VIRUS-ai

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Virus Zone

Void, SNT and AVG walked inside the conference room where Minister Norton was waiting for them.

"Ah Void Ranger, welcome to the conference call." Said Norton as he pulled up chairs for both Void and SNT.

"Thank you Minister Norton." Said Void as he and SNT got comfortable after sitting down.

"I believe you have some news for me?" Void asked as he looked at SNT and then to Norton.

"Yes my child, we do. 24 hours ago, a shady deal on the black market went sour." Said Norton as he pressed a button on his remote revealing a fraud victim who looked like a similar ranger to Hacker but with orange coloured armour and a green visor for eyes.

"Wait a minute, I know this clown!!!" Shouted Hacker, "Minister Norton, I beg of you, keep this a**hole away from the U.A.V as much as possible!" He got on his knees and begged.

"What's the matter Hacker?" SNT asked looking worried, "I thought this would bring us good news since he decided to come forward with information against Optical Illusions."

Hacker looked up at the victim's profile picture with anger.

"This man... For many years... he insulted my intelligence, embarrassed me at recent corporate parties, and even threatened to blackmail me if I ever filed a restraining order against him. This man is a bad influence to anti-virus companies." Said Hacker.

"Don't be so sure Hacker." Said Void as he and SNT looked at the police report that were passed down to the pair by Norton.

"It says here that one, Virus Ranger attempted to purchase the development codes in an attempted sting operation. Catching on to Virus' intentions, Total AV accepted the wired money and handed Virus an empty script instead of the complete script that had everything ready for execution. Thus, Virus Ranger lost 2 million dollars and Total AV got away with fraud." Said Void as he read the report.

"Virus wants his 2 million dollars back and wishes to join forces with the U.A.V under the strict conditions that Void Ranger himself meets him at his private compound... at nightfall." Said SNT as she read the demands within the police report.

Hacker protested, "Minister Norton, this isn't a good idea. I've seen Virus Ranger's programming skills and I don't trust him for beans."

"If Virus gets us into trouble, he will deal with me." Said Void as he looked towards Hacker with a serious face.

"But Void, what if he..." Asked Hacker who was looking nervous as ever.

"He will deal with me." Interrupted Void with an angry face.

Later that night, Void Ranger and SNT left the U.A.V headquarters and headed down towards the backstreets where Virus' compound was located.

The compound on the outside looked like an abandoned shed with only one wooden door.
Void approached the compound slowly and began to knock on the door. Immediately after Void knocked, the wooden door pushed itself open from the force of Void's knocking and both he and SNT heard a voice that came from what sounded like a vocoder.

"Come in." Said the robotic male voice.

Both Void and SNT entered cautiously, not knowing what to expect. Just for safety precautions, Void drew his sword and calmly approached the centre of the room.

Suddenly, the door slam shut as 2 masked hoodlums shut the door and locked it with a key. SNT and Void were afraid that they huddled each other as the shady figures circled the pair.
Just then, the masked figures tackled both Void and SNT and beat them within an inch of their lives.

When Void and SNT woke up after the beating, they found themselves in a red binary coded laboratory, as SNT tried to get up from the chair, something was pulling on her hands which were preventing her from leaving. SNT was handcuffed to the rotating chair she was sitting on.

"Huh? Void!!! What's going on?!" Shouted SNT as she was trying to break free from the handcuffs. "Help!!! I've been caught!!!"

"SNT, I think we managed to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire." Said Void who was also struggling to escape.

Suddenly, they stopped struggling with the handcuffs as they heard the robotic voice once again, "Welcome mister Void, i've been expecting you."

Void suddenly realized, "Virus." Whispered Void to SNT as they spun themselves around to the orange ranger's presence.

"Tell me Void, what brings you here to my humble of home?" Asked Virus as he began to pace around the room while the masked men sat in front of 2 computers.

"Please let us go!!! We've done nothing wrong!" Cried SNT who was looking scared as she began to struggle once again to get free.

"Virus Ranger, listen to me. I'm here to make a deal, I will not fight you! I know what happened between you and Optical Illusions.

I know what Total AV did to you. I know he stole your money; 2 million dollars to be exact, and i'm aware that you inquired assistance." Said Void as he tried to reason with Virus.

"You know mister Void, after being involved with the U.A.V's affairs for years, you were always the most predictable ranger in this world and the next." Responded Virus as he continued circling the captured pair.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Attack! Send me into quarantine, I dare you!!!" Shouted Virus as he suddenly took out his pistol from his belt and aimed it at Void's forehead.

"I wish I could! But you have us chained up at the moment." SNT remarked in anger.

"Then permit me to ask you this question; little girl. Why did you partake in this mission of cyber security when you have zero experience within this field whatsoever?" Asked Virus as he looked down at SNT while turning and aiming his pistol at her forehead.

"Because the company that stole from you took someone dear to me, and I promised I was gonna get her back." Cried SNT as she shed a tear while looking up at Virus.

Virus then lowered his pistol and resumed circling around the room.

"If I am to join the United Anti-Virus movement, what do you have in return that will benefit me for my future?" Asked Virus as he put his hands on the table as Void and SNT spun to Virus' direction.

"A full time job as programmer." Said Void, "That way, in the event that Total AV did spend all your stolen money, a full time career in the U.A.V will help pay back everything you have lost."

"Besides, you will be helping victims just like you in not making the same mistakes you did when you made a shady online transaction." SNT pitched in.

Virus began to think about his future. Exactly one minute later, Virus responded with his answer.

"Guards, load the children onto a CD-Rom. It's time to break them." Said Virus as the masked men removed the cuffs on both Void and SNT and proceeded to pick them up and throw them into another computer ad teleporter.