Your Computer Has A Virus, And It's Killing Your Online Friends

Scenario two: General Protection Fault

There's more than one way it could go. This isn't some Greek tragedy where it's completely inevitable, the only outcome that could ever result from our heroes' fatal flaws. Even putting aside the fact that none of this is actually how it goes at all, playing in the space for a moment--assuming that they choose to use the computer virus stored on the floppy disk, and it goes poorly. Even then, there are multiple equally possible outcomes. Let's see, now...

*

As Neil watches the virus spread through the game, corrupting it, racing toward him, he's frozen in fear. It's true, in the past he's been known to spring into action in the face of imminent death. But there are no convenient deus-ex-machina items on hand here; no way to distract or trap or even run away from this threat.

For a moment, Daxter Flaxter's name (or something similar to it) is on the tip of his tongue. But just as he opens his mouth to cry for help from the all-time, world-class video master, he realizes that help won't come even if he asks for it. Daxter told them, as they found themselves staring down their final test, that they were on their own now. Why should that change just because of this fatal mistake they made?

The seconds Neil spends realizing help won't come are seconds he could have spent trying to save himself. That's something he'd realize in retrospect, if he were still there later to realize it. And he really could get out of there safely, too, if he only ran fast enough.

For there, up in the shuddering, broken sky, are the words "YOU WIN!" After all, unscrupulous methods of victory or not, Gunfoot did just disappear. Beneath the proclamation of their victory are two options, in big silver letters that hover a metre or so off the ground, low enough to jump up and reach: "PLAY AGAIN" and "QUIT". The former piece of text glitches along with the rest of the level, but the latter is somehow untouched by the corruption.

Neil doesn't see those options. If he did, who knows whether he'd be able to reach them in time?

But before he can see the floating text, before he can hope for salvation, the virus pierces through him and destroys him, twisting and warping into a grotesque imitation of a human body. At least it doesn't hurt.

*

The moment that the floppy disk shatters and the computer virus bursts forth, Kevin is on his feet, sprinting forward. He doesn't understand what's happening, but it's obviously not good. There's some kind of... it's like a storm, almost. The world shivers and twists unnaturally, parts of the sky disappearing. It's bone-chilling to look at.

And Neil is right in the middle of it.

"Neil!"

As he rushes forward, his friend's name bursts from him with as much force as the virus exploding from the disk, but with less of an effect. There aren't really any thoughts going through his head just then, only the gut feeling that he can't just sit back and watch this happen. Not that he even knows what this is. But whatever's happening, it can't be good.

Before he can reach Neil, though, Kevin is stopped in his tracks as a hand clamps around his wrist. He turns to glare incredulously at Ryan, who's standing there like a deer in headlights, eyes wide.

"Ryan, what are you doing?!" he demands. "Neil's in trouble! We've got to--"

"No, we... we need to leave. Now." Ryan angles his head to the side, and Kevin follows the direction of his gesture to see the "PLAY AGAIN/QUIT" text hovering in the sky a few feet away.

"Huh..." Kevin squints up at the hovering text, shielding his eyes with his hand even though it's not exactly sunny out. All this distortion is hard to look directly at. "What is that, a way out?"