Virus -~- Book 3 of Pixel

-~- p r o l o g u e

Hello everyone, and WELCOME TO VIRUS, BOOK 3 OF PIXEL! :D

Yes; at long last, I've decided to go forward with the final book in the Pixel trilogy. Before I Sleep is being put on hold and I'm going to be pursuing this instead. Emily's approved it, the plot has been completely decided, and we're ready to get back on schedule! c:

I really hope you guys will enjoy this one. Emily requested more involvement of the creators, and I agreed that I have been ignoring their potential subplots and decided to include them. But that's not the only problems our Cube members will face ;)

I wish to state right now that I will NOT be sending them back into Pixel. That would be overkill, in my opinion. Don't worry, though; there's still a plot that will be keeping you on the edge of your seat (or so I hope).

Also, Nano's been entered in the second Cube Fic Awards! PLEASE go vote for Nano, Ash, Nano, and myself; it would be GREATLY appreciated! <3

Since I'm being distracted by Grace and Cass (luv u), I'm going to cut this short because I want them to read it :)

Remember to follow code_cherry on Twitter, and to vote and comment for this awesome beginning of the end! Enjoy your prologue!

Everything was completely still in the bare hallway. Somehow it seemed colder, more unwelcoming than it ever had in past; though perhaps the flickering light above door 214 exaggerated such irrational thoughts, he mused. After all, he'd traversed this same path dozens, if not hundreds, of times before; there was nothing to fear. 

It didn't take him very long at all to reach his destination: the very door that was directly below the broken ceiling light. His hand moved as if by its own discretion; it was only seconds before the passcode had been typed and the door had slid open with a soft hiss. He gathered his courage, shoving down his sudden nerves, and entered the familiar lab.

The computers, though not as active as they had once been, still cluttered nearly every available inch of desktop space. The soft hum of machinery filled the space, a sound as familiar to him as the back of his own hand. Nothing at all, however, compared to the large machine in the very center, dark and foreboding. Where excitement had once rushed through his veins, disappointment now flooded through him at the very sight of it. After all, it was simply a reminder of what could have been that now could never be.

"Morris?" The sharp voice made him spin on his heels to face the speaker. She was standing from her chair, movements tired and weary. Her deep brown hair, once shining and beautiful, was now tied haphazardly into a messy ponytail, stray hairs escaping in all directions. Her lab coat was wrinkled to the point of disrepair, and her blue eyes, though still hard, had dulled somewhat. She was watching him with a disguised air of surprise.

He recovered quickly and dipped his head slightly. "Simmons."

"What are you doing here?" Her tone was a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "I rarely see you and Hawthorn anymore."

Clearing his throat, he nodded. "There was not much reason for us to be using up your valuable time, Doctor. But I do come with news... though you may not like it very much."

"Morris, I haven't received good news since the day we believed that Pixel was successful." Obviously weary, she looked him up and down before sighing. "What is it?"

"You remember the Artificial Intelligences, correct? The opposites you created to balance Pixel before the, er, incident?"

Instantly alert, Simmons focused her full attention on the man standing before her. "I do."

"Well..." He hesitated. "There is evidence that leads me to believe that they escaped their vessels."

"What?" she exclaimed exasperatedly. "That's impossible, and you know it, Morris. Don't mess with me."

"I'm not, Doctor. Their coding was detected within Pixel just a short while ago, active once more. And..." Again, he trailed off nervously, fearing his superior's reaction.

The fire that had once fueled her gaze had returned, and it was fixed directly on him. "And, Morris?"

Deciding that it would be better to get it over with, he continued, "Traces of their codes have also been found in this world... combined with human DNA."

A stunned silence followed this statement, with Simmons staring blankly at Morris and the latter sweating under his lab coat, waiting for the explosion that was sure to come.

"How?" asked Simmons after a while, her voice hoarse and disbelieving. "There's no way that would be possible with the way they were programmed. Even if they did somehow manage to merge with human DNA, it would still be impossible for them to exit Pixel. Impossible."

He handed her the clipboard of data he'd been carrying with shaking hands. Her eyes scanned it rapidly before widening again, and after she'd read it for the fourth time, she returned her attention to Morris. "This shouldn't exist. It goes against everything I programmed them for!" Anger surfacing full force, Simmons slammed the clipboard onto the desk she'd been working on, causing Morris to jump. "I want to know, Morris. I want to know how they survived, what vital information we're missing. I want them found and brought here as soon as possible, and we're not going to stop until we figure out what gave them the ability to walk this Earth with the rest of us. I swear it."

With a quick nod, he snatched his data and fled from the room, leaving her alone once more with electronics alone for company. Sinking back into her chair, she rested her head in her hands, clenching her hair into fists.

"I will find you both, whatever it takes, and discover what I did wrong. And then you'll be sorry I ever programmed you. Count on it."

I hope this sounds promising enough for all of you! I'm super excited for this book and I hope you are too c: Here's to the success of this series continuing through this final book in the trilogy!

QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER:

Are you guys looking forward to this finale? What would you like to see in Virus? I want to hear your opinions on the prologue and the synopsis, as well :D

Vote and comment for more! We're officially back on track, people c: Until next time!

~ Cherry