the face.
"Probably. But that's not the point. If anyone knows about the red discs and
stuff, it's probably Kage." They all had a different emotion on their face now.
It all seemed to make sense. Then Willie spoke.
"That's a good idea... but we have no idea where to look!" I couldn't believe
he was that dense.
"Yes we do! We just look in the direction he ran off in. And we can use the
NeoP0rt Scanner to tell us when we get close. Makes sense, doesn't it?" It was
probably the only idea I ever had that did make sense. And I was determined
to find Kage. He seemed tormented by his mistakes, but he had no idea of the
damage he had inflicted.
Ryo got up. "Well, sounds like a plan. But we're not gonna make any progress
just sitting around here, are we?" Willie got up too. It looked like we were
all ready to hunt down Kage. But it wasn't going to be much of a hunt.
***
"My hands are so stained with blood..." Kage said to himself. He was hiding
out in the woods just a little east of the Battledome ruins. "I even let my
own Eyrie be obliterated... and I turned all those NeoPets into Darkness. I thought...
it was just a game of domination. But..." A single tear fell down his face.
"THEY WERE REAL!!!" He took out his NeoP0rt. "This was meant to be used for
good... but I used it as a tool of evil. And now... I have no NeoPet. And I
am stranded here... where I won't be accepted... anywhere." His NeoP0rt started
beeping. It sensed that there were other NeoP0rts nearby. "I must make peace
with them..." And then he exited the forest to look for us.
***
My NeoP0rt went off. He was close. REALLY close. "Come on guys, this way!"
I yelled as I lead them in the direction of the exit of the forest. And then
I saw him, Kage, blood stained shirt and all.
"Kage!" I ran over to him just before he collapsed. I caught him, and laid
him down on the ground.
"Brad... thanks. I was looking for you. I've come to ask for forgiveness."
I believed him when he said that. The look on his face was one of extreme sorrow...
I could swear I saw spots on his face where he had been crying.
"I know you're sorry for what you did, Kage. You thought it was all just a
game... with me being so competitive I probably would've done the same thing."
Kage laughed. I felt so much sympathy I almost forgot what I needed him for!
I needed to ask him about the red discs! "Kage, I need to ask you something!"
"Sure, what is it?"
"We were wondering if you knew anything about the red discs. We can't seem
to figure out where they came from!"
"Well, I don't know who created them or why we were chosen, but I do know
how they came to be."
"Really, how?" Orichalkon asked what I was about to ask.
"Once an object came in contact with the Internet, the objects downloaded
some strange data that turned them into red discs. I also know that the correct
term for them are Red ROMs, or R2s." Willie spoke up.
"That's weird... the Neomail I received was signed by the creator of the R2!"
We all looked at him. That Neomail could be a vital clue in finding the creator.
"Hey Kage, is there anyway we could access Neomail from inside Neopia?" I
asked. He promptly replied.
"Yea, it's possible. Just have to get in between the connection of Neopia
and the Internet. That can be tapped into with your NeoP0rt. Just go to the
e-mail section." I was surprised it never hit me before. What would be Neopia's
form of e-mail? Neomail! Willie had entered the e-mail section and logged in.
He showed all of us the Neomail.
"User 1001010?" Kage asked himself. "Someone's trying to be secretive. We
just have to find out what that sequence means." We all pondered on how we could
track down the sender. We tried a strange "Input Sequence" option on the NeoP0rt,
but it just said, "Not recognised". So, it was back to the drawing board. Then
it hit us: The IP Address. The IP Address was the unique address that every
computer had. And after thorough checking, a NeoP0rt had one too. So, if the
person sent the message by NeoP0rt or computer, we could track them. The question
was, how? I asked Kage that, and he was quick to answer.
"Every type of communication is tracked and saved somewhere. E-mail, Neomail,
anything. All we have to do is find where Neomails are saved. We can do that
by accessing the real world's servers. Do that from any PC. And I'm an expert
hacker, so I can do it." Well, that was the most confusing thing I've ever
heard. But who was I to doubt him? So, we all packed up and went to Orichalkon's
house to use the PC.
***
Kage was typing furiously at the computer while the rest of us obliviously
watched.
"What's he doing?" Orichalkon asked me.
"I have absolutely no idea," I replied. I didn't either. Although I like to
consider myself skilled at computers, this guy was way outta my league. Just
then, I heard him yell, "I'm in!"
I walked over to look at the screen. Billions and billions of Neomails! But,
since the user we were looking for only sent 1 Neomail, it was easy to find.
Kage quickly wrote down the IP Address.
"Okay, so we have that special address. Now what?" SnowOhki asked. We were
all thinking the same thing.
"Now we have to track where it came from. This is the hardest part." But it
wouldn't be as difficult as we thought. Just as we were about to track it, my
NeoP0rt started beeping. It was a Neomail. It read:
You have come seeking answers about why you were brought here. You have
proven yourself worthy and determined enough by trying to hack into my computer.
It is now time for you to seize those answers. I have the answers you seek.
I will be waiting for you all in the Field of Ether.
Yours truly,
Sakari.
"Uh, hey guys, maybe you should read this..." I muttered in utter disbelief.
The person who knew everything had been watching us, and now we were invited
to see them! I went outside, and got the NeoP0rt ready. The rest followed.
"Okay guys, are you all ready?" They all nodded. "Okay, let's go!" I took
out the NeoP0rt and hit the button. "Ethereal Field Transport activate!" Blue
light flowed out from the NeoP0rt, and soon we were surrounded in blue light
and haze. The infamous invisible floor replaced the ground beneath us. We were
in the Field of Ether... but no sign of anyone! Until... we saw an vortex open,
like the one Kage sent us through. An Ether Portal. And then, it opened...
To be continued... | 
