The Dragons {Book 2 to the Error 404 Series}

EXTRA: Hackers, Glitches and Viruses

Rotiart's POV:

I woke up and slowly blinked. I don't remember anything. Everywhere was pitch black. The walls, the floors, maybe even the air I breathe. Yet I could tell there was light, for I could still see my body shifting colors. Then I realized I'm the source of light. I am what lights this dark world. I then heard talking.

"Wonderful, Rotiart," a voice said. It sounded like a boy, no, a man.

Two people entered this dark world. They themselves are sources of light that glowed with such ferocity it blinded me.

"I-I c-can't see," I muttered.

"Oh right, I forgot," another voice said, this time, that voice sounded like a she. Their lights died down, but they are still visible. I realized my own light is smothered as well, how is that?

"How am I seeing things right now?" I asked them. Now that I can see and they're no longer glowing, I can actually make out their features.

The girl, no, young woman, had jet black hair and golden eyes. She wore a blue hoodie with black jeans and grey boots. She looked annoyed.

The man, on the other hand, looked completely different. Bright red hair with pale skin and even brighter red eyes. As I look closer, I realized the man's eyes weren't solid red, but were actually made out of red ones and zeros tightly packed together.

"Night Vision. A perk of being the Glitch King," the young woman said, shrugging, "Feel free to ask us questions."

"Who are you two?" I asked.

"My name is Singularity, Sing for short, but the other dude, Vermillion, likes to call me Singular," Sing said, "That's a special privilege for him. Before you can ask what we are, I'm a hacker, and Vermillion's a virus."

"Hacker? Virus? Glitch?" I asked again. This time, the man, Vermillion, answered me.

"A hacker is somebody who can enter another creature's files and mess them up. Very powerful. Singular here is very powerful as a hacker, she can hack with only her mind, but she hacks better with a computer," Vermillion said, "A virus is somebody who destroys and corrupts a creature's files. Like me. I can delete their files, make new files, even disable them if I delete enough files. Sometimes a creature is too powerful for a single virus to defeat, another virus can also call in other viruses as backup."

"A hacker is more than that," Sing said, "I can manipulate our cozy little room, like I can make it a lot less dark." She snapped her fingers, and instead of black, it was all replaced by white.

"And I can create viruses of my own. That one is exclusive to me, though. I just studied programming a lot to do that. Most hackers can't do that," Sing explained.

"Viruses can create or cause glitches," Vermillion said, "Hence the creation of you, Rotiart."

"Rotiart?" I asked, "Is that me?"

"Yes," Vermillion said, "And I sense wonderful qualities in you. You shall be named king of the glitches. You shall follow my commands."

"And mine," Sing added.

"But how?" I asked, already eager. They brought me into this world, and from what they're saying, I am very curious of what job will they offer me.

"You will invade worlds," Vermillion said, "You will wipe out everybody in those worlds and report back to either me or Singular."

"Why?" I asked. Vermillion's eyes glowed brighter, and red zeros and ones began to show itself around him until Sing put a hand on his shoulder.

"Lesson number one, never question Vermillion's commands," Sing said, "He is quite sensitive towards people obeying his commands. I should've forsaw that before I made you."

They said hackers create viruses, which creates my race, glitches, I thought, So I should obey her over Vermillion, if this logic applies.

"Yes...... Ma'am," I added. I saw Sing smirk at Vermillion, who stared wide eyed.

"Ha! Knew you'd pick up," Sing said, "Now Vermillion, don't go raging too much. It's by right. I made you, you made him. It's totally logical! Although, Rotiart, I suggest you don't go pissing Vermillion off too much."

"Now I'll let Vermillion go over everything with you," Sing said, "I'm gonna see you later!" She slowly faded into golden ones and zeros.

"You little ass, listen up," Vermillion snarled once not one bit of the golden ones and zeros are left, "You don't want to miss anything I say."

~~~

"Rotiart?" A familiar voice asked. I jumped. I hadn't heard this voice for thousands of years.

"Sing?" I asked. The same girl had her arms crossed in the corner of my room, the same golden eyes on her face.

"Duh, who else?" She said, "I came to check up on you."

"After ten thousand years? How did you not age?" I asked.

"How did you not age?" She retorted, "Time is real different between the Physical World and the Cyber World. But I figured out how to save my body and consciousness in the Cyber World, so I'm basically immortal now."

"What about Vermillion? I didn't see him for more than four thousand years," I said. Sing winced.

"Remember what I told you about viruses a long time ago? Well, there is also this thing known as anti-virus that kills viruses," Sing said, "So somebody *cough* dad *cough* downloaded an anti-virus plus a firewall without telling me beforehand. Hence the reason why Vermillion's dead."

I was stunned. Vermillion was always so tough. I can't believe he's just gone.

"When did this happen?! I'll avenge him!" I demanded in my sudden anger. Sing laughed.

"Chillax," Sing said, "I deleted the anti-virus and disabled the firewall. Which is how I slipped into this place to be honest." I slowly relaxed. She avenged him. Good.

"So how's it going?" She asked.

"Not that good, but not that bad either," I said, "We conquered a good chunk of this world, but there is this annoying group of humans called the Frostbourne. They resisted with a few other of their allies, and a old enemies from my failed siege a three thousand years ago. They just refused to yield."

"Hmm," Sing mused, "Frostbourne. Called themselves humans, did they? If only they knew."

She turned to look at him, "Keep up this work and conquer this land. I have high hopes in you."

"Wait, where are you going?" I asked her, "How long will you be gone?"

"I'm going to go help a friend of mine in another world. As for how long, I don't really know," Sing said.

"Another world? Will I get to conquer that too?" I asked.

Sing chuckled, "No, Rotiart. My friend covered that. He is quite powerful. Focus on this world. I would like to see how long these little humans could last."

"As you wish, Ma'am," I said. Sing laughed.

"Vermillion never quite got over the fact that you called me Ma'am first instead of calling him Sir first," she chuckled, "Anyway, I got to go. Bye!"

She exploded into fading golden zeros and ones. Rotiart sighed. At least he now knew his creator still cared enough to check up on him. He wondered where Vermillion went, now he knew. He was dead.

That somehow unsettled him, even if he didn't know why.

~~~

I am in love with writing these extra bits. Oh, and I didn't write this one on the spot, this is actually the first short story in my short story book, check it out if you have the time please. I am really proud of my short story book, although there will be a crap ton of stories I wrote just to vent my feelings and such (Some shameless self-advertisement *cough*).

So yeah. Stay tuned for Chapter Four?