The V1RuS

Part Four - The Hub

You glance up at Glitch and them back at the computer screen, feeling your stomach clench in fear.

Glitch's arms tighten around you momentarily before moving you slowly to stand behind him.

"User? What User? Nobody here but us polygons."

Virus growls, sending a vibration through the floor. You swear you could hear something else behind it, but aren't sure.

"YOU ARE A FOOL PROGRAM, AND I WILL DEAL WITH YOU AS I DO ALL FOOL PROGRAMS."

"An all expenses paid trip to the data spa?"

Dust falls from the ceiling, and you look up to see a web of cracks splitting the plaster. You realize with shock that Virus was sending a resonant vibration through the speakers. You grab Glitch's hand in fear and back up against him, watching as the cracks grow.

However you'd have thought the interaction between them might go, regardless of Glitch's explanation, it hadn't been anything as severe as this.

"I WILL DELETE YOU. AS YOU DESERVE FOR INTERFERING."

A sharp crack sounds, and the wooden floors begin to heave, splintering as the room twists. You struggle to keep your balance and fall backward against Glitch's broad back.

"Oh my god, I'm going to die. I'm going to die-"

"Not today, User."

As chunks of the outer walls begin to fall away, Glitch suddenly turns and picks you up into his arms, wrapping his scarf twice around your neck.

"You might want to close your eyes for this!"

With a snap of his fingers, he begins to de-rez, and to your paired fascination and horror...

So do you.

"NO! RELEASE THE USER!"

"So they can die here in this mess you're making? Not a chance, blowhard."

Light fills your vision, and you squeeze your eyes shut, burying your face into Glitch's neck as he holds you against him.

Suddenly, the floor collapses with a roar, and you feel yourself falling...

And falling...

And falling...

And then suddenly, you're not.

Glitch pats you gently on the back as he bounces you on his arm.

"Hey. Hey, you can look now. You're safe."

You weren't sure you were, but you count to three before opening your eyes.

And your jaw falls open.

All around you, there were chunky blocks of buildings, made up of sort of rounded cubes and prisms. They were stacked like they were almost designed for it, with wires running any- and everywhere in between like spiderwebs. 

Bright neon signs huddled in clusters all over the towering stacks, flickering sporadically,  and catwalks and walkways wrapped around the various levels, somehow looking both stable and precarious at the same time.

It was amazing, and reminded you of Hollywood-style Chinatown interpretations a bit, just far less crowded. 

In fact, it felt nearly deserted.

You were almost amazed by it, as it looked like nothing you'd ever seen before.

Only...

It was dark. A deep, heavy darkness that filled the air and made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Lights shone everywhere in an obvious attempt to dispel it, but there was still a persistent feeling of oppression. 

Glancing up, you realized why.

The sky was a solid curve that barely rose above the highest tower.

All of this was... inside something.

"Welcome to the Hub, User," Glitch says, gesturing broadly outward. "I think you just might be the first of your kind to come here."