Chapter Eight
In Which Goodbyes Are Said

"So can I say it?"

"I don't think so, Val."

"Please, Bobby?"

"If she says it, I'm waiting outside."

"Come on, Val, you really shouldn't…"

Val took a deep breath. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…"

Even Enzo clapped his hands over his ears. "Okay, okay!" cried Bob. "You can say it!"

"Thanks, Bobby!" Val flung open the doors of the Diner. "Cower, puny mortals!"

The room fell silent. Matrix facepalmed as Val looked at all the staring binomes and started giggling uncontrollably. Dot pushed back her barstool and came over, walking just a tiny bit faster than might be expected. Mouse and AndrAIa followed her.

"Ah, the high priestess of the solar temple approaches," said Val.

Dot gave her a look. "What are you talking about?"

"We rebooted as gods!" Enzo told her. "I got to fly! It was cool!"

"And masterful flying it was, Your Fleetness," said Val with a curtsey.

"Thanks, Your… um… Lunarness?"

"It'll do."

"I was a sun god," Bob said by way of further explanation.

"Very fitting," smiled Dot. "So… you were… all right? In the Game? You were awfully tired when it came down…"

"I was fine," he assured her. "Being in a Game really boosts your energy levels, and my character wasn't a fighter anyway. I hope you weren't too worried," he added solicitously.

"Of course not!" she said hastily. "After all, you're the best."

"Dot, honey?" said Mouse sweetly, coming up behind her. "You lie like a rug."

"Remember what Phong said about expressing your emotions," AndrAIa added in a stern tone as she joined them.

"Miss Confidence here didn't stop pacin' from the time you left 'til Game Over," Mouse informed Bob. "Ah wish you'da won sooner; she was makin' us all dizzy."

"Sorry," said Bob with a smile. "Anyway, I didn't win; Val did."

Val grinned at him. "Why, thank you, Your Radiance."

"Will you cut that out?" groused Matrix.

"Certainly, Your Belligerence," said Val. Then she whooped with laughter, ran across the room, and dove under a table. Enzo followed her. Matrix glowered, but didn't make any move to chase them.

"I'm sorry I had you worried," Bob told Dot.

"That's all right. It wasn't your fault," she added pointedly.

AndrAIa heaved a sigh. "I said I was sorry."

"Actually, you're not the only one I've been worried about," said Dot, lowering her voice. "I'm glad that Val and Enzo get along so well, but… I'm concerned that she might be a bad influence on him. Don't get me wrong," she added hastily, "she's a nice girl, but she's so… out of control! The way they keep zipping off all the time… I don't want either of them getting into trouble…"

Bob looked over Dot's shoulder and smiled. Dot turned to follow his gaze. The topics of conversation had emerged from their hiding place and were sitting at the table, side by side. They were looking at a small window. Val was pointing to parts of it and speaking animatedly.

"… several two-letter words. That's good. And see, this one shows up a few times, so it's a particularly common word. I'm betting that one of the letters is T or O. We don't know which yet, though, so let's compare it to the three-letter words…"

AndrAIa laughed. "You were saying, Dot?"

Dot looked puzzled and slightly abashed. "Never mind."

Bob put his arm around her shoulders. This, he decided, was not the time to tell her about the gorgon. Matrix had apparently reached the same conclusion, because he changed the subject.

"So," he said to AndrAIa, "let's see what you bought."

Bob was not feeling well. A Guardian developed a strong constitution, but there were some things the inner ear was simply not programmed to handle. He began to speak, but all that came out was a strangled "Mulp!" as he decided he didn't trust himself to open his mouth just yet. He waited for his stomach to settle and tried again. "Mouse, are you sure you've never played Hypercube before?"

"Never in my runtime, but Ah like it," said Mouse, removing her helmet. She had, after hearing a brief explanation of the game, thoroughly trounced all five opponents.

"Nice driving, Mouse!" called Ray, approaching from further down the row of vehicles.

"Thanks, hon!"

Val pulled her vehicle up on the other side of Bob's and stumbled out. "Whoo… dizzy…" She giggled. The great green-and-blue cube, sensing that all six vehicles were back in their starting positions, stopped its aimless rotation and began to turn so that the side they were standing on was facing in the direction normally thought of as "up."

"That's one advantage nulls have over sprites," Professor Matrix commented. "It's hard to get disoriented without sensory organs."

"Hey, that's right, Dad," said Enzo. "How do you see and hear and stuff?"

"I'm really not sure. Null physiology is a very under-researched subject."

"But you are a null!"

"And you're a sprite. Do you know how every part of your body works?"

"Oh."

The cube was now nominally right-side-up. It stopped turning altogether and gently descended until the top face came level with a platform which protruded from the side of the dome. They stepped onto the platform and the next six players were ushered onto the cube. Those of the party with actual bodies twiddled their icons and changed back into their street clothes. They stopped at the filelockers to retrieve Ray's surfbaud and Val's duffel bag, and then Val, Ray, and Mouse returned their rented Hypercube suit codes to the binome on duty (Bob and Enzo, as permanent members, owned theirs). Then they left the arena.

"Can I ride back with you, Ray?" asked Val.

"Certainly, little lady. But keep the yelling down to a dull roar, all right? You were a mite too enthusiastic last time."

"Sorry. I'll try to contain myself."

"You do that." They stepped onto the surfbaud, Ray took hold of Val's waist, and they were off. The others zipped after.

Val's second minute in Mainframe had been rather more productive than her first. With sightseeing more or less exhausted, they sought other activities that might justify her visit. She did some encryption work with Mouse and joined Matrix for target practice. (Matrix was surprisingly amenable to the idea, especially after Val offered to be the target.) A couple of tears appeared after the Game, and Bob lent Glitch to Val so she could practise mending them. There was another Game as well, but although they went in, they didn't have to do much. It was a billiards match; Matrix aimed with his cybernetic eye and won in a single shot.

Dot even agreed to take Val on a 'field trip' to the Principal Office and teach her about system administration and the duties of a Command.com. When Bob asked Val what she'd learned, she told him, "How to cut through red tape."

In between, they still found ample time for frivolities, and the cycles had flown by until now, on the last second, they were returning to the pavement outside the Diner to await the portal that would take Val back to the Academy.

Dot, Matrix and AndrAIa were waiting outside. The returning Hypercubers came down for a smooth landing, except for Val, who jumped off the surfbaud while it was a metre in the air and still moving.

"Hi, guys," said Dot, giving Bob a peck on the cheek. "It's time. Have you got everything, Val?"

Val rolled her eyes. "Everything, and before you ask, yes, I double-checked. Honestly, you need to have some kids of your own," she added with a wink. Bob felt his face growing warm. There was that grin again, and this time it wasn't just coming from Val.

Just then, somewhat to his relief, the portal appeared. AndrAIa bent down to give Val a hug. "Well, goodbye, Val. It was really nice meeting you."

"Same here! I had a great time." She turned to Matrix and held out her hand. "Later, Tall, Green and Scary!"

Matrix shook her hand. "Good luck with training."

"I hope so. Thanks for the tips." She moved on. "'Bye, Mouse! 'Bye, Ray!"

"'Bye, sweetie. Have fun!"

"I always do. 'Bye, Professor Matrix! It was great meeting you. Talking to a null is quite a novel experience."

"If you think that's novel, you should try being one."

"I'll pass, thanks."

"Have a good time at the Academy."

"Thanks." She turned to Enzo and squatted so they were face to face. "So, will I be seeing you at the Academy, spriteling?"

"You know it!"

Val grinned and poked him on the end of the nose. "Oh, almost forgot!" She opened her duffel bag and pulled out several applets. Handing them to Enzo, she told him, "You can have these. I've got dozens."

"Cool! Thanks!"

"Enjoy." She straightened up and faced Dot. "'Bye, Dot! It was awesome meeting you! Hey, if you ever need a flower girl, you know where to find me."

Dot looked a bit embarrassed, but she smiled. "Aren't you a little old to be a flower girl?"

Val winked. "Since when have I ever let that stop me?"

A Vid Window sprang up in front of the portal. "Any time you're ready, cadet," said the balding olive-green Guardian in the window petulantly.

"Sorry, Angus. Be right there." Angus nodded doubtfully and closed the connection. Val turned back to Bob and hugged him with every ounce of her limited strength. "'Bye, Brown-Eyes! It was terrific seeing you. Will you come visit me sometime?"

"I'll try. You're welcome to visit here whenever you have a chance."

"Well, not too soon. I have to give the system time to recover."

"You got that right. Good luck at the Academy, and give my love to Aunt Ada and Uncle Ed, okay?"

"Give it to 'em yourself! They'd be thrilled to hear from you."

"Yeah, all right. And now you'd better get going!"

Val nodded and walked to the portal. She turned and waved one last time. "'Bye, everyone!" She stepped into the portal, and it shrank and vanished.

"Nice kid," said AndrAIa. Matrix made a noncommittal noise.

Dot said nothing, but stared thoughtfully into space. Then she said, "Bob? If we ever do have children, do you think we'll sort of cancel out?"

Bob paused, and then nodded. "Let's hope so."

---

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